WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.080 Welcome to Milestone Moments, the show where 00:00:03.080 --> 00:00:05.960 we explore the journeys that lead to success. 00:00:06.620 --> 00:00:10.199 I'm Sheila Slick, your host and founder of Five 00:00:10.199 --> 00:00:13.859 Milestones. In every episode, we will bring you 00:00:13.859 --> 00:00:17.100 insights from the minds of entrepreneurs, leaders 00:00:17.100 --> 00:00:20.800 and experts who will share not just their expertise, 00:00:20.879 --> 00:00:24.120 but the milestone moments that have reshaped 00:00:24.120 --> 00:00:27.039 their journeys and led to significant achievements. 00:00:27.960 --> 00:00:30.359 So if you're looking for motivation, you're in 00:00:30.359 --> 00:00:33.560 the right place. Subscribe now and discover the 00:00:33.560 --> 00:00:40.259 milestones that mark the path to success. Welcome 00:00:40.259 --> 00:00:43.600 to another episode of Milestone Moments in Business 00:00:43.600 --> 00:00:46.340 and Leadership. I'm Sheila Slick, your host. 00:00:46.539 --> 00:00:51.219 And today, my special guest is Harry Duran. Harry 00:00:51.219 --> 00:00:55.020 is founder of Fullcast, where he helps thought 00:00:55.020 --> 00:00:58.259 leaders grow their network and expand their reach 00:00:58.259 --> 00:01:02.719 through podcasting. With over 10 years handling 00:01:02.719 --> 00:01:05.939 all aspects from coaching to set up to launch 00:01:05.939 --> 00:01:10.120 to marketing and promotion, he allows you to 00:01:10.120 --> 00:01:14.099 focus on your genius. Welcome to the show. I 00:01:14.099 --> 00:01:16.480 appreciate you having me on. What led you to 00:01:16.480 --> 00:01:20.040 becoming a podcast strategist? So the agency 00:01:20.040 --> 00:01:22.719 started in 2015, but prior to that, a year before, 00:01:22.819 --> 00:01:25.040 I had started my own show. So that's Podcast 00:01:25.040 --> 00:01:30.609 Junkies. was leaving and sort of ending my corporate 00:01:30.609 --> 00:01:34.670 job. I'd been 20 plus years in marketing. I worked 00:01:34.670 --> 00:01:36.989 for E -Trade, JPMorgan Chase. But as that was 00:01:36.989 --> 00:01:40.790 winding down, I had heard about podcasting because 00:01:40.790 --> 00:01:43.930 I was doing a lot of like working on a mobile 00:01:43.930 --> 00:01:46.069 app with a friend of mine. And I have a passion 00:01:46.069 --> 00:01:48.409 for electronic music and DJing. I grew up in 00:01:48.409 --> 00:01:51.209 the 80s. I learned on vinyl. And so at the time, 00:01:51.209 --> 00:01:53.170 I thought maybe I'd start a podcast so I could 00:01:53.170 --> 00:01:55.700 promote this app that I was working on. with 00:01:55.700 --> 00:01:57.659 a friend of mine, and I was listening to podcasts 00:01:57.659 --> 00:01:59.400 about mobile app development. I'm like, wow, 00:01:59.439 --> 00:02:01.659 I can learn. I was just fascinated that I could 00:02:01.659 --> 00:02:05.439 learn through a podcast. And I went to a conference 00:02:05.439 --> 00:02:08.780 called New Media Expo in January 2014. It was 00:02:08.780 --> 00:02:11.060 blogging, YouTube, and podcasting. Those were 00:02:11.060 --> 00:02:13.340 the three channels. And I said, okay, I'm going 00:02:13.340 --> 00:02:15.919 to learn podcasting. And then I saw all these 00:02:15.919 --> 00:02:19.020 podcasters there. Pat Flynn was there, Amy Porterfield, 00:02:19.300 --> 00:02:22.259 all these OG podcasters. And I said, you know 00:02:22.259 --> 00:02:24.939 what? It's going to be hard to track down DJs 00:02:24.939 --> 00:02:27.379 for a podcast. Let me switch to podcasters because 00:02:27.379 --> 00:02:29.819 they've got good mics and I want to meet people 00:02:29.819 --> 00:02:32.659 in the community. And I think that was the most, 00:02:32.719 --> 00:02:35.879 that was the key kind of aha moment, Sheila, 00:02:35.939 --> 00:02:38.539 in that moment. I said. This is an opportunity 00:02:38.539 --> 00:02:40.360 to talk to people and I'm going to be talking 00:02:40.360 --> 00:02:42.680 to them for like an hour. And at the time people 00:02:42.680 --> 00:02:46.240 were using just