Is the podcast industry too saturated for you to launch your own? What does it actually look like for a brand to launch their own podcast? In today’s episode, Natalie Franke, Chief Evangelist at HoneyBook, joins us to share about The Independent Business Podcast, powered by HoneyBook. Since I met Natalie over five years ago, I’ve always thought she would make a brilliant host and create so much impact as a podcaster.
In celebration of the launch of the Independent Business Podcast, Natalie joins us to share a little behind the scenes of launching, some of the strategy behind it, what she’s learned so far in being a podcaster, plus she’s sharing a few hot takes you don’t want to miss.
Clocking In with Haylee Gaffin is produced by Gaffin Creative, a podcast production company for creative entrepreneurs. Learn more about our services at Gaffincreative.com, plus you’ll also find resources, show notes, and more for the Clocking In Podcast.
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Today’s episode is brought to you by Mic Check Society, our community for podcasters who are looking to take their podcast from good to great. Come join us for educational trainings, a private member’s only community, and monthly calls! Get $10 off per month with code PODCAST at micchecksociety.com.
Natalie Franke and the Independent Business Podcast
Natalie Franke is a wedding photographer by trade who happens to love podcasts. As a photographer for over a decade, she would listen to podcasts while editing. She’s even been interviewed on quite a few podcasts over the years. Because of her love of podcasts, starting a podcast is something she had been dreaming of for quite some time.
“This has been that like, big, hairy, audacious goal, that thing that, you know, I’ve allowed fear to hold me back from launching that, you know, even like scarcity mindset has kept me sort of quiet about because, you know, again, there are a lot of great podcasts that exist. And I think for folks who are considering starting one, or maybe have even started one, it’s easy for insecurities to creep up from time to time and make you feel like, you know, but what do I have to add to this landscape? How can I contribute to this very saturated, you know, world when in reality, and I’ve already seen this just in some of the interviews that we’ve done, and the conversations that I’ve been able to have, you know, the way that you can show up is unlike the way anyone else will and so the world really does need what you have, and in my case, it was getting the courage to finally take that leap.”
The Independent Business Podcast
The Independent Business Podcast is all about uncovering the science of self made success.
Natalie has the opportunity to sit down with some of the most brilliant minds in the world. Like Ankur Nagpal, the founder of Teachable who just sold in 2020, and his co-founder Jessica Catorc. They joined forces and have created a new company called Ocho wealth where they’re helping independent business owners to basically create generational wealth from business income, making solo 401 K’s more accessible. Natalie has also interviewed New York Times bestselling author Donald Miller, New York Times bestselling author Tori Dunlap, and more.
“I’m getting this chance to sit down with really awesome people and bring the conversations that often happen in private, like, the way I look at it as these are the conversations that happen at tables where most of my community doesn’t get to sit. And I don’t like that, that doesn’t sit well with me. I want these conversations to be accessible to everyone.”
The point of this podcast is to bring those types of business conversations, those self made success conversations to the table where they’re fun, engaging, entertaining, and digestible. And the little twist that makes this podcast slightly different from others is that Independent Business Podcast does a good deal of research prior to the episodes. They bring statistics to the table, referencing recent neuroscience findings, psychology studies that have been done, recent surveys and data reports that are being published. Natalie takes business advice, and brings in the science and you leave not only, feeling like you’re smarter on the other side of the interview, but you’re able to make faster decisions in your business.
Including Video in Podcasting
Natalie is a believer in the somewhat spicy take that if you are podcasting, you should be doing video. Every single top of funnel marketing platform, every single one, Instagram,TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, are prioritizing video content natively on their platforms. So if you are already taking the time to create really extraordinary podcast content, you need to turn on a camera and also document the video component of that. Otherwise, you’re basically creating double work for yourself and then trying to figure out how to market yourself on those platforms.
Keep that in mind whether you’re starting a new podcast or are revamping your social media marketing.
It’s important to note, you don’t have to make a major financial investment to get crazy expensive equipment. You can start with a very simple webcam and one light to really up your video quality significantly. The equipment isn’t always what makes the video great. Great preparation in advance and a video that provides value is what people want at the end of the day.
Sometimes the biggest roadblock is just getting on camera. Getting in front of a camera makes a lot of people anxious, listening to our own voice is hard enough adding the video component is a whole new level. A major hurdle can be getting over your own insecurities and not focusing on how you look or things appear but instead focusing on what you can offer.
Another hurdle is just the question of, “How the heck do I make a video?” In Natalie’s case, hiring a video producer can be super helpful if you are able to. Or, you can utilize a program like Riverside. In Riverside, you can use features like a clip creator that allows you to export short clips from your recording. It helps you perfectly optimize for social platforms, create quality clips, and even has AI capabilities. If you want to start to DIY the video side of your podcast, Riverside is a great way to start.
The final hurdle you might face when jumping into video podcasting is somewhat psychological. We, as people, are more likely to cling to something that isn’t working then risk failure when trying something new. When it comes to trying something new, we sometimes run from it. If that is a hurdle you’re facing, “fail, fail quickly, iterate quickly.”
