523. Why Podcast Community Matters More Than Ever

0:05 Marc Ronick: Good morning, Today is Friday, may 22 2026 and today we'll talk about why podcasters may be chasing audience growth before they've built real community, and how people already showing up can create your strongest lasting momentum. So, if you're listening live on Clubhouse, hit the share button, top right-hand side of the screen, and share it however Clubhouse lets you. And if you're catching us via podcast, YouTube, etc. please podcaster. And now, give us about 30 seconds, we'll get things rolling. Thanks for being here. The podcasting morning show is powered by Ironick Media, helping podcasters launch, polish, and grow great shows, and by Content creators accountant helping creators content. Good morning again, podcasting morning show. Thank you so much for being here. I am your host, Mark Ronick, and currently with me on stage, the virtual stage, we have Ralph Estep, D.R. Fay, and BC Babbles, and of course, yours truly. But also on the Clubhouse stage,

1:37 we have April and some and some Baza joining us as well from the audience, I asked them to come up here because when we started it was eerie quiet in here. D.R. Fay: It took pity on us. Marc Ronick: We don't normally - there's just like three of us, the first to come in the room. and keep us company. We're not used to it, but I see now we've got Gabe and Bez joining us here on Clubhouse as well, and Jonathan Howard, co-host. He has just joined us as well. Good to have everybody here. I've had my first day at home. Well, my wife had her first day at home yesterday, since she was unexpectedly in the hospital, so things were feeling a little more status quo after a crazy five or so days, and I've also got my parents in town as well, which has been very helpful, and a coincidence they didn't come in because of my wife's situation, they were already scheduled to come in, and it was a blessing to have them here, it's very helpful. So all things are going well for those of you who may be wondering, overall, like I said, we've got a road ahead of us, but things are looking good.

2:46 So today, before we dig in, I was just debating what to do here, because I have a feeling I was going to share. We're going to dive into our So this is our spotlight series, where we showcase our different community members and their podcasts, and I was hesitating because I'm wondering if Clubhouse is going to be able to hear it when I play it, because I feel like that's been a thing when I've tried it before. By the way, welcome. Now that people are filing in here on Clubhouse, oh, and so is Sid from live from London, so we'll check in with Sid as well. So I guess what I'll do first here is I'm just going to test this. I should have tested it beforehand, so please forgive me, but right now, so I'm in Riverside, I'm using their little share feature, much like you'd see on Zoom, for example, and I've got to, of course, turn So now my team here should be able to see at least a preview of what I'm about to show you. Today's spotlight comes from Cartridge and Quest, and it's hosted by Average Trav and Food Mike C.

4:00 that when we're not just using show, and a show like this one, I think it works well when we've got our podcast names, our radio names, whatever you want to call them, when we've got those little names, sometimes that helps an audience connect more with those hosts, it helps them remember the host's name originally initially, and then it's something that they kind of latch on to at times, so I like that. All right, before I really play it, so let me first tell you about this show again. Cartridge and Quest, the show is built around it's kind of like a those 9090s kids will instantly recognize, crapping, crapping.

4:41 Ralph, can you hit the words hard in the morning? Thank you. Jingle: Brain is not math, says glory. Guess I forgot words are hard in the morning. Crapping, I say that out loud. Ralph Estep Jr: It's that Marc Ronick: So the show is The kind of hangout a lot of 80s kids will instantly recognize, cracking open a cold beverage, heading into the basement, and talking retro games, pop culture, classic wrestling nostalgia, etc. So, as you listen to this clip, pay attention to the vibe. This is a show that seems to know exactly who it's for, what kind of feeling it wants to create. So let's check out cartridge and quest D.R. Fay: before you do.

5:29 Yes, the word cartridge is that referring to the VH one tapes that we used to have. I Marc Ronick: think that's referring to video game cartridges back today. Yes, yes. Which is a completely foreign concept to kids today, because you just download the games now, you don't even need anything, you don't have to even go to the store these days to buy those games. Okay, so let's mark, let me Ralph Estep Jr: throw one more So, if you want to see it, they actually submitted a video submission, so if you want to go check out the live show. If you're not there now, you can check it out afterwards, but check out what they send in, because it's very cool too. Marc Ronick: Yep, and you can show.com/join us. Here is Cartridge and Quest.

6:13 Clip: Crack open a cold one, and This is your brick-walled sanctuary, away from the daily grind of adulting and Dad Life, I am Average Trav, and alongside Foodie Mike See, we are bringing that pure 1985 energy straight to your speakers every week on The Cartridge and Quest Podcast. We ditch the real world for a deep dive into 90s nostalgia. We are talking everything from the SNES and Sega Genesis playground rivalry to attitude era wrestling, classic Saturday morning cartoons, and the wild fashion choices we all thought looked fresh. We will test your brain with cartridge conundrum trivia, judge some truly questionable lyrics in Lost in Translation, and break down exactly what these damn kids are saying today. Foodie Mike C might even drop some culinary heat by re-imagining iconic pop culture meals. Sure, some of those old games are pretty clunky now, and modern tech is actually nice, but those warm 90s memories are undeniable.

