And welcome to another episode of Stuck in My Mind podcast. I'm your host, w I c e, and my next guest is a fellow podcaster and author, a business strategist, and a friend of the podcast. Welcome to the show, Rich Perry. Hey. What's going on, brother? I appreciate the, the invitation today. I appreciate you. I look sorta like last minute. I appreciate you stepping in and and being a guest,
man. This is I'm excited. You have a mutual friend. Shout out to Stacy Toy for for hooking us up and and making this happen. So it's it's it's great because the way we she like, the way we we got we we hooked up with 2 Stacy and everything. But it was interesting because you're doing something that's kind of, amazing, and I I I don't want you to share what you're doing. You're you're taking, you're actually having podcasters take a survey for you. What what
what's that about? Yeah. So I'm currently writing a book with a colleague of mine. So the book is going to focus on, marketing and communication strategies for small to medium sized businesses, and we want to, give research, you know, data graphs, things like that, visual aids to support the information that we're going to communicate. You know, we've got tips for the reader and this and that, but we also want to, have supplementary information and graphs and things like that from research that
we've done. And rather than utilizing secondhand research, like going into find, like going on to Statista or wherever out wherever else to get other people's research, I decided to go into my network, create a bunch of, like, really easy, really simple surveys just to get the data that we were looking for. That way we can say, hey. We've
done research. This is firsthand research, and, you know, we found that this percentage of small business owners, like, this is their biggest issue or or whatever it is, but we wanted that firsthand research. And one of the chapters is all about podcasting, like how to get on a podcast to market your business or market your services or build your thought leadership. So I'm interviewing a bunch of different podcasters like, hey. What is the strategy or process you use to select the ideal podcast
guest. And then once I speak to all these podcasters, I'm gonna be able to show in in great detail, hey. Like, this percentage of podcasters said they they expect a professional media kit or they expect this or they expect this so that it's not just me, like, you know, waxing my own ideas and theories. It's proven research. Like, hey. This is what they're looking for. So if you wanna be a guest on these shows, you better come prepared. Oh,
yeah. No. That that that's, something that's really important for me. I I I asked my guest for a quick bio and a picture for thumbnails and everything. And so, yeah, that that's something that, it's beneficial for podcasters as well because now we we kinda sort of have an idea of because when I first started, I didn't have a clue. Right? I didn't know what what what what how to get gas, how to do any of this stuff. So I think with you doing this book and and and and including podcasters, because
podcasters are growing. Podcasts are are, right now, are are growing at at at a crazy rate. Mhmm. They they they say that with, what, the last 3 years, it was been 3 point something 1000000 podcasts started. Mhmm. And and everybody's like, oh, but it's it's saturated. But if you go look at the numbers, not all 3,900,000 podcasters are podcasts are going. They after 7 podcasts, a lot of them just burn
out. Mhmm. So is is this something you is this something this book do you think this book might be able to help podcasters avoid that burnout in any way? I don't know that we're gonna be touching on that specifically. Like I said, the book primarily is for teaching marketing communication strategies for those small business owners. Now are podcasters business owners? Yes. And will we communicate information that's going to help them
possibly alleviate those issues that you're talking about? I think so, but maybe not necessarily in the manner that you were just talking about. However, I mean, if they're getting burned out because they're getting frustrated, no one's listening, or they don't have a big enough audience, or they're not reaching the right people, they're not connecting with the right guests or,
you know, strategic partnerships and things like that. If that's the source of their frustration, then I think that there's gonna be some good tidbits in in the book for those particular issues to help those podcasters. Okay. This this won't be your first book, actually. You have another book. What inspired you to call the Bankroll Your Mind, and
what key messages does that book convey? So, when I first started, I I focused more on mindset, empowerment, coaching, things like that because I'm a former therapist. So coming from the therapeutic world, like the whole life coaching, inspirational speaking, like motivational speaking, that really resonated with me. So that's kinda where I focused there.
When I was writing that particular book, Bankroll Your Mind, I wrote it with a colleague of mine, Lawrence Pipkin, and we basically used it as that sexy way of saying reprogram your mind. Like, we wanted something catchy. We wanted something that was going to, capture interest and intrigue. So Bankroll Your Mind was our sexy way of saying reprogram your mind. So it was very much a book about mindset, personal and professional development
for people that wanna get to that next level. Well, there's actually 2 people in the chat that I would actually like to connect you to, their their fellow podcasters. They're amazing content creators. I would love for them to take your survey as well. I'll link you up. He's actually, this is my my my homeboy, Drew Willingham. He he has some great content. He has some great shows. He does a lot of sports content. Great dude. Definitely would love to link link the guys up.
