Celebrating 500 episodes of the Boostly Podcast

All right, good morning, good afternoon, good evening, welcome. Wherever you are tuning in from around the world, please do me a massive favor. If you are tuning in live with us, leave a hashtag live in the comments, whether it's on the Facebook or LinkedIn or whether you are tuning into this podcast. This is a very special one because this is the 500th episode of the Boostly podcast. And with that, what I wanted to do is I wanted to take a little, a little dive back because there's a lot of people that are just coming into the Boostly world and the team Boostly world now, basically six years in to the, to the journey. And there's a lot of people have been around since pretty much day one. And for a lot of people that are coming in for the first time, they don't realize that there is so, so, so much content and podcasts and blog posts and videos that you can go back and tune in on. So that's what I wanted to do today is to just sort of give a little overview of what we've had, what's been, and more importantly, what's coming up into the future. I've got a very special guest who is going to be on the live with us at some way point over the course of the next 10, 15, 20 minutes. But just to start off with, I would just like to throw the question over, over to yourself. So whether you're watching this live or whether you're watching on the replay, let us know when you came into the world of Boostly, when you discovered the Boostly podcast. Have you released literally recently, just, just done. So have you been around in the world of Boostly for, for a While? So we 500 in now. I was doing the math before, and even if we'd have done one podcast a week over the last year, that's only 52. And there's been a large chunk of these episodes, I will say was in 2020. For anybody that remembers, there was a point in the 2020 where we did 40 days live during COVID from March 20th all the way to like July. We did one every single day. And then in 2021, I came back strong and we did a podcast every single day, but pretty much Monday to Friday. So that was where a large chunk of them came from. We probably got going in 2016. I managed to dig out the very first podcast that we did. It was really hard to do so with the podcast stats. So we were using Libsyn for many years. Somebody helped me get set up on there before that I can't even remember where it was hosted on. But we lost all of the data, we lost all of the podcasts, the audio versions. But what I have been able to find is the very first video podcast that we did. So when we first got going, it was literally just audio. There's about two of them. Sorry, two seasons. And what I used to do when I first got started, I would release them like a Netflix series. So I'd. I'd record five and I just put all five of them out on, on itunes and then I'd wait a while and then I'd put out another five and the first ever one. Let me see if I can, if I can share my screen. Now. This is one of the first ever podcasts that I was able to find. All right, so I'm going to share my screen. So you can actually find this yourself if you go on to booster.co.uk or just go onto a Google search. And the very first one that I ever did was around TripAdvisor of all things. Now, obviously, I advise nobody to go on TripAdvisor. It's a waste. But at the time it was really popular and as you can see here, like the, the terminology and the words that we use when boostly was first sort of getting going, so to speak, my terminology was definitely more towards hotels and guest houses. For those of you who are like, following me in 2016, very much talking about Scarborough, very much talking about Yorkshire and very much talking about the world that I was, was in which obviously the family business was, was based out of Yorkshire as a farm state property. I created Boosting, I created the hospitality community first time around to help the local business owners in Scarborough and Whitby. That's like the backstory because there was no, no way in terms of help and support for our members in, in the Scarborough area. So that's how it was created and that's why the, the Facebook group was created. And so all the help and advice to most of the things that I wrote about, most of the things that I shared about was to help the local area. It wasn't really until 2017, I would say that the wider, the wider areas of the UK go got involved and more people sort of started to join. Before all of that, though, before Bruce Lee, I wanted to share this video. So this video, and again from just doing a bit of searches back on the YouTube, going all the way back to the start, there was actually a video sat in my personal YouTube account. So not the Boostly YouTube account that was created in 2016. But my, my personal YouTube account, there was a video that I created all the way back in 2011 and watching it back now, it definitely sort of set the seeds, so to speak, of what was to come. Now I, I totally forgot I made this number one. I don't even remember recording this. I don't remember why I was doing it. It was definitely an idea that I had back in the day. Must have been before the granary. This is, this is even before we moved back into the family business. But this is, this is the video. Let me, let me share it. Let me do this. Share this screen. So this was back in the 4th of March 2011. This was. Must be the old farm living room. I can't remember where it was at the time, but let me just see if I can play this and let me see if you can hear this as well. Welcome to igetyourbusinessonline.co.uk where a new business in the United Kingdom looking to help to get your small to medium business online. If you want a website, a Google map page, Twitter, LinkedIn. So obviously that business never got going. I don't even remember starting