7:07 Whether you are rocking Air survive the week, grab your hang out. You can find the show, the merch, and the whole community right now at Cartridge and quest.com Keep it rad and peace. Marc Ronick: Thank you, Cartridge and Quest. I gotta say, if you were watching the video, it is very well done. I'm guessing that the way that you know they really bring us into a 90s basement, and I gotta think they were had to use AI to make some of that happen. I don't know for sure. BC, what did you want to add? BC Babbles: Well, good morning, everyone. To me, completely AI, but it's very well done AI, personally. But they had me at the Sega Genesis controller. Marc Ronick: Me too, they BC Babbles: had me in my.. that Marc Ronick: Yes, they had me at classic Nintendo controller on Yeah, really well done, kept my attention.

7:59 I will say I would encourage them, I would encourage them to get music that plays throughout the entire one minute seven seconds, and yes, technically that's a party foul. We only wanted 60, but I don't mind playing this. I know Cartridge and Quest, and these guys listen to the podcasting morning show encourage you guys. It's so well done that I feel like once the music cuts out seven seconds early, it just loses a little something. So, I would encourage you just find something that plays all the way through, but I can tell you again, this show, what stood out for me right away, at least with this clip, is how clearly the show is built around a feeling, right? It's not just we talk about games and wrestling, it's that basement hangout, the cold beverage thing, the 90s nostalgia, the kind of conversation where the they're sitting there with the connect so much with that, and Lowell Show, was that right, 90s. It wasn't just specific to 90s, but that was the same kind of feel we tried to create, was that people just felt like they were hanging out with us in the room, and it's a great reminder for podcasters, because your show description, your intro, your clips, all of it should help people understand the experience that they're stepping job of giving listeners a

9:32 and you can find their show at you'd like your podcast featured Show, submit a 62nd clip about your show at Podcasting Morning show.com/spotlight and if we select it, we'll do just like what we did here. We'll play it on a future episode, we'll share what stood out to us, and we'll introduce your show to our community of podcasters and creators. So do that again, that's. Podcasting Morning show.com/spotlight and if anyone else wanted to chime in, you are Since today is a community day, let me pause here real quick before we get into the topic of really what it takes to build a community and why I believe that's so important.

10:20 I just want to stop and say hello to Sid, who is in London at the moment. Sid, thank you for stopping in. I know I planted that seed earlier, but you heeded the call. I appreciate that. How's everything going in London? Sid Meadows: Good morning, or good afternoon, everybody. It's going great. London has been awesome. We're finishing up lunch at a pub with a pint and a apparel spritz, then we're headed over to Westminster Abbey for a tour, and so, yeah, it's London has been spectacular. Got a couple more days before I head home, and so, yeah, it's been great. I've been missing you guys, however, have been listening to the podcast, and I said this to Mark this morning, and I'll say it to all of you, if you've never listened to the show on podcast, you should. It's spectacular.

11:04 It is really good. The editing is great. VR is super funny on the show, not irritating as she is in person. I have laughed out loud in VR so Fay: I'm not irritating. Sid Meadows: Wow, that was. but no, just listening to the show, completely different experience rather than actually being on the show every morning, right? And it's been fantastic. The yesterday's show, I like, I was note taking like crazy, I sent on my notes, Mark, this morning, like that was a really, really good show. So I've enjoyed listening in, and so I've missed all of you guys, but it's been, it's been great to be able to consume via podcast, so I'll be back on Tuesday for two days, and then I'm off again. Marc Ronick: Yeah, awesome, I love it. And thank you, I appreciate the feedback, Sid, and maybe it is a little biased, but at the same time I agree with you, I, it's fun to kind of every once in a while I do like to go back and listen, just to hear how a listener hears it, and I would suggest to a lot of podcasters to do the same, and I'm already hearing some of you say, "Yeah, I do that already, so I hear it all the time. But honestly, it's a different experience once you edit it, and in your car, or when you're working out, and play it back, it's a different experience, and I think it's a really helpful one for us as podcasters. So, okay, cool.

12:29 Thank you, Sid. Sid Meadows: Really enjoyed listening into it, because I'm listening at, you know, it's midnight where you guys are when I'm listening, so you've already London's been great, and I'm excited to come home, but I got three more, three more days with my little princess here, and we're gonna do a lot of fun things, and so, yeah, enjoying the vacation, and Jonathan, did you get my text message? Marc Ronick: Oh, Jonathan, did Sid Meadows: Jonathan, Marc Ronick: did you get Sid's text message? He Sid Meadows: didn't respond to me. He's dis, Marc Ronick: he's not responding. There he is. Jonathan Howard: I did. I was, I was in the hospital yesterday. So, I'm Sid Meadows: sorry. Oh, now, Jonathan Howard: no, no, don't worry about it.