He Drew, the book isn't out yet. He's working on it now. The other book is out. Bank road bank road is out, but the one he's working on right now, I wanna hook out so y'all can connect, and then you can take that survey, which is which is very interesting. And then Jeff, also, amazing content creator, has some great shows. So definitely wanna connect you guys so y'all can link up, and and maybe you can pay on their shows and and
and talk about the book and and talk about what you got going on. So those are 2 connections that I'm I'm definitely gonna make happen. I appreciate that. And that's what we want to do with, with what we're doing with with with the book and everything else. Like, I want to get really good solid data that we can use and then share it with the people that are most interested to learn it. As I said, I don't wanna be one of those people that,
like, yes, I have expertise, and we we all have expertise. But if we can support what it is that we're saying with relevant data, it's just gonna go a long way. So I appreciate any connection and any any of your friends, colleagues, peers that wanna take the survey and help, share their own insights and, experience, that's only gonna make our product better that would then make a better product for the reader who wants to learn
this stuff. Yeah. Awesome. Awesome. So in in the so this is the podcast this podcast is really about self development and and everything else. So in the realm of personal development, what principles have had the most significant impact on your career? Principles, you said? Yes. Definitely having a positive mental attitude. That's something that I learned both as a therapist, and it was reinforced, you know, reading books by, like, Napoleon Hill. So that's something that
was always very important to me. Also operating with integrity. And that goes with everything that I do, whether it's personal development, whether it's acting with integrity with my own actions, how I relate to people and treat people, in business dealings, when we're going out into the community for community outreach, like, are we acting with integrity, and being authentic and and being real with people and connecting with them on
a one to one basis? So those are the those are 2 of the things that I would say are most important to me, that I hold as as dear principles. Okay. So so as an entrepreneur, what what challenges have you encountered, and what have you done to, like, overcome them? So in the beginning, I would definitely say there was a lot of imposter syndrome because, you know, I went to school. I, the the first time I went to school, undergrad is what I
meant to say. Undergrad, I studied psychology. I wanted to be a therapist. But then I had that career shift. I wanted to get into, like like like I said, life coaching, motivational speaking, things like that. But I never took a business course because I only took psychology courses in school. I took some media courses, things like that, but not really anything that prepared me in the business world.
So there was a lot of imposter syndrome. Also, because I think as an undergrad, I didn't take advantage of certain opportunities, like getting intern ships and getting out into the, the professional circuit in our local area. So when I when I was starting out, I had to learn all those things on my own. I had to learn how to, like, really effectively network. I had to learn how to present myself accordingly. How to present myself as a
professional and be taken seriously. So those were some of the the challenges that I faced in the beginning. Also, learning how to use social media and how to use it effectively for professional purposes. I ended up learning so much about LinkedIn that now I teach courses on LinkedIn because I remember what it was like when I first signed up, and I was like, what is going on? What is this platform? I don't know what to do, and no one was there to tell me how to do it, how to use
it. So And that and that's to me, that's a platform a lot of that's really underrated. Not a lot of people use it and and or don't know how to use it the proper way. Right. The one thing I love a lot of things about LinkedIn. One of the things that I love about LinkedIn is it really allows you to present yourself in a great way that people are going to see a much more well rounded person. And what I mean is when they go to your profile, you you have such
a robust area to talk about your work experience. You can and I just made a video about this earlier today. In your work experience, you can do things like, put links to videos, podcast episodes, interviews. If you're a blogger, you can put your writing up there. Any presentations or projects that you've worked on. So when people go to your LinkedIn profile, it's not just a static resume. It's not just a piece of paper where I'm looking at words. It's an interactive
environment where I can go to your profile. Oh, this person made a video. Let me click this video, and I'll watch it. You know? Oh, this person made a presentation on I don't know. Whatever. Let me go and watch their presentation or look through their slide deck or, oh, this person was interviewed on some of my favorite podcasts. So I didn't know that about this person, but now I can listen to those old podcast episodes right right there. I don't have to navigate a way to,
their website. I don't have to navigate a way to a, a YouTube or to a Facebook or to an Instagram or something like that. All that information, all that content can be put right there on your LinkedIn profile so that when I'm going to someone's page, I I can be wowed by who they are, their experience, their expertise more so than just written text on a page. You know? And and it's a
trusted social media platform. So it's it's just a wonderful opportunity for professionals from all walks of life to present themselves in this amazing way for the potential viewer when they stumble upon their page. Okay. So so how do you how do you approach building brand authority, and what strategies do you recommend for for entrepreneurs? And and it's crazy because
in a way, it were yes. It's good for small business, but independent podcasters like myself should learn these strategies as well. Mhmm. Sure. So I would say one of the first things that you wanna do is, like, find out take a good look at you yourself. Okay? Whatever you are, you're a you're an entrepreneur, you're a coach, you're a speaker, you're a small business owner, however you define yourself. Okay?
