If you run in podcasting circles long enough, it's easy to discover people in the industry who virtually everyone respects. A few have developed a gigantic following. Some have perfectly cornered their niche. Others have simply been podcasting since the very beginning. For me, several names always seem to come up: John Lee Dumas, Jeff Brown, Daniel…

Some people notice things. Other people do things. Some people talk. Other people act. Some people complain. Other people create. Our guest today is other people. After noticing discrepancies between what's true in Washington and what's reported about Washington--and a severe lack of transparency within Congress--Jen Briney decided to do something …

It seems like nearly every podcaster has a "day job." A job that pays the bills and provides the knowledge and/or expertise a host needs for his show. Over the course of this podcast, one of my favorite parts has been learning my guests' wide variety of "day jobs." Accountants, consultants, developers, radio hosts. Today, I talk with Buck Ballard w…

As much as I don't want to admit it, I can be an "excuses guy." Miss an appointment with a client? Blame it on not enough sleep or a congested calendar. Bad night playing volleyball? Perhaps I ate too much or didn't stretch. It often feels like the last thing I want to do is admit that I'm the issue rather than my circumstances. Today's guest on My…

Just like Los Angeles is filled with actors masquerading as waiters, Nashville is packed to the rafters with musicians waiting tables as well. The competition for available gigs is extremely steep and the odds for making a living are extremely long. Several decades ago, Nashville-born David Hooper realized that his skill set made him less of a cand…

They say there are two things you should never talk about at work: politics and religion. (Unless you work at FoxNews or CNN, I suppose.) There are just certain topics that divide people, start fights, and ultimately cause more problems than they solve. But don't tell that to Kenn Blanchard. Kenn adds race to the political and spiritual mix, and th…

Since starting RINGR, I learned of a phrase called "first to market." Entrepreneurs and investors particularly like it because the concept is seen as a major advantage in the business world. It stands to reason that--if you can be the first company to present X product to market--then you'll have a better chance of getting and retaining a majority …

I first met Matt at an investor meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio. A mutual friend introduced us, knowing that we had each spent significant amounts of time in the audio space. Matt on the technical side. Me on the creative side. Also, Matt was carrying a large rubber ducky which made it nearly impossible to not strike up a conversation. Anyway, as it tu…

Ana Marie Cox is a political columnist and culture critic and is the Senior Political Correspondent for MTV News. She writes about politics and policy, and hosts the “Talk” interviews featured in The New York Times magazine. She lives in Minneapolis, MN and—despite frequently tweeting about cats—has more than 1.3 million followers on Twitter. SHOW …

There are things in life we wish we could do. And then there are things in life we're willing to do. For example, I really wish I could speak Spanish. However, after taking two years of Spanish in high school, going on four extended trips to Peru, and owning a timeshare in Mexico, it's apparently not going to happen. If those things aren't going to…

Since the day that I met her, the voice on my wife's phone has been that of a burly Australian man, rather than Siri. I don't know that he has a name, but I've always been kind of jealous of him...speaking all sultry-like to Noel as she drives. Anyway, Joshua C. Liston has a super-cool Australian accent that makes me jealous too. But Joshua also ha…

I never really started to feel like I was old until recently. I'm rapidly approaching 40, which is the age I remember my parents being when I thought they were old. College students call me "sir" now. And my joints hurt for days after playing volleyball. Our guest today didn't help matters when he told me that--as a kid--he used to listen to me on …

When I lived in Chicago, I became friends with a guy named Manny who operated a halfway house of sorts for men who had just been released from prison. Manny was from South America, and he frequently would say to people, "I went to Yale." However, in the Spanish language, the letter J is often pronounced like a Y. So, what Manny was really saying wa…

"People are like teabags. You find out what's really inside them when you put them in hot water." I have no idea who first said that, but it's one of my all-time favorite sayings. When life is going well, it's easy to appear calm, cool and collected. However, when things begin to fall apart, that task is infinitely more difficult. In a nutshell: ho…

Back in 2014, at the very first Podcast Movement, I met Daniel J Lewis. I was new to the podcast world, new to my business, and standing alone at the RINGR booth trying to meet as many people as possible. Daniel asked a ton of technical questions about RINGR that I didn't really know the answers to. Partly because I'm not a technical guy. Partly be…

