Dan Diedriech: From Podcaster to Children's Author and Monarch Champion

00:00:00 Rich Bennett 

I'm sitting here with a gentleman. Last time he was on was a while ago. It was before COVID. He actually had his own podcast too at the time. 

00:00:08 Dan Diedriech 

I did. I did. 

00:00:10 Rich Bennett 

I have Dan Dietrich here and Dan is now an author. 

00:00:15 Rich Bennett 

Of a wonderful book, also a coloring. 

00:00:17 Rich Bennett 

Book I see. 

00:00:19 Dan Diedriech 

Got a couple, yeah. 

00:00:20 Rich Bennett 

Hello. 

00:00:20 Rich Bennett 

OK, but this so the book's called Katie the cat or fly and. 

00:00:29 Rich Bennett 

I want to say this isn't just a children's book, this is something that adults can learn from as well. 

00:00:35 Rich Bennett 

And. 

00:00:37 Rich Bennett 

The the well, you know what? I'll let Dan talk about the proceeds, because this is something that. 

00:00:45 Rich Bennett 

I always read the forwards and everything and the dedications. 

00:00:49 Rich Bennett 

And when I read the first page and. 

00:00:52 Rich Bennett 

Where all the proceeds go make. Oh damn I. 

00:00:55 Dan Diedriech 

Yeah. 

00:00:58 Rich Bennett 

Definitely want to do this because my wife and I've been talking about taking down part of our fence and putting up a living fence. 

00:01:06 Rich Bennett 

What better way to do it than with milkweed and other things? So yeah, it's like I had Harford Land Trust on here, and they were talking about that, that what do you call it, the wildlife garden or not wildlife? 

00:01:08 Dan Diedriech 

You bet. You you bet you. Yeah. You hit the nail on the head. 

00:01:19 Dan Diedriech 

Gardens. 

00:01:22 Dan Diedriech 

Wildflower gardens, right? Yeah, there you go. 

00:01:22 Rich Bennett 

Yeah. 

00:01:24 Rich Bennett 

Pollinator gardens. I knew there were some. I knew there. 

00:01:26 Dan Diedriech 

You did it, my man. You did it. 

00:01:26 Rich Bennett 

Was a day out there. 

00:01:29 Rich Bennett 

It's like that's what I want to do. Why not and rain gardens? That would make a a beautiful border for any property. 

00:01:31 Dan Diedriech 

Right, right. 

00:01:35 Dan Diedriech 

Yeah. 

00:01:39 Rich Bennett 

And be a lot cheaper. 

00:01:41 Dan Diedriech 

And last longer than a wooden fence. Yeah, there are a lot of ways we can do this. I've I've been, you know, I'm with the monarch, save the Butterfly foundation, save the Butterfly Foundation. And and it's wonderful working with those guys because they they'll send you out a packet of seeds free for for, you know, to plant to get the milkweed plant. 

00:01:43 Rich Bennett 

That's I think. 

00:02:00 Dan Diedriech 

Going a lot of people don't realize that, rich, but the sad fact is that mine our butterfly population has gone down 90% over the last 20 years and you know it's due to a lot of things. But the point of it is it to bring them back and we can't lose them. They're just too beautiful. We we just got to get the word out there because I don't think people really understand. 

00:02:16 Rich Bennett 

Yeah. Oh, they are. 

00:02:22 Dan Diedriech 

How severe the situation is? Yeah. And so a portion of my book is going to the save the Monarch Foundation and another portion of the book is going to the daycare center that my parents found at Cornerstone daycare in South Saint Louis. Oh, yeah. So they get a portion of this as well. 

00:02:39 Dan Diedriech 

Oh. 

00:02:40 Rich Bennett 

Wow. Yeah, that is great. So with. 

00:02:45 Rich Bennett 

Before we get into the book, cause I I want to talk a little bit about. 

00:02:49 Rich Bennett 

The milkweed and all, because I didn't realize there were several different types of milkweed. There are. Some will grow. 

00:02:54 Rich Bennett 

Up to six. 

00:02:55 Dan Diedriech 

Feet tall, they can get big, they can. And the wonderful thing you just go on save the monarchs foundation their website and they will tell you exactly the type that you need, where to plan them, how to plan them. The whole 9 yards. 

00:03:01 

MHM. 

00:03:05 

Ah. 

00:03:07 Dan Diedriech 

So they are the extra. Also Ladue Gardens here has a butterfly, a butterfly section devoted to butterflies. I have not been there yet, but I'm going to go and they can certainly help you out here if you happen to be in the Bel Air MD area, I think eat a meal does as well could be because I remember going up there and there was like a little butterfly. 

