From Idea to Impact: The Power of Podcasting with Allison Hare

Welcome to the Amberly Lago Show, stories of true grit and grace. Hey there, and thank you so much for tuning into the show. Today I have someone who is incredible. She is a force in the podcasting world and a true master at turning a mic into a movement. I had the honor of being on her show and I was like, oh my goodness, you're amazing. I really want to have you on the Amberly Lago Show. Allison Hare is a podcast launch strategist for ambitious leaders who want more than just a show. They want to, you know, they want to have business building, brand elevating. They want to be a powerhouse. She's got over 23 years in corporate sales and marketing, a broadcasting degree, a deep experience in personal branding. She's worked behind the scenes on some of the most beloved podcasts in the world while running her own award-winning top 1.5%. Yeah, that's right. 1 point— is it 1.5%?

Yeah. Yeah.

Oh my goodness. The Reinvention Room. She has interviewed some of my favorite people like Jesse Itzler, Seth Godin, built a loyal audience, and now she's on a mission to help others launch with clarity, purpose, and real strategy. If you've ever dreamed of launching your own podcast, I am so glad you're here. You wanna grab a notepad and a pen. You are gonna wanna take notes for today's guest. Allison, thank you so much for being here.

Ah, Amberly, it's such an honor. I feel like we connected so deeply where I'm like, I want more. And so I'm so grateful for the honor to speak to your audience and keep talking to you.

Well, thank you. And I just want to start off by saying, you know, like, I'm using a newer platform. It's— I said, Allison, I'm trying to uplevel the podcast and I'm using a new platform and I signed in wrong. And you were so patient with me and you're like, it's okay. And you're— and I'm like, I was sweating a little bit. And so thank you for being patient with me and being here to answer some podcast questions. I have a whole list of questions, but I tell my mastermind members all the time, like, my podcast is one of the best things I have ever done for my business. Number one, it just— like, I met you through podcasting, and now we're friends for life. I don't know if you knew that, but it's—

we are friends for life. For life.

I am. But it just— you make these connections, you get to share your message, you can become the expert in your field. I'm not the expert in my field, but I'm learning and growing. But it's just such a great way to build your business. What would you say, why would somebody want to start a podcast?

You know, I think people are in a deep search, especially now with the world being the way that it is. It's so chaotic that there seems to be even more of an urgency around finding your purpose and feeling like there's so much you want to do, you want to say, but where do you do it? And so I think what happens to people is our thoughts, our ideas, our hopes, our dreams, the things that we want to change or influence in the world are literally scattered across the internet. Maybe it's a post here because you felt inspired, but then it's gone. And maybe it's a conversation that you and I have when we bump into each other on the street. Maybe it is all over the place, but there really isn't a really good way for people to get to know you, what you stand for, what you believe in, and having like a central place to invite people, invite meaningful conversations that literally change the world. And so I think this platform is so magnificent in so many different ways, but one of the ways that I I think, and you had mentioned it, is the people that you get to meet.

Mm-hmm.

And there are people that I've met, like I've met Mariel Hemingway, the Academy Award-nominated actress. I've had her on my podcast. I've been able to meet Rich Roll through, who is somebody I really respect in the podcast space, through my relationship with Jesse Itzler, which Jesse Itzler, just meeting him has completely changed my life. You know, I found out I love endurance challenges when I never ran, I didn't do anything before.

Wow.

And now I hike the tallest mountains and all of these things. But despite that, it really is the ability to influence, to impact, and honestly, to increase your income. It just has, it's such a high-level networking tool that has the ability to, Be able to open doors you never thought possible.

It's so true. And I just recently had somebody join my mastermind from a podcast interview that I heard that I recorded over a year ago. And this was actually when I was on Ed Mylett's podcast. She heard me on Ed Mylett's And then that's how she found out about me, reached out to me, and now I get to be on this amazing journey with her. And that was from a year ago.

Yeah.

And I know some people I've— that I coach get caught up in the numbers and they're like, I'm spending all this time on doing this show and I only had 150 downloads. And I try to explain, I said, but that's like speaking into a room and you've got 150 people in that room.

Yeah.

And it's also different from doing a live doing a post on Instagram, which is not really searchable after it's gone. And it's, you know, a 5-second reel versus somebody that has actually taken the time to tune in and listen to what you're saying or that interview for 30 minutes, an hour, or sometimes even more. Like, I know Rich Roll goes like 2 hours on his podcast sometimes, you know.

Really long form.

Yeah, really long form. And so I try to explain that. And I remember when I started my podcast, I didn't even look at the numbers. I just knew that for a whole year I wasn't going to have any sponsors. And I still, I actually still don't have sponsors on my show because I don't want— it's kind of like when you're at the gym listening to music and a commercial comes on or something. It's like, I don't want to be— I just want to get that value. You know what I mean? But what would you say are some of the reasons, or some of the mistakes that people make when going into podcasting?

