I’m honored to work with so many amazing clients as part of my podcast services. And most of all, I’m so honored to meet incredible podcasters along the way. A couple of months ago, I introduced an ongoing series spotlighting a few of those podcasters, including some new ones I’ve met along the way. One of those I’m so excited to introduce you to is Adam Mendler, host of the podcast, Thirty Minute Mentors. He interviews some of the biggest names who have made it to the top, from Liberty Mutual CEO Tim Sweeney to Olympic Gold Medalist Lenny Krayzelburg.
Nicole: Thanks for taking thet time to chat! How did you come by your podcast name, “Thirty Minute Mentors”?
Adam: Despite my experience working on coming up with names for businesses I have started over the years, coming up with a name for a new business – or a podcast – can be challenging. I had the idea for Thirty Minute Mentors for a while, but I couldn’t come up with the right name. One night, over dinner with a friend, as we were talking about the podcast concept I was working on and potential names, the name emerged. Interestingly enough, the reason we were at dinner was because my friend asked me if I had time to meet with him to provide him with career advice. I gave him a lot of advice, but that dinner was a lot more valuable to me than it was to him.
Nicole: What an incredible moment! Why did you decide to start your podcast?
Adam: I was already interviewing top leaders, but the interviews were published in written form. I knew the content would be much better as a podcast and I wanted to create a platform where a wide variety of people could access mentorship from the most successful people.
Nicole: I love how that evolved. What have you learned about yourself (and/or others) through your podcast?
Adam: I learned that I am a “creator.” Growing up, I never thought of myself as creative. Now I create content. As I have gotten older, I have come to realize that we are all creative, but we don’t all unleash our creativity.
Nicole: I completely agree with that sentiment. How has your podcast evolved since you first started?
Adam: The format has stayed the same, but as I have evolved as an interviewer, the content has evolved. When I started, I thought I knew what I was doing, but it took me some time to really find my voice. Podcasting is no different than anything else – the more you do it, the better you get at it.
Nicole: I think that makes a lot of sense. What’s been the biggest surprise or challenge you’ve experienced while podcasting?
Adam: The biggest surprise has been how down to earth the most successful people are. In keynotes, I share the key characteristics of the most successful leaders and one of them is humility.
Nicole: What an essential, valuable trait. What major accomplishment or milestone have you been most proud of through your podcast?
Adam: I had the idea for Thirty Minute Mentors for a while, but didn’t move forward with it because there were millions of podcasts out there and I thought the marketplace was too crowded. But I nonetheless had a vision and followed through on it and am glad I did.
Nicole: Getting started is everything!
Remember everyone, listen to his podcast where you stream your favorite shows:
