Are podcast interviews killing your connection?

Coming in hot — B2B Growth Newsletter, where we break down what one of the internet’s favorite creators is doing right so you can use their strategies to build raving fans for your company. 

I’m Paige, and I’ll be your pilot today. We’ll be landing at your content strategy destination in approximately 3 minutes and 45 seconds ✈️

You may have heard of CW Lemoine, the author behind the Spectre and Alex Shepherd series. But do you know his call sign? 

Otherwise known as Mover, CW Lemoine has partnered with Trevor Hartsock — call sign Gonky, to build a weekly podcast with some of the most dedicated fans we’ve ever seen. 

Launching just a year ago, The Mover and Gonky Show has grown its independent channel to over 40k subscribers on YouTube, with thousands of dedicated fans tuning in every Monday night to their live recording. 

So how did they do it? And what made this show take off? (see what I did there 😉)

Mover and Gonky broke the script. With endless podcasts (military-related and otherwise) leaning hard into interviews, this duo realized something big: 

They have the expertise and experiences that make them the experts. 

Why on earth would they waste their time interviewing people, asking the same questions as everyone else? 

Instead of guests, Mover and Gonky co-host the show and occasionally invite other co-hosts in like Mace Cohen (the second woman ever to fly in the lead solo position for the Thunderbirds). When a ‘guest’ is invited to co-host, it’s vital they have just as much authority in the space as Mover and Gonky. 

Guest-based shows aren’t the growth hack everyone thinks they are. They are a quick way to melt into the sea of sameness, making your content a one-off of the twelve other interviews your guest has done this quarter. 

By stepping away from traditional interviews, you can tap into your own knowledge and better position yourself (and your brand) as the thought leader in your space. And you don’t have to let go of the ‘guest’ concept either — simply shift your guests to co-hosts.

I hear you now: “But Paige, what do we talk about if we aren’t interviewing the guest?” 

The simple answer… Talk about what your audience wants to hear. Mover and Gonky fast-tracked topic identification and filled in commentary gaps with one simple move: asking their audience. 

Got a burning question for Mover and Gonky? Use their Spotify submission system to send a recording of your thoughts for a chance to be featured on the show. Or, come to their live recording and submit questions via chat (they love to highlight jokes, too). 

Some fans even make donations in the chat to get their question highlighted in a nice bright color and catch attention, but payment isn’t necessary to get your shot at air time — all that’s needed is a great question or hilarious comment. 

This puts your audience in a position where they are almost like an additional co-host. It gives them more stake and partial control in steering the conversation. 

This duo uses a segmented approach, talking about awards and updates, articles, event reactions, video reactions, a military breakdown and finally a ‘Mental Health Minute’. In between each section, they comb through audience submissions and chat — going deeper into the topics unfolded. 

But how exactly can you take what Mover and Gonky have done and apply it to your own podcast? A few steps for you: 

1. Shift from interviews to co-hosted commentary. 

2. Bring your audience into the conversation. 

3. Create regular, insightful content. 

4. Iterate.

While Mover and Gonky took co-hosted commentary to a new level by adding a live and interactive element, you don’t have to start there. 

Talk to members of your audience (we all love a good survey, don’t we?) and gather topics and questions. Determine exactly where your host’s expertise is. Analyze current and trending topics if needed. Create an outline that accounts for both… and go! 

The takeaway: Co-hosted commentary is the future of podcasting. It’s time to shift away from guest-centric interviews, take the mic back and start building authority. Bonus points if you can incorporate audience involvement.

That’s it, ya’ll! Happy creating!

Paige Peterson
Newsletter Aficionado, Sweet Fish

p.s. Thinking about creating a video podcast? We’re building a course just for you. Want in for free? Respond to this email with your biggest podcast question and we’ll put you on the list.

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