00:03:17 Rich Bennett 

Right. 

00:03:28 Rich Bennett 

Area. Yeah. Well, but you're right, dude. I I mean, cause the monarchs are. 

00:03:29 Dan Diedriech 

Yeah. 

00:03:34 Rich Bennett 

Oh God, they're beautiful. And I think a lot of people don't realize they're endangered because when you think butterfly, you just think of the monarch because of the colors. 

00:03:34 Dan Diedriech 

Gorgeous they are. 

00:03:42 Dan Diedriech 

Right. 

00:03:43 Dan Diedriech 

Right. 

00:03:44 Rich Bennett 

You know. 

00:03:46 Rich Bennett 

What was it? We saw something. The other day. My wife and I. 

00:03:51 Rich Bennett 

Zebra some some type of butterfly, zebra, butterfly or whatever. I've never seen it. 

00:03:52 Dan Diedriech 

Could be, you know, yeah. 

00:03:55 Dan Diedriech 

Could be. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We got a we're in Maryland. We're very fortunate to have a a wide array of butterflies, but if you plant a butterfly garden and with milkweed and other related types of plants, they will come. You will see them. 

00:04:01 Rich Bennett 

Mm-hmm. 

00:04:10 Dan Diedriech 

But just not in the droves that you used to see them in the past. And that's what we've got to get back is just to light up these areas with orange and yellow and and and get the. As I said, the white dots against the black of night going again and it's they're they're just Beautiful Creatures. 

00:04:12 Rich Bennett 

Right. 

00:04:26 Rich Bennett 

So with Katie the catter fly. 

00:04:29 Rich Bennett 

What made you decide to this is your only book so far, right? 

00:04:31 Dan Diedriech 

That's it. So. 

00:04:32 Dan Diedriech 

You are. 

00:04:33 Rich Bennett 

I like the way I. 

00:04:34 Rich Bennett 

Said so far. 

00:04:35 Dan Diedriech 

Ohh yeah, more coming. 

00:04:36 Rich Bennett 

Definitely good. But what was it that made you decide? 

00:04:39 Dan Diedriech 

To write this well I have to give credit to my first wife Carol. Kim was the one who came up with the idea. In fact, she receives acknowledgement for that in the book. She was doing a project Rich where she had to to come up with this creature. That kind of represented where she was in time. 

00:04:55 Dan Diedriech 

And Carol, like all of us, you know, we have our up moments, our down moments, but there's all of us that feel like we don't fit in sometimes. And she was going through that kind of a stage. So Katie, the cat or fly is this little monarch butterfly Caterpillar that does everything a little monarch butterfly Caterpillar supposed to do. 

00:04:58 Rich Bennett 

Yeah. 

00:05:05 Rich Bennett 

Right. 

00:05:15 Dan Diedriech 

So when it crawls or it creates its crystallis its cocoon, it has a full expectation of coming out as this beautiful monarch. 

00:05:22 

Hmm. 

00:05:22 Dan Diedriech 

Her flight doesn't happen that way. When she comes out, she's only half formed her upper half. Is that of a monarch butterfly with stubby wings. But the back part is that of a Caterpillar. So she is smack dab in the area of don't fit in. She's not a butterfly, but she's not a Caterpillar. So. 

00:05:22 Rich Bennett 

Hmm. 

00:05:34 Rich Bennett 

Right. 

00:05:42 Dan Diedriech 

You know that's where she's at. And so the whole story Rich revolves. 

00:05:46 Dan Diedriech 

Around the emotional moods that we go through and one of the things that I. 

00:05:50 Dan Diedriech 

Love about Katie? 

00:05:52 Dan Diedriech 

And it it hits on what you said before about this being a a children's book that also apply for adults. We don't give children enough credit for having the emotional range that I think they're capable of and and Katie. 

00:05:58 

MHM. 

00:06:05 Rich Bennett 

Yeah. 

00:06:06 Dan Diedriech 

You see this creature who goes from this happy, uplifted little Caterpillar to this confused, angry, sad, depressed little thing that is finally uplifted again when she understands that she can live a wonderful life and the best way to do so is by helping others succeed. 

00:06:26 Dan Diedriech 

And so that's that's really the story behind Katie, the caterer fly in and her whole journey then is how she got from one point to another. 

00:06:34 Rich Bennett 

Yeah, see, because and when I read it now just knowing you and what your previous podcast was about. 

00:06:43 Rich Bennett 

I'm reading it's like, Oh my God, he took some things from when he was podcasting because I'm you the mental health part is coming out. And Katie, you know where she she's like a learner. She feels left out, you know. And then here comes the blue bird and you know. 