One Strategy Natalie Would Love to See More Podcasters Doing
Be proactive about accessibility, first. Podcast is obviously an audio format. However, depending on disabilities or how someone prefers to learn, audio isn’t always the best way to connect with someone. And so we’re familiar with transcripts, for example. But one of the strategies that Natalie implemented right off the start was looking holistically at her podcast and just asking the question, “How can I ensure that anyone could enjoy this content?”
How Can Podcasters Leverage HoneyBook?
So the first way would be to build out a guest flow or a client flow for the guests that you’re having on the show, to use HoneyBook as your system to kind of house all of that information. You can create a really streamlined, perfectly branded client flow that kicks off with a questionnaire for your guests, so on and so forth. And that just walks them through the experience that you want them to have with the podcast. You could use something like a brochure feature to even showcase the tips and tricks that are going to ensure they have the best interview with you. Feature all of the traditional things you encourage them to do, wearing headphones, using an external mic, things like that. You could build into that entire flow and time and automate everything to go out when you want it to for your guests, which is huge.
If you want to be monetizing your podcast, and or potentially down the line, doing brand deals as a content creator, again, it’s an amazing way to build out those podcast flows where you could actually create sort of your media kit, let’s say inside of HoneyBook. You can walk potential partners through a just more high touch experience partnering with you and actually paying for ad space on your podcast.
Supporting Small Business as a Podcaster
Natalie’s new podcast is called Independent Business Podcast, so it was crucial to her that it was built by independent businesses. From the video editors, producers, to a gift box company for guests, these are each independent businesses that are integral parts of her podcast. Finding a way to support independent small businesses is such a key part to the creation and success of the Independent Business Podcast.
Natalie’s Advice from Her Experience Launching Her Podcast
“Spend as much time preparing for an interview as you do interviewing… Do not wing it” Conversational interviews are really great to listen to, and it seems like something you can do off the cuff, but you have to be prepared. Do your research on your guest, know their background, know their audience, before you sit down and even ask questions. This will change the way that you ask questions. Find interesting ways to get around the, “Tell me about yourself” question. You as the interviewer and the listener should already know this. You have to catch your audience’s attention within the first few minutes, retention is hard to maintain. Think about your initial question as your gateway to retaining a listener, your opportunity to hook somebody in, and your chance to put the opportunity for your guest to hit a homerun from the start.
Your first question is so important, don’t waste it. Don’t save the good questions until the end. Your worst question should still be really good.
Are you ready to turn your podcast dream into reality like Natalie Franke did? The Podcast Launch Kit is here to help! With step-by-step guidance, this course will take you from planning and recording to producing top-quality audio and implementing a strong content strategy. Whether you’re just starting out or leveling up your existing podcast, this kit has everything you need to succeed. Don’t wait—launch your podcast today and see how it can elevate your brand!
Mentioned in this episode:
The Independent Business Podcast
Ruth at Helper2
Connect with Natalie & HoneyBook:
honeybook.com – Use this link for 35% off your first year!
Connect with Haylee:
Catch the Show Notes:
Why Natalie is Starting A Podcast (2:16)
The Independent Business Podcast (4:27)
Including Video in Podcasting (10:30)
One Strategy Natalie Would Love to See More Podcasters Doing (20:00)
How Can Podcasters Leverage Honeybook? (22:00)
Supporting Small Businesses as a Podcaster (26:00)
Natalie’s Advice from Launching her Podcast (30:00)
Review the Transcript:
Haylee Gaffin
Is the podcast industry too saturated for you to launch your own podcast? What does it look like for a brand to actually launch their own podcast? Well, in today’s episode Natalie Frank, Chief Evangelist at honey book joins us to share all about the Independent Business Podcast powered by HoneyBook. Since I met Natalie over five years ago, I’ve always thought she would make a brilliant host and create so much impact as a podcaster. Well, in celebration of the launch of the independent business podcast today, Natalie joins us to share a little behind the scenes of that podcast some of the strategy that went into it, and what she’s learned so far in being a podcaster plus you sharing a few hot takes you don’t want to miss. Hey, y’all, welcome to the clocking in Podcast, the podcast for podcasters entrepreneurs and professionals making their way in the working world while building their own personal brand in the podcasting industry. I’m your host Haylee Gaffin, owner of Gaffin creative a podcast production company for creative entrepreneurs. If you’re a podcaster, or even just dreaming about launching your own podcast someday, this show was built to help you merge your love of conversation, education and business, you can find resources shownotes and more for the clocking in podcast at Gaffin creative.com. Today’s episode is brought to you by Mike check society, a community that was built for podcasters who are looking to take their podcast from good to great, scale your podcasts, improve your processes and connect with your listeners through our educational trainings, our private members only community and our monthly calls. If you’re ready to join us, you can head over to Mic check society.com and enroll today. And you can get $10 off per month with the code podcast. Now let’s clock in and get to work. Natalie, thank you so much for joining us on clocking in, I’m excited to have you. I know that some really exciting things are happening for you this week, because you are launching your own podcast with honey book. So I would love to know personally, why a podcast what made you choose this platform?
