The Evolution of a Podcast
Thinking creatively about your show
As a Podcast Coach I’m here to help new and aspiring podcasters do the difficult, but ultimately critical, work of mapping out a podcast and its launch to ensure long-term success. Below is the origin story of The Groove Radio podcast, the longest running soul music podcast, and a great example of a long and winding podcast journey that has given me many opportunities and taken me unexpected places. I want you to be inspired by the opportunities that your podcast can open up in your life and and get you thinking outside of the box.
I grew up in Prairie Village, Kansas in the 80’s, and while adoring the pop songs of the day — think Styx and the REO Speedwagon. I also listened to quite a bit of KPRS, Kansas City, one of the oldest black family owned radio stations in the U.S.
Every Friday I would head to the other side of town in my Honda CRX to a record store called 7th Heaven buy records and cassettes of artists like Roger and Zapp, DeBarge and the Dazz Band. My parents were big fans of jazz. Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn and Dizzy Gillespie were big in the Chase household, so 80's R&B seemed like a natural continuation of the music to me.
At 19 years old I left the University of Kansas to work in radio full-time in Kansas City. First at KUDL filling in for the love songs show “Cuddle at Night”, then at KRVK The River, as the overnight jock, and finally at KLTH Lite 99.7FM where I hosted an evening love songs show before moving to New York City when I was 28.
In 2003, my podcast The Groove Radio originally started with a question: what is missing on regular radio? My answer was b-sides and obscure soul music. Regular radio relies heavily on national research and quarter-hour scheduling along with commercials. I wanted my show to be a point of soul music discovery, all music all the time. I realized you could build TSL (time spent listening) by not resorting to the most familiar songs. I discovered that you can play a familiar artist’s not so familiar song, such as Stevie Wonder, and still retain listeners. As a podcaster this was revolutionary for me, I learned that I could take lessons from major market radio and apply it to a micro-niche podcast.
When the iTunes Radio Tuner came along with its 300 radio stations from around the world it was innovative. The Groove Radio in the form of mp3 mixshows debuted on the Midnight Soul Radio station in iTunes Radio Tuner.
In mid 2004 I discovered podcasting. I couldn’t get enough of The Podfather, Adam Curry, and the Daily Source Code where he talked about everyday life, flying and podcasting news, as well as The Dawn and Drew Show which inspired me to set my sights on podcasting. When podcasting started it was literally all about the spoken word but I realized I could use podcasting as a medium for music.
As 2005 approached I longed to reach a wider audience but found myself intimidated by the technical challenges of podcasting. I’m right brained and more interested in the creative part of podcasting than the tech part so thank goodness for Dave Mansueto’s support and expertise. If you’re not familiar with Dave, he’s a badass OG in the podcasting space, one of the co-founders of Libsyn and founder of BossJock Studio. I owe so much to Dave who was crucial in helping me launch The Groove Radio as a podcast on Liberated Syndication (now Libsyn). When it came to my technical questions Dave had the patience of a saint. If you have an idea for a podcast don’t let the technology part hold you back from planning your dream show.
A little bit of networking can expand your reach and diversify your show. In May 2005 I shot an email to CBS Interactive’s Stephen Page, legendary San Francisco radio vet and asked him if I could come on board the first podcast radio station KYCY (K-YOU Radio). He said yes and The Groove Radio got a daily slot on that station. Additionally, I personally syndicated my podcast on 10 internet and local radio stations in the U.S., Italy, Japan, & France.
In 2010 I broadened my idea of podcasting potential. I was able use The Groove Radio podcast to land a DJ residency at Trophy Bar in Brooklyn. For the first time I was able to play my grooves in front of live humans while recording a podcast! I never thought in a million years I would be DJ’ing in New York City. It was a blast to bring my rare grooves, 80’s funk & 70’s disco to Trophy Bar.
As a podcast coach I want you to know that you can do it with your unique idea! Find your inspiration, make goals, take actionable steps to tweak, pivot, refine your podcast or push it out of bounds.
In 2005 I attended podcast meet-ups and it was me and a bunch of dudes talking about gear, tech and software at an Irish pub. I had come to talk about concepts, visions, and creative ways to use podcasting. From day one I’ve been championing podcasts as a creative outlet. That’s why I’m here. I want to be your podcasting cheerleader because I’ve had to pave my own road all these years. Podcast growth doesn’t need to be a lonely adventure.
I’ve been refining my podcasting skills for over a decade. Do you want help with your intro, attracting guests, developing a framework for shows, workshopping a format idea or whatever else is on your mind. I’ll give you practical tools & tips to start putting into action right away. The wide world of podcasting is open up for you and your dream. Let’s talk about your real-life questions in real-time.
