Pitching Yourself For A Podcast!

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[Applause]

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if there's one thing we've learned about

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business in life is that people are the

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X Factor they constantly surprise us

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both in amazing ways and not so much

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we're Ben Andia and welcome to n on this

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business bites podcast this show is all

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about real life things we all deal with

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every day how they relate to business

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and how to make some sense out of our

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daily chaos welcome to the

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show

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[Music]

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and welcome back to another episode of

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non this business bites I'm Ben and this

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is CA and we're gonna take this 15

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minutes and we're gonna talk about

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pitching yourself as a guest on a

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podcast you know I've been podcasting

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for 11 years now I've probably hosted

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800 to a th000 shows I've probably been

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on another five or 700 shows seea you've

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probably been close to that number not

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God knows who knows the numbers but

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we've seen The Good the Bad and the Ugly

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and I think we really need to talk about

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this because it's little things that

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make all the difference in the world so

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seea let's no this okay okay oh oh I

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know this is I I've been begging for

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this topic because I've been posting a

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lot about it fairly recently because I'm

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tired I'm done I'm done as producers

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okay we get it we more than anything get

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it because we help our clients

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understand promotion okay we understand

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your plight peoples but here's what

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kills me all right is people who pitch

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themselves all day long can I get on

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your podcast can I get on your podcast

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oh looks like you have a great

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podcast I don't know who you are and the

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sadder part you don't know who I am and

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you're pitching like a mofo and then

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you're like I'm going to be the best

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guest you've ever had and you're like

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really what is it of value that you are

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going to bring to the table because I

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think let let's let's just call it

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there's multiple levels here that I'm

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going to go off on and I don't know if

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I'm going to have enough for 15 minutes

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for you guys but here's the

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deal if you want to be a good guest then

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be a considerate good guest you know

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what number one thing if you want to be

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a good guest it ain't about you okay oh

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yeah you're the guest you're the

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spotlight but it ain't about you or for

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those that might want to be picking on

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me it is not about you it isn't it isn't

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about you how about that let me say one

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more time we don't care about you

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bragging on yourself if you want to be

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on someone else's show the value you

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bring is what do you bring to the host

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to the audience that you're talking to

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we don't care about your book we don't

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care that you're the best speaker and

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you know keynote speaker in the universe

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we can see your bio two years we see in

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your bio people we see it in your

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pictures and

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screenshot you know whatever

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okay do the research I'm gonna R I'm

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rant I'm you know what this is gonna be

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the SE a rant for 15 minutes just

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smileing on agree with me Ben seriously

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you go girl I am like I I've had it I've

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had it if you want to a good guest

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that's going to be welcomed then do the

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research listen for five minutes I'm not

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even asking for the whole entire episode

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listen for five minutes of the guest

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that or of the show that you're trying

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to pitch okay if you're an underwater

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basket Weaver and you wrote an amazing

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book on it and you could talk all day

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and you did your own tedex on underwater

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basket weaving do not pitch a cyber

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security show what the hell are you

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thinking what the hell do you think that

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you can do or say that would make that

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that show say

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oh yeah cyber security and underwater

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basket weaving there's such a natural

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tie in okay that's it I'm done and I and

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don't get me started

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like come with a pitch oh no don't I

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would love to talk to you but I was

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listening to a couple of your

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episodes your your show seems to be

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about X I talk about this I'd love to

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talk to you about why

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and it says what do you think do you

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have 10 minutes to

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discuss that way I sit there and say

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okay this person has invested some time

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to listen to one or two of my episodes

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or at least glance at the show notes

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yeah understand that my audience is

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cyber Security

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Experts that this is what the show talks

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about all day long I realize that I have

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something that cyber security experts

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would like to listen to and could add

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some value to their lives here is what I

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think you know or I listen to this

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episode you had so and so talk about

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this you know what I actually disagree

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with that person and this is why and I'd

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like to talk to you and bring the other

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Viewpoint to the show that would be

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interesting that would be interesting

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but the thing is is everybody sit there

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and say the show is about me no it's as

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as CA said if not about you it's about

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how you add value to our

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audience you know my attitude as a host

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is I'm a conduit my job is to be able to

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sit there and say this is my audience

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these are the people that listen to me

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each and every week these are the people

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that see value in what I

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do I'm the gatekeeper I'm only letting

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somebody on my show that's going to

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speak to these people and add value to

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their lives MH if you don't do that I

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don't care how cute you are I don't care

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how smart you are I don't care how big

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an audience you have I don't care you

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know how important you think you are I

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don't want you on my

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show because if you can't add value to

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my

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audience in a way that enables them to

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go ha that was great I want to tune in

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again next week to see who benera is

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gonna get on their show next

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week then I don't want to do that the

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other thing that you need to do is come

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prepared come prepared actually actually

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be prepared don't do me a favor don't

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ever send me a say here's the here's the

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six questions I want you to ask me

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because guess the first thing I'm gonna

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do is burn the burn the sheet second of