Natalie Franke
Yeah, I have always been a huge fan of podcasts, as you know, which I have loved to listen to. And I’ve done a lot of interviews on podcasts over the years. But I think there’s something about being able to consume content while you’re working in a way that is super digestible and fun. That kind of transcends a lot of the other platforms that are out there. And so, you know, as a wedding photographer by trade, that’s what I did for, you know, a decade of my career, I would listen to podcasts and audiobooks while I was editing, I would listen to them, you know, throughout my workday. And so I just believe it’s a really incredible way to connect with people, it’s a great way to, you know, be in somebody’s pocket, whenever they want to connect and learn and be entertained, or whatever it is that you create. So for us, you know, creating a podcast was a way to do that. And I will say, I’ve wanted to do it for a really long time. And I have put off doing it for a really long time. This has been that like, big, hairy, audacious goal, that thing that, you know, I’ve allowed fear to hold me back from launching that, you know, even like scarcity mindset has kept me sort of quiet about because, you know, again, there are a lot of great podcasts that exist. And I think for folks who are considering starting one, or maybe have even started one, it’s easy for insecurities to creep up from time to time and make you feel like, you know, but what do I have to add to this landscape? How can I contribute to this very saturated, you know, world when in reality, and I’ve already seen this just in some of the interviews that we’ve done, and the conversations that I’ve been able to have, you know, the way that you can show up is unlike the way anyone else will and so the world really does need what you have, and in my case, it was getting the courage to finally take that leap. So I’m very excited to be doing it with a bunch of independent business.
Haylee Gaffin
Yes, I was gonna ask you do you want to share a little bit about the independent business podcast and who it serves and why everyone’s gonna want to tune in? I mean, I know a little bit because I’ve gotten a little sneak peek of it, but it’s live at the time of this airing. So what what can they expect to hear?
Natalie Franke
Yeah, so the independent business podcast is all about uncovering the science of self made success. So I get the opportunity to sit down with some of the most brilliant minds in the world. Like for example, an hour ago, I was sitting down with encore nog Paul. He is the founder of teachable who just sold teachable in 2020. I believe 2020 stayed on for a year in 2021. That was a huge successful exit of a massive company that he built from the ground up, and his co founder Jessica toric that they join forces and have created a new company called otro wealth where they’re helping independent business owners to basically create generational wealth from business income and you know, making solo 401 K’s which I had never even heard of more accessible, you know, all the way through like New York Times bestselling author Donald Miller, New York Times bestselling author Tori Dunlap, you know, a financial feminist, her first 100k, like, I’m getting this chance to sit down with really awesome people and bring the conversations that often happen in private, like, the way I look at it as these are the conversations that happen at tables where most of my community doesn’t get to sit. And I don’t like that, that doesn’t sit well with me. I want these conversations to be accessible to everyone. So the point of this podcast is to bring those types of business conversations, those self made success conversations to the table where they’re fun, engaging, entertaining, and digestible. And the little twist that makes this podcast slightly different than others is that we do a good deal of research prior to the episodes. So we like to bring statistics to the table, I’m going to reference recent neuroscience findings, psychology studies that have been done, you know, recent surveys and data reports that are being published, you know, when we have a conversation about something like how to pitch yourself to a client, which we had with Ellen yen, who I know we both love and adore dearly, from cubicle to CEO, you know, prior that interview, knowing that we’re going to talk about the power of asking questions, I go into the science of asking questions, what does it do? What our brain How does it transform the way somebody answers that question? Or does it influence their behavior on the other end? So we take business advice, and we bring in the science and you leave not only, you know, feeling like you’re you’re smarter on the other side of the interview, but you’re able to make faster decisions in your business, you’ll start to identify things that you’re like, Whoa, I wasn’t doing that. Or Whoa, I didn’t realize and you’re just gonna feel really empowered and equipped. So that’s the hope with independent business. Yeah, gosh, I’m excited. And I know you Haley’s are incredible producer. So you’ve gotten a peek behind the curtain to kind of see and listen to these episodes already. And, you know, anyone listening to this, he has an interest in doing podcasting. And creating a podcast has a podcast, I’m excited to see how it evolves. And I’m excited to see, you know how these interviews get better. And I’m somebody that like, I’ll add, I am a big believer that the first time you do something, it sucks. Like, no matter how much you prepare, no matter how many times you practice, no matter how much research to do, it’s not going to be perfect when you launch it for the first time. I mean, I think we got pretty darn close, we really, really hard it was gonna
Haylee Gaffin
be good. You’re setting unrealistic expectations. If you say it sucks, because I literally listened to the first episode. And I was like, Natalie was made to do this. She was made to be an interviewer. Like the conversations, the research you talked about, I was like, Whoa, like you are, you’re really hitting hard stats and these things, things that I would have never thought to look up in preparation for an interview like this. So I’m blown away. You’re
Natalie Franke
so kind. I mean, I know it definitely doesn’t suck by any means. But my hope is in 10 years, we look back and then we think, yeah, oh, those first couple episodes. Gosh, that was rough. Remember, Natalie, when you used to ask questions like that, or that one time that. And I share that to say like, I also hope that you know, folks are willing to leave before they’re ready in situations like this, because like I said, I waited way too long to do this. I’ve wanted to do this for so long. And I made every excuse in the book. And I told myself every lie and insecurity and fear around creating a podcast and launching a podcast. And this is the year where I’m just living my gutsy life. I’m just doing the thing. And so I just hope that’s encouraging to somebody else. Like, you know, we’re all on this journey of putting things into the world that we’re proud of that make an impact. And, you know, this podcast is hopefully going to be a part of that. And my hope is that I can get better and better and better as we go along. So for anyone listening who does have a podcast, please tune in to independent business, but also give me feedback. I’m very new to this journey. I welcome critical feedback, especially from fellow podcasters so let me know what you love about it. Let me know what I can improve. It’s just it’s been a labor of love and I’m I’m super excited to see it continue to grow.
