Crafting Content and Connecting Globally Through Podcasting, with David Cunningham

Ever wonder what it's like to hop from the dynamic airwaves of radio into the calculative world of financial services and back again? Tune in to our latest episode where Dave Cunningham, a man of many talents, sits with me, Carl Richards, to recount his enchanting journey. He opens up about his love for radio discovered at university, leading to a hearty twenty-year career before seeking family stability in finance. But as the allure of broadcasting never waned, Dave's retirement became the birthplace of "The Kingstonian," his podcast that unwraps the stories of individuals fueled by passion. His venture is a testament to the power of genuine conversations and a yearning to craft content on his own terms, far from the rigid timings of traditional radio.

This episode isn't just a walk down memory lane; it's a masterclass in the art of the interview, something I’m passionate about. Dave and I exchange battle stories and tactics for drawing out the most compelling narratives from our guests, shaping conversations that spark and flow. We tackle the hurdles of engaging reticent interviewees and share the joy in connecting with a global audience, thanks to the wonders of modern analytics. From a local radio host's unexpected playwright success to the global reach of a retirement hobby podcast, this episode is a treasure trove for anyone curious about the enchanting world of podcasting or simply looking for inspiration to follow their own rekindled passions. So, press play and let us whisk you away into a world where conversation is king and every voice has the potential to echo across continents.

Listen The The Kignstonian:
https://thekingstonianpodcast.buzzsprout.com

Got 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.ca

If 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://podcastsolutionsmadesimple.buzzsprout.com/

Follow us on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/podcast-solutions-made-simple
Follow us on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/podcastsolutionsmadesimple/
Follow us on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/groups/podcastlaunchmadesimple
Follow us on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/carlrichards72

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:04

Welcome to Podcast Solutions Made Simple. It's the podcast. That's all about podcasting. I'm your host, carl Richards. You know, in my 25-plus years in the broadcast and speaking world, I've noticed a lot of overwhelm when it comes to podcasting, and I'm here to tell you it doesn't have to be that way. If you're a coach, consultant or other subject matter expert and the thought of starting a podcast seems too technical, too confusing, too time consuming or just way out of your reach, then this is the podcast for you. On this show, we give you the tools, tips and techniques to run a kick-ass show and share stories from people who have been there, done that and are enjoying massive success with their own shows. Oh, and if you're an existing podcaster, this show is also for you.

Speaker 1: 0:47

The mics are up, so let's dive into today's episode, and today we're talking to a very special guest.

Speaker 1: 0:55

One of the things that we've learned over the last few weeks is when we talk about some of the myths and misconceptions and misinformation that's happening in the podcasting space is the journey into the podcasting space and through the podcasting space is a personal one, so your journey will be very different from the journey that I've had, so keep that in mind as we're listening to our guest today, as we find out about his journey, some of the things that he's experienced along the way as he's taken a step into the podcasting space.

Speaker 1: 1:25

My guest today is Dave Cunningham. Dave has about 20 years of broadcast experience a man after my own heart, actually and 25 years in the financial services sector. Didn't spend that many years in financial services personally, but I did have a stint there as well. Dave is now in retirement, but he returned to his love of radio, morphing into a six-year run with a podcast called the Kingstonian. It's a podcast that focuses on individuals passionate about what they do. It's a different kind of podcast and I'm very glad that we'll be chatting with Dave about the show and about him. Dave, welcome to the podcast.

Speaker 2: 1:59

Thank you very much, Carl.

Speaker 1: 2:01

So what brought you to this podcasting space? I know we have to go back a couple of years here to get to the crux of this, but tell us a bit about that journey of yours.

Speaker 2: 2:11

Well, let's go back to university days and I was in an arts program at Queens and, like a lot of other people, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, and you don't get a really good sense of that when you're taking arts courses and there's a whole mixed bag of courses. I walked into the Queens radio station and immediately felt that this was something I enjoyed doing, so I spent about three years there when I was going to Queens, and I developed a love for radio such that when I did graduate, I was able to land a job at one of the local radio stations in town and that's what led to the 20 years in radio and it was something I enjoyed doing. But, like a lot of other people who are involved in local radio, we're not making gobs and gobs of cash working?

Speaker 1: 3:04

Oh, you're not.

Speaker 2: 3:05

No.