audio. This is 2014. And I said, 00:02:46.259 --> 00:02:48.080 I want video, but there was not a lot of good 00:02:48.080 --> 00:02:50.620 tools. So I had a piece together Skype with call 00:02:50.620 --> 00:02:53.500 recorder so I could get the video. It wasn't 00:02:53.500 --> 00:02:55.219 recorded, but I could see the person and we were 00:02:55.219 --> 00:02:57.759 just recording audio because I knew there's something 00:02:57.759 --> 00:03:00.180 that I knew that said, I want to develop this 00:03:00.180 --> 00:03:03.270 relationship with this person. So fast forward 00:03:03.270 --> 00:03:06.990 to present day, it's been 380 interviews. That 00:03:06.990 --> 00:03:09.770 show's going on now 12 years of just having that 00:03:09.770 --> 00:03:13.370 show. And what I realized is as I was having 00:03:13.370 --> 00:03:15.310 these conversations, I would go to podcast conferences 00:03:15.310 --> 00:03:18.110 and then you would see me in the hallway and 00:03:18.110 --> 00:03:19.710 be like, oh, we just had an hour conversation. 00:03:19.969 --> 00:03:22.310 So, you know, the face, Harry, how you doing? 00:03:22.389 --> 00:03:24.270 It's nice to meet you, blah, blah, blah. So it 00:03:24.270 --> 00:03:27.009 was just like it really strengthened this idea 00:03:27.009 --> 00:03:29.960 of. podcast being your virtual stage you can 00:03:29.960 --> 00:03:31.680 decide who you want to invite on to and what 00:03:31.680 --> 00:03:34.240 type of relationship you want so because my job 00:03:34.240 --> 00:03:37.139 was winding down in 2014 i did everything that 00:03:37.139 --> 00:03:39.740 first year like i booked the guests i recorded 00:03:39.740 --> 00:03:43.860 the show i edited it i i scheduled it i got t 00:03:43.860 --> 00:03:45.659 -shirts i went to conferences i try to promote 00:03:45.659 --> 00:03:48.000 it like everything you can think of i wrote the 00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:49.919 show notes you know i was listening to the episodes 00:03:49.919 --> 00:03:52.860 i created a website literally everything you 00:03:52.860 --> 00:03:54.819 can think of it's like those guys you see who 00:03:54.819 --> 00:03:56.319 are busking with the harmonica and they're playing 00:03:56.319 --> 00:03:57.400 the drum and they're playing playing the guitar. 00:03:57.560 --> 00:04:00.580 And it was like, I was like that for podcasting. 00:04:00.659 --> 00:04:03.580 But then I realized there was a lot about entrepreneurship 00:04:03.580 --> 00:04:06.240 that I didn't know. So I said, I'm going to hire 00:04:06.240 --> 00:04:08.659 a coach. So I hired a coach for entrepreneurship. 00:04:09.020 --> 00:04:12.240 And I, when I started going to these sessions, 00:04:12.300 --> 00:04:14.060 these mastermind meetings, we'd have these three 00:04:14.060 --> 00:04:17.480 -day meetings, man, it was crazy because I was 00:04:17.480 --> 00:04:20.180 meeting these. business owners these six -figure 00:04:20.180 --> 00:04:21.920 seven -figure business owners were blowing my 00:04:21.920 --> 00:04:23.420 mind I didn't really know this world existed 00:04:23.420 --> 00:04:26.040 coming from nine to five right I was like oh 00:04:26.040 --> 00:04:28.220 you just get a paycheck and that's your life 00:04:28.220 --> 00:04:30.959 and then here it was really interesting because 00:04:30.959 --> 00:04:33.579 these people were like building businesses and 00:04:33.579 --> 00:04:36.959 and I what I realized quickly is they they have 00:04:36.959 --> 00:04:38.720 they know they understand the concept of opportunity 00:04:38.720 --> 00:04:40.519 cost they know what an hour of their time is 00:04:40.519 --> 00:04:45.060 worth and so I quickly realized all this podcasting 00:04:45.060 --> 00:04:47.060 stuff that I was learning if I packaged it together 00:04:47.660 --> 00:04:50.180 and to a done -for -you service, I could let 00:04:50.180 --> 00:04:52.259 them focus on their genius. And a lot of times 00:04:52.259 --> 00:04:55.040 for business owners, their genius is not. editing 00:04:55.040 --> 00:04:58.019 graphics or editing audio and video or writing 00:04:58.019 --> 00:05:01.079 copy or, you know, creating clips, you know, 00:05:01.079 --> 00:05:02.939 they're focused on creating content or just being 00:05:02.939 --> 00:05:05.560 behind the mic. So I quickly packaged it together 00:05:05.560 --> 00:05:07.720 and my first clients came from that business 00:05:07.720 --> 00:05:10.199 mastermind that I was in. And then I realized, 00:05:10.360 --> 00:05:13.180 okay, this is resonating because people are understanding 00:05:13.180 --> 00:05:16.500 how much value it is to have someone handle all 00:05:16.500 --> 00:05:19.060 the challenging aspects of podcasting so they 00:05:19.060 --> 00:05:21.139 could focus on the fun part, which is actually 00:05:21.139 --> 00:05:24.370 the recording. I love how you turned it into 00:05:24.370 --> 00:05:27.769 a business. And I had no idea you came from what 00:05:27.769 --> 00:05:31.209 sounds like a financial background. More corporate 00:05:31.209 --> 00:05:32.670 marketing. I was in the marketing department, 00:05:32.930 --> 00:05:35.949 yeah. But for financial institutions. Yeah, financial 00:05:35.949 --> 00:05:39.110 institutions. I started my career as a teller 00:05:39.110 --> 00:05:41.639 in a bank. There's podcasts about everything, 00:05:41.779 --> 00:05:45.720 but there's a lot of financial advisors that 00:05:45.720 --> 00:05:48.459 are always podcasting. And I think the important 00:05:48.459 --> 00:05:51.279 thing there is trying to figure out which one's 00:05:51.279 --> 00:05:53.139 the best fit for me. And that could be one of 00:05:53.139 --> 00:05:55.620 the advantages of having a podcast if you are 00:05:55.620 --> 00:05:58.839 in that industry. What other industries do you 00:05:58.839 --> 00:06:02.360 think really see great results from having a 00:06:02.360 --> 00:06:06.000 podcast if they're using it as a tool to educate 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:09.889 or perhaps amplify that visibility? Yeah, there's 00:06:09.889 --> 00:06:12.129 a lot of ways to think about the podcast and 00:06:12.129 --> 00:06:14.670 it's really important and why primarily I work 00:06:14.670 --> 00:06:16.850 with business owners when we're launching shows. 00:06:17.050 --> 00:06:19.709 We don't do really a lot of like vanity shows 00:06:19.709 --> 00:06:23.269 or these super high production value shows, you 00:06:23.269 --> 00:06:26.009 know, that cost $50 ,000 an episode to produce. 00:06:26.629 --> 00:06:30.850 Since I'm an entrepreneur myself, one of those 00:06:30.850 --> 00:06:33.410 earlier conversations we have with business owners 00:06:33.410 --> 00:06:35.370 is like, what's the one thing you want a listener 00:06:35.370 --> 00:06:38.370 to do? As a result of listening to the episode, 00:06:38.490 --> 00:06:40.810 what's your call to action? Do you have an email 00:06:40.810 --> 00:06:43.350 list? Do you have a lead magnet? Are you moving 00:06:43.350 --> 00:06:45.569 them into the next way that they continue to 00:06:45.569 --> 00:06:48.569 work with you? Because it's very important. And 00:06:48.569 --> 00:06:51.110 one of the things we talk about in the beginning 00:06:51.110 --> 00:06:53.810 is make sure that everything you do around the 00:06:53.810 --> 00:06:56.050 podcast is pulling people in with each step. 00:06:56.189 --> 00:06:58.490 Even something as simple as the name of the show, 00:06:58.649 --> 00:07:01.009 right? My first show is called Podcast Junkies. 00:07:01.089 --> 00:07:03.750 In 2020, I started another show called the Vertical 00:07:03.750 --> 00:07:05.910 Farming Podcast because I was interested. in 00:07:05.910 --> 00:07:09.329 the industry. I did some research. I saw there 00:07:09.329 --> 00:07:11.089 was a lot of funding coming in. So coming from 00:07:11.089 --> 00:07:13.490 a corporate background and a marketing background, 00:07:13.769 --> 00:07:16.509 I said, well, let me think like a marketer. I 00:07:16.509 --> 00:07:18.769 made it the most obvious name possible, the Vertical 00:07:18.769 --> 00:07:21.470 Farming Podcast. And the domain was available. 