What inspired you to start The Starting Line podcast, and how has your podcasting journey evolved since your very first episode?

I spotted a gap in the podcast market for straight white men in their thirties and just ran at it, before anybody else could have the same idea.

In seriousness, the show is a love letter to my family, and a message to people that no matter where we start in life, and what challenges we face – and we all will, we can do and achieve amazing things. God, I sound properly bleeding heart, don’t I?

The first episode was with Levi Roots, and since then – he showed up in a three piece suit, dripping with gold, and I was in shorts and a t-shirt, looking like a toddler who’d been allowed to dress himself for the day – I’d like to think I’ve been able to forget the mics and the cameras, and really just get to who each guest is, why they are who they are, and have fun in the process. I’ve loved every second of it.

You’ve had some fantastic guests on the show so far – who has been your favourite or most memorable guest, and why?

I’m going to have to pick splinters out of my backside here and say – I honestly don’t have a favourite. Some have made more of a splash than others, as with Brian Cox, but how lucky am I?

It’s been the biggest pleasure to sit and get to know these incredible people and share our conversations. What I will say is – I think I’ve cracked the code of what makes a successful person. It’s not a drive to earn money, beyond financial security. It’s these two things: I’m-going-to-learn-like-I’ll-live-forever curiosity, and unadulterated obsession.

Brian Cox and Rich Leigh

Being shortlisted for the Independent Podcast Awards is a huge achievement! How did it feel to get that recognition, and what do you think sets The Starting Line apart from other shows?

I’m god-awful at feeling proud of myself for various reasons, but to have a group of people far better versed in podcasting than me take a subjective look at something I’d created and respond positively made my entire week.

As for what I think sets it apart – I create it as if it will be watched or listened to by millions, in the hope it one day will be. I research like I’m at a cork board with pins and string, trying to solve a murder. I listen to and watch as much as I can of everything my guests have done, and I write notes I memorise, and know I might not even use.

The production quality has to be as perfect as can be, and I try to move heaven and earth to speak to the best and most interesting, entertaining, and inspiring guests. When all that is done, the conversation is the easy, fun part.

As you look back on your podcasting journey, what challenges have you faced, and how have you overcome them to keep the show growing?

Everybody that’s ever published even one episode of a podcast will tell you – the main issue is discoverability.

I’ve worked in public relations for almost seventeen years now, and that has its advantages. I could have the best, most incredible episode – but if nobody listens or watches, I’m wasting time, money and effort. So, I aim to spend about as much time promoting each episode as we do producing it.

Short form content creation is an art, and I’m scratching the surface of being anywhere near good at it, relying on colleagues that are far smarter than me. Combining that with other aspects of promotion is essential.

Rich with Ellie Simmonds, Wynne Evans, James Cracknell

Your podcast explores the stories behind people’s personal and professional starts –has any guest’s story particularly resonated with or inspired you?

In terms of inspiring me – who people are, and why they are who they are, is hugely inspiring, so every conversation lights a fire under me. That said, I do have an answer here.

I’d say that Robin Ince has had the biggest lasting impact on me. I volunteered to be his taxi to the nearby Cheltenham Science Festival after our chat, in which I’d mentioned that I was thinking about how to go from good to great with the podcast, and I talked about branding. Robin asked if I’d read the book Factfulness by Hans Rosling, in which Rosling says ‘I’m not an optimist, I’m a possiblist’, and said that on the basis of our two-to-three hour conversation, he thought that applied to me. That’s really got me thinking.

With the new series coming up, what can listeners expect? Are there any exciting guests or themes we should be looking forward to?

This answer follows on nicely from the last.

Listeners and viewers can expect similar conversations, where I’m very happy to be the curious and excitable idiot in the room, with amazing guests. The difference will be a slight reframing, which will possibly come with a name change and rebrand.

I believe the show is good, but I want it to be great. The guests deserve the biggest audiences, and I want to have the biggest, most positive impact I can too – and given I’m not a celebrity with a big, existing audience, branding matters hugely here.

Levi Roots, Robin Ince

What advice would you give to someone just starting their own podcast, based on your experiences with The Starting Line?

I think, on reflection, it’s to stay consistent. If you set a scheduled day of release, respect your audience enough to stick to it.

And more than that – have fun doing it. It’s like when you play sport as a kid – you did that for free because you enjoyed it, and only a few people will realistically ‘make’ it. So, while pointing in the direction of having a successful show and getting better as you do it is important, if you’re not enjoying it, would big numbers change that?

Huge thanks to Pod Bible and the Independent Podcast Awards!

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