323: Starting a Podcast with Mallory Erickson

In this episode of What the Fundraising Podcast, What does it really take to start a podcast and more importantly, keep doing it for years? In this behind-the-scenes episode of What The Fundraising, Mallory pulls back the curtain on how the podcast started, why she created it in the first place, how she landed her first sponsors before she even had listeners, and what has kept her going for more than 300 episodes. But this isn't really an episode about podcast equipment, download numbers, or how to land sponsors. It's about building something from a place of genuine curiosity instead of chasing metrics. Mallory shares why she thinks the best reason to start a podcast is because you actually want to have the conversations, what she learned about creating an environment where guests can be their most authentic selves, why she stopped doing pre-show calls, and how being willing to have uncomfortable and unexpected conversations helped What The Fundraising stand out. She also gets candid about pitching yourself to podcasts, building a personal brand, creating unique content, and using a podcast as a public learning lab. In this episode, you will be able to:  — Identify whether starting a podcast is actually aligned with the conversations you want to have and the way you naturally learn. — Create a podcast concept rooted in a unique purpose rather than simply replicating conversations that are already happening in your industry. — Develop a hosting approach that allows you to bring your genuine curiosity and personality into conversations. — Create an experience that provides meaningful value to both your guests and your audience. — Use a podcast as a tool for building relationships, developing ideas, and deepening your expertise over time. — Build a sustainable podcast by focusing on the value and joy of the work rather than getting caught up in rankings, downloads, or other external metrics. Support for this show is brought to you by Donor Perfect. Our friends at Donor Perfect really understand fundraising on so many levels. Stay aligned while working online with a seamless and secure payments experience for your donors and your team. Empower donors to give where they are, whenever they like, automate data entry, and process online, monthly, and mobile payments, and accept payments over the phone. Connect with me:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_malloryerickson/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatthefundraising YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@malloryerickson7946 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/mallory-erickson-bressler/ Website: malloryerickson.com/podcast Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-fundraising/id1575421652 If you haven’t already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation at this link. If you’re looking to raise more from the right funders, then you’ll want to check out my Power Partners Formula, a step-by-step approach to identifying the optimal partners for your organization. This free masterclass offers a great starting point.