it. That domain wasn't even visible. I don't know where that domain is now. But the seeds were being sold way, way, way back when. Which is really interesting. The first ever pod. This is the next one. You're gonna say this is in the same room, just different angle. This is one of the first ever videos that I put together and it was all about how to save money when booking a hotel room. Top tip. Now the reason why this video came about was I was trying to think of a way of how to spread the word regard around hospitality owners and hotel owners to sort of make it more aware about Book Direct. And I didn't do the video speaking to the hotel owner. I wanted to do a video that would speak to the guest because I thought if the guests could see this and they could start to learn more about direct booking. So this was 2016 pretty much, I think about two or three months after that. I had the idea it wasn't even a business then. The business actually started on the 4th of October, which is tomorrow 2016 and 16. So 6 years old, this was just in the infancy stage. This is when I was starting to put videos out. This is probably video number three on, on YouTube and the, and the video itself is. And as you can see, I was calling it Boost Hospitality. The video itself speaks to the guest. Again, you can go and find that it's one of the first videos that we did. We've now got, I think it's 1500 videos on there. But this is like the sort of the mindset of where we're at back in the day of how you could do so. Right. So that was the past. What I want to say is that we've had so many amazing guests over the time. We've had close to, I think out the 500 episodes. We must be close to a hundred of our episodes have had guests on. And I'm going to bring someone on in a minute who is playing a big part of making sure that we get so many amazing guests on this show. But what I wanted to very quickly do is I wanted to play a little video and just show a little quick clip of all the amazing guests that we have had. Yeah, Amazing, amazing ones. A couple of my highlights, I posted this up on, on LinkedIn earlier today, but a couple of the highlights of. Of people that I've had on number one was Noah Kagan. So those of you may remember the Noah Kagan episode. I definitely do. It was. It was in 2020. So again, everybody was locked down, which is why I was able to get somebody like Noah Kagan on the podcast, because he had nowhere to go. Noah Kagan, if you don't know who he is, he's one of the founder of Sumo appsumo.com. it was number 10 at Facebook, I believe, so somebody that I've looked up to. He's created so many contents. He's putting together a book at the moment, and we're able to get him on the show. Not only were we able to get him on the show, but we also were able to get him slightly drunk as well. Because when we were doing the Lockdown series, I was racking my brain. Today we had a Friday drink session where we would do a live video and we'd have a drink, and he was one of the guests on a Friday, which was. Which was awesome to see. If you want to go find that episode, I'm gonna just drag this up on here. He was number. So boost your marketing skills and productivity. He was season eight, episode 20. So if you put in Noah Kagan Boosley, it's a really good episode. He talks about productivity skills, productivity hacks, and also marketing tips and tricks as well, which was. Which was an amazing one. So Noah Kagan, another one. Again, I've spoke about this today on LinkedIn to get Mike Michalowicz, one of the. One of my favorite authors. He has done so many books that has influenced me and Bruce Lee. To get Mike on the show not once but twice was an absolute pleasure and a privilege. You can go and check those out by just typing in Mike McCallowicz M I c H A L O W I C Z onto Google. Type in boosting Mike McCallowicz and he's got two podcast episodes there. Author of Clockwork and Profit First. We also talked about his other books he's got coming up as well. It was amazing one and then the final one that really stuck out to me was episode 200. Again this was recorded in Spain when I was based over there. Some of you may remember it, but this is episode 200. We had Mariah, we had Heather, we had Julie George and we had Vanessa. And the reason why we did this is because we wanted to celebrate the women in hospitality. Vanessa in the top right of this image, she founded a little hashtag, a little movement called Ty Onstage which is get more female representation on podcasts, on events, you name it. And it's been going for a couple of years now and I definitely think that is doing really well. And to be able to do that on the podcast was, was fantastic. And to see an episode 200 as well was, was epic. So go and check them out. That was episode 200. Probably the most commented podcast and video that we've, that we've ever had which is, which has been great to see and talk about. Comments, Let me just see who is with us in the live. So hey Ginny, Hey Stacy, Jill, Louise, Hope you are all doing well. Yves, thanks for tuning in as well. And so we've, we've got so many behind the scenes wedding waiting and ready to go. Let me bring him in. Mr. Liam. Carolyn, thank you very much for joining us on on this five and episode. So Liam, as you will know is the co host of the Boostly podcast. Came on board a couple of months ago and his podcast, his mini series of the Bruce Lee series is called behind the Host where he likes to interviews the host to find the tools and the tactics and the trends behind their business. And you know, it's been amazing. I've had so many people comment and want to be on the podcast because of it and it has definitely been a massive help to me personally. So first and foremost, thank you very much for doing it and thank you very much for being part of the podcast.

