517. How to Make a Podcast Co-Host Relationship Work

0:05 Marc Ronick: Good morning Today is Thursday May the 14th, 2026 and today we're talking co host chemistry with community member John Jamingo, exploring what makes a podcast partnership really work when personalities, opinions, expectations and creative choices collide. So if you're listening live on clubhouse, hit the share button, top right hand side of the screen and share it And if you're catching us via please share this episode with a And now give us about 30 seconds, we'll get things rolling. Thanks for being here. The podcasting Morning Show is powered by ironic media helping podcasters launch polish and grow great shows, and by content creators, accountant helping creators build real Business behind their content.

1:19 Podcasting Morning Show Welcome. I am your host, Mark Ronick, and currently on stage with me, we have BC babbles, Ralph Estep Sid meadows, DR Fay and our guest who I mentioned earlier, John Jamingo. We will get into all of that in just a moment. First, I want to remind you and actually tell you that tomorrow will we will play our first Spotlight Series promo for you. And this is where, if you want to get featured your podcast, featured on the podcasting morning show for free, submit a 62nd clip about your show, something that gives people a real feel for your podcast, and then, if we select it, we'll play your clip on a future episode, share what stood out to us, and introduce your show to our community of podcasters and creators. There's no strings attached to this offer. We are simply trying to support our fellow community members. This goes for our cast and crew.

2:22 This goes for our live It goes for our podcast listening audience. Whoever you are, if you are a part of this community, you are more than welcome to submit your clip at podcasting morning show.com/spotlight so do that, and tomorrow, we will feature our first one. Okay, so today we're talking about one of the most important relationships in podcasting, the co host This is something certainly near and dear to my heart, and because look, a great co host can make a show more fun, more consistent, more dynamic, it can make it a little easier on you, as well as the other co host.

3:04 But when that relationship is unclear or unhealthy, it can create tension both on the air and behind the scenes. So as I said, helping us today with this conversation is one of our newer community members, John jamango, and since Ralph, you coordinated this one, I'm going to hand it off to you to share a little more about John and officially introduce him in today. Oh, Ralph Estep Jr: absolutely good morning. Everybody joining us this morning is John Jamingo. and he told me before we got hosts over the years. He might get into how many that is, yeah, but we're going to dig into some great moments, the challenges and the best ways to manage those relationships and listen. We also want this to be a room discussion. So as we go, I'm gonna encourage everybody to jump in with things that have worked for you, things that have not worked, and those best practices you've learned from sharing the mic with someone else.

3:56 I think this is going to be a real engaging conversation here today. So John, welcome to the show. John Jamingo: Thank you. I like I said, I was trying to count how many co hosts I have. I don't I know it's over 10 at one time. There was seven in one show, kind of like this show. So here's the thing, when you have a good co host, hang on with both hands, because when you lose one, it's it is tough to find one to replace them. Marc Ronick: John, I think, a few of those co hosts in our Yes, I mean, I'm guessing based on what they're saying, but we have one person is this, can you see the chat there?

4:37 John, John Jamingo: I can't see the chat. I'm sorry. I'm in the back of Marc Ronick: No, that's okay. weathered soul. BC Babbles: That is John Jamingo: Bruce, Marc Ronick: okay, so I was right, okay, and the other one's Boomer Bob. John Jamingo: Bob is one. Yes, he's Marc Ronick: okay. John Jamingo: He'll be talked about a lot today. Marc Ronick: Okay? And a few others haven't identified themselves yet, but it sounds like yes, your co hosts are following you around, John, so be careful. No. John Jamingo: Oh, they know me. Marc Ronick: All right. Sorry, Ralph. Go ahead, Ralph Estep Jr: John. I want to get right into it. So tell us about your current co host setup, and what makes that relationship work. I listened to your show. Her name is, I think it's Kate. You guys refer to her as the Duchess. It seems like you guys have good chemistry, but I have to be honest with you, it is entertaining sometimes the way you guys go back and forth at each other, but I just wanted you to start with what does that look like and what makes that relationship work John Jamingo: well.

5:28 So the funny thing about that was the way that I met Kate was through a co host meltdown, which is where I got into it. And I had a in five minutes into the show, I had a huge meltdown, and quit the show, and then that clip, because you're recording it, and you forget that it is recorded that was played on a couple of spread like wildfire. And at first I was very embarrassed by that, but I realized it was one of the best things that could have happened after I got over myself and went back and listened to it as a listener, we D.R. Fay: need to get that clip. What? Marc Ronick: Yeah, we D.R. Fay: left out, Marc Ronick: or at least understand if it's appropriate, what the meltdown was about.

6:14 John Jamingo: The Meltdown is podcasting and how I really want And these clowns, I will call them clowns, friendly clowns were there just to drive me crazy, and it worked, and I finally quit, and you couldn't play the clip on this show. It would just be one solid beep. Play that on here. I quit, and it went viral, and that's how I met Kate, because Kate was listening to this on another show. She doesn't live that far away from me. Rage Quit. Heard around the world. Yes, Bob, yeah. He was part of it. Marc Ronick: We're displaying in the chat on the video. Yeah. John Jamingo: So I was Kate had started listening to me, and Bob couldn't be there one day, and she said, Well, I'll just come to your house and I'll co host with you.

