ReLaunch Your Business Success through Podcasting

Hilary DeCesare: 00:00:00

Welcome to you, and you are right now listening to the ReLaunch podcast. And yet again, I have uncovered an amazing woman who is doing incredible things, but, again, there were relaunches along the way that we are going to dive into. And when I first met her, I was like, ah, there's so much. Just you know, when you start to think about synchronicity, things that come together at the exact perfect timing, this conversation, I have no doubt for you will be one of those. Karen Roberts is a seasoned fitness industry veteran with over 25 years of experience experience. Yes, she's one of us, who made a bold leap into the digital space. There was a radio station mid wave that recognized her expertise and invited her to actually launch a weekly show a coffee with Karen, and having interviewed countless coaches, consultants, therapists, healers, Karen uncovered a common thread that secret, right, the power of sharing personal stories to expand influence and audience reach. And guess what we're gonna go there and in 2021, I feel like I need a little drumroll here. She took charge of the station, and actually ended up founding raising vibrations Podcast Network. How cool is that? Welcome, Karen, to the relaunch podcast and so excited to have you here. Well,

Karen Roberts: 00:01:42

thank you so much for having me. It's very unusual that I am the guest these days. So yes, it's a new opportunity.

Hilary DeCesare: 00:01:50

Good fun. I often think about that. When I log on to another person's Podcast. I'm like, wow, this is like easy, breezy. I'm like, I'm just here. To talk, I can do that versus have to think about what's coming next. So, Karen, what I love about your story is that you have so many significant relaunches along the way in just what I just read your your bio, but what do you think, was the most significant relaunch that got you where you are today that made you the woman you are today? What do you think that would be?

Karen Roberts: 00:02:30

If I'm honest, it's probably come out of the awful thing that happened to all of us. You know, wherever you are in the world four years ago, from the lockdown. I, if you'd have told me, This is what I'll be doing. You know, 510 years ago, I would have Yeah, really. But I found my place for me, podcasting is the most fun way to drive your business. And especially if you're I'm not saying all podcasters have ADHD, right. But throughout my

Hilary DeCesare: 00:03:08

we might be a little did we might well, but

Karen Roberts: 00:03:12

it's it's just more fun. We can have just a conversation rather than sit down and think and plan something because I'll overthink it and procrastinate about doing it.

Hilary DeCesare: 00:03:24

We're given the luxury of jumping around if we want to scan. Hey, that's

Karen Roberts: 00:03:30

my best day. salutely. So it really really suits me. But yes, I would never have known it.

Hilary DeCesare: 00:03:37

Karen, it didn't just happen. Right? No thing. And as I read in your bio, 25 years of experience in the fitness industry, you're certainly not doing jumping jacks as you're doing your podcast right now. So I need to know, how did that what really happened there because I was so intrigued that you would give up and maybe you haven't maybe I don't maybe you're still doing a lot of the fitness but you had such a great relaunch into now your passion is podcasting. And what happened actual what happened to the passion of the fitness industry? Well,

Karen Roberts: 00:04:18

he's just switched. I mean, at the end of the day, I was very comfortable. up on stage in front of lots of people, I was motivating them. I was inspiring them to create change from a health perspective. But now hopefully, I'm doing the same thing. But I yeah, I don't have to jump around and get sweaty anymore. You know, I'm not getting any younger. And it got to the stage where I was like, Do you know what? How much longer can I keep up such a physically demanding job? No, I taught very high energy classes. I was also a sports therapist. So it was still very, very physical. I was getting to the stage. Well, you know what's gonna happen when I get a little bit too low. All to actually do this. What's next?

Hilary DeCesare: 00:05:02

I mean, there's Jane Fonda and right arm used to do her classes, it would drive we lived in LA and would drive over the hill, and then go into the valley to do the classes with her if you can believe that. But yes, they're happy, like, so COVID was COVID Truly the catalyst that said, hey, the classes were closing down. And you needed to find something was that the timing or what happened? No, it

Karen Roberts: 00:05:32

happened a little bit earlier than that. So but 2016 And I was very, very tired, very close to burnout. I had just moved back to the UK, from a very sunny Algarve in Portugal, where I'd lived for eight years had my own fitness studio there. And the difference between the Algarve and London is there's no sunshine. I

Hilary DeCesare: 00:05:57

was just in London last week so high. You are so right. I mean, I lived in London for almost eight months. And well, it came right. It flooded back to me. Wow, that's Yeah, hold. That's a cold rain.