00:07:21.810 --> 00:07:23.709 And if you Google those three words, Sheila, 00:07:23.870 --> 00:07:26.949 my show is like nine out of the 10 listings on 00:07:26.949 --> 00:07:29.750 the front page of Google for that show. The show 00:07:29.750 --> 00:07:32.649 has generated over $100 ,000 in sponsorship revenue. 00:07:32.949 --> 00:07:35.699 And I interview CEOs and founders. founders and 00:07:35.699 --> 00:07:38.939 what that really showed me is the importance 00:07:38.939 --> 00:07:42.540 of being very very specific about the creation 00:07:42.540 --> 00:07:45.740 of the show the title of the show even the episodes 00:07:45.740 --> 00:07:47.660 there's only three fields that are available 00:07:47.660 --> 00:07:50.339 from an seo perspective on a podcast the name 00:07:50.339 --> 00:07:53.500 of the show the author of the show and the title 00:07:53.500 --> 00:07:56.300 of the individual episodes. And so it's very 00:07:56.300 --> 00:07:58.600 important. And it's just something I think about 00:07:58.600 --> 00:08:01.079 as we're developing shows. One of the exercises 00:08:01.079 --> 00:08:04.439 we do is we have the business owners title their 00:08:04.439 --> 00:08:07.060 first 12 episodes. And these should be outcome 00:08:07.060 --> 00:08:09.319 -based titles because nowadays with Apple and 00:08:09.319 --> 00:08:12.139 Spotify, now YouTube, people are searching for 00:08:12.139 --> 00:08:15.019 solutions to their problems through podcasting. 00:08:15.060 --> 00:08:18.259 So when they see that title and if it feels like 00:08:18.259 --> 00:08:20.339 it solves a pain point for them, then you can 00:08:20.339 --> 00:08:22.089 bet. that they're going to be clicking on that 00:08:22.089 --> 00:08:26.730 episode. Wow, you gave me a whole new way to 00:08:26.730 --> 00:08:29.389 see podcasting because sometimes we start it 00:08:29.389 --> 00:08:32.929 as a hobby or we want to dig deep into a specific 00:08:32.929 --> 00:08:35.929 topic, but you're a perfect example of how you 00:08:35.929 --> 00:08:38.850 can find an opportunity. Sounds like you founded 00:08:38.850 --> 00:08:42.649 passion in it combined with your skills and over 00:08:42.649 --> 00:08:45.830 a decade later, helping others build their businesses. 00:08:46.250 --> 00:08:49.029 The other podcast was about a topic that you 00:08:49.029 --> 00:08:51.460 passionate about. Yeah. Well, it's interesting. 00:08:51.580 --> 00:08:54.600 I was learning about the topic and I said, you 00:08:54.600 --> 00:08:56.840 know, I just sort of reverse engineered the idea 00:08:56.840 --> 00:09:00.100 because we actually got the first. sponsor for 00:09:00.100 --> 00:09:01.740 the show before I even launched the episode. 00:09:01.879 --> 00:09:05.279 It was like 2020. And I was talking to this marketing 00:09:05.279 --> 00:09:07.860 department and I said, you know, it was COVID. 00:09:08.080 --> 00:09:10.200 So nobody's traveling. I said, how much were 00:09:10.200 --> 00:09:12.519 you spending at a booth for a booth at a conference? 00:09:12.820 --> 00:09:14.559 Typically he's like, Oh, we spent like $20 ,000. 00:09:14.759 --> 00:09:16.860 I was like, well, I did some quick math in my 00:09:16.860 --> 00:09:19.179 head. I said for 9 ,000, you could sponsor the 00:09:19.179 --> 00:09:20.879 first season of the show. We're laser focused 00:09:20.879 --> 00:09:23.080 on this industry. These are the names of the 00:09:23.080 --> 00:09:24.860 people that I'm going to be speaking to. And 00:09:24.860 --> 00:09:27.100 he said, yes. And I hadn't even released an episode. 00:09:27.200 --> 00:09:29.429 So it was like, you know, the light bulb went 00:09:29.429 --> 00:09:31.649 off. I'm like, wow, if you think like a marketer, 00:09:31.649 --> 00:09:34.330 you know, we release, you know, we do sponsorships 00:09:34.330 --> 00:09:36.809 in quarters because that's how marketing teams 00:09:36.809 --> 00:09:39.669 think, you know, this, you know, Q1, Q2, et cetera. 