And then I would encourage you to look within then find out, like, what brand authority means to you because it it could be different for other people. I mean, the established way is you're being seen and viewed and recognized your brand as an authority figure, but it's gonna mean a little bit different for, a different person. Okay? If you're someone like you're a coach or you're a speaker or, you know, podcaster, an author, or, like, a service provider, we'll lump all those
things into, like, service providers. One of the best ways that you can do that is start sharing your expertise with other people, and that could be that could take multiple forms. Okay? It could take video. It could take audio. It could take the written word. If you're someone who's maybe intimidated by being on video like this, hey. Then use the written word and start a
blog. Start sharing some tips. Start thinking about the frequently asked questions that you get asked all the time by your newest client or a potential client or maybe even like a veteran of clients or a customer. Start answering those questions and showing, demonstrating your expertise. Okay? Start helping people. Help them to solve their itty bitty problems. That way you're building that trust, and they're starting to see you as
that authority figure. And then they're going to turn to you for their bigger problems, the ones that they really need your help with. So I would say if you're looking to build brands authority, start sharing your information and don't get into that trap of, well, if I share my information, then why are they gonna turn to me? Because it's not about the information. It's about you as the expert. Okay? They're they're paying you to be in your presence
and to learn from you. So don't don't shy away from giving your experience or sharing your best tips because at the end of the day, they're still gonna wanna turn to you for that personalized touch. Okay. So so what role does trust play in branding, and how can businesses businesses establish it with their audience? It it plays a big role. I mean, no matter what service, product, widget, whatever, like, if you're a consumer and we all are consumers, who are the the people and
brands, the companies that we that we buy from? It's it's those that we know, like, and trust. We have to trust that the the product is good or the service is real or that it's actually gonna be helpful or that it's actually going to solve a problem or that it's actually going to make our life better. We have to trust
that we're turning to them. We're giving them our hard earned dollars, and we need that trust that it's going to work, that it's going to help us, as I said, alleviate that problem, solve that problem, or make quality of life better. So we need that trust. And and that's also, like I said before, that's where integrity comes in. It's the company or the brand has to operate with integrity and maintain good practices and things like that because otherwise, the cut consumer is gonna see right
through it. You can be saying all the niceties and thing. You know, you can try and present yourself as this wholesome company, but a smart person is gonna see through it, and they're not gonna trust you if they think that you're just trying to pull the wool over their eyes. Okay. So can can you share a few tips to help optimize a mac marketing strategy to reach a a a
target audience effectively? So I'd like to preface this by saying that an ideal marketing strategy is is gonna look a little bit different for each person. Okay? But, I mean, ultimately, like I was saying, like, you're gonna want to make sure that you know your core message. Okay? What is it that you do? What is the the product that you have or
the service that you have? Then you're also gonna wanna know where your ideal audience is, your your potential customer, your ideal audience, and start sharing that message on those particular channels to reach those particular people. Some people, their their audience is on a Facebook. Some people, their audience is on a YouTube or a LinkedIn. Some people aren't even on social media as
much as the rest of us. So the best marketing strategy for those folks might be more traditional marketing, such as, you know, TV ads or radio ads or newspaper articles, things like that, or, you know, flyers, things like that. So the marketing strategy itself is going to be dependent on the the specific brands and who they're trying to reach and for what reason. Alright. So so in in today's digital landscape, right, how is it PowerPoint? Is it an online present for businesses, and
and what are some good practices for them? For ask me that one again. So in in today's digital landscape. Right? Right. How important is an online presence for businesses? Oh, oh, definitely. Definitely. You definitely want to be online. You're gonna want that website, an optimized website. You should also be on the social media channels that your ideal audience is on. Now if and I was just having this conversation
the other day. If you're not someone who is particularly savvy with social media or maybe your time is limited or for whatever reason there's another reluctance or hesitancy to be on social media, I do encourage you to be on social media and be active on it. But instead of becoming overwhelmed with trying to be on every single platform because I have to be on Facebook, they told me. They told me I need to be on LinkedIn. They told me I need to be on Instagram. Don't
overwhelm yourself. Just pick one platform and and use that really well. You don't have to be on every single platform. So when I say your online presence, to be online, you don't have to be everywhere online, but at least pick 1 or 2 channels that your audience can find you on. Awesome. Awesome. So how how do you balance creativity and strategy when when developing content for for marketing purposes? How do I balance creativity? How do you balance it? Yeah. Let's see. It it
it is tough. It is tough because sometimes there's a piece of content that I know it needs to be in a specific way. Like, prime example, I'm teaching this LinkedIn course through Johns Hopkins University. And while I do long form pieces of content, like blog articles, things like that on LinkedIn and on my website, I really wanted to do a series that was very quick, very to the point. So I did a whole bunch of videos. I did reels, Instagram reels and Facebook reels because I figured I thought
those would hit better. They're I would. Those reels would be more impactful than doing a whole series of long form articles. So I balanced it, and I was strategic, and I said, let me focus specifically on these short form videos, and those have been hitting really well. So that was how I balanced that. I knew that I could deliver more value in a blog article, but for this one, I had to think strategic.
