A few weeks back, I was driving to a speaking engagement in New Jersey and I spent the two hours in my car listening to my friend Melissa Anzman’s Launch Yourself podcast.

The Launch Yourself podcast features interviews with successful entrepreneurs about their business, lifestyle, launches, struggles, goals and dreams. People I admire like Jenny Blake, Paul Angone and Kelly Gurnett have all appeared on Melissa’s podcast.

When I got home from the event in NJ, I saw Melissa had actually commented on my Instagram photo from the speaking engagement, so I took the opportunity to let her know I had been listening to her voice all day in my car! From there, the conversation got rolling and next thing I knew…Melissa had invited me to appear on her podcast!. (Funnily enough, the whole conversation, including the invitation, are all in the comments section of the Instagram photo…isn’t social media great?)

The interview took place over Skype a couple of weeks ago and today, it is LIVE online and in the iTunes store. You can subscribe to Melissa’s podcast on iTunes (it’s completely FREE) or click over to her blog and listen to it right there.

In the podcast, Melissa and I chat about:

• My website’s rebranding from a book review blog to the Get Gutsy theme you see today
• Going against “pro blogger’s” advice to find a niche for your blog
• How blogging can lead to other awesome opportunities
• Getting gutsy and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone
• How my community (all of you!) actually named my blog and played a major part in the rebranding
• What worked for me and my blog and brand and more importantly what didn’t work
• Future plans for the blog and what’s next for me!

Click here to listen to the full podcast interview.

A few lessons learned after my first podcast interview experience:

1. Listen to the podcast you’re going to be on. Like I mentioned before, I’m a huge fan of Melissa Anzman, so I was already a loyal listener of her podcast. I listened to every single interview she’s done before being interviewed myself. Listening to her podcast allowed me to understand her style, the way she asks questions and the way she interacts with her guests. I was able to note patterns and certain questions that she asks every single guest to better prepare myself to know what was up ahead. Listening to Melissa’s podcast ahead of time made it a little less scary to be interviewed “live” and made me feel more comfortable when it came time for my podcast.

2. Prepare answers ahead of time. Since I listened to Melissa’s podcast ahead of time and noted a few questions she asked every single guest, I prepared answers to those specific questions before the interview to help me be more confident in my answers. I actually typed out my responses in a Word document and practiced a couple of times out loud to make sure I was communicating my message the way I wanted it to be received. Of course, I also wanted to come across in the interview as casual and conversational, so I didn’t read my answers word for word, but it was nice to have something in front of me to keep me focused and to lean on if I needed it.

3. Be your own critic and listen to the podcast interview to seek out ways to improve next time. I have to admit, I *almost* didn’t listen to my own podcast interview. Let’s be honest, it’s totally cringeworthy to listen to the sound of your own voice for 30+ minutes. But I know that the only way I’ll be able to improve for future interview opportunities is to listen and critique myself, so yesterday I took the time and listened to my own interview. Immediately, there were two major things I noticed that I know I need to work on: talking too fast and using “um” as a crutch while thinking or transitioning into a new sentence or topic. I plan to go back and listen again even more critically and take notes on places I want to improve.

And now for my dirty, little productivity secret….

The secret is…(you probably guessed it) podcasts.

I don’t know how or why I didn’t discover these little beauties earlier in the game, but I started listening to podcasts about six months back and my commute has never been the same.

I spend a lot of time in my car. I was feeling frustrated that I was “wasting” so much time while driving, so when I saw that one of my favorite entrepreneurs, Jenny Blake, was interviewed on a podcast, I decided to give it a try and listen to the interview during my commute, rather than on my computer. From there, I was hooked!

Listening to podcasts while driving keeps me engaged, entertained, thinking and learning, all while I get from point A to point B. I feel super productive when I listen to podcasts while driving or running; these are two activities that I do regularly that don’t allow for too much multi-tasking, so I appreciate the fact that I can still learn and move my business forward.

If you’re a podcast newbie, here are my absolute must-listens:

Smart Passive Income: Hosted by Pat Flynn (one of my favorite online entrepreneurs…seriously, he’s great), this show delves into how Pat makes a living online and how others can do it, too. He interviews successful entrepreneurs, but what I love most about this show is how genuine and honest Pat is. You can tell he really appreciates his audience and shares so much knowledge freely to give back.

Ask Pat: Pat Flynn from the SPI podcast above recently launched a brand new DAILY podcast answering one listener’s question about online business every single day. The show is usually between 10-15 minutes, perfect for bite-sized chunks of knowledge on my way to and from work.

The Suitcase Entrepreneur: Natalie Sisson’s Suitcase Entrepreneur podcast was actually the first podcast I ever listened to! Each show, she interviews awesome entrepreneurs who create freedom in their business and in life…it’s super inspiring! Thanks Natalie, for helping me fall in love with podcasts!

The Fizzle Show: Hosted by Corbett Barr, Chase Reeves and Caleb Wojcik, this hilarious, yet smart show is designed to help “people building their thing online.” The show is not only super useful, I literally laugh out loud every single time I tune in!

Your Kickass Life: Andrea Owen is a life coach who helps women figure out what they want and live life to their full potential. Andrea has an infectious personality, which makes this show SO much fun to listen to! Listening to her podcast is like chatting on the phone with your best friend. Totally therapeutic!

Seven Minutes In Heaven: Let’s talk about love. Kira Sabin’s “Seven Minutes In Heaven” podcast is just that; seven minute doses of honest (sometimes brutally, so) advice on dating, relationships and love. I LOVE Kira’s attitude and sassy personality.

Launch Yourself: I think it goes without saying that Melissa Anzman’s Launch Yourself podcast is one of my favorites. She gets her guests to open up about their launches, whether that be a business, blog or new initiative, in a way that’s both compelling and useful.

Have any favorite podcasts? Share them below! Again, here’s the link to my first-ever podcast interview with Melissa Anzman. I hope you like it! If you listen, shoot me an email or leave me a comment below with your thoughts! I’d love to hear what you think!

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