James Carbary’s Post

Posting for post’s sake. I caught myself mindlessly posting about my recent podcast interview. “Look, I did the thing.” Make some dot points. Add a photo. Post the link. Share the thing. I posted the podcast before I even listened to it. Can you relate? Then I actually took some time later that day and had a little listening party with my co-guest Tané. We shared feedback with one another. Celebrated the poignant moments. Laughed. Cheered when we said something juicy. After properly listening to the interview, I felt incredibly proud of myself for how articulate I was. I really nailed it this time. I could have created a much more meaningful share had I slowed down and switched out of autopilot. Sometimes it’s just this knee jerk reaction to say something for something’s sake. I feel like I learned a valuable lesson here around sticking to my regular vibes of authentic posting. All good, I’ll do better next time. 🙂 Link is in the comments if you’re keen for a listen. 👇

How do you tell a good story on "straight up" interview podcasts? Last year, I switched up the format of my podcast ever-so-slightly...and it's had big results. I’ve decided to make each interview follow the 3-act structure. I felt this would help my guest and me tell better stories. The 3-act structure works this way: 📐 Act 1 is the Setup. It introduces the characters and there’s an inciting incident leading to conflict. 🥊 Act 2 is the Conflict. The story unfold, and the conflict leads to a climax where the guest, and the listener, seeks relief. 🌅 Then in Act 3, we see a satisfying resolution, and the story ends. I organize this through the show doc and the pre-interview. The show doc has a heading for each act, with a proposed title. Then I work with the guest to refine those titles/topics, usually making the conflict a common objection they hear, or subverting the very thing we spoke about in Act 1. Then we resolve with action items for the listener. This helps create a better story the listeners can follow — positioning them the hero in the story, with me and my guest being their guide.

Want to nail your next podcast episode? Start with a pre-interview. Over the last 20+ years as a radio host, I've learned that the magic happens before the mic is even on. Here's how to make it work for you: → 1. Do Your Homework Before you speak with your guest, dive deep into their world. ↳ Know their latest projects, achievements, and even controversies. This not only helps in making them comfortable but also ensures you’re asking the right questions. → 2. Set Clear Expectations Be transparent about what you want from an interview. ↳ This includes the tone, duration, and any specific topics you wish to cover. No surprises mean a more relaxed and genuine discussion. → 3. Build Rapport Take a few minutes to chat casually before diving into the main topics. You set the pace for both pre-interviews and interviews—be respectful of time, but don't feel rushed. ↳ This helps ease any tension and prepares both of you for a smooth conversation. Remember, a little warmth goes a long way. → 4. Listen Pre-interviews are not just about you asking questions, they are mostly about listening. ↳ Pay attention to your guest's responses, as they often lead to unexpected and interesting topics. → 5. Find the Hook/Story Every guest has a unique story waiting to be told. ↳ Your job is to uncover it and weave it into the episode naturally. What will captivate your audience? By focusing on these steps, you set the stage for a compelling and insightful podcast episode. What's your pre-interview tip?

Ever had a podcast guest who just kept talking and talking… and talking? Long-winded responses are a common challenge in interviews, especially when you’re trying to keep things concise and engaging for your listeners. So how do you keep control without feeling rude? First, set expectations before the recording begins. Let your guest know you may jump in with follow-up questions if you want to emphasize certain points for your listeners. Often, they’ll appreciate the guidance. During the interview, you can keep things tight by repeating key phrases back to the guest with enthusiasm. For example, if they say, “That’s how I got my first hundred clients…” you can interject with, “A hundred clients—wow! What was the biggest lesson from that?” This recognition cuts down on long-winded explanations, steering the conversation while keeping it natural. Finally, edit for clarity in post-production. With tools like Descript, you can remove extra fillers and tangents to keep the episode focused and engaging. Learning to steer a conversation with confidence isn’t just polite; it makes for better, tighter content.

I've never been the Best Interviewer in Podcasting (far from), but I have received feedback similar to this from Guests many many times over the years: "Josh, you're a very thoughtful and original Interviewer" or "Thank you Josh, that interview was very different and fun". How did I do that? Well, besides failing a bazillion times early on, I've always focussed on being "Different Good" not "Different Sh*t". "Different Good" not "Different Sh*t" is an incredible phrase I heard the great Dean Buchanan say on Craig Bruce's Game Changers: Radio, and it's stuck with me ever since. (Go listen to that for more context, it's one of the best Podcasts you could ever listen to if you're into making engaging audio). 3 (or 4) Tips for Increasing Uniqueness in Your Podcast Interviews. • 1. Start where other Interviewers Stopped. • 2. Dedicate some time to Hobbies, Interests and Recent Fascinations of your Guest(s). • 3. Allow your Guest(s) to Speak Themselves Out. (Let them rephrase, tangent and return, and explore an answer fully). • 4. Listen Twice / Speak Once.