Oh man, you know, it's interesting because a podcast is like your own corner of the internet. So if you think about, you've got a blank slate, you can design it however you want. You can make it funny, you can make it short, you can make it valuable, you can do whatever you want. You can have interviews, you can do solo episodes, you can do chatcasts, there's so many different different ways to design your space as you see fit. I think where people really get challenged is a couple of different things. One is that they might be hearing Joe Rogan, they might be hearing Ed Mylett, and say, I need to be just like that. And people don't want another Joe Rogan, they want you. And I think even just from the impact of the numbers. So you mentioned, like, I only got 150 downloads. I wonder, is there a number that is enough? Like, if you were able to impact 150 people, and most people would say, if I could impact 10 people, if I could impact 30 people, it would be so much ease.

When I started, I thought, if I can impact one. I really did when I first started. And when I thought, if I can impact one person with my book, then it's worth it.

Yeah, and I think it's hard because people don't know what to measure success on. And so part of what I do is helping people define why are you starting a podcast? Is it because people tell you to but you don't really want to? And if that's the case, don't do it. Don't do it. If people say you should have it but you're not really interested, don't do it. But if it is because you want to create a meaningful conversation, it requires work and effort. And I think people, and I get it because I've done this. I've done everything that I'm telling you has been a mistake. And it is where I started a podcast, and I think most people kind of go in thinking it's gonna be like Beyoncé dropping an album at midnight, where people are just gonna be excited and tell all their friends, and the Rogan money will just show up. And so I think even when you are starting a podcast, most people are kind of benchmarking. Let me just get the first one out there. Let me just get the first one out. And for me, I'm like, let's, let's figure out a plan of sustainability that bakes into your schedule, but also marries the audience. Like, who is that person that you deeply want to serve? And let's marry your message with the audience. Sometimes people will come. To me and they have maybe a half-baked idea, maybe they've got a vague idea and a half-baked strategy. Most people don't really have a strategy at all. It is, you know, like they're kind of mired in the, I just need to know what technology to use, I just need to know what platform. And I'm like, let's get deeper into how can we make this podcast irresistible and irresistible to you, like it's super aligned where you can do this in episode 30 where you haven't just run out of steam, you know, or episode 300. And so part of it is identifying why are you doing it, who are you serving, but also what is the promise of your podcast? And this is where things get really interesting, because what I always teach the people that work with me is your podcast should always have a promise. It's kind of like a snack. If you're gonna walk by your pantry and you're gonna grab a snack, you could either consume that snack and you feel good and satiated, or maybe you're gonna share it. which is where the real magic happens. And so for, I'll give you an example. One of my clients is The Commercial Break. The Commercial Break is number 1 in comedy improv podcasts in Spotify and Apple, and it is ranked in the comedy charts. He started in my very first program. So I've been doing this since 2019, but I've been doing it undercover 'cause people kept asking me to do it. And I've recently said, okay, Okay, God, I hear you. Okay, I'm gonna do this full-time. But people kept coming up to me. And so in his podcast, The Commercial Break, what his goal is, his snack, right? Like his promise is that every time you listen, you are gonna laugh out loud at least once. Now, not like, oh, that's funny, but like you're literally gonna spit your soda out of your nose. It's so funny. That's his goal. And so for me, My goal is that every single episode is gonna be a conversation starter, meaning something that you can talk to somebody about at the water cooler. I have another client, The Coaching Equation is their podcast. They teach coaches how to be profitable business owners. And so every podcast has a framework. And so every episode has a framework that you can take and run with it. And so I think having sustainability and strategy built into it and marrying the audience with the idea that you have really gives it more weight versus I just need to get it out there.

Exactly. And it's so important. I love everything that you just shared, especially what you started with is if somebody's telling you, oh, you should, you should. My friend Brian Bogart always says, don't say the word should. It's a shame word. And so every time I say that word, I'm like, oh, I shouldn't be saying that. But yeah, I think that if you don't really want to do it, if you're not passionate about it, then it's not going to work. Because somebody told me when I started, they're like, oh, podcasts are a lot of work. And I'm like, I'm a hard worker, I've got grit.

Yeah.

But it is if you're doing it in a way where you're promoting it and you're putting it on your website and on social media and you're going after, you know, people that you really want to have on the show, it is a lot of work. So if you don't really want to do it, if you don't really love it, if it doesn't spark some sort of joy in you to get to do it, then I don't think it's going to be sustainable. And I love that you talk about strategy.

Yeah.

And sustainability, because I have heard of so many people that start a podcast and after about episode 8, they're done.

Do you want to hear crazy stats on this, Amberly? 90%— 90% of podcasts stop publishing after episode 8.

It really? Yeah, I just came up with that number.

Yes.

