Steve Olsher of Reinvention Radio talks with Tonya Dawn Recla about how to use self improvement podcasts to promote you and your business. In addition to his many business successes, Steve helps people with a bold message use podcasts to share it.
Known as “Mr. Bold,” Steve travels the world igniting passion in entrepreneurs, visionaries, and everyone who wants to discover their “what”. Steve’s book, What is Your What? Discover the One Amazing Thing You Were Born to Do, encourages people to dig deep and create an impact in the world.
My super power is the ability to reinvent my life Photo by Kristopher Roller on Unsplash
Hello everybody! This is Tonya Dawn Recla, your Super Power Expert and I am really excited to have with me today Steve Olsher. We had the amazing fortune of listening to Steve speak at a Speak to Impact event hosted by Red Elephant. And it was just fantastic to hear somebody else up on stage talking about podcasts and how to utilize them in the business. And he’s the host of Reinvention Radio. And so we’re going to be talking with him today about self-improvement podcasts and how you can use that to promote your business. But the big thing that I’m excited to share with you all is the New Media Summit that’s happening at the end of September, so he’s going to tell us all about that. So welcome Steve. It’s so glad…I’m so glad to have you on the show.
I’m so glad to be here. Thanks.
Awesome. So we were going to just throw you in like we do with everyone and ask you, what are your Super Powers?
Wow, that’s a really good question. You know, it’s interesting I think for me over the years that I’ve really become quite good at and, to some extent, known for, is really the ability to reinvent my life and the life, and really, the lives of others from the standpoint of really recognizing that life starts over right now, right? And it starts over again right now and so we have…we literally have the power to choose what to do in this moment and in every moment that follows and, you know, it’s super easy to get caught up in what has happened to us and kind of linger in that. And of course, you know, it makes sense to kind of wallow over time for various things that have happened but that’s just life in general and ultimately it’s what we choose to do with the next moment that ultimately defines the quality of our existence.
I love that. We, you know, we talk a lot here at Super Power Experts about the concept of, you know, in every single moment you’re a different person than you were in the moment previously. We use something called the ten-second rule like it happened more than 10 seconds ago, then, you know, there’s…let it go. You know, it’s really not pertinent right now. And I want folks, those of you listening, I really want you to grasp the fact that Steve’s had what I would consider some extreme success with Reinvention Radio. So this isn’t advice from someone who’s just kind of like theoretically exploring life, like you put in some real practical replicable things for business. Can you talk a little bit about Reinvention Radio and the success you’ve seen there?
Reinvention Radio
Sure. And, you know, I mean, look, in the scheme of things, Reinvention Radio has been a lot of fun. I’ve been doing it now off and on since 2009, mostly on for the better part of the last three years. And you know, we’ve…we cover a lot of ground there, it’s really as we call it, it’s where normal comes to die and it’s all about really dismantling the status quo, right? So we’ve covered a lot of ground there over the years and had some really interesting people on from the Simon Sinek’s to the Michael Hyatt’s to the Jack Canfield’s. I mean you name it, I think we’ve had him on over the years and it’s definitely good quality fun. I co-host that with a couple of friends and we kind of do it as a, like a morning zoo-style show and so, you know, again really good quality fun and certainly helped open a lot of doors for me in terms of connecting with people who I might not normally have access to. And then, of course, speaking gigs and selling more product, programs and services and so on. But it’s probably the least on the scale, if you will. It’s probably the thing that has brought me the most joy but the least amount of financial reward over the years. I mean, as an entrepreneur, I’ve been involved with a number of things, including real estate development and got involved very early in the online world. I actually launched on CompuServe’s electronic mall in 1993 and so it had me just being able to pick up the liquor dot com domain in 98 and running that business and so on for a number of years. It’s just, it’s been an epic journey, a true entrepreneurial journey, if you will, over the years. But, you know, I will say that reinventing certainly has been for me the most fun. And I think we all have our sweet spot, you know, of things that we really just love to do, what really comes as naturally to us as breathing. And radio has always kind of been that Holy Grail for me.
