I decided I wanted to start a podcast. I had no idea what I was getting into, what it would take for it to succeed.

Enter Juleika Lentigua Williams, our amazing executive producer and the show's co-owner with me.

She gave me a crash course on podcasting, work with me to redefine the concept, and every day thinks about how to reach even more listeners like you.

I've spoken with some of you about how you want to start your own podcast, which is amazing.

I love that idea.

And so I thought it might be useful for Juleka and I to pull back the curtain and give you a sense of what it really takes to create something special.

Juleika Lantig, Wiliens, come on down.

You were so obnoxious.

She didn't want to do this.

I have convinced her to do this, so you're welcome.

Okay.

Juleka, I know this happens a lot to you because you speak at industry events. People know you as someone who is a thought leader in this space. When people come to you and they say they want to start a podcast, what is the first thing you tell them? Who's the podcast for? That's the first question. I don't even care what the podcast is about because that gets refined and redefined as you make it. But if the person is not clear

about who they're making the podcast for, they have a zero chance of success. If you're making a

podcast for everyone, then you're not making a podcast for anyone. How often do people have an answer

to that question? Very rarely. Right. Because we start from a place of what I would want to hear

without asking ourselves of other people would want to hear it as well. Yeah. And we start from a place of what I would want to hear without asking

ourselves of other people would want to hear it as well. Yeah. And so, I mean, the first thing,

and it's a hard thing to hear is that you are not your ideal listener. Like, it doesn't

not matter what you want to talk about, what you want your show to be about. You're not your

ideal listener. What you are is your listeners'

biggest and best advocate. That's the role that you play as the creator, which is what you first

have to identify who your listener is. Is that different based on if you want to do a podcast that you can

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