Karen Roberts: 00:06:11

It is it's cold. It's gray. There's no sunshine and no vitamin D. And I was very tired. And it wasn't actually I was thinking, Oh, it's, you know, it's time to give this up. I'm getting too old for this. And a few months later, I realized no, I'm still tired. So I finally, you know, went to the doctor's that I sort of ignore going to and got a blood test. And I was just my vitamin D was on the floor. That was it. But I'd made the step. I'd left the industry. And I wanted to be a speaker, because for me, that would be the next logical step, to motivate and inspire. But I didn't have anything, I didn't have a program. So I fell into something was introduced to me around high ticket affiliate marketing, and I thought, Great, I haven't got to create anything. So I thought I was taking the easy route, selling other people's programs. Again, I was very, I was very good at beating other people up and get excited for them. And I did that.

Hilary DeCesare: 00:07:16

What you had to do with the fitness, right? I mean, you're, you're a motivator? Yes, we're on a stage, whether you're working with a group class or individuals, you're pumping them up, right?

Karen Roberts: 00:07:27

Yes. So it seemed like the natural next step, and I thoroughly enjoyed it was doing really well. And then the company got shut down overnight, literally overnight. And I thought, Oh, I'm never going to put all my energy and focus into something that I don't have control of something that's for other people. And because I've made the jump already, I thought and I think many people go through this, sometimes they think they should do something, rather than following their passion. I felt well 25 years in the fitness and wellness industry, maybe I should go back and do something with that I retrained in nutrition, I mean, I'd already done nutrition, but I studied the ketogenic diet for therapeutic purposes and fasting. But the health benefits now was just about to relaunch. I had my biggest, my first big stage Debu, as it were in in London, speaking about this wanting to do live events where it was more of an experience than just speaking from stage to combine fitness, mindset, nutrition. And then lockdown happened. So what do I do now? What's the what next, right? Well, I'm sure many people had that. And well, you know, like many, it's like, okay, that new word, right? Pivot, I had to pivot, we

Hilary DeCesare: 00:09:01

call it John, this show. We don't really say pivot anymore.

Karen Roberts: 00:09:09

When they say what is it, it's another relaunch? It is so warm

Hilary DeCesare: 00:09:15

of a relaunch. Because when you think about it, it's such a it's so interesting, when you think about pivoting and you modify your pathway, right? A relaunch is I think it's more calculated. It's more of a you have had the success, we are aged with wisdom. And we have the ability to follow and we call it the relaunch process and three HQ had heart Hi itself, to try to make sure that you can have a transformation with any type of of relaunch, but it can be both good and bad. Right? I mean, that's what life's all about. You can go through a process and be like God that really socked, you know how many people have gone through divorces? And then and then they are like, Oh, I could have handled that better, I could have handled that differently. And so I love that you're, you're now you're now saying, Okay, I need to, I need to modify, self correct. And then share with us what came next?

Karen Roberts: 00:10:20

Well, I just thought, I need to learn something. It's probably the ADHD constantly learning. And I thought I'm gonna put on a summit to try and lift. And it wasn't for profit, it was just to try and lift people's spirits during that tough time. And I had 20 other coaches that I interviewed from the fitness background, some from mindset background, some from other spiritual. So 20 coaches that I interviewed, and I just thoroughly loved the process, because I'm genuinely interested in why are they doing what they're doing now? You know, what led them there? How are they helping people? I learned a lot personally. And I just thoroughly enjoyed it. And it was on the back of that. I was offered a radio show. And Hillary there was no plan back then. No, I didn't know why I was doing it. I just said yes, because I enjoyed doing it. I thought, well, I'll figure it out. As I go, I'll just keep doing what I'm doing. So I started my podcast because I, you know, radio is very limiting. Right? Once it's aired, it's gone. So about six months later, I started a podcast, you know, use the same content on the podcast. And I just was just interviewing people. It wasn't for me, I didn't have a program. I didn't know why I was doing it. And as I progressed after interviewing so many different, yeah, coaches, therapists, they were from the conventional all the way to the more woowoo. And it was more to sort of inspire the listeners, for them to create change. And I thought, You know what, you guys, none of you are in competition. You know, I've got one coach over here, serving 40 Plus men, helping them go through a divorce. And this woman's helping menopause or health or whatever. And I wanted to create some form of directory for the public to come and find the right fit for them. Because, okay, I don't know about you. But when you get people sort of applied to be a guest, you might read their bio, or go to their website, and I might have one, I've created a story in my head as to what it is they do. And until they come on, and I ask them questions. By the end of the podcast, I've got a completely different story going on, as it were as to what they do and how they help and who they help. And I think