But I figured that that was about it. So 90%?

90%. So, but I'll give you— I know that sounds a little bit depressing and maybe daunting if you're thinking everybody's got a podcast, right? And there is a large podcast graveyard. I'll give you some numbers if this can be helpful, because it'll actually turn into a positive. There are about 4.5 million registered podcasts out there. There are a lot. And so sometimes people will come and say, You know, who wants to hear my dumb voice? You know, everyone's got a podcast. But I'm telling you, you have your own wisdom, your experience, your knowledge, your perspective. And that blend is unique to you. And when you refine it in a way that is married with the audience, all lights are out. And again, it is like, do you need to reach millions? Probably not. Like, what is the impact that you really want to make?

Mm-hmm.

And if it is something that is kind of tied to your personal brand or to your business, Most of the time, you probably just need a handful of clients, right? You don't need zillions of clients. And so what you need, so I'm less of a follower download chaser, but I am an engagement chaser. Like, I want you as a podcaster to be building relationships with your audience. It's such an intimate medium. So I'll go back to 4.5 million podcasts are registered. Only 455,000 are active, meaning they have published in the past 90 days.

Wow.

And only 155,000 have published an episode last week. So there is a lot of richness in it. I will tell you the reason why there is such a large podcast graveyard is because of that strategy and getting clarity right in the beginning. And so, you know, what I do is I almost slow you down enough To get clarity so you can take off like a rocket and feel confident about it, where it's got more meat to it. It's got more weight. It's thought out in a way that, I don't know, my brain thinks in podcasts. And so a lot of times people will come to me and they're like 1 degree off, right? Like they're in the realm, like they've got great ideas. And sometimes it's just tightening the bolts where I can help you turn it into a 3D roadmap where you can see it, not just, let me just put it out there. and the podcast gods are going to smile upon me and all of the Call Her Daddy money is going to be in my bank account. Right. You know, I mean, think about Rogan. He's been doing this for 20 years. It's not like he just showed up out of nowhere and then all of a sudden he's been riding on Aladdin's carpet, magic carpet. He has busted his butt, you know, and same with Tim Ferriss, same with Rich Roll. Like, these are people— Lewis Howes. They've been doing this for, you know, over a decade.

Long time.

Yeah, yeah, it's a craft, you know. And so there, there is more of a, uh, a— it is a long game playing with it, but it is yours and it is so powerful. Like, Amberly, I mean, think about— I listen to your show, like, maybe I'm doing laundry, I take you with me to Drop off my kids. A lot of people will listen to you on the toilet. It is a very intimate medium where it is so intimate and it is so private that it feels almost like a one-to-one relationship if you do it right.

It's so true. And can I tell you something that I did yesterday?

Yeah.

I don't usually do this. I don't know why, but it It's hard for me to hear my voice. When I hear my own voice, I'm like, oh gosh, is that— man, do I have an accent? Like, is that what I sound like?

I think your accent is so appealing. I think it's what helps people remember the way you say things.

Well, thank you. But I thought, you know what, in order to improve, I really have to watch my performance or listen to my solo cast. And so yesterday, and I don't usually do this, but I listened back to my solo cast as I was walking through Target getting my, you know, Sunday shopping done. And, um, I noticed how much I said an um. I'm like, um, um. I'm like, can't we edit those ums out? I didn't know I said um that many times.

Oh yeah.

You know, but it is, when you said it, it does kind of feel very private.

Yes.

And like someone's speaking to you. And if you need a pick-me-up, there are certain shows that I go to that I'm like, I just want to feel better. I just need a few tips, or I need to spark some ideas. And I go to that podcast and I listen to that podcast. But when I first started, I had, you know, overachieving thoughts of, I'm gonna do 2 episodes a week. And so when I launched my podcast, I did 3. This was my bright idea. You tell me if this is wrong because I don't know. I need to know. I need your input. So when I launched my podcast, I launched with 3 episodes because I figure, well, if I launch with 3, then that'll be even more downloads. Maybe Apple will recognize me. Maybe. But I had like 10 in the can because I didn't ever want to— Yeah, save a strike. I didn't want to get behind. And that came in handy because I had a lot of people sharing the episodes, which was— I'm so grateful for that. But then also, when I moved to Texas, we had no internet. Like, our internet kept going out. I had no idea how bad the internet— like, we were out in the middle of nowhere. And I was like, I need internet. I was having meltdown. Luckily, I had all these episodes in the can and my team could still release the episodes because that's the worst feeling as a podcaster if you're ever feeling like, oh my gosh. That's only happened in like 6 years, 6 years.

Yeah.

One time where it was in the middle of my book launch and I got behind. My team was like, do you have the episode for this week? And I was like, oops, I sure don't. And I didn't have a way to record a solo cast because I was on the road traveling for a speaking event. So it's only happened once. But how important is consistency when you're, when you're a podcaster?