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all I'm going to I'm going to deschedule

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our our our our our our uh our are

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interviewed it's the first thing I'm

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going to do second of all I says no I'm

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never going to send you the questions

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I'm going to ask

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you it's a

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conversation if you can't have a

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conversation and talk intelligently and

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extrapolate and break go through a

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series of points on your own without

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prompting without sounding like a

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machine without sounding like everything

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is pre-rehearsed I don't want you on my

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show oh look okay look I'm gonna I'm

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going to say something that is going to

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be counter to what we just said I agree

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100% I'm going to try

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to get other perspective to the mix

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sure there are some

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individuals who maybe have higher

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anxiety levels than others where they're

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like look I I I actually have like a

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clinical like need for structure and all

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that and I'm okay with that I think it's

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I think if you are of that personality

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type it does not mean that it somehow

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cancels you to be a future guest on on

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people's podcasts and live streams and

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all that stuff okay but the truth of the

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matter is is the best content the best

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conversations the most relatable

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listenable entertaining whatever you

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want to call it is a more spontaneous

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conversations so for those that do have

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higher tendency of anxiety um you know

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that get uncomfortable if you're just

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more inclined to be more introverted

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look I get it I feel you the way to get

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about around that and it sucks is um

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practice okay but hey before you do

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before you go any further let's also say

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that the it's also the host's

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responsibility yes to make the go make

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the guest feel comfortable and enable

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the guest to shine your number one rule

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as a host is to enable your your guest

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to shine and enable them to tell their

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story in a way that's going to benefit

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your audience

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therefore every single host should have

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a 15minute meeting with with the

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potential guest before a to sit there

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and say is there something we should

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talk about what are the things we should

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talk about are you a natural fit for my

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show are you not a natural fit for my

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show and if you are these are the things

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that this how about we structure the

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conversation so we're going to cover

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these these type of things them okay

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that works for you topics and themes yes

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topics and themes I'm not going to give

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you the questions but I'll give you the

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topics and themes I also book an hour of

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appointment and spend the first 10

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minutes with the guest before we hit

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record and remember that before you hit

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record making sure the guest is

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comfortable making sure that they know

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how to present themselves in front of

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the video making sure that their sound

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is okay making sure their lighting is

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okay making sure there isn't something

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dist distracting in the background as a

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hosts we are also responsible to make

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sure that our guest is in the best light

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possible and actually presents

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themselves the best way that they can so

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it's not just I'm not just ragging on

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guests I mean there there's lots of bad

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things I see from guests but I also see

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bad hosts that all of a sudden you you

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you jump on a call and they've already

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hit the record button before you even

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walk on board and you didn't even know

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they had started recording

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yeah no no yeah no let's keep this to

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the guest because I we can definitely

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wax po how to be a bad host but no 100%

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it's a two-way street but but let let us

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not mistake it okay if you're pitching

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yourself to be a guest because you do

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have an agenda we get it okay come with

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something an interesting story about you

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that makes you human and anything and

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when we say storytelling it is important

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okay so tell a story about yourself

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that's going to trigger an emotion as to

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why I can relate to you okay so one of

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my personal favorite stories is um why I

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never walk Barefoot it's not because I'm

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Asian okay granted as an Asian we don't

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we are told not to walk Barefoot because

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you don't want to bring your dirty feet

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into the house and all that good stuff

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but the truth of the matter is is as a

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child I ignore my mom ran outside

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barefoot thinking oh I'm free like the

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bird and I'm running up and down trying

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to catch up with my sisters and then

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Clump

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cracks I stepped on a snail and it oozed

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in between my toes Okay so

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I don't know if I could describe it even

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more I can if you would like me to

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describe it more for you but let me tell

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you something lesson learned there's a

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reason why people tell you to do things

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right but now you're going remember seea

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had a snail crushman Tweeter toes okay

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great but okay going back to that guess

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those types of things are going to

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endear you to the host so they're

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relaxed as well so if I may say this

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I've seen guests of some of my clients

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you know a lot of my clients sometimes

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they're firsttime host posts right this

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is their first jump in and they're like

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you

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know they don't know what they don't

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know but they want to do good job for

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you but they're going to be nervous I

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have seen some very arrogant guests and

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and and it hurts me and saddens me to

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say it there is a misconception that

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when you start a a show right of some

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sort whether it's live stream podcast

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pre-record whatever you want to call it

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audio room whatever that you need to get

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the biggest stars first everyone wants

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to try to get Joe Rogan first or

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something right let's get Howard Stern

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on you know as a guest let me get Oprah

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okay look peoples try to think a little

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bit it doesn't have to be a beag that

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could be your beag as you grow and

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develop but you don't need it from the

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jump because why would you do that to

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yourself and to your guest if you're not

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prepared don't get a quote you know big

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time because some of them may not have

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the patience or the grace to give you as

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you're developing your skills so as a

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guest if you are quote the opras of your

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industry of underwater basket weaving