Well, and I find…and I like what you said about the idea that it’s been a lot of fun but it may not have been the most, you know, financially rewarding. And it’s interesting as we talk a lot about cellular confidence and what that does for people and I would imagine that you experience something similar to me, where, when you connect with people and you invite them to come share their story and you really open that space up to them in a way that highlights what they’re doing in the world or are bringing forward a philosophy that they might have. There’s a cellular kind of shift within people from that being the recipient of knowledge to being able to be the provider of knowledge out to the world. And I don’t know that we can discredit that as a factor in what occurs next. And so one of the things I experienced with this podcast you and I talked a little bit before the show, that, you know, I willingly acknowledge that if I had gone after listenership early on, I would have gotten discouraged and stopped. If I’d gone after, like, how is it really attributing to the bottom line, I would have stopped. That’s not why I went after. I went after, first, for connecting with people. And it made all the difference and so the opportunities that unfolded from that place have been extremely exponential. And so, you know, for those of you out there thinking about doing podcasts or thinking about getting on podcasts and everything else, you know, I’m of the opinion that you can…that the connection piece is so crucial. And I love that you brought that up, Steve, that it really does open doors to connections that perhaps you may not have made otherwise.
Yeah, yeah for sure. I mean, look, there’s a lot of benefits to having a show, for sure. And I do think though, at the end of the day, we really have to step back and explore and examine why we’re doing what we’re doing. And sometimes it makes sense to do something that others are doing and in this case, you know, you might look at podcasts and go, “Well, geez, there’s so many people doing podcasts and maybe I should do one.” But at the same token, there’s also a lot of reasons for you not to do something simply because that’s what everybody else is doing. So it really has to be a good fit for who you are.
That’s such a solid point. And one of the things you brought up in your presentation that I thought was so cool was the idea that there are so many podcasts out there and a lot of people don’t stick with it. And so, you know, that the waters are really muddy early on. But there is, kind of, you have talked to a number of podcasts hosts, it’s like there’s this magical moment in time it feels like you come across through this warm hole or something that has, you know, after, you know, for us it was around the 100th episode year mark. You know, I can’t say for certain because I wasn’t in awareness of it occurring. I was only able to kind of look at it in retrospect where it’s like all of a sudden it felt like the water has kind of opened up like there just weren’t that many people beyond that point, whatever that arbitrary marker was, who stick it out. And so I think that, that kind of, you know, Three Feet from Gold concept, perseverance, you know, cannot be overstated in this type of a situation.
Yeah, yeah. And I do think that when you look at just kind of the shiny objects, if you will, that so many people go after, it’s not unusual for people to kind of get blinded by what seems to work for others and feel like they have to be doing it too. And reality is, you know, you can only do so many things in the hours that you got, right? So I highly recommend doing, if you’re going to choose a platform, of course, it’s trial and error and you got to dig into things and do what you think. But I do really believe that just because someone else says is finding success in a particular medium it does mean that you also will. So you just…you’ve got to…you’ve got to be willing to give something up and I think that’s why you see a lot of the podcasts start and stop because they realize early on that it’s a lot of work, for one. I mean, you know how much work it is to do something like this. And for two, they may just find it’s not nearly as enjoyable as they hoped it would be. And there’s nothing wrong with just basically saying, “Hey, it just seemed like a good idea but it’s not.”
I agree. Well, you’re certainly speaking our language with regard to the due diligence and kind of thinking critically before moving your business in any specific direction. And that can include folks appearing on other people’s podcasts. So, if you don’t have any sort of strategy for your business and you’re just thinking that, you know, you’re just kind of, you feel like you’re going all over the place trying to get seen or heard, you know, really, I advise you to kind of sit and be in a moment and look at, “OK, why do I want to go on the show or why is it in alignment with my brand or does this bring out an aspect that is a highlight to my brand?” that perhaps is kind of an ancillary idea and just make sure that you’re clear going into things. One, you’re going to represent yourself so much better and more clear but also, you know, like Steve’s talking about like this stuff takes a lot of work even just to schedule the interview, if you’re going to be on someone else’s podcast but certainly running your own podcast and if it doesn’t fit into your overall growth strategy for your business, you know, you may want to think twice about that. So, anyway, well, we’ve been talking with Steve Olsher about how to use self-improvement podcasts to promote you and your business and we’re going to take a short break and when we come back, I want to cover two topics. One, I want to look at, you know, Steve’s Super Powers with regard venturing into something like a Reinvention Radio concept and some of the other amazing things that he’s done in the world. But secondly, get you some solid tips on how you can maybe go about getting on some shows or how you can connect to some folks so, we’ll be right back. Awesome. We’re back. Thank you all so much for joining us. Again, we’ve been talking with Steve Olsher on the Super Power podcast about how to use self-improvement podcasts to promote you and your business. Steve, so let’s tackle the first little piece there about the Super Powers, you know, and I love how you talked about your Super Powers early on. What…can you talk a little bit about how, like kind of, some of the, like, gut-level check type stuff or the “Am I really going to do this?” kind of dialogue that took place prior to moving into some of your…the big and successful ventures that you’ve had?