It's critical. It's critical. You know, you almost treat it like a full-time job. Is it a full-time job? No. But you bake it into your schedule like it is. It's kind of like working out, right? You're not going to work out once and all of a sudden you lose 20 pounds and you have tons of muscle and then you're good to go. It's the same thing with podcasting. And I think that is the fallacy that it requires effort. It requires continuous. And, you know, the way that, that I set up podcasts for my clients and even for myself is that the way that you positioned it of like having a bunch in the can is It's always good because there's nothing worse than like scrambling for content. Then it becomes a frustrating job. But if you, especially in the beginning, if you have a nice little bank before you launch, which I always recommend, you have flexibility. You have flexibility. I think it's really important to carve out weekly time to focus on the podcast, whether it is promotion or editing or recording. You You can batch record stuff as well. Like, I think Tim Ferriss records, who's one of the biggest podcasters in the world, he records something like 6 or 7 interviews on one day, on a Monday in a month, you know? And so he'll have it all lined up back to back, his team edits it, and they're off to go. And it is super bare bones. There are no frills. Now I think he's added videos, so there's a little more complexity to it. But again, he's been doing it for 15, 20 years at this point. You don't need a lot of bells and whistles, but you do need to make sure this isn't like, oh, it's fun, I'll do it when I feel like it. You kind of have to build it into your schedule. And so part of the work that I do is helping them bake it in so that it doesn't— they don't get behind. And knowing that there are going to be some weeks you have no time for it, right? There are going to be some weeks you're on vacation. It happens. But if you're ahead of the game, then it— It always will work out for you. And really what the hope is, is that your podcast, if done right, it becomes self-generating, meaning your brain is always looking for content, for ideas, for people. For me, like, people just pop into my head and I get a craw in my brain. And that's, you know, like with you too, Amberly, you know, like we, we were able to have our teams kind of connect. But I knew who you were because we run in some similar circles. And then all of a sudden I'm like, everything I see is Amberly Lago. And so my brain thinks in questions, um, that I want to ask people. And so I'll give you an example too. Um, there's, uh, and, and this is where it gets really fun. Um, and if you're into Human Design— are you into Human Design? Do you know what it is?

I am, but I'm very— I'm I'm so curious about it. I don't know enough about it. I don't wanna learn more.

I don't know a ton about it, but I'm a generator, meaning I am responsive, meaning you respond yes, no, or whatever to what is prompted to you. It's better if I'm in responsive versus, you know, being the initiator, even though I've always been the initiator in a lot of ways. Anyway, I was watching a documentary called The Minimalists. You may have heard of it. It's on Netflix. Like people that just sell everything And there was this guy, one of the guys that was featured on there, this like gorgeous, like drop-dead gorgeous dude, you know, was like in like the perfect LinkedIn boy, you know, kind of a bro, right? Like a corporate bro. And he was kind of going up the ladder and in his 20s, he's like, this does not feel like it's fulfilling to me. And he had been writing and writing and writing and had this regular blog. And he asked his blog readers, like, if I were to move anywhere, where should I go? And so a bunch of them wrote in, and he sold everything he had and moved to that town and lived off of, like, out of a backpack, and would do that for years and years and years. And so when I heard that, I rolled over and, like, found him on Instagram, emailed him right away, or DM'd him right away, and was just, my brain just lit up. And I've had him on my podcast a couple of times and he just is awesome. And it's just really interesting the kind of people that you get, that when you have an idea, a thought, a concept, something you wanna explore, something you're curious about, you can turn that into content immediately. You can turn that into a meaningful conversation that helps other people open other people's minds to other possibilities, and in turn opens possibilities for you as well.

Oh, exactly. And I really love to have people on my show that I want to learn from.

Yeah.

Or that I've experienced their work, or, or I know them personally, and I know they have a good heart and they really want to impact people in a positive way. Um, what would you say to somebody who wants to start a podcast? They have big ideas. And they're like, well, who's gonna wanna be on my show? How— what's the best way for them to go out there and get guests on their show?

It's gonna be an answer you're probably not gonna like, but you ask. You'd be surprised with just asking. Like, I love DMs more than I like email. A lot of times email has admins and whatever, but I like the personal relationship. And that is how I was able to get Mariola Hemingway. It took, you know, it was probably a couple of years of kind of going back and forth with her. And I loved what she's doing in the mental health space. If you know that Hemingway, they call it the Hemingway curse, that there's so much addiction and suicide in her family. And so she kind of went a totally opposite direction to live healthier and help people, kind of a suicide prevention kind of thing. So it wasn't just about her life as a Hemingway and as a famous actress, but as somebody who's an activist and trying to make the world a better place. world better. And so I think the best way is to ask. I take more of a ladder approach of like, if you were to list out 10 people, 10 starting 1 with like, who is like super easy to get to, right? And number 10 might be Oprah. And so, you know, like you just have increasingly like, this person's accessible, I know they'll come on my show. And then what happens is as you move up that ladder, those names, you don't want to cut your teeth on Oprah Winfrey, right? You don't want your first interview on that. You want to be really tight. And so having people that are a little more accessible at first and then continuing to move up the ladder is, is what I always advise.