00:09:39.830 --> 00:09:44.159 So it's been a really interesting. exercise in 00:09:44.159 --> 00:09:46.059 thinking through the importance of why you do 00:09:46.059 --> 00:09:48.460 a show. With that first show, I have this mantra, 00:09:48.539 --> 00:09:50.059 it's like, treat your guests like gold. I always 00:09:50.059 --> 00:09:52.419 wanted to put all my energy in making sure the 00:09:52.419 --> 00:09:55.179 guests had a great experience from sign -up to 00:09:55.179 --> 00:09:57.679 interview to afterwards. I made everything easy 00:09:57.679 --> 00:10:00.019 for them to share. And then with my second show, 00:10:00.480 --> 00:10:03.240 My mantra is treat your sponsors like gold. So 00:10:03.240 --> 00:10:05.460 I would mention my sponsors everywhere I go. 00:10:05.519 --> 00:10:07.899 I've spoken to Podcast Movement. I've shared 00:10:07.899 --> 00:10:10.379 this story of the Vertical Farming Podcast. My 00:10:10.379 --> 00:10:13.600 sponsors Cultivated, IGS, you know, they were 00:10:13.600 --> 00:10:16.080 really believed in the concept of the show early 00:10:16.080 --> 00:10:19.399 on. And one of my sponsors in 2023 texted me. 00:10:19.929 --> 00:10:21.450 And he said, hey, Harry, do you want to go to 00:10:21.450 --> 00:10:24.210 Dubai? And I was like, sure. He's like, well, 00:10:24.370 --> 00:10:26.309 we've got a pavilion there for indoor farming. 00:10:26.470 --> 00:10:28.789 We've already paid for it. We would love to fly 00:10:28.789 --> 00:10:31.070 you out there, put you in a hotel. And they even 00:10:31.070 --> 00:10:33.250 built the booth with Vertical Farming Podcast 00:10:33.250 --> 00:10:35.210 all around it. I've got a picture of it. It's 00:10:35.210 --> 00:10:37.639 really fantastic. And it was just... you know, 00:10:37.659 --> 00:10:39.919 I went from zero visibility in vertical farming 00:10:39.919 --> 00:10:41.919 and now I'm being flown to conferences. And I 00:10:41.919 --> 00:10:44.059 just came back from a conference that I go to 00:10:44.059 --> 00:10:47.139 every year called Indoor AgCon in Las Vegas. 00:10:47.240 --> 00:10:49.320 So it's just building up relationships. And that 00:10:49.320 --> 00:10:52.940 show itself has gotten over 180 episodes as well. 00:10:52.960 --> 00:10:57.379 So I'm well over 500 plus with both episodes. 00:10:57.519 --> 00:11:00.480 And it's just been this incredible experience, 00:11:00.500 --> 00:11:02.139 and I'm sure you can relate to this, of just 00:11:02.139 --> 00:11:05.769 having long form conversations. being comfortable 00:11:05.769 --> 00:11:07.909 with having conversations. And you don't even 00:11:07.909 --> 00:11:09.950 have to be a subject matter expert in the topic. 00:11:10.029 --> 00:11:11.409 You just have to be curious. You have to be a 00:11:11.409 --> 00:11:13.230 good listener. You have to learn how to pull 00:11:13.230 --> 00:11:15.490 threads and just all these things that you get 00:11:15.490 --> 00:11:18.769 better. And I think it's been a great journey 00:11:18.769 --> 00:11:23.929 for me to learn all that. As entrepreneurs, we 00:11:23.929 --> 00:11:27.309 all have ups and downs or obstacles or challenges. 00:11:27.710 --> 00:11:30.549 What are some of the things that you feel that 00:11:30.549 --> 00:11:33.480 you had to overcome? I think what was challenging 00:11:33.480 --> 00:11:36.899 in the beginning is really like understanding 00:11:36.899 --> 00:11:39.320 entrepreneurship. Like this is not something 00:11:39.320 --> 00:11:41.500 you're taught. You know, when you get a job, 00:11:41.580 --> 00:11:43.940 a nine to five job, your focus is of what your 00:11:43.940 --> 00:11:46.340 boss tells you to do. And you show up and you 00:11:46.340 --> 00:11:49.159 get that paycheck in your account twice, deposited 00:11:49.159 --> 00:11:51.360 in your account twice a month. And thankfully, 00:11:51.419 --> 00:11:55.090 I had good bosses who. helped me with promotions 00:11:55.090 --> 00:11:57.929 and I learned a lot about how things work within 00:11:57.929 --> 00:12:00.809 those businesses but the real like wake -up call 00:12:00.809 --> 00:12:03.230 was like I said like getting into entrepreneurship 00:12:03.230 --> 00:12:05.710 and realizing you have to be comfortable with 00:12:05.710 --> 00:12:08.269 failure and you have to learn the things that 