How to raise the stakes and grow as a podcast host with Tricia Ruiz

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Episode Summary

When you set out to be a podcast host, you have a lot of responsibilities. You have to research, practice how to open a show, work on interviewing techniques, and a lot more.

But when you start out, what do you focus on? How do you keep from being overwhelmed with everything that goes into an authentic conversation? 

In this episode of Recorded Content, our host Tristan Pelligrino welcomes Tricia Ruiz, the content manager at Anteriad. They chat about what it’s like being a podcast host, how to critique yourself, and why raising the stakes helps engage your audience.

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Episode Highlights

Listen, ask questions, and learn

“I remember you were my second episode when I interviewed you, and we talked about genuine conversations. We talked about how you create a connection with someone when you meet them for the first time in an interview setting — things that you had special background and history and experience in. So that was one of them, just listen and ask questions and make up the questions that way.”

Go live when you feel comfortable to go live

“Only go live if you feel comfortable to go live. For me — and my background being in theater — that aspect that there’s also an audience there was very helpful. And that actually encouraged me to think less about the guest I’m talking to as the audience for my dialogue and their dialogue, and think about the audience who’s actively listening, watching, and participating live — that’s who the conversation is for. And it almost framed it up as we’re on the same team.”

Everyone has a story to tell

“I love hosting because I get to facilitate other people’s stories versus my own. If I’m going to tell my own story, I have my own mediums that I want to do that in. That might be podcasting again for something like a single-person show. But I use other mediums right now, which are things that I naturally gravitate towards. So instead, I can hand the mic to somebody else, and that’s always an encouragement.”

Ask questions that bring out the story

“Every episode needs to have a story. I’m still working out how to get the hook right. I still haven’t mastered that. I know that you need a hook as well. And so I just start with general questions like, all right, this most recent one we did on how data creativity can drive demand, and we got to set the basis for what data we are talking about, and then you transition into it.”

Make sure your podcast has a purpose

“Managing that content, I want to make sure that the content that’s produced not only through the podcast but other places as well has a purpose. And so I bring that up to my leadership because it’s not my final say in the management of the content. That’s my strategist’s say. And it’s my VP of demand’s say, and that is something that they’ve done really well. Also, that the content that’s being produced by a company has a purpose versus an individual influencer or host who wants to make their own content.”