Oh, that's such great advice. And, you know, it's interesting that you bring that up because the other day I was Going through my closet, I'm big on notebooks. I have these notebooks. I'm so old school. Look.

I'm a notebook girl too.

Okay. Post-its and notebooks. I love them. But then I tend to have all these notebooks. And I was going through my closet here in my office and just kind of organizing stuff and decluttering and found an old notebook from when I very first started podcasting. And the list of people That I had. And this is when I, you know, I first started. I had first started speaking. A lot of these speakers, I hadn't shared the stage with them yet. And you know what? I'm so glad I found that because every single person on that list I've had on the show. Wow.

And what is your secret?

You know, building relationships. Yeah. And not being a taker. And seeing how I can support and how I can give.

What do you mean not being a taker? What does a taker look like?

A taker looks like just reaching out. First off, they don't know who you are and saying, hey, I want to have you on my show because my show is so great and I need your time to be on my show because I want to boost my ratings rather than trying to build a relationship And saying, I love your content, and sharing their content and listening to their podcast and sharing their podcast and commenting on their post and sending encouraging words to their DMs. Maybe that takes a little bit longer, but when you reach out saying, hey, I would love to— especially if they have a book coming out— I would love to shout your book off the rooftops.

Yes.

I would love to support you. I share my podcast over all platforms, in my newsletter, on YouTube, and all over my social media. And I just want the world to know about your message. I know you're so busy, but if you had 30 minutes to come and be on my show, I would be so grateful. And I promise I will make it worth your time.

I love it. I love it. That's it. That's it.

Rather than, um, I'm so great, be on my show. Yeah, you know what I mean? I mean, I just feel like if you have a little humility, if you are grateful for that person, if you are constantly pouring into that person and adding value to them, yeah, then you start to build that relationship. And, you know, I didn't know— I'll tell you a funny story. And now, Trent Shelton and I are friends. But when I first met Trent, I had met him, we had shared the stage at an event, and it was my very first speaking event. I was scared to death. I didn't know anybody there. It was like with Mel Robbins and Jay Shetty and Ed Mylett. Oh my goodness. And Trent Shelton and Brendon Burchard, and then there was me. And Trent was so kind. He was just— he is who he is offstage, onstage, offstage, same person. He is so amazing. And so I knew that I lived in California. I knew he lived in the Dallas area, and I knew I was taking my mom to go see Oprah. And so I just sent him a message and I was like, hi, Trent, I'm gonna be in Dallas to take my mom to see Oprah, and it would be a dream come true to come stop by and interview you for a few minutes. I don't even know exactly how I asked him. He said yes. And come to find out later, he was— one of his friends told me, oh yeah, well, Trent must like you because he doesn't like doing podcasts.

Wow.

Oh, no. So later, years later.

Aren't you so glad that you didn't know that going in?

Oh, I'm so glad I didn't know. I probably would have never acted. Yeah. And so I— we were speaking at another event later and I said, hey, Trent, I just have to tell you, it means the world to me that you were on my show because I found out that your friend told me that you don't really like doing podcast interviews. He goes, nah, I don't really like it too much. I don't really like it. it too much. I was like, oh, thank you.

Wow.

So then what I did, and this is probably 5 years later since he was first on my show, I saw he had a book coming out. And I genuinely, I just wanted to see how I could support his book, like really, like put it on the podcast. Because since then my podcast has grown. And I really reached out because I was like, can I Can I do something for you? Can I— like, we can interview you about your book. In fact, I've got boxes over here in my office right now stacked full of his book, Protect Your Peace. But he said yes, and he came in person to the studio to do it. And so I think that when you build those relationships, it's easier to make that ask. And also, you know what I've learned? And I don't know if you've learned this, But it's surprising to me. You think that somebody— and I'm not talking about Trent. Trent's like amazing. But I had somebody on my show that on social media looked like they had millions of followers. And I was like, oh my gosh, they're going to be on the show. This is awesome. No, like the downloads were lower than ever.

Isn't that funny?

Yeah. And then, I had on somebody, my friend, Terry Whalen, who— he's in the publishing industry. He was on the show. His episode— he has no social media following. He's got some on LinkedIn. But that was one of the most downloadable episodes. And you know what the number one downloaded episode is?

What's that?

That this person has zero social media following. Social media. Like, he doesn't even like social media.

Yeah.

I finally convinced my husband to come on the episode. It took me 100 episodes to get him to come on the episode.