I’ve always been wired as an entrepreneur Photo by Crew on Unsplash
Yeah. I mean, look, I wish that there was just a simple answer to how I’ve made my decisions around what to do or what not to do. But I do think that you were spot on, in terms of it being very gut-driven, you know. I mean I think that there’s something to be said for just kind of having that tingling, that feeling in your gut, if you will, that this is something that needs to be done, not knowing what’s going to happen or how it’s going to happen and the like but just knowing that it’s something that you have to do. And, you know, for me I’ve just, I’ve always been wired as an entrepreneur. And there’s really nothing I can do about it. Well, I guess I could choose to ignore it. But that’s obviously not going to go over very well. So it’s…it is interesting how as I look back on the things that I’ve done, whether it was opening a nightclub when I was 19, or buying the liquor.com domain in 1998, or starting down this path of doing radio and podcasts and so on, it’s just…it’s always been something where I just kind of wake up and go, “Geez, this is really something that I need to be doing.” And I don’t know how to explain it other than I just…I’m not egotistical enough to believe that I’m one of those people that comes up with all of these ideas. I think that we are literally just portals for these thoughts, for these ideas. You know, I, and it’s hard to explain but, you know, like even as a writer, I mean, I put a book on the New York Times list in 2013 and I don’t know where those ideas come from that are on those pages. You know, I didn’t come up with all of this, it’s just like I just sat down and started typing and it kind of flowed through me. So, I don’t know. It’s just hard to explain. I think that we either accept what we’ve been given or it just goes back into the universe and tries to find someone else who’s ready.
I love it and I think you did a phenomenal job of explaining it. As you can imagine here, at Super Power Experts, the conversations, we have a lot around, you know, folks, he’s talking about tapping into your intuition, staying connected. You know, a lot of the stuff that we talk about on the trigger’s podcast about, you know, really attuning yourself to where you are operating from and if you’re operating on autopilot and through program behaviors and your fears, you’re not going to get those hits as readily and even if you do, you’re certainly not going to take advantage of them. But what Steve really was, yeah, just felt raw and kind of honest there. And I appreciate that because it…I’m not quite so egotistical as to think that those, or I might…I remember I had like this pivotal Uh-huh moment where we sat and I looked at my husband I was like, “I don’t think I’ve had a unique thought my entire existence!” like, “I don’t know what’s happening here.” Like you start to see all the signs everywhere and you’re like, “Oh wow!” It’s just the synchronicity of everything. But there is a, you know, despite how compelling that energy can feel sometimes, it’s still a choice, right? And so I love what you said about you can do it or not. You’re certainly, if you’ve got the message, then you’re certainly equipped to do it or are able to or you have the ability. But if not you, then someone else. And I think that’s, you know, that’s something to really like, you know, people get caught up in what my mission is, my purpose or I’m the only one who can do this. It’s like, you know, maybe, but you know, the universe has been kicking out ideas and people and everything else for quite some time. I think that there’s always somebody else who is equally equipped and so it really comes down to what are you going to step up into. And kudos to you because you took action on those ideas and that inspiration. I think that’s awesome. So let’s get…oh go ahead, hon.
No. I’m done. As far as my thinking, that’s gone. I hit the finish line and I have no other thought.