Speaker 1: 3:06

You're not independently wealthy. What's up with that?

Speaker 2: 3:09

Dave. So I had three young children and I decided well, let's try something else. And so, like a lot of other radio people, we morphed into financial services, and I don't know what the connection is between radio and financial services, but I know a lot of folks have done the same sort of thing. So I spent 25 years there, and when I retired I was looking for something to do, like a lot of other retired folk, and I decided well, I can go back to the Queens radio station as a volunteer from the community as opposed to a volunteer from the campus. I spent some time there doing different kinds of things, and what I liked about radio was the business of sitting down and talking to somebody one-to-one. And that's when I developed the idea for doing a show that focused on people in the community who were passionate about what they do.

Speaker 2: 4:00

And having spent a lot of time in the community being involved with various nonprofits throughout my time, at both jobs that I did have when I was working, I was able to sort of tap into a lot of people that I knew and got the program rolling. And then the issue came up that I was either having to do the program every week on the radio station and I had to do 30 minutes or an hour or whatever the slot was on a regular basis and I decided well, I need a bit more flexibility, and that's when the idea of doing it as a podcast came up. So for a while the show was on the radio station and was carried on the station's podcasting network, and then it became a podcast because I didn't want to do something on a regular basis for a certain length. I wanted more flexibility. So that's how I got into podcasting an amazing journey.

Speaker 1: 4:56

So you went from radio to financial services, to retirement, wanting to something to do. So back to radio. But that radio experience morphed into becoming a podcast. And interesting that you got into radio at a time where that two-year diploma or three-year degree or whatever it was that I had experienced when I was going through college. You didn't need that. You could have that piece of paper, but it wasn't a requirement. You could literally walk in off the street and many people did back then, get a job and have a very successful career doing so.

Speaker 2: 5:30

And I think where a lot of people back in my early days who got into radio doing what's called production. So you're not on the air, you are putting together commercials, you are organizing programs that run on the radio station, but you're not actually talking. And that's how I started, and so eventually I got the opportunity to do some announcing and that became a regular slot. I never did mornings because the idea of getting up at five o'clock or four o'clock in the morning just didn't work for me. But I did a bunch of other slots and I eventually moved into programming. So I was a program director when I left the radio station.

Speaker 1: 6:08

Tell us about some of the people who you're inviting on the show.

Speaker 2: 6:11

Well, in anticipation of you and I talking, I went through the list of people that I've spoken with over the last two or three years, or actually going back to the beginning, and there's quite a cross section I find that I've spoken to and that was the whole point of the program. If I left the parameters of the show fairly broad, that gave me an opportunity to talk to all kinds of different people. So we're talking about politicians, business people, people involved in their various cultures, musicians, singer, songwriters, people involved in the broadcast media, education, nonprofit and some folks who just have a particular interest that they're really passionate about that didn't fit into the other slots and so, basically, when I was looking for a guest, I was looking for someone that I thought was interesting, and I sort of took the position that if I thought it was interesting, there would be listeners who thought it was interesting as well. And you're always looking whenever people sit down and talk to each other in this format.

Speaker 2: 7:11

You're looking for people who are not going to give you single word answers and who are going to tell you stories and that's what makes a podcast really interesting is when you have a whole list of questions and your guest goes down and takes you on another trail that you hadn't anticipated. But it's far more interesting than any of the questions that you have prepared for the interview. So that's the position I've taken, where I prepare myself to ask questions, but then again I enjoy listening to the stories that get told along the way and hopefully you get people who do tell stories. So that's basically how I got started in terms of picking people and getting them behind the microphone.

Speaker 1: 7:51

And give you more than one word answers.

Speaker 2: 7:53

Exactly, there's a one word answer.

Speaker 1: 7:58

Now your show is very interview heavy. I mean, have you ever done a solo episode or has it all been interview based?

Speaker 2: 8:05

No, I don't talk by myself. No, it's all been interview based.

Speaker 1: 8:09

And because it's interview based. It's for and I share this because people who come to podcast solutions, they're looking at the space in a lot of cases for business. And how do I do that? How do I go about getting guests? And quite often I'll say you don't have to worry about guests, let's get your intellectual property out there, the things that make your brand and you unique, and the person that people should do business with, which is a very different type of podcast versus the one that you have, which is reliant heavily on interviews, but that's the magic of it. You've created this show in retirement. It has a great following, it's different, but it still is not without its. Along the journey, I'm sure you've had some hiccups or headaches, or you just want to throw in the towel moments ago. Why am I like this? Talk about that a little bit. Share us about some of the things that you've learned along the way, shall we say.

