5 Strategies You Need To Run A Very Successful Podcast, With Rodney Campbell and Keith Richardson
Know and stay true to your purpose, or as Simon Sinek would say your “why”. Don’t lose sight of the purpose regardless of what that purpose is. Remind yourself and your colleagues frequently. Find examples in your work and call them out so people know that what they’re doing matters.
Plan breaks and holidays. It’s tempting to work tirelessly all the time. We all need sleep and rest. Take some time to recharge without the guilt. Come back with more focus and energy.
A key to this is communication. It is not unheard of for one of us to get a call or text message from the other saying, “I’m toast today, I’ll wrap what I owe in the morning”, or “I need a few days away to get my mind right”. Be honest about it with yourself and your colleagues.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Rodney Campbell and Keith Richardson, Co-Founders of More In Common and creators of More In Common Podcast. Rodney is chief of all things marketing and Keith is lead editor, as they both find ways to do everything else necessary to build on the vision they have. Rodney comes from Indiana and Keith from New Hampshire and they both graduated from Purdue University. After some 15 years building successful careers in technology they have begun the journey of building a Social Enterprise anchored on the podcast.
Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
Thanks for extending the opportunity. It was a conversation shortly after Colin Kaepernick first knelt on the sidelines of an NFL game when he was a Quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. Keith called Rodney the next day needing to discuss. Suffice it to say we came at the topic from different points of view. Several hours and conversations later, we were opened to the other’s perspective based on mutual respect and curiosity.
It was in the discussion we realized a couple of key things. Firstly, we are better humans thanks to our friendship. For that we’re ever grateful. We have been having conversations like this for 15+ years about all sorts of topics. Each time respectfully challenging positions, views, theories, and ideas which has resulted in growth. Second, we need to figure out our formula and share it with others. We believe we need more honest, respectful, and thoughtful dialogue about things that matter.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your podcast?
No necessarily a story but the biggest surprise and most interesting things has been the overwhelmingly positive feedback and encouragement. Given the topics we explore — race, politics, mental health, child abuse, parenting, and other important topics… we assumed we’d regularly receive negative comments and feedback. As it so happens, we haven’t as of yet. One of our earliest episodes resulted in a sibling reconciliation after many years of not speaking. Not something we remotely to imagine as a possible outcome of this.
We have heard more and more stories like this from both guests and our audience. We frequently read the stories and comments because they keep us grounded and motivated to continue to pursue more and more topics that matter.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Well, we absolutely have tips for podcasters based on our silly mishaps. One example: make sure you’re recording. Solid gold, right? You’d be surprised the things you forget in the process.
The biggest mistake was we waited too long to release our first episode. We’re cautious lads, and we wanted to measure something like 18 times before making even a single cut. In other words, we hesitated and didn’t move right when we had the idea. Our original podcast name was “Under The Skin”. When we started, we did our due diligence and saw no such podcast in existence.
When we finally released episode one “Shoot Ninja”, we soon realized there was another podcast by the same name. That Podcast, Under the Skin w/ Russell Brand, came out only a month or two prior. We were on our way to trademarking and, since the comedian and actor Mr. Brand had his podcast first, our chances of trademarking went from slim to none.
A scramble to find a new name and a rebrand ensued.
The lesson learned in this was move quickly. If you think your idea is right, go with it. Sort out the details later, speed matters.
What do you think makes your podcast stand out? Can you share a story?
We don’t push a content agenda and we don’t script our interviews. The goal is to present stories of people to demonstrate the good that exists at the same time asking tough questions that come from listening. We look to represent the guest how they want to tell their story. The goal is to position optimism, conversation, and the good nature of people whom you may never have heard from before. We provide a comfortable environment for sharing and discussing anything that may come up.
Our most common feedback from previous guests is that they feel as if they’re talking to two old friends. One guest, Phil Hay, a screenwriter in Los Angeles, spoke to this in feedback to us after the conversation. He’s a guy that’s hosted a podcast and is often interviewed given the nature of his profession. His comment was that it was refreshing to just talk like old friends rather than answer preset questions.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
Know and stay true to your purpose, or as Simon Sinek would say your “why”. Don’t lose sight of the purpose regardless of what that purpose is. Remind yourself and your colleagues frequently. Find examples in your work and call them out so people know that what they’re doing matters.
Plan breaks and holidays. It’s tempting to work tirelessly all the time. We all need sleep and rest. Take some time to recharge without the guilt. Come back with more focus and energy.