Right.

Episode 100, that's still the most downloadable— downloaded episode.

People are interested in you. But Amberly, that's the thing, you know? I think we get trapped in, you know, I need to have the guest, the guest, the guest, the guest. But people are really interested in you and your life, you know? And I think we almost discredit— Oh, I'm glad they were interested in John. Well, that's true. But like, but understanding like the dynamic of what life is like, you know, I think there are a lot of people that I follow that are kind of in this space where, um, it's fine to listen to their interviews. They're interesting. But my favorite ones are when I hear about them and what they think and what their opinions are. And it's their podcast. And so I've, I've, I've had the same experience. You know, people feel like you need these huge audiences, but that's not what people care about. And you know, like nobody cares that you have a new episode out. And a lot of times even the bigger names may not always— they aren't gonna change your show. But what will change your show are conversation starters. So I've had somebody, her name is Cindy Robinson, and I've had her on my podcast, I don't know, 12 or 13 times.

Wow.

This woman has— she has a big social media following, but that was not by design. She is deeply introverted. Like, she sits around and reads medical journals, and her brain assimilates things in a really unique way. And she's absolutely brilliant and has zero interest in monetizing her social media at all. She just posts and goes because it's her creative platform. And so she was late diagnosed on the spectrum somewhere. So I think it's part of that, and that's part of her story. She's written memoirs. But she just She just does not care about any of the metrics at all. And every time I have her on my podcast, the show blows up and everyone is talking about it because it's such a unique perspective that requires you to challenge status quo, which is what I personally love. You know, like kind of deprogramming all this stuff that we've been learned.

But the—

because she reads so much like medical journals and all kinds of stuff, she is an influencer. By all of the noise. And so she's able to kind of alchemize it in a way and deliver it in a way that is so profoundly interesting. And it works. Like literally, like how I raise my kids is different because of Cindy and the people that listen to my show. And so it's just a really fun, you know, kind of way to find those people. It's kind of like Tim Ferriss. So I mentioned Tim Ferriss. He's one of the biggest podcasters in the world. One of the things that he, has done this year. He made a declaration. So he does these long-form content. He's been around for 10, 15, 20 years on podcasts. He's an Ivy League-educated guy. He wrote The 4-Hour Workweek and a lot of the 4-Hour kind of a series. And, and he has made a declaration that he would not have anybody on a book tour on his podcast this year.

Really?

Yes, because, you know, you know, Mel Robbins comes out with something, she's on every single podcast, you know, in one week. Jamie Lynn Kerma, um, Jamie, Jamie Lima, yeah, Jamie Lynn Kerma.

Yes, I, I had the same thing.

She's on everyone. And so he said, I don't want to do that, and I'm going to have 2 types of people on: people that are well known and people that people don't know that need to know. So he's being very, very specific because of this reason. And so his commitment to quality, to not being part of this rat race, you know, not being like recycled, regurgitated kind of stuff as a stop on his tour kind of thing.

Yeah.

He didn't wanna be that. He wanted to differentiate himself. And so I think that's a really great signal for us that want to carve our own mark in there and how important it is to, So kind of find your own path, you know, and not be copying somebody else.

Exactly. That is so good.

Isn't that fascinating? Do you want to hear something cool? I love telling people this. So I just did a podcast episode about why some of the biggest podcasts are the biggest podcasts. And it has nothing to do with like money and production value, but everything to do with— there are certain nuances that keep people really hooked. And so I noticed That what Mel Robbins does, you know, she's got like the number one show. She's even knocked Joe Rogan out of the top seat, right?

Unbelievable. But also, Allison, I just noticed this, this morning, actually. I hadn't— her stuff hasn't come up in my feed a lot. I noticed everything she posts about is all her podcast now. Did you notice that?

Oh, yeah. Well, that and her book.

But well, yeah. Yeah.

So brilliantly, and I advise anybody to do this if it makes sense for you. She uses something called you language in all of her media. And what that means is that she doesn't talk to the audience. She doesn't refer to you as the audience.

Mm-hmm.

And if you think of like We Can Do Hard Things, Glennon Doyle's podcast, it's one of the top podcasts, it's top 10 in the world. Or in the nation at least, um, they refer to their listeners as the Pod Squad. So if I listen to We Can Do Hard Things and I hear the Pod Squad, even though I'm a listener, it feels like a group I'm not part of, you know? Like I'm not getting together with people and making decisions about the show. It almost feels like a separation, right?

I do the same thing with my newsletter. I make it about you. I don't say, you know, there are more than one person reading my newsletter.