7:03 And I said, Don't threaten me with a good time. Come on down. And we had a very good chemistry back and forth. and a microphone said, I sent I said, Here go home with this, and let's see what happens. And she didn't that was the first time she's really podcast before, and she's done a great job, and she's into it, and she puts up with me. She puts up with all my nonsense and all my changes Marc Ronick: Fair enough. And by the way, a good morning to Jonathan Howard, who has joined us on stage as well. So with that, Ralph, do you want to do you have another question? Ralph Estep Jr: Or you want me? I do. I do. John, so have you always done shows with a co host? Have you ever done anything solo? And what made you decide, hey, I definitely want to be in a co host type relationship. John Jamingo: The way I got into TV, film, and then got into the elevator business for 24 years, and that ended. And then so I said, let me just try this. And that's how it started.

8:08 And so I started first solo. And then the reason I started doing this is because when I was in college radio, I had a friend, and we used to sit around and we would talk back and forth, as every podcast does, says, Oh, this should be a get him to say yes to do the podcast. So then we started that in 2016 it was called The Brand X podcast. It still goes on. It's once a month. We come down. He comes here. We go in the studio. We have a bar, we drink, we eat lunch, we day drink and eat lunch and do a show. That's when I started basically with a co host. But I have done solo shows, and I like the co host show better, because you can bounce off people. You can see when things are working and when things aren't Marc Ronick: working, fair enough, and then, you know, that's actually a good lead into they're working when they're not working.

9:01 Was there a moment that you realized that Kate and you actually worked well together on like a long stretch where you just started to notice over time? John Jamingo: It was the first time that she was here, and I said, she's got what it takes to it, but she knows how to talk. Marc Ronick: I was, yeah, I was gonna ask, How do you know that that makes her? What makes her a good co host? John Jamingo: She Well, first of She has a great voice. And we would go back and forth, and I would throw things at her, and she wouldn't, it wouldn't phase her. So I'll throw things at her.

9:43 And a lot of times people would shy away from it, but she digs right in and does not shy away from it. Marc Ronick: Yeah. And I see one of your former co hosts says she's also much better looking than you. John Jamingo: Yes, Bruce, we Marc Ronick: Go ahead, Ralph. Ralph Estep Jr: Yeah. And the truth. Is, I mean, she just holds it with you with no problem, she's able to give it back to you right away. But what do you think is the biggest ingredient of that strong co host relationship, John, what do you think are the key factors that make it so strong? John Jamingo: I think we understand each other. Being from New Jersey. This is this area of New York, Philadelphia, this area here, it's a different kind of person. When I go out into the country somewhere else, i The people are so nice. I feel people from this area, we feel like they're trying to sell us something like a timeshare. So just her being the same in the same area and having the same attitude that we call it the jersey attitude, I think that does help, Marc Ronick: yeah? And I'm thinking, Yeah, I even coming from the mid Atlantic area, where I was raised, when when I moved here to North Carolina.

10:49 Yeah, it's still hard for me. I've been here almost four years. It's still hard for me to get used to how friendly everyone is here. Yeah, I don't quite go as far as thinking they're trying to sell me something, but it does always catch me off guard how friendly everyone is. John, Ralph Estep Jr: do you think you have to be a close friend with somebody to really be strong? I know we did an evaluation last week of a podcast, husband and wife, actually, and I posted about this today, and she goes, yeah, it's even harder when it's your husband. But do you see that as being part of that chemistry too, becoming a good friend with that person, John. John Jamingo: Now I think the most important thing is having the same goals for the show. One of the issues I had with Bob was Bob likes to have chaos.

11:31 Bob's a big chaos guy, and I'm not. I feel that the most important audience. I'm here to entertain the audience, and Bob would do things, and I was all I could see, and in my mind was people clicking off, like, what am I listening to? And clicking off? And it used to send me in the The thing with Bob and I, and I love him like a brother, just so, you know, I love Bob like a brother, but I have clip after clip of me losing my mind where we're doing something like, what are we doing here? What do we, you know? And it is entertaining, I'll give you that, but at times it does not really make a good show. You have to know. Again, I always say you have to know what the audience wants. I guess I could come on and fight for an hour every time with people, and that would be entertaining. But that's not really what the show is about. It's, I guess it's like a nugget that once in a while it's fun to watch mommy and daddy are fighting. Marc Ronick: Yeah?

12:29 BC I think you have something go ahead. BC Babbles: Yeah. Good morning everyone. So I'm curious, John, across your podcasting career and having co hosts over time, have you found, if at any points where you were consistency was hard to maintain, that having co quote, unquote onus of having a show? Did that help you maintain Because now you've got other people involved who want to make this thing happen, and if so, do you find that perhaps involving co hosts purposefully could be the solution to someone who otherwise has consistency issues with their show? John Jamingo: Yes, you do have to have someone that has the time and will put in the time, especially if you're going to live stream.

13:17 We live stream Mondays and Thursdays at 636 o'clock. We have to be there. that also, you have to know when I had one co host who was my they were just not very good co hosts. And I think I tried it for like, five episodes or six maybe, and then I'm like, Okay, this isn't work. This isn't working. Let's pull the plug on this is, you know, this is a waste of time, and it's hard to do. But again, if you're, if you realize that you wouldn't listen why even keep continuing? You're just wasting your BC Babbles: time, right? Marc Ronick: Yeah, and I can attest to that. I mean, you have to, you do have to know when it's time, and it is also hard, right?

14:04 And I've shared a little bit with everybody my old show, the mark and Lowell show, my co like somebody I grew up with, into well into adulthood and And I really believe it, our show just kind of faded, being completely transparent. And it faded around the pandemic. And I think a lot of it faded because I felt like I was doing all the heavy lifting. And by the way, this is me kind of looking back now at it, right? I don't think I was connecting enough with it at the time, but it's not a knock on him either. I'm sure he would come at me right now hearing all this, but it's really not a knock on him, because that was the way we developed our chemistry, our show, was that I was really doing all the heavy lifting.

