1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,080 Hello and welcome to another edition of the PBJ Spotlight 2 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:11,900 My name is Ed Ryan content editor for the podcast Business Journal in the PBJ Spotlight today is Glenn the geek Hebert 3 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:15,320 One of the most successful podcasters on the planet 4 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:21,040 Glenn was in the investment business and an actor for ten years before he moved into the horse business 5 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:27,020 He launched the stable scoop show in 2008 and after six months of producing the show 6 00:00:27,020 --> 00:00:31,020 He had about 12 listeners, but he kept at it and kept working hard 7 00:00:31,020 --> 00:00:34,180 And he had a goal in mind of creating a network today 8 00:00:34,180 --> 00:00:41,020 The horse radio network is one of the largest independent podcasting networks in the world as of January 2019 9 00:00:41,420 --> 00:00:45,340 The horse radio network has produced over 7400 episodes 10 00:00:45,740 --> 00:00:48,460 interviewed over 9,000 guests and has 11 00:00:49,100 --> 00:00:51,100 listeners in 92 countries 12 00:00:51,660 --> 00:00:53,660 along with 16 shows 13 00:00:53,660 --> 00:01:00,580 Glenn the geek and the horse radio network are truly one of podcasting's true success stories in our interview 14 00:01:00,580 --> 00:01:02,580 Glenn tells us why he stuck with it 15 00:01:02,580 --> 00:01:10,140 How he grew his niche podcast and he explains his philosophy that listeners come for the content and they stay for the show 16 00:01:10,620 --> 00:01:13,700 Here's our spotlight with Glenn the geek Hebert 17 00:01:14,060 --> 00:01:19,640 How do you go from being in the investment business or being an investor to the horse business? 18 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:23,640 What's that transition you marry into it? That's it. That's it 19 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:30,240 You get a wife who's addicted and then I did burn out I burned out from investment sales 20 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:36,680 after about 15 years and I said I need to do something different and that's where we did a number of other things along the way and 21 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:43,760 Eventually ended up, you know doing this so before you get to the podcasting part of it. What is the horse business? 22 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:45,440 What do you mean by that? 23 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:50,760 Well, you know we we train I mean it could be anything. There's a million different horse businesses 24 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:55,880 But we we my wife trained horses. We had a big farm. We had 20 some horses at one point and 25 00:01:56,720 --> 00:02:01,960 We had people boarding with us keeping their horses at our place and then we opened a retail business 26 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:05,160 We're actually the second ones back in the 1990s 27 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:10,520 We had a brick-and-mortar store, but we are also the second ones to ever be online selling horse products 28 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:15,480 Tack and saddles and that kind of thing. So we were early on in that game 29 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:21,320 which is how I got the name Glen the geek because we always were the geeky ones that were a little head of the curve in 30 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:23,320 the horse world and 31 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:26,800 That's how I was given name Glen the geek and it just always stuck 32 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:32,120 So you start out with one show when was that and what was that first original show about? 33 00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:35,840 2008 it was called the stable scoop show. It was a general show 34 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:42,440 I knew if we wanted a network that we'd have to attract listeners with a general show about horses as opposed to 35 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:45,120 niching it down even further 36 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:50,960 Yeah, and but I always knew that we could have a you know, 30 shows niche down further in the horse world 37 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:55,360 So we started out with a general show and built the audience after six months. We had 12 listeners 38 00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:59,480 And we we brag about that now because back then 39 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:03,720 Horse people are usually behind a little bit technology wise 40 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:10,920 So back then it was it was just really one person at a time educating him how to listen to a podcast because iTunes was new 41 00:03:10,920 --> 00:03:16,520 And it was tough and that was our toughest battle for sure wasn't content 42 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:22,920 It was it was educating people. So how were you getting the original show out? How were you marketing that we? 43 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:26,600 In person a lot of it 44 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:30,800 we were at horse shows and we would be at events and telling our friends and 45 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:36,640 You know our guests would help us for what they could because you know, Facebook really wasn't a thing back then either 46 