Martinka Consulting's Getting the Deal Done Podcast
Martinka Consulting's Getting the Deal Done Podcast
John and Robert Plank Discuss Building a Business that Lasts
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Robert Plank is the founder and owner of DFY Podcasts. DFY does podcast production (we are a client of their's), social media, and more.
Robert also is the host of the "Marketer of the Day" podcast. And yes, there's a new episode every day (over 1,400 episodes) with guests with a wide variety of expertise. From Robert:
- Growth without financial clarity is just chaos with more zeros attached.
- Learn how to scale your business without losing control.
- A business doesn't fail because of lack of ideas - it fails because the numbers are ignored.
John Martinka
Jessica Martinka
Contact us via either website or give us a call and be sure to check out our blog pages with new posts weekly.
https://nokomisadvisory.com/
https://www.martinkaconsulting.com/
https://www.gddpodcast.buzzsprout.com
https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnAMartinka/videos
425-515-4903
So what I've seen is people resist video, but if you're not on video, you're really holding yourself back because like people think about podcasts is audio, which means Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Audible, those kind of platforms.
SPEAKER_00I'm John Martinka, and my very special guest today is Robert Plank. And Robert is DFY Podcasting, is what it goes by. And we're going to talk a little bit about Robert, his background, his business, and but first a disclaimer that I am a customer of Robert's. They are the company that produces my podcast, does great intros and exits to every episode, provides me with uh social media and great little pictures that I can put on LinkedIn or they can put on and all of that. So uh it's been a great relationship as I've worked with him. So welcome, Robert.
SPEAKER_01Glad to be here. We'll have a fun time.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So you've got this business that you help with podcasts. You're described uh online as a marketer, entrepreneur, and podcast host. Um how did you get into this?
SPEAKER_01I got into this because I started as a programmer and then I became a business owner, and I was really limited as far as the connections that I made. I would go to offline events, conferences, and I would try to find different people to network with to enjoy a venture, but it was very hit or miss. It was depending on the circles I came across, the people that I met. And when I started pursuing these one-to-one relationships, especially with podcasting, I found that I could deliberately, consistently work on my networking. It wasn't just a roll of the dice. I'd meet someone, find out a little bit about them, and then have them on my show on my platform and immediately benefit them and talk about them and what interested them. And it opened up so many doors and began so many relationships. So, you know, podcasting, you do like content and all this sort of other stuff. But number one, it's a great relationship building tool.
SPEAKER_00Okay. So I want to make sure I don't have it in front of me. I want to make sure I get the name right. Your podcast is Marketer of the Day. Correct. Marketer of the Day. And as I think you were at around at least about 1,400, 1,500 episodes out there.
SPEAKER_01Yes, 1,450 to be exact. So right in the the mid-range of what you said 1400, 1500, smack dab in the middle.
SPEAKER_00And that's one every day. Is it five days a week or seven? Seven. Seven days a week.
SPEAKER_01At the moment, I bel I believe I'm 40 days ahead. So I've I have I've had some days where I've had five, seven different Zoom meetings like this, record podcasts and just give it to my team and have it all on a schedule so that way if someone tunes in, they can you know keep on consuming every single day.
SPEAKER_00Includes leadership and coaching employees and sales, but yours is just eclectic. I mean, you there's business, there's artists, there's scientists, there's computer people, AI, you name it. Uh what are some of the most fascinating episodes you've done recently?
SPEAKER_01Ooh, so I think um the the ones that fascinate me the most are the ones when the when people have sold a company, when they've been on different kinds of adventures. Like I kind of there's there's I guess like sort of two ways I could answer your question, right? There's the really off-the-wall guests. I've had guests like a guy that he runs drum circles in prisons. I've interviewed a lady that she's uh like teaches how to add Indian spices to your food to lose weight. But as far as like a business building aspect, I have a lot of fun finding the people that have so bought and sold different companies just because I kind of get the information, but I also get the motivation, right? I think like, whoa, like some of us are uh just kind of building a business and and saying, well, uh, how can I move to this next level? But some of these people have like grown by leaps and bounds. So as far as me personally, my own catnip that I like the best are these people that have like done these huge deals and sold these huge companies.
