Podcast Divas

Helen Zaltzman - The Queen of British Podcasting What a great pleasure to welcome the wonderful Helen Zaltzman onto Podcast Divas.  Helen is without doubt one of the most accomplished and long serving podcasters in the UK (and world) and thoroughly deserving of the ‘queen of British podcasting’ title I’ve bestowed on her here. Helen says of herself; ‘I make podcasts: mainly Answer Me This! and The Allusionist, part of Radiotopia. I sometimes turn up on the radio; I write stuff; and I make things.’ This typically modest description belies the fact Answer Me This is a multi award-winning show, one of the longest running British podcasts and an iTunes classic, and the Allusionist was an iTunes show of the year 2015. ‘For so many years that I’ve been podcasting it was not a thing that people recognised, not just as a job, but as a thing!’ Helen has what many of us would consider the perfect job – she gets paid for podcasting. It was a joy to talk to Helen about her experience of podcasting over many years and t

Iszi Lawrence is an international stand up comedian from Reading, England, a longtime podcaster and happily for us - today’s Podcast Diva. Podcasting since 2008 with Sundays Supplement – a comedy podcast where Iszi and co-host Simon Dunn review the Sunday Newspaper Supplements, Iszi launched The Z List Dead List a podcast about obscure people from history in September 2014. In that time Iszi has produced hundreds of episodes and shares her experience on why first and foremost you need to love your podcast, what makes a good podcast, tips and advice for doing this and much more in episode 16 of Podcast Divas, including:  Where exactly is Reading and is it really better than Slough Two great reasons Iszi is well qualified for Podcast Divadom The pointless purpose of the Sunday Supplements Podcast and 3 useful things about it What was happening in 2008 that made Iszi think podcasting was a good idea Why you should be in the room with your cohost How Iszi came to have 20 minutes of material on the scrotum frog W

Amanda Cook is the fabulous featured Podcast Diva for episode 15. Amanda recently reached the 100th episode of The Wellpreneur Podcast - a weekly show on digital marketing and business inspiration and advice, especially for wellness entrepreneurs.  ‘What if I did a podcast, that could be fun.  That’s been the best decision!’ Reaching 100 episodes is a special milestone that deserves congratulations (and the title of Podcast Diva). It takes commitment and resilience to produce a podcast week after week. It also means Amanda knows what she’s talking about when it comes to podcasting, as you’ll hear in this episode as we talk about:  Where the name Wellpreneur came from How Amanda went from computer science to wellness coach Amanda’s first podcast in 2005 – ‘How not to be dreadful’ How she came to start the podcast The best decision Amanda made Who Amanda’s audience and how does she know The power of a Facebook group Why you don’t want to be and perfect from the beginning Content marketing the organic way How

‘I like to talk. I felt like that was something I could do well.’ Episode 14 of Podcast Divas puts Nicole Keating in the spotlight. Nicole is on a mission to live a life of Epic Wellness, and to inspire and help others do the same through her podcast The Art of Epic Wellness. If you’re wondering what the art of epic wellness is, Nicole describes it as a life of physical, spiritual and emotional vitality – surely something we all want! Nicole’s podcasting journey has been one of highs and lows, challenges and triumphs, and most of all of self-discovery and a love of the medium of podcasting and what it’s done for her. ‘I’m becoming this podcast-obsessed woman …I’m driving and I’m listening, I’m walking and I’m listening and I’m doing my clothes and I’m listening.  Every moment I could get I started listening to podcasts.’ Listen to episode 14 to find our more, including:  What listeners get out of listening to Nicole’s show The epic eight questions The story behind how Nicole started the podcast What Nico

‘We own our podcast and are very precious about it, even though there’s a sense of fun and silliness, we are serious about the quality of it and the jokes.’ Episode 13 of Podcast Divas puts, not one but, two ladies in the spotlight – Ellie Gibson and Helen Thorn of The Scummy Mummies Podcast – a popular fortnightly chat show for less-than-perfect parents, which regularly tops the kids and family category on iTunes in the UK. ‘We do like a cat suit – preferably gold lame.’ This was such a fun episode to record and I think you can tell that Helen and Ellie are both also stand-up comedians, in fact that’s how they met.  Listen to find out how they came to co-host the Scummy Mummies Podcast and much much more including:  Who’s tried a three way (we’re talking podcasting of course) Who wants to be scrummy, yummy or scummy The full story of how Helen and Ellie met The best way to cope with being a parent Why they started having guests on their show Finding a balance of silliness and seriousness How to deal wi

Stepping into the spotlight today is Social and Podcast Diva, Amy Schmittauer. Amy is the founder, face and voice of Savvy Sexy Social, as seen all over YouTube where she has an amazing following. Amy is a professional vlogger, speaker and all-round social media expert. She is President of the video content and social media marketing agency Vlog Boss Studios in Ohio, and host of the Social Authority Podcast. As well as talking about her podcasting journey and experience, Amy is full of great tips and insights on how to use social media as social marketing for your podcast. Get ready to be inspired to up your social media game. ‘Marketing is not a department. It's a lifestyle.’  In episode 12 of Podcast Divas you find out: What Savvy Sexy Social means What prompted Amy to begin the Social Authority Podcast How podcast feedback compares to video feedback Is Amy really a control freak How Amy started her podcast When it’s the right time to outsource What Amy has to say about being an introvert How the Social