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:41,520 So they were just telling their friends at Barnes and it really became a word of mouth 47 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:46,720 And after a year, you know, it grew a little and after the second year grew a lot and 48 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:53,080 It was word of mouth and after the second show started that that influenced a whole new group of horse people 49 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:59,560 That started putting the word out plus we got our sponsor in the first year to our first sponsor who's still with us by the way 50 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:00,800 and 51 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:04,520 She really put the word out to amongst her. She would she would actually 52 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:08,360 put notices in the boxes she shipped out and 53 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:15,480 About our show and how to listen we again we had educate people how to listen and most of the listeners back then were on 54 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:17,480 The we're on the website on their computer 55 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:21,280 And that's how they had to listen they hit play on the website 56 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:26,040 So when you're doing that first show, is it weekly? Is it daily? 57 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:33,960 Yeah, I think weekly was it I mean, yeah, I mean, I don't think any of us knew we should do anything different than weekly 58 00:04:34,840 --> 00:04:38,960 There were a couple what there were a couple a couple daily ones at that point 59 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:45,740 But everybody was doing weekly shows and I kind of you know, the only podcasting experience I had was listening to twit 60 00:04:46,280 --> 00:04:52,680 The twit network, you know, that's the podcasting with Leo and that's the only ones I had ever listened to so I kind of based 61 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:57,960 It around that you know, you know doing it weekly. So you're doing a weekly show and obviously at that point 62 00:04:57,960 --> 00:05:04,320 You're you're still in in the horse business. You're still running happily employed somewhere else. Yes, right, right, right 63 00:05:04,840 --> 00:05:11,920 So at what point along the way after the first show do you start to expand this into more shows? I had a 64 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:18,960 Woman contact me that wanted to do a second show in the horse world and we kind of took a look at it and 65 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:25,640 She started that second show and then we very quickly got up to five or six shows 66 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:30,520 over the next two and a half years we got up to five or six shows and 67 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:36,400 You know, I base doing a new show on the hosts. I have to find the right hosts 68 00:05:36,880 --> 00:05:39,120 We may have the greatest concept in the world 69 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:43,280 But unless you have the right hosts in that spot your show is gonna fail 70 00:05:43,280 --> 00:05:46,840 I I believe people come for the content and stay for the hosts 71 00:05:46,840 --> 00:05:52,240 We have a lot of people that listen to our horses in the morning show for instance who are not horse people 72 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:57,480 But they just like us and they listen because it's funny and it's entertaining and yeah, it's about horses 73 00:05:57,480 --> 00:06:01,520 But they they listen anyway because they like the hosts 74 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:06,360 So you you have how many shows now? How many has it grown? We have 16 75 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:09,800 16 shows and and all about horses 76 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:14,280 When you say network, how are you delivering the shows? 77 00:06:14,280 --> 00:06:20,640 Are they all on your website? Are they all delivered by the hosts? Is there tell us how it's how all of that? 78 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:27,080 Okay, all of that. We do have a horse radio network has all the shows we have our own app which we did several years ago 79 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:29,560 We had a listener. It was an app developer early on and 80 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:34,440 He said, you know, I have this app out here. I want to advertise the horse world. I'll trade you 81 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:37,400 I'll build your app and he's been our app developer ever since 82 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:40,840 We get about 25% of our traffic from our own app 83 00:06:40,840 --> 00:06:47,800 So for us it's turned out to be a really good thing and again because horse people tended to be a little behind 84 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:54,120 Technologically, it was easier to tell them how to download an app than how to download a podcast player 85 00:06:54,960 --> 00:07:01,440 You know and to find our shows plus once we they downloaded the app and came to one show. These are horse people 86 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:07,240 They're addicted. So once they came to one show they would tend to look at the other shows in the app and go 87 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:13,040 I'll try that when it's right here. I can click one button and I'm listening so it made it much easier for them to 88 