The other day someone asked me how to start a podcast: "What's your process for scheduling interviews?" "How do you go about writing your scripts?" "What's your setup look like?" While these are all great questions, there is only one answer I have: "𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐱, 𝐡𝐢𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡." I can't tell you how long I procrastinated starting my podcast: I spent months researching microphones, cameras, software, and setups. I watched countless videos on YouTube, "getting prepped," getting "ready," and studying all the best podcasters. Until one day I did something remarkable. I stopped researching, dediced on a mic, clicked "Buy Now," and two days later my first ever USB mic arrived (featured photo) I was ecstatic. I showcased my new prized possession right on my shelf for all to see, and right where it stayed for months. Collecting dust and remaining untouched. Until one day I did something even 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 unthinkable. I opened the box 🤯 After plenty more hours tinkering with my intro script, figuring out what I wanted to say, and how I wanted to say it, I finally recorded my first ever podcast, and clicked publish. That was December 2020. And here we are, 102 episodes later, still fighting resistance and loving the process. (Pro Tip - when getting ready to record, all you need to know is how you want to start, end, and have just a couple bullet points to fill the middle. Then let it rip.) So yes, while the aforementioned questions around process, systems, structure, tech, etc are all important... Do not let them get in the way of opening the box, hitting record, and clicking publish. Getting live as soon as you can is my #1 piece of advice for getting started. You will grow, develop, and build from there. P.S. - I wrote a newsletter last year on 9 lessons from podcasting and how it helped me afford a $10 quad shot americano. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/gQCMqgH4.

Yesterday I got pitched a podcast idea that isn't an interview show. This happens once every couple of years. And it's fair to say that I love it when this happens. It sparks a different kind of energy and enthusiasm in my creative brain 🤓. The idea stands up for three key reasons. 1. IMMEDIACY The concept allows room for timely & cultural relevant content that means the material becomes something that the listener wants to consume, with urgency. 2. ENTERTAINMENT 'Expert' is now a default tone of voice, and it has become tedious. This concept leans into constructive debate & strong characters which makes it entertaining. 3. CREATIVE BRAVERY The show format and associated brand takes some exciting, calculated risks to be original whilst still on trend e.g. not an interview, hosted by a duo etc. The current podcast charts seem to be echo'ing the above mindset: - not an 'a asks b questions' format - entertainment over education - recurring characters with clear roles & relevance If you aren't seeing the desired results, consider changing your show format. OK bye -------

We do a pretty ridiculous amount of prep for each guest of Ahrefs Podacst. Typically I end up with 2 pages of notes per guest, and I add more notes & remarks quite profusely in the course of the actual interview (to "connect the dots" and make better transitions between topics). The research is usually done by 2 people: myself & Michelle Lindner. - We listen to their past interviews. - We trawl through their social profiles. - We look up their company financial data. - We study their company's marketing strategies (often with the help of Ahrefs 😉). I think that for each 2-hour interview we do at least 4 hours of prep. This is not to say that all this prep magically makes me an amazing interviewer. I know I'm barely learning the ropes of this craft. But I'm really hoping that you folks can easily tell that I've studied my guests well by the way I lead the conversation. Can you? :) P.S. If you haven't yet listened to a single episode of Ahrefs Podcast - go give it a spin (on YouTube, Apple or Spotify). We recently wrapped up Season 2 (with some great guests) and will soon be launching Season 3 (with even more great guests).

Summer travel and vacation slowed down our guest interview schedule. So No guest interview this week on the podcast. Instead it’s a solo episode with me. Don't worry, we have several interviews lined up for later this summer that I'm excited to share with you. This episode is an audio recording of a recent presentation from a Linkedin Webinar. This episode covers: - Why is measuring success for data teams so hard? - What are the consequences of doing this poorly? - What are the results when data teams do define and measure their success? - A practical framework for defining success metrics. - Tactical tips for designing metrics - Examples of how this works in practice. Listen here thedatashop.co/mdm

Coming up in May! While making a podcast may seem simple, creating one that will grab people’s attention can often be tremendously challenging. In this two-part workshop, award-winning showrunner, producer, and consultant John Asante will teach you how to develop and pitch your podcast idea, create a structure and format, form sustainable production methods, and produce a show that will keep your listeners coming back for more. #podcast #podcasting