14:54 I was the producer. I was the lead host, and over time, it really started to burn me out. I needed. Some extra help. And that just wasn't his, his area, his his strength, right? His strength was showing up and being really damn funny on the mic, right, like that, he And so there was a lot of value there. But at some point I had to recognize that, you know what, this isn't working anymore. And instead, I just kind of kept pushing through until we ended up pod fading. And I still have, I've shared this with you before. I I still have people that listened to that show that are reaching out, like, where did it go? When is it coming back? Right?

15:35 And so it can be a problem if you can't stop, identify where the problem is and actually do something about it that can really cause you, as a podcast host, a lot of stress. John Jamingo: I had that with a friend of mine, where I was the problem. So in other words, I wanted, let's do video. Okay, let's set up a studio. Let's do this. And he said to me, you know, several times, I don't want to do all this. I really don't. I'm like, Oh no, no, it's fine. It'll be great. And then he one time, he just said, I've had enough. And it was four years we didn't do a show for four years together. And then one time, we were just out having lunch, and he goes, Why don't we just bring the show And I'm like, okay, yeah, let's do that.

16:16 Okay, it's the been the best thing. So if I would, if I would, if I were you, I'd reach out to that co host and see if he can make it once a month or something like that. Just to get I say it's a an ex, again, I'm lying. I say it's an excuse to get together, have lunch, have a few drinks. But I really, really love podcasting with him. It is. Kate is my favorite. Jonathan Howard: Yeah, Kate's Marc Ronick: here now, by the it is my favorite show to do, and Boomer bunker is a close second. It is a love of mine. I'm not gonna lie. It's something that I've always wanted to do. I do it for fun. It's certainly not for the Marc Ronick: Boomer bunker.com By the way, yes and yeah, go check that out.

16:58 We've been sharing the link here on clubhouse, but we haven't actually said it out loud. So Boomer bunker.com, and, dr, I John Jamingo: She locked up. Marc Ronick: Oh, she locked up. back to you. Dr, in just a second. Ralph Estep Jr: I was gonna jump and this is the thing that like Mark and I've had to work through this. I mark and I have had a lot of really, I want to say tense conversations, but probably seemed a little tense, Marc Ronick: and Ralph Estep Jr: we've had to work out, I call it kind of like a marriage, almost. We've had to learn how to talk to each other. We've had to learn how to not text some days, because you can't see the facial expressions some tough times, I would say, Mark. But the cool thing is, we always come back to a place of respect, and we come back to a place of, let's just communicate and work through this.

17:44 I didn't mean to jump in front of you. Dr, like, I just think it's important that you got to maintain the lines of communication. And you when something's bothering, you got to come out and say it. But also, don't just come out and say it. I've learned this the hard way think about the right time to come out and say it and do it in the right way, because that has been a little bit of a stumble with Mark. And I do, if I'm being totally honest, Marc Ronick: okay, we're gonna go to Dr and, by the way, yes, I am totally with you, Ralph. And we have, we have had some tense moments, and I think a lot of that more had to do with the early stages of a partnership, right? Like, I think you have to some if it's not somebody you grew up with, like I did my last show, if it's somebody brand new going to be some tension, I think it's just a matter of how you handle those 10 situations, if that's going to really show is going to work between the two And okay, so, dr, I'm coming to you, but first I just want to shout out. Sid, I see you.

18:43 Sid, we're going to come to Dr, go ahead. Dr, D.R. Fay: so John is on the inside the production side of podcasting, yes, but for most of not on the inside. And Gordon firemark has what he calls a prenup for CO hosts. And I think it's such a good idea. Marc Ronick: Yeah, it's funny, because Jonathan in the chat said it's like a marriage co hosts, yeah, D.R. Fay: and Gordon, firemark brings up some really, really good questions, like, who's going to carry the weight of the show. What if someone can't make it and what if it splits up?

19:25 What about monetization? What I mean, he brings up some really, really good questions. And so that prenup is great. But the problem is, most people approach the whole co host thing as I hate my best friend or a friend of mine, just like you did, Martin, and it's hard to bring up that whole prenup. Let's get that, get a contract going between us. So that's my job as a producer. I'm the one that brings it up for the two of you. I'm the one you know I carry that. Hmm, I don't know. I carry that heavy load of bringing up the stuff that you don't want to talk about, but it's important.

20:07 Marc Ronick: That's a really Dr, it's another advantage to hiring a producer or somebody to work with you and your team, so yeah, to kind of be the bad guy when needed, right? So that this way, yeah, the two co hosts can kind of have you to to attack. Ralph Estep Jr: VR, is the Marc Ronick: Yes, that's right, you're the heavy. All right, let's go to Sid. Take it away. Sid, good morning. Yeah, Sid Meadows: good morning, that I'm working on a with. Let's call it. We're going to do some live event podcasting. We submitted our we are submitting our first proposal to an events company on Friday for live event podcasting, and we've been talking about how we could take the synergies that exist between the two of us, because our audiences are similar but different. He has one side of the industry, I have another side of the industry, and we could both benefit from crossovers we've been talking about, you know, what can we do?

21:06 podcast or something to that So my question is, you know, when you're looking at getting into a co host relationship, what would you say, John, are like three key things that the CO hosts, who are friends but have never worked together like this, should focus on to build a relationship, slash build their chemistry together. John Jamingo: Who's going to do what, and who's going to run the show, who's going to take point, who's going to be the backup. I worked with Jeff Brown with a through a project called TV time. He taught me so much in just a short time, because he used to do morning Christian morning radio in the Midwest, and we would be together, and he signals so that he would use, I don't know why we don't use hand signals so people know when You. Do a fantastic job of telling people, Hey, I'm gonna come to you.

21:53 You're next this. Marc Ronick: Thanks. Yeah. John Jamingo: So you do a fantastic job of that. And then who's gonna do the editing? Who's gonna that's the most And also you can't be afraid to have the hard conversations when something doesn't go right. And then sometimes you have to say, I really wanna do this. And your co host says it's a deal breaker for me, and then you just say, No, you just gotta go, okay. And you have to respect them and not do it. That to me, I think is one of the best ways to handle a relationship like that, Marc Ronick: fair enough. And I'm curious, John, what? What do you think? What does a good co host do that the listeners may not ever notice? John Jamingo: They bail you out when you're in trouble. So if you're doing something and you need to find something, or you're trying to set up the next away, they can say, okay, they're not paying attention to me. So now it's my time to shine.

22:49 I got to get in there and nothing that I hate worse than If someone stops talking and they're all staring at me, I just fill up with anxiety, and then I freak out, like, Why isn't anybody talking. Somebody talk, someone say something, anything. Marc Ronick: All right. Ralph, you got something Ralph Estep Jr: I do here we go to pivot a little bit, and that is, we talked a little about chemistry. We talked about structure. But John, how have you found a way to make that work with the co host, like, Do you have a planning meeting every week. Do you do stuff to set up a clear delineation of what that looks like? Do you divide responsibilities? Is that formal? Is that something you've Because I actually think that's really important.

23:31 I think it's very important for everybody to understand their role and understand what they're doing. John, but what has worked for you in that regard? Or you're just a control freak, so you handle it all. John Jamingo: I am a control Let's get that right out there. I have to have my hands on everything. So with the brand X, I do everything, and Deuce brings the bourbon. So that's how we do that. On the Brand X podcast, Kate does the socials. We have a note, we use no joy, and then we I have a note out there that we both can look at. and and it's also, it's a work We'll find out some way of doing something better. And then I'll say, hey, why don't we do this? And then she'll say, I can't. Or, if you know we can, or she'll bring up something, and then we'll go through it.

24:13 But I think communication is key. You can't be afraid to say something like, oh, they'll be really upset if, if I mentioned this. So we'll do this. So I think that's it. To be honest with you, on both lifting. I'm retired, so I'm looking for something to do. So they put in the story links, and then I go get them, and then, you know, where are we going to put them? And then once we do the show, I do all the post production and stuff like that, which I want to do. Ralph Estep Jr: So John, do you think that it's really important that someone is the lead on the show. Like, do you have to delineate that is there have to be somebody that is like, this is the person that's leading. I appreciate all the help. I appreciate what you're bringing to the table. But do you think there needs to be a leader on the show?

24:55 John Jamingo: I think there's mic and a B mic. I think there has. To be that I'm not 100% sure that I'm not 100% sure that you can have just one person, or can it be a complete can it be just a, you know, a partnership? I sometimes I think there has to Finally, Marc Ronick: I think, yeah, I agree with you. I think that there is something for the audience's sake, I think there's something that they connect with, gravitate to, when there is that clear a, Mike versus B, Mike the person that's kind of the anchor of the show, and I think that's what we try to establish here with me, just because, yeah, I am probably Mike a, I am the anchor, but yeah, and that's really mainly just to drive the ship so that the audience feels like there's some organization and it's not too chaotic. And yes, most people don't have six different co hosts, like I do, maybe more actually, but I think even when you have two, I think it's still important that you that there's one person that's driving the ship.

26:04 And sometimes, I don't know if you do this, John, but sometimes I think switching off a little bit can, can work too, right? Like it doesn't always have to be the same person as the anchor. I think you can switch that up. So I have some clients that do that every other show. They just keep switching back and forth. One takes the lead, then the next one takes the lead. D.R. Fay: We use music lingo here we say first chair, second chair. Marc Ronick: That's right, yes, when sometimes I am when I know I'm going to be out, I will reach out to Dr, because Ralph is happy to always take that first chair. So I always reach out to Dr and just ask her, you know, do you mind taking this quote, unquote second chair?

26:45 important, just because I think it's important that the anchor host knows that they've got that backup, right? So that's why I make sure that I kind of assign those those chairs at least the first couple to make sure that just things feel like they're going to run smoothly. John Jamingo: The only way, the only pushback I have is I would never throw somebody into something that I don't think they're ready for. Marc Ronick: Oh yeah, John Jamingo: that being the first chair, and then you throw them in there, and then they freak out about being able to do that. It was funny. I believe in my time that I'm a better co host than I am at running the show. At one time, I felt like I was a lot better at running the last night that, you know, how chair? And I just kind of go back and throw lob jokes in. And I think we might get to that.

27:35 done with Kate, like, I can't I am a squirrel. If there's something shiny and primary. I can't have that up. I don't know how you do it. Marc Ronick: I don't know. I don't do it very well. I'll be honest. John Jamingo: Kate handles the things that we'll do, but like have a show, Bruce's show, after show at nine o'clock, and he's It's so much fun. I just sit back and listen, and I lob a joke in here or there, or have a statement or comment, and it's so much fun, and it's so much easier. But everybody This runs a show knows that when you're here, there's a tightness in your chest. I've done over 1000 episodes, and every time before I get I feel like I'm pit in my go live, it goes away, but chest as you're doing this. Marc Ronick: I agree with you, and I think just based on experience, I don't think I've ever done a solo podcast, but I work with solo podcasters, and I a little easier when you have somebody across the desk, if you That sounding board helps a lot, I think for a lot of people, not everyone, but I advantage to have that co host.

