It's been one year since I started with Marianne and doing podcasts on PodMatch. We are coming up to 100 episode recordings (will hit this next week)! First off, thank you @Marianne Hickman and her team for the amazing work they do to help make that happen. (If y'all aren't doing this with her, why not?!) Second, I've learned.......a lot of lessons! 🤣 And I want to share some of them I wish I knew when I was first starting: - Show up 5 minutes early. You never know if your mic is cutting out, your camera angle is tragic, or the link is broken. Five minutes will save you! - Have water. A dry throat 10 minutes into a 50-minute interview sucks. Learn from my pain. - Smile. 😁 You're having a good time. Act like it. Nobody wants to listen to someone who looks like they're filing taxes. - Spend 20 minutes researching the podcast before you get on. Know the host. Know the show. Know the audience. It has saved me from going completely off topic more times than I want to admit. And hosts notice when you actually cared enough to show up prepared. - Batch your recordings. Stack multiple podcasts on the same day if you can. The energy from one great conversation carries into the next. Trust me on this one. - Be flexible. Audio only? Fine. Host makes a mistake? Fine. Connection drops? Fine. They are putting a spotlight on you and a little grace goes a long way. - Be honest. If you don't know something, say so. People came to hear your story, not a story you borrowed from an Instagram reel. The most powerful thing you can say on a podcast is the truth. - Talk unpolished. Many people are tired of hearing the professionals in their suits say things in a dignified manner. They want a human. And that's you. Have structure to what you say and how you say it, but do it 'messy'. Do it unpolished. Be okay with the "So's" and "Um's" from time to time. This is one of the TOP lessons I learned. - Leave a review. A real one. Even if they don't leave one for you. Make it long. Make it specific. Your words might be the thing that helps someone else find that show and change their life. - Connect with the host after. These conversations aren't just for you. You are meeting people who are actively trying to change the world. Your next collaborator, business partner, or client might be on the other side of a follow-up message you almost didn't send. - Share your episode. You took the time to record it. Take the time to post it. Every episode is you showing up as an expert. It builds you and it builds them. We're all in this together. - Be okay when they say no. Hosts cancel. Shows pass. It's not personal. There are a million reasons and most of them have nothing to do with you. Keep on going.