Hey, thank you for inviting me on and for having me as the co host of the behind the Host. Absolutely amazing.

So you've interviewed well into like, between 10 and 20 guests now. And that's the. The list is ever growing. I just wanted to find, just very quickly from you, just three takeaways that you've learned since speaking to. To the hosts, and anything that you can share that would be amazing, please.

Yeah, definitely. So, I mean, there's. First of all, it's been so much fun chatting to people from all over the world. And really, that's my first takeaway is there's so many amazing individuals within this community, within hospitality. It does feel like an amazing little club. Um, and for everybody out there who's getting into it or for who may just be discovering, the Boostly podcast is really surround yourself with these people. You know, it shows how versatile. Seeing so many different people with so many different ideas and different properties from all over the world just shows how versatile this industry is. And as long as you can create value for your guest and really focus on how that guest is going to feel and what they're going to experience, then that's the first thing that you need. And just being around others, sharing those ideas creates a really cool melting pot and everybody sort of wins in turn. So definitely first takeaway is your network. Is your net worth 100%. Other than that, you go.

I was gonna say no. Real good. One network. Network 100%. Lovely. So that's tip number one. Number takeaway. Number two.

Number two is it is a journey. You know, there's. We meet people who are. Before they're getting started, who have just got started, people with five units, people with four units, you know, people with 4,000 units, with people at Mariah. So it's just a case of really take it step by step. You know, you've not only got to learn how to host, you know, how to put it on the different OTAs, how to get your own direct website. You're actually learning business as well. So really think of it as a business from the very start and just master small parts of it as you go. You know, it doesn't have to happen all at once. You can do it all, but not all at once. So, yeah, just start. I mean, most people start on Airbnb, which I think, you know, people are familiar with, but, yeah, then they move on to getting a pms. They get their. They move on to getting direct bookings, and then really, they can start to market on social media and actually grow their brand. And this is kind of a journey that we're seeing from the hosts that we're interviewing quite regularly, that a lot of Them are talking about that journey. Journey that they're mastering that one skill at a time and making it their own. And if you can, you know, reach out to people like yourself, Mark, who has taught me all about direct bookings, but there's some amazing trainers and people in the industry, every single area of hospitality who can teach you. So if you can reach out to these people and leverage their knowledge. So get a mentor, a coach is tip number two.

Yeah. Amazing. Yeah. And that's definitely the thing that I've noticed as well, is that there's so many people now who are offering their services. The beauty of zoom and online is that there's so many different ways it doesn't have to be in person and you can be on the total other end of the world and find somebody that you can relate to, a community that you get with. And it's. Again, it's. If you try and go by yourself really does tie into takeaway number one. It's going to be a long road if you try and do it yourself, but if you can find like your tribe, it's. It's so much easier.

Yeah, definitely. And talking about your tribe, tip number three is your vibe attracts the tribe, doesn't it? You know, so really try and stand out and try and be different. I see a lot of people playing it very safe, you know, when it comes down to it. And all the people that we've got to interview, most of them have had something very different, something a bit wow. And that is why they're so successful. So, you know, if it's the color scheme, if it's certain kind of outdoor fire pits and barbecue areas, things like that, things that can really make that guest experience a bit wow. And that you can have as your hero image. Because at the end of the day, that is what a guest is going to see before they come and come and book. And that's guests are going to be booking based on how you're making them feel. So, yeah, really, you know, don't be afraid to stand out. I think this is coined from you, Mark, which is when everyone else zigs, you zag. You know, try and be completely different. And also money follows attention at the end of the day. So if you can really get your listing to stand out through, you know, adding that foosball table, having the, you know, those board games in there to have in a good location, or having an oh, my God listing, you know, ones which are really popping out. I know we had Alex Diabo who's got some amazing you know, amazing places on and just people who are doing amazing things in the industry. So if you can capture attention by really standing out, getting your listings to stand out.

Lovely. No free amazing takeaways there. Now, if there's going to be people watching this or tuning in or listening or whatnot, and maybe think, you know what, I'd quite like to get on the podcast. How is the best way for people to reach out to you if. If they want to maybe come on in the behind the Host series?

There's several ways to do it. Probably the easiest way is on Instagram, which is at Liamsa Carolan. So it's SA Carolan. If not, simply email Coachly.co. and just, you know, let us know where you are in the world, what kind of listings you got and why you'd like to come on the show. And we'd love to. Love to speak to you.