I wanted to create a bunch of different pieces of content and the best way that I was able to do that was by doing like quick 32nd reels for Instagram and Facebook. Awesome. Awesome. So excuse me. So so what what are some of the common misconceptions about branding, and how can entrepreneurs address that? What are some common misconceptions? I don't know. Like, something that I feel is misunderstood Okay. Will say maybe that is that your brand is
you. Like, you are your brand. So if you're a coach or you're a speaker, like, rather than trying to project a certain image, realize that people are paying for your services. They wanna hear you speak or they wanna get those coaching tips from you. So, like, you are the brand. So be the face of your company and what it is that you're doing. Don't try and be something that you're not. So just, you know, convey, communicate who you are as that professional. Also, don't be afraid
to be personal. You know? Share some tidbits about yourself and be relatable. Communicate. Let them kinda what's the phrase? You know, take them behind the curtains a little bit and show them who you
are as an individual. That all is going to emphasize and help you out when it comes to branding, because you're going to be able to differentiate yourself from everyone else that maybe there's 10 other coaches or consultants in your hometown that do something similar, but it's because you showed who you are and what makes you different and your unique qualities that will define your overall brand. And that will be the thing that people gravitate toward. Okay.
We're gonna go I'm a go back. So as an author, right, who whose computer contributed to multiple books, What what advice do you have for for aspiring authors out there? So one of the best choices that I made early on was to be part of a joint venture or JV book project because being an author is an awesome thing. It's also a lot of work. It's not just writing words. Okay? It can be a very daunting process and overall project. So if you can connect with someone who is working on a JV project.
If you're not familiar with it, if any of you any of the viewers aren't, it's basically a whole bunch of authors get together under one umbrella topic. Maybe it's personal development. Okay? So every author will write, like, 1 or 2 chapters about that umbrella topic, and then it's, packaged all in one book. So you're only writing 1 chapter, maybe 2 chapters tops.
That right there is a great way to get your feet wet into being an author to kinda see what it's all about, how you can leverage the book to get yourself out there to attract new opportunities. So I would say if you're a first time author, that's a really great opportunity. Also, too, the other tip, it's gonna be a
an an easy one. If you're a first time author, you might want to invest in, like, a writing coach or someone who's going to teach you the process of writing the book and then, marketing it effectively because it's a lot of work to write the book. But then once the book's written, you have a whole lot more work ahead of you with the marketing. And I think a lot of people maybe don't understand that.
Most authors, you're probably if it's your first time and it's just not this banger of a title and you don't have an agent, you're probably not getting picked up by, like, Penguin Books or Simon and Schuster or Wiley or something like that. You're probably going through a smaller publishing house or maybe you're self publishing. So there's a lot of things that you're going to need to know. And without that guiding hand, it may be more frustrating than it needs to be. Oh, no. I
I I I agree with you. Because we actually excuse me. We published, my nephew's book, in 2021, 2022. I think it's 2022 we we published this book, and, we self published it. We but we we sat down with with a professional writer and and had her review the book and and correct some things and and really just get the book situated there. And and it was it was it was not easy. It was it was not easy. We still we we still
learn how to marketing. That's something we were working on on how to market the book now and and get it get it going because it's wonderful book. And, so I I understand. Yeah. It's it's not a it's not easy task. One thing that you might wanna do if if if I can ask, what kind of book was it that you necessarily wrote? So he he he's a he's a ex con. He's turned his life around. Start started a a maintenance
property maintenance company and everything. And it it it just it just spoke on spoke on his transformation from from from the prison system to to to being in the streets now and how how he's gone from prison to peace. And and he's changed his mindset, and he's work and he's developed he's helped work on himself and develop himself and want to change his mindset, change his environment, surround himself with like minded people, just with people that that are trying to
just surround himself with people that are where he wants to be. Mhmm. And so he he's really he's really changed his life around. He's he went from doing almost 10 years in prison to coming out now and and really focusing on on raising his son, building a business, bill helping me helping me build RealWise Productions and and my and and helping me grow the podcast, and and we have a show that
we do as well. It just it was just when he really when when we started reconnecting because he's my my like, we had been apart from 3 many years. We had we had grown apart and everything, and we we reconnected, and we've really, really connected. Like, he's he's not he's my nephew. Yes. But he's more like my brother because Mhmm. Me and him are close in age. He's he's a couple years older than me, and so