Speaker 2: 9:02

Well, I think one of the issues is the technological side of doing a podcast. I find that if I get really prepared for a conversation and something goes wrong with the technology, where the microphones don't appear to work or the cameras don't appear to work, if you're doing something via Zoom, you get really distracted and you're focused more on the technology than listening to what the guest is talking about. So that's one issue. So in some cases doing a conversation in person makes a lot more sense. The quality is usually better. But then again there are distractions that come up there as well, where you may be in a situation where you're in one room and there's too much noise coming from a room next door that the guest hadn't sort of dealt with in advance of the interview. Or my favorite is when I am sitting at a table and I've got two microphones set up one for me, one for my guest and I tell him at the beginning of the interview do not do this with your fingers on the table, because the microphone will pick it up. And inevitably about halfway through the interview the guest is doing this, doesn't realize they're doing this, making noise or popping them like, or whatever the case may be. Those are slight distractions, but they can take you off your plan, as it were, or your ability to pay attention to what the guest is saying.

Speaker 2: 10:23

I think something we've already alluded to is there are times when you were talking to someone that you have not met before and you don't really know them that well. So it may be a good writer, for instance, but you don't know what they're like in terms of communicating or talking, and sometimes they are one word answers, which for an interviewer, is the kiss of death because it makes it a really short and dull interview if all you're getting are yes and no answers. But I mean, those are things. So you have to try to figure out in a conversation with the guest in advance what type of person they're going to be.

Speaker 1: 10:57

That's interesting that you note that and I think that's the benefit of having some broadcast training is we're taught either in school or we're taught on the job, in the real world. When you are interviewing somebody on the radio, do not ask a closed question. Try and avoid that because you might get the yes or the no or the sure. You might get those one word answers. So you want to make sure that you're picking the words or you're framing your questions more, either as a statement or tell me about this or what's your thoughts about or how was that, as opposed to do you think or how it, because that's what leads to those one word answers. I think for most people coming into the space who don't have that background of knowing how to interview or have a conversation with people, without those one word answers, it's a struggle because they don't know what to do if they get that one word answer. It derails them.

Speaker 1: 11:58

For you spent 20 years behind the mic and then some because you're back at it podcasting. I spent 25 and podcasting. We know how to think on our feet. We know how to get to the. Can you elaborate on that a little bit more? Like that we know what the next thing is that needs to come out of our mouth.

Speaker 1: 12:14

But, for a brand new person. It's a challenge having that conversation, but then it's a challenge what happens if it derails? How do you manage a person that's maybe they're great at writing, maybe they've written a phenomenal masterpiece, but they're not necessarily the greatest podcast guest?

Speaker 2: 12:30

One of the things I found, too, is that for some people, they will say to you so what are you going to ask me? Can I get the questions in advance?

Speaker 1: 12:38

I love that question because the answer is I don't know what your answer is, what actually? I'll ask you what's your answer.

Speaker 2: 12:43

No same here. I don't provide questions in advance because it becomes too automated, right? Because some people might write the answers down in advance or they're reading them back to you and it removes the sense of spontaneity if you're sort of formatted too tightly. I don't think I've ever done it, but in one or two cases I may have, but 99.9% of the time it's. You know, this is a conversation. I am not a news reporter looking to get some dirt on you if I'm talking to a politician. So if I talk to a politician, then if it's provincial or federal, I'm saying to them this is a non-partisan conversation. This is about your passion for politics and what you think the job is or was, or when you went into it. But it's not about what's currently going on in the legislature or the House of Commons. It's about you and why you are where you are.

Speaker 1: 13:34

It's interesting that you mentioned that too about you know you're not a reporter when you're in this situation and it obviously relaxes somebody who's in the politics space, of course. But I've noticed in recent years that even people who are reporters they don't interview like they used to. Again, it's more conversational, it's more I'm going to make a statement and David's going to respond to it and it sounds conversational. And I think some of the greatest examples of that are certainly, I think, on our national broadcaster, cbc, but even on CNN you hear those conversations that happen with the guest as opposed to a how about this? Question number three you know, like you don't hear those reporting type questions that you did back in the I don't want to say formative years, but back, you know, 20, 30, 40 years ago, where it was. I got to ask you a bunch of questions because that's what a reporter does. There's been an evolution in how we do that and I think that's come full circle into the podcasting space too, to make the content more engaging and more interesting.