Amazing. All right, I'll let you go. Thank you so much. Liam.

That montage, we get to see how much you love that hat throughout that.

Yeah, it's amazing watching that, like, hat. No hat. It's just very. It's very funny to see the. The evolution of it over the years.

Thanks for having me on.

Hi, buddy. Appreciate it. All right, so we're gonna. We're gonna finish up soon. Podcast is gonna be about 25 minutes, which is. Which is great. But before we go, I just want to say thank you very much for tuning in and tuning in for the last sort of five years, six years now. So what's gonna be happening moving forward? So at the moment, the. The podcast is, or has been two days a week, every Wednesday, every Friday. But with Liam's amazing work that he's been doing behind the scenes, we've got so much podcasts lined up, so much content in the. In the backlog, and what we're going to do is we're going to step it up. So it's now going to be three days a week, every Monday, every Wednesday, and every Friday, the podcast is going to go live on Spotify, it's going to go live on Apple, Google, wherever you get your podcast from. We have now partnered with Hospitality FM Will Slicker and his amazing organization behind the scenes. So the. The content is going to be consistent and it's going to be quality, and it's going to be three times a week. Outside of that, there's going to be videos, there's going to be blog posts, however you like to consume and learn. That's the most important way we're going to be there for you. So whether it's video, whether it's written form, whether it's audio, however, and wherever you take it, we'll be here to help you not only get the tools but the tactics and the training and the confidence to increase your direct bookings. That is not going to change in any way, shape or form. This year I released the book Direct Playbook, which was my first debut book published book and we've got the follow up coming up very soon. The book Direct Blueprint is going to be released in December. We've got an interview series with the authors that have helped me put this book together, the co authors that's going to be starting in November to be ready to be launched in December. So please make sure you keep an eye out on that. If you like the Playbook, which was very much the marketing side of your business, you're going to love the blueprint because this is going to be the foundations before your house gets built. This is the foundations to build everything on. Talk about you never build your house on someone else's land. This is going to be the foundations and the blueprint is going to be a massive part of. I've not put this book together myself. We've got 11amazing other vendors in the industry have helped put this book together. We're talking about some of the most key essential parts and I'm really excited to showcase more of that to you over the coming weeks and over the coming months. There's no pre order. It's literally bought on the day. Unfortunately I'm not that popular on an Amazon. I'm not one of these, you know, Seth Godin type offers that can get a pre order date. But we will give you all of the notice that you need obviously with WhatsApp, with email, with social media, we'll tell you everybody on where to get it on the day as well. With that being said, thank you again for tuning in for everybody. That's live Jed and so many of us amazing people that I can see is on the, in the chat. That's amazing. I really do really do appreciate it. Kerry, Ralph, Jody, Alex, thank you very much for being part of it live with us. This is obviously being recorded and it'll be, it'll be released. But for now I just want to say thank you very much. Stay proactive, don't be reactive and let's go and get some diet bookings. And of course I've got to end this with the lovely little freestyle rap from Chris Turner. This is a Freestyle going off the.

Dumb.

Ready for my close up good looking let me tell you. Get more bookings. Oh, that'd be nice. Giving me tips, tools and advice. Yeah, you're gonna get them hon. You're gonna sit back, listen to Mark Simpson. Whoa, having a blast. Gonna get it on the Bruce Lee podcast. Bruce Lee like Bruce Lee cause it's so hard and the tea is loose leaf making up those rhymes don't write it, just do it loosely if you want my respect you'll better butt direct Here are the words in the podcast. That's what comes next.

Thank you so much for checking out today's podcast episode. Now before you head and go anywhere else, before you click to the next episode, before you do that, do me one big favor and go check out boostly.co.uk IPRAC are the sponsors of all of the Boostly content. And the reason why I work with them and the reason why we spread the message of IPRAC is that when a host or a company is looking to get more into direct bookings, the main question they have is around trust. As in will a guest trust that I am a true and real business? Well, IPRAC take care of all of that and they've got a special offer that is only available to Boostly people. But, but to do that you need to go to Boostly, which is b o o s t-l y.co.uk trust you can find out all the information there. You can book in a demo, book in a call and then you will get your super special offer that is only available to Boostly peoples. Thank you again for tuning in. Do go check out Iprac. We'll be back again very shortly with another podcast episode, but until then, we'll see you all very soon. Take care.