And we’re done. Seen, right? And so the last thing I really want to, you know, kind of pull out if we can and offer up to the listeners is what are just some practical things so we have a lot of folks who perhaps have migrated over from a more traditional employment situations and they’re looking to branch out or they…they’ve been, you know, trying to get a foothold with their business or perhaps are extremely successful in their business and they want to expand out into different market spaces. What can we offer them with regard to maybe either getting on people’s podcast? Let’s start there. Let’s not even go into the how to do your own podcast because that’s a whole other story.
It is.
But what can you…how can you guys, I know that you actually have some resources for folks looking to get on shows and stuff like that, what can you share?
Profiting from Podcasts Photo by Jonathan Velasquez on Unsplash
Sure, sure. You know it’s interesting. There’s a lot of people out there who teach about how to start your own podcast and that sort of thing and, you know, it’s interesting as I sat down and I kind of looked at things. I decided to go in a little bit of a different direction with a new program that we’re releasing here in advance of the New Media Summit. And as you said of the New Media Summit, I mean, it is, it’s a…it’s unique event I’m looking forward to having you guys there, where we’re bringing in 40 of the world’s leading podcasters who, folks will have a chance to meet one on one, and pitch them on who they are and what they do and literally leave the event with bookings in hand and I just, I was like, “Man, there’s such a need for that.” There’s so many people out there who just feel like, yeah I guess, kind of like the world’s best kept secret. You know, like they’ve got such an amazing gift to share and they just need more people to know about them. And so that’s why we decided to do the New Media Summit. But it’s also why I started…I decided to do this program called Profiting from Podcasts. And, you know, look, of course, if someone decides to start their own show, I mean you can speak to that, you know for sure and there’s certainly power in doing it, but I mean, let’s be honest, it’s a lot of work, you know. It’s…there’s so much that goes into it that just doesn’t meet the eye. Whereas, from my perspective, Profiting from Podcasts doesn’t mean you necessarily have to start your own. It definitely can mean that you could benefit from simply appearing on other shows. And so, you know, look they do all the work, right, I mean, they build the audience, they incurred the hosting expenses, they, I mean, it’s like, everything is on them, all you have to do is, well, like I’m doing here, you know, just show up, right, just show up and talk. And so it’s really just a matter of finding the right shows and I think it’s easy to get enamored and blinded by the sort of the metrics, if you will, right? And when you see these shows that have two million downloads an episode, or 30 million downloads a month or, you know, that sort of thing, it’s like wow, you know, it’s just unbelievable. But, you know, having worked with a lot of folks who are speakers and authors and coaches and holistic practitioners and so on, I mean, I know for a fact that if you’re given an opportunity to speak in front of a room of 50 people and share who you are, your mission, your message and so on, you know, you’re going to leave that room with people interested in your products, programs or services. So when you look at a, quote unquote, smaller show that gets, you know, maybe 5000 downloads a month or something of that nature, you know, in the scheme of things it’s like, wow, that’s not very much when you compare it to, you know, this, that or the other. But if you’re doing, if you’re a speaker and your average speaking gig is in front of 50 people, you’ve got to do 100 gigs to reach 5000 people, that’s a lot of time. That’s a lot of travel. And that’s not even necessarily people who are 100 percent interested in who you are and what you have because you’ve got to remember, with a podcast, someone is literally raising their hand and they’re saying, “I want that. Give that episode to me.” It’s like having an email list with a 100 percent opt in rate, and a 100 percent and not a 100 percent opt in rate, a 100 percent open rate and a 100 percent click through rate. I mean, it’s insane, because the people who are saying give me that episode are already prequalified. And so, I just, I highly encourage folks to think about being a guest on the right shows and not necessarily getting caught up in the metrics but just trying to get, you know, get that guest spot on the right shows.