he's more like my brother. So when we when we reconnected and we saw that we were on the same page that we wanted to improve, we wanted better for we wanted more for our for ourselves and for our kids and our future, it was just like, okay. This is what we're gonna do. So we start we we worked on worked on his book. We worked on my podcast on on growing and developing my podcast. Because this I'm not I wasn't in media. I was not in media. I'm a I'm a table games I was a
table games dealer by trade. Mhmm. And so when I saw him doing his YouTube channel, and I had wanted to start a podcast, and I saw him do it. I was like, okay. If if he can do it, I I can do this. And and it turns out that I'm I'm pretty good at it. And it was just he was like so when he saw that I was doing well and and people were really actually listening and tuning into the podcast, he's like, alright. What can I do to help push you now? He says, yes. You you helped me push my book,
and you're helping me grow and develop. What can I do to help you? And that's and that's all it's been. It's been we see that one of us is down. We we just uplift each other. We're like, come on. Get up. We gotta do we got this. We can do this. And and and last year was, wait. Last year, as far as the podcast and everything goes, it was probably one of my best the best year I had. Awesome. Personally, we had some things. My my mom is is is out in dementia and and struggling with
that. And so, personally, it it was a rough year, but we had each other's back. We've we helped you lift each other regardless of what we're going through. We we stay constantly pushing each other, And and and it shows it shows with, with how the YouTube channel is growing, how how the dealership is growing. And it it's because we work hard, and we have each other's back. We we we stay motivated in each other, pushing each other. And then it's the networking. It's the
connections. Mhmm. It it's the Stacy toys. It's the Jeffrey Villas. It's everyone that we're connecting with that we see what they're doing, and we're like, alright. Let's let's let's let's cry. If if we see our friends are capable of doing some great things, why why can't we do it? Mhmm. And and then we have we have wonderful friends that that inspire. They see that we work hard, and they encourage us. They they show us. If they see that we need help with something, they're more than willing to
reach out and be like, hey. I've seen that. You're struggling with something. Maybe if you do this and do that, it might work. And and so to to have that to have those relationships, it's just been it's been a blessing. Right on. Definitely. If I may, one tip that I would have for, helping him market the book would be, is he is he currently, like, reaching out to different organizations, that would find value in his message.
I'm thinking, like, just off the top, I'm thinking, like, youth oriented programs or maybe, like, second chance organizations. We we we we we probably we can do a better job at reaching out to these organizations. We probably reached out to 1 and 2 1 or 2 organizations. Like, we we've reached out to a couple, couple of, places that help deliver these books to to to the prison system. Okay. Okay. And
so the the yes. But I know we can do more, and there's other op there's other organizations we should reach out to and definitely get the book in their hands. But, it yeah. It's it's us really sitting down and and looking up these these these organizations and reaching out to them and getting and getting the books to them. Right.
Also too, if he is a speaker or is comfortable speaking, I know you said he's got a YouTube channel, things like that, Those particular organizations could be very interested in having him come to their group and speak, you know, to deliver that passionate address to the their membership or the the youth or things like that. Not even necessarily, trying to get them to buy the books or whatever, but presenting him as a speaker with a message who wrote a book.
That would be one way of helping to get the books in the hands of the right people, and you're able to address, you know, 50 50 teenagers at once or a a group of a 100 people who are interested in in this particular topic because it's it sounds very inspirational. I would really suggest reaching out to different organizations within the community and surrounding areas that focus and that could have an interest in hearing him speak and then putting together that maybe, you know, 30
minute presentation or whatever. And then at the end of the presentation, you can say, oh, by the way, I also wrote this book. You know what I'm saying? That's a really great way to make a bigger impact with by marketing the book, by actually marketing yourself as a speaker to give that presentation. So you're, getting their, taste buds going for the information that you're gonna give them in only that 30 second in that
30 minute, presentation. And then when they want to learn more, they want the full story. Go to the back of the room, and you can buy the book for 1999 or whatever it is. You know what I'm saying? So that might be something to consider for the future. Well, thank you. I I great. I thanks for those tips, man. I greatly appreciate it. Yeah. And and it's it's interesting that a lot of people so if you're if you're writing a book like a fantasy novel or something along those lines, like,
maybe this advice doesn't hit. Okay? But if it's something about professional development or, you know, personal development, self help, motivation, leadership development, inspiration, things like that. Those are the kind of authors that many times double as speakers because people want to hear what you have to say.
