Podcircle Podcast

Have you heard of the bestselling book 'Steal Like an Artist'? Well, today we're going to teach how to steal like a podcaster — how to overcome creativity slumps and refresh your content. We're giving you techniques for identifying key influences and remixing ideas to create something new, all while maintaining your show's authenticity. We also touch on overcoming imposter syndrome and share our own strategies for continuous improvement and audience engagement.

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02:17 Infusing Your Podcast with Creativity: Steal Like an Artist
03:26 Identifying Influences and Innovating Your Podcast
06:11 Embracing Your Unique Voice and Style
12:17 Optimizing Your Podcast: Strategy Sessions and Growth

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Creators & Guests

Host
Kyle Cummings
Kyle Cummings is the CEO and Founder of Podcircle, a podcast production agency who partners with New York Times bestselling authors, Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurs, influencers and everyone in between to produce high-impact podcasts.
Host
Mickenzie Vought
Mickenzie Vought is an expert podcast content strategist. She is also the Producer and Co-Host of the Living Centered Podcast, a leading emotional wellness podcast.
Editor
Podcircle
Premium podcast services for busy people and organizations. Visit Podcircle.com to learn more.

What is Podcircle Podcast?

Finally there’s a podcast for podcasters. Each week, join hosts Kyle Cummings and Mickenzie Vought as they share the knowledge and expertise they've gained from years of launching, running, and promoting successful podcasts. Whether you're an aspiring podcaster or you've already got hundreds of episodes under your belt, these conversations dive into the topics that matter to every podcaster — from marketing and growing your podcast, to recording equipment and best practices, monetization, cutting-edge tools, hiring help, and much more.

Kyle Cummings:

Little bit of that imposter syndrome can creep up too. Yeah. Especially when you're looking at other podcasts that are in your space and you you just feel like they're all crushing it. So, yes, you may be talking about similar things as them Yeah. But they're not you.

Kyle Cummings:

They're them. Yeah. They're just doing their own thing.

Mickenzie Vought:

Yes.

Kyle Cummings:

They're in their lane. You do you, you stay in your own lane. So add your own unique voice, make it your own. No one's personality is just like yours. No one's perspective is just like yours.

Kyle Cummings:

So maybe this is like a little mantra you can tell yourself. Yeah. The marketplace needs you. It needs your voice, your perspective.

Mickenzie Vought:

Welcome to the Podcircle podcast where we bring practical tips and insights for every podcaster.

Kyle Cummings:

Whether you're just getting started or you're already a seasoned podcast pro, these conversations dive into all the topics that matter most to you. Thanks for joining us for another episode of the Podcircle podcast. Today, we're talking about why your podcast is maybe stalling out and Yep. Five ways to get your creativity back. And as a reminder, we post all of our shows up on YouTube.

Kyle Cummings:

So make sure to subscribe to our channel @podcircle. Follow along with this episode and catch up on all of our past episodes.

Mickenzie Vought:

And if you're listening on Apple or Spotify, make sure you hit that subscribe button, and we would love for you to leave us a little rating or a review. So let's get into it. You press play on this episode because you're probably feeling a little stalled out. Maybe you just feel blah. Your show isn't feeling the excitement that it used to.

Mickenzie Vought:

It feels a little route, root, whatever that word is.

Kyle Cummings:

I think it's rote.

Mickenzie Vought:

Rote. It's feeling a little rote. And, frankly, you're just tired of your own ideas. The answer is that you need an infusion of creativity and to get out of the echo chamber that you're in. With that in mind, I'm a firm believer that if you're not consuming other podcasts as a podcaster, you're missing out.

Mickenzie Vought:

It can get really easy to live in an echo chamber of your own making and only listen to your own show, staying so focused on getting your show out that you're just kind of, like, recreating and repeating what you've always done. And the best shows are those that iterate, respond to the market, and continue to hone their delivery format and content and get inspired by things that are winning outside of them. So before you get too nervous about what this is gonna require of you, Let me back up and bring you this idea. A few years ago, I ran across a concept that was taught by the best selling book, steal like an artist by Austin Klam. And the main message of steal like an artist is that creativity is not about originality, but more about embracing influence and building upon existing ideas.

Mickenzie Vought:

And I think you can do this today and steal like a podcaster, quote, unquote. It's important to learn what's winning in and outside of your space and to get outside of your bubble. So today, we're gonna help you do that. Some of the best inspiration that I've had has come from shows that have nothing to do with the topics that I talk about in the shows that I cohost and produce. I just have gotten really great inspiration when I've turned outward and brought those ideas to work in the shows that I'm producing.

Mickenzie Vought:

So, Kyle, what's the first thing we need to do when we're thinking through, like, infusing our podcast with some, creativity? We stole these ideas from this book, steal like a artist.