So much by you and everything that you got thus saying, I cannot emphasize enough for folks, that if you haven’t built a podcast on top of an extremely viable complex like kind of system of engagement and how to turn that listenership into profit then it is…it’s not a waste of time for sure because you’re certainly getting information out there. But they do see a lot of practitioners get kind of caught up in that trap and go after the listenership without regard for what they’re going to do as people are listening. And so, as Steve is talking about is really, really valuable. Not only that, but the best hosts are ones that have been guests on podcasts and so, you know, it’s not a bad business strategy to maybe take, you know, the next 6 to 12 months and say, “OK, I’m going to get booked on as many podcasts as possible.” I want to see what kind of traction, I want to see the format people are using, I want to see what works, because a lot of people go into hosting a podcast and they have no idea how they want it to go. They don’t know, you know, how they want to run it, like are they going to do the same thing every show, are they going to ask the same questions, what kind of guests are they looking for. And so by going on a bunch of different podcasts and talking with a number of different hosts, you’re going to get some really great ideas and then from that, set about developing a strategy and seeing if you even want to do. But ask folks, ask hosts, “What do you do on the back end?” like “How are you profiting from this? How are you systemizing this? What do you do with your listener base? What is your overall goal?” Just start querying people, because I think you’re going to find what Steve’s talking about. One, it’s a ton of work. And if it’s not, if it’s not in alignment with your overall business growth strategy, it could be a lot of wasted effort and you could get discouraged really quickly. Whereas, you know, you go on other people’s shows and then it is…he’s exactly right like podcasts need guests, like any podcast that is doing an interview-style show needs guests. We’re always looking for amazing people to reach out to and even now, I think I mentioned before the show like we’re booked out on a weekly guest for a long, long time in the future. But there’s always these amazing people that come forward like with Steve here, it’s like I want to get you on the show and I want to promote your event. And so, it’s good to be the boss, sometimes, to be able to go, “Hey, let’s bump you up because I think this is an important concept that you’re introducing to entrepreneurs and other individuals looking to promote themselves.” And so there’s a lot that you can do with a podcast but it is very intricate it’s a…you don’t just…you may just fall into doing a podcast but then the systemizing and processing and everything else is very time-consuming. And so really heed what Steve’s talking about and if you have no experience and you haven’t been a guest on shows, that’s a phenomenal first step prior to jumping into hosting. Would you agree with that?
Yeah. And, you know, again, I mean, to each his own or her own. But ultimately, I do think that being a guest on other people’s shows, it certainly gives you an opportunity to see if this is a medium that you might want to pursue. And it’s like learning on somebody else’s dime. It’s kind of like being an apprentice, if you will. And, you know, from my perspective, there’s a lot of really good shows out there and there’s a lot of shows that frankly aren’t so good. And so, you’ll learn very, very quickly. Be a guest on ten shows and you’ll learn very, very quickly about what to do, what not to do, and if this medium is the right fit for you.
Perfect. I love that. Well, awesome. I know our folks are going to want to know more about you and the event. Where would you like for us to send them?
Well, the best place for the New Media Summit would be NewMediaSummit.net. We also talked a little bit about how to become a guest on different shows and so on. I’ve got a really killer resource that provides seventeen proven ways to develop real relationships with the icons of influence like those who will be at the summit. And so that is a free report that we give out and you can grab that and it’ll give you a lot of great ideas about how to really get on their radar. None of these will, you know, will take a significant amount of effort. But, of course, you know, reality is, podcasters are just like you and me. And reality is they’re going to put people on their shows who they know. And if you have an opportunity to develop a real relationship with an influencer that’s going to go certainly a long way towards getting you onto their show and so you can go to seventeen, so the number one seven, so, http://17waysreport.com and you can grab a free copy of that so http://17waysreport.com.
Awesome and I’ve taken a look at that and it is an incredible resource. So definitely jump into that and start educating yourself, you know, get learned on the dime of people who’ve had experience. And Steve certainly wanted us people take his lesson, like he’s compiled that information for a reason. Take advantage of it. Steve, thank you so much for being on the show it’s been delightful.
Thank you, man, that’s like I’m talking to my kids. Though I like dude, don’t you ever have people call you dude? Like my wife calls me dude. Why are you calling me dude I’m your husband? No thank you very much.
You’re funny. I love “dude.” It’s awesome. Very cool. You’ve been listening to Steve Olsher on the Super Power podcast. We talked today about how to use self-improvement podcasts to promote you and your business. As always we appreciate your loyalty. And so until next time, go out, uncover your Super Powers and change the world. Take care of everyone.
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