Hilary DeCesare: 00:13:00

it is the beautiful thing about money. And I don't find that there is any competition. I think it is so great when someone says, Hey, this is who I focus on. And, you know, I'm in, I'm really trying to level up people when done. And I'm like, Yeah, me too. How are you doing it? Let's figure out is there a way to collaborate? I mean, I'm doing this right now with a woman. We have a big event that's going to be announced shortly in October. And it all happened from I was on her podcast. She was on my pockets. All of a sudden, I'm like, we're doing basically the same thing. But you're doing it in the southern hemisphere I'm doing in the northern hemisphere, let's put together her world are you in? She's like, yes. So I love that you realize that, like, bring people together, get their stories, and a lot of times on first blush, you don't know. You don't know. And then you pull it out. So I want to keep calling out from you. Because now you have a very successful podcast business where you help people launch their podcasts, make money with their podcasts. And I think the podcast world is something that I read on your website like 65%. And a couple years ago, 65% of people had at least listened to all the way down to age 12 or podcast, and it's growing and growing. And there's now over 3 million podcasts out there. But, you know, what are you seeing because you have so many great stories about this. What are you seeing about people who are listening right now and they're like, Baby, I would like to start a podcast maybe? Or how could I find a really good podcast for me? Because those are two things that I run into with people. How do I even find like, you know, how would we find your podcast if I didn't know you if I didn't hear from you if I wasn't listening to you? Well,

Karen Roberts: 00:14:57

I think that's the thing you know, so many people are They want to start a podcast. And then they overthink it. Or they think well, who's gonna listen to me? Which of course, you know, I still go through right? Who is gonna who's gonna listen to me? Who wants to listen to what I've got to say. And I think a lot of people talk themselves out of it. Because they have overthought it and they think there's, they get overwhelmed with what needs to be done. And I think my message is really just start, I had no clue what I was doing. And I think a lot

Hilary DeCesare: 00:15:32

of people are like, but what about the equipment? What about, you know, I mean, really, white noise? What do you say to that? Like? What is the minimum way to get started?

Karen Roberts: 00:15:46

A mic, a simple mic, I didn't start with that simple might. Headphones. That's it just start, you know, because quite often, you know, as you grow, you want to have built a backlog. And we know that a lot of people and I found this as I went through my journey that so many people do not continue past even 10 episodes, you know, they give up too quickly. Because it's, it's not a short term strategy. This is the long term.

Hilary DeCesare: 00:16:22

This is really fascinating to me. I heard the phrase pod fade, they just fade out. And you know, eight to 10. They get them and then they're like, Wow, this is so much fun. But it's work. I mean, I've been doing this now for three years, every single week. I happen to love it. Like I saw you on my calendar this morning. And usually I don't do the morning mornings. But I go a little later in the day. But I was like, yes. So fired up. But a lot of people, how do you how do you get them past that pod? Fake that eight to 10, where they're just like, so excited. Joke's on RAM. And they stopped doing it right?

Karen Roberts: 00:17:06

They need to have a strategy. And I didn't have this strategy. And I think it's because, you know, when I started, I was offered this weekly radio show, which is a 60 Minute, right? And, you know, I would never advise anybody to start with 60 minutes, but because I sort of felt I had to do it. I did it and you don't right. You don't know what you don't know. Right. So as you progress, when I started the podcast network, I was already a couple of years in. So for me, it seemed easy. And I didn't, you know, I'd forgotten. Right? Because I wasn't given them a strategy. I was purely providing the platform. And they went to it on their own. And yes, they sort of maybe ran out of topics or didn't feel they were getting enough momentum. And so now we sort of give people a bit more of a strategy a process to follow. So then it's a lot easier for them to keep going. Because yeah, it's it's not gonna happen overnight. But yeah, just be consistent. Whether it's, you know, some people we have on our network, now, they just do a bi weekly, you know, as long as you commit to doing what you've said you are going to do, and show up, when you said you are going to show up, you know, the time is gonna pass anyway, if you've got a business and you're in it for the long term, does it matter? How long it's going to take, just keep going? And the more you learn, the more you can tweak if you tried to do everything in one go? Yes. If I if I started, you know, with all everything that I know now, yes, maybe I would have been a little bit overwhelmed. And would I have continued, but it's just to start, get started. You don't have to have any of the fancy equipment. But yes, you want to have some form of strategy. If you want to use your podcast as a way to drive people into your world, if you have, you know, if you have some kind of coaching program, if you have something that you want to sell on the back of it, but I just feel that it's the best way to do it. Because you get the opportunity to show up as you you know, I show up as you know, as me it's my authentic self, and you can speak from the heart. It's not a script. Because I think these days, you know, Facebook, LinkedIn, you couldn't just get AI to write a post. You can't get AI to create everything. When you have your own podcast, it's you turning up as you and it's conversational. Then you're demonstrating to the listener maybe how you can help people there's going to be more of a know like and trust factor. So I think it's an incredibly powerful platform for people when used correctly.