13:11 Are you Sid Meadows: okay, Jonathan? Jonathan Howard: We're, we'll We'll figure it out. Yeah. BC Babbles: Well, I Sid Meadows: found the perfect pub for Jonathan. It's called the Antisocial Club, and I said in the picture of it, Jonathan, I'm hoping, Manny, feel better soon. Sorry, Marc Ronick: yes, I hope so too, Jonathan. Feel better, and yeah, whenever you're ready to share more, by all means, we'll give you a moment to do so. But take care of yourself, my friend, and we're thinking about you. All right, let's do this today. I want to talk about something feel, but they don't always say it out loud. You could be creating something that's meant to connect people and still feel like you're doing it alone.

13:56 You're publishing episodes, you're checking the numbers, you're sharing the links you're trying to grow, and yet it can still feel quiet on the other side. So, today we're digging into what actually turns listeners into people who respond, they participate, they recommend, and help you build momentum. And some of this today, I think, is going to be a little bit from my podcast talk that I did in January, which was all about building community, and there's a five step process my presentation together that I think we'll share here today, but first I want to start with a What's something that a listener has done that made you think, okay, doing this podcast matters.

14:46 It actually is something that feels that I know I was meant to do it. This is a sign, right? That's a one way to put it. So, Ralph, you were first to raise your hand. What say Ralph Estep Jr: you? Good morning, everybody. Yeah, and I had something happen this week, which just absolutely floored me. And I've been asking all my a voicemail and talk about how And it was Monday or Tuesday, I got a voicemail from a person, and they said that I had changed They said that the financial things that I've showed them, they're finally getting to a place of feeling confident in their finances. They said that their marriage is And it was a two-minute voicemail, and you couldn't have paid me money to match the feeling that I had after listening to that.

15:41 definition of this is why I'm you what, man, it was just an I responded back in about 30 seconds to God, probably thought I was crazy, but no, but it was just amazing to hear how the words that I'm using, the effort that I put into my daily show, is impacting somebody in such a positive way, Marc Ronick: I love that, Ralph. Yeah, I have a recent one as well, and actually, not hope it doesn't embarrass the person, I don't think it will, but Gabe Lee, who's in the audience, who actually just put in the chat on agree more, Gabe, but Gabe is, I have a similar example to yours, Podcasting, and actually I saw in a couple other social media platforms as well, but he wrote something on the 19th, he wrote, show, I love the dynamic that Mark, Ralph, D.R.

16:44 BC, Alex Sid, and everyone brings to the conversation. This has been a great highlight for me to start my day and really learn so much about my passion for podcasting. Thank you all for the amazing all of us. I think there's a typo there, but nonetheless, Gabe, that really meant something to me, and it's when I get stuff like this, when I see these things, or like I shared a couple of times recently that LinkedIn post from a listener who said they were listening to 10 podcasts about podcasting, they found us, and within a few weeks dropped all the others and just listen to us. Those are the moments for me that really makes me say, yeah, this is worth it, right? Because there are certainly times doing a podcast that's five days a week and scrambling to make sure we can put on as good of a show as we can every single day. There are times where that grind starts to feel like, oh, why am I doing this right?

17:42 But then somebody like Gabe comes along, who's a newer member of the community and has been showing up loyally, religiously every day. That means the world to me. So, thank you to Gabe. And yeah, I, you know, these are the types of examples that I'm talking about. Does anybody else want to share an example, whether it's something like that or something What's something the listener has done that made you think this matters? Does anyone Sid Meadows: share Mark? Because I can't, I can't use the chili pepper for whatever reason. Marc Ronick: Okay, Sid Meadows: maybe it's C UK. Yeah, so I love the shares on social media. I love the comments, that's all really great.

18:22 I love the emails, but had a listener tell me two weeks ago that she shared a specific because the message was so When you hear that, like face to face, it was over a Zoom call, was really good, but when you hear her, this is the COO of a pretty large manufacturer, she said, I shared that with my entire team, because it was so impactful, and I want them to understand the meeting time, and I, that's why you do it, right? When they hit this year, and the fact that she didn't share it with just one person, she shared it with her entire team, which I think is 10 people, like that's why you do this. So, yeah, that for me, will I always remember that moment that she told me that. Marc Ronick: Love that one.

19:04 Appreciate that. All right, anyone else know? Okay. Well, I think that I do want to just make it clear that this is the part that I think a lot of podcasters miss, because the analytics to be in a certain that they usually want proof They want to see opportunities, they want to see credibility, they want people to care. Those things come from relationships, and relationships get stronger when people feel included, right. So, another question for you, maybe we can play off of that last question. What are some signs that your podcast audience or a podcast audience is actually starting to become a community?

