Episode 89
How does one go from fraud investigator to podcast producer?
Today is a special episode as we sit down with our show’s producer, Leah Bryant from Leah Bryant Co. She is a fraud investigator turned strategic podcast producer and editor. She went from fighting crime to conquering “ums” and “uhs”.
As a strategic podcast producer, she helps coaches launch and maintains their podcasts so they can share their inspirational and helpful messages without the podcast taking over their lives. She takes her superpowers from being an investigator, like her attention to detail and the ability to look at a problem from 10,000 feet, and finds a solution and strategy that best fits your podcasting needs.
She has the ability to show up confidently and inspire you to take the action you need to get your message out there. So if you’re looking to launch a podcast or you’re moving towards hiring a producer, you’re in for a treat with this episode.
Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full Episode:
- Discover the journey from fraud investigator to podcast producer.
- Find out how Leah accomplished exponential growth in her business.
- Learn some actionable tips for creating a great podcast.
Episode Highlights
Who is Leah Bryant
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- Leah is a fraud investigator turned podcast editor and producer.
- She helps coaches launch and maintain their podcasts so they can share their inspirational message without the podcast taking over their lives.
- Her custom approach ensures that she can help find a solution and strategy that best fits your needs.
- She prides herself on the ability to help coaches discover how podcasting can grow their audience into raving fans and increase their income.
Her career as a fraud investigator
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- Leah started as a bill collector, which wasn’t a good fit.
- At the time, she had a manager who acknowledged her skill set and thought she’d be great at fraud investigation.
- She spent ten years as a credit card and debit card fraud investigator.
The journey to podcast producer
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- Leah and her husband wanted to start a family.
- Her job as a fraud investigator was very stressful, so she decided to come home.
- Leah found that she needed to be mentally stimulated, so she started a business as a virtual assistant, which kept her very busy and allowed her to be home with her son.
- She lacked fulfillment as a virtual assistant, and her love for podcasts led to her pivot.
- She found a podcast manager course and transitioned from there.
How Leah accomplished exponential growth
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- Leah says a big part of her business’ success involves doing what you love.
- Niching down to serve coaches helped her speak to her audience in a way that resonated with them.
- What helped her grow her business is investing in herself, whether education or self-care.
Work-life integration
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- Running a successful business from home with a toddler can be a balancing act.
- Leah uses quiet time in the mornings and evenings to work.
- The ability to manage her schedule is what she finds great about entrepreneurship.
- While the variation in her schedule was stressful at first, she has found that setting the right expectations with her clients has helped tremendously.
Realizing that she needed help
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- When Leah started producing, managing and editing podcasts, she never envisioned having a team.
- She started getting very busy and had to admit that she needed help if she wanted her business to grow.
- While Leah’s zone of genius is editing, there were other elements that she decided to outsource, such as transcriptions and show notes.
- Expanding her team happened over 35 days.
Writing checks can be scary
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- Leah is passionate about female empowerment and collaborates with a team of five women.
- She says that writing checks can be scary as you see money leave.
- By switching this mindset, she discovered that she is getting back valuable time to find more clients, which opens doors to help more people and make more money.
Overcoming adversity
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- In 2011, Leah was diagnosed with cauda equina syndrome and had emergency surgery.
- Surgeons said that she would have been permanently paralyzed if she had waited a few more hours.
- While Leah still has partial paralysis and pain from a more recent injury to another disc, she chooses not to dwell on it and remains positive.
Employee versus entrepreneur
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- One of the hardest things for Leah was to shift her mindset.
- Instead of living and breathing someone else’s schedule, she was empowered to set the hours that were best for her and her family.
- By defining who her ideal customer is, she can make decisions about whether a client is a good fit for her.
- Instead of always saying yes, she can now be the decider.
Coaching and mentorship
- Leah has a podcasting coach who can mentor her and offer guidance.
- Her podcasting coach, Lauren Wrighton, applies her own experience as a successful podcast strategist to help and direct her.
- Next on Leah’s agenda is to get a business coach to help her achieve her goals as she scales her business.
Tips for preparing a great podcast
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- Leah says that a great episode starts with your audio, and this begins before you hit record.
- Consider the space you’re recording in and the equipment you and your guests use.
- She recommends a good quality microphone that fits the space you’re recording and wearing headphones to avoid echo.
- Her advice is not to be afraid to set rules for guests so that you can ensure that your message is being consumed in the best way possible.
When to consider outsourcing
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- If you’re spending hours on Google, you should probably consider getting some help.
- One can always make more money, but you cannot make more time.
- If you’re spending hours drowning in the backend of producing or managing your podcast, you should look to outsource.
How does Leah want to be remembered?
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- That she always left any person or situation better than she found it, and that she was always willing to help someone in their time of need.
3 Powerful Quotes from this Episode
23:50 – “Through trials or anything that challenges us, I’ve found that it’s not something to be scared of or to get down about. It’s really to say, Okay, this has happened, how can I take what’s happened and A) learn from it, and B) maybe help someone else who is going through maybe not the same thing, right? But something similar or through a hard time a tribulation? And how can I set an example or help them inspire them that just because this happened doesn’t mean it will not get better. You just got to keep going.”
32:06 – “Great audio begins before you even hit record. Meaning, the space the recording in the equipment that you’re using, and not just you, but your guests. “
32:44 – “Don’t be afraid to set those boundaries, set those rules, and set those requirements. Because when you do that, not only are you helping yourself, but you’re also helping your audience.”
About Leah Bryant
Leah has helped manage and launch over 200 episodes for 13 podcasts. She guides coaches on how podcasting can grow their audience into raving fans while increasing their income. With her custom approach to launching and managing podcasts, she can help you uncover your ability to show up confidently and inspire people to take action with your message.
Whether you’re interested in launching a podcast, needing help managing the backend of your existing podcast, or have a successful podcast show but could do with some strategizing, she can assist you and encourage you to reach out.
Connect with Leah
Website
LinkedIn
Instagram
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Thanks for listening,
Darrell