Adventures in Podcasting

Ep 32 Adventures in helping businesses find their intimate voice with Graham Brown

Graham Brown · August 28, 2022

Thought Leader · Author · Entrepreneur · Artificial Intelligence · Leadershipin

Interview with Graham Brown

Ep 32 Adventures in helping businesses find their intimate voice with Graham Brown

Podcast: Adventures in Podcasting

August 28, 2022

A different kind of guest for today - Pilar talks to Graham Brown, founder of the podcasting agency Pikkal & co. Graham started podcasting before "podcasting" started (around 2014), recording conversations with guests, directly from the phone. At the time Graham was living in…

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Key topicsHow Leaders Can Use Podcast Guesting to Build Trust FastMany CEOs and founders struggle to quickly establish credibility and trust with new audiences without lengthy campaigns or costly advertising. They seek efficient, authentic ways to connect and be seen as thought leaders. Graham Brown’s Podcast Guesting Pro specializes in securing multiple aligned podcast bookings in a short timeframe, focusing on authentic storytelling rather than self-promotion. His system draws from years of booking diverse leaders and designing guest narratives that resonate deeply, rapidly accelerating audience trust and familiarity. Listeners will walk away with concrete tactics for selecting the right podcasts, shaping compelling guest stories, and pacing appearances to build genuine connections quickly. Graham’s approach empowers leaders to leverage guest spots as strategic trust-building milestones. Why Podcasting Challenges Executive Comfort ZonesMany corporate leaders feel uneasy stepping into the podcast spotlight; they often expect formal presentations and rehearsed speeches but find the conversational nature of podcasts disarming. This discomfort leads to communication that feels scripted and distant, limiting authentic connection with their audience. Drawing on over 15 years of experience bridging formal communications with podcasting's informal style, Graham Brown has guided executives through this shift. His work with top CEOs reshapes their approach to storytelling, encouraging spontaneity and genuine dialogue. His frameworks integrate cognitive psychology insights to help leaders become more relatable without sacrificing authority. Listeners will gain a clear understanding of how stepping outside typical business communication norms on podcasts enhances approachability and trust. Graham reveals practical techniques for leaders to embrace vulnerability and natural conversation, transforming their public presence and improving audience engagement. The Power of Business Storytelling in the Digital AgeGraham Brown can discuss the transformative impact of storytelling on brand building, emphasizing the need for authenticity and relatability in a world dominated by digital noise. Drawing from his extensive experience, he can share insights on how compelling narratives create lasting connections with audiences and customers. View all topics →

About Graham Brown

Author and Podcast Guesting Specialist for Corporate Leaders

3,000+ Podcast host & guest appearances16 books Published author250+ clients Served across 60 countriesUniversity of Sussex AI & Cognitive Psychology graduate

Graham Brown is an author and founder of Podcast Guesting Pro who helps corporate leaders, founders, and storytellers get booked on aligned podcasts and build thought leadership.

He began his career studying youth mobile behaviour and founded mobileYouth in 2001 to understand youth marketing and mobile culture; that early work serving clients such as Nokia, Vodafone, MTV, and Disney shaped his focus on audience insight.

Over time he moved from youth research into audio after seeing business leaders struggle to communicate authentically at scale, which led him to found a full-service corporate podcast agency and develop programs to train hosts and producers.

His route into podcasting combines formal study in Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Psychology at the University of Sussex and Entrepreneurship training at Harvard Business School Online with decades of client-facing agency work.

He helps corporate leaders, startup founders, and storytellers find their voice. He leads Pikkal & Co, an award-winning corporate podcast agency, and runs Podcast Guesting Pro.

He previously hosted Asia Tech Podcast and previously grew mobileYouth to over 250 clients in 60 countries; his agencies operate from Singapore with partner studios across Australia, Austria, Canada, Croatia, Ireland, Sweden, the UAE, the UK, and the USA.

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About this episode

A different kind of guest for today - Pilar talks toGraham Brown, founder of the podcasting agency Pikkal & co.

Graham started podcasting before "podcasting" started (around 2014), recording conversations with guests, directly from the phone. At the time Graham was living in Lanzarote, and was missing having conversations with other people, in particular meeting other entrepreneurs. No matter how beautiful the surroundings, Graham missed the inspiration he got from talking to others.

He continued travelling, and eventually connected with other entrepreneurs in Asia, where he started living. Eventually, others started asking him how "how do I do this?" And without realising, it, he was running a podcast agency.

Podcast market fit happens when 2/3rds of your audience listen to at least 2/3 of your episode. So, if you look at the data and see for how long your audience listens to your show, you can see what kind of match you have. This can help you decide on your future content. It's not all about having high download numbers. Graham has seen that there are these "pockets" where there are low audience numbers, but high engagement. This can point to a niche who are really into the subject - and you can let this drive your planning. eg Should you set up a new show about it? Or do a whole series around it?

20.34mins

Graham has a specific example of being data driven, that of one of his recent clients who was creating episodes for one podcast in different languages. He also suggests a suitable cadence to help you grow your audience when you first start, but the most important thing is consistency.

So how should businesses approach podcasting, to connect as best as possible with their current and potential customers? The value of a podcast lies in "unlocking the human potential inside a company" ie reminding listeners that there are actual human beings within an organisation. And these people have stories, insights and values that are worth sharing.

This is the difference between traditional product advertising and true podcasting: unscripted conversations.

Regarding formats, that depends on the company and angle. But finding the right team is crucial, as is finding an "anchor", a regular host who is there as much as possible to connect with the audience. The host acts as the guide for the listener, asking the questions we want to know the answers. And talking directly to you, the listener.

To end the episode, Graham reminds us of the importance of understanding our intrinsic motivation for starting a podcast. And the fact that podcasting is a great medium to practice having conversations with others, a skill that will serve you for life.

To find out more about Graham, check out his website, grahamdbrown.com

Guest: Graham Brown