Communication, Connection, Community: The Podcasters' Podcast

Blown Up But Not Broken: A Combat Vet's Speaking Journey with Brian Fleming

Send us a textHow do you turn life-shattering trauma into a powerful speaking career? Combat-wounded veteran Brian Fleming reveals the answer after surviving a suicide bomber attack in Afghanistan that left him with second and third-degree burns requiring 14 months of grueling recovery.The pivotal moment came when Fleming met a Vietnam veteran who showed him how personal pain could transform lives—including his own. Sixteen years later, Fleming has spoken to over half a million people, worked with Fortune 500 companies, and built a thriving career sharing his resilience strategies.What's surprising is Fleming's counterintuitive approach to storytelling. "One of the biggest mistakes new speakers make is that they talk about themselves," he explains. Instead, successful speakers position their experiences as solutions to problems their audiences desperately want solved. This shift in perspective transforms a personal story from self-focused to audience-focused, answering the two questions every listener silently asks: "Why does this person understand me?" and "Why should I listen to them?"Fleming breaks down his profitable speaking framework into three essential components: Problem (identify what pain your audience experiences), Promote (market yourself to the right decision-makers), and Present (deliver value that solves their problem). This approach works whether you have an extreme story like Fleming's or more common life experiences—the key is addressing problems your audience recognizes and hates.Ready to share your own story and get paid for it? Fleming offers a free Share Your Story Roadmap at useyourstory.com that shows how to make your first $500 speaking within 30 days. As he reminds us, "Your story has more power than you could ever possibly imagine, and your story matters."Support the showGot a question about something you heard today? Have a great suggestion for a topic or know someone who should be a guest? Reach out to us:askcarl@carlspeaks.caIf you're ready to take the plunge and join the over 3 million people who have joined the podcast space, we'd love to hear your idea and help you get started! Book your Podcast Strategy Session today:https://podcastsolutionsmadesimple.com/get-started/Never miss an episode! Subscribe wherever you get your podcast by clicking here:https://communicationconnectioncommunity.buzzsprout.comFollow us on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/podcast-solutions-made-simpleFollow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/podcastsolutionsmadesimple/Follow us on Facebook:www.facebook.com/groups/podcastlaunchmadesimpleFollow us on Twitter:https://twitter.com/carlrichards72

Dial-Up to Digital: What Actually Works in Modern Marketing with Gee Ranasinha

Send us a textEver wonder why some marketing cuts through the noise while most fades into oblivion? G Ranasina, CEO of Caxino marketing agency and a veteran marketer since the days of AOL CDs, reveals the uncomfortable truth about what's wrong with modern marketing."Marketing bros think all you need is to throw data into some AI engine and have it vomit out a thousand clichéd images," Ranasina explains with refreshing candor. "But what's missing is the idea, the concept, the emotional connection." Drawing on decades of experience helping over 400 startups across 20 countries, he articulates why the fundamental principles of marketing remain unchanged despite technological revolution.The conversation takes a fascinating turn when Ranasina distinguishes between efficiency and effectiveness in marketing. While other business units can optimize for efficiency, marketing requires emotional resonance that can't be quantified in dollars. "We've exorcised creativity from the equation," he laments, explaining why $1.6 trillion in marketing spending with increasingly sophisticated targeting tools has resulted in decreasing effectiveness.For podcasters and business owners alike, Ranasina offers a compelling perspective on standing out in a crowded marketplace. "You need to have the balls to be different, to be distinctive in your category," he advises, citing brands like Liquid Death that embrace their uniqueness rather than blending into the background. His insights on why we're "feeling creatures that think" rather than "thinking creatures that feel" provide a psychological framework for creating marketing that works.Whether you're looking to improve your marketing strategy, grow your podcast audience, or simply understand why some messages stick while others don't, this episode delivers actionable wisdom wrapped in entertaining, no-nonsense commentary. Connect with G Ranasina on LinkedIn for more marketing insights delivered with his signature blend of expertise and straight talk.Support the showGot a question about something you heard today? Have a great suggestion for a topic or know someone who should be a guest? Reach out to us:askcarl@carlspeaks.caIf you're ready to take the plunge and join the over 3 million people who have joined the podcast space, we'd love to hear your idea and help you get started! Book your Podcast Strategy Session today:https://podcastsolutionsmadesimple.com/get-started/Never miss an episode! Subscribe wherever you get your podcast by clicking here:https://communicationconnectioncommunity.buzzsprout.comFollow us on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/podcast-solutions-made-simpleFollow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/podcastsolutionsmadesimple/Follow us on Facebook:www.facebook.com/groups/podcastlaunchmadesimpleFollow us on Twitter:https://twitter.com/carlrichards72