From the time I was in high school, I have loved creative job titles. In fact, while I was drawing floor plans for home builders in our area (at 17 years old), I called myself a Custom Residential Designer. (Apparently, calling yourself an architect without the degree or license is illegal!) But, I digress. Apple uses "Genius." Quicken Loans has a …

As a kid, before I ever dreamed of being in broadcasting, I love listening to my grandpa tell stories of his days in radio. He worked overnights in Detroit for a time and, every morning before signing off at 5 or 6am, he would play my grandma a love song. It sounded super romantic. However, knowing how much my grandma enjoyed sleep, I'd be surprise…

The say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Which in some cases is absolutely true. Unfortunately, imitation can also be plagiarism, copyright or patent infringement, or just plain old laziness. It's two sides of the same coin, I suppose. Having been in the space since the beginning, Dave Jackson knows a lot of podcasts. He knows a lot of …

I spent 17 years working in, primarily, Christian radio. I had a lot of fun and probably pushed the envelope more than most do on these types of stations, though we admittedly had to operate in a much smaller "box" than most. From topics to language to attitudes, my shows lived in a uber-conservative landscape. Dave Kirby and I met while working at…

From the time I was in junior high, I had a "side hustle," though that term hadn't been invented yet. First it was a paper route. Then a job at a shoe store. Then I turned my love for architecture into a drafting business. My high school actually paid me to skip study hall to go draw floor plans of the various buildings in our district. In college,…

Every single morning, my grandpa would get up and begin cutting up grapefruit for he and my grandma. She would make oatmeal on the stove, and he would meticulously pick out the seeds and delicately slice each and every triangle-shaped piece. Once the food was ready, they would sit down, eat, and grandpa would pull out the morning paper and do the c…

There are certain people you meet in this life who always seem to be doing something. Not talking about it. Not planning for it. Actually doing it. In the podcasting space, Chris Krimitsos is one of those people. From leading an industry conference to producing a ground-breaking documentary about the space, Chris is neck-deep in the podcasting worl…

In late 1988, my dad began looking for a new job. It wasn't the he didn't like his job as a high school teacher and counselor, but since he also was involved with the music at our church and as a marriage and family counselor at a private practice, he was stretched thin. I was in 5th grade at the time, but I remember him saying that he was searchin…

Shortly after my family moved to Illinois, I remember my dad mentioning that "the new guy on the radio" had started going to our church. His name was Doug Hannah. In Jr. High at the time (early 90's), I had no interest in radio as a career yet...but I could still tell that this guy was going places. And a few years later, he did. To Chicago. And th…

Some people find it extremely hard to focus. I know this because 1) it's fairly common knowledge and 2) I'm one of them. (Hey look, a duck!) Todd Uterstaedt, however, is not one of those people. As you'll hear, Todd is laser-focused on a very specific audience, and he does it both well and unapologetically. Todd doesn't talk to startup founders. He…

Before "My Worst Interview Ever" began, I put a list of people together who were "dream guests." Essentially, they were leaders in the industry who I didn't expect to get on the show, but I sure hoped to. Each had to fulfill all of the following requirements: A thought leader in the business, entrepreneurship, podcast and/or broadcast spaces Having…

Many years ago (though not too many, 'cuz she is super young), Elsie Escobar and her family emigrated to the United States from El Salvador. As you might imagine, it changed her life. Not only was she in a new country with a new language and new customs...but she was presented with new opportunities that simply didn't exist in her home country. To …

In early 2015, mere months after starting RINGR, I moved to Cincinnati, Ohio for six months to join a business accelerator called OCEAN. Being somewhat new to the podcast industry, I had heard Cliff Ravenscraft's name...but I didn't fully grasp how influential he was, nor did I realize that he lived about 10 miles from Cincinnati. However, I quickl…

Several years ago I emceed a fundraising event that was being headlined by a well-known, well-respected public speaker. Since we were both seated at the head table, I had the chance to chat with him for a bit during dinner. To say I was surprised (and disappointed) by his demeanor would be a gross understatement. From stage, this man was articulate…

There is no shortage of inspiring quotes about dealing with setbacks in life: "Make lemonade out of lemons." "It's not how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get back up again." "Losers quit when they fail. Winners fail until they succeed." "When a door is closed, a window is opened." And I could list hundreds more... But far m…