Kyle Cummings:

Steal like an artist. We're gonna kinda re rename it for our purposes here, steal like a podcaster. So the first thing is to identify your key influences. Make a list of podcasts that you're already listening to and make a list of podcasts that you want to add into your rotation. And then finally, make a list of podcasts that are popular with your target audience, the people that listen to your podcast.

Kyle Cummings:

And if you're not sure what or who your target audience is, go and check out our last episode, where we talk all about that. And then ask friends, colleagues, and other creators to share their favorites and maybe, maybe you can find something there. Remember when you're making your list to be sure to include podcasts in your industry and outside of your industry. Also identify patterns and anomalies in the shows that you love. So what are the common elements in the shows that you're consuming?

Kyle Cummings:

What are the common threads there? But also what sets them apart from each other? Try to find those distinctions.

Mickenzie Vought:

I love that. Just kind of get curious about it. Next, you're gonna steal the thinking behind the style, and this one is important. It's the key. You don't just wanna replicate what your competition is doing, but really tap into the thinking behind that.

Mickenzie Vought:

Why is this working? Why is it connecting with their audience? Where is there overlap in what you could be doing and doing differently? I think sometimes when we see podcasts that are winning, I know for myself, maybe I don't put it on you, I feel this must be nice. Right?

Mickenzie Vought:

Like, Dax Shepard has so many listeners and it's because he's a famous person. And, yes, it is. And he has famous guests. But instead of thinking must be nice, think, how can I create something like this? Or is there a small piece of this that I can replicate and win with?

Mickenzie Vought:

And so I think that taking that into listening to our podcast that are winning can help us. And then, also, when you're listening to podcasts that have nothing to do with your industry, I think it's really fun to also take that idea of, like, how could I use this? If I'm listening to a investigative journal podcast, I often could be thinking, is this something that I could bring to my mental and emotional health podcast? Like, I just think there's something about opening yourself out and shaking off the shackles of because we have an interview format, it needs to be this way or because we have a teaching format, it needs to be this way. Take inspiration wherever it's going to give it.

Mickenzie Vought:

The last thing we wanna do once you've taken this inspiration is to remix and reimagine. Now this really is the fun part. Once you have a good understanding of your influences and what's winning, take inspiration and turn it into action. Combine different elements to create something new. And I think this is the really fun part.

Mickenzie Vought:

You can test out, iterate, and maybe even get a little bit daring. Like, what if I inserted this segment from this random show I listened to about aliens? Is there something I can steal and repeat into my podcast?

Kyle Cummings:

Yeah. Like, what's interesting about it? Yeah. And I think too, it's like a little bit of that imposter syndrome can creep up too. Yeah.

Kyle Cummings:

Especially when you're looking at other podcasts that are in your space and you you just feel like they're all crushing it. They're all doing Yes. You know? So I think it's really important to just remember, like, yes, you may be talking about similar things as them, but they Yeah. But they're not you.

Kyle Cummings:

They're them. They're just doing their own thing.

Mickenzie Vought:

Yes.

Kyle Cummings:

They're in their lane. You do you. You stay in your own lane. So add your own unique voice. Make it your own.

Kyle Cummings:

No one's personality is just like yours. No one's perspective is just like yours. So lean fully into you, own and embrace your style, your aesthetic, whatever that is. Maybe this is like a little mantra you can tell yourself. Yeah.

Kyle Cummings:

The marketplace needs you. It needs your voice, your perspective. So the most important thing you can do is to add your own unique voice to your work, And don't be afraid to experiment and try new things along the way. Nothing is is set in stone forever. Always as a podcaster, as a content creator, you want to be trying new things out, testing out new ideas, new formats, things like that.

Kyle Cummings:

Don't make yourself crazy with that. But if you hear an idea or you listen to another podcast, you're like, man, I love this idea for a segment. And maybe it gives you a different idea for your own segment in the way that you can put your own twist on it. Run with that. Try it out for a month.

Kyle Cummings:

Gather some feedback about it. You never know. It could totally revolutionize the format of your show. And so the things like that can be really fun.

Mickenzie Vought:

Yeah. I think about, in this last series that we did for the living center podcast that I, cohost and produce, we decided, like, hey. We wanna give some more information and insert our unique subject matter expert voice with these interviews with other experts. And so I started doing voiceovers and kinda introducing elements, in different segments and kinda helping connect. That helped me from a editing standpoint where conversations were getting long and wandering into weird places.

Mickenzie Vought:

I could, like, concisely say, like, hey. This is what they said. Let me summarize it. But then also insert, like, hey. At On-site, we say blah blah blah blah blah and really insert our subject matter expertise.

Mickenzie Vought:

I stole that from another podcast.

Kyle Cummings:

Yeah. It's almost like recording little mini ads as you were wrapping up someone's thought, and then you were also using it to transition to the next segment from because I edit that podcast for you all. I thought that was a genius, way to 1, provide really good tight content. I mean, it made your episodes shorter and more valuable. Mhmm.