SPEAKER_00Okay. So you know, we're talking about podcasting, and it is a marketing technique, and it is a very popular marketing technique these days. Uh, I think uh as we record this, I recall just seeing in the Wall Street Journal uh uh article about YouTube and live streaming and saying, you know, how YouTube uh got us from listening to podcasts to also watching podcasts. And you know, you have to appeal to everyone in different ways. Uh how have you helped some of your clients grow their business through podcasting?
SPEAKER_01Uh well, the easy answer is the distribution. Like you just said there, how we have to appeal to people in different ways, and you could drive yourself crazy trying to think about all the different marketing channels that are out there, right? There's LinkedIn, there's X, there's TikTok. And in my brain, I just think about the different lengths, right? You figure, well, if you and I sat down and recorded a 30, 60 minute podcast, well, that's a YouTube video, right? And is it the most visually exciting video? Well, it's just two guys on camera, but still, some people might have that in the background or they might have it up on their TV, and then they might also just listen. And they might listen on Apple Podcasts or on something like Spotify. And then, so that's like one kind of link, but then you figure, well, if you or I said something really profound, a really interesting quote, we could pull out that text, make it into a graphic, put that on Instagram. If we had a really interesting viral clip, like a 30 or 60 seconds, where we had a really good sound bite, pull that out. That goes on TikTok. And so that's the biggest benefit is that you build your relationships. You have any kind of show that you want. Like you said, I have kind of this kind of wide umbrella show, and then you have your more focused show. But imagine if you said, Well, let me go and talk to Vance Morris or Mark Osborne, and then I'll switch gears and then edit video. It's like you're it's too much of the context switching, and it's a lot more fun, especially for the business owner or the spokesperson such as yourself to just hop on these meetings, and then the team goes and posts on all those different social marketing channels that you always hear about, but you never have time to post on, right? LinkedIn, threads, uh, X, all those places. So the biggest benefit is the distribution on all these different social media channels.
SPEAKER_00Okay. So how do you do it so efficiently? I think I know the I know the answer, but tell our audience.
SPEAKER_01We have a workflow and a process and a team, and they figured out all this software. Like the uh if you use any kind of program or app in the last 10 years, you know that it's incredibly fast. They've gone to a lot of lengths to make it uh user-friendly. And so my team just we say, okay, we get a podcast episode and we run it through all these little steps, and we just kind of do it reliably, consistently, repeatedly.
SPEAKER_00And how has AI affected that process?
SPEAKER_01It has sped things up. It used to take an hour just to name an episode. Imagine that. The kids these days have no idea, right? They have to listen to a whole entire episode, and nowadays we uh take advantage of how things are like easily transcribed. But back even a few years ago, you'd have to listen to a whole episode and say, hmm, well, I guess uh John was talking about accounting or about due diligence or about MA, and they'd have to like kind of click through uh the the keywords and also keep in mind what phrase someone would search in order to ideally find your podcast episode. So they'd have to like kind of do it by hand. And nowadays you feed it all through AI and you say, Hey, give me five or ten possible titles for my show so that way it's relevant and it's helpful, but it also catches all these people doing all these searches, and then we have the human element to kind of pick through and choose something that makes sense. So the AI gives us ideas, and especially for SEO show notes and titles, and then we just go and pick through and we say, Hey, that this looks like something that would be professional and would help people get to where they want to go.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I really like the way your your staff does it. They, you know, when it they don't just send me a polished version of this of a podcast, they give me thumbnails and they give me p pictures with you know uh catchy sayings, uh valuable sayings from the podcast and makes you know, and then whether you post it or I post it somewhere, it you know, it just looks a lot better than uh just just text on LinkedIn or somewhere else.
SPEAKER_01And different people consume in different ways, and like I think about the podcasts I listen to, like I I I like Dave Ramsey just for like the the various advice, but I don't have two and a half hours every single day, but then I'll see some social posts, I'll see some little three-minute clips, and I'm like, okay, I've got my Dave Ramsey fix for today. And so even podcasters that I like a lot, I don't always have time in the day to listen to a whole episode, but the little tidbits keeps me interested.