28:54 I'll John Jamingo: tell you what I did at one point. I said, I want to do a solo I don't want to do a solo podcast. And I made myself do it. So I went on every day, and at first it was horrible. I hated it. And then I did it every day for a while, and then when I finally got really comfortable doing it, and I could do an hour, and I was not having a problem, I realized I don't like doing this, so I stopped, but I know I can, Marc Ronick: yeah, exactly. How long? How many episodes roughly, did you do before you decided I John Jamingo: About 25 Marc Ronick: okay, I think that's totally fair. I think that's a reasonable amount of time to really see okay, because at first it's going to be uncomfortable and it's gonna you're gonna feel like, Yeah, I can't do this, right?

29:36 But I appreciate the idea of you just pushing through getting enough done before actually saying, Okay, this ain't for me. Once I was comfortable, once I was John Jamingo: comfortable doing this, I was like, You know what? I don't really want to do this, but I was comfortable doing it. Marc Ronick: Okay, real quick, pausing here, and then I'm going to go to BC with a question. I want to remind you, or really share with you, that if you're serious about starting or growing your podcast. Don't try to figure it out alone. Here at ironic media, I help podcasters launch and grow shows that actually move the needle with better sound, better videos, smarter strategy and a clear path to success. So go to ironic media.com and let's build something that you're proud of. Okay, BC you have a question for BC Babbles: I do so. I'm curious.

30:25 John, how do you or how would you suggest when we're ready, we go about acquiring or at least enlisting curious people to be co hosts? Do we put an ad out on Indeed, is this like a LinkedIn thing. Or do you just hit a couple of groups on Facebook to say, Hey, I'm open and willing. Weird phrasing. host who's interested. How do you go about that? John Jamingo: I think that Well, most of us know podcasters, and if any of two podcasters find out they have something in common, I'll just use the game of poker. Oh, we should do a podcast about that.

31:05 know, the niche or whatever, then find people that are very listen to them talk. And even if they've never podcasted before, just say, you know, I do this podcast thing. And if you got a microphone, I think we could make this work and then just try a couple test episodes where you just get in and talk and see if there's some kind of chemistry there, because if there's no chemistry, it's like pulling teeth. It's horrible. I've had a friend who has been podcasting for over 10 years, and we thought it would be great if we did a show together. We did like, three episodes, and we never put one out, but we did three episodes together, and it was horrible. It was there was it was so disjointed and disconnected. And it was like, you know, be funny. And I'm like, I'm trying, you know, and it was back and forth. It just did not work.

31:52 But they, both of us podcast with other people, and it works, Marc Ronick: yeah, and I'm reading in the chat here, Tim says here on clubhouse, I co Kyle Bondo for 60 episodes. Our podcast topic was pod fading, and how to avoid it naturally it pod faded. A show about pod fade. Pod fading. Imagine that. All right. And BC, did you have a follow up? I just wanted to make BC Babbles: sure I did Marc Ronick: not okay, just making sure. All right, cool. So I'm curious, by the way, if you are watching or listening, put a one in the chat. If you are a solo podcaster, put a two if you have a co host.

32:35 Just curious who's listening right now and what type of podcasters are listening right now. We got several ones coming out on clubhouse here. And yeah, Ralph says he's a one and a two. That makes sense. So is Gabe and Jonathan is a one now, but used to have a co host as well. BC, also solo podcaster. Okay, cool. This is interesting stuff. So John, what should co hosts talk about before they ever go live, hit that record button together. John Jamingo: I would just say how the show is going to flow, where, how you're going to go into and out of segments, who's responsible for what, who is going to do the reads, who's going to do commentary, that kind of stuff. I just think that just to go over the show of you know what you're going to do during the show, also have both or all the CO hosts involved in the prep, so that they don't come in cold.

33:33 There's some times where Kate will throw a story in and I didn't get a chance to read it, or I'll ambush her with a story. Well, sometimes I like ambushing her with a story, which because I know how she's going to react. Going to react. But you know, if you ambush somebody and they really don't know what's going on, it can be awkward, but most of the time we going to be, so they have at least some kind of idea what they're going to talk Marc Ronick: about. Yeah, that makes sense. And Gabe in the clubhouse chat says, I do a show with my wife on love and relationships, which I think is a beautiful thing, and I feel like that's also dangerous, maybe not for gay, but I could see that, you know, that you got to really have the right kind of chemistry to also be able to do a podcast with your spouse or significant other, just like in Business, right?

34:20 Like, I think, you know, some some marriages are best to just stay marriages and not bring business into it. And I think that goes for podcasting too. And I'm not suggesting people shouldn't do it. I'm just saying you got to talking with your co host ahead of time. I think that deserves a very serious sit down conversation between spouses on you know how what their expectations are, what their roles are, etc, or else things could get really sticky really quickly. Just John Jamingo: let your wife be in charge, just like at home. Marc Ronick: And that's a great way to handle it. I agree. Yeah. And I want to just divert here in the chat here, one of your co show cost them their marriage.

35:13 John Jamingo: is Bob, and he was because one time we were breakers off to his studio, and he just went out. But again, that, of course, I get blamed for everything, which is fine, you have to have a relationship with your wife where she knows you're going to go out and you're going to talk about something. The fact of the matter is that they went through therapy and everything, and then when he found it wasn't going to work, he did is he says, Hey, I'm ready to podcast again. Because we had taken a month and And he's like, I'm ready to I'm ready to podcast again. You know, when do you want to do it? I said, I can be ready in 45 minutes. And we went on and did a show.