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:14,760 Listen to the other shows 89 00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:20,440 So I think you know developing the app when we did four or five years ago was probably the best thing we ever did 90 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:23,520 It really did help us in and in our niche 91 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:27,440 So 25% from the app, where's the rest of the traffic coming from? 92 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:34,560 Well about 50% of the remaining about 50% from iTunes and right now about 50% from every place else 93 00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:37,440 Right, right that's the only need a going number 94 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:42,980 Yeah, I know I used to be as as as all of ours were it used to be a hundred percent iTunes, you know 95 00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:45,440 But not anymore 96 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:50,960 So if you go to the network, you're gonna be playing one show after another right? That's how you have it rolling 97 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:57,000 You have 16. No, okay. How does it work? It's still podcasting. So they just go and listen to what they want to we don't have a 98 00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:01,300 24-hour we're not playing it like a radio online radio station. Gotcha 99 00:08:01,300 --> 00:08:05,640 But but if they go to listen we figured this out the other day 100 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:08,880 We have now produced seven thousand five hundred episodes on the network 101 00:08:09,380 --> 00:08:14,880 And if they go to listen, it will take almost almost a year 24 hours a day to listen to all the episodes 102 00:08:16,100 --> 00:08:17,220 Wow 103 00:08:17,220 --> 00:08:23,180 So what's it like now for you to be running a network as opposed to one show and working a job? I 104 00:08:24,140 --> 00:08:26,140 Have a different job 105 00:08:27,260 --> 00:08:29,260 Running the network is my job, right? 106 00:08:29,260 --> 00:08:33,180 Yeah, and that you know when when I talk about networks and people ask me about networks 107 00:08:33,180 --> 00:08:38,220 I warn them that the network is going to become your job hosting now becomes 108 00:08:40,140 --> 00:08:42,140 Secondary to running the network and 109 00:08:42,740 --> 00:08:49,660 You know, I can't say that that's what I wanted eventually. I can't say that the point I'm at now is where I wanted to be 110 00:08:51,220 --> 00:08:56,040 Because it is it has become a job. It's a it's a hundred hour a week job 111 00:08:56,040 --> 00:09:03,320 And you know that's taking care of 30 hosts and and I sell all the advertising and we have 32 sponsors right now 112 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:06,040 so I have to make sure they're all happy and 113 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:11,600 You know and we we have you have to do the things that a guy running a network has to do 114 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:13,920 And we do it on a very small 115 00:09:13,920 --> 00:09:18,400 I mean we we put out a lot of episodes every month with a very small staff 116 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:24,680 My wife is full-time and we have we have a company that edits a lot of the shows and then we have one other 117 00:09:24,680 --> 00:09:29,920 Part-time producer and we put it all out and then of course the 30 hosts 118 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:33,640 So we but you have to keep an eye on all of that 119 00:09:33,640 --> 00:09:38,500 So most of my day is not spent thinking about the shows I host it's spent running the network 120 00:09:38,500 --> 00:09:40,600 So who feeds the horses now? 121 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:45,080 Jennifer feed we only have two we're down to two. Okay, which is a nice number 122 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:49,180 We like it that way and I don't think we'll ever have we'll ever have a lot of horses again 123 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:51,620 Now the other hosts are they also are they getting paid? 124 00:09:51,620 --> 00:09:54,060 Yes, we pay the host 125 00:09:54,060 --> 00:10:00,780 We have two kinds of shows on the network one is shows that we own and then we hire the hosts and we pay them and 126 00:10:01,020 --> 00:10:04,500 Then the second kind of show on the network is an affiliate show 127 00:10:04,500 --> 00:10:10,140 So that's maybe a magazine or a publication or a website that comes to us and wants to start a show and we do all 128 00:10:10,140 --> 00:10:13,460 The production so we produce the show we put it out in the network 129 00:10:13,460 --> 00:10:16,220 They're kind of paying for the production and to be on the horse radio network 130 00:10:16,340 --> 00:10:20,260 We just did a show for Purina Purina. Everybody knows Purina 131 00:10:20,260 --> 00:10:24,660 Mm-hmm. They came to us and said we want to do a horse health show. So we produced it 132 00:10:24,660 --> 00:10:29,220 we actually had one of our hosts co-host it with with their doctors that work for Purina and 133 00:10:29,660 --> 00:10:35,340 That shows just come out and that's going to be like an eight episode series over a period of time. So 134 00:10:36,820 --> 00:10:41,340 So we produce those that was a whole new experience to dealing with a company that was that big 135 00:10:41,340 --> 00:10:46,000 Mm-hmm. That was the biggest company we ever dealt with so talk about how the advertising works 136 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:53,060 Are you you said you're selling the advertising yourself or you using ad insertion or you talking about