Haylee Gaffin
Yes, I am so excited for people to hear these conversations. I like I don’t know how to explain how well thought out and put together these interviews are and I personally am not a huge interviewer. I don’t do a ton of interviews on my podcast because I don’t I’m not as comfortable with it took me an entire year after I launched my podcast to do it. And I do enjoy the conversations. And but I’ve had to let go with a fear of like, Oh, am I going to screw this up? Is it going to be bad? That’s nerve racking to me because we are technically live to half of our community but at the same time You just have to overcome those fears by doing this. And, and I think you one thing you said was that you wish you had started sooner. And I feel like so many of us feel that way about not only podcasting, but every other piece of our business, whether it’s like, I wish I had started saving earlier, I wish I had started being a CEO earlier or quit my job earlier, or whatever it is, we always wish that we had done it earlier. So just go for it. Yes, yes. Okay, a big part of your plan with this podcast is to include video, which is still it’s still new to me, it’s new to the podcasting industry as a whole. But everyone’s going that direction. What was that process? Like for you to choose to include video? And have there been any hurdles for you to overcome in that process?
Natalie Franke
Yes, and yes, and I want to throw a hot take out there first, I believe that if you are doing a podcast, you have to be doing video. This is a hot take. This is a spicy one. This is potentially very unpopular opinion. But I want you to hear me out every single top of funnel marketing platform, every single one, Instagram, tick tock, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, all of them are prioritizing video content natively on their platforms, every single one. So if you are already taking the time to create really extraordinary podcast content, you need to turn on a camera and also document the video component of that. Otherwise, you’re basically creating double work for yourself and then trying to figure out how to market yourself on those platforms. And then thinking I got to create an Instagram real view of a podcast, you have multiple Instagram reels at your fingertips for every single episode that you do. And so I want to preface by saying that, you know, not including video was never an option for this podcast. Yeah, I would not have launched this podcast, if we weren’t launching it as a multi channel strategy. And I realized that, you know, that maybe wasn’t even the case a year ago, two years ago for so many people. But, you know, if you’re launching a podcast today, I would highly encourage that you launch and start with video from the beginning. If you have a great existing podcast, this is the moment to start exploring it for all the reasons that I mentioned, and so many more that we don’t have time to go into now. learnings and hurdles. Okay, first, I will say that you don’t need all the equipment that I invested in to include video on your podcast, actually, we I went a little over the top with my setup, in part because you know, at HoneyBook we’re really trying to level up our creative in every way from our ads to our marketing to our new brand to our podcast. And so from the start, we wanted to have a really high quality production value. However, even in doing this, I learned that just getting a simple webcam, and one light, I’ve got one light up here, that’s it will just like level up the quality of your video so significantly, but again, the equipment’s not what makes video great. And you mentioned the preparation for the episodes, like a hurdle that I had was maybe the mindset that good equipment equals good video. In reality, good preparation, a good interview, or a good conversation or good educational experience is what makes a good video the equipment helps you to level up, but having good preparation and advance and a video that actually provides value is what people want at the end of the day. So that was a big one navigating equipment and learning how to use it I spent a lot of time training on audio video lighting, just you know, even the software that we wanted to use and how to become familiar with it. So for me that wasn’t so much a hurdle I think as it was a great learning curve. And then the last thing I’ll say on this is just like the hurdle of showing up the hurdle of just getting on the darn camera and you know all like it sounds so simple, but let me tell you like that is the biggest roadblock for me and I think for a lot of other people’s I just don’t love looking at my own face I like it makes me anxious I you know we all know listening to our own voice is hard enough at in the face and now when we’re really in trouble so I think that was a big hurdle is like just getting over myself and getting over my insecurities and focusing not on how I look and how things appear but instead focusing on what can I provide what value can I offer and just really kicking you know, my own insecurities out the door on things. That was a big hurdle. I think you know, that maybe a lot of people experience and are familiar with what we don’t talk about so much when it comes to video content.