It's so intimate, right? Like, you know, like, hey guys. So Mel Robbins uses you language where she'll say, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, Mel Robbins, you are out of your mind. And you know why I know you're thinking that? Because I felt the same way and I've gone through the same thing. So it feels like a mentor sitting across from you in the coffee shop, you know, across the table, urgently telling you what she found. And so because she uses you language, and she does that in her emails, in her book, in her podcast, in all of it, it is consistent throughout. And even when she has a guest, she'll say, I need you, Amberly. Tell my listener who is struggling right now, like she uses singular. Tell my listener who is struggling right now with this problem. How can you help them feel better? And so nobody does it like she does it. And there actually aren't a ton of shows that are using you language. So if I could impart anything, use you language.

That is so good. Oh my goodness. And we are almost out of time.

You're not going to hear podcasts the same. You're going to hear when people, you know, kind of call their—

And that also makes me want to go back and listen to mine and see if I use I used you language in that last solo cast.

Yeah.

Uh-huh. I'm going to.

It's kind of like referring, like, even if you're talking to, like, you and I are talking, and if I say, well, people tell, people say this, you could even turn it around of like, I know what your listener is thinking. I know what you're thinking, listener. You're thinking, right? And so, and, and I don't do it all the time either, but it is, uh, something I'm trying to be cognizant of. To make it more intimate and more— just, it just feels better.

It does. Thank you for that. So, any tips for people who are like, okay, well, I actually have a podcast. I have started mine. How do I make it better? Beside— I love that tip. That's like, number one. That is— I'm gonna always be thinking of that now, every time I record.

Yeah.

And I know you are thinking the same thing, you listening right now. Did you hear— did you notice how I did that?

No, you didn't.

I'm kidding. Is there something else that you could share that could set somebody's podcast apart from the rest of the thousands?

Honestly, I think inviting your listener to be part of the conversation. So, part of that is you language, but also, Also creating that promise, like I mentioned, that snack. You know, what do they walk away with? It's kind of like when you go to hear a preacher talk, right? Like, you can hear a preacher talk and say, oh my goodness, Amberly, I went to church and the pastor taught— I was so moved. And you would say, well, what was it about? And you're like, I don't know, it was something about like faith and whatever. Like, I don't want that, right? You want something specific. And so, I live in Atlanta, and I'm a big fan of Andy Stanley. Andy Stanley is the pastor of this big megachurch called North Point Church. And I've heard him. He's one of the most gifted and most brilliant communicators I've ever heard.

No way.

And like, sitting in front of him is just—

whoo!

He does such a masterful job. And so, he was on Donald Miller's podcast when it was called StoryBrand. And Donald Miller had asked him, how do you craft your talks? And he said, it became so clear to me that when I was in seminary school, there was somebody that I saw 20 years later, and they said, I heard your talk when you were in seminary school, and you talked about X. And he's like, I don't remember talking about that. And that to him made it, turned everything around where what he does is he makes sure sure that everything he does is portable. Meaning it might be a clever rhyme or a framework or something that somebody can easily take where it's not so esoteric that it feels unreachable, right? It feels like you can't share it. And so a preacher's job is to make sure that when you leave church, yes, you're going to feel good, but you're going to have some kind of system or mechanism or methodology or framework or a helpful rhyme or something that they can actually apply in their life. The same thing goes for a podcast, that, that really is the promise or the snack that makes it portable. And so having a show that is even better— a lot of times people think, well, I need more downloads. And a lot of times it's not like just having your podcast showcased, it's making a better show. And like, how do you dive deeper into better content? And a lot A lot of times, it's just tightening the bolts where you may have all of the pieces. It's just massaging it in a way that makes it easier for people to take it and run.

Yeah. Oh, that's so good. And you know, everything that you've shared today, there might be, you know, you might be sitting there— I'm thinking of the you now. No, but you might be sitting there going, well, I don't wanna do a podcast. I don't have any desire to do that. But you want to be a speaker. I think this goes hand in hand with speaking. Everything that you've shared. Yeah. Making the promise. What you talked about your guest earlier about how she makes you think differently or she— you can think, you know, and that's kind of what a TED Talk does is like a TED Talk makes you think of different ways of doing something. And gives you like an easy system, something to remember to go out there and apply it to your life. So I think everything you have shared goes along with so much more than just podcasting. It goes with speaking, it goes with your branding, and it's probably— you're probably so amazing at this, Alison, because you are so great at branding and getting a message out there. Do you take podcasts that are already out there and do like an inventory and go, okay, this is the— we gotta tighten this up, we need to get rid of this, we need to do—

Yeah, yeah, I do, I do. I offer like half-day workshops, which are great for like rebrands or relaunches. And then I offer like a full 12-week— excuse me— one-on-one coaching program where I'll get you launched in 8 weeks, and then we have a 4-week buffer to like— it's probably good for like brand new podcasts podcast. It is where those work really well. Yeah.

Okay, well, we need to know. I need to know. There are people in my mastermind right now that are thinking about a podcast, and I've got to connect them with you. Well, I would love for you to come and speak to my mastermind.