companies talk about how it's working 137 00:10:53,060 --> 00:10:57,040 We do all our own ad sales. We're in it's such a unique niche market that 138 00:10:57,660 --> 00:11:03,100 Remember I came from the retail side. So I knew the manufacturers of these products. We had sold their products 139 00:11:03,380 --> 00:11:06,540 so I had a lot of contacts in that world to begin with and 140 00:11:07,780 --> 00:11:12,340 And then they knew me from that world. So and we had done pretty well in our store 141 00:11:12,700 --> 00:11:14,700 Plus they knew me as the guy who brought 142 00:11:14,700 --> 00:11:16,180 brought 143 00:11:16,180 --> 00:11:20,460 Selling products online. We were the first on eBay and that kind of thing selling horse products 144 00:11:20,460 --> 00:11:22,740 So, you know, they knew me from that 145 00:11:22,740 --> 00:11:27,380 So when I went to them, I wasn't new to them and now I am now because you know 146 00:11:27,380 --> 00:11:29,740 We're dealing with companies that were beyond my scope 147 00:11:30,380 --> 00:11:34,660 You know the beyond the people I knew so yeah, I do all the sales 148 00:11:35,260 --> 00:11:40,460 We we we use a flat rate. We don't charge CPM. We don't do any of that 149 00:11:40,460 --> 00:11:46,780 It's but I think we're unique and we can do that because of the unique industry that we're in 150 00:11:46,780 --> 00:11:51,180 It's a very tight closed world that we're in 151 00:11:51,180 --> 00:11:55,980 Yeah, do you mind sharing what that flat rate is or is that confidential? 152 00:11:55,980 --> 00:12:02,220 It depends on the show actually they all vary and it can be anywhere from like a hundred fifty dollars to four or five hundred dollars 153 00:12:02,220 --> 00:12:08,220 And that's worth 30 seconds 30 seconds read or something or whatever, you know host read ads don't always come out 154 00:12:08,220 --> 00:12:11,980 Sure. Sure. You know host read ads usually go a lot longer than 155 00:12:13,980 --> 00:12:18,860 So talk about the advertising in terms of if somebody listening to this show is thinking man 156 00:12:18,860 --> 00:12:23,180 I need to sell ads I need to get as I need to make some money at my show because you know 157 00:12:23,180 --> 00:12:26,060 The majority of people that are doing podcasts are not making money at it 158 00:12:26,060 --> 00:12:29,980 It's a hobby or they can't figure out how a lot of people don't want to make money and that's fine 159 00:12:29,980 --> 00:12:32,380 And I admire those people sometimes let me tell you 160 00:12:33,580 --> 00:12:35,580 So what's your advice to them the ones that do? 161 00:12:35,580 --> 00:12:40,940 It's tough because I'm in such a niche market and this is what I tell people I have and I've I've you know 162 00:12:40,940 --> 00:12:44,540 I've helped other podcasters who are starting networks in niche markets 163 00:12:44,540 --> 00:12:48,540 Because I think that's easier to find advertising the way I did it 164 00:12:48,540 --> 00:12:53,500 If you're coming and you're doing a very general show, that's a very general nature 165 00:12:53,500 --> 00:12:58,780 I don't know you have to almost go through a company. I don't know how you're going to find advertising for that 166 00:12:58,780 --> 00:13:04,300 Whereas I can go, you know, I know there's 50 different companies out there that are doing that 167 00:13:04,300 --> 00:13:09,500 50 different companies that sell saddles. I know who to target and they want my audience 168 00:13:10,220 --> 00:13:14,460 That's much different than saying I have a coaching podcast and who am I going to go to? 169 00:13:15,020 --> 00:13:16,380 You know 170 00:13:16,380 --> 00:13:21,900 So I can have much smaller numbers and they're interested in those numbers because they're the exact people they want to talk to 171 00:13:22,700 --> 00:13:28,700 And you know that they know that only horse people for the most part, you know, 90 percent are horse people listening to my show 172 00:13:28,700 --> 00:13:36,700 All right. So it is easier when you're in a niche. I I have a tough time helping people who aren't in a specific niche 173 00:13:37,900 --> 00:13:39,180 Gotcha 174 00:13:39,180 --> 00:13:42,300 Makes sense. So you said you send uh using an editing company 175 00:13:42,460 --> 00:13:48,060 Would you mind mentioning that who that is because that we use neil galarte wild style media and 176 00:13:48,780 --> 00:13:54,140 We're we're demanding because when we do a show because of the turnover we have we do so many shows 177 00:13:54,140 --> 00:14:02,780 That we and we do it differently than most companies do that produce shows in that we have a producer that sits in on the call 178 00:14:02,940 --> 00:14:07,980 So if the hosts for a show are doing that show and it's an affiliate show 179 00:14:07,980 --> 00:14:12,380 We don't own it. We actually are in on the call. We do all the recording. We do all the editing 180 00:14:12,380 --> 00:14:18,060 We do we do everything just like a regular radio station would having a producer in the call with the hosts 181 00:14:18,700 --> 00:14:22,700 And part of that is quality control part of that is making sure the ads get in 182 00:14:22,700 --> 00:14:25,660 Part of that is you know, just making sure it's done 183 00:14:25,900 --> 00:14:31,500 you know and it and it's done in the correct order and nothing's forgotten and then we send it out to neil and and 184 00:14:31,500 --> 00:14:33,500 He has 48 hours to turn him around 185 00:14:34,220 --> 00:14:38,540 And he you know, he never misses that I mean and we send him a lot of episodes 186 00:14:39,180 --> 00:14:45,980 So, you know, we're very demanding that way and and it probably more so than most people are because we're not working ahead 187 00:14:46,060 --> 00:14:48,220 None of our shows are we have nothing in the can 188 00:14:48,860 --> 00:14:51,740 We're working record it today put it out in two days 189 00:14:51,740 --> 00:14:53,740 And we're doing it every day for the next two weeks 190 00:14:54,300 --> 00:14:58,140 Gotcha, but you're doing a daily show yourself in addition to the network, correct? 