Hilary DeCesare: 00:19:58

Even if you Whatever you have, you are a business. There is something that you can be doing, as these people are listening. And I had somebody once say to me, when I first started, I started during COVID, as well. And it was a very interesting process because I did a couple solo episodes. And then I went into having guests on. I remember sitting in the room by myself, which, you know, we were all by ourselves for a long time in our during COVID. And those beginning episodes, I was an open book. I mean, I kind of like I'm hitting my head, for those that aren't watching right now. Like, I can't believe what I shared. Like I can't, there is a story in one of my first ones where I'm into like a water bra going through the airport, and I get, I get pulled out like, Where's the water? And I like mortified. But and now I think the evolution of a podcast. Here's another thing I think people get tripped up about that you think it has to be perfect right out of the gates. I mean, if I could go back, and people have, you know, kind of laughed and said, Oh, my God, the first like, I'd say 10 episodes are hard, fair. They're crazy. There were some crazy stories in there. And it will have said, you know, what have you thought about just taking them down? And I'm like, you know why? It's the evolution of this thing. And I finally decided to kind of like, change it up and switch and make a second season. But I had done like, 120 plus episodes, I'm now over 200. And I thought, You know what, just let's, let's just keep this thing rolling. But what do you say to people? I am, I'm like, literally mortified. I just brought this up again, because now I know they're gonna, they're gonna be like, I gotta go listen to that episode. But what do you tell people about when they first start? And what will happen to them as they continue to do their podcasts?

Karen Roberts: 00:22:01

I mean, well, you've said it right there. It's never Well, for one, it's never going to be perfect. Right? So get that out of the way, first of all, and just It's okay. It's okay to get it wrong. It's okay to stumble on your words. But the more you do it, the easier it becomes. And that's why I say yeah, right was foolish of me really, to think that everybody could just go and do like I had, I suppose. But just start because it will come you know, the more you do it, the easier it becomes it will just come you know, as long as you're speaking from the heart, you know, your stuff, right? So just choose a topic, discuss that topic and just go with it. There's no There's no right or wrong. And I think people aren't looking for the perfect production. The perfect is not it's not like getting up on stage and delivering a keynote, right? It doesn't have to be that structured. And that's perfect. It purely is you showing up to serve whoever you're looking to serve. So just be real. Because I think that's again, the beauty of a podcast, people will be drawn to you, who are going to resonate with you. Look, I've got pink hair. I am not going into this sabuleti.

Hilary DeCesare: 00:23:28

It's fabulous. By the way, everyone, if you aren't watching us on YouTube, get on over there, the relaunch podcast, come on. It is so or the relaunch power, I think it is but it is so great. You really you have such a you're just you just emit energy. And that's what's love having you but I want to ask you that really, really fast. I said at the beginning, there are over 3 million podcasts. For people that are listening, it's like, okay, so I get into podcasting. How has anyone ever gonna find my podcast? What do you say to that?

Karen Roberts: 00:24:02

Well, you really want to be on all the platforms, because Spotify and Apple are the biggest. Again, it's going to be depends. You never really know right? For us, Apple is our is our biggest one. But you can make it really easy for yourself. You know, there are companies like Buzzsprout or we personally use pod bean. So once you've published one it once you've set it up, it automatically goes absolutely everywhere. I'm all about Omni presents. The beauty of a podcast is that you can use it in the written format via a blog and embed the podcast in the video format. Like you've just said, you can have a YouTube channel and put the video of it and then the audio goes on the podcast and there are so many podcast platforms out there now that it's one piece of cotton content gone absolutely everywhere. So it's the perfect it's the perfect platform.

Hilary DeCesare: 00:25:01

How many podcasts? Do you really think? Because you said there's so many that are people start and then they just, they just stop. How many do you really think there are? Oh, half of that,

Karen Roberts: 00:25:15

that are actually running and still running? Yeah, I think the last thing I looked at was about 1.5 million.

Hilary DeCesare: 00:25:25

And I want people to realize that, that's still in its infancy. When you think about TV, think about streaming, you think about all of the other things, even you know, as you guys you said about radio, I did the radio stand to for a year and those episodes for that hour that 54 minutes or whatever it was long. They just kept going. And I thought, oh, you know, just a different vehicle. Oh my gosh, even if I want to keep going with somebody, great, I have the opportunity to do that. But when you are like you have to take a commercial break, you have to I found it. I found it constraining in some ways, I appreciate what you said about podcasting. So if we are talking about how, like once you figure out, okay, I know that I have I have a topic I can really talk about your program. And what is tell us about the name of it, tell us about what you actually do it people, if I were to say, hey, I want to start a new podcast, or I want to grow my podcast because I know you do both right?