00:12:08.269 --> 00:12:11.309 you weren't taught and you have to be all things 00:12:11.309 --> 00:12:16.320 you know at least aware of them sales marketing 00:12:16.320 --> 00:12:19.679 finance accounting like all these things that 00:12:19.679 --> 00:12:21.500 you have to really like if you're serious about 00:12:21.500 --> 00:12:23.519 being an entrepreneur and and there were early 00:12:23.519 --> 00:12:26.120 things that i spent thousands of dollars on programs 00:12:26.120 --> 00:12:28.960 marketing programs to try to grow an audience 00:12:29.789 --> 00:12:32.450 You know, and which resulted in like zero results, 00:12:32.830 --> 00:12:35.470 you know, and early on you start, you know, spending 00:12:35.470 --> 00:12:37.429 this kind of money. You're like, this is crazy. 00:12:37.509 --> 00:12:39.389 Like how, how are people selling you something 00:12:39.389 --> 00:12:42.049 that's not providing a result? And it was just 00:12:42.049 --> 00:12:44.090 like crazy. And I was like, I never wanted to 00:12:44.090 --> 00:12:46.730 be in that position. And it helped me think about 00:12:46.730 --> 00:12:49.490 also how I could be better with my sales and 00:12:49.490 --> 00:12:51.570 in terms of what I promise and how I deliver 00:12:51.570 --> 00:12:54.470 to my clients. But yeah, there were a lot of 00:12:54.470 --> 00:12:56.809 experiences where I, you know, especially with 00:12:56.809 --> 00:13:00.100 accounting early on, like I sort of like. Like 00:13:00.100 --> 00:13:03.240 had someone else do it and I delayed, you know, 00:13:03.240 --> 00:13:05.299 much longer than I needed to. And I paid the 00:13:05.299 --> 00:13:07.299 price, you know, and then taxes and all that 00:13:07.299 --> 00:13:09.340 sort of stuff. But it's like, you know, you can't 00:13:09.340 --> 00:13:11.700 put your head in the ground and pretend everything 00:13:11.700 --> 00:13:13.799 is going to work out. So you have to really like 00:13:13.799 --> 00:13:16.320 push yourself. And then lately with sales is 00:13:16.320 --> 00:13:19.559 like, okay, like how do you have a good sales 00:13:19.559 --> 00:13:22.039 call? Like what, what, how do you handle objections? 00:13:22.679 --> 00:13:25.700 You know, how do you, you know. talk about results 00:13:25.700 --> 00:13:28.100 with people in a way that's helpful for them 00:13:28.100 --> 00:13:31.860 and be results -driven. And so, yeah, there was 00:13:31.860 --> 00:13:35.179 a lot of coaching that I spent on myself to learn 00:13:35.179 --> 00:13:36.980 how to become a better entrepreneur, to learn 00:13:36.980 --> 00:13:40.899 how to, you know, be a better agency owner. But 00:13:40.899 --> 00:13:43.059 it's not easy. It's not for the faint of heart. 00:13:43.200 --> 00:13:46.259 I mean, entrepreneurship is really... roller 00:13:46.259 --> 00:13:48.240 coaster ride at times. And, you know, there's 00:13:48.240 --> 00:13:50.080 days when you're like trying to make payroll 00:13:50.080 --> 00:13:53.360 and pay your team and, you know, all these things 00:13:53.360 --> 00:13:56.039 that, you know, you don't think about, but you 00:13:56.039 --> 00:13:58.940 know, it's, I think if you persist and you, you, 00:13:58.960 --> 00:14:00.940 you quickly realize if it's for you, if it's, 00:14:00.940 --> 00:14:03.500 if it's not for you, but I think it's, I love 00:14:03.500 --> 00:14:05.820 the freedom that it's given me. Um, I love how 00:14:05.820 --> 00:14:08.500 it's pushed me in terms of like challenges to 00:14:08.500 --> 00:14:11.240 become a better communicator, um, and a, and 00:14:11.240 --> 00:14:15.029 a better boss. and a better partner for the people 00:14:15.029 --> 00:14:20.750 that I work with. If you could give one key takeaway 00:14:20.750 --> 00:14:23.370 or a piece of advice to somebody listening today 00:14:23.370 --> 00:14:27.450 saying, Harry, I absolutely loved everything 00:14:27.450 --> 00:14:30.649 you had to say about podcasting. Instead of just 00:14:30.649 --> 00:14:33.549 being a listener, I want to start my own podcast. 