Maybe they don't necessarily want to invest the time in reading the book right now, but they're more than willing to go to your presentation or because they're a member of, you know, this chamber of commerce or this rotary club or whatever this, you know, community organization, a lot of times those community orgs organizations bring in speakers to address their membership, to provide value. So you're not necessarily presenting yourself as an
author. You're probably gonna start pitching yourself or, you you know, your your your nephew. It pitch himself as a, a speaker or just someone that has this inspirational story, and I also have the full story in this book. So I'm coming to speak to your people to give them a taste about my life struggle and how I was down in the dumps, and I picked myself back
up, and I've achieved so much. And these are the things that I did, and I'm hoping that what I have to say is going to inspire you or, you know, help you turn your life around or whatever. And it's all written in this book. You know, I I gave you the CliffsNotes version. I gave you the 30 minute presentation. But if you wanna learn the full story and how I changed my life around, there's a book at the back of the back of the room.
And as I was saying, a lot of times, authors that write books in that kind of space double as speakers, and that's how they get people to hear about the book is because they they actually speak on it, and then the person follows up to actually buy the book. Yeah. Awesome. Thank again, once again, thank you for that tip, man. I
appreciate it. I appreciate it, man. And and and later on, I mean, if you wanna have a conversation at a different time or whatever, the 3 of us can hop on a horn because that's what we did, Lawrence and I, when we wrote Bankroll Your Mind is like, yeah. We're trying to talk about the book, but what's a great way to get yourself in front of people is to is to speak on it and to, you know, book a seminar or get yourself signed up to, present at a conference or things like that.
So that might be one really cool marketing strategy. Instead of presenting yourself instead of pitching yourself as the author, you're presenting your you're pitching yourself as a speaker who's gonna deliver that inspiring message. And I wrote the book that tells my whole story that you can read. Awesome. Awesome, man. Thank you. So, so how how do you maintain a growth mindset in in this ever evolving field of marketing and communication? So, constantly learning
whether you know? I just finished my MBA, so that was, like, a lot of learning for 2 years straight. You know? Like, just locking myself away and not going out and not doing the things that we like to do, but knowing that this is gonna make me a better person. Going to events like you and I were talking about how you and I connected, like Podfest. Right?
There's Mhmm. It's a conference full of experts in this field or this industry or, you know, this this particular niche, and they're gonna give those presentations and we go to to learn. You know? You can't see it, but to my left and behind me are my bookshelves. You know, I also have my audio books and things like that. So it's constantly learning, from from other people because that's the only way that I'm going to be better both as an individual, but also better as a
service provider to stay on top of these things. I'm really looking forward to Podfest in a couple of days because I know that it's gonna be a great opportunity to learn. And when I get back, I'm gonna maintain those connections and see who's got the newest podcast episode or blog article or follow-up information, that I can continue to learn from. That's something that was ingrained in me at a young age is just constantly be learning, you know, read a book, watch an
educational series or something like that. Like, and I learned it at such a young age that it's stayed with me all these years. And I know you're gonna ask a follow-up question. Right? No. No. It's it's it's actually, I my bookshelf is right next to me, and I have one of those here as well. And then behind me, I have the if you see the little squares, those are all inspirational quotes that that I have behind me. And it's it's, like you said, it's constantly learning. It's me. I'm purchasing new
books all the time. I'm I'm taking courses all the time. I'm speaking to the these these I'm learning so much from the podcast itself. And that was one thing when I first started. I was like I thought I was being so selfish because I was enjoying the podcast so much. See, this is what we talked about earlier about technical difficulties. It just happens. But, yeah, I'm still here. I'm still talking.
But you learn so much from everything that that that's going on and, like, being able to to sit down with, with all these people and and have these great conversations, it's been a it's been a blessing. It's been me continuously learning and growing. Like, I didn't know anything about podcasting. Mhmm. I didn't know what that's not working. Oh, there you go. Yeah. I'm back. You're back. I didn't so it it was me. I didn't know when I first started, I
didn't know anything about podcasting. I didn't know descriptions, SEOs, any of that. It was me diving into learning, just take YouTube was my best friend. Like, I've I went to YouTube University to learn a lot of stuff. And then, of course, I took courses, and and and and and I just felt that at one point, I felt like I was being very selfish. Right? Because I was enjoying
doing the podcast so much. And one of my guests pointed out was, there's nothing selfish about you wanting to grow and develop. And the fact that you're sharing it with your audience, it's a it's a win win. You you get to learn. Your audience gets to learn. So there's nothing selfish about that. I was like, oh, yeah. It makes sense. But it it was it was something it was just something inside of me like, oh, man. I'm enjoying this too much. Mhmm.