191 00:14:58,140 --> 00:15:02,700 What's your it's a morning show, right? Yeah, that's it's only a live morning show for the horse world 192 00:15:02,700 --> 00:15:05,740 We do an hour and a half five days a week. It's our biggest show 193 00:15:06,060 --> 00:15:09,340 It's our most popular show. We just did episode 194 00:15:09,960 --> 00:15:11,740 2093 today 195 00:15:11,740 --> 00:15:15,580 Wow, we've been we've been going for nine years. This is we're into our ninth year now 196 00:15:15,580 --> 00:15:22,860 It's it's our most profitable show. It's the show that ever if a title spot comes available. We sell title sponsorships for each day 197 00:15:22,860 --> 00:15:25,660 Of that show monday through friday, so you buy the day 198 00:15:26,460 --> 00:15:32,220 And we haven't I mean people our sponsors for that show have been with us since the beginning the title sponsors 199 00:15:32,620 --> 00:15:34,620 And what are you charging them? 200 00:15:34,700 --> 00:15:36,700 Well that I'd rather not I can 201 00:15:37,100 --> 00:15:39,100 I would love to know that 202 00:15:39,180 --> 00:15:44,140 But they have been with us literally since the beginning and and it's because it works and you know 203 00:15:44,140 --> 00:15:48,540 People say how to how to what is it? What is it? How do? 204 00:15:49,260 --> 00:15:52,300 Advertisers judge right whether an ad spot works 205 00:15:53,500 --> 00:15:57,820 In our niche they know because our listeners will say this is where I heard about it 206 00:15:57,820 --> 00:16:01,660 They'll put it on the order form or they'll call them on the phone. They get feedback 207 00:16:02,540 --> 00:16:04,060 which is how 208 00:16:04,060 --> 00:16:09,340 We know it works and how they know it works and a lot of times they see a general increase in traffic 209 00:16:09,660 --> 00:16:12,300 So traffic goes up and they have nowhere to attribute it to 210 00:16:12,300 --> 00:16:16,060 You so they attribute it to us because we're the only new thing they did 211 00:16:17,260 --> 00:16:22,860 And you know whether it was us or not. I can't tell for sure either unless they use codes and things like that 212 00:16:22,860 --> 00:16:24,860 But as you and I know 213 00:16:24,860 --> 00:16:27,820 People are listening on the run and they don't always use those codes 214 00:16:28,780 --> 00:16:32,780 So I warn my advertisers that they're probably not all going to use the codes 215 00:16:32,780 --> 00:16:35,500 But you're going to see an increase in traffic and that's what happens 216 00:16:35,820 --> 00:16:41,180 So you said an hour and a half for five days how many uh, how many commercials or spots or units? 217 00:16:41,180 --> 00:16:43,900 Whatever whatever you're calling them. Are you getting in per show? 218 00:16:44,300 --> 00:16:48,940 We will not put more than in five and in an hour and a half. We'll put four in an hour 219 00:16:51,260 --> 00:16:55,980 Did you do some testing to realize that's as much as you want to interrupt your content or something or you just that's 220 00:16:55,980 --> 00:16:57,980 As much as I want to be interrupted 221 00:17:00,460 --> 00:17:06,460 So, um, what do you know that's true though as a host I feel like i'm getting tired of doing spots 222 00:17:06,460 --> 00:17:13,820 At that point and i'm going if i'm getting tired, they're getting tired. So we really do try and weave our spots into the conversation, too 223 00:17:14,460 --> 00:17:15,740 Um, some of them, you know 224 00:17:15,740 --> 00:17:19,340 We try and weave them in and with us with us being horse people 225 00:17:19,420 --> 00:17:24,540 It's easy to talk about a company selling horse products and what they have on special and we end up talking about how we use 226 00:17:24,540 --> 00:17:28,220 The product and you know, we really can weave it into conversation, right? Right, right 227 00:17:28,700 --> 00:17:30,780 Yeah, we do some traditional spots too 228 00:17:31,020 --> 00:17:33,740 We do some with music behind it traditional radio spots 229 00:17:33,740 --> 00:17:37,180 And we do that to kind of break it up so that they're not all the same 230 00:17:37,580 --> 00:17:42,460 I think the audience in a 90 minute show needs a little bit of a mental break anyway 231 00:17:43,020 --> 00:17:45,580 They need a break. They need to hear some music. They need a break 232 00:17:45,740 --> 00:17:47,740 So it's not just talking for 90 minutes 233 00:17:48,220 --> 00:17:51,740 And I think that gives them a little bit of a mental break where they're sort of half listening 234 00:17:52,220 --> 00:17:54,380 And that's okay for us because they're going to hear it 235 00:17:54,780 --> 00:17:58,300 You know, they're going to hear that company's name over the next 10 years. So 236 00:17:58,300 --> 00:18:05,100 So now you mentioned you do the show today. It's up in two days is your morning show actually live or is it 237 00:18:05,260 --> 00:18:09,340 Are you posting it to do it live? We do it live and then we post it within a half an hour 238 00:18:09,580 --> 00:18:10,300 It's okay 239 00:18:10,300 --> 00:18:10,620 Okay 240 00:18:10,620 --> 00:18:14,300 No editing on the morning show because we want it to feel like it's live, right? 