19:50 Right, because there is a difference when we talk about audience, those are people who are pressing play on your podcast, we don't necessarily. they're coming back the next that's your audience, that's viewers, but a community to me, well, this is an example right here, right, this very group of people, these are people that to me are showing up all the time, they're participating, they're communicating that about this show, they're sharing it with others, and I know I've given you a bunch of examples already now, but Ralph, what say you? What, what are some signs that a podcast audience is starting to become a community? Ralph Estep Jr: So, the thing that I look for is if people are sharing my content when I go on to social media and I see somebody has a have I post a reel or something like that, and somebody shares and says, "Oh, you got to listen to this. That to me is the definition of you have a community. I call them my brand ambassadors, and I'm starting to see a lot of those people, and that really reinforces what you're talking about, Mark, because those are the people that are going to tell other people I'm a believer in sort of guerrilla relationship marketing, and that is going out and taking a genuine interest in one person, and then the next day I find somebody else, and I find interesting. We talked a little bit about this pre show, that's the way I've built a lot of relationships in podcasting, and when I reach out to somebody, like we're going to have somebody we'll talk about later on the show Tuesday, that was because I basically reached out

21:22 to that person on LinkedIn. I said, I really appreciate what And now this is now she's going to come on the show, and you know, if you have people out there doing the same for your content, that is what is going to grow your community, and once your community grows, when you go out for a say? Oh, where's a good restaurant to eat? You listen for what other people say, and you, if somebody said it's terrible, you don't go there at all. But your content is going to work the same way. If you can build this community of people who are your brand ambassadors, it is going to be super successful for you, and your download numbers will be the afterthought, because your community is going to be so strong that you're just going to have a huge presence.

22:05 Marc Ronick: Yeah, sometimes signs at seeing our audience check out this guy's podcast, I really like it. I think that is to me, that's a seed for community building, and Ralph, you taking it a step further and noticing those people who are sharing and reaching out to them and thanking them. That's where you start to nourish that seed, right? You're actually rewarding a reward to hear from the person say thank you, that means a lot. Ralph Estep Jr: Absolutely, and I like what April put into the YouTube chat. She said to me, community is made up of action takers who come alongside you on your journey, and vice versa.

22:51 And then she put hashtag in the clubhouse chat, and that is exactly the correct answer. April, thank you so much for Marc Ronick: Agreed. Yeah, for me, I think it's yes, it's the people who are sharing my stuff, but it's also the people who take the minute to reach out to me and to tell me, like Ralph, like what you were sharing earlier, the people that thank you for what you're doing, send you an email, send you a DM, etc. That's a great sign for you to take action and start that connection, because it's not that they necessarily are going to be upset about it or angry about it, and I think I may have shared this once before, not too Conference, me, Jason Circon, and Rich Perry, we do a every other week show where we're sharing about what's going on behind the scenes and sharing about different community members, and the way that I promote that show, I don't do ads, I don't pay for ads, I don't put up a lot of short clips or anything like that to get people's attention.

24:02 I literally reach out to, I'd say, one to two dozen people from the community that I've identified as either community members or potential community members. I reach out to them like two hours before we go live, and I send each of them a link, and yes, I do copy and paste, but I try to come up with like three or four different messages to them, right? So, just to make it a little more personal, and I ask them to come join us, and we get a great turnout. Now, of course, we're not going to get hundreds of people, but we do end up getting a few dozen people that show up with virtually no other promotion other than reaching out to the community one person at a time, and it makes all the you're doing a live stream and popping in. It changes my energy when I start to see people filing in. So that's my example.

24:57 And by the way, you know, I went from. Earlier, when we started the show, saying, "Where is our community? To now I'm seeing people. We've got several people watching on YouTube. We've got a full house here on Clubhouse. Thank you all for being here So, is any Sid Meadows: Mark, can I add into this? Marc Ronick: Yeah, go ahead, Sid Meadows: Sorry, I think really building a community is one that have my cell phone even a comment when they say want more content like this or Great episode, I want to think would be a great guest on your show, so when they're like taking a role in who they want suggesting people, that's a huge almost raving fan when they're saying, 'Hey, interview these people, and somebody who's 90% introductions to potential Marc Ronick: Oh, yeah, yeah, I how we're doing it with this right. We're just having, making those connections, and then, yeah, inviting people into your world, or having people invited into your world based on your answer. Yeah.

26:11 Thank you, Sid. Appreciate that. You know, this feels to me like a place to lead into that framework that I was talking to you guys about earlier, because I do also, by the way, want to save a little bit of time to share our wins from this past week, like we do every Friday. So, let's do that. Let's shift from the bigger idea of community into something practical. It's easy to say build community around your podcast, but what, what does that actually mean, right? What do you do? Where do you start? And we're starting to hit on some of those things. How do you make people feel involved without turning it into another overwhelming job on your list?

26:56 framework that I've used and look, this is something that intentionally, sometimes by because it took something like to force me into thinking, what are those unintentional things that I've been doing that work what we've built here at the here's that five step framework. It starts with embed before you lead, and we'll get into the details. Embed before you lead. Number two, notice who the Number three, invite them into this world that you've created. Number four is elevate them publicly. I'll explain, cut, and then lastly cut what you don't need. So I want to go through these one at a time, but I don't want this to become a big lecture, so I'll explain each step briefly.