Our Podcast Diva for episode 11 is Jo Milmine. Jo went from being a military officer in the Royal Air force to becoming an award winning podcaster. Since August 2012 Jo has hosted the Shiny Bees podcast, a show about knitting and yarn mixed with snippets of Jo’s life sprinkled with comedy. “Don’t mess with the knitters!” The Shiny bees podcast won the award for the Most Engaged Audience at the UK Podcasters’ Awards of 2015. The main criteria for this award is community engagement, so it’s great to get a chance to find out from Jo how to build and engage a podcast community and how she keeps them coming back for more. And you don’t need to know about knitting to pick up some useful hints and tips from Jo. I know very little about knitting - as will become apparent in this episode – and it gave me a fascinating insight into a whole new world. Who knew there was such a thing as a knit along! “There’s something from audio podcasts that you don’t get from video – it feels like a more intimate medium because yo

Shining brightly in the Podcast Diva spotlight today is the marvellous Kate Erickson. Kate is host of the podcast ‘Kate’s Take’ - the audio blog for Entrepreneur on Fire - where she shares a behind-the scenes look at how to run a 7 figure business and step by step lessons on how to create, grow and monetise a business. That’s because Kate is content and community leader at EOFire and the other half, in business and life, of Entrepreneur on Fire host John Lee Dumas. Kate is also the author of The Fire Path - a beginner’s guide to growing your online business. If you’ve listened to Kate’s Take or know anything about Entrepreneur on Fire you’ll know Kate and John have achieved massive success through the podcast and the related activities coming out of EOFire. But you might not know that much of that success is down to the way they run their business and the fantastic systems and processes Kate has put in place to make this multi-faceted business work. We might not all be running million dollar enterprises but w

Would you like more people to know about your podcast? Do you want more people to listen to your podcast? Of course, because as a podcaster you want to get your message out and your voice heard. In episode 9 of Podcast Divas we put PR for podcasters in the spotlight with PR expert, journalist and podcaster Janet Murray. Janet has been writing and editing for national newspapers and magazines like the Guardian, Telegraph, Independent and Times, for the past fifteen years. Pitching and placing Janet’s pitched and placed countless stories in the national media and commissioned hundreds of stories (turning down many more). So it’s true to say she knows a thing or two about what journalists are looking for in a story, and what they’re not.  The good news is Janet believes PR doesn’t have to be difficult and in episode 9 of Podcast Divas we talk about how podcasters can go about getting PR for their shows. After hearing how Janet started her new podcast, Soulful PR. ‘I knew I could do it but it was more the mechan

Sarah Williams steps into the Podcast Diva spotlight to talk about getting started in podcasting and what it’s done for her and her business after just a few months. In 2013 Sarah quit her banking career of 8 years. Since then, she’s written two books, and travelled the world seeking adventures like climbing Kilimanjaro in Africa, working as a chalet host and cycling Death Road in Boliva. Sarah’s also set up Tough Girl Challenges and gives talks in local schools to encourage and motivate young girls to do more and be more. As well as being host of the Tough Girl Podcast, interviewing inspirational women from around the world, Sarah’s a panellist for Bay TV in Liverpool, where she talks about women's issues.  Sarah’s enthusiasm, insights and story provide practical advice, information and encouragement to anyone thinking of starting a podcast or simply seeking inspiration and motivation. “I’m so proud of my first podcast, because actually it is something I’ve put together, something I’ve created. And it may n

“Once you’ve done a couple of podcasts it’s really easy to launch a new one”. Stepping into the Podcast Diva spotlight today is Alexia Leachman. Alexia is a personal branding and reputation management consultant, coach, writer, consultant, speaker, head trash clearer, mojo hunter, stress-free pregnancy and pain-free childbirth expert and of course – Podcast Diva. With three podcasts under her belt so far, including two award nominated shows, episode 7 is stuffed full of great stories and tips straight from Alexia’s experience of the why, how and what to podcast. “Blogging takes too long!” In episode 7 of Podcast Divas you find out: What a mojo hunter is Why Alexia’s embarrassed by her first podcast The advantage of show notes as blogs posts How to get people from your blog posts to your podcast How Alexia went from podcast #1 ‘Mojo’ to podcast #2 the ‘Head Trash’ show in 5 days Some stuff about success in New and Noteworthy How to use a podcast to increase your email list How podcasting doubled Alexia’s