00:06:49 Dan Diedriech 

Right. 

00:07:02 Rich Bennett 

Picks her up, takes her for the ride and and helps her and learn, you know, teaches her to. Was it sore? Yes. Which in turn then she wants to turn around and help others. Which it's just. Oh, God. 

00:07:08 Dan Diedriech 

To soar. Exactly. 

00:07:13 Dan Diedriech 

The other creature. 

00:07:18 Rich Bennett 

I when I was reading this it and that's why I said this is for adults too, because so many adults can learn from. 

00:07:23 

It is. 

00:07:25 Rich Bennett 

It. 

00:07:26 Rich Bennett 

And. 

00:07:28 Rich Bennett 

I know, especially for the lot of daycares, and we just went through this. Actually our club. We had a young lady, another children's author. She came in to talk to us because she wanted to. 

00:07:41 Rich Bennett 

She was looking to get books sponsored. 

00:07:44 Rich Bennett 

And. 

00:07:46 Rich Bennett 

Her children's books, in other words. 

00:07:49 Rich Bennett 

The reading the reading level is very bad. I mean, you look at high and it's terrible, you know, we had our meeting. We're like after she told us. 

00:07:59 Rich Bennett 

We're talking about we need to sponsor her, but. 

00:08:04 Rich Bennett 

And somebody mentioned, well, no, we need to hit the high schoolers. No, we don't. We need to hit them while they're in pre. 

00:08:10 Rich Bennett 

You got kindergarten. That's when they they should be learning how to read. And that's one of the things, you know we did. So we were like, yeah, let's get a bunch of these folks. And that's what I've been doing now. I've been because my. 

00:08:11 Dan Diedriech 

It in the garden. You got it. 

00:08:22 Rich Bennett 

Daughter's a. 

00:08:23 Rich Bennett 

Substitute at the one daycare so. 

00:08:26 Rich Bennett 

We've been taking children's books to them because. 

00:08:30 Rich Bennett 

You got to start. You got to. 

00:08:32 Rich Bennett 

Start reading to. 

00:08:33 Rich Bennett 

Them young and you know, I mean, they say, even when the babies in the womb, if you read to the baby, you know. 

00:08:33 Dan Diedriech 

Right. 

00:08:39 Dan Diedriech 

Read to your baby life. 

00:08:41 Rich Bennett 

They pick it up. 

00:08:42 Rich Bennett 

And a lot of people don't believe that, but it is true now. Have you actually done any real? 

00:08:49 Rich Bennett 

And then you have. OK, good. 

00:08:50 Dan Diedriech 

Yes, actually I have. I went and this is corn. 

00:08:53 Dan Diedriech 

Stone it was the very place that that the very daycare center that my parents founded 55 years ago. 

00:09:00 Rich Bennett 

And would you say OK? 

00:09:01 Dan Diedriech 

Saint Louis, St. Louis, MO. And I did a reading there and it went very, very well. The kids were enthusiastic. They did blow UPS of the characters. So you see Ringo, the road Runner, Rd. runner and Jet, the Blue Jay and all the spiders and all the things. And they're doing their thing and they're and they're, they're animated. And all of that. And the kids just they're sitting there on the edge of their seats. 

00:09:04 Rich Bennett 

Good. 

00:09:12 Rich Bennett 

Uh-huh. 

00:09:22 Dan Diedriech 

Just loving it. 

00:09:23 Dan Diedriech 

And so one of the things of course, we're going to be doing is an audio book, but the difference in this one is not just the author reading. I will actually bring in voice actors to do the various voices, right. 

00:09:27 Rich Bennett 

Really. 

00:09:36 Dan Diedriech 

And that's going to be. 

00:09:37 

Ohh. 

00:09:37 Rich Bennett 

Fun you know what? I think you could do something that I haven't seen done yet. 

00:09:43 Dan Diedriech 

And that is. 

00:09:45 Rich Bennett 

Well, technically I guess it would be a movie. I was going to see a video book. You have books in audio form, but if you could get your illustrator to somehow do these characters as a cartoon and put it together to the book. 

00:09:59 Rich Bennett 

Oh my God. 

00:10:02 Rich Bennett 

I'm sorry to give you more work. Damn, but I can see this becoming a children's series. Oh, absolutely. 

00:10:08 Dan Diedriech 

Absolutely, yeah. And in fact, when I'm in Saint Louis, I'm going down to the gala celebration for the cornerstone daycare. And while we're there, rich, I will be shooting the video for my second. 

00:10:20 Dan Diedriech 

Look. 

00:10:21 Dan Diedriech 

Entitled. Are you ready, Katie? The Catter fly and the cornerstone caper. 

