I have an announcement so big I couldn’t wait until after next week’s Social Brand Forum to roll it out. The news? I’ve started a podcast. It’s been on my mind for awhile as podcasting has enjoyed a renaissance of late (more on that in a bit). However, with the business, the blog, and an event on the horizon, I kept this on the back burner by telling myself I’d only do it if I had a partner to share in the fun and a great idea as far as content goes. And then both knocked at my door.
Why a Podcast?
According to Edison’s Podcast Consumer Research presented last May, nearly 30% of Americans have listened to a Podcast — a number that’s holding strong year on year. The same data also points out the average podcast listener spends more time online than the rest of the US population and values the internet more than other forms of media. Podcast users are also on social networks more. The study concludes by noting that, “Podcasts continue to be an effective way to reach affluent consumers who exhibit ad-avoidance behaviors.” Sounds like an interesting slice of the market, right?
What’s the Story on this Podcast?
In preparation for the Social Brand Forum, I’ve had some great conversations with one of our speakers at the event, email expert/consultant/author DJ Waldow. After an early Skype interview about the event, we both admitted we wanted to start a podcast. As we’re both in the social media business and huge fans of Jay Baer and Eric Boggs’ Social Pros podcast, we danced around the idea of doing a social media podcast for a bit but ultimately felt we didn’t want to be the Coy & Vance of Social Pros (extra points for those that get the “Dukes” reference). We needed an idea of our own.
In brainstorming, we asked ourselves if we wanted to include anything about “how we work” as we’re both home office/work-shifters who get work done in a hacked, eclectic way that’s increasingly popular. At first, we thought this would just be a segment during the podcast but ultimately this became …
The Work Talk Show
As we discussed creating content around “how work gets done” we both felt our own enthusiasm around the topic boiling up as well. As fans of Social Pros and non-business podcasts like Nerdist, we liked the idea of doing something where we could learn from expert guests. As social media marketers we knew we could lean on a few friends but we could have conversations with them that they weren’t having elsewhere. Conversations around work habits, work-shifting, virtual teams, productivity, travel, tools, technology, work-life balance, and everything in between.
And that’s how The Work Talk Show was born. As the name suggests it’s a weekly podcast with a talk show format featuring crazy smart guests talking through how work gets done. One thing to note up-front. DJ and I aren’t productivity experts. I liken it to surfing. We both ride the waves but that doesn’t mean we do it that great all the time. In fact, a big part of the show will be about us sharing the successes and failures we encounter along the way.
Related to that, we’re both excited about the opportunity to learn from our guests along the way. And our first show doesn’t disappoint. As we cited the Edison data above it’s only fitting that our first guest on the show is Tom Webster, Vice President at Edison, who shares all sorts of great insights on how he leads marketing and strategy at the organization responsible for the exit polls that all major networks report (as you can imagine – it’s a busy time right now). However, we don’t talk with Tom as much about what he does but rather how he does it.
What do you think? Are you ready for some Work Talk?
Take a Listen (and Connect)
You can listen, subscribe, and connect with the show at WorkTalkShow.com. Check it out and let us know what you think by leaving a review on iTunes. By connecting with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or on the site itself you can engage in conversations about how you get your work done and the challenges you face. We can then incorporate these ideas into the “Work Talk” we have on the show. You can also suggest ideas for guests and topics. Beyond creating a helpful show, we hope to create a valuable community as well.
As our fancy announcer says — let the Work Talk begin!
