From Radio Presenter to Business Owner: Ed Nell on Reinvention, Podcasting and Building The Media Insiders

In this episode of Business Made Smarter, the microphone switches sides. Host Doug D'Aubrey turns the tables on Ed Nell - the voice behind the Business Made Smarter podcast and founder of The Media Insiders - to find out the story behind the man who usually asks the questions. From a career in radio spanning two decades, through a stint trying to bring broadcasting into schools and a business partnership that led him to podcasting almost by accident, Ed shares the full journey of how The Media Insiders came to be. **Key Takeaways** **A podcast without a plan is just an open microphone.** Before anyone gets near a microphone, Ed works with clients to nail down who their audience is, what they want to achieve and what kind of content will actually engage the right people. **Podcasting is a marketing tool - even if most business owners do not think of it that way.** Building credibility, increasing visibility and giving potential clients a genuine feel for who you are and how you think is exactly what good marketing does. Podcasting just happens to do it particularly well. **Try things quickly, notice quickly when they are not working and adjust.** Solopreneurs did not have the budget. Schools did not have the budget. Both times, Ed spotted the ceiling fast and moved on rather than grinding away hoping things would change. **Wearing every hat in the business is unavoidable at the start - but it has a shelf life.** Farming out audio editing alone gave Ed twenty hours a month back. That time goes straight into client development and creative work, which is where his real value sits. **Key Moments** "I've played songs and talked for 20 years. What am I going to do now?" "I want to work on my terms. Although I still have to crawl to the boss - which is me." "Try things but notice quite quickly when it doesn't work." "You could be the smartest person in the room - but if you can't get your ideas across, nobody knows about it." **About Business Made Smarter** Business Made Smarter is the podcast from Executive Training Consultancy, bringing no-nonsense practical advice to help businesses of all sizes grow and thrive. Hosted by Doug D'Aubrey and featuring regular guest Ed Nell, Founder of The Media Insiders, each episode draws on real-world business experience to give listeners strategies and insights they can start putting to use straight away. **How to Get in Touch** To find out more about Executive Training Consultancy or to book a free two-hour business review: Website: www.exec-tc.com To get in touch with Ed Nell and The Media Insiders: Website: www.themediainsiders.co.uk If you found this episode useful, subscribe, share it with your network and leave a review. * * * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.