Independent Podcast Awards

Category Sponsor and judge for this prestigious and impactful event which recognises talent in the independent podcasting arena.

Independent Podcast Awards Judge and Sponsor

Weeniecast (Business Strategy For Weenie ADHDpreneurs)

Directing and producing this chart topping business strategy podcast from Katie McManus. I'm involved throughout the whole process, from episode ideation and recording, through editing, producing, publishing and marketing. During the course of two years of working on the show, we've seen audience grow by ten times since the start, with more than 1000 listeners per episode per month on average, making it a top 5% podcast, according to official IAB stats.

Executive Producer

Podknows Podcasting

Offering full podcast production, podcast marketing, and podcast consultant solutions with a reputation for elite strategy and high-end production value,

Anyone can start a podcast. But not everyone knows how to use it to get results!

Here's a snapshot of what this company has achieved over the past few years:

🎙️ Two award nominated podcasts (one was featured on Sky News)
🎙️ Every show we work on ranking top 5 (minimum) in search for target keywords
🎙️ Shows ranking number one on Google (the REAL vanity metric)
🎙️ Clients adding £0000s to their bottom line
 
Podcasting is more than just recording a chat, removing a few umms, and publishing it online. 

Using nearly thirty years of audio content marketing and production wisdom my Podknows Podcasting Network was set up with a very specific goal in mind - help businesses of all sizes and revenue achieve enviable results from their podcasts. 

I help brands convert their casual followers into customers and superfans.

Clients working with me benefit from increased discovery and podcast SEO as well as a far more polished sound than their rivals. They're also being provided with guaranteed ideal listeners if they're willing to invest.

Clients have realised significant growth in engagement with their offerings, continually growing qualified leads, maximising ROI 💷.

Results driven podcast consultant and marketing agency owner

British Podcast Awards

I was a judge of this podcasting industry awards show.

British Podcast Awards judge

Veglio Entertainments

Live events and presenting projects using 25 years of radio broadcasting and stage hosting experience. Specialising in engaging stage work and corporate entertainment, but also taking on private clients for weddings and VIP parties.

My work hosting an annual event at Reading's Broad Street Mall has seen that shopping centre achieve a 25% increase in footfall for the past five consecutive years.

Key Clientele:
Reading’s Broad Street Mall, Didcot’s Cornerstone Theatre, Play2Give, Another World Festival, MKFM, The BEAT Digital Radio, Celador Radio.

Private and corporate event entertainment

Casual freelance consultancy engagements within radio stations, including presenter coaching, cover presenting of shows, podcast producer, podcast strategist, and podcasting recording and production.
Working with a number of clients including Celador Radio, Global Radio and Murfin Media.

Freelance content consultant/ radio personality / podcast producer 

JACKfm, JACK 2 Hits & JACK 3 Chill

Achieved record RAJAR results for newly relaunched JACK fm Reading (previously Reading 107fm) using a highly engaging morning show, and strategically targeted online content marketing. Responsible for all of this radio brand's then available podcast content, including JACK fm Oxford's "The Sunday Roast", "Round at Sir John's with Sir John Madejski" and "JACK's Morning Glorycast". Credited with creating and implementing a strategy for social media launch ‘voice’ I also conferred with stakeholders on consistency including use of a ‘brand bible’ and style guide. Helped the brand get national press coverage, using creatively crafted content 'storylines' and written press releases. 

Elevated revenue and social engagement by project managing competition to win a car, live on the radio.
Wrote and developed blog, vlog and social media content to the JACK fm website and social channels using Adobe Creative Suites and CMS software “Aiir”.
Additionally, carried out full-time on-air role as morning show writer, producer and host from March 2014. I stayed in post for two years before being poached by the Celador group as a consultant.

Podcast Producer / Content Manager / Comms & PR / Radio Personality (various shows)

GCap Media

I worked as a cover presenter at the company's digital stations in Leicester Square, including Capital Disney. I also consulted with them over content, and helped steer their digital strategy, including podcasts and other online audio content.

Evening Show Presenter / Podcast producer

Dream 107

I started off as the mid-morning show presenter for this mid-Essex radio station. During my time, I successfully built the show's audience from barely blipping on the RAJAR graph to strongly competing with the stations morning and afternoon drive shows. During this time I also took on event hosting, and held the station's highly successful 2003 roadshow, featuring some then big name chart acts including Kym Marsh.
I was promoted to breakfast show host in 2005, but decided to leave the station after just a few months due to my disappointment with station management when I became aware of their unethical practices.