Absolutely. And that is one of the coolest things about having an interview interview based podcast is that while you're hosting the show and you're you've got this platform for your viewership because you want to add value to your
viewership. You're also learning at the exact same time, like you said, and you're you have that opportunity to have that 1 on 1 conversation with this particular expert or this particular authority or this particular, you know, whatever, credible source that otherwise you might not have had the opportunity to pick that person's brain for 30 minutes unanswered or 60 minutes unanswered. I mean, time is valuable, and we all need to be mindful and conscientious about
where we invest that time. But as that podcast or like you say, you have that unfiltered, unchallenged time period with that particular expert diving into their brain and life experience, getting to learn for 30 minutes everything you've wanted to ask that person. Like oh, man. For me, one of my favorite interviews because I'm I'm a when the secret came out, I was a big fan of the the the
documentary and the book and everything. And so when I started podcasting, like, 2 years into the podcast, I get a message, and it's from, this this company this this PR company. And they're like, Bob Doyle would like to be a guest on your show. And and I'm like, are you kidding me? Like, I'm a big secret. I love the secret. I've read the book and rumors time. This one, like, To have Bob Doyle on my show was was a non. I was, like, a big fanboy because,
like I said, I I I follow the secret. I read it. I've saw the documentary. And for him to really have his people reach out to me and say, hey. He would like to be a guest on your show. It was a big thing for me. Sure. Because because I'm like, man, I would have known like, I'm a kid from Brooklyn. I didn't I don't know celebrities like that. I I when when my wife introduced me to the secret and and to self development and all that, I I've I've gravitated to some certain people that I
enjoyed their content. I enjoyed what they were talking about. And and so when he reached out and they were like, he would love to be a guest, I was like, oh, hell yeah. Like, oh, when when can we do this? Like, it could happen fast enough for me. Very very humbling. Oh, it was. And at the same time, super exciting. Right? Yeah. It it was like, wants to be on on my podcast? Y'all y'all sure you got the right podcast?
That's awesome. It was it was it was an amazing experience, man. It was something that I that I'm gonna I'm gonna cherish for the rest of my life because, like I said, it was someone that I I admired, and and I followed his content. And and and even within the last few years, I was I was checking out his YouTube his, his Facebook channel and all this stuff, and and then to have him come and appear on my show, it was like but this
is before I even went live. It was like I started it's it's crazy because I started strictly audio. Mhmm. Mhmm. Right? And for the 1st year, I was just nothing but audio, audio, audio. But I was using StreamYard to record the episode. I was, I mean, I was using StreamYard to record the audio. I wasn't doing no video whatsoever. And a couple came on, and they were they were branded strategists and all that. And they were like, so you don't do video? And I'm like, no. I'm not ready.
They're like, okay. So you don't do video? I'm like, no. I'm not there yet. I'm not quite ready. The 3rd time they asked me a question, I said, you know what? Yes. I do video, and I record it. And from that episode from that episode, I've been recording video. Now I go live, but it it was I understood why they were he they kept asking me that question. Mhmm. Because, like, I'm already using the platform. Now this is just more content for you to use. Like, I'm like, it was more
like, yes. It's great. You have the audio. Fine. But now you have the video content. Now you have more content that you can create reels. You can create shorts. You can have these these are now other now just you're not just focusing on now you don't just have to use headliner to create audiograms. You actually have the video to the to the episode. So it made sense to me. It was like and the fact that and the fact that I was like, oh, I'm not ready. I'm not it's not perfect yet.
It's never gonna be perfect. Right. It's like the longer you wait, it's never gonna be perfect. So it it was just me. You know what? I understand what you're getting at. I know what you mean. So, yes, I do video now. And it was a great experience, man. It was I learned I learned a lot that episode. Very cool. And and sometimes it's like a baptism by fire. And there might have been that resistance or reluctance to do so, but
they asked you and asked you again, and then you said, yeah. Let's do this. You know? And I'm sure you can also appreciate there's a lot big of a difference between, prerecorded episode, whether it's video or audio or going live because when you're going live, like, you had to think quick on your feet when, like, 5 minutes ago when the video turned off. You know? Mhmm. Had you not been resourceful enough or faced other challenges in your career and experience that could have
went down a much different path. But you kept your cool. You you you continued to talk with me. You I obviously were troubleshooting back there. A less resourceful or more green podcaster might not have overcome that challenge as easily as you did. You know? So maybe it's just as well that you you got your you sharpen the darts, you know, just prerecorded in the beginning, and now you're like, yeah. Now I'm ready to do the live bit. And if if a challenge comes, I'll face it when
it gets here. You know? Yeah. You and that's one thing I'd say. Right? Like, there's always gonna be technical difficulties. You never know. Right. It's how you respond. I I could've oh, man. It's gonna snow. How you respond, man? I'm I'll keep you cool. Just do what you do, and and it'll work out. And one of the re honestly, one of the reasons I go live now, right, is, to save me on editing. Okay. Sleep. It's it it say actually, you know, because now that I'm recording, it's out there.