241 00:18:14,380 --> 00:18:18,140 And what software or hosting company do you use when you do your show? 242 00:18:18,700 --> 00:18:20,780 We used to use vlog talk. I wasn't happy 243 00:18:21,660 --> 00:18:23,660 Uh with quality sound quality 244 00:18:24,140 --> 00:18:27,100 So we used them when we first started because we didn't really have another option 245 00:18:27,100 --> 00:18:33,820 But right now actually to do our morning show we have two hosts in different locations me and the host is out in out in oklahoma 246 00:18:34,460 --> 00:18:39,100 And then we have a producer so we we do have a producer on that to handle the calls and all of that 247 00:18:39,740 --> 00:18:44,060 um, and we use call in studio to handle our calls and our guests because 248 00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:49,100 95% of our guests are on the phone. A lot of them are riding horses in the barn. They're horse people 249 00:18:49,740 --> 00:18:52,140 So, you know, we're okay with them being on the phone 250 00:18:52,140 --> 00:18:57,980 and we use call in studio for that to call the guests and also for listeners to be able to call in and 251 00:18:58,620 --> 00:19:01,580 We use mixler to send out the live feed 252 00:19:02,140 --> 00:19:08,620 So it takes us five computers to do the morning show. I have three it I take three. I have three on my desk 253 00:19:09,180 --> 00:19:13,340 And one of them is just skype that skype is how we still get the hosts all connected 254 00:19:14,140 --> 00:19:17,820 And then one of them is just playing the sound because we play it live 255 00:19:17,820 --> 00:19:23,260 So all the sounds and all the commercials and everything has to be played and then the other computer is where the final feed 256 00:19:23,260 --> 00:19:28,540 Goes to that has a recorder and then the mixler. So we're recording two places 257 00:19:29,020 --> 00:19:35,580 I have a backup and then mixler goes out live and then the producer has a computer and the other host has a computer 258 00:19:35,820 --> 00:19:38,700 So it really does take us five computers to do the morning show 259 00:19:38,860 --> 00:19:42,940 Have you ever had a situation where it just you had a total technical breakdown? 260 00:19:42,940 --> 00:19:48,380 Yeah, you know what we live in the country so usually it's the power goes out right in the middle of the show 261 00:19:48,380 --> 00:19:52,060 Oh, wow, you know, we live in florida. We get a lot of storms here, too 262 00:19:52,140 --> 00:19:58,860 So it you know it happens and it's everything that you can imagine has happened in 20 2100 episodes has happened 263 00:20:00,060 --> 00:20:06,860 Talk about call in studio. I don't think i've ever heard of that and i'd like our our folks that subscribe to uh, 264 00:20:07,420 --> 00:20:09,660 Our publication know exactly what that is 265 00:20:09,660 --> 00:20:14,220 Call in studio is amazing and I found them years ago when we left blog talk 266 00:20:15,180 --> 00:20:22,460 It's um, it's call in studio.com and I think it was originally and still is meant for radio stations to handle calls 267 00:20:23,020 --> 00:20:27,820 So what happens there is it's a cloud-based solution just like a radio station 268 00:20:28,220 --> 00:20:35,420 So you set up your show and you can say I want to have 10 lines open. I want to have up to 500 lines open 269 00:20:35,420 --> 00:20:39,900 So you can actually have up to 500 lines on a call on a show 270 00:20:40,540 --> 00:20:44,460 And what happens is you have a host so I call in as the host 271 00:20:45,180 --> 00:20:50,700 To get the show started and then the producer calls in as a call screener 272 00:20:50,700 --> 00:20:55,660 And they can what we needed was the ability for them to make outgoing calls to phone numbers 273 00:20:56,380 --> 00:20:59,500 And to take incoming calls from phone numbers off air 274 00:20:59,500 --> 00:21:06,540 And because it's a cloud-based solution. We all can have call in studio open and they take the calls off air 275 00:21:06,540 --> 00:21:09,100 They call the guests off air and get them ready for us 276 00:21:09,100 --> 00:21:13,420 So when you listen to our show, it sounds like a radio show. There's no starting and stopping the guest is ready 277 00:21:14,060 --> 00:21:19,740 And then we communicate through skype chat with all the hosts and the producer and they let us know guest is delayed 278 00:21:19,740 --> 00:21:21,740 It's going to be another five minutes kill time 279 00:21:22,060 --> 00:21:27,340 Or the guest is ready and we bring them in through call in studio. Does it sound like they're on a phone? Yes 280 00:21:27,340 --> 00:21:31,500 It sounds like a radio show where people call in on the phone. We sound good 281 00:21:31,500 --> 00:21:35,260 They sound like they're on the phone and that's fine for us because you know 282 00:21:35,260 --> 00:21:38,060 We're not getting our people that live on a farm in the middle of nowhere 283 00:21:38,540 --> 00:21:41,580 To download skype and get a microphone and do all of that 284 00:21:41,900 --> 00:21:45,260 These are busy people that are usually out riding 10 horses in a day 285 00:21:46,140 --> 00:21:52,860 So a lot of we love it if they're riding a horse and we can hear the hoof beats sure if they're that's gold for us 286 00:21:52,860 --> 00:21:54,860 Right because the listeners love that too 287 00:21:54,860 --> 00:22:00,460 So yeah, we don't worry about that a whole lot, but call in studio is perfect. We do a 12-hour live marathon on 288 00:22:01,180 --> 00:22:04,060 Cyber monday every year. It's called our holiday radiothon 289 00:22:04,700 --> 00:22:08,780 And we have 30 guests. We have 30 hosts. We change it every hour 290 00:22:09,180 --> 00:22:12,700 And last year or this past year we had 291 00:22:13,400 --> 00:22:17,500 232 calls in the 12 hours all handled through call in studio 292 00:22:18,380 --> 00:22:19,260 Wow 293 00:22:19,260 --> 00:22:22,780 And what's nice is when they're on hold they're listening to the sound 294 00:22:22,780 --> 00:22:27,020 Sure sure so and i'm guessing there's there might be a monthly fee for that or something 295 00:22:27,020 --> 00:22:29,340 Yeah, people should check it out. They should check it out 296 00:22:29,340 --> 00:22:34,700 You know, I know we pay more because we use it more but I don't it's not that expensive. I remember it. It's like 297 00:22:35,500 --> 00:22:38,220 $12 a month or something. I don't know to have the base plan 298 00:22:38,780 --> 00:22:43,260 And then you pay by minute for the callers, but it does not cost us all that much got you 299 00:22:43,260 --> 00:22:48,060 So you said your first year your first show you had 12 listeners. I imagine you have more than that now 300 00:22:48,060 --> 00:22:50,300 Yeah, we have a few more. We have 30 more 301 00:22:50,300 --> 00:22:55,980 More than that now. Yeah, we have a few more we have tens of thousands now. So nice, but it's taking a long time 302 00:22:56,300 --> 00:22:59,980 Sure. Sure. So that's another piece of advice to folks is to be patient 303 00:22:59,980 --> 00:23:04,460 I mean don't expect after your seventh or eighth show that you're going to have as many callers as glenn, right? 