Common Podcast Launch Mistakes

Shaping Opinion Microphones

Let’s get right to it. One of the biggest mistakes you can make when it comes to launching a podcast is going out too soon.

There are a lot of platforms and technologies out there that can make it so easy to create and launch that first episode that you could easily skip all of the most important steps that go into launching a successful podcast.… Read the rest

Podcasting Myth: You Don’t Need to Edit

podcast coach

One of the more hotly contested issues among some podcasters is whether or not you need to edit your podcast. I’m going to weigh in quite strongly, but before I do, I must point to the exception.

If your podcast is a combination of video and audio formats, editing can be quite a challenge and may limit what you can do in terms of practical editing.Read the rest

Taking Your Podcast to the Next Level Starts with Content

podcast coach

One of the most important steps toward taking a podcast to the next level is also one of the most commonly skipped steps. There may be many reasons for this, from not wanting to confront limitations, to the fact that there are so many different types of podcasts and podcasters, so there isn’t one standard. But if I had to guess, I’d say the leading one is that this step is not so simple or easy.… Read the rest

Media Relations: Tell Us What We Don’t Know

media relations

As a blogger, a contributor to business and trade media, and as a podcaster, I get my share of pitches from fellow PR professionals. One of the things I notice quite often is how the pitches usually center on assumptions, ‘revelations,’ or other news hooks that are all about things we already know.

A new study finds that consumers avoid higher prices and go for discounts.… Read the rest

Baseball and the Fine Art of Selling ‘Hope’

baseball

The following blog post was originally posted on January 28, 2020, just before the pandemic that would change everything. Baseball wasn’t the same that year or since. In anticipation of next week’s MLB Opening Day games across the country, we’re re-posting this slightly updated version.

The grass on baseball fields in Florida and Arizona is getting lush right now, ready for the annual rite that is Major League Baseball spring training and those sunny exhibition games.… Read the rest

The Teddy Roosevelt Speech that Every PR Professional Should Know

Man in the Arena

After decades of working with and dealing with the media on a wide range of topics and matters, one of the more common patterns I’ve noticed is something that President Teddy Roosevelt spoke about in his famous “Man in the Arena” speech. We’ll get to that in a bit.

Before we do, it’s important to understand what this has to do with the public relations business.… Read the rest

Do We Have to Be Right to Lay Claim to Freedom of Speech?

free speech

There is a shell game being played by a number of politicians, Big Tech executives, news media executives and journalists, and well-known PR people that goes like this:

  • The First Amendment exists to protect the news media’s right to free speech. Nothing should be done to inhibit a free press.
  • When Big Tech censors and bans users, it’s a private company and so it does not fall under the jurisdiction of the First Amendment when it comes to giving users freedom of speech.
Read the rest

Business Ethics: Should Religion Stay in Its Lane?

Business Ethics

I’ve known a few people who’ve made a living as business ethicists and two of my problems with their tendencies are: 1) They tend to adhere to the ethics of relativity (but not really); and 2) They work hard to completely disassociate any religious or traditional moral code from business ethics.

To be sure, in this diverse world where people of many faiths come together to work, it would be inappropriate to try to impose a single religious code on all.… Read the rest