Haylee Gaffin
Oh yes, I feel that I have I currently we’re recording in Riverside and I have the window set up to where I can’t see myself like it’s moved off screen enough to where I I don’t see me I only see you and like the controls. So I felt that when you were talking about I was like, yep, that’s one reason I have not really pursued video in my podcast. But I do want to highlight too is you can incorporate video into your podcast without having it fully edited on YouTube or anything like that you can use it for repurpose content for those reels you were talking about. For just static content, like the screenshots of it, I think that’s really important to consider, even if you never end up using the video recorded to have it. I have started doing this using Riverside, because it’s so easy and intuitive for myself. But prior to that, I was just recording in my editing software. And I because I was doing all solo. So I have zero video for those to like, go back and pull content, I don’t have it. But if you start now and you just have it one day, you’ll get over that insecurity. And and like Natalie said, I don’t have the webcam, I have the newer laptop that just came out this year, which is good. It is a pretty decent webcam like to be built in, and a ring light that currently is facing the wall. Because otherwise you’ll see it all in my glasses if I don’t do that. So yeah, I really appreciate you sharing that and opening up about those insecurities. Because I feel like, you’re right, no one really talks about those things. And in a world where we kind of have to show up on camera and be there in ways we don’t want to be. It’s nice to know that people who are doing it really well also are overcoming these hurdles, too.
Natalie Franke
Yes. And there are so many and one more thing I’ll say too, is like just the hurdle of like, how the heck do I make a video? I mean, look, in our case, we’re working with Tyler Harrington. He’s an amazing video producer. But we’ve talked about Riverside a couple times, that is the software that I’m using. If you use Riverside, it has a clip creator, you can go in and choose the clips that you want to export like a 32nd reel, you can stack people on top of each other it exports it perfectly optimized for those platforms, you have control on background and things like that. It’s launching new AI capabilities to on the video side. So you know, it’s one of those scenarios where you know, if you want to DIY it and test it out Halley’s 100%, right, start recording the video, so you at least have the option. And you might be surprised by how easy it is to take a five second clip or, you know, a 15 second clip. That’s all you need of your favorite part of the podcast interview to promote the podcast that you’re doing, because I do think, you know, marketing is a hard part of this. And one of the hurdles that we have is like if you don’t know how to do it, we’re often more likely because there’s a little brain, little brain nerdiness for a moment, you know, human psychology super interesting, we are more likely to cling to something that is no longer working. Because we prefer the failure that we know to the failure that we don’t. And so when it comes to something like trying something new innovating in video, we’re more likely to say, Oh, I’m not going to do that. I’d rather know that the entire marketing world is running towards video and not take advantage of it, then try it and not be good at it, then try it and and not work out for me. And I just want to challenge you, right? If that’s a hurdle that’s holding you back, we’re all experiencing that hurdle, but fail, fail quickly, iterate quickly. Another thing I’ll throw out there from one of the conversations I had with XayLi. Barclay, you know, was about the fact that human faces are incredibly impactful for retention and for attention, retention and attention both. So when marketing your podcasts, even that 15 second clip where they get to see your face, it more deeply connects them to the overall content that you’re creating into your brand. And so, you know, I don’t think it’s like a video versus audio situation. I think this is a whole list like a podcast is a holistic content Avenue. And you can look at it from multiple different angles from the written the transcription, the video, the audio, all the different ways that people like to consume content, because we’re all diverse and how we learn, you know, and so look at that as just another avenue to reach people that maybe in the past are not so quick to jump right into the audio. Maybe they want to be you know, corded a little bit. They want to be dated a little with that 15 second clip on tick tock just to introduce yourself in a different way.
Haylee Gaffin
Absolutely. I love that. And you had mentioned some of the new tools coming out with Riverside and I actually have a bonus episode coming out in two days. So on Thursday, you will hear all about Riverside it’s a training like a really quick it’s our Facebook Live that I did inside of my check society that we are releasing on the podcast as a bonus because I think there’s some really cool tools that people are not taking advantage of yet if even if you’re using Riverside and so I just wanted to share that so make sure you check that out in a couple of days when it goes live. Okay, what is So one strategy that you’re bringing into the independent business podcast that you’d love to see more podcasters doing,
Natalie Franke
Oh, this one is easy. But then also hard. Because when I say it, I don’t mean to say it from a place of like, you should, and I’m, you know, wagging my finger if you’re listening to this, but more from a place of this is an area where I didn’t always do a great job. And I’m trying to improve strategically when it comes to this podcast. And that is accessibility first, that is being proactive from the very start of an initiative launch, with ensuring that the content I’m creating is truly accessible, and enables everyone to consume it in the way that they would like to consume it. And what I mean by that is, you know, it podcast is obviously an audio format. However, depending on, you know, maybe a disability or you know, how someone prefers to learn. Audio isn’t always the best way to connect with someone. And so we’re familiar with transcripts, for example. But one of the strategies that I implemented right off the start was looking holistically at this podcast and just asking the question, How can I ensure that anyone could enjoy this content. And so it looked like working with an accessibility strategist, I worked with Aaron Perkins of Maberly que and she did a full accessibility audit of my podcast prior to us even publishing it, she identified areas where I’m weak, still weak, and I can need to improve areas where, you know, the forethought really paid off. But it’s part of to what encouraged us, I think, you know, to go the route of a full video podcast that is captioned, multi different platforms where they can actually subscribe to the video. So for example, you know, if you’re deaf, hard of hearing, you don’t have to just subscribe on the platform to the audio, but the hope is, you’ll be able to subscribe, let’s say to our YouTube channel, and you’ll get those full podcast episodes with the captions that were using rev to ensure the transcriptions are perfectly accurate for things like that. So I think strategically, that was a big one that, you know, we prioritize from the start, and I’m really grateful that we did, and there’s still room to improve. I say this, and I don’t say that we’re doing everything perfectly. But I am really grateful for the feedback that we got in our accessibility audit. And I know for a fact, she definitely impacted some of the ways that we’re going to show up, and I’ve got a lot of work to do.
