How we expanded our podcast with correspondents
A step by step guide recapping the launch of our Get Together correspondent program.
Over two semesters in my senior year of college, I wrote and published a book about how communities form around live music experiences. I talked to leaders and creators of music experiences like Sofar Sounds, Airbnb Music, Sixthman Cruises, The Unknown Tour and Side Door.
My key takeaway was this: creating a community starts with collecting inspiration. It starts with noticing what resonates with the world and with you, then starting to connect the pieces.
This is me on the day of my book launch. Meet Meghan, my gal pal & the hypist of hype women.
One of the inspirations I heard about was Get Together. Sensing kindred spirits, I reached out to Bailey, Kevin, and Kai seeking guidance and inspiration as I dipped my toes in the unknown post-grad. They graciously responded and we continued to have conversations that resulted in me joining the team.
Last January at an empty restaurant in lower Manhattan, Bailey told me about a vision she had to share the “Get Together” podcast mic with others. She posed a question: what if we had people in different parts of the country and the world capturing stories of communities that mattered to them?
Bailey, Kevin, and Kai had a glimmer of what the podcast could be if they collaborated with more people. Mia Quagliarello and Maggie Zhang were already jumping in and sharing stories on “Get Together” airwaves. The team asked if I would help build a program to share the podcast mic with others.
This inaugural podcast correspondent program became my beloved experiment.
In July 2020, we announced the “Get Together” correspondent program. Over three months, a podcast newbie passionate about communities would join our team to learn how to podcast and help expand the stories we tell. With the team’s coaching, the correspondent would source and lead three interviews to be broadcast on our airwaves. Correspondents would be compensated for their work and receive a microphone to keep.
We found ourselves flooded with 117 applications to review. Of that pool, we ended up choosing not one but two correspondents: Marjorie Anderson and Whitney Ogutu.
We kicked off the program in August and by November, they walked away producing interview-style podcasts with benevolent leaders like Jodianne Beckford leader of Noire Girls Plant and Onyango Otieno leader of Nyumbani.
We accomplished our goal of expanding the stories we tell on the “Get Together” podcast. And, the program opened the door to a community.
Correspondent squad. Left to right, top to bottom: Mia, Me, Marjorie, Bailey, Maggie, Kevin, & Whitney.
Below, I share everything that went into launching the inaugural “Get Together” correspondent program. Think of this article as a roadmap for anyone looking to start a program that invites collaborators to expand the knowledge and impact of something you started.
This step-by-step guide covers:
How we described the correspondent program
The first major task we tackled was describing the program. This would become our invitation for people to join us in expanding the stories we tell.
The team set out to design a correspondent program for someone curious about communities to kickstart their podcasting skills over three months.
To make it clear what we were looking for in applicants and how we hoped to provide value to them in return, we structured the program description in a who, what, where, when, why format. To pinpoint the people we hoped would show up and illustrate why the program was worthwhile, we got cognitively clear on the who and why.
Who do we want to get together?
We made it just as clear who the program was for as who it was *not* for. When you do something for everyone, sometimes it ends up being for no one.Why are we coming together?
We wanted to expand the stories we told on the podcast. It’s something we couldn’t do alone. That’s why we hosted the program. More people = more stories. Different people = different stories.
This description was essential. It was both our invitation for people to apply and a compass to guide how we made decisions in writing application questions and structuring the vetting process.
How we got the word out
What’s the point of having an invitation to a party that you don’t send to the right people? Well, there is no point. Just a cool party and no one to share it with.
We rallied our allies, went to the watering holes where community folks and potential podcastors were hanging out, and tapped our digital world to get the invitation for the program in the right hands.
Rallying allies to spread the word
When we show up to things we care about, we often meet people who care about the same thing. We took a look at the friends of People & Company, folks also care about community and fellow storytellers across mediums. We identified 40 people as allies and we wrote a short email asking for their help.
The email included:
A personal greeting.
Clear ask upfront for support getting the word out.
Assets and an actionable share.
A statement empowering them to think about who they know.
Return the favor and offering help.
Subject: We're looking for a new podcast correspondent
Hi Krystie,
Your podcast is still getting a lot of love, even months after we recorded it! We share it with clients often as inspiration for how a group can work together for collective impact.
I am writing you with a question: will you help us get out the word about the correspondent role we are looking to fill on the Get Together Podcast?
We are looking for someone who is curious about communities to help expand the stories we tell. The correspondent role will last three months and be a hands-on, mini crash course in podcasting. All the details are here.
We shared about it on Twitter, Instagram, and Linkedin. We know that you have cultivated a community of curious community builders and would be grateful if you would share it on any of your social platforms.
If there is anyone that comes to mind that you think would be perfect for the role, we trust you and would be grateful if you passed their name along.
Thank you for the work you are doing and please let us know if there is anything we can do to support you.
