Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in content creation but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sammy Younan, podcast host of My Summer Lair, located in Toronto, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I'm the host of My Summer Lair, an entertainment podcast. Think NPR's Fresh Air meets Kevin Smith, interviews & impressions on Pop Culture. My customers are listeners and adventurers. Undaunted, they venture into the unknown, searching for fresh podcasts and hidden gems. They like to be surprised, they enjoy being delighted, and they have a hungry curiosity. When they learn something unique from a podcast conversation, it prompts them to want to high-five or fist bump.
Tell us about yourself
I'm prompted by curiosity and fueled by fun, like Batman's Butler but for pop culture. I want to share what I have discovered, be it a movie or a book, or a song. It's all pop culture. And the best pop culture makes our lives better. We get to go on adventures. How cool is that? So it made sense to start recording the conversations I was naturally having because that made curation easier to share with others. Every single podcast is prompted by play. The listener pushes play to get it started. That's a logical gig for me.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Typically with a podcast, the biggest accomplishment is the known guests. And I have that list too. Here's a handful, George Stroumboulopoulos, DMC (half of Run-DMC), Nick Cannon, Daniel Stern, and Sam Roberts. But honestly? And this is going to be Hallmark corny, but so be it. A strong connection is an accomplishment. The rarest element of a good podcast conversation is connection. For the listener, a good conversation is like eavesdropping on a captivating first date. And for the guest as well: you want to make the guest feel like they're on a first date. Comfortable enough to share some stories safe enough to reveal a secret or two. And no matter what the podcast topic is, bond by sharing some laughs. It doesn't always work out that way, but that's what I strive for as a host. When that magic happens, that's an accomplishment worth celebrating.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Marketing remains a perpetual business challenge. In pop culture, the time of consumption dictates risk and the choices consumers freely make. A pop song is typically 3 to 5 minutes. Most people will easily consume that there's no risk. Marvel movies are like 2 hours, maybe a little bit more. Some friction but lots of people still consume movies. A book that's like 300 or 500 pages fewer consumption has lots of risks (what if the twist happens on Page 100, but it's so boring?) and requires lots of time. Same thing with podcasts. There isn't a clear Costco sample for people to get for people to try a podcast. Every conversation is different. It's always going to be a risk. But for that risk negotiation to unfold, marketing needs to happen.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Working for yourself is way harder than working for somebody else.
- Everything takes longer than you expect it will. Put in the hours anyways.
- Cultivate fun and play with joy. It doesn't have to be "work".
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://mysummerlair.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mysummerlair
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mysummerlair/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mysummerlair
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammyyounan/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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