Haylee Gaffin
Yes, some of those findings you shared with me, and I was like, Oh, I have a lot of work to do across the board, like, on my podcasts on my clients podcast in getting to a place of accessibility as a business as a whole. Yeah, I appreciate you sharing that. Now, as a honey book user myself, I am fully aware of the benefits that honey book provides on the client facing side of my business. But how can podcasters leverage honey book, oh,
Natalie Franke
I got two key ways. Okay, two ways you can leverage any book and I’m sure there are an infinite additional realm of possibilities, but two primary ways as a podcaster, you can use honey book. So the first way would be to build out a guest flow or a client flow for the guests that you’re having on the show, to use honey book as your system to kind of house all of that information. So, you know, you can create a really streamlined, perfectly branded client flow that kicks off with a questionnaire for your guests, so on and so forth. And that just walks them through the experience that you want them to have with the podcast, you could use something like a brochure feature to even showcase the tips and tricks that are going to ensure they have the best interview with you, all the all the traditional things, you encourage them to do wearing headphones, you know, using an external mic, things like that, you could build into that entire flow and time and automate everything to go out when you want it to for your guests, which is huge. Now, if you want to be monetizing your podcast and or potentially down the line, doing brand deals as a content creator, again, it’s an amazing way to build out those podcast flows where you could actually create sort of your media kit, let’s say inside of HoneyBook. And walk potential partners through a just more high touch experience with partnering with you and actually paying for ad space on your podcast. And so I can see you going either route with it, whether you know, it’s a monetized route, or just having a more streamlined experience for your guests, because I will say too, I didn’t say this as my strategy. But we did take a lot of time to consider what our guests are going to feel like on the other side of this podcast and, you know, down to like, I’m sending them gift boxes from Amen. Akua that’s which is an independent business. And so just the experience really mattering because as someone that you know, I’ve done over 200 At this point podcast interviews, like as the interviewee not as the host. And I can really tell when someone has taken the time to research me to research the content that we’re going to be talking about to, you know, give me great communication, versus the interviews where I’m like, where’s the link? Where do I go like I and Haley You are my VA for oil. So you know, like, there were moments where I’d be like, Haley help me, I’m supposed to be on an interview and they didn’t send a link and they like didn’t send it so automating streamlining, creating systems so that things just run super smoothly. Honey book will help you do that. Whether you’re monetizing or not, but also setting you up for success so that if you decide to monetize down the road, you’re already ready to go. You’ve got the systems in place.
Haylee Gaffin
Yes. And those like, scheduled emails are perfect, because then you don’t have to really think about it. And you don’t forget to let them know or remind them, because podcast guests also, they forget that they have interviews as well. And if you don’t remind them, they don’t know.
Natalie Franke
I’ve never done that. Ever, ever.
Haylee Gaffin
Awesome. Well, I really I like that idea of using a brochure especially on the monetizing side of things. Because it’s just like trying to sell a service, you’re selling an ad spot, I send a smart file every single time I have a new client inquiry, so that I make it super duper easy for them. And why not be able to do that for an advertiser as well. So yeah, amazing. Now, you had mentioned that you’re gifting boxes to your guests from Amana Chua because I know you are a cheerleader for small businesses. And that’s just one way that you are using the podcast to support other small businesses, I would love to know how you’re doing this throughout your entire podcast process so that other podcasters can find ways to use their podcast to support those small businesses as well, or ones that are local to them.