Best,
Katie
Dozens of folks reshared on social media, many passed it along to friends and collaborators, and a handful of people personally recommended applicants to the program. This gave us a pulse on who our allies had access to and how they can help spread the word on future initiatives like the correspondent program.
Hangout and share in watering holes
There are places that potential correspondents were already hanging out. Instead of hoping they magically would find us, we went to where they already were.
For folks curious about community, one place we went was The Community Club slack, an online community for community builders.
For people who might want to build their podcasting muscles, we went to Words of Mouth which is a weekly newsletter that shares opportunities for professional and creative development across design, the arts, higher ed, libraries, nonprofits, architecture, and urbanism. We had a huge response from the Word of Mouth newsletter listing. Dozens of requests for applications came in a few minutes after the newsletter published.
Listing in the Word of Mouth Newsletter
In each of the twelve watering holes we identified, we shared the application with a tailored message. Some were more resonant than others but all helped us reach a different group of people and understand who was the most energized program. Turns out, a lot of people wanted to learn how to podcast.
Share with our digital world
People & Company’s team hangouts online in a number of places--personal and business accounts on social platforms. Folks have raised their hand by following us on social media and said, “I want to follow along, I care about this thing too!” We took inventory of each channel we had and over two weeks, we let people know and reminded them of the opportunity.
Here’s a list of our online channels:
Personal channels - The social media accounts and newsletters of Bailey, Kevin, and Kai plus all the collaborators at People & Company.
Segmented email addresses - A few days into the program application going live, we had a list of over 100 folks interested in the program. We sent email reminders as the application deadline approached.
Again, for each channel we tailored the message. For example, on Substack we leaned into long-form and shared the backstory on the podcast. We treated social media like a bulletin board, sharing the details and drumming up excitement. For personal channels, we provided the tools that people needed to share the message in their own voice.
Combining these efforts we had requests for 267 applications. Bailey joked she would have been happy with 5 or so good applications. We didn’t expect this overwhelming turnout.
How we designed our application process and vet candidates
Invitations went out but this party only had room for one or two people. So how did we choose who to let in? I’ll take you through how we designed the application, synced on a team review process, and hosted interviews.
An application that spotlights strong candidates
Once the applications closed, we had 117 submissions. Here's the information we asked each applicant to share and what our team was looking for:
Basics about themself.
Name, email, and a link to somewhere we could get to know them online.
What P&C was looking for: We needed a way to keep track and reach applicants.
A short, unedited audio recording.
Applicants were prompted to introduce themself, quickly share their background, and tell us about one person they would like to interview and why. They were then asked to submit any link (e.g. Dropbox, Google Drive, YouTube, Soundcloud etc.).
What P&C was looking for: Two things. First, we wanted to hear that applicants could communicate ideas clearly by voice. Second, recording and submitting the audio file on a platform outside the application showed a level of effort and potentially weeded out folks who thought that step off the process was too much work.
Who would you interview?
Applicants shared the names of 2-3 leaders they would like to spotlight as a correspondent.
What P&C was looking for: We called out in the announcement that we were looking for advocates for underrepresented voices. Suggestions from interviewees spotlight diverse leaders signaled they might be a strong advocate. We paid attention to applications that were bursting with interesting and inspiring ideas for people to interview. One applicant even submitted a GoogleDoc with a dozen ideas.
Tell us why you care about organizing people and community building.
You can’t fake the funk. We asked applicants why they care about this topic and what their experience is with community building.
What P&C was looking for: This question helped us identify applicants who had a personal relationship with organizing communities--who were curious about communities as we called out in the announcement. It was a bonus if they had a perspective our team is missing (e.g. geography, interest, or lived experience). These people had access, understanding, and ability to connect with leaders different from our team.
The application on good old Google Forms.
If we did it again, we might use VideoAsk. On other projects since, we have found VideoAsk allows people to show more of themself by responding with text, audio or video, whatever medium is most comfortable to them.
Overall, the application gave us the first inkling of who these applicants were and why they were showing up.
Vetting applicants as a team
Vetting was about connecting who was showing up with who we were looking for. And why they were showing up and why we started this program.
Applications were reviewed on a scale of 1-3 based on what we were looking for in each area: community curiosity, community perspective, advocate for underrespented voices, clear and compelling communication, plus overall thought and care.
For example, when looking for folks who were curious about community, this was our rubric:
1 = "What exactly is a community, again?"
2 = "Communities have been important to my personal life"
3 = "Community-building is my life's passion–here's a list of 5-10 communities I admire"
Three team members ultimately reviewed applications. Once scores were calculated, we identified the top fifteen candidates to share with an additional three reviewers. We sent them the entire application pool and asked that they review the top fifteen applications in full. If there was an applicant that fell below the top fifteen, reviewers were invited to make their case in championing this applicant.