SPEAKER_00Okay. So for a b a business owner that wants to use podcasts or segments, whether they're you know two minutes or uh uh uh twenty-thirty minutes like we like to do, uh what are some what are some tips for business owners to to be doing doing their own podcast?
SPEAKER_01I think my biggest tip is think about the people and especially think about your vendors. Think about the just the people that you interact with, the tools that you use, because those are people that you already know, and it's easy to forget that someone's there, right? It's easy to take for granted. Like it's kind of like if you have people uh on in your family who live on the opposite coast as you, and maybe you don't talk to them after a couple of weeks or months, you you forget that they're over there. And so I think that it's a really good idea to just uh think of even like three or four people that you might want to just reach out to and warm the relationship back up, right? If there's someone that maybe uh you did a deal with, or someone that maybe they worked for your company a few years ago and you left on good terms, or you had a buddy and you they kind of came and went. So just whoever you want to reconnect with, I think that's a good idea to uh to see if they can get on up on a Zoom call and you know catch up, but catch up publicly in a way that you were gonna spend the time anyway to keep the relationship going, but now you're helping them out because you're using your platform to promote them, but then you also get the the bond to be a little bit stronger. So I would say, you know, you could geek out all day long about software and tools and videos and platforms, but think about those people in your inner circle who maybe you want to be associated with a little bit more.
SPEAKER_00Okay. So you have guests on all your episodes, and I have guests on many, and I also do educational ones that tend to be shorter. I try to keep them to five or ten minutes on a few things. How would you recommend a you know a widget manufacturer or district distributor or fixer of widgets uses shorter podcasts, not interviews?
SPEAKER_01I would think about solutions and I would think about what your people are looking for. So, like, for example, if say you're like just if you're like a an HVAC apply uh HVAC repairman, right? And maybe you uh can interview like other contractors not in your area, or if you're an HVAC guy, you can talk to like a roofing guy or a solar panel guy. So you kind of keep that calendar full. And then in between, if you say, hey, I want to be like John and I want to have those solo episodes, then you think back to what do you do that you that you do repetitively and what's maybe easy for you, hard for others. So talk about like replacing your air filter or uh different types of AC units, but just you think about the solutions and just and think about who's looking for uh the answer to this problem or that problem and kind of like position it that way. But I think that the most important thing is to keep up the practice because when you first podcast, you might be awkward or you might not know what to say. And if you can make it a habit, then you'll be dreaming about your podcast and you'll say, Oh my gosh, I can't wait until the next time I sit down in front of the microphone to record something. So most important thing is keep that calendar full, have a little time block every week where either you meet with a guest or you record something that just helps people. So just like any other marketing. Yeah, there you go. You you you can keep consistent with it, stay with it. Yes.
SPEAKER_00Okay. What have you seen over the years with uh from uh audio uh now video, the mix? What are you seeing?
SPEAKER_01I'm seeing people resist video, which is ridiculous in the post-pandemic world, right? Before the pandemic, I could understand, but nowadays there's like infinite cloud storage, infinite hard drive space, the uh internet speeds fast enough. And so what I've seen is people resist video, but if you're not on video, you're really holding yourself back because like people think about podcasts as audio, which means Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Audible, those kind of platforms. But if you have video, now you can be on the TikToks and you can be on the YouTube. So I would say figure out video, which means that your comp like start off recording with your phone, right? And then you upgrade to using your web camera, and then as you record a few episodes, you might have to upgrade some of your equipment. So you might have to get like a slightly better camera, get like a 1080p or a 4K camera. You might have to get some lights, so get like a ring light or get an LED light. You might have to get a little better microphone, so get something that like uh you know gets on an arm and just kind of slowly make your video better, but it doesn't have to be perfect. Like I'm so jealous about these guys that they'll be sitting on couches and they'll be like the blue and the purple, like neon lights. And I'm like, oh, I wish I had the neon lights, but what's most important is the content, and so don't overthink the look of it, but I think that you definitely need to be on video in some format.