Natalie Franke
I love this question. And this was super intentional by design when we started the podcast. So the podcast is called independent business. And I joked that like I’m like, it has to be built by independent businesses, because otherwise, it just doesn’t align, there’s just a misalignment. And so it really is and has been completely created by independent. So just some examples of this, you know, obviously, Haley, you’re my producer, you’re an independent business owner, we have a video editor and producer Tyler Harrington, who is helping to turn the video clips into magic, both social media and full form content, like the full length episodes, we’re working with a gift box and company, as you mentioned, to send gifts to our guests, which I’m so grateful for partnering with an accessibility strategist who’s an independent business we’re working with, I mean, it’s I could literally just keep going, like, every single person who’s a part of making this podcast happen has been an independent, and a lot of the guests that we’re interviewing as well, our independence, and part of, you know, what we’re doing off the bat is trying to support their businesses in any way that we can. And so, you know, on my end with the podcast is could look like something like if they’re an author, buying copies of their books to give away to guests. As an author myself, this was something that I had one podcaster do, and it meant the world to me, it meant the world to me that they bought a handful of my books, that they use it as a social activation, it also was one of the posts on their feed that got the most engagement, as you can imagine, because it was a giveaway. So it was great for them on social, but little nuances like that, I think just just weaving independence and independent voice as much as I can into the podcast. Oh, Ruth doing all the CEUs I’m sorry about Ruth Miller, oh my gosh, from helper to she’s doing all of the scheduling for all of our guests and managing the coordination of things, which is amazing. And then, you know, Akua konadu. She is a storytelling strategist. And I have her helping me and supporting me on the research for our episodes. And actually, you know, like, we talked about doing that deep dive prior to sitting down with somebody to really uncover the direction we want to take the story and how we want to craft the episode. Look at that, two more independence. I’m like, I know, I’m forgetting folks. So if I forgot to mention you, I love you. And I’m sorry, I’m man. It’s just like, such an incredible crew. We’ve got a Dream Team.
Haylee Gaffin
Amazing. I, I love everyone you’re working with because I’ve gotten to kind of have a one on one conversation with each and every one of them. And I do love that HoneyBook is using this podcast to do that to allow independence to come in and support in ways that they probably could have internal team members do or hire internal team members. But the fact that like, I as an independent can be a part of this huge podcast, like I just know, it’s going to be so big. I am so honored and thankful and just love the opportunity. So I really appreciate you fighting for that but also just HoneyBook allowing for that to happen to now if you could share one piece of advice with an existing or future podcaster because we have all types of listeners hopeful and existing. If you could share one piece of advice based on your experience in launching the Independent Business Podcast, what would that advice be?
Natalie Franke
Spend as much time preparing for an interview as you do interviewing. True Really, that is the biggest piece of advice that I have, I think a lot of people. And actually, this is this comes from my background and speaking and doing keynote talks, I once remember a speaking coach saying to me, you know, never wing it. I don’t care how good you are. I don’t care how many times you’ve done it. Do not wing it. Because even if you’re that good that you could wing it, you’re that much better if you prepare. And it’s something where, you know, when it comes down to podcasting, I know and I love, and I heard it a lot like, oh, you know, I like to just see where it goes. And I like to just ask questions and see how it flows. And that’s fine. That really is fine. And actually, conversational interviews are one of my favorite to listen to, however, preparing for a conversational interview and knowing the background of who you’re interviewing, knowing who their audience is knowing, you know what their story is, before you sit down to even ask the questions will change the way that you ask the question so that, you know, I’ll give actual give a really specific example. And I know a lot of people do this. I know a lot of people do this. And actually, I really, please don’t come after me. But in my 200 interviews, nearly every single one of those 200 interviews starts with a question, Natalie. So tell me a little bit more about yourself? I hate that question. I absolutely hate that question. Because what it tells me is either one, you didn’t take the time to really figure out what it is that I do and who I serve, and what I’m out here fighting for. And you want me to do that for you. It’s not hard, you’ll it’s really not hard. You You’re and also you’re not going to ask a guest on your podcast, unless you already love and know them and want to hear more from them. So you do have the background? Or, you know, it’s what you think you have to be asking, because it’s the primary question people ask you think, okay, that’s how you’re supposed to start an interview, don’t start an interview that way. I often as a listener, fast forward through that as well. Because for the most part, if I’m listening, unless I have really have no idea who that person is, which by the way you could do in your own intro of the guests, which you can do off interview and really craft it to hit on those key points that you’re going to reference in your conversation with them. Start your podcast, understanding that you have to catch their attention. In that first couple of minutes, you’re going to lose them. Retention is not you know, easy to maintain. So think about that initial question as your gateway to retaining the listener, your opportunity to hook somebody in, and your chance to put kind of the, the, you know, opportunity right in front of your guests to hit a homerun from the start. That first question is the most important real estate that you have, from from an interview standpoint, use it wisely. Don’t ask them to tell them to tell your audience about themselves. You do that work, you craft the intro, you know, take their bio and make it meaningful to the interviewer and why you’re positioning them to have this conversation. If you do interview podcast again, has a question that is going to give an answer that your audience needs to know about. And don’t save the good questions for the end, people will get better and better as you go into the interview, you will get better and better as you go into the interview in the same way as a wedding photographer. I’d start with my worst location first and end in my best location when my clients are warmed up and they’re killing their posing. That’s fine. But still your worst location, your worst question should still be darn good. So hoof that I know that was a heartache. But that is the true advice prepare, ask a really good question to start.