“It’s the best thing I’ve done personally as well as professionally.” Get set to be inspired as Michaela Clark shares her story in episode 6 of Podcast Divas – ‘How podcasting changed my life and business’. If you’re a podcaster this will motivate and enthuse you and if you’re not yet podcasting this will encourage you to get started. Michaela lives in Australia where she founded Tradies VA – a service to free up tradies’ time to work on their business or whatever they want. Michaela describes herself as a proud Tradie wife, mother of 3 boys, who helps tradies work less and make more money. Michaela is not only a great businesswoman, she is a Podcast Diva. I’m thrilled to talk to Michaela in episode 6 about her experience as a podcaster and what it’s meant for her and her business. In episode 5 you find out:                                 What a tradie is How long it took Michaela to get going Her biggest fears before starting podcasting How Michaela went from shy and reserved to public speaking Why i

“I feel like I’ve got a voice now, I have something to say and some people like to listen.” Stepping into the spotlight today is Podcast Diva and podcasting lawyer, Alison Colley Alison describes herself as a ‘Lawyer, entrepreneur, podcaster, runner (well I try), mum of one and enthusiastic Isle of Wight resident.’ In fact Alison loves the Isle of Wight so much she started a podcast about it 3 years ago with partner Tony. The Real Isle of Wight podcast is a full, frank and funny guide to all things Isle of Wight. “With the IOW podcast, some of the facts are true and some are made up by Tony!” Alison also hosts The Employment Law and HR Podcast, relating to her work as a solicitor (lawyer) and sole-practitioner at her firm, Real Employment Law Advice.The HR & Employment Law Podcast is an easy to listen to legal and practical guide giving updates on the Law and best practice for managing and recruiting staff and dealing with issues. In episode 5 you find out: The book that first inspired Alison on h

Cas is founder of Brilliant Content, a content marketing consultancy in Brisbane, Australia. Cas also writes for Social Media Examiner and the Australian Businesswomen’s Network and is the Author of “Your Brilliant Un-Career: Women, entrepreneurship, and making the leap.” Cas hosts two podcasts – ‘Your Brilliant Un-Career Podcast’ and the ‘Brilliant Content Ideas Podcast’. “I’ve really improved my listening skills by doing it.”  Episode 4 of Podcast Divas In episode 4 of Podcast Divas find out how Cas went from being socially anxious to Podcast Diva and much more besides as we chat about: How long Cas took to get started in podcasting Big guests but poor equipment Dan Norris’s blunt advice What gets Cas fired up Women and confidence The Facebook strategy Cas used to get into New and Noteworthy Competition in exchange for reviews Why its hard to get reviews How to view all your international reviews at once The guerrilla tactics learnt from John Lee Dumas Talking versus writing How much it cost to get start

Kelly Long is stepping into the Podcast Diva spotlight today. Kelly has been a high school teacher for the past 9 years.  Kelly says she’s continuously learning and evolving as a teacher, and one of the ways she’s doing this is through her award nominated podcast – Inspiration 4 Teachers - where she interviews dynamic and inspirational educators with the aim of empowering educators everywhere.  Full time teacher, mother of two young children. “I didn’t even know what podcasting was.” Episode 3  In episode 3 of Podcast Divas Kelly shares her podcasting story. The opportunities and challenges she’s’ experienced and the amazing impact that podcasting has had on her personal and professional life.  Plus many nuggets of wisdom for future podcasters and Divas in waiting looking to follow her lead. “Since I became a podcaster my skill sets has absolutely grown to the benefit of my students. I love the fact I can pass on those skills.” You’ll hear about:   How Kelly first came across podcasting Why talking about

“ The show must go on.” It’s only right and fitting Izabela Russell is the first Podcast Diva stepping into the spotlight; not only is Isabella part of the podcasting scene in the UK but also part of my podcast journey. Izabela Russell is host of Analysing Brands – Branding Cow and co-host of the Audio Production Show from Music Radio Creative, a company producing jingles, intros and voiceovers where Izabela is a director alongside husband Mike Russell.Izabela is also the co-founder of UK PodcastersandManaging Director and co-founder of the New Media Europe conference, and co-host of the New Media Europe Show podcast. Episode 2 As you can tell from this description, podcasting is now a huge part of Izabela’s life and business but it wasn’t always like that. In episode 2 Izabela talks about how she went from banking to podcasting and much more including: How Izabela was dragged into podcasting. How long it took to record her first session. Finding her inner voice and broadcasting it on a podcast. The unusua

It’s episode 1 of Series 1 of Podcast Divas! Welcome! I’m super excited to introduce this new podcast. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time - and now the time is right and it is here. Hooray. In this first episode you’ll find out:   What a Podcast Diva is (or should that literally be Podcast Goddess) What the show is about Who Podcast Divas is for Why I’m doing it The surprising or not so surprising stats about women in podcasting What you can expect from Podcast Divas and if it’s for you Who Kathryn Bryant is and the story of my podcasting journey You can find more about Podcast Divas here Links mentioned in this episode BrilliantLivingHQ.com The Changeability Podcast with Kathryn Bryant and Julian Illman Changeability: Manage your Mind – Change your Life – a book by Kathryn Jared Easley – Starve the Doubts podcast   What to do next If you like the idea of what I’m doing here at Podcast Divas, please share the love on social media and go to iTunes to subscribe to the show and leave a rating and a