00:14:33.990 --> 00:14:39.289 What would that tip be? I think it's kind of 00:14:39.289 --> 00:14:41.909 pulling it all together and saying, if you're... 00:14:42.139 --> 00:14:46.399 considering having a podcast i think it's be 00:14:46.399 --> 00:14:49.980 clear about your why and you mind if i tell you 00:14:49.980 --> 00:14:55.019 like a quick story no when i was uh leaving my 00:14:55.019 --> 00:14:58.200 corporate world and i had i i tried something 00:14:58.200 --> 00:15:00.620 in um I went to go work for my half brother, 00:15:00.740 --> 00:15:03.100 like in Atlanta with construction. I tried that 00:15:03.100 --> 00:15:04.960 for like two years. And you know what they say 00:15:04.960 --> 00:15:06.399 about family businesses, like it didn't work 00:15:06.399 --> 00:15:10.419 out. So I had to go back home for a little while, 00:15:10.440 --> 00:15:12.860 live with my parents. But I had tickets to a 00:15:12.860 --> 00:15:15.279 flight to Thailand to visit a friend I had met 00:15:15.279 --> 00:15:17.059 like a couple of years ago. And I was like, I 00:15:17.059 --> 00:15:19.080 need a break. I'm going to go to Thailand. And 00:15:19.080 --> 00:15:21.340 so I went to Thailand. It was like a 26 hour 00:15:21.340 --> 00:15:24.100 trip. It was incredible. The first day there, 00:15:24.120 --> 00:15:26.379 he picks me up on a moped and we go on this hike. 00:15:26.830 --> 00:15:29.210 And we go up to this trail and there's like a 00:15:29.210 --> 00:15:32.110 waterfall. So we go to the top of the waterfall 00:15:32.110 --> 00:15:36.730 and we're overlooking the valley. And he's standing 00:15:36.730 --> 00:15:38.269 on the other side of like the ledge. And he's 00:15:38.269 --> 00:15:39.690 like, hey, Harry, come over here. The view is 00:15:39.690 --> 00:15:42.169 even better over here. And I was like, of course. 00:15:42.370 --> 00:15:44.370 I think I wasn't wearing like flip -flops or 00:15:44.370 --> 00:15:46.370 something. So I step over to where he is and 00:15:46.370 --> 00:15:49.889 there's a stream right in front of me. I didn't 00:15:49.889 --> 00:15:51.750 even think about it, but I stepped into the stream 00:15:51.750 --> 00:15:54.309 and the rock underneath was like super slick. 00:15:54.649 --> 00:15:57.009 It's like. It was like stepping on a bar of soap. 00:15:57.470 --> 00:16:01.370 So I go up in the air and I land on my back and 00:16:01.370 --> 00:16:04.549 I proceed to be like carried towards the edge 00:16:04.549 --> 00:16:07.269 of the waterfall. So this is happening within 00:16:07.269 --> 00:16:09.809 seconds too. It's crazy. Like I felt like one 00:16:09.809 --> 00:16:11.429 of those little paper boats you put like on the 00:16:11.429 --> 00:16:13.149 street and it's like going into the sewer. Like 00:16:13.149 --> 00:16:16.669 it was moving that fast. And I could see my friend 00:16:16.669 --> 00:16:19.190 like standing at the edge, like watching me with 00:16:19.190 --> 00:16:21.870 his eyes open. And there was a big boulder on 00:16:21.870 --> 00:16:24.570 the left -hand side. And I instinctively just 00:16:24.570 --> 00:16:26.649 stuck out my left leg. And thankfully that stopped 00:16:26.649 --> 00:16:28.509 me from like going over like the edge of the 00:16:28.509 --> 00:16:31.070 waterfall. And I'm in Thailand. So like, it wouldn't 00:16:31.070 --> 00:16:32.629 have been pretty. I don't know if I would have 00:16:32.629 --> 00:16:35.529 died or just been like, it would have been long 00:16:35.529 --> 00:16:37.769 and painful, but it was just like crazy, like 00:16:37.769 --> 00:16:40.309 scary. He pulls me over to the side. My heart 00:16:40.309 --> 00:16:44.529 is beating like crazy. And I was just, we ended 00:16:44.529 --> 00:16:46.789 up like having a good rest of the day, a good 00:16:46.789 --> 00:16:48.750 rest of the trip. But it's one of those things 00:16:48.750 --> 00:16:52.019 that. it starts to sit with you. And I got back 00:16:52.019 --> 00:16:55.139 home, I got back to New York. And then over the 00:16:55.139 --> 00:16:57.840 years, as I started developing like this idea 00:16:57.840 --> 00:17:01.379 of like, you know, podcasting and finding your 00:17:01.379 --> 00:17:04.279 voice, I