Today I would like to share someone who is very special to me.

Kelly McCausey.

See? That's me and Kel in the picture to the right. I'm squeezing her so hard that my face is squished.  (Taken at the NAMS Workshop in Atlanta) ->

Why do I love Kelly? Let me count the ways…

• Kelly was my very first mentor online when I joined her Mastermind Group – back in 2005. She held my hand and guided me while I asked every dumb question in the book… and then went and found some more to ask.

• Kelly asked me for my first interview. She interviewed me on her Podcast when I didn't even really understand what a podcast was.

• Kelly asked me to partner with her on my first course. Without her, I don't know how long it would have taken me to create my first product. There were so many obstacles that I didn't know how to overcome – especially back then before WordPress caught on. Plus, I had zero confidence. Kelly called me her “much afraid” friend and saw something in me that I sure didn't see myself. She challenged me with love and brought me out of my comfort zone.

• Kelly asked me to start a PLR site with her. Yep. EasyPLR.com was launched originally as a project with Kelly as my partner.

There are so many other ways that I could sing Kelly's praises.  But let's get into the topic of this post.

Podcasting.

When I decided that I wanted to start a podcast, the person that I wanted to learn from was Kelly. (you can find my podcast here on the blog or on itunes)

After all, Kelly has been podcasting consistently since 2003!

Yep. You read that right. Since 2003. She calls herself a “Podcast Pioneer”. She started podcasting before anyone but techie geeks even knew that WordPress existed (the first release was launched just a few months prior) and before RSS feeds were a thing. Most of us were still using FrontPage and Dreamweaver to create our websites. Yes, the dinosaur days.

She actually had to train people how to listen to her shows. The technology was that new and confusing. She even sold CDs of her shows for those who had a dial-up modem or who couldn't figure out how to listen online.

To me, the most impressive part of the story is her consistency. During that time, she has recorded over 450 episodes.

• 331 Episodes Produced on WAHM Talk Radio.
• She rebranded as SoloSmarts.
• 125 More Episodes Since then were Posted on SoloSmarts.

So, yeah. She's qualified to teach about Podcasting – and then some.

Well, I wanted to ask Kelly a few questions since many of you have been asking me about Podcasting lately. Kelly has a product that she just updated last month that can teach  you everything you need to know about podcasting – the right way.

-> You can check that out here: Podcasting Smarts <-

On to the interview…

Kel, you started podcasting back in 2003 before it was even called “podcasting”. You had an “Internet Talk Radio Show”. What the heck were you thinking? Did you use a cassette recorder? Just kidding, but really, Why did you start?

I DID use a cassette recorder! That with a little $10 phone tap that connected it to a telephone. Oh the memories… the stuff of nightmares! So glad it's easier today.

It was love at first listen for me and internet radio. I found a business show on World Talk Radio that occasionally featured a smart sounding work at home mom named Lynn Terry. When that show went off the air I felt lost.

A friend of mine, Alice Seba, suggested that I start up a show. My first reaction was ‘wha?' but I didn't have to be talked into it, the idea was very attractive. I imagined me interviewing all of the most interesting business moms out there and just went for it.

I was nervous though. I was only working on a business to make some extra money back then. I wondered if it were a bad idea to do something so ‘big' when I was only in it for a temporary purpose. Little did I know that internet radio would change everything for me.

What benefits do you personally get from podcasting? Do you make money or is it mainly for exposure, networking and traffic?

If I hadn't ventured into audio, if I were only publishing a website or writing a blog, I wouldn't have stood out the way I eventually did. A podcast is an amazing platform. I got to talk with successful people I'd never have had access to otherwise and that opened a lot of doors for me.

In the beginning I made an income directly from the podcast through sponsorship and selling ads. Over the years I had my own products to promote and I took fewer advertisers. Finally I let my sponsor go. It made more sense to focus entirely on my own funnel instead of sending my listeners to someone else.

So yes, it gives me exposure. It makes networking a breeze, ‘Hey, can I interview you?'. It is great for traffic too, my guests share links to their episode and I win new visitors from those who find my show in iTunes.

Kelly, the thing that I've struggled most with since I started podcasting is consistency (obviously!). How do you schedule your guests?

Scheduling goes best for me when I completely outsource it. Automate as much of the process as you can with forms and a scheduling tool (I use TimeTrade.com) and let the good conversation roll.

How has podcasting changed for you over the years?

It's easier!  Give me an inexpensive USB headset, Skype, a simple Mp3 recorder and free editing software and I'm good to go.

It's also easier to reach your audience.  More people know what a podcast is.  I don't have to educate my market one listener at a time like I did in 2003

What mistake did you make when you started podcasting that cost you time, money, or caused you heartache? How can my readers avoid making that same mistake?

I didn't have anyone to learn from. I could search all day long and not find anything because I didn't even know what phrases to search for. Thankfully it is not like that today.

1. Practice. Test your tools. Do it.
   My first ‘big' interview was a complete wash because I didn't have my equipment set up correctly. I had to write her and ask for another chance. She was a pro and forgave me my rookie mistake.
2. Keep your calendar well. Don't be late.
   I had an interview booked with a big name last year. I geeked to have her on my show. Well, I overslept and missed our meeting. It was all my fault for not checking my calendar the night before. She did not rebook Very humbling.
3. Lack of preparation will always bite me in the behind.
   I hate getting on the line with a guest without taking the time to investigate them and their projects. There were a couple of times I let myself get behind and end up doing just that. It's disrespectful to my guest and my audience. I schedule time ahead of my interviews to check a guest out. I visit their site, read their About page, check out their favorite posts and buzz around to their social media profiles. By the time I'm on the phone I feel like I've got a grip on who they are.

Where can we learn directly from you about podcasting? (Tell me where to sign up for your new podcasting course!)

Just this spring I started developing a brand new podcasting course and I put the final touches on it in August.

Podcasting Smarts

Podcasting Smarts is a full course with lots of demonstration that fill in all the technical gaps a new podcaster needs to fill.

I take you from brainstorming topics to publishing and promoting. They can have a podcast added to their blog within just a few weeks if they want to.

Thanks for asking about it Nicole!

Don'tcha just love her?

Here's that link again:

-> You can check that out here: Podcasting Smarts <-

And a 30% off Coupon Code: ‘urgency' is good until January 12th, 2016

Much love and appreciation for stopping by.

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

PS. Do you have a question for Kelly? A comment? Please share below.

PS again. If you have a Favorite Business Podcast, please add it to this list Podcasts for Entreprenurs