27:55 Then I want to open it up to the room and hear how this show, how this shows up in your podcast, your community, your audience, or even communities that you've been a part of doesn't necessarily even have to be your community. It can be something that you've noticed from others. So, first, like I said, embed Before leading your own community, show up meaningfully in other spaces, not yours. I'm not talking about your space. Answer people's questions, cheer people on, support people, and become known through your contributions in that community. So, I'm curious, where you all have shown up consistently before trying to lead your own space. I want to hear about what those communities are, who those said, where you're showing up Who would like to share? Go ahead, Ralph.

28:47 Ralph Estep Jr: Well, I will I will say this. One of the things that I did when I first got started in podcasting, and this isn't a plug for Dave Jackson, but it's going to sound like it. I joined the school of genuine interest in that post something, when people if he had a party for listening to a show, I took an interest in that, and it really helped grow my influence, because then they're like, "Well, who's this guy, Ralph? What does Ralph do? And I was supporting them, and I anything? And I didn't know about this community at the time, so it was that was the community I was going to, but I think that's the thing that all of us can do. I do the same thing on LinkedIn. I go to LinkedIn every day, and I take about 15 minutes of my time, and I go find an independent or DIY podcaster, and I just reach out to him, saying, "Hey, I checked out your stuff, and I take an interest, I actually go check their stuff out, and I build that one by one, and that has really worked significantly well for me to get to be known in the appreciate that. And we have some of our community members that want to chime in.

29:51 I'm going to go to april 1, who's on the Clubhouse stage, and she's watching on YouTube. And then I'm going to check in with you, Gabe. So, first, April, go for it. Good morning. April: Good morning, everyone. So, for me, what I'm going to be doing on my future what I call vodcasts is to bring on people who are tribe leaders, as I call know each other. I give an example, Pat Flynn knows Chalene Johnson, but maybe their people don't know each other, so bringing them on to have a conversation, bring on their community members to get them introduced to each other, get them engaging would be win-win for each of them, as well as for myself, because then people will will get to know me from their love, Marc Ronick: I like that, so it's almost the approach is almost like connecting two into, or at least encouraging those two. I love that idea.

30:54 I think that's awesome, and I think you can do that with big communities like Shaylene and Pat has, or you could do that with small communities just the same, so yeah. D.R., you want to chime in, and then we'll go to Gabe. D.R. Fay: Yeah, so before it closed down, I was a pretty active member in a podcasting producers group, or podcasting managers group, and the leader of it has it stemmed from a course that I took, of course. You know, whatever. Marc Ronick: Of course, you take, D.R. Fay: and it became a very lively Facebook group that I was very, very much involved in, and answers if they had a question, and it did so much for my, I don't want to say ego, but it kind of validated, oh yeah, I do know this stuff, you know, sometimes you don't know what you don't know, you know, and I actually did know this stuff, and it kind of was so ingrained in me that I didn't realize that I was helping people, so the leader of that group has decided to go back to shut down the course, go back into the agency kind of life, and so Mark, you and I have kind of developed this other Facebook group that is stemming from that Podcast Pros 2.0 and we're trying to get that going, and I think we have a pretty good start on it, actually.

32:26 So, yeah, I'm so pleased that we've got that going, and that we can continue those strategy calls, although we haven't done one for a couple weeks, but I am so happy to keep that going. Thank you for helping me with that, Mark. Marc Ronick: You're welcome. And that's, that's actually really an interesting part, which it kind of leads into it's somewhat like notice the regulars, which was step two, but it, because I think DR. I noticed two things that you did from rebuilding that community. One was I noticed that you reached out to some of those individuals that you got to know a little bit through the original community, and you asked them to be a part of what you were building now, right? And then you also reached out to me, somebody that you know that builds communities, and you asked for help, can you help lead this with me?

33:19 D.R. Fay: Yeah, Marc Ronick: right. And I think that these are all important steps to pay attention to, because they really do make a big difference for us leading these communities. It helps us a great deal by bringing in other people. Yeah, yeah. Thank you, DR. Appreciate that. Let's go to Gabe, and then I know Janae wants to chime in, and some people have been chiming in on the different chats, so we'll try to get to those as well. Go ahead, Gabe. Good morning. Gabe: Good morning, everybody. So one of the things that I've learned, Mark, that you kind of just covered the five steps, the secret everybody can actually use to build a community, but a lot for me is doing what I'm doing now is showing up constantly, like taking in all the input that everybody shares, like see all the wonders and magic that everybody seeing their gifts and talents, and then open up about it, and let them express it, and then getting to know each individual.

34:13 I haven't said anything since has been learning about everybody go check out their do, listen to their podcast, person, because I'm feeling that not only build community, but I love building relationships, and you know, Ralph even made LinkedIn, I mean, I've spent my majority of my time on LinkedIn, I used to do an everyday live stream. I built, I've built communities, but it all starts by quietly going in and saying, let me see the value and the people first, and then start from there. So, just wanted to share, I love it where you guys do here, like that's why I wrote the post that I did, because I don't endorse. Or show up to things unless I feel it really does bring some kind of value to myself and to the others that I share it to, so thank you for letting me share. Marc Ronick: Thank you, Gabe.

