We’re no strangers to risk here at the Business Infrastructure podcast, but even we proceeded with caution during Season 17. Why?
Because we tried some radically and fundamentally different things on the show.
We experimented with a non-fiction storytelling format for the show that requires much more behind-the-scenes coordination, planning, and logistics to perfect the formula for success.
In this final episode of Season 17, host Alicia Butler Pierre shares these changes as part of this podcast’s “scale tale.” Discover what led to these decisions to experiment with changing the format, the business infrastructure required to consistently produce this new format, and whether the results were successful.
You’ll even hear the recorded testimonial of one of our guests this season as proof!
Season 17 – Scale Tales: hear the stories of 12 small business owners as they recall a specific time when they scaled something either for their clients or for their own companies.
Snap Judgment: one of the podcasts that inspired Alicia to switch to a storytelling format. Shout out to the host, Glenn Washington!
Business Wars: another podcast that inspired Alicia to tell non-fictional stories. Shout out to the host, David Brown!
More About Host, Alicia Butler Pierre:
Alicia Butler Pierre is the Founder & CEO of Equilibria, Inc. Her career in operations began over 20 years ago while working as an engineer in various chemical plants and oil refineries. She invented the Kasennu™ framework for business infrastructure and authored, Behind the Façade: How to Structure Company Operations for Sustainable Success. It is the world’s first published book on business infrastructure for small businesses. Alicia hosts the weekly Business Infrastructure podcast with a global audience across 60 countries.
More About Sponsor, Equilibria, Inc.:
Equilibria, Inc. is an operations management firm specializing in business infrastructure for fast-growing organizations. Our mission is to provide access to tips, resources, and proven frameworks that revolutionize the way small businesses operate. We do that through original podcast episodes, blog posts, videos, presentations, workshops, and coaching sessions.
Transcript
INTRO
Hello and welcome to the final episode of Season 17!
I’m Alicia Butler Pierre and I’m the creator/host/producer of the Business Infrastructure podcast – the show where we share practical tips, tactics, and tools to cure the chaos of fast growth so that your small business can operate smoothly and cure those back-office blues.
And though it may seem like I’m wearing a lot of hats on this show, believe me, there is an entire team that helps me. I’ll explain more of that later.
But first, back to Season 17. This season is particularly special because we tried so many different things.
The theme for Season 17 was Scale Tales. The fact that we had a season isn’t new at all – since the beginning this show has always been structured into seasons and each season has a theme.
But what is different is that it’s our first time ever editing the content of the podcast.
THE DIFFERENCE
In the past interviews were recorded, never edited and then an intro and outro were placed at the beginning and end and ads were inserted.
And…this format worked for 3 ½ solid years.
If it wasn’t for a change in my company, Equilibria, the podcast format likely would not have changed either.
So let me tell you more about Equilibria – it’s the company that provides the financial resources and amazing team that’s required to produce and promote this show.
I started Equilibria 17 years ago. It’s an operations management firm that specializes in providing business infrastructure to fast-growing small businesses.
Definition of business infrastructure – system that links people, process, tech so that your ability to scale is manageable, repeatable, profitable, and sustainable.
So, here’s where the scale tale begins…
OUR SCALE TALE
During a strategy meeting in late 2019, I shared with the Equilibria team that the time was right to finally build a course on business infrastructure.
In case you don’t know, online courses require an audience, high instructor or brand visibility, and proof of concept.
If you don’t already have a strong presence online, it will be difficult to gain a return on investment in building a course.
Now, our team worked really hard for three years straight getting the message of business infrastructure out there. It started with this podcast in July 2018 and then my book was released later that same year.
But, heeding the advice of several online course creators, we still needed proof of concept.
And that’s when I had an idea to convert the stories from my book into a podcast format complete with narration, voice actors, sound effects, and music. It was A LOT of work! Let me repeat, A LOT of work!
But this was an investment that paid off because we saw a significant spike in listenership. We even packaged the entire season – which ended up being season 15 – into an official audio masterclass.
We ran an ad campaign on YouTube, promoted it heavily across social media, and I made it a point to mention it in any press coverage.
What did we learn? Not only did we get the proof of concept we were looking for to justify building an online course, but we also learned that…the storytelling format is powerful!!!
And so that leads us to Season 17 where we experimented with using a storytelling format for a non-fiction podcast with the stories being told directly by the guests themselves. To say the entire experience has been rewarding is an understatement! It has taken this show to another level.
We’ve deepened the relationships with our guests, and we’ve scaled our visibility as a force to be reckoned with in the business podcasting space.
SEASONAL RECAP
And I would be remised if I did not take time to thank each of our 12 guests for being willing participants in this experiment.
They trusted us with their stories, and we are forever grateful!
Thank you all for coming onto the show and sharing your scale tales!
You know I talked about proof of concept. Yes, we need to hear from you as a listener, but it’s also great when our guests actually listen to their episodes and express gratitude. In fact, I’d like to share with you a testimonial that Marguerite Orane shared. Keep in mind this came as a total shock to me when she sent it to me. Most guests send an email, but she took it a step further and recorded a message. Here it is…
CLOSING
And that’s when I had an idea to convert the stories from my book into a podcast format complete with narration, voice actors, sound effects, and music. It was A LOT of work! Let me repeat, A LOT of work!
If you missed any of these episodes from Season 17, then make sure you click the link in this episode’s description. It will take you to BusinessInfrastructure.TV. While you’re there you can listen to each of them as well as access links to the resources recommended, including the resources I’ve shared in this episode.
If you’ve made it to the end of this episode, then I want to thank you for taking time to listen. It means a lot.
I also want to thank you for your continued support! But don’t keep this show to yourself – tell your family, friends, and colleagues about it too! If you like what you’re learning, please subscribe and leave a review (it’s the only way we’ll know if you think we’re doing a great job).
A special thank you to the amazing Equilibria team that made our back-office operations flow so smoothly this season: Jodie Maquiran, Monique Inge, Olanrewaju Adeyemo, Gladys Jimenez, Erika Ve Ortega Revilla, Marie Incontrera, Mujahid Usman, Alex Alabi, and Abdulquddus Asema with Outsource Global, and Clarence Levy III with Sabor! Music Enterprises.
***
Here’s an interesting fact about our team – we’re spread across three different countries. How do we keep things moving? Well, we have a great business infrastructure to support us!
And you can do something similar in your business – in other words, you can build an international team, form strategic partnerships and alliances, or setup a new business from scratch in another country. In fact, that’s what we’ll cover in Season 18 which kicks off in the next episode. Prepare to go on an audio tour to 12 different countries so that you can understand what it’s like to conduct business there.
So…make sure you subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you enjoy podcasts, so you don’t miss it!
Until then, keep operating…smoothly!
This is the Business Infrastructure – Curing Back-Office Blues podcast.
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