{"id":10423,"date":"2022-02-10T09:30:48","date_gmt":"2022-02-10T14:30:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.libsyn.com\/?p=10423"},"modified":"2022-02-10T19:35:14","modified_gmt":"2022-02-11T00:35:14","slug":"podcasting-making-the-magic-happen-with-dr-vibe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/libsyn.com\/blog\/podcasting-making-the-magic-happen-with-dr-vibe\/","title":{"rendered":"Podcasting: Making the Magic Happen with Dr. Vibe"},"content":{"rendered":"

The #BlackPodcastingVoices series casts light on Black voices in podcasting, centering the independent podcasters that are (for the most part) doing all the things.<\/strong><\/p>\n

These posts will focus on Black podcasters\u2019 lived experience in podcasting, insights about the medium and what brings them the most joy. The hope is to educate, and inspire the \u2018everyday podcaster\u2019 to keep podcasting through featuring Black excellence and resilience in the medium, now and in the future.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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When I engage with Dr. Vibe, I know I will be taken care of. As soon as we started talking, he said to me, \u201cI don\u2019t want to make people\u2019s lives complicated, because you know what? After we finish this conversation, life happens, right? So, anytime I can add light to people\u2019s lives, that\u2019s what I\u2019m here for.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

He has proven that time and time again in the years that I have interacted with him.<\/em><\/p>\n

Dr. Vibe is multilayered, charismatic, kind and accomplished. He was the first Black person hired to do urban music marketing for a record label in Canada, while at the same time working as an inside sales rep at Adidas, Canada.<\/em><\/p>\n

His heart and soul are always looking to serve in whatever capacity they can with a fierce commitment to supporting Black men and dads.<\/em><\/p>\n

Dr. Vibe is enjoying podcasting now more than ever, and that\u2019s saying a lot, because if you check out the two time award-winning Dr. Vibe Show<\/a>, you\u2019ll see he’s published over 3000 episodes!<\/em><\/p>\n

What a pleasure it is to speak to this man. I hope you get to know him just a little bit, and go on to subscribe to his show<\/a>!<\/em><\/p>\n

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What is one of the most overlooked podcasting skills?<\/h2>\n

The soft skills.<\/p>\n

How you treat your guest or guests before you go live will either set you up for success, or make it a hard pull.<\/p>\n

As much as possible before we go live, I do my best to have a pre-show conversation, whether it\u2019s a week before, or sometimes the three minutes before. That\u2019s so key.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re dealing with people and you\u2019re taking time out of their life to make them part of your life. How you treat people before you go live is so important.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t do interviews. I do conversations. Now there is a place for interviews. But in the podcasting realm, we have flexibility. When someone comes on for the first time I\u2019d say, \u201clook, we\u2019re not doing an interview, we\u2019re doing a conversation.\u201d So many times they say \u201cOh, that\u2019s fantastic, I like that!\u201d Even before they\u2019ve come on live, they\u2019ve bought into you.<\/p>\n

My format is different. I say, \u201cwhat do you want to talk about?\u201d Because when you put that power in that person\u2019s lap, they can talk about what they want, they can talk about their strength zones.<\/p>\n

And the key thing is listening. I tell people, \u201cI\u2019m only going to ask you questions based on what you share with me; I\u2019m not going to take you out in left field.\u201d Basically, it\u2019s called mirroring and matching, something I learned a long time ago.<\/p>\n

So for example, Naomi Osaka, right? If I\u2019m hanging out with Naomi Osaka, why am I going to talk about hockey unless she wants to talk about hockey? You want to mirror and match because most people like to talk about themselves.<\/p>\n

You are the only podcaster that is sponsored by Dove Men+Care. How did that come about?<\/h2>\n

This story incorporates a lot of things that I suggest podcasters do. One of the things I\u2019m really passionate about is helping fathers and men. About two years ago, I became a member of Canada\u2019s national fatherhood organization called Dad Central<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Every week I do a google alert for fathers and a google alert for men. I live in Toronto. Back in September 2018, I did a search and found out that there was a documentary playing in Toronto called \u201cDads\u201d at the Toronto International Film Festival.<\/p>\n

Now, going the extra mile counts. I saw the press release and read it. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and I missed it. But every good press release has a contact name and phone number. I could have said, \u201cWell, I\u2019ll think about it next year.\u201d No, no, no, I called the person from the PR agency. I said, \u201cHey, my name is so-and-so and I do a lot of work in the dad space. I wish I could have known about this earlier.\u201d<\/p>\n

So there\u2019s something I do that my mentor taught me called the three asks. Many times when people are pitching, they just do that one big ask and if the company says no, they got nothing else. So I went in with intent.<\/p>\n