Mhmm. So I don't have to edit. I don't have to spend time hours editing my stuff. I'll edit other people's stuff. I I do that, and people pay it pays pretty well, so I don't I don't mind doing the editing of video and audio. But for me, personally, I was like, I'd rather do the live, and I I enjoy the interaction. I enjoy when people leave comments. I enjoy when when people grab hear something that and and they leave a comment, and they were like, man,
thank you. I needed to hear that or or whatever whatever the conversation was. And and so it also gives the audience opportunity to be a part of the show, so now it makes it their show as well. Absolutely. And that's a really cool thing, for having that live feed. You know? Whether it's the live video, like, we're on YouTube live or, some kind of live audio program or whatever. Like, there are really
cool platforms out there. You know, shout out to StreamYard that allow the creator to interact with the audience in real time and get maybe some burning question from then from an audience person. It could totally change the interview and make it that much better because this platform delivers those capabilities. Yeah. And it's it's Shingard has been even in the in the cup the 3 year couple of years that I've been using it, they've evolved so much. Now you're able to clip here
directly on StreamYard. You can create clips directly on StreamYard and send them to send them to YouTube, send them to Instagram. And it's like I have a whole production studio in at the palm of my hands. You see, at the beginning of the show, I have my intro. At the end, I'll have my outro. Mhmm. And it's all here. Whereas in years past, you probably would spend 1,000 of dollars to to rent a studio and and have a camera guy and have a audio guy and have all these things,
I have a mini studio here at home. Yeah. Absolutely. Technology. Oh, man. It's great. And and I've I've invested in in some good equipment. And once I figured out that this is what I wanted to do, I invested in myself. I was furloughed from work at the beginning of the pandemic, got extra money, and what I did was I I invested in a quality mic. I invested in a quality camera. I got me the
Rodecaster Pro. I just invested in myself because, 1, first of all, people are giving me something very precious, which is their time. Mhmm. So the fact that they're here listening, watching, whatever, I felt that I needed to make sure that my equipment was up to par. They needed to hear me clearly. They needed to make sure that my audio sounded perfect. My video came out well. It it was something that I me personally, it was just listen. This is time. They
this is something they're never gonna get back. I need to make sure that I am doing right by them. Very good. But this has been great, man. I was I I'm already? This is when you have some great conversations, time just flies, man. I agree. I agree. Yeah, man. I really appreciate the conversation. Thank you. Oh, no. I I appreciate you being on the show. Now you get the the solo screen, and you get to plug away, let people know where they can find you, where they can find
the book. I'll if you wanna share the the well, I'll I'll, well, yeah, pod I got a couple of podcasters watching. So if you wanna share the link for them, you take the survey if you want. Yeah. Absolutely. Okay. Like we're saying in the beginning, doing some market research, for our books. So if you're a podcaster, I have a survey for you. If you're just a professional, I've got another
survey. And don't worry. The surveys will only take 2 to 3 minutes tops, and you can find them easily on my website richperry.com. Go into the upper tab, the menu area, look for market research, and then you can find the surveys there. Like I said, it'll take 2 or 3 minutes. Love to hear your insights. Love to hear your experience. The information that you provide will help us make a much
better book for the reader. And once the book's ready, you can find that on richperry.com as well, and I look forward to connecting with everyone on social media at coach rich Perry across all social channels. And, I really appreciate the time here. Thank you so much for letting me speak with your audience and and for our great conversation. Thank you, man. Like I said, this is the last minute. We we worked on the we got we got you to sign up for it last
week. But, thank you, man. I greatly appreciate you coming on and and sharing sharing your time with us and sharing sharing this wonderful conversation, man. I appreciate it. I really do. This is something I I I I truly do love. I love podcasting. I love being able to connect with people, and and and
since you're not since we're neighbors, we're not that far apart, man. Hopefully, we can really build a relationship and and and take this take more take the step further because I really do wanna truly connect with more people in the community and and shout out to Stacy for for making this happen and and connecting us. Definitely. We're we are neighbors, and, we'll definitely make that happen in person. Definitely. Definitely. Definitely gonna make that happen.
But, don't leave just yet. Let me, close out the show, which had a little bit off screen. But, thank you so much. I greatly appreciate you being being on the show. Thank you. I appreciate it. Alright, man. As always, thank you to everybody who who tuned in. Dee Willie, appreciate you, brother, for for coming by and leaving comments. Shout out to Jeff Ravilla. Thank you for coming through. Marcus Casper, I know that was you, Facebook user. I appreciate you for
believing a comment. As always, shout out to my real wise fam, Bobby j, Brandy j. Love you guys. Hey. Shout out to the boss lady. Appreciate it and love you. Shout out again to Stacy Toy for making this happen. We need to get you back on the show soon. Love you and appreciate you. And as always, a big, big shout out to all the essential workers out there. God bless y'all. Be safe. You know how your boy, Wise, does it. Peace out.