35:10 You had a lot of people flashing emojis of approval while you were sharing that. I think that's an important one, and I think that's similar to what Jessica was sharing in the clubhouse chat. She said that I started building relationships with local charities, similar but not quite the same. I admittedly kind of browsed it before I read it. I started by building relationships with local charities and establishing book clubs rooted in connection and conversation. Transitioning into podcasting felt natural because the trust was already there. That's so huge, Jessica, and again, Gabe, so is your share, and I think the combination here is a really important one to highlight. Sometimes we put the cart before We start the podcast and expect the community to build, and it can. I'm not saying it can't, right, but for some of us that might be harder than for others, and I think establishing real community, meaning real life community, in-person community, and connecting with people in the real world can then translate into growing your podcast, growing your social media, et cetera.

36:15 So, getting out there and networking, I think, can go a long way, and yeah, if you can the internet, I think that that can then come and translate over into your podcast whenever you get that started. Janae, I know you wanted to chime in too. You want to, you want to share. Junaid: Morning, everyone. Yes, I do. Mark, and you, this is such a powerful conversation, because our communities is what helps us grow from where we are, and I stepped into all of this barely eight years ago, right? I wasn't a podcaster, I wasn't anything, and I embedded myself into, okay, starting a podcast, joining these podcast communities. The first one that I was part of was Anchor FM, and I met so many people in there, and that led me to unconventional leaders, and it just so happened that we had this pandemic, and if it wasn't for the leader to lead these calls every single day, where we get to come in and embed ourselves, you know, be present, I wouldn't be where I am today, so it all comes down to who's leading the community.

37:23 How much facilitating are they doing to bring the people together, and that's really, you know, where you mentioned first being a, you're embedding yourself into the community, getting to know the people. Marc Ronick: Janae, I'm curious, a powerful or strong community What is it that you notice about a leader that draws you to them? And I know that's a tough question. Junaid: You know, the one thing that a strong community leader does is they're vulnerable, they comes at a huge cost, because not everybody is able to share that kind of messaging. The entire story, the entire journey, that it's all shows you that you know this person is a nice person, this person is somebody who cares.

38:16 And I saw the same thing with you, I saw the same thing with Heather, I saw the same thing with others that I've been in communities with Gabe, you know, Brian Shulman's communities like these are powerful, very down to earth people, heart centered them, right, and that's automatically just clicks in person versus somebody who's know, showing up, or you know, journey, maybe they're going haven't crossed over the bridge yet, and choices as well. Thank you, Marc Ronick: thank you, Junaid, I appreciate that. So, just help, help keep me straight here. Did we go?

39:00 Are we still on embedded embed yourself into the community, other communities? Sorry, wow, words, yes, don't do Coffee's hot, brain is not, mouth says glory. And guess I forgot, words are hard in the morning. Did I say that out loud? Marc Ronick: Have we moved on to Did I move? I don't think so. So, noticing the regulars, that means to pay attention to the people who keep showing up, the ones that are engaging, that are contributing without needing to be pushed, these are the regulars that I think it's important to pause, like Ralph does, like others have explained, pause and reach out to them, thank them, communicate with them, acknowledge them, right, and I'm just going to keep things.

39:59 Moving, for sake of time, for a second, and move to the next prompt, which is elevating them publicly. Okay, so they're the regulars, they've proven that they're in this with you. Then it's time to elevate them, recognize them publicly out loud on your podcast, mention their names, highlight wins, point to people as leaders look not to toot my own horn, but that's exactly what we do here, all of those things, right? I've identified leaders, the people that you see on Clubhouse here with the green beans by their names, that meaning that they're co-hosts, that they're moderators, these were all people that were listeners first, that I just recognize as people who had a lot of value, who believe in what I'm trying to do here, and they're also echoing what I'm trying to do here, so it's so important to have people to let people be seen, show that who they are, recognize them, and if anybody has examples or contributions they want to add, as I rattle through these five steps, because I promised you I would, you're what, more than elevating people publicly is me make sure of that. Did I just do three?

41:22 I don't know, I've lost track. Embed notice, invite them in. Yes, that's right. And then elevate them publicly. And number five, cut what you don't need. Now, this isn't necessarily directly related to building the You need, I believe what worked for me was to simplify, let go of some of the tactics, like the constant promotions and the extra efforts that don't actually build the connection. Focus on something that Gabe was saying, I believe it was Gabe showing up consistently, focus on supporting, focus on being more involved, and elevating people.

42:06 I'm not saying throw out all of your tactics, throw out all of your strategies, and just focus on this, but identify some of the things that feel like put them aside and put that this community, because again, show, and some of the things we were sharing, that's where you start getting more of that wow, this made such a life, Ralph, right, like that much more rewarding than just get those growth strategies to Those are the five steps I think that this is a good spot to switch some gears here, but if anybody has any final thoughts just around that or around building community, I want to hear about it. If not, oh Lindsay: yeah, I have.. I do Marc Ronick: so sorry, Lindsay, I forgot I saw you come up, and then I totally lost you because you're below the fold on my screen, so yeah, please chime in, Lindsay. Good morning, Lindsay: yeah, no worries at all, and it's perfect timing always.