Emotional Journeys: How Stories Shape Our Understanding with Lucinda Sage-Midgorden

Send us a textWhat if the stories we consume shape our emotional intelligence more profoundly than we realize? Lucinda Sage-Midgorden's journey through storytelling reveals exactly that powerful connection.From childhood family movie nights where discussions were mandatory to launching her Story Power podcast in her sixties, Lucinda shares how stories have woven through every aspect of her life. Her father, despite struggling with dyslexia, established a tradition that taught her to analyze characters, themes, and emotional journeys in film and literature – skills that would define her career and worldview.With a refreshing "jump off the cliff and see what happens" attitude, Lucinda describes her path through religious studies, theater, teaching, and finally podcasting. Her insight that "every life is a library" transformed her podcast from merely discussing consumed media to exploring personal narratives from guests worldwide. The conversation takes fascinating turns through Marvel character analysis (Tony Stark and Steve Rogers representing opposite ends of the emotional intelligence spectrum), the visual storytelling in classic cinema, and how narrative understanding enhances our ability to read body language and emotional cues.Particularly valuable for creative professionals, Lucinda addresses the common worry of content creation: "If you've lived on this earth even 20 years, you have stories. As a matter of fact, you have more stories than you think you do." Her upcoming YouTube project with her sister, "Classic Cinema with the Sage Sisters," demonstrates her continuing evolution as a storyteller.Connect with Lucinda through her website sagewomanlife on WordPress, listen to Story Power on all major platforms, or follow her on LinkedIn to discover how stories can heighten your emotional intelligence and deepen your understanding of human nature.Support the showGot a question about something you heard today? Have a great suggestion for a topic or know someone who should be a guest? Reach out to us:askcarl@carlspeaks.caIf you're ready to take the plunge and join the over 3 million people who have joined the podcast space, we'd love to hear your idea and help you get started! Book your Podcast Strategy Session today:https://podcastsolutionsmadesimple.com/get-started/Never miss an episode! Subscribe wherever you get your podcast by clicking here:https://communicationconnectioncommunity.buzzsprout.comFollow us on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/podcast-solutions-made-simpleFollow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/podcastsolutionsmadesimple/Follow us on Facebook:www.facebook.com/groups/podcastlaunchmadesimpleFollow us on Twitter:https://twitter.com/carlrichards72