Haylee Gaffin
No, that’s good advice. Because I mean, I I’ve edited at this point. Gosh, over 1000 podcast episodes probably more than that. I just last year alone, my team edited 550 episodes. And he Yes. And so of all of those episodes, like I mean, I’ve been guilty of doing it. We’re all guilty of doing things that are not we probably shouldn’t be doing. But I do love the interviews where the guests doesn’t have to tell who they are primarily because I feel like they either aren’t confident enough to talk about themselves or to they’re not telling me everything I need to know that probably the interviewer would because like for for me I’m not going to ask you that because I do the pre intro to an episode where I introduce you but also I have five years of knowledge of you in working with you so I was like I did my five years of preparation before this interview that’s what I was thinking when you were saying that because I was like how much time did I spend? I mean I probably spent as long preparing the questions but then the five years before that we can call that preparation for this moment.
Natalie Franke
Yeah, oh my gosh that’s so funny but think you’ve just got to think about it from the listeners view like think about it you know if I’m if you’re listening to something and you hear somebody spend a minute or two talking About a reading a bio to you or telling you about somebody you know, I’m saying, you know Haylee Gaffin is a world renowned Podcast Producer and the host of culture, right clocking in she is the founder of the MIC CHECK society. Baba, Baba Baba. And then I go, alright, Haley, tell me about yourself. And then Haley goes, I am the and she repeats everything listener just heard. And that that’s generally what happens right? Now, what I would recommend instead is you tee up that bio, like you tee up how you want to position your guests for success and why they’re relevant to the conversation you’re going to have. And then your first question isn’t will tell me about yourself, but your first question could be, for example, does everyone need to have a podcast? Or do you think that it’s only for the Select View? Or, for example, like, is podcast dying? Is podcast too soft? Or is the podcast industry too saturated? Those types of questions right from the start, if I’m listening, and if that’s a subject I care about, I’m not going to scroll away, I’m going to lean in because what is she going to say? What is her answer gonna be? So I say that to say like, you can do the work of positioning them well, so that you already know Haylee Gaffin is the world’s renowned Podcast Producer, who’s a legend. And then your first question is asking her about that area of expertise. That’s, that’s my advice. You don’t have to take it. But again, I’m trying really hard to learn on my own to be a better interviewer. And that’s one of the things that so far I’ve learned, and maybe I can pass along,
Haylee Gaffin
I think is brilliant. And I think to everyone has a little bit of room for improvement, especially in being an interviewer. That’s one. Like I said, I don’t do a ton of interviews, because I’m not as well versed in them. And I feel so much more comfortable doing solos. But every time I get into an interview, I’m like, Okay, I could do this again, I could do this again. And again, I just have to actually make the time and practice and become a better interviewer. So awesome. Well, Natalie, to close things out, can you tease some of the conversations? I know you have a little bit, but T some of the conversations that we can expect to hear on the Independent Business Podcast.
Natalie Franke
Yes. So again, this is a podcast about the science of self made success. So we’re going there we have conversations around generating wealth around advantageous tax strategies you’ve never heard of that could be costing you 1000s of dollars we talk about mindset shifts the science of showing up for example, on video, we talk about the power of asking questions, the statement that you might be including in your pitch that’s killing it and leading to you getting ghosted. We talk about ways to provide an extraordinary experience, how to come back to yourself and unfold as Ariella story says, to really unpack who you are, and what you want to do in this world, we talk about so many different aspects of being a business and be that meeting of his business owner. And, you know, we we do it alongside really interesting people that have such unique perspectives. And some of them as I said, they’re New York Times bestselling authors, some of them are founders who have small companies for hundreds of millions of dollars, some of them, the editor in chief of Entrepreneur Magazine, like we get this opportunity to sit down with people who I really believe has something to add some value to contribute to your business. And every single conversation I’ve had so far has been different. And it’s been unexpected in some really powerful way. So I’m excited to share that with all of you.
Haylee Gaffin
Amazing, and where can people find the show notes and connect with you and connect with the podcast or even honey book?
Natalie Franke
Yes. So the podcast is everywhere that podcast can be found. Thanks to you, Haley. Literally, it is everywhere. You though can lean into the shownotes the transcript@podcast.honeybook.com. And I’d also say to that video is your thing YouTube channel will house not only full episodes, but medium format clips, and short form clips as well.
Haylee Gaffin
Perfect. Well, we will link to all of that in our show notes for today’s episode. Thank you so much, Natalie, for coming on. And I wish you the best in your launch today with the podcast.
Natalie Franke
Thanks so much Haylee.
Haylee Gaffin
Thank you so much for listening to clocking in with Haylee Gaffin. For resources mentioned in today’s episode head to Gaffin creative.com. If you’re a podcaster looking for a community that will help you improve your podcast. Make sure you check out Mike check society, our community for podcasters who are looking to take their podcast from good to great. Enroll today at Mic check society.com and use code podcast for $10 off per month. If you love this episode, I’d be honored if you’d leave me a review in the Apple podcast app. Until next time, I’m your host Haylee Gaffin clocking out
