An Unexpected Podcasting Path

If I look back at the moment when I officially decided to start a podcast, the thought process was like a blip - I don’t even know if it took more than five minutes from “I could start a podcast” to “I’m starting a podcast.”

Multiple reasons all converged, but it kind of feels like it just happened to me.

I had written a seventy-page book proposal for a memoir with how-to elements to share my parents’ immigrant story, my entrepreneurship story, actionable personal finance steps and my philosophy on time, money, and lifestyle. The idea was to create a handbook that would outlive me and be written for my kids.

And, I wanted to try the traditional publishing route (my perspective on that may now be shifting after a conversation with the For Dummies creator, John Kilcullen - his episode drops in November). I kept on getting hung-up on the marketing section of the proposal, and asking myself, “what am I currently doing to get in front of my ideal readers?” Because the answer was “nothing.”

I had ‘retired’ at thirty-nine and felt I had so much knowledge to share.

A few months later, I FaceTimed with my dad from the other side of the world in New Zealand. And, less than twelve hours later, I received a WhatsApp message that said, “Dad passed.”

The grief was deep and long. But, it ripped open a part of my heart that I think had learned to close up.

Dad had been a lifelong-learner. Every single day of his life, he was learning - whether that was about nano-technology, medical advancements, the latest gadget, or how to tend to his impressive garden as a burgeoning master-gardener.

So, over dinner one night in August, 2023 (last year), I mentioned the podcast idea to my family. Maybe I too could start learning again and find a deeper purpose in my life in his honor.

I started putting out episodes the week of January 25, 2024 - the anniversary of my dad’s passing.

Then, the magic started happening and one thing led to another led to another. My show made Ramsey’s ‘Best of Business Podcasts’ list, Jason Calacanis (the original investor in Uber) had re-posted one of my episodes, a few reporters included my quotes in their articles (one on U.S. News and Money, another on The Muse), my show started climbing charts, and I was nominated for two People’s Choice Podcast Awards.

But, while a convergence of roads led here, what I think has made the show a success is that my approach is heart-centered and my goal is internal.

This week’s episode highlight:
Embracing Change and Finding New Paths from Editor-In-Chief of Entrepreneur Magazine

This week, we had the pleasure of speaking with Jason Feifer, Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur Magazine and author of Build for Tomorrow. Jason shared valuable insights about embracing change, navigating rejection, and the often-unexpected paths that lead to success.

Here are three key takeaways:

1. Stay Open to New Opportunities
   Don’t limit yourself by focusing only on the opportunities you expect—sometimes, the best chances are the ones you didn’t foresee. It’s easy to focus on the path you’ve mapped out, but life rarely unfolds according to plan. By releasing the grip on what ‘should be’ and opening yourself to what ‘could be,’ you create space for opportunities you didn’t even know were waiting for you.

2. Rejection is a Puzzle
   Jason’s early career was filled with rejection, but he viewed it as a solvable puzzle. Every “no” was a step closer to a “yes,” and every rejection helped him adapt, learn, and improve until he finally opened one door. This mindset of persistence and adaptability is crucial in entrepreneurship and life.

3. Embrace Being Bad to Get Good
   As Jason quoted Ryan Reynolds, a celebrity he once interviewed: "To be good at something, you have to be willing to be bad." The willingness to endure failure and imperfection long enough to improve is the key difference between those who succeed and those who don’t.

Strategy Spotlight: Pitching with Precision

One of the standout pieces of advice Jason offered was how critical it is to do the work when pitching —whether it's to an editor, a potential client, or a partner. And, this is also a key component to sales! Most competition isn’t great, and that’s your edge. Knowing the person you’re pitching to, tailoring your message to their needs, being responsive, focusing on quality, and creating trust will set you apart.

Positivity Corner: Celebrate Being Human

Jason shared a vulnerable moment where he stumbled during a keynote speech. What he learned is that it wasn’t about recovering perfectly but about being real and showing effort. In your own life, give yourself grace when you make mistakes. Embrace your imperfections and focus on the effort you put into moving forward. It’s a powerful reminder that people don’t connect with perfection—they connect with authenticity.

Thank you for being a part of Time To Live: Thriving in Business and Beyond! As always, we love hearing from you, so feel free to share your thoughts, questions, or feedback.

Stay inspired,

Anne McGinty
Host of 'How I Built My Small Business'

A Good Pitch

I receive so many pitches every single day. Some in my email inbox, some on LinkedIn, and some in messages on social media. But, I don’t respond to 99% of them because they miss the mark.

They’re cold. Too cold. Too transactional.

I’ve had success with about 90% of the pitches I’ve sent, including the one I sent to Jason Feifer.

So, what did I do to stand out?

I extended real connection in the first four sentences of my pitch explaining how I found him, including an anecdote about what I knew about him referencing specific work of his that I had seen, what I liked about what I saw, and why I was reaching out. The biggest piece - everything I wrote came from my heart.

I wasn’t thinking about selling to him or getting something from him because I truly wanted to leave that decision in his court. My philosophy is that I only want people to be on my show if they would actually enjoy being a part of it. The goal of my pitch was to be real and authentic.

Want to connect? Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you.

Last Week’s Episode Highlight:

Ana Homayoun
Ana truly loves what she does, and I can see why. She helps teens and college students navigate a big moment of change, develop executive function skills, and is motivated by the positive ripple effect she has in their lives. Talk about purpose!

I met Ana through my friend, Russ, who went to college with Ana. When I was working on writing a book proposal, he suggested that I meet-up with her in case she had wisdom to share (considering she’s authored four books).

We originally met-up in a cafe in San Francisco (I wasn’t a podcaster yet), and she selflessly shared everything she knew from her book-writing experience. Of course, I was happy to reciprocate and help her share her story and wisdom on my show too.

Collaboration is the best.

Stay inspired,

Anne McGinty
Host of 'How I Built My Small Business'

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