Shey Harms has come up with a unique way for podcasters to get their show noticed by a wider audience. They can participate in her Podcast Shoutout with their elevator speech about their show. Her collection of “shoutouts” also gives podcast listeners a resource to check out when they are searching for more podcasts to listen to.

When did you get started in podcasting? What have you been doing in podcasting from then to now?

I started podcasting in February of 2013. I just came back from NMX in Vegas for the first time and after meeting several podcasters, they encouraged me to do my own show.

My first show was SlenderSafari. I produced a weekly show for the most part, but summer seemed to get a bit hectic and so did my show schedule. I ended that show around March 2014 so I could pursue other podcast and online ideas.

I also worked with my company at the time to try and launch a podcast for them, but ultimately they weren’t ready for that marketing step.

Now I have a show called Podcast Shoutout where I highlight a different show each week and let the original Podcaster share what their show is about.

What was it that inspired you to become a podcaster?

After meeting and talking to John Lee Dumas shortly after he launched Entrepreneur On Fire, I realized I had the desire to have my own show. He encouraged me to follow my passion (water skiing) but I still haven’t been brave enough to take that step. So I decided to share my journey with weight loss and motivate and encourage others in their weight loss journeys instead.

What is Podcast Shoutout, and how does it work? What is an “elevator speech”? What kinds of topics are discussed in the podcasts that have participated? How can other podcasters participate in Podcast Shoutout?

I refer to Podcast Shoutout as a “podcast directory, in the form of a podcast.” My ultimate goal is to have a 5 day a week show. Each day I would highlight a different Podcaster. The tricky part is, I have to rely on podcasters to share their show info in their own words. I’m just the person helping an audience connect to new shows they may have never heard of before.

Some of my first few episodes, I’ve shared a wrestling show (high school and college wrestling), a navy military podcast, a show about communication with the Communication Diva and a conservative political show. All shows are across the board from comedy to careers. The only ones I knew about are a few people I actually knew. Most of these shows are brand new to me.

An elevator speech is simply, pretend we are on an elevator and you have until we both get off the elevator to tell me what your show is about, who you are trying to reach and what value you want to share with others.

So far I have about 30 shows to share in total, and I’ve played 11 to date. I’ve encouraged everyone to have fun and make their show information entertaining or different and not be “boring”. This may be the first time someone has ever heard about their show, so remember to make a great first impression.

To participate, a Podcaster can go to PodcastShoutout.com and click on the green “record now” button. That will take them to my Speakpipe page where they can leave up to a 5 minute recording from their computer.

However, most people choose to record in their studio and send me an mp3 file instead for better quality. I think I prefer that method too.

All my shows last about 7 minutes in total, which includes an introduction about the Podcaster, how many shows are in their lineup, a couple of show titles and a couple of reviews,

Then I call a shoutout to the Podcaster and play their clip, follower by a 30 second wrap up that tells everyone how to find a particular show.

What words of wisdom would you share with women who are thinking about starting their own podcast?

First of all, I know that there are very few women podcasting compared to men so we need to encourage more women to think about hosting their own show. If women feel intimidated about the technology, they should watch some videos, maybe take some training, and push through it. Podcasting is fun and the connections you make with others is lifelong. You never know whose life you might impact by sharing your story or interviewing someone else and letting them enlighten your audience.