Kyle Cummings:

Then you were also able to hear from 2 or 3 different guest perspectives on a given topic. It was it was really a a master producer move on your part.

Mickenzie Vought:

Thank you. Wow. But I stole that idea from listening to a ton of NPR podcasts. I thought, how can I get more strategic and insert, like, a journalistic flare into this episode? So there you go.

Mickenzie Vought:

With that in mind, let's talk about some of the things that we've quote unquote stolen from other podcasters for this show. So we have a teaching format. We did a whole episode on the different formats that you could bring into your podcast. But what are some of the things that maybe we've stolen from other things? The things I thought of, and I'd love for you to add some is the upfront teeters that we do.

Mickenzie Vought:

And I feel like this has become kind of a norm in podcasting, but I can't think of the first place I I saw it. I think maybe, like, invisibilia or gen hat makers or maybe some NPR of, like, giving you the bite size at the front end to really interest you in this podcast.

Kyle Cummings:

Yeah. I don't I don't really know either, but I do like it a lot. And I think especially if it's kind of a niche podcast, and we do quite a bit of those, especially for business owners. I mean, we have a we do a podcast for an ecommerce company, very niche. So putting a teaser at the beginning of a podcast like that, just to put some handles on it and to give people a sense of of the content that they're going through, I think it's really important.

Kyle Cummings:

Our podcast is really niche. I mean, it's a the Podcircle podcast, a podcast for podcasters. So I think it's really important for us to, like, grab some of those teasers, put them right up front because the especially on YouTube, if you have a video podcast, that first minute

Mickenzie Vought:

Yeah.

Kyle Cummings:

Really, honestly, that first, like, 10 seconds is crucial in retaining viewers. I mean, are they gonna stick with you for the next 5, 10, 20 minutes? I think the first five to 15 seconds are maybe the most important, deciding factor in

Mickenzie Vought:

your thoughts.

Kyle Cummings:

Break you. That's a lot of reason that we that we do that for the podcast that we produce, and we'll continue to do that until we find a better, more effective way better. Yeah. Totally.

Mickenzie Vought:

I think about just even the format of really trying to create bite sized content. I think we both feel this tension again and again and again is, like, how do we keep tightening it up? How do we give you more value in a shorter amount of time knowing who our target market is? I learned that from marketing school and I pay attention to that. That's a podcast that I listen to.

Mickenzie Vought:

They're a little dry, to be honest, but they always have good content and they show up every day, and there's consistency. And I only pick the episodes that really are relevant to me, but I think I stole that from them of, like, keep tightening down. Keep tightening down. Keep tightening down.

Kyle Cummings:

Oh, you and I just had a conversation before we recorded this this kind of batch of episodes of, like, you could see us reading off of our notes sometimes, but we realized, like

Mickenzie Vought:

Yeah.

Kyle Cummings:

Some of our best Titus episodes are, like, maybe 3 pages of notes, 10 minute episodes, and we're really I mean, even I think we're 30 episodes in at this point. Even still trying to refine and tighten down and give you everything that you need and nothing that you don't and as, as little time as possible. And that's that's a respect thing that we try to respect and nurture you, our listeners, and our viewers that way.

Mickenzie Vought:

And the last thing I think we've stolen from other podcasts and other formats is, like, the 2 experts coming at it from different angles. And I think I have kinda taken that from different industries that I've seen win where you've got 2 people that have similar experience. They have, you know, they have rapport and dynamic, but then they also come with very different expertise and creating a show that is so valuable.

Kyle Cummings:

Yeah. It's complimentary. I mean, me with the podcast production, kind of the nuts and bolts, the editing, the postproduction background, and you with the marketing and strategy. Yeah. Background different, but also complimentary.

Kyle Cummings:

Yes. Totally. It works well for us. So if you're ready to take your show to the next level or if you're feeling stuck, we'd love to help you optimize your show. So you can do that by signing up for 1 of our 1 or 2 hour podcast strategy sessions, and you're gonna walk away with more clarity about where you are currently.

Kyle Cummings:

We're gonna look at what's working, what's not, and then give you a road map to a better podcast and making those improvements and refinements that are gonna give you a lot more clarity and a lot more just output for your show, whether that's, you know, an increase in download numbers or if you are looking to sell more products or digital digital products, services, things like that. We're in the business of helping business podcasters in particular to grow their business through the power of podcasting.

Mickenzie Vought:

Absolutely. And I hope that you go and listen to a bunch of podcasts this week. I hope you get outside of your norm and listen to something you've never listened to before to gather inspiration. And if you're listening on YouTube, tell us what your favorite podcast to listen to are that bring you inspiration. We'd love to hear.

Mickenzie Vought:

We love to join in the conversation with you. And if you have any ideas for our podcast, topics you wanna hear more about, you can email me at mckenzie, m I c k e n z I e, at podcircle.com or kyle, which is much easier to email, atkyle@podcircle.com. So make sure to subscribe wherever you're listening, and we'll see you next week.