My big ask to them was \u201cHey, can I work with you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, well, there\u2019s nothing available right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, do you have any projects that I can do right now?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan I at least get your phone number and contact information? And can I follow up with you in three months?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, I got the phone number.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan I send you some of my work online?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure.\u201d<\/p>\n

So I got a win, right?<\/p>\n

So, two months down the road, I get an email. \u201cWould you like to work with Dove Men+Care on a project?\u201d I said, \u201cYeah.\u201d They said, \u201ccan you meet with with me and my team on Monday?\u201d<\/p>\n

Now the thing that\u2019s key for good podcasters, if you\u2019re serious, is research. I went to LinkedIn and got the names of everybody who I was going to be meeting with and their background.<\/p>\n

Monday comes, the conversation is happening, and they\u2019re going at me. 45 minutes. questions, questions, questions, questions. I said, \u201cLook, I would love to help you; I\u2019m part of a national organization for fathers. Would you like to set up that meeting?\u201d They said, \u201cSure.\u201d At the end, they asked me, \u201dDo you have any questions for us?\u201c I said \u201dYeah, what are the three biggest challenges you have working with Dove Men+Care?\u201c The phone went dead for 30 seconds. And I heard \u201dthat\u2019s a good question.”<\/p>\n

The reason I asked that question is that I want to be a solution to someone\u2019s problem. Because if you can be a solution for their problem, someone\u2019s problem, you have a closer in. I said, \u201cIf this collaboration works out, how does it help you?\u201d I asked each one of them \u201chow does it help you individually?\u201d I want to find out what skin they have in the game because they have higher-up bosses that are looking at you and most of the time, you won\u2019t meet them. How can you help that person that\u2019s sitting right across the table from you or right across the screen from you?<\/p>\n

The agreement was signed.<\/p>\n

What can the podcasting industry do better?<\/h2>\n

\"\"We need to support each other. We need to reach out to each other. We need to \u201ccomplete\u201d with each other, not \u201ccompete\u201d with each other. We need to realize, especially in these times, it\u2019s the golden age of podcasting. It is so easy to get started now, compared to when both of us started. But it still takes work, right? The ease in entering the marketplace\u2014hey, we can do this, right? We just need\u00a0 a smartphone and we can do it.<\/p>\n

But are you willing to do the work? Are you willing to do those 10 episodes and see what it\u2019s all about? Are you willing to do with the right intent? Are you willing to treat your guests and your friends? Are you willing to follow up and follow through? Are you willing to make mistakes and not make it personal? It\u2019s a learning moment. It\u2019s not a mistake.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d like to see more Black men in the podcasting space. There\u2019s lots of Black women in the podcasting space. Lots. Where the Black men at? There\u2019s still not enough of us there yet.<\/p>\n

We just got to support each other. A win for one of us is a win for all of us. And collaboration, collaboration and data. Collaboration and data.<\/p>\n

Are there any Black podcaster or voices that inspire you?<\/h2>\n

A gentleman who influenced me when I was getting started, was Tavis Smiley. He had a show on PBS. He had people just come on and hang out on a couch with him. And I remember he had Harrison Ford on. Harrison Ford don\u2019t like doing interviews. And about 10 minutes in, Harrison Ford said \u201cYou know what, I don\u2019t usually like doing these things but I\u2019m really enjoying myself.\u201d So when you have that moment where someone said they had a really good time. It\u2019s magic.<\/p>\n

Another person who inspires me is Mario Armstrong<\/a>. I have been blessed to know him since October 2013. He has provided me support and clarity. He was key in getting the sponsorship opportunity with Dove Men+Care. Mario, his wife and his team have helped and continue to help me grow professionally and personally.<\/p>\n

I would like to thank my wife, my family, everyone who has helped me and continues help me (too many people list :), everyone who has listened to my epic conversations even for one second and Roger (publisher and co-founder) and Camille Dundas (editor-in-chief) at ByBlacks.com<\/a> the #1 Black online magazine in Canada.<\/p>\n

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The power of podcasting goes way beyond downloads. Dr. Vibe exemplifies the type of leadership that can rise out of the medium to provide support, community, connection and conversation for a very niche audience.<\/em><\/p>\n

Dr. Vibe very much focuses on the Black Canadian experience and in doing so, resonates way outside that arena.<\/em><\/p>\n

My favorite takeaway from this conversation was how important it is to do research, prepare and go the extra mile with every opportunity that is presented to us and to every opportunity that we make happen!<\/em><\/p>\n

If you want to connect with Dr. Vibe, here are the deets!<\/em><\/p>\n