Speaker 2: 14:36

One of the things I did was, when the war in Ukraine first started, I was able to get a hold of a fellow in Kingston who is well known in the Ukrainian Canadian community his name is Lubimir Luchuk and he is a professor at RMC and so we talked about Ukraine and some of the history in a podcast. And then later on I decided well, why don't we try to turn the focus around a little bit and find out why Russia is doing what they're doing? And so I asked him to give me the name of a professor who might be able to help me on that score. So I got the name of an individual and I sent him an email, and all the responses I was getting from him were one word responses Can we do this on this particular day? Yep, and so I'm going.

Speaker 2: 15:20

What kind of interview is this going to be? And then when we started talking, it was great because he had all sorts of information and he took me down a road, historically, that I had never heard of before, and it gave me and the listeners some indication as to why things are the way they are right now. It's a story that hasn't been told as widely as maybe it should have been, but it was a whole different context, given the initial assumptions I was making based upon the exchange of emails back and forth.

Speaker 1: 15:48

A magical moment that you didn't expect was going to go that way. Based on the one word answers you were getting an email. You're like fingers crossed. I hope I don't get one word answers in the conversation. This is a good time, I think, to brag. Let's talk more about the Kingstonian. I mean, you gave us sort of the interesting people that you talked to you let them share their story, but let's talk more about the show itself. A good chance to just give us a lay of the land a little bit.

Speaker 2: 16:16

Well, after I had started doing the show and I think I was about four or five, so I call them seasons, years doing the show through the auspices of the network set up at Queens for doing podcasts. But it was a network set up fairly recently and there wasn't the ability to get real-time information as to who was listening, and I think anybody who is behind the microphone wants to know if anybody out there is actually listening to you. And so I scouted around and I think it was you that gave me the tip to go to a host called Buzzsprout that's just the name of one of the companies that do hosting. And for those who may not be aware of what hosting is, it's simply you take your podcast and you upload it to them and then they distribute it to the various directories like Apple Podcasts and Spotify and all that sort of thing, anyway. So with them I was able to get results like right away. I could just go online and look and see how many people were downloading the episode, where were they downloading it from, and for me that was the big takeaway. I figured this is a show called the Kingstonian.

Speaker 2: 17:26

A lot of the people I am talking to are from the city of Kingston, ontario, and I'm looking down and, as of the past couple of years, I think the show has been downloaded in 48 different countries around the world, all the major continents. And you're going how come, like, what is the appeal of it? So I'm not questioning it, just absorbing it and trying to figure out. I'm not trying to figure out, but just hoping that it continues that way. It just makes it more interesting for me, as the person doing the show, to see that there is actually someone out there who is downloading the episodes on a regular basis, which makes that more interesting. So you know, this for me, as you said, is a hobby, right? So I'm not doing this to generate money. This is not a business. It's just me looking to do something in retirement. It just makes it more worthwhile to get that kind of information.

Speaker 1: 18:16

We'll make sure we put the link to the Kingstonian in the show notes so you can check out the podcast. It is a great podcast, being so many great people interviewed as well. I know we've chatted off microphone about some of the people that you had on the show and so, yeah, it's definitely worth a listen and I think that's why it's getting the international recognition that you probably didn't expect it would get, because when you have a localized podcast, you think, oh, it's great for my local community. And I think this is one of the misconceptions of people.

Speaker 1: 18:45

When they come into the podcasting space, they think well, especially business owners. They say, well, I have a local business and I'm only going to be talking to local people, but podcasts are global. Who in Europe or the Asian countries are going to even consider listening to me? But, as you know, how many countries did you say? Again, 20, 24?, 48. 48. Math is hard, dave, I'm sorry, but that's the whole thing is that you never know who you're going to connect with, and some of those people I suspect this is probably part of that too there have been people that have either visited Kingston, loved the community and want to keep in touch with what's happening in it. Or there are people who have lived here. Maybe they went to school here, maybe they're from here and work abroad and now they're still wanting to connect with the show.