Karen Roberts: 00:26:37

Mm hmm. Well, we run monthly workshops where we sort of give our formula we give the what is the process to give your blueprint because you know, it is all about the prep, because otherwise you will get overwhelmed, you will get distracted and there are so many moving parts. And there's the fine balance. We don't want to overwhelm people too much but if you have it all set so you know exactly what you need to do. With regards to and you talk about you know, you might have a topic but be careful not to you know, I think in the digital space, all the Guru's say Micronesia, Micronesia micronation, I would say the opposite with podcasting. Because Be careful. Right, you might run out of topics to talk about if you do sort of micro knee, so it's far better to open it up a little bit more.

Hilary DeCesare: 00:27:33

I haven't even thought about it that way. That's a great way that you just phrase that good for me that there are plenty of relaunches out there. Yes.

Karen Roberts: 00:27:42

Yes, you've got a wide enough it could cover a completely wide stance, there can't it could be any, you know, everybody, and anybody can have a relaunch. And yes, we were, we were always taught, you know, come down, come down, come down. And when I started, I did start with two shows. I had a coffee with Karen. And then because I've done the Keto, I had a Keto coffee with Karen. But I dropped it because it was like, Okay, we've, how many things can you talk about? With regards to that it was to micro niche if I opened it up and had a whole health and wellness one. And you know, keto could have been a topic. And you could have had other little topics within that. But yeah, be careful that you don't bring it in. Because I think that's what stopped some because they Oh, well, I've talked about that. And I've talked about that. What else is there. So have a broad enough base, so that you can bring in different guests. And you can cover a lot of different topics within your sort of niche as it were.

Hilary DeCesare: 00:28:49

That's a great suggestion. So good. And I one other thing that I do want to mention is, you just said about you had two podcasts. People in kind of my world recently have said, well, you know, shall I start another podcast? It's a little bit different. What do you suggest? Because what I'm hearing is maybe just once a month have a segment on that. Is that Is that possible?

Karen Roberts: 00:29:18

Yes. You could. I mean, I would say again, only for and this is speaking from experience at the end at the beginning of last year so 2023 I went from one show a week to three of them once Wow months. And I came very close to burnout by the end of it because well you know what it's like you know, all the post production all the hate was too much. It was too much so be careful there not to you know, because then it doesn't become enjoyable. For me. This is the most fun way of running the business. But yeah, you know, one a week is more isn't enough. And I would say that you can switch. So my show was yet coffee with Karen, a cup of positivity with just a sprinkling of woowoo. I thought it was a fun name. But if there was no, there was no alignment with my business. And now, my podcast is called the podcast profits unleashed podcast, and on my website is God's profits unleashed my workshops, pockets, everything is in alignment. And I think it's crystal clear on what we do. And I think that's what was missing. My whole business was very disjointed. It didn't really sort of show what it what it was, you know, that I was doing. But as I said, at the beginning, I didn't know what I wanted to do at the beginning. So I built it all backwards. But for anybody starting now, make sure it's in alignment with your purpose, your vision, your whole business, so that it's crystal clear to people, you know, it's all in alignment, so people know exactly what it is you do. And when they're ready. Because it's all about the listener, you can, you can attract your ideal client, you can create your ideal client, because as they listen to you, when they're ready, they will come into your world. Karen

Hilary DeCesare: 00:31:21

Roberts, so good. And I want to know, you've already mentioned a few places, but like, let's just say it again, how can people get in touch with you? They're ready. They want to start a podcast grow their podcast, where do they go?

Karen Roberts: 00:31:37

Because profits unleashed.com, forward slash free. That's my little mini course and give you sort of an overview of if you if you're looking to start one, that will probably be the first step.

Hilary DeCesare: 00:31:49

And everyone has been asking lately, because there's so much good content in these. When I say they're in the show notes. They're in the show notes on Apple. And then we also have on our website, therelaunchco.com. More information about this podcast. So Karen, thank you for being here. And when you're listening to this, and you know you have a story, a message or a product that you want to get out there and you want to start talking about and you're passionate about it. One of the best vehicles, storytelling talking and think about all the people you could bring on to your podcast that you could talk to those people that you've been like idolizing or following or wanting to know like, how did they get to where they are. It gives you a perfect platform to do it. So everyone live now. Love now relaunch now and we will see you next week. Take care