35:54 So Marc Ronick: love that. John Jamingo: Yeah, it can ruin relationships. It absolutely can ruin it. Yeah, Marc Ronick: yeah. And I see also that Kate has commented that a few people have assumed that you and she are married. John Jamingo: Oh, absolutely, yeah, Marc Ronick: yeah. John Jamingo: They're shocked when they find out Kate is married. I am not. They are shocked when they find out that we're not in really, because we did. We kind of bicker back and forth like a couple. She's my podcast wife. What can I tell Marc Ronick: you? Yeah, yeah, right, exactly. Just like people say they have work wives and work husbands, same thing. Yeah, go ahead, Ralph, Ralph Estep Jr: yeah. And that kind of leads me. We've talked a lot about marriages. It's kind of takes me to conflict resolution. Not sure why that comes to mind, but works for me.

36:35 But let's talk about that. things when I listened to your into this, you're talking over can be really frustrating for sometimes, like I'm trying to John, how have you done that? you've done to build up that I'm sure Kate is listening. but you are a saint, my friend, and you give him a lot of space, but, but, Mark, excuse me, John, how do you make that hat? How do you make that work? John Jamingo: I gave up because I tried my best, because I'll be talking. And again, it's the being a podcaster and being somebody that is just talking.

37:16 When you're talking to somebody, they want to say that they're engaged to their Uh huh, yeah, yes, yeah. And I try to get it. stink about it, people like her doing that. And I'm like, Okay, I give up. And I just she starts. I keep talking over it. There's sometimes she says I wanted to say something, and you me. I can't do two things at once. I can't listen to you and continue talking. So when you talk under me, I can't listen to that. To know when you're doing it, you almost have to put your hands up and stop. Or, you know, something to do to stop me from talking. I gave up. I just gave up about it. And she Ralph Estep Jr: John, do you go do it after the show?

37:56 And do you guys have a dialog? Do you talk about, you know, are you able to talk those things through and say, Hey, I'm sorry that this happened. I'm sorry that this happened. Or is it just live and roll, and then as soon as the show's over, hey, we're all good again. What does that look like for your relationship? John Jamingo: It is. There's only been a couple times my fault where I've overstepped the line and it took and I just knowing Kate, I just let her, let her cool down, and then we'll talk about it. One was about a person that I talk about that she's not a fan of, and I kept doing it, and then she's like, I don't want you to do this anymore. I'm like, okay, okay. And I did it again, and that kind of upset her. But I think there are times where we there are times when we bicker back and forth, and then afterwards we laugh about it, or there are times where, well, we're bickering, but I'm we're both laughing at each other as we're doing it's not really.

38:46 It's performative more than it Marc Ronick: And Matt, in the with partners, I think are great Why are you laughing? John? John Jamingo: I think it's the I really believe it's the worst idea, the worst thing to Oh, if you really believe that, why don't you get a group of friends together, sit down with your significant other and start Sorry, I don't believe in that. Marc Ronick: Matt, do you want Unknown: Absolutely, good Yeah. Listen, this is going to go directly against what you were saying there, and not to disagree, all the stuff that you're saying is is great, and I which is definitely not what I was talking about there.

39:32 The perfect example is that I do a podcast with my wife. She's Irish, I'm Australian, and we moved from Australia in 20 23andme doing podcasts for a couple of years before that, we wanted to do one about our move. So moving from Australia to episodes before we left Did one that chronicled different aspects of us wrapping up the. House and packing the bags and doing all these things and a little bit of time here, and then have done episodes here since as well. Now we've been together for a while before we did the podcast. I'm a Podcast Producer now professional, but at the time, I'd been doing it as a bit of a side hustle for a bit, so the roles and responsibilities wasn't really an issue for us, which was great, but having that different place in the world, it gave us the space to talk about it in a way for people that aren't just in our pair, like it's not just us talking to each other with everything that we understand about ourselves. It allows us to objectively explain and talk it out as if the people listening don't know our full story, and that creates the platform to discuss things in a bit of a different perspective.

40:58 And in that sense, that discussing things in a different watching. Now, it kind of sounds when I explain it that way, that it's that there are problems to fix, and like, you know, we're just at each other all the time. Yes, I'm Australian. I need, I need Ireland to be hotter. Why does it rain all the time? Why is it so terrible? It's definitely not like that. But I think without the podcasts that we've put together, we wouldn't have come to terms with the move back to Ireland for her and to a new country for me in the same way. And I mean, we tick a lot of boxes that you've been talking about that can sometimes be issues.

41:43 Like we work well together. We've both been in careers that require us to talk in front of people, so guiding the conversation can be is easy Like the performative aspect is fairly easy, but there is something to creating a podcast about a topic doesn't have to be therapy, but that gives you a different perspective, but can also do well as something that people enjoy, listen to, listening to, which is, how many episodes? How many John Jamingo: episodes do you have? Unknown: We did 16 episodes 2023, and we've come back, and since at the beginning of this So we didn't put limitations on ourselves from the podcast perspective, like the purpose for us was providing people listening with insights and aspects for making the move, as well as it being a place where we can talk about stuff.