43:17 So I love this conversation, and one thing I also wanted to really mix into the space, especially for those that are sitting on the cusp of, like, do I create a podcast, what do I talk about on a podcast, all of those things, and so one thing that I think most people with communities don't consider is starting a podcast, so for instance, Wellness Warrior Collective has existed for 12 years, the podcast only for four, because the Wellness Warrior podcast was created to nurture the community that was already cultivated, and so I do believe you can do it both ways. There isn't a right way, start with one and do the other.

43:59 However, I did want to bring into this conversation that if you already are in a community and you're serving and you love what you're talking about, lean in. So that's what I wanted to throw in. Marc Ronick: Thank you. And that really translates to a community when you lean in to your content, to your community, they pick up on that so much, the passion comes through, and if you're just kind of going through the motions, or you're feeling like you're in a grind and not really feeling it, that translates, and that's where you start to lose listeners, you start to lose community members. So, it's important to follow that passion.

44:39 I appreciate that, Lindsay, so much. Thank you. Let's do it. Wins from the week. stop and celebrate with one Something that's gone on this week that's worth stopping and celebrating, stopping and smell. The roses, if you will. I think that sometimes, again, going back to this conversation about getting stuck in a grind, I think that it's important to have these moments where we stop and recognize that we're doing it right, and, like, I've, like, I always say, if doing it is just getting out of bed every morning this week, because it's been a really hard week, that's worth celebrating too, so let's do it. And I noticed that Roy has joined us from the audience up here on stage.

45:27 Roy, I'm going to jump the line for a second and ask, did you come up because you want to share a win or did you want to add something to the Roy: Yeah, hey Mark, I did want to add to the community conversation, if that's okay. Thank you. Yes, so I see it as having an audience, a network, or a community, and there's a difference, and a lot of people confuse the three. So, an audience is you to them, a network is them to you, but a community is them to them or think that earlier the question was asked of what makes a strong community community leader.

46:10 So I believe that a strong community leader is someone who can facilitate their members connecting with each other, and I see a lot of Facebook groups, and now a lot of school groups, and I guess wherever there are groups that gather that the leader, the owner, the host is so fearful, I think that's the word of people connecting with one another because of blank and Marc Ronick: Okay, Roy: she all didn't know what - what happens is they.. I don't know. It's, it's, it's weird, event, they don't say anything.

46:54 It's like, yeah, you can connect with each other, that's their community. You can give me your calendar link, you can slide into my DM, but when it's virtual, like a Facebook group or a school group, they don't allow it. No poaching, yeah, no And I, for one, want to do something about it. So, April and I are going to lead the brigade, so to speak, and let people know that the strength of your community is when they connect with each other, when they can do that, post their calendar links, DM people in the right way, of course. You know, not to promote, "Hey, you want to buy my product? "Hey, you want to buy my service? Not like that, but, "Hey, do you want to get on a call together, see what we have in common? Let's record it, because April and Roy want that.

47:43 link, and if it's good enough, So, anyway, Mark, I just wanted to be an advocate and share community members to community members, that makes a strong leader of a community, in my humble opinion. Thanks for the opportunity. Yeah, Marc Ronick: you're welcome. Actually, a beautiful way to segment, so thank you, Roy. And I would have a lot more to say, but I want to make sure that we get to anybody who wants to share their wins. But what I will say is, yes, community to community member is super valuable and important to recognize as a distinction, and that's, you know, like Jessica's here in the audience right now, and I believe that she's here because we made a connection outside of the podcast. I think that those kinds of connections really go a long way, and yes, there she is, she's back.

48:34 embarrassed you. All right, so listen, since we are so short on time, if you have a win to share, you can put it in the chat, whatever chat you're in. If you're on Clubhouse, I hope that you'll share it here on stage, and so many of you are on stage today. But first, Ralph, go ahead, you can kick us off with any wins you have. Ralph Estep Jr: Okay, I got two big wins. Number one win is we are in Grand Sun Watch officially now. The launch date, at the very least, is going to be next Wednesday, but it could be any moment now. So, Ralph is going to be a proud grandpa here pretty soon. So, please keep my family in your prayers. There's a little bit of a com.. there's a little bit of a medical issue going on, nothing life-shattering or nothing big deal, but please keep them in My, my daughter-in-law, Hunter, my son, Ryan, and my future grandson - they won't give me the name.

49:24 I think it's going to be Ralph, but that's okay. A second big win for me, and it's kind of feels like it pales in comparison, is I reached number two on the Christian Finance podcast chart. So, in Christian finance, Ralph's show, Financially Confident Christian, has reached number two, and that is a huge win for me, so thank you everybody who supported that, and that's my wins for this week. Marc Ronick: Congratulations, Ralph, and excited for you that you can be a grandpa. I feel like that when that day comes for me, it's going to feel very weird to be able to call myself a grandpa, that just doesn't feel for. Doesn't feel right, but here we are. So, congratulations, Steve. Ralph Estep Jr: I got the gray You can't hardly see, because I try to cover them up.

