The Brave is an independently run podcast set up and produced by Bethan Vincent and her partner to discuss ideas that are contributing to creating a better future.
Vincent describes herself as a digital marketing consultant, but this is just one notch on her belt. She is very active within her industry, speaking at conferences about various topics – including marketing and technology - and publishing her own podcast and newsletter.
In creating her podcast, and its sister newsletter, Vincent is driven by her creativity and curiosity. She started the podcast because she is aware the world is “in a bit of a state”, and is therefore using her platform to ask - what are people doing about it?
Each episode she speaks to experts and innovators about what it takes to build new products and companies, create new markets and movements, and change the status quo.
We asked Vincent how she created her podcast and what she’s learned along the way.
How would you describe your podcast?
We share the stories of the companies, people, systems, and ideas that are building a better future. We tell a lot of founder stories, because that's where we have a lot of interest from listeners as well as people who want to be a guest on the podcast.
Why did you start your podcast?
I'm a marketer. Around 2019 everyone started saying podcasts are going to be the next big thing and I've always felt the best way to learn something is by doing it. I knew I'd have to be advising clients on podcasting, so why not set up my own? That way I’m in a far more powerful position to help clients. I can give advice on how to structure a podcast, how to book your guests, and how to promote it, because I've done it. Also, it's really been a bit of a passion project for me, I love listening to and meeting different people so it's quite a nice way to get that introduction.
What advice do you wish you'd been given when you first started the podcast?
It's actually marketing advice; I think having your marketing plan in your head from the beginning is really important. I kind of jumped into it and I didn’t have a sense of how we were going to promote it or distribute it. So, I've had to kind of learn as I go. We'd have been in a stronger position to grow listenership and reach a bigger audience had I actually thought about it.
How many people does it take to create an episode of your show?
We produce it extremely leanly. I have to say I'm blessed by the fact that my partner is a musician and a producer. I set up the interviews, come up with the questions and do the recording. Then it goes over to my partner, who does the editing. It then comes back to me to transcribe it and do the promotion. I think it’s a misconception that people think it takes a huge team to do this and do it well. I'm really proud of the audio quality we manage to produce given the fact it's just the two of us at home doing it together.
Do you monetise your podcast?
We don’t monetise through ads or anything like that, but the podcast definitely opens up opportunities. The value comes when people can find out about us, it builds a lot of credibility in my space. I don't think your monetisation model has to be sponsorship or advertising placements. You shouldn't just do a podcast because you think it's going to make you direct revenue - there's a lot of indirect benefits as well.
How do you promote a podcast?
We promote the podcast in multiple different ways. I try to go on other podcasts. I find that that’s a really good way to promote your work and I also do a lot of speaking at conferences and events. It’s really interesting for a speaker to also have a podcast because if someone likes what you're saying they can always go and hear more. We also run a newsletter alongside The Brave podcast, which can be found on the website. So, we are using quite a number of different routes. I think one of the promotional methods I'm keen to explore in the coming year is partnerships. These could be informal arrangements where you have a guest on your podcast who's also a podcaster so you get that cross promotional opportunity, or a more formal kind of partnership or sponsorship with brands or newsletter creators who have an audience that is a good fit for our audience.
Who listens to your podcast?
Mainly people in the tech, creative or digital industries, and that's driven by the types of topics we cover. One of the great things about podcasting is that it's not geographically specific. Obviously, there's language boundaries, we don't produce in multiple languages, but it can reach a global audience. Most of our listeners are between 25 and 40 and we have a fairly even gender balance. That is something I'm quite proud of; because we operate within the tech space you often do find that podcasts are more targeted towards male listeners, but we actually have 52% male and 48% female listeners.
What have you learned about yourself since starting up your podcast?
At the beginning, I thought it would just be me asking the questions and then sitting back and letting the other person speak, and obviously you want your guests to add value, but I have found that I've also got value to add with the insights, context and perspectives I can bring. It's helped me improve my critical thinking and analysis skills - I really feel like I've expanded my mind.
What was the last podcast that you listened to?
I love the History Hit podcasts; last night I listened to The Ancients on Tutankhamun - I listen to podcasts while I go to bed. I do listen to marketing podcasts, but it can't be marketing all the time, otherwise, I'd have no life outside my job!