42:40 And invariably, as a secondary goal, it was a chance for people messaging us directly. Like I'd say 50% of our listenership is probably people that we know already. But, yeah, sorry, I talked over you there, John Jamingo: but I'm just saying tread lightly, my friend. That's all I can Marc Ronick: say. They're John Jamingo: done so I think they're okay. No, no, we're still going, Oh, you're still going, okay. Yeah. Called. A success. I don't know you are tap dancing on a minefield, I believe, but hey, good Marc Ronick: luck. John Jamingo: Don't think so. I will strongly disagree on that. Okay, that's my position. Marc Ronick: I do see a little bit of what Matt's saying, even from a perspective that podcasting, it can, can be good for conflict resolution if you're doing it with somebody who is also in your life personally, because you know you have people watching and listening to you. And I think that that can sometimes not always, but I think that that can sometimes force you and that other person to maybe tone it down a little bit right, like, if you are just private the two of you, you could have a very heated, maybe even sometimes inappropriate, depending on how you fight conversation, whereas, when you're on the mic in front of a camera, however you have your setup, you may tone it back a little bit.

43:58 And you know, just because you know people are watching, and you may want to make sure you're putting your best face on, right? Jonathan, you want to chime in, Jonathan Howard: yeah, I just feel like you're an example for other people, because people do say that you're an example for And Mimi and I were not married, but a lot of times there were, there was conflict resolution, there were things that we talked about that people would truly appreciate the way that we handled it. And there were times that we were ready to kill each other on air. So it was, it worked out well. And and, like I said, I still want, I'm still trying to get her to come back. So one of these days, Marc Ronick: yeah, I hope so that you guys talk about good chemistry. You guys definitely had a really good chemistry, and I would love to see the two of you jump back into it.

44:43 So yeah, To be continued there. All right, so here's what I want to do. I want to do a quick scenario round, and I'm going to address these scenarios to you, John, but really, I'm curious from the others too, if anybody wants to chime in with how they would handle these scenarios. And basically, yeah, I'll throw out, here's what I'll do. I'll throw out a couple of these co host scenarios. And John, I want your first reaction. So the first one is on the topic of being prepared. So if your co host regularly shows up, which it sounds like Kate would not do this, but if your co host regularly shows up, let's say, a couple minutes before the show, and isn't prepared. What do you do?

45:27 John Jamingo: You're gonna have to cover for them, all right, because it's a show and it's gonna have to cover for them. kind of like when you're having a marriage podcast, and you talk about things, and you think it's all great, and then you turn the mic off, and you found out it wasn't there's gonna be a conversation. And then when it happens too many times, and you're carrying them all the time, then there has to be a real hard conversation where, if you don't show up prepared, then I'm going to have to find something else. So we're going to have to do another Marc Ronick: thing. Cool, all right? And if anybody else wants to chime in and answer that question, you are more than welcome, BC go ahead BC Babbles: for the best part. This goes back. We a lot of time ago mentioned, you know, there's an etiquette to podcasting, so if you're gonna it's one thing to be a guest and to be just be late to being a guest on a show, but to be a co host and to know that you've signed up to carry on a certain part of the weight of the show, and to not be prepared, I think it's just poor, poor etiquette, and will easily cause me to rethink why I chance. Marc Ronick: Yeah, fair enough.

46:27 BC, Ralph, you want to take the next scenario, Ralph Estep Jr: and I want to just address what BBC said that I would. But I think one of the things that we can do to prevent that, BC, into everybody listening is talk through the plan, have a clear understanding of here's what we're going to do. This is one of the things that Mark and I have done. Mark and I have done a lot of we have a weekly sort of management meeting, for lack of a better way of saying it, where we talk through and we say, Okay, here's what we're thinking, here's what we're thinking. Because if you got to plan it out, you got to be intentional about that. So I mean, I think you're going to have situations sometimes that happens, but I think to have a plan in place, to have a clear delineation of what the goals of the show are. Mark and I had this very conversation yesterday, what are the goals? What are we trying to get to as a team?

47:08 What are we trying to get to as a community? I think if you set that out the beginning, I think it's those unspoken things which kind of think about it, if you want to I'm not sure that I have one, years. I love my wife, but, you know, it's hard. That's hard. Communication is hard. But let me pivot to the next thing Marc Ronick: before you do wait, I think Jonathan wanted to chime in, and then I'll hand it back to you. Go ahead, Jonathan. Jonathan Howard: I was just gonna say our best episodes were the ones where I showed up, not totally prepared. We had, we always had a show plan, but not totally prepared on the topic, and we just had a great conversation. So sometimes it can go the other way too. Marc Ronick: I agree with you, Jonathan, and that's something that I'm learning more and more even to this day, is that sometimes I over prepare for this show, and I stress the heck out when I'm planning, because I'm like, Oh, this isn't enough. I got to do more.

48:04 I got to do more. I got to do more. And talk about some of you may recall all the sleepless nights I was having. I would just stress myself out about it. So I think there is something to be said about planning, but not necessarily planning every moment. TTP, right. Trust the process. Yeah. Great points. say something, John Jamingo: yeah, sometimes you got to be a jazz musician. In other words, you got to keep up. And there's nothing wrong with you playing the show. And then something happens and you go off on a tangent. It's one of the best shows. So you just don't be so rigid. I spent all night planning for this, darn it. We're going to do this show. No go where the show goes, Marc Ronick: yeah, and especially with this particular show, with the morning show, with so many voices, it goes in different directions all the time.

48:50 All right, before we get to Ralph's, or, yeah, to Ralph's, next scenario. Sid, had something go ahead. Sid, Sid Meadows: yeah, um, so I'm going to kind of echo what Jonathan just said about off the mean, we did that yesterday, Mark, I didn't really know what we're going to talk about it, right, general idea, but I didn't know what the questions are. And, I mean, I'm good off the cuff so, and I think you are too, and your other two co hosts were as well. And so I think there's And I have a show, a segment show called Hot takes, that a co host on, and we spin a the question lands, we hot take the answer our thoughts to the answer to that question, or And it's spectacular, because if you're confident in who you are, what your experience is, you should be able to answer almost any question, right? And it's working so well.