50:09 Marc Ronick: All right, let's go And then DR. Go ahead, BC. BC Babbles: All right, two quick myself to the See the South Capitol Summit this earlier this week, also, despite the bipolar mentality that is Lake Norman weather this time of the pool, so I'm Marc Ronick: gonna go BC Babbles: into the weekend happy. Marc Ronick: Congratulations, DR. Do you want to share? D.R. Fay: Yes, I do have a win Okay, so last week we invested a whole lot of money to get our two bathrooms completely renovated. Yes, my husband and I have separate bathrooms, and yes, we have separate TVs. This is the secret to our 25 year relationship.

50:55 So, yeah, I have a fully beautiful bathroom. It feels like I'm in a freaking hotel room. It is amazing. So that's my win. Marc Ronick: Congratulations. in the chat here that he's and today heard a new, heard a I think he meant to say a new episode from Steven Bartlett. At least that's my guest. Gabe says big win this week is his wife is publishing her chapter in a new anthology book. Very cool. I want to share mine for a minute, if you don't mind. And I just want to make sure if anyone else does, anyone else have any wins they want to share, because I want to make sure the community gets to, yeah, Junaid.

51:41 Do you want to add something? Junaid: Yes, I wanted to update the news that I heard about Steven Bartlett. He's recently raised $425 million from some of the people that we know, Cody Sanchez, and basically what he's launching is he's calling this the creators operating system, like, okay, I've been on the the past six months with what this is going to be So I'm super excited that that's the first signal. I wrote a whole article I could share in the notes about my journey in 2014 that when I saw Instacart raising $44 million I stopped on an app that I was building that was going to do the same thing Instacart was doing, and this time I'm going full speed ahead, buddy.

52:30 Marc Ronick: Good, good. I love it, I love it. I was wondering where you were going with that, because I was worried that you were going to be discouraged by that, and no need, because you have, you have the power of a community behind you, and I know you have at least 40 beta testers going, and you and I've seen what you've built, and it is amazing. So, yes, keep going. Who cares about Stephen Doesn't matter, you've got a big thing coming, and yeah, it's worth worth pursuing. So, congratulations. D.R. Fay: Do you need any other beta testers, because I would love to get in on that. Junaid: Always open for new beta Marc Ronick: How do we do Junaid: it? Go over to podglu.com for slash contact, or there's a big join wait list on top that you can click on to join in.

53:16 Marc Ronick: Awesome, D.R. Fay: cool. Thank you. Marc Ronick: Yeah, thank you, Junaid. My win is about being able to recognize and respect my I shared it at the beginning of the show. I've been sharing all week. My, my wife Amy was unexpectedly in the hospital from Saturday to Wednesday, and at first I found myself stressing about my day-to-day life. Right, what am I going to do about the show in the morning? What am I going to.. what about the calls I have to schedule with my existing and potential podcasting clients, and I've got sponsorship calls for Empowered Podcasting attend, like all of this stuff and then by Monday afternoon I all of those things, although business, they can wait, right?

54:10 Like those things will still be there. I really had to just put all of my focus, all of my priority on my family, on taking care of her, on taking care of the dog, on taking care of the and also having my parents in to them a little bit too, which they kept telling me they don't require any tending to, but still I wanted to, you know, make sure they're having a good time too. So it's important, like, we can get really wrapped up in the grind and wrapped up in all of the things, and I think that we have to do, I had to do a better job of letting that stuff go this week, and that in itself is a win, but it's also, again, I have to celebrate this community as a win, Ralph being a big support, making sure that we had topics for the week, and even went as far as creating rundown.

54:59 Downs for me, because we use a rundown and outline to follow each day, so you know, having and DR. being in my corner every morning and helping with the final preparation of the show, and all, and everybody just reaching out and having my back. All of these things are also wins, and I think also a great way to wrap up a conversation today about community, so I thank all of you for your support. I thank you for having my back, and looking forward to next week. We are not doing a show Monday for the holiday here in the United States, and we're back Tuesday. Tuesday? Ralph Estep Jr: Oh, yeah, Tuesday is going to be fantastic, and I feel like it's hard to come in after that, Mark.

55:42 So, and it's been an honor It really has been. Thank you. But no, Tuesday's gonna be great. We have a special guest, her name is Katie Falk. She's actually the marketing director at eCamm, and we're gonna be talking about video podcasting specifically. We're gonna talk about getting comfortable on camera. Katie's somebody who's really struggled with this, and she's made that very obvious, and then she's given us some ideas for overcoming those on-camera struggles and practical tips to build confidence. So, really looking forward to her coming out. She's a great person to, once you get to know her, you'll be like, "Oh, I love this person, she's gonna be great. So, make sure you join us on Tuesday, that'll be a great episode. Marc Ronick: Yeah, looking learning a few things about us Tuesday. Remember, no show Monday, and you can find out how to join us at Podcasting Morning show.com/join us. So, until Tuesday, make it a great long weekend, everybody. Take care.