I would love that. And you know what I think also can— if I can give a little bit of comfort for people that are kind of toying with the idea of a podcast, but are a little bit nervous about—

Yeah.

Is it overwhelming? Is it a commitment for life? A lot of times people will do a limited series, or they'll do things in seasons. So you don't have to feel like it is a commitment forever, like a child, you know? Like, I think about Adam Grant, who does the podcast WorkLife. He does 10 episodes a year, and that's it, you know? And that is enough, right? And again, his are very research-heavy. There's a lot that goes into his podcasts. But I always recommend, like, get to episode 12 and see how you feel. And at some point, maybe that's all you need. I launched a podcast a couple years ago. It's called The Podcaster's Journey. It was a podcast for podcasters about podcasting. It was as meta as can be. And I did 30 episodes, and I got bored of it. And then I stopped and went back to my original work.

Yeah.

one. And it was fine, right? It doesn't mean I'm a failure. It means I have interviewed— I had 30 new episodes and interviewed some incredible people that was helpful, and it got to the end of it, and that was that. And there is no shame in it. So I do think that if you are speaking, if you are writing a book, if you are, you know, really looking to kind of leverage your personality, your wisdom, your experience, your knowledge, your perspective, Your reputation in a way. A podcast is a great opportunity to unpack ideas in long-form content that's far less stressful than doing like a 7-second clever polished reel that you have to do again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and, you know, be a slave to the algorithm.

Oh yeah, yeah, for sure. Sure.

And when it comes to business too, like you can't sell a $20,000 program on a 7-second reel. It requires trust to be built, but you absolutely can in one podcast episode with a tight message and a strong call to action. And not that that is the end-all and be-all, but it is there, and it has the ability to change everything for you.

Oh, for sure. You know, and I just got an email this morning from someone who I had, I had no idea, but she had been— she's been listening to the podcast for years. And maybe it's taken years, but in those years, she wants to come to my— she's coming to my event. She wants me to coach her. And that has been through years of listening to the podcast. So sometimes—

Yeah.

takes one episode and that's it. And sometimes it might take years for the one person to go, okay, I think that's the coach for me, or, you know.

Yes.

But, and I also love that you shared about the seasons because I have a really good friend of mine who she takes the whole summer off and she calls, you know, she's got seasons and then she starts back up. So a lot of people do that. And, you know, my My show used to be called— it was a completely different name. It used to be called True Grit and Grace with Amberly Lago.

Yeah.

And I decided to rebrand. And so that's okay too. And my show's a little different. So you can kind of change and see what you like and approach it with curiosity. And you can most definitely go to Allison because I will tell you something. Allison, I decide— I found out right early on, I was like, oh no, no, no, no, I don't enjoy the editing process. That's not— I love this part of it, but I want to hand it over to an editor, a producer. Here you go, fix all that stuff.

Yeah.

And so if you really want to get started with a podcast, this is your opportunity from somebody who really knows what they're doing. If you already have a podcast, go to her half-day workshops. I'm gonna have all the links in the, in the notes. I want you to go over and listen to her podcast and share the episode and shout it off the rooftops that I'm on. I wanna make, you know, I wanna look good to Allison. Help a sister out.

You are awesome.

But Allison, what is the best way for people to find your half-day workshops?

Yeah.

And also your 12-week program?

Yeah, everything is on my website. It's allisonhair.com. Allison with 2 L's and an I. Hair is spelled like the rabbit. allisonhair.com. And if you want a free podcast equipment guide to just get rid of any guesswork and all the Google, because you You can get really tangled in trying to figure out, should I get this mic or that mic, or what equipment should I use? You can just go to allisonhair.com/equipment, and then my podcast is Reinvention Room, which is available anywhere you get your podcasts.

Oh, that is so awesome. And you know what's so funny? I'm so glad you have that. I am gonna put that link in my chat for my mastermind because I was just sending separate mics, separate cameras, Like put just did that this morning.

Oh my goodness! Yeah, send them my link.

It's super free.

Super free.

Send them over. Super free. You are so incredible.

Thank you so much for all the wisdom.

I'm gonna have to have you back on because I only I had a whole huge list of questions and I didn't even get to. So did I run my mouth?

Forgive me, I'm a podcaster. I like to talk.

No, no, I kind of just— things pop in my head and I want to ask another question and another one. So I kind of— and that's how it is, you know, we just go.

That is, yeah.

But, um, oh, you're so amazing. I thank you so much for being on the show. Y'all take a screenshot of this and share this episode out so everybody knows that they too can be a podcaster. Or if you're podcasting and you're ready to level up your podcast, reach out to Allison. Anyway, thank you so much, Allison.

It's my pleasure. Thank you, Amberly.

Thank you. And thank you for tuning in to the Amberly Lago Show. I really, really appreciate you being here, and we will see you next week.