49:46 I mean, my audience absolutely loves that segment, and I get tons of feedback every time that we do it. And I think there's something magical about off the cuff. I think there's just something special about sharing your real thoughts and your real personal. That gives in real time and not being so prepped that it just sounds so curated, Marc Ronick: agreed. Thank you, Sid, and yes, it is referring to our empowered podcasting live show that we do every other Wednesday that was yesterday. go to podcasting morning see yesterday's show right there You can just press play and enjoy. We don't put it out as a podcast, so you got to watch that one in particular as a YouTube or LinkedIn video.

50:32 Okay, so with that, Ralph, I'm going to have you give us one more scenario, and then let's share some takeaways from today's show. Go ahead. All Ralph Estep Jr: right, John, Your co host dominates the conversation and leaves little room for you or the guest. How do you address that? John Jamingo: Okay, I'm sure Bob You have to you do have to break in? And Bob would say, Well, I don't have anything to say. You took all the good points. So then I would say to Bob, okay, this time you're going to go first, and then I'll mop up, like, in other words, because I do feel that I listen to somebody and they take these points, and then I have something else to say after that.

51:14 And then Bob was like, No, I don't want to go first. And I'm like, Okay, well, then you get nothing to say or whatever. I don't know how to do this, but we're going on the fly. Also, Bob says he doesn't like over prepping. Yeah, we know, we know, but every once in a while you gotta have something to talk about, you know, Marc Ronick: yeah, all right, Ralph Estep Jr: sounds like you and Bob need a counselor. I Marc Ronick: think so. Now Ralph Estep Jr: listen, Bob did not send us that question. Marc Ronick: No, he did not that was a pre planned. your show, before I ask you my the boomer bunker. Mondays and Thursdays. You can find us on YouTube, Rumble and Twitch. Marc Ronick: I saw that Kate.

51:57 Kate said D.R. Fay: 6:30am or 6:30pm John Jamingo: I'm sorry. Okay, and, and you can find all our links to Ronick: Awesome. And I saw Kate said, You guys used to do that five days a week, the live stream. John Jamingo: Oh, well, see, Bob says to me on a Sunday night, I want to do a live show, a morning show every morning. And I'm like, Okay. And he says, I want to start Monday. And I said, That's a horrible idea. When do we start? So we spent the whole day getting everything ready, the name and everything, got the we started Monday. And we did it for like, a month, and then it was a grind. And I said, I can't do this every day. So we went to three days, and then we decided to go to two. Marc Ronick: Yeah, I don't know how you John Jamingo: do it. I don't know how you do Marc Ronick: I don't know how I I really don't. I mean John Jamingo: everybody you do. Marc Ronick: Thank you.

52:45 Everybody has, everyone has heard me ad nauseum talk about what I'm gonna do do. That's why we did we were doing it later, the later time I'm hoping is gonna keep things fresh and engaging for me. But yes, overall, I just have such a passion for doing this and meeting with all these people every day. That's what keeps me coming back every morning. So my question, my final question to you, John, what's one thing that every co host should do more often? John Jamingo: Communicate? Okay, honesty. Be honest. If something's bothering you, tell the other person, even if it's hard to tell the other person, because if you keep that inside, it festers, and that leads to conflict, and then conflict leads to pod fade. Marc Ronick: I think that's a great, a great scenario. That's when I again, I didn't communicate, I wasn't being honest with my co host, and that So yeah, I'm with you there, and I think let's see.

53:41 So if we're wrapping things up, I think that we've learned today that chemistry gets the show started, communication keeps it going right. Roles don't have to be equal, but they do need to be made clear, and hard conversations should happen. Maybe I'm actually I'm going to say I wrote this down, but I don't know that this is true or not. John, you tell me hard conversations should happen off air early and respectfully. What are your thoughts? John Jamingo: Oh, that's a tough sometimes, sometimes it's fun to just mix it up on the air. I say if it's really, really something that you think that they're going to be upset about, then off air, but if it's something that you think you can hash out, sometimes, I would say on the air, Marc Ronick: yeah, I think that if it's not a if it's not too sensitive of a subject, I think doing it on the air can do a lot, right? Dude, the audience appreciates that. They like that behind the scenes stuff, especially if it does include a little bickering, like you and Bob often do, John Jamingo: okay, Kate and I, mix up, mix it up also. Marc Ronick: And Kate, yes, all right, cool.

54:47 episode. And John, thank you so much, not just for being here today, but for being a part of this community more than just today, right? You, you found us what, maybe a month or so ago, I think, Kurt through Ralph and. this moving forward. So thank you. Appreciate you being a part of all this. Really, I John Jamingo: gotta thank Ralph. When I first met Ralph, and I found out he was a Christian podcaster. He, you know, I didn't say anything about my show, and then he started listening to my show, and then he told me, he says I listened to your show. And I went, Oh, my God, I had a heart attack. And I was like, sorry. So I found out I'm his guilty pleasure, and I love that. I know you'll have that. Marc Ronick: Yeah, that's Yeah, yeah. All right, I'll just bite my tongue. Thank you, John.

55:28 I appreciate it, and thank you all for being a part of this great conversation. And remember, we're back tomorrow, Fridays. It's our wins from the week segment. We will share our wins from this past week. Each individual will share at least one win that we want to celebrate together as a community, and we'll be diving into the mailbag, answering your to help you with your podcast. So until tomorrow, make it a great day. Everybody. Take care. You.