Morning Show Host

talkSPORT

As a dynamic broadcaster at this London based national radio station, I not only hosted overnight talk programmes, I also maneuvered into daytime, using my journalism experience to oversee a team of seven reporters and three daytime producers for accurate news and current affairs output. Shows that came under my remit included the daily Mike Dickin show and the John Smith's No Nonsense Sports Breakfast Show with Mike Parry and Alan Brazil which I also co hosted as the comedic sports know-nothing.

Morning Show Co Host / News Editor

Podcast listeners -> customers in less time. | Listen to "The Podmaster" for free tips and insights | Podcasting 'OG' (since '01) | One of Rephonic's "6 Must-Follow podcast coaches" (stalk featured section).

Why would you need me as your podcast consultant and growth strategist? 
Are you thinking of starting a podcast? Or do you have one that's struggling to find its audience? 

The truth is, 92% of podcasts fade away quickly. 
I'm here to make sure yours isn't one of them.

The idea of podcasting is always quite exciting, but success doesn't just happen because you decided to start. 

As a leading podcast consultant and coach who helps businesses and creators get real results from podcasting, I know exactly what it takes to get results with podcasts.
 
It all starts with strategy, and needs expertise in engaging storytelling so you can connect with your audience, so your podcast is worth your time and money.

Podcasting done right is one of the most powerful tools out there, but done wrong - it's like whispering into the void.

Here's how I can help you start to celebrate.

Podcast Coaching: 
If you're stuck, let's get things moving.

Podcast Audits: 
A clear, honest look at what's working (and what's not).

Done-For-You Podcasting: 
Want the results without the hassle? We've got you covered.

I know what you're thinking. Why trust this guy?

*I'm a podcasting 'OG'. 
I've been at this since 2001 (way before it was cool).
This means I've got more than a few failed podcasts behind me which I've learned from, and know exactly what it takes to make them work. You know, thanks to all the successful ones!

*Content creation and radio is in my blood having spent more than two decades as an award winning radio broadcaster.

*My clients have seen 10x growth, landed major sponsorships, been featured on TV and more.

I turn struggling podcasts into success stories, and I can help you skip the painful trial and error most podcasters go through.

If you're serious about making your podcast work for you, let's chat. Book a call today, and let's make your podcast a success story.

Neal Veglio

Anyone else laughing at the fact that the same old crap LinkedIn posts we used to skip in the feed are now still appearing (and still getting skipped) but the shltheels writing them are having to pay for us to skip them?

Want podcasting ROI? I'll get your ideal customers listening. My strategies are based on decades of learning. I'm LinkedIn's longest serving podcast consultant/manager (since '01). Host of "Podcasting Insights".

Ummm no we definitely don't use it, Jeff Kofman. And we certainly wouldn't now, after your blatant lie. Can you please stop telling people we use your product? It's icky AF.

The quickest way to identify your true LinkedIn friends, is to count the number of them who send you a screengrab which shows your podcast is on their Spotify Wrapped. 😂

Yes, the rest of you. 

I feel hurt. 

And I'm considering you to be an insincere friend.

The best thing about my weekly emails is that although they're my thoughts and insights, I don't currently write them myself. Cuz I'm too close to it all.

And also... bitter and twisted mediocre white little angersnatch.

So Holly Christie wrenched them from my grasp and does a great job of protecting me from myself. 

And it obviously works because people now sometimes even reply to them. 

And so now I get to reply to people who think they were replying to me in the first place.

They didn't reply for the two whole years previous (even before I culled around 800 people from the list).

Fancy seeing for yourself what all the fuss is about?

Check out my words being shared through Holly's dainty fingers at https://lnkd.in/eWKkmhTm

Cheers muchly.

PS - The day I ACTUALLY get to spend even one minute with my feet up on a desk while everyone else does my work will be a very heavenly day indeed.

“So you’ll handle the editing, right?” 

Every time, without fail, this is one of the things I get asked by a new client who's been working with someone else, not getting the results, found me on LinkedIn, enjoyed my honest sass, and is about ready for my help. 

And every time, I obviously tell them yes… 

But in my head I’m thinking...