Speaker 2: 19:34

Or there's a third answer and you just don't know how they found the show, but you're glad that they did or it's something that you are talking about with an individual that they can see themselves relating to in their own community, somebody else like that. Or one example, too, of somebody that I think you know him as well, and that's Norm Foster, who used to be on radio here in Kingston as well, and he eventually found himself in Fredrickton, new Brunswick, at a radio station. His buddy says I'm going down to audition for a play in Fredrickton and I want you to come with me just to keep me company. So there's Norm sitting in the audience as his buddy is auditioning for a play and the director comes up to Norm who's? For those who've never seen Norm, norm is a tall, lanky kind of guy, and so the director came up to him and said so are you here to audition? And Norm says no, I'm just here with my buddy. And he says well, why don't you audition?

Speaker 2: 20:28

So Norm ended up getting the lead role in the play and then he figured well, this is fun, maybe I should write a play. And he started writing plays and he has written more plays and they have been performed more frequently than any other playwright in the country, and I think he's written about 80 different plays that he can just sit down and go play after play, after play, and so something that I never knew about him when I worked with him at the radio station. It's something he didn't even think about doing when he was here, but all of a sudden he switches gears and he's a well-known, nationally respected playwright. And that's the kind of thing that comes out when you're talking and exploring someone's background and their passion.

Speaker 1: 21:11

Definitely give a listen to the podcast the Kingstonian. You'll hear more stories, just like the one that Dave just shared. Advice not that you're an Landers, but certainly some advice or tips for anybody that's looking at the podcasting space and going. Is this for me, whether it be somebody like yourself who's looking for something to do in retirement, or even somebody in business, because, let's face it, it's becoming a very viable business tool, marketing tool in the business space. What would you say to somebody who's looking at this and on the fence going? I don't know what would you say to them.

Speaker 2: 21:45

I think probably the first thing is to start small. It's to not go out and spend a fortune on equipment because you don't need to. There is all sorts of different pieces of equipment that you can get for a reasonable price. I think. Figure out where your niche is going to be, what sort of thing you want to talk about when you're doing a podcast, whether you're going to talk on your own, to talk about a product or a service that you provide, or whether you're planning on talking to people. Find out, and if you're going to be talking to people, my advice is to listen to what they're saying.

Speaker 2: 22:18

And for those of us in the business who take a podcast and put it on the computer to edit it after the fact, you have a track with your voice and a track with your guest's voice, and it's just waves that go up and down. So if I look at my track and there's hardly anything there and all I see is the waves on my guest's track, then I knew I've done my job properly. I'm not talking, it's my guest who's talking. If that's what your goal is is to interview people and bring out what they do or what they're interested in you have to listen to what they're saying and be flexible enough, like we said before, that you can switch gears if they're taking you down a road that sounds more interesting than the road you had planned to travel, and don't be chained to your questions.

Speaker 1: 23:04

No, Don't be chained to your questions and if they have one word answers, know how to shift gears very quickly and get some answers that you want. Dave, this has been lots of fun. Dave Cunningham has been my guest today. Before I turn you loose into the world, probably record another podcast interview.

Speaker 2: 23:19

Final thought If it's something that you want to do, give it a try. Don't be afraid to try it, because you may get something out of it that you didn't have planned to.

Speaker 1: 23:29

Great, dave, I think we'll leave it there. Thanks for being my guest today.

Speaker 2: 23:32

Thank you, Carl.

Speaker 1: 23:33

And thank you for joining us today. Special thanks to our producer, aiden Burroughs, our production lead, kieran Doherty, our music guru, nathan Simon, and the person who works the arms All of our arms, actually my trusty assistant, stephanie Gefort. If you like what you heard today, leave us a comment and a review, and be sure to share it with your friends. If you don't like what you heard, please share it with your enemies. Oh, and if you have a suggestion of someone who you think would make an amazing guest on the show, let us know about it. Drop us an email. Askcarl at carlspeaksca. Don't forget to follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter as well. You'll find all those links in the show notes, and if you're ready to take the plunge and join the over 3 million people who have said yes to podcasting, let's have a conversation. We'll show you the simplest way to get into the podcasting space because, after all, your podcast solution's made simple. We'll catch you next time.