In our team review meeting, we set a goal to narrow our list down to the five people we wanted to interview. We discussed how each candidate in the top fifteen and in our shortlist we championed fit each criteria.
The rubric served as a compass, keeping us on track with our initial who and why for the program. Having reviewers from inside and outside the team immediately working on the program ensured that we stayed true to our word.
If we did it again, we might bring in more outside eyes and ears. NEW INC hosts an incubator annually and they have a thoughtful application process I’m inspired by.
Flipping the interview script
Bailey, Kevin, and I were on the call with the five interviewees. The interview had two parts: get to know you and a short interview with Bailey or Kevin as guests.
We got to know interviewees in the first part of the interview by asking these six questions:
What are you a superfan of and why?
What specifically do you hope to get out of the program? What stories are you most passionate about telling?
What sort of unique experience with bringing people together or perspective on communities do you hope to share with listeners?
If you were to share the podcast with a friend, how would you describe what makes “Get Together” special? Is there a specific episode that stood out to you?
What do you think we can do to take the “Get Together” podcast to the next level?
We estimate that work will require ≤ 10hrs per month. What does your schedule currently look like? How do you see this fitting in with your current workload?
For the second half, we flipped the script and had them interview our team. Each interviewee was assigned ahead of time to host a 20-ish minute “Get Together”-style interview with Kevin or Bailey.
While we made it known that no podcasting experience was necessary for the program, there are a few things that we believe we can’t teach. We looked out for those traits.
Preparedness: People who get interviewed often tend to get asked the same thing again and again if the interviewer doesn’t do their research. We were looking for someone who pointed to detail and asked specific, original questions. It was a bonus that some interviewees used P&C language.
Comfort: We noticed some interviewees practiced a level of hospitality, checking in with the guest throughout the interview to get a pulse on how they are doing, which stood out.
Conversational: Strong interviewees recapped points made by the guests and built on them with personal anecdotes, outside ideas, and/or the occasional analogy when appropriate.
In the first half of the conversation we learned who these people were in real-time. The second half gave us a glimpse into how they might present themself as a host--where their strengths lie and what skills the program might be able to help them supercharge. We walked away a clearer picture of who these people were and teased out more elements that feel into our rubric. This kept us on track with our initial description of the program.
How we onboarded correspondents
So the party begins! We decided to let two correspondents in. We kicked things off with a celebration, a tour of where we will be hanging out, set expectations and made introductions.
Communicating gratitude for applicants and celebrating selected correspondents
“Thank you for your interest in the program, Katie,” translates to, “sorry, not you.” Those emails are never fun and not always very human.
We took inventory of our notes and shared what we noticed in each application and personalized our outreach to folks not selected for the program.
To celebrate those who were selected, Bailey sent an email with the subject: “Today I am excited to introduce our new correspondent…” She started the email just as she starts the podcast:
Welcome to The Get Together!
Our show about ordinary people building extraordinary communities.
I'm your host Bailey Richardson and today I am stoked to introduce our new correspondent: Whitney Ogutu. 😊
The goal of the first email was to do accomplish two things:
Make the correspondents feel welcomed and celebrated.
Set a start date. We proposed a date in August and asked for the correspondent’s confirmation. From there, we followed up with more logistical details instead of inundating the correspondent with the first message.
We tackled the good and bad news with a “people first” mindset. Kevin said it best: "Our personal wellbeing and the wellbeing of those we care about fuels this company." We wanted to put our best foot forward in making everyone feel seen, heard, and understood in the process.
Getting started and setting expectations
As the program lead, this is where I took over communication. I followed up on our first email with:
A gift. A copy of the Get Together book.
Logistics. We had to collect additional information from correspondents so we could get them a mic, complete paperwork, and payments. To make sure our team was on track, we created an Asana board with tasks.
Scheduling. Often the first day on the job a co-worker or boss might take the new employee or collaborator to lunch or coffee. The goal of this meeting is often more to get to know the person than to get started on work. So, we set up a virtual coffee to get to know each other a little better, talk through some goals, and create a schedule for the next three months. We did a little show in tell in the first meeting with an interview we had seen or heard and been inspired by.
This stage was purely tactical but one thing I have learned is that people love clarity in process. Clarity breeds confidence.
Establishing home base
There are a number of tools our team uses to work together. We simplified and centralized where we communicated with correspondents.
Slack for communication and questions.
Google Suite for files.
Notion for training and process documentation.
Notion was our main hub that linked out to all additional tools and resources we use to create the podcast.
When working both asychnolysoly and synchronously with many parties, this home base provided grounding. It was a place that people could always come back to if they had questions or felt lost.
Introducing correspondents to the team
We hosted a get together with all the folks that collaborate on the podcast so they could meet the correspondents (and each other!). We kicked it off with an “popcorn style” introduction. Each person shared the basics: their name, where they were based, and what they work on for the podcast. In the spirit of interview podcasting, each person shared their favorite question to ask people. We added these questions to a virtual BINGO card.