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right give Grace to your guests if

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you're going to be pitching and you're

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pitch slapping don't be surprised if

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you're on guests that are like fumbling

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through things I've seen some guests

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that just have this look of like I don't

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want to be here and me as a producer on

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the back and I'm watching the behavior

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like the body language and everything uh

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there are times Ben I've wanted to stop

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the

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interview to be like we're done this is

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not going the right direction but of

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course I don't want to be the one to

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make that decision but ooo there are

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days where I'm just like stop looking at

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your damn phone and stop texting people

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oh my God if you're going to be a guest

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can you please be present that's right

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be there for your host I I don't I don't

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know oh my God there's but here's here's

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one more thing that you said about Pitch

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slapping how many guests have you had on

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your show it says and you can buy my

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book on Amazon for: 1995

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is and you can find me at

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through the entire interview so every 30

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to 75 seconds whenever they can you know

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pitch their product or pitch their

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service through the interview they're

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doing that you know my attitude is

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somebody has been gracious enough to

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have you on their

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show they will give you 30 seconds to a

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minute at the end of the show to to you

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know to say Hey listen is there

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something you'd like to tell my audience

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is there some a giveaway is there a

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website where people can find you you

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will get that process and guess what

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it's going to be in the show notes as

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well if you're sitting there and

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pitching yourself in your services

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through the inter whole interview nobody

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wants to listen to it and people are

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just going to turn it

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off I I get it I get it you think you're

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the most fascinating underwater basket

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Weaver in the world people the problem

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is is there's always another underwater

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basket Weaver okay that's going to be

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just as good but if they're more

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entertaining they're more giving oh wait

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and there's one other area that we

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didn't really talk

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about is uh be engaging like how many

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times have we seen it where like you

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want to be a guest and then you treat it

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like a Q&A and it's like holy shyers if

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I had a Q&A is not conversation people I

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I don't know if people understand this I

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I don't know how to declare it more and

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I and I've coached a lot of people on

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this watch each other listen to each

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other

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listen like laugh with each other ask

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each other if you're a guest I think

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it's 100% fair for you to ask question

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back do you think so

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absolutely I mean

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it's yes so you yeah okay anyway I think

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I think we're gonna have to have a part

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two to this one I think we're definitely

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gonna have a part two listen everybody

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in the show notes we're going to get

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going but put down your biggest pet

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peeve when you're listening to a podcast

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put your biggest pet pet peeve of a of a

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podcast guest I would love to listen to

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those in the show

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notes I mean oh I mean yeah woo okay

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look peoples the other thing too that

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really irks me is I don't even want to

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talk about the hardware piece maybe

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that's a different conversation right

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that's a completely different

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conversation we'll make it into a

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different episode but this one like

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another thing about being a good guest

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is to be curious of the host yes it's

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not it's not like like do a little

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research on the host themselves go on

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LinkedIn or just go to any of their

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YouTube channels and you can see that

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like oh c is definitly allergic to cats

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let's have some fun with that like you

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know what I mean like tie something back

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to you you and your store and your value

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out of underwater basket weaving and it

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could be yeah there was a story of a cat

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that just went in there and just like

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ripped up all the pieces and parts of

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the you know basket weaving wood product

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what is it wood is it Rattan what is it

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I have no

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idea there was a you you'll find out

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later no no no there was a gal that

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actually did a water weaving basket

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thingy in college it was part of her

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like art thing anyway um yeah no yeah

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sorry you got me distracted and

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I'm oh one more one more and then we

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gotta let him go one more peoples if you

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ask to be on someone's show you better

17:23

be cross-promoting I am so tired of

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people saying let me get on your show

17:27

let me get on your show me get and then

17:28

create the thing for them and they don't

17:30

promotee it they don't like and by the

17:31

way I'm guilty of it okay I'm guilty now

17:33

that being said I don't ask to be guests

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anymore but but just even if you can't

17:39

do it immediately to promote the show

17:41

like if it's a live stream obviously you

17:43

want to promote so you get you know

17:44

people watching it live but if you get

17:46

busy in life we catch it we get it

17:48

there's always hashtag team replay then

17:50

romote it later you can do it a month

17:52

from now you could do it six months say

17:54

hey I had a great time being on Ben's

17:57

podcast here you guys check this out you

17:59

know what we appreciate that it's those

18:02

that never do any it's those that just

18:04

like I want your I want to be promoted

18:06

on your network but they don't promote

18:08

you on their Network it's

18:11

like you're zero value add to me at this

18:14

point so okay we've let it go we got to

18:18

let it

18:18

go everybody breathe deep wait

18:24

wait and I'm Ben I'm seea

18:28

and we'll see you

18:32

soon hey hey hey thanks for listening to

18:35

another episode of not on this business

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fites if you liked what you heard we

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most humbly ask that you like share and

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hit that subscribe button and if you

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want to communicate more effectively

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within your organization contact Ben

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you so see you next week for another

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episode of not on this business

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fights