Price Tags and Profit Margins: The Science You're Missing with Per Sjofor

Send us a textPricing might be the most powerful yet underutilized profit lever in your business toolkit. In this eye-opening conversation with Per Sjöfors, "The Price Whisperer," we uncover why most businesses leave substantial money on the table through ineffective pricing strategies.Per reveals the shocking mathematics behind pricing power: while a 1% increase in sales volume typically yields a 3.5% profit increase, and a 1% cost reduction generates about 5.5% more profit, a mere 1% price increase can boost profitability by a staggering 11.3%. Despite this leverage, most companies rely on guesswork, cost-plus formulas, or competitor matching—approaches that severely limit profit potential.Drawing from his experience running multiple companies and conducting pricing research across approximately 5,000 products and services, Per debunks common pricing myths and introduces a scientific approach anyone can implement. He shares a practical method for solopreneurs and small businesses to determine their optimal price range: interview at least 25 prospects and ask two specific questions about price thresholds. This approach works equally well across B2B and B2C contexts because pricing psychology follows similar patterns regardless of market type.The conversation also explores behavioral economics principles showing why pricing too low can actually decrease sales by creating perceptions of poor quality. Even retail giants like Walmart have shifted away from purely price-focused messaging after seeing declining sales when customers associated low prices with inferior products.Whether you're a podcaster monetizing your platform, a consultant valuing your expertise, or a business owner setting product prices, this episode provides actionable insights to transform your pricing strategy and significantly boost your profitability. As Per reminds us in his parting wisdom: "You can always increase prices. If it doesn't work, you can always revert."Support the showGot a question about something you heard today? Have a great suggestion for a topic or know someone who should be a guest? Reach out to us:askcarl@carlspeaks.caIf you're ready to take the plunge and join the over 3 million people who have joined the podcast space, we'd love to hear your idea and help you get started! Book your Podcast Strategy Session today:https://podcastsolutionsmadesimple.com/get-started/Never miss an episode! Subscribe wherever you get your podcast by clicking here:https://communicationconnectioncommunity.buzzsprout.comFollow us on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/podcast-solutions-made-simpleFollow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/podcastsolutionsmadesimple/Follow us on Facebook:www.facebook.com/groups/podcastlaunchmadesimpleFollow us on Twitter:https://twitter.com/carlrichards72

Building India’s Podcasting Ecosystem from Scratch with Gautam Raj Anand

Send us a textEver wondered how an entire nation discovers a medium that's been thriving elsewhere for decades? Meet Gautam Raj Anand, widely known as "the father of podcasting in India," whose remarkable journey from bored banker to pioneering podcast innovator reveals what happens when necessity meets opportunity.Gautam's story begins with corporate firewalls that blocked traditional entertainment but overlooked podcasts—a serendipitous oversight that led to his 14-hour-a-day listening habit. This personal discovery sparked a data-driven revelation: India possessed the perfect conditions for podcasting to flourish—high commute times, cheap data, numerous languages, and a rich oral tradition—yet remained virtually untouched by the medium. The challenge? Most Indians had never heard the term "podcast," and those who had associated it with expensive Apple products they couldn't afford.What follows is a masterclass in problem-solving as Gautam walks us through building Hubhopper, evolving from a simple content aggregator to a comprehensive ecosystem addressing each barrier to podcast creation and consumption in India. His team had to forge partnerships with music platforms, in-cab entertainment, and news applications to create distribution channels where none existed. The results speak volumes—India has transformed from a podcast desert to the world's third-largest podcast market in less than a decade.Particularly fascinating are the distinct differences between Western and Eastern podcast consumption patterns. While Western listeners embrace hour-long shows focusing on true crime, sports, and comedy, Indian audiences prefer shorter episodes (under 25 minutes) with religious and devotional content leading by a significant margin. These insights reveal how cultural contexts profoundly shape media consumption even within the same medium.Whether you're a podcast creator, media entrepreneur, or simply curious about global digital trends, Gautam's perspective will transform how you think about content creation across cultural boundaries. Subscribe now and discover how sometimes all it takes is "20 seconds of insane courage" to spark a revolution that changes how an entire nation communicates.Support the showGot a question about something you heard today? Have a great suggestion for a topic or know someone who should be a guest? Reach out to us:askcarl@carlspeaks.caIf you're ready to take the plunge and join the over 3 million people who have joined the podcast space, we'd love to hear your idea and help you get started! Book your Podcast Strategy Session today:https://podcastsolutionsmadesimple.com/get-started/Never miss an episode! Subscribe wherever you get your podcast by clicking here:https://communicationconnectioncommunity.buzzsprout.comFollow us on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/podcast-solutions-made-simpleFollow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/podcastsolutionsmadesimple/Follow us on Facebook:www.facebook.com/groups/podcastlaunchmadesimpleFollow us on Twitter:https://twitter.com/carlrichards72