"Mate, editing is the least valuable thing I’m about to do for you."

Because the real work is this:

Figuring out why the podcast exists in the first place.
Rebuilding the structure so listeners stop drifting.
Making episodes your buyers actually want.
Fixing all the invisible stuff that’s been quietly holding the podcast back for months.
Giving you the superior version of your podcast that you haven’t heard yet.

Editing is just the part you can see on the surface.
Strategy is the part you FEEL.

That’s why Podknows Podcasting works and gets results for our clients.

We’re not the fastest. 
We're certainly not the cheapest.

But unlike others, we understand the real product we sell isn’t the content.
It’s clarity.
It's measurable success. 

Been wasting time publishing a podcast that's left you wondering what the point is, this entire year? 

Don't make the same mistake next year.

Pop me a DM, or visit the website (linked from my profile) and find the menu link to "Contact".

One of the biggest joys I have in my 'job' is watching the transformation of my clients in real time. Let's give props to a team I've been working with this year who totes read the assignment, and are absolutely nailing it. 

In July, Suman Randhawa and Andrew Pickering approached me to help them get their podcast "Don't Work Harder" firing on all cylinders. 

I'll confess, I didn't know much about the Atomic family prior, but I was aware they ran an annual event that lots of people from LinkedIn seemed to like. So I knew it was an important gig, and I approached it with full intention.

Having done an initial audit, I knew very quickly that this podcast had potential to wipe the floor with its competitors, namely that show from 'he who must not be named but loves Huel and buys all his friends'.

I tried to put my finger on what it needed, and, long-story-short, the past six months has been all about giving it just that.

This week, we took a massive step closer to realising that dream.

Things we've done that will make a clear difference in the show's trajectory:

1. Optimised the pacing and structure and created engaging features (Atomic Clock is a work of minor genius if I do say so myself)

2. Ramped up the sound design to make it 'bang'. Think less 'podcast' and more 'cinematic experience'. 
Add to that some custom made sonic branding we've created that the company can now use (gifted them unlimited license use) across everything they do leading to brand recall. 

3. Improved the impact and efficiency of the intro sequences. 
Every episode now tells the listener/viewer what they're getting up front, and we're 'in to show' within 60 seconds. 

4. Some mostly unnecessary but ultimately joy-filled presenter coaching with Suman. Let's face it, she was already a fantastic host (which is why they hired her in the first place) but we've worked together on eradicating some 'challenges' so she can lean in to what she does brilliantly — connect with people.

Want an example of how to be a great podcast interviewer? 
Check out the conversation with Dr. Tru Powell. 
It's a masterclass in asking questions, sitting back, listening to the answers and having THAT form the basis of the next question.

I also must heap mega praise on the show's editor and producer, Alvie O'Brien. To say this lad's taken direction well is an understatement. 

He's been an absolute knowledge sponge, and it's been a pleasure watching his eyes light up when we've discussed ideas, tinkered with sound and visuals, and designed the overall audience experience.

Nothing is ever perfect, and the show you're going to hear now is still not a patch on the show you'll hear in the next six months. But this podcast has taken a huge leap forward, and I'm beyond proud and excited for you to hear the new style show in a couple of weeks.

Well done, ATOMIC team! Andrew Pickering, Pete Gartland, you should both be exceptionally proud. 

I know I am.

I can't be arsed to post anything meaningful on LinkedIn today. So can you lot please just fill my comments with content for me? Cheers.

Confession. I was the Madbid Postman. 

And yes, Alex Zane did indeed once rip me a new one on an episode of Rude Tube where I was described as "the worst TV commercial voice actor ever".

(If you were living in the UK between 2013-2016, and watched ANY television (particularly Sky News), you'd have heard almost certainly heard my voice through your speakers, every single day. Sometimes three times a day.)

And no, I'm not at all sorry about that. 

I AM sorry about agreeing to a full buy-out rather than residuals.

(I got paid £3k for this gig. The ad ran solidly for three years and so I should have made closer to £35k)

And this is why my voice actor career lasted a mere two months between radio jobs.

The only other gigs I had was voicing a Sony TV ad (putting on a fake American accent) for the US market, a few US radio DJ jingles, and making filthy s*x noises for a gay phone-in line.

None of which did very much to put a dent in my bills.

It's ok, every commercial voice actor ever; you can keep the gig.

taplio