When you spend as many years on the radio as I have, you're bound to have embarrassing moments. The funny thing is--right now--I honestly can't think of any. Not a single one. I can, however, think of plenty for my long-time co-host, Pam...and let's be honest, telling other people's stories is way more fun anyway. I'll narrow it down to two: Pam on…

I once had a boss tell me, "You haven't really worked in radio until you've been fired at least once." That made me a little nervous for two reasons: 1) I had never been fired before and 2) He had the power to fire me. Apparently, I left the company before he could get around to it. The odd thing was, my boss was right. Broadcasting, as an industry…

Growing up, I considered my best friend's dad to be the nicest adult I knew. Gary was strict, to be sure, but he was always kind, polite, and generous. Plus, he and his wife always kept the house stocked with Dr Pepper and salami. Two staples for teenage boys. Looking back, Gary always seemed to genuinely care about whoever it was he was talking to…

When they were younger, my boys used to ask me "why" a lot. Why do we have to go to the store? Why are clouds white? Why can't I stick my sandwich in the DVD player? Stuff like that. If you're a parent, I'm quite sure you can relate. And while some of my kids' questions had perfectly logical and easily explainable answers...many of them did not. Fo…

Most of us like to pretend that "the worst" doesn't happen to "the best." The Kardashians never get pimples. Lebron James never misses a layup. Seinfeld never tells a joke that falls flat. Right? Despite knowing that our assumptions are largely incorrect, our brains are reluctant to let us fully comprehend the truth: celebrities are humans too. And…

The best conversations in life always seem to be the ones where you learn something new about the person you're talking to. Whether it's the cashier at the grocery story store, a colleague at work, or even your spouse...getting to a level you've never gotten to before is good. Special even. Today, while talking with Rob Walch from Libsyn on My Wors…

Like Richard Gere in "Pretty Woman" or Tom Cruise in "Jerry McGuire", certain people have lives made for movies. You look at the places they're going and the things they're doing and think, "Man, that can't even be real, right?!" Paul Kemp is that guy. Imagine a young man living in London, working for the Queen's stock broker. He's wearing pinstrip…

All of us have had an "interview gone wrong." Probably more than one. Connection issues. The wrong bio information. A guest who wouldn't stop talking. The "yes/no" guy. Prima donnas. Terrible content. Weird distractions. Heck, I once interviewed a guy for my radio show who was running on a treadmill! At RINGR, our goal is to make your recorded inte…

Kevin Griffin formed the alternative rock band Better Than Ezra in 1988. The band had great success in the 1990s with hits such as "Good", "In the Blood", and "Desperately Wanting", and has continued in the 2000s with hits such as "Extra Ordinary", "A Lifetime", and "Juicy". As a songwriter, he's written for Howie Day, Meat Loaf, and Blondie, among…

Phin Daly runs Marathon Music Management. He is also known as the manager 3 Doors Down. Steve Robertson is SVP of A&R at Atlantic Records and has worked with acts like Collective Soul, Seven Mary Three, and Matchbox 20. For those not on the podcast...By David Hooper

Mark Steiner is the co-founder of GigSalad, a marketplace for booking bands, musicians, entertainers, speakers and services for parties, productions, and events of all types and sizes. We talk about the live event business and what acts need to know about booking high-dollar corporate gigs. For those not on the podcast...…

Matt Bell was lead singer of The Pink Spiders and had a deal with Geffen Records. The act's major-label debut, Teenage Graffiti was produced by Ric Ocasek and the single "Little Razorblade" landed Teenage Graffiti on the Billboard 200. David Bell founded Music City Big Break, a showcase to assist talented up-and-coming musical acts. On this episode…

Grammy nominated singer/songwriter Gretchen Peters has composed hits for Martina McBride, Etta James, Trisha Yearwood, Faith Hill, and George Strait, as well as Neil Diamond and Bryan Adams. Gretchen received the Country Music Association Song Of The Year award for McBride's "Independence Day" in 1995, and was nominated for Grammy Awards for Best C…

Annalee Cantos sits in for David Hooper to talk with Mississippi singer/songwriter Charlie Mars. You're going to enjoy Charlie's hilarious stories about the journey to his success today. For those not on the podcast...By David Hooper