A key to this is communication. It is not unheard of for one of us to get a call or text message from the other saying, “I’m toast today, I’ll wrap what I owe in the morning”, or “I need a few days away to get my mind right”. Be honest about it with yourself and your colleagues.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
Our wives without question. Being dads, and starting this mission with other jobs, we could easily understand if they were frustrated over the hours needed to build this. They have been so patient and supportive. It’s not always roses and kittens, but this isn’t possible without their support.
We also have a silent partner that wishes to remain unknown. His connections, advice, and support have been key. He has been instrumental in helping introduce us to many of our guests including one of our first. Without him, Speaks doesn’t happen and who knows where we would be today without that episode.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
The conversations we’re having are causing people to question more and to evaluate why they think how they do. Some have even engaged in conversations that they’d have normally avoided based on things they’ve heard on our show. Which is amazing and what we’re working so hard to promote.
We’re creating tools to help people have productive and respectful conversations. The conversations we’re having are teaching us and we’re consolidating our learnings for others to use. Success for us means spreading goodness to the world.
Our goal is to expand on that goodness as our popularity and demand grows. It’s generally accepted that we are more polarized than ever. We don’t believe that. We fundamentally believe that the polarization is overstated, and it creates a perception that limits people’s engagement. We are going to break down this perception and demonstrate the commonality we all have and how to draw it out in one another.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story of how that was relevant to you in your life?
We both have some favorite maxims and quotes. We have combined them over the years to create our framework. Here are 3 examples:
- Our collective organizational philosophy is to Connect and do the right thing. If there is something that is helping us connect with each other, the business, our guests, our families, etc…then it’s going to move us forward. And if it isn’t the right thing to do, then don’t do it.
- There is a ton of great guidance, advice and frameworks for doing things. Evaluate and keep the stuff that fits your personality brand. Do things that feel right to you, not because others say to do them. Listen to it all then determine whether or not you think it’s relevant to you.
- Reid Hoffman has an episode of his podcast that has been really good for us. I’s about how Air B&B began. He explained that sometimes you have to do things that don’t scale as you begin. This has been a huge part of our beginning. Our editing process is very unique. We give guests final cut on their episode, which increases our time to edit but really aligns to the goals of what we are trying to do.
What are your “5 Strategies You Need To Run A Very Successful Podcast” Please share a story or example for each.
- This past year came with a lot of learnings around advertising because it’s new to us. There are so many ways to advertise both paid and free. Build a strategy, execute against that strategy, measure its impact, adjust and repeat. The important piece is to be consistent.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for reviews, shares, likes, and feedback. We delayed asking our guests and listeners to share and it is probably the best tool for growth. People take recommendations from people they like. Ask early, ask often, and ask in ways that fit your brand.
- Don’t hesitate to reach out to people who fit the guest profile you want for your show. Regardless of who the person is and how you learned of them, reach out and ask. An example for us is the Executive Director of Table Talk. Their mission aligns directly to ours, so we reached out and she became our 34th episode as well as a key business partner. Or, as we call it, a key Villager!
- Learn how to edit the content and audio yourself. It’s a process and certainly takes time, but it gives you an experience that can’t be replaced by a paid resource. By the time you are ready to pay, you will have a keener ear for the quality you require and for the content corrections you want to deliver. There are a lot of nuances when doing content edits, from hearing what needs to be done to blending sections, that allow for a better conversation with an editor or team you ultimately delegate to. Also, don’t be intimidated by the equipment needed. We didn’t start with the best equipment to produce quality audio. Youtube is a great resource and there are podcasts that help get you started (ex. Podcraft).
- Advertising, if you want to begin earning money early. There are many different products that have a low barrier to entry and don’t require a following. (E.G. blue apron). As you build a following, Patreon.com, is a great way to produce active engagement with your audience while receiving a regular stream of support to help improve the production. We have taken a different approach to monetization as we haven’t decided to advertise yet. To support us, we have started an e-commerce line of merchandise that supports our mission. And have expanded to Patreon.
You are both people of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
That we’re all connected and everyone matters. We have more in common than not.
Even if you don’t agree with someone they still matter. Even though you know you won’t change your mind or theirs, try to understand where they are coming from and why they see things the way they do. engage with different mindsets to understand we all have a place and commonly want the same things in life. Just want them in a different way.
The movement we aim to spearhead is a culture where institutions are rewarded for lifting those around them with compassion & empathy. We want people to have education, opportunity and resources that will enable them to better contribute to the growth of our collective existence. The fundamental belief that we are all better when we all lift rather than suppress those around us.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
IG, FB and Twitter: @moreincommonpod