304 00:23:05,020 --> 00:23:10,220 Right now you're not taking us 2100 episodes to get to the point where we are with the morning show 305 00:23:10,940 --> 00:23:16,540 You know, it's it's it takes a long time now. We had the advantage of being in the niche market 306 00:23:16,540 --> 00:23:19,740 So I again horse people are crazy. They're addicted 307 00:23:20,300 --> 00:23:26,220 So, you know, they spend all their money on horses. That's all they think about and that gives us I think a huge advantage 308 00:23:27,260 --> 00:23:29,260 in our in our listenership 309 00:23:29,740 --> 00:23:31,740 in 310 00:23:32,540 --> 00:23:34,780 Each other too. So our word of mouth is probably a little bit greater 311 00:23:35,580 --> 00:23:39,660 Right. So you mentioned a couple times find your niche 312 00:23:39,660 --> 00:23:42,700 And you also said they'll come for the content and stay for the host 313 00:23:42,700 --> 00:23:46,700 So talk about how important it is once, you know, if you've found somebody in your niche 314 00:23:46,700 --> 00:23:49,260 You better be entertaining or they're not going to be around for long 315 00:23:49,980 --> 00:23:55,020 My my every keynote I give at podcasting conferences starts with don't be boring 316 00:23:56,220 --> 00:24:00,220 Don't be boring. I came from the entertainment side. So I said, okay 317 00:24:00,220 --> 00:24:06,380 I couldn't find any I couldn't find videos or anything in the horse world. That wasn't just dry training videos 318 00:24:06,700 --> 00:24:08,700 So when we started I said, you know what? 319 00:24:08,700 --> 00:24:15,420 We got to take what I learned from being an improvisational comedic performer on stage and bring that to our shows 320 00:24:15,740 --> 00:24:21,020 It has to be fun. It has to be entertaining and oh by the way, you're going to learn something along the way and if 321 00:24:21,820 --> 00:24:23,660 When people come and say you guys are so funny 322 00:24:23,660 --> 00:24:25,100 I almost drove off the road 323 00:24:25,100 --> 00:24:30,220 And then the next email comes and says you've talked about a health issue on my horse and it saved my horse 324 00:24:30,300 --> 00:24:32,060 And we've gotten a lot of those 325 00:24:32,060 --> 00:24:34,780 Uh, it saved my horse because I knew about it 326 00:24:34,780 --> 00:24:40,300 And that makes my day because when we hear both of those things, it means we're doing our job 327 00:24:41,500 --> 00:24:43,340 So are you using social media at all? 328 00:24:43,340 --> 00:24:48,700 Are you really so niche where you just you stay in that that that that worse community and that's enough 329 00:24:49,260 --> 00:24:53,120 Now facebook is our big thing. Um horse people tend to be on facebook 330 00:24:53,740 --> 00:24:56,300 We have we also use patreon and what we do 331 00:24:56,380 --> 00:25:01,020 We do a little patreon a little bit differently in that the money that's donated through patreon 332 00:25:01,020 --> 00:25:04,620 And most of that gets divided up amongst our hosts and given back to the hosts 333 00:25:05,180 --> 00:25:07,180 so when people 334 00:25:07,180 --> 00:25:10,300 You know are donating through patreon to become what we call an auditor 335 00:25:10,860 --> 00:25:15,580 They um, they are really given directly to the hosts and it's nice for the hosts because they get a raise every month 336 00:25:15,980 --> 00:25:20,620 You know and they get a little bit more money every month and they know it's directly coming from the listener 337 00:25:20,620 --> 00:25:24,140 So I think we have around 400 now that are in our auditor group 338 00:25:24,620 --> 00:25:29,660 And they have a private facebook page and it's the most active positive upbeat place 339 00:25:29,660 --> 00:25:31,420 I've seen in the horse world 340 00:25:31,420 --> 00:25:34,620 That there's 400 people in there and there's nothing negative 341 00:25:34,700 --> 00:25:38,540 They help each other and they talk about their lives and they really have become a family 342 00:25:38,540 --> 00:25:40,540 I know everybody that has a podcast says that 343 00:25:41,020 --> 00:25:46,140 Uh, but but i'm amazed at this group how they have become a family they come to o'cala 344 00:25:46,220 --> 00:25:48,300 They always stop in a visit here at the studios 345 00:25:48,940 --> 00:25:53,100 It truly we went riding with some that came down from michigan with their horses last weekend 346 00:25:53,100 --> 00:25:59,820 And so it really does become a family and and we're proud to have that core group that really becomes a focus group 347 00:25:59,820 --> 00:26:01,820 I have 400 people in my focus group 348 00:26:01,900 --> 00:26:05,740 So I can go in there and ask a question and get 50 to 100 answers immediately 349 00:26:05,980 --> 00:26:10,940 You're you mentioned the computers talk about what your studio looks like and what kind of equipment you're using 350 00:26:11,420 --> 00:26:12,620 Oh, yeah 351 00:26:12,620 --> 00:26:18,460 We're laughable compared to most. Um, we use atr 2100s for the most part. Um 352 00:26:18,460 --> 00:26:23,420 Um, my hosts tend to use I found baringer mics years ago 353 00:26:23,900 --> 00:26:26,460 That came in a three pack for like 50 dollars 354 