When Jeremy Owens launched his podcast “In the Zone” in August 2021, he had already been a guest on other podcasts but had never produced one himself. “I knew I could talk, I didn't have any issues doing that, so I just figured I'd give it a shot,” says Owens, CEO of the digital networking platform US Construction Zone and the Sacramento, Calif.-based home improvement company 3 Generations Improvements.
His idea was to mine his large network of friends and contacts in the industry … and just talk with them. “I wanted to peek behind the curtain of these great people in construction, find out what makes them tick, what they're passionate about, and also get into some subject matter that was kind of difficult,” he says. “I wanted valuable content about things that are a bit more serious.”
More than three years later, Owens has recorded 35 episodes. It was a lot more work than he anticipated, it wasn’t always smooth going, and he learned some valuable lessons along the way.
His insights and advice for other home improvement pros who have the gift of gab, an ear for listening, and who may want to start their own podcast:
1. Be natural, show personality. Owens doesn’t edit his podcast because he likes it to sound less produced and more like you caught two people talking. “People know that it's a conversation and it should sound conversational. The oopsies and pauses and all that kind of stuff is just normal talking, so that's the way I feel podcasts should be,” he says.
2. Define your brand. There are many good podcasts covering sales and marketing and other business topics, and Owens had no intention of entering that crowded market. “That isn’t my brand. I like to talk about things that aren’t usually talked about in construction, like mental health and diversity. I like serious topics and I'm not afraid to talk about them,” he says. “Find your niche, roll with it, and be good at it.”
3. Have fun. Attention spans are short, so it’s important to be engaging and having fun. “I joke around, I have fun with my guests—it has to be fun for both of you. If you’re not having fun, neither will your guests or listeners,” Owens says. And don’t panic when things go wrong. “I've had some hiccups, but you have to handle it and figure it out.”
4. Prepare. Do your homework and know that it will require more work and time than you’d expect, Owens warns. “I do my research, I have a list of questions, and I make sure there’s a flow to the conversation so it’s not all over the place.” He thinks the amount of prep work required is what prevents a lot of people from continuing to produce their podcasts.
5. Make sure you want to do it, can do it. Owens suggests being a guest on someone’s podcast first to see if the format is a natural fit. Do you like it? Do you have the time to create episodes on a consistent basis? If you're panicking before every show, if you're stressed out the night before you record, don’t do a podcast. If you can’t carve out time in your schedule to do it, then don't do it.
6. Be wise with time. Targeting 20 to 30 minutes is a podcast best practice—it’s the average drive time. However, Owens says that for him to really get behind the curtain with somebody and find out what their “secret sauce” is, he needs more than half an hour. “If people only want to listen for a few minutes, I get it, but as the host I really want to learn something and make sure my listeners do too.”
7. Establish a screening process. Owens has a form on his website where people can express their interest in being a guest, but most often he takes meetings to see if someone would be good for the podcast. “I don't tell them up front that I'm considering them for a guest—I let it play out organically. If I don’t think they’re good for the show, it’s OK because nothing has been promised and I’m not letting anyone down,” he says. And the process helps him screen out potential guests who mostly are looking to sell their products or services. “If there’s no substance then it's not right for my show. It’s going to turn me off and turn off the listeners.”
Dream Guest
Like almost every podcast host, Jeremy Owens has a dream guest, and his is Mike Rowe, star of the television show “Dirty Jobs." “He's been a champion for our industry for a really long time. I look up to him for the work his foundation does and how he props up the trades,” Owens says. So, Mike Rowe if you’re reading this…
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