This series is all about libsyn’s newest podcasters. Its sole purpose is to introduce these awesome podcasts to the world as well as share their podcasting insight to empower the community!
Q & A with Marc Vaillancourt from The Conversation Hub
When did you start podcasting?
I posted my first episode in late May 2010. Save for a few weeks off here and there, I post every Tuesday morning at 7am. We just posted episode #116.
Why did you start podcasting?
I helped a former employer produce a podcast to help disseminate information to the staff and I was hooked!
I’m also a big fan of shows like This American Life and The Story with Dick Gordon – there’s just something about great stories and great conversation.
I’m also addicted to coffee and conversation – both of them go together so well and I wanted to have a platform to engage in and share great conversations with the world.
The only way I knew how to do that what to create The Conversation Hub podcast!
What’s your show about?
As you probably can tell by the name of the show and by what I shared as an answer to the previous question, I love great conversations!
I created The Conversation Hub podcast because I believe the following:
Through conversation … relationships are formed; Through conversation … knowledge is shared; and, Through conversation … life happens and finds meaning.
We engage and share meaningful conversations on topics ranging from business to life and everything in between.
I’ve stayed true to this vision and our guest list shows it. I’ve had the honor of interview New York Times best selling authors, a BNSF train conductor, a cage fighter, two contemporary Christian recording artists, National Public Radio personalities (Bob Edwards, Guy Raz, Dick Gordon & Roman Mars) and people with great stories. It’s been a ton of fun and I hope you’ll tune in next Tuesday and listen to another great conversation!
What’s your podcasting set-up?
My set up is a work in progress. I currently record using Audacity on my MacBook Pro. I’ll be up-grading to Adobe Audition soon. I use two Sure SM58 microphones (I’m also a musician and I love this mic) and an Alesis MultiMix4USB mixer.
Carrying all that stuff around is starting to be a burden and not conducive to impromptu conversations. For that reason, I be getting a field recording device – I’m debating between the Zoom H4n and a Marantz PMD661 – and getting a Rode shotgun mic.
And, it goes without saying that the folks at libsyn are awesome. Having recently joined the libsyn community all I can say is this – why did it take me so long!?!?!
How have you promoted your podcast?
I haven’t done any advertising for the show – I’m entirely dependent on word of mouth. We post episodes every Tuesday and push them out to various social networks. It’s a work in progress and every episode we get more tracking.
The fun part is that some of our episodes do have a ‘long tail’ and that’s been very exciting to see.
What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started?
I wish I had a mentor to help me walk through my equipment set-up. My show quality is good but I know it can be better.
My biggest challenge – getting decent audio quality on interviews/conversations I record over the phone.
What I use currently is not really working and I need a better solution. I would love your advice!!!
Wanna get immersed into great conversation? Then you need to subscribe. If you have any feedback for Marc you can send it over to marc(at)marcvaillancourt(dot)com.
Start podcasting now.