00:26:26,700 --> 00:26:29,980 And when we didn't have a lot of money that was a good price and they were half decent mics 355 00:26:30,460 --> 00:26:35,100 And they actually sound pretty good and most of my hosts are still using those so we'll send those out 356 00:26:35,580 --> 00:26:36,380 um 357 00:26:36,380 --> 00:26:40,940 But the atr 2100s are for the most part i'm using a 10 year old mixer 358 00:26:41,420 --> 00:26:44,300 Because I and I have three or four mixers sitting here 359 00:26:44,300 --> 00:26:48,780 And because I have like two mix minuses and it's very complicated setup 360 00:26:49,900 --> 00:26:55,980 And I had consultants dave jackson helped me for two hours one day and we just couldn't get the new fancy mixes to work 361 00:26:56,220 --> 00:27:00,300 So I went to my baringer mixer that's 10 years old and it works like a dream 362 00:27:01,340 --> 00:27:05,500 To get all these computers talking to each other. It's amazing. Um, so as equipment goes 363 00:27:05,900 --> 00:27:09,420 We don't I probably spent more on my stand-up desk than anything in the studio 364 00:27:09,420 --> 00:27:15,100 Um, and then we use all I we use all pcs. I just find they're easier to use for what we're doing 365 00:27:15,340 --> 00:27:19,980 Now, what is your opinion on the podcasting space and how you've seen it evolve over the years? 366 00:27:20,220 --> 00:27:23,500 It took long enough to get to the point where I was hoping it would be five years ago 367 00:27:23,820 --> 00:27:27,580 It's finally getting to the point where I was always hoping it would be and I was always hoping that 368 00:27:27,980 --> 00:27:32,940 We as the horse radio network would be number one in our space when people finally figured out there were podcasts in the world 369 00:27:33,660 --> 00:27:35,660 And we were and they have 370 00:27:35,660 --> 00:27:39,500 So and even in the horse world now, they're starting to figure out their podcast 371 00:27:39,660 --> 00:27:43,580 We didn't have any competition at all in our world. We didn't have any other podcasts 372 00:27:44,300 --> 00:27:47,180 Um, and now that's starting to happen in the last two years 373 00:27:47,180 --> 00:27:50,460 There have been a lot of podcasts popping up and i'm thrilled about that 374 00:27:50,700 --> 00:27:55,980 There have been a lot of horse because we need we still need to educate people that there are podcasts about horses 375 00:27:56,300 --> 00:28:01,420 And I can't tell you how many of our listeners have said I listened to this other show and then I searched because I thought there must be 376 00:28:01,420 --> 00:28:02,540 others 377 00:28:02,540 --> 00:28:07,100 So i'm i'm glad we're getting help and educating and i'm excited. I think you know, we 378 00:28:07,740 --> 00:28:10,300 I think that what's going to happen is we're going to we're going to have this 379 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:14,780 Insurgence that we've had we're going to have all this technology stuff 380 00:28:15,260 --> 00:28:22,700 And then I think on the other side of that, uh, those that have the tenacity to put out their shows on time 381 00:28:23,260 --> 00:28:28,700 To to do the work it takes to make a good show and to keep doing it over and over and over again will win 382 00:28:28,700 --> 00:28:35,100 But boy, you've got to have that can't miss episodes and you've got to not be boring 383 00:28:35,260 --> 00:28:39,980 You've got to put out a show with good content that people love the hosts 384 00:28:40,380 --> 00:28:43,660 And if you do that, we're going to end up in a whole different world 385 00:28:43,660 --> 00:28:48,300 I think in three years it's going to be different than it is now and we just have to keep up with those changes 386 00:28:49,260 --> 00:28:51,500 But I I for I don't feel like um 387 00:28:52,860 --> 00:28:55,100 I don't I feel like for the first time 388 00:28:55,100 --> 00:28:58,140 In ten years, we're at the point where? 389 00:28:58,940 --> 00:29:00,940 I'm in the right business 390 00:29:00,940 --> 00:29:02,940 I'm in a business that's that's going to make it 391 00:29:02,940 --> 00:29:09,180 As opposed to having that fight we did what you know, five or six years ago where we were all going to go and we're going to make 392 00:29:09,180 --> 00:29:15,900 Through this will you be at podcast movement and podfest this year? Obviously in your home state and can people come see you there? 393 00:29:15,900 --> 00:29:20,140 Yep, we're doing my co-host and and actually I 394 00:29:20,140 --> 00:29:24,780 I she owns the Florida podcast network, which I have a piece of 395 00:29:25,420 --> 00:29:31,260 Jimmy Lagonia and I are doing the opening keynote at podfest. This will be our fourth year doing that 396 00:29:31,580 --> 00:29:35,340 So we kind of open up the festivities. We met at podfest years ago 397 00:29:35,340 --> 00:29:40,140 So that's how we've been business partners ever since and then podcast movement. Yes, it's in Orlando 398 00:29:40,140 --> 00:29:43,980 I'm definitely going and for anybody that doesn't know how to get in touch with you 399 00:29:43,980 --> 00:29:46,860 That might be a new podcaster. Where can they find you? 400 00:29:46,860 --> 00:29:50,060 Orsradionetwork.com Glenn. Thanks so much for coming on. Thank you 401 00:29:50,060 --> 00:29:55,260 Thanks again to Glenn the geeky bird for allowing us to shine the PBJ spotlight on him 402 00:29:55,260 --> 00:30:00,860 What a great story if you believe you have a great story to tell and you should be in the PBJ spotlight 403 00:30:00,860 --> 00:30:07,180 Send me an email edryantheeditor at gmail.com. That's edryantheeditor at gmail.com 404 00:30:07,180 --> 00:30:14,380 Don't forget to follow us on twitter and facebook and sign up for our free daily headlines at podcastbusinessjournal.com 405 00:30:14,380 --> 00:30:21,100 And we'll be back soon with another edition of the podcast business journal spotlight