5 Surprising Things I Learned After 100 Podcasts

DIDIER BOREL

Mar 30, 2024

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Here are 5 surprising things I learned after recording 100 podcasts:

A good podcast depends on the chemistry of the moment, and that cannot be dictated. Preparation helps, but it's not everything.
When you're recording a podcast, you don't have the same detachment as when you're listening to it.
Some guests will surprise you, positively or negatively.
The guest's network is more important for the number of downloads of that episode than the content. But people will only return to the podcast if they like the host and think the content is good.
Having good input by people you trust is much better than going solo.

Plus a bonus lesson, at the end.

Chemistry of the moment

To put my guest at ease before we record, I often use the following analogy: Imagine you're a theater director, and you see the same play performed in your theater every evening by the same actors. Some evenings will be better than others. The chemistry, the electricity of the moment, is not predictable. So what will be, will be; don't worry about what you can't control. Preparation by the guest and host helps, but that's not everything. This leads me to my second point, which is actually my most important insight.

Detachment while recording

When you're the host, directing the episode, even if it's not live, you don't have the same detachment as when you are listening to it. Often, when you listen to a podcast, you think the job looks relatively easy. I find it very hard to have that detachment as a host. You're trying to find the right balance between letting the guest speak and making them feel comfortable to getting the best out of them, but also asking incisive questions.

Oprah Winfrey once said, "I am not a good interviewer, but I am a great listener." That's a great insight. Because she is a great listener, she can create the right atmosphere, bring out the best of the guest, and ask the right questions. Some hosts have that talent. However, when you listen to Oprah, it's obvious she did a lot of preparation. I admire people who have enough experience and are comfortable enough with themselves and the medium to be great hosts and make the guest feel comfortable, especially if the event is live.

Guess will surprise you

Some guests will surprise you. I've done interviews with guests I thought were really interesting people, and they were, in fact boring. And conversely, I remember one episode where I hardly knew the guest and was nervous it wouldn't come off well. I listened to him on YouTube and thought he spoke well. The episode went very well, even though we had almost no preparation. Again, refer to point one.

The Importance of Guest Network

If the guest has a big social media presence and uses it to promote the podcast, it will do more to get a lot of downloads than a great interview. However, this applies only to that specific episode. If the content is consistently not good, listeners will not return. They will return because they like the host and think the content is good.

Better a team than solo

Getting input is very helpful. I would like to thank Mikhael Junod and my wife, Gloria, for giving me a lot of very useful input. For example, they told me to define your target audience and give them what they want. But also, don't be afraid to explore; people will follow you if you find the subject interesting.

Bonus: Overcoming Self-Consciousness

Finally, nobody likes the sound of their own voice. Get over it. This is the eternal difference between your image of yourself and seeing or hearing yourself. Pat Flynn forced himself to do a YouTube video every day for a year to overcome this problem, and it worked.

Conclusion

If you want to do something, just do it, and don't think about what other people will think. You will work out the problems by going forward. But try to do it well, so you can be proud of it.

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