SPEAKER_00I like your comment, it doesn't have to be perfect. I started out doing short, and I say short, like three-minute educational podcasts, and I always did them, and people loved it. Uh when we traveled, we go to the Caribbean every year on a work in school schools or go to somewhere where it's yeah, like Palm Springs or Hawaii or whatever, and even in the in the someplace in the mountains or the woods, and do them there. And I was always worried, you know, oh, I I flubbed up and better start over. I had a guy editing them, and finally a guy with his own marketing agency said, People want to hear a couple mistakes because then they know you're just like them. Yeah. Authenticity. What a concept. Yeah. So you've got another uh division of your business. You record books, the audio version, put them on audible for your clients. Talk about that.
SPEAKER_01Well, the book I'm narrating for you, which I'll have done this week, is called Exit with Style. And that just came about because I had the audio equipment, right? I had the podcasting equipment, and I thought to myself, what can I do to make a little bit of extra money? I thought, what can I do to stay off the doom scrolling, stay off the TV? And you always hear about the smartest people in the world, right? You hear about Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg. They're always reading books. And I thought, but I don't have time to read books. I've got to run a business, so why not combine the two? And then my son was born, and I'm I was always, you know, reading books to him before he was born. He was still in the womb. And when he was new, I was reading books. And you know, you always think, like, how can I make money from this? And that led to kind of using LinkedIn as an experiment for prospecting. So what happened was right before the pandemic started, I I noticed that the deliverability on my email list was dropping. I was so used for so many years. If I wanted to make more money in my business, I would send an email, I'd blast it, and I get a bunch of high-ticket sales because I had this whole list, but it was just more and more spam filters or people dropping off. And then there's the and then that was around when LinkedIn became a thing. And with LinkedIn, there's so much data you get on a person, right? It used to be just like a job site, resume site, but now I go on to add Mr. John on LinkedIn, I see his about his bio, his friends, his posts, and then uh, and I could easily find out if someone had a book on Amazon. And then based on that, I could then do the same search on Audible and say, hey, there's this whole universe of people, and then I could kind of figure out the intersect or the overlap or whatever you call it of those people that have a decently selling book and a decently uh LinkedIn following, and you can tell, are they a serious enough business I want to write? Do they have say like 5,000 LinkedIn followers? Do they have say like 25 reviews on Amazon, but no audible? And then I just kind of began treating it like any other sort of uh sales sequence, right? I'd send a message, I'd start a conversation. Sometimes we'd hop on Zoom just so that they'd know I was a real person, sometimes follow up. I mean, a few people I followed up over like two, three, four years before landing a sale, and then uh it's just been a great way to make money, stay off TV, and then learn by being away reading, just like those smart rich guys do.
SPEAKER_00Ah, okay. So uh how many books have you audibilized?
SPEAKER_01787.
SPEAKER_00You've got it right down to the exact.
SPEAKER_01I th I every time I publish another one, I kind of increment in my head.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. That's amazing. And uh what if uh what does that meant for your customers? What do they what do they see when you get it on an on onto audio?