00:10:27 Dan Diedriech 

And in this Katie is missing. 

00:10:30 Dan Diedriech 

Uh, uh oh. And so we go to this beautiful, beautiful park called Tower Grove Park. Just it's just one of the most beautiful parks in the country. It's huge. And the kids, the real kids from the daycare center, will go there and look for Katie. And then in illustrated form, Ringo the run. 

00:10:40 Rich Bennett 

Right. 

00:10:50 Dan Diedriech 

The road runner, Barkley, the Beaver jet, the blue Jay, and those will come in as illustrated characters. 

00:10:57 Dan Diedriech 

And give them a. 

00:10:58 Dan Diedriech 

Clue and there will be two doors that have one with the wrong answer, one with the right answer. If you answer right, you go to the next one. If you answer wrong, you're gently guided to the right answer and so it's interactive. The kids get to actually participate by saying OK, here's the clue which of these two doors meet. 

00:10:59 Rich Bennett 

I love this. 

00:11:10 Rich Bennett 

Right. 

00:11:18 Dan Diedriech 

That and then they go through it, they participate and they go through and then, you know, I don't know if we're going to find Katie or not, but maybe we will rich. 

00:11:26 Rich Bennett 

I hope we do. How many of these books do you? 

00:11:29 Rich Bennett 

Have planned to answer wow all about Katie. Oh. 

00:11:29 Dan Diedriech 

Five. Yeah, I got five. No one of them is actually featuring a. 

00:11:38 Dan Diedriech 

A butterfly from Mexico, a monarch butterfly who's good friends with Katie. 

00:11:43 Rich Bennett 

OK. 

00:11:43 Dan Diedriech 

And we are going to follow that butterfly on his or her migration route. 

00:11:50 Rich Bennett 

Oh. 

00:11:51 Dan Diedriech 

And look at all of the challenges they face. And as they as they go from anywhere from the Rockies, all the way down into Mexico and then the trip back up, yeah. 

00:12:02 Rich Bennett 

Wow. 

00:12:04 Dan Diedriech 

So that that'll be a lot of fun. And then another one in my book is we're going to have a villain in it, and the villain is going to steal all of the wonderful things that Katie has given to the other critters. 

00:12:16 Dan Diedriech 

So in the end, of course, we discover who it is. And instead of admonishing the person, this is also a critter who has a problem. 

00:12:19 Rich Bennett 

Right. 

00:12:25 Dan Diedriech 

And he or she is envious. And so she takes all of theirs because she's got a problem too. But Katie explains. Hey, you know, we can take care of this. And of course, then we've got a new critter to add to the game. 

00:12:36 Rich Bennett 

Mm-hmm. 

00:12:39 Rich Bennett 

Oh, I'm loving this. Yeah. Like I said, this is definitely a TV series without it down for Nickelodeon picked this up. How did you actually come up with the characters? And let's start with. 

00:12:41 Dan Diedriech 

Yeah, it's good stuff. 

00:12:45 Dan Diedriech 

I like. 

00:12:52 Dan Diedriech 

Katie first. Well, Katie was my wife's idea and and so all of the other characters just came out of my my imagination. 

00:12:54 

OK. 

00:12:59 Dan Diedriech 

I thought, what character? 

00:13:01 Dan Diedriech 

Is known for something and I thought, well, a road runner is known for running. 

00:13:03 Rich Bennett 

Mm-hmm. 

00:13:04 Rich Bennett 

Me. 

00:13:07 Dan Diedriech 

Thank you, rich. 

00:13:11 Dan Diedriech 

Disclaimer. But but roadrunners know for know for what? If we got a road runner who can't run? OK, what if we've got a Firefly? A lightning bug that can't light? What if we got a spider that can't spin a web? So then we we. 

00:13:21 Rich Bennett 

I love it, yes. 

00:13:28 Dan Diedriech 

While the emotional part of the book is, I think, unique, the other part of the book are the characters and how we come. 

00:13:35 Dan Diedriech 

To. 

00:13:35 Dan Diedriech 

Life simple thing. We could have been given a flick of the Firefly. A little bulb. Now we charged her into an electric car portal. OK. And she's looming out like crazy. 

00:13:36 Rich Bennett 

Uh-huh. 

00:13:48 Dan Diedriech 

Instead of getting silky the spider, just you know how she can spin webs, we get her lassoo so she can lasso her stuff. 

00:13:55 Rich Bennett 

Uh-huh. 

00:13:57 Dan Diedriech 

And Ringo, the road runner. He's got the Ringo Mobile, which is the neatest thing on Earth and that's how he catches his. 

00:14:03 Rich Bennett 