Everyone went into 1:1 breakout rooms where they were tasked with filling out a virtual bingo card with each other's stories. To claim BINGO they must share the name and story for each box in their row.
It was silly. It was fun. It broke up the normal Zoom room monatoney a bit. We could have done something like Icebreaker (which is rad) but this format aloud us to co-create the experience together.
How we organized the program (and iterated along the way)
I tend to over orchestrate things. I gather nuts and bolts before I even have holes to put them in. For the inaugural program, there were questions we could not answer until the moment arrived.
What helped was creating a home base of shared knowledge, a rough timeline that our team and the correspondents could continue to show up to, and celebrate progress. Marjorie asked thoughtful questions and Whitney offered a lived perspective much different than mine that shaped the program in ways I, or the team, couldn’t have orchestrated alone.
Building the Get Together knowledge base
We outlined the knowledge base ahead of time but we didn't fill it in until the program began. The six trainings covered topics ranging from editorial selection to interview prep.
Bailey, Maggie, Mia, and I each had areas of producing the podcast that we had gone deep on. We documented what we knew in a simple template format:
Overview - what to know on that topic.
Actions - what correspondents can do to practice.
Bonus - additional resources.
Each person then led a live, recorded Zoom training where they reviewed their document and the process in real-time with the correspondents.
The trainings were an opportunity for our team members to codify and crystalize our superpowers behind the scenes on the podcast. We walked away with a clearer understanding of how we make choices and operate around the podcast. It became a playbook that we find ourselves using beyond the program.
Setting a timeline and finding a drum beat.
Our drum beat was the grounding touchpoints that we consistently offered as space to show up to:
Monthly editorial meetings. This brought all our correspondents together to check-in and share episode statuses.
Training. Each training document followed the same format. At the end of each training, there was an assignment to put the ideas into action.
If we did it again, I would religiously hold my drum beat. Even if I had nothing to share, I would make a point to send a message weekly on a specific day to check in with correspondents, to build on the relationship, and remind them I was there to support. Working in the digital world we miss the “lunchroom chat” and I could have made a stronger effort to foster some of those moments.
Celebrating the program and correspondents.
It was one thing to introduce Marjorie and Whitney to our internal team and another to introduce them to the “Get Together” audience. Each woman was a community leader in her own right, deserving of spotlight and celebration with our audience.
We shared:
Substack announcement to our email newsletter early in the program announcing their acceptance to the program publicly.
Mini-episode’s with Marjorie and Whitney where Bailey interviewed them so they audience could get to know them.
As the team and correspondents reached milestones in the program, like completing training and launching their first podcast, we sent Slack messages. We thanked training hosts publicly and complemented progress personally, one-on-one.
When the program came to an end, we celebrated with a spin-off of Priya Parker’s 15 Toasts. Everyone joined Zoom with their beverage of choice and made a toast to what makes a good “Get Together.” The last person to go sang their toast. Kevin Huynh can sing people!
We then finished with a slideshow. Like a proud mom, I pulled out audio clips from the correspondent’s application and put them next to their produced episodes to remind them how far they had come.
Publicly and privately, these moments called us to reflect and regrounded us in why we were all here--to expand the stories we tell. And, have fun!
The lesson I leave with: programs open the door to community.
We’ve talked to many communities that gather at meetups or in online forums. The invitations to these types of communities are open-ended. You can show up a few times and then fall off the radar.
To me, programs formalize the invitation to join, do something together, and stick around.
In carving out three months to host the corresponding program, we set out with a formal invitation for people curious about podcasting and community. We hoped that the constraints of the program would result in transformation, that correspondents would walk away with a new skill.
I have a hunch that when the door is always open, as it is with loosely structured groups, some people struggle with how to show up. There is a discomfort to committing indefinitely. There’s ambiguity around what will happen if you keep showing up.
Formal programs like a challenge, fellowship or accelerator offer guardrails to kickstart a partnership and collaboration with people who care about what you care about. At the end, it’s your role to listen and invite them to continue to opt-in.
We’ve entered into a new relationship with Marjorie and Whitney. Both have raised their hand to continue on as collaborators, pitching stories for the podcast on themes exciting to them.
If you find yourself wondering how you might expand the impact of something you’re already creating, make one small step today: invite a few new people into the process.
If you're building a program that you are excited about or found this at all helpful, I'd love to meet you. Send me a note at katie@people-and.com.
…
Special thanks to Kevin and Bailey for their edits and for their coaching every step of the way in the process.
This is a behind the scenes look at People & Company.
We published a book, host a podcast, and we work with organizations like Nike, Porsche, Substack and Surfrider as strategy partners, bringing confidence to how they’re building communities.