SPEAKER_01Well, just like any kind of book sales, it's what you make it, right? You know this, that when you are an author, you have a book, you have to always tell people about it, right? You can't sit around and wait for Amazon to make those sales. And so as long as there is a healthy amount of promotion, as far as what I've seen from my own books and from the people that actually like take the book promotion every week seriously, is about the same royalty check on Audible as on Amazon. So if you get a $500 a month Amazon royalty, $500 a month Audible royalty, and like a you know, a course no guarantees there. And with Audible, you get slightly less number of sales, but slightly more royalty dollar amount. And so what's great about having an audiobook is that you're listed on audible.com, which is the largest provider of audiobooks, they have 27 million monthly subscribers. So there are people out there who are they they're on the Audible app, they use their smart speaker, they listen while they're exercising or driving, and they get these monthly credits, so they're always looking to you know spend those. They search on Audible, there's way less competition than on Amazon. But even if someone does find your book on Amazon, there's a button for the Kindle version and for the paperback version. And then if you're published on Audible, they add another button right there of that saying that you're available on audiobook because Amazon owns Audible. And so there are so many times. I don't know how you are, John, but I'll hear about someone's book. I'll go and I'll see the page. I'm like, oh good, there's an audiobook version. I can listen to it while I'm doing other things. And so you figure that there are a lot of people out there who are too busy to read, but they still want to know what you have to say. So it's just like yet another platform where you can uh, you know, have your book available. Same reason why you post your podcast on LinkedIn, but also on Facebook and on Instagram, because different people consume in different ways. So someone finds your excellent Amazon book. Well, maybe they don't want to read it, but they will listen to it on Audible.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. That makes perfect sense, is why we're doing it. Yeah. So let's uh shift a little bit as we wrap up here, Robert. Uh what do you like to do when you're not doing book reading? I mean, to audibolize them and doing a podcast for every day of the week and all of that.
SPEAKER_01So I originally started as a programmer. So I like to work on software, and then when I get out of the house, I like to do a lot of walking and listening to audiobooks and listening to the YouTubes. And I like to have uh spend time with my son. It's a great way to like like re-experience the world anew, right? When you have kids, or I imagine someday when I have grandkids, it's like you kind of re-experience the world through their eyes. And so we go, me and him, we go on adventures, we go play in the pool, we go to the library, we just you know, we enjoy life. Okay.
SPEAKER_00So is there anything I haven't asked you you'd like to get out?
SPEAKER_01Ooh, that's sort of like my question, right? When I have a podcast, I say, is there a question that I should be asking you? I just don't know what to ask you. And I guess there's two things. One is you think about what your loose template is, right? You think about if you're hesitating about uh having guests on your podcast, you figure, like, well, if all went to plan, what questions would I ask my guests? And sometimes if you watch like a like a talk show, like your favorite late night show, it's fun to kind of fantasize about, like, well, what if I was the guy running that show, right? And what kind of movie stars would I have on, and what would I ask them? So that's a fun question to ask yourself to just get yourself excited about that. And so so that's that's I think one thing that's worth thinking about is what is your loose template? What's an ideal conversation for a podcast where of course you'll improvise, but more or less what's your structure? And I have a whole book on this called Why, What, How to, What If. And in any kind of conversation, I start vague and I think, well, why is someone here? What led them to their show? And then I think about the what, like what are the principles and the ideas? Then I get a little more focused and I think about like the how to and the step by step. And at the end, I think the what if, what's the call to action, what's the next step? And it's just it's fun to fantasize in that way about what your structure is. So that's that's one thing. And then one other thing I want to work in there really quick is it's just it's fun to um just genuinely be interested in people and beef up your conversation skills, and kind of like how you and I, we do we do a little bit of a banter, but no one's really hijacking, no one's really one-upping the conversation. We're just helping each other out, and I think that that is at least for me a muscle. And I know that if I'm not always thinking about like, hey, how can I like talk to this person and make them feel good, brighten their day, be curious about them? I know if I didn't do that for days or weeks on end, I might backslide or regress into a person that I don't want to be. So those are two just ideas, right? Is what's your ideal conversation, and then what can you do just to be a genuine, curious appreciator of people.
SPEAKER_00That's good advice. Uh when you the way you phrased it, uh you know, to be interested, not hijacking, it it all it brings back memories of uh, you know, the image of the old used car salesman who could never let anyone get in, uh get a word edgewise because they're too busy trying to close them on the car lot. And you still see that with some people who don't know how to let things flow on their own, but that's that's really great advice. You're in sales, close your mouth most of the time. Ask questions. Yeah. Yeah. So this has been a great conversation. Robert Plank with DFY Podcast. And Robert, I thank you for uh being on my show. I know I was on yours, which will be released uh sometime soon. And uh it's been a real pleasure.
SPEAKER_01Heck yeah, a couple of guys in polo shirts, right? We match, didn't even plan.
SPEAKER_00Almost the same color. Yes. Okay. All right, take care, Robert.