thought, man, how sad would it have 00:17:04.279 --> 00:17:09.680 been if I had died with my voice inside me? And 00:17:09.680 --> 00:17:13.160 I was like, I was, it was, it just came to me. 00:17:13.200 --> 00:17:14.839 I remember it coming to me one day. Cause I was 00:17:14.839 --> 00:17:16.900 like, I was thinking about that moment and I'm 00:17:16.900 --> 00:17:19.799 like, And it's always resonated with me with 00:17:19.799 --> 00:17:23.380 podcasting because I truly believe that everyone 00:17:23.380 --> 00:17:27.759 watching and everyone listening right now has 00:17:27.759 --> 00:17:30.460 a story inside them that needs to be heard, that 00:17:30.460 --> 00:17:34.339 needs to be told. And that's why I've made it 00:17:34.339 --> 00:17:38.500 my mission to help as many people as possible 00:17:38.500 --> 00:17:41.339 find their voice. Because I think it's important 00:17:41.339 --> 00:17:44.019 because I think, you know, if we go to a restaurant 00:17:44.019 --> 00:17:46.289 and there's a hundred people in that. In that 00:17:46.289 --> 00:17:48.529 restaurant, there's a hundred stories. You just 00:17:48.529 --> 00:17:51.009 have to be interested. You just have to be curious. 00:17:51.230 --> 00:17:53.950 And so that's my message to people that are starting 00:17:53.950 --> 00:17:56.829 a podcast. Pick a topic you love talking about 00:17:56.829 --> 00:17:58.430 that you would talk about whether you had the 00:17:58.430 --> 00:18:03.069 show or not. And realize that bring your own 00:18:03.069 --> 00:18:06.109 story to the table as well, you know, because 00:18:06.109 --> 00:18:08.569 it's really powerful. You know, stories are really 00:18:08.569 --> 00:18:11.250 powerful and they all unite us. It goes back 00:18:11.250 --> 00:18:13.670 to being around the campfire. So it's really 00:18:13.670 --> 00:18:17.440 important to be. really clear and solid about 00:18:17.440 --> 00:18:20.140 who you're speaking to and why you're doing it. 00:18:20.200 --> 00:18:22.839 And that passion will come through and the listener 00:18:22.839 --> 00:18:25.359 will hear it. I always say in a podcast conversation, 00:18:25.579 --> 00:18:27.559 there's three people. There's the host, the guest, 00:18:27.640 --> 00:18:30.500 and the listener. Singular. There's just one 00:18:30.500 --> 00:18:32.599 person listening at a time to our conversation 00:18:32.599 --> 00:18:35.059 right now. And that's why I always want to make 00:18:35.059 --> 00:18:37.299 sure they're included in the conversation. And 00:18:37.299 --> 00:18:38.799 as long as you don't lose sight of that, the 00:18:38.799 --> 00:18:40.619 rest can come after that. You can think about 00:18:40.619 --> 00:18:43.359 like, you know, how it affects your business 00:18:43.359 --> 00:18:45.960 and, you know, get into the tactical stuff of 00:18:45.960 --> 00:18:47.799 like what you're going to talk about and make 00:18:47.799 --> 00:18:50.619 sure each episode delivers on its promise. But 00:18:50.619 --> 00:18:53.539 at that core, you know, to be really dialed in 00:18:53.539 --> 00:18:56.460 about your why you're doing the podcast is really 00:18:56.460 --> 00:19:01.259 key. And you're able to help with everything 00:19:01.259 --> 00:19:06.119 from the idea to honing down the name. Yes. To 00:19:06.119 --> 00:19:09.019 coming up with the episode titles, the whole 00:19:09.019 --> 00:19:12.660 package. Yes. Where can we learn more about you 00:19:12.660 --> 00:19:15.819 online? Fullcast, F -U -L -L -C -A -S -T dot 00:19:15.819 --> 00:19:19.900 C -O. And there you can book a time with me and 00:19:19.900 --> 00:19:21.960 we can have a chat to see how a podcast can help 00:19:21.960 --> 00:19:24.480 you. Thank you so much for joining me today, 00:19:24.660 --> 00:19:27.319 Harry. Thank you for this opportunity to share 00:19:27.319 --> 00:19:28.960 my story with your audience. I truly appreciate 00:19:28.960 --> 00:19:31.880 it, Shil. And thank you all for tuning in to 00:19:31.880 --> 00:19:34.579 another episode of Milestone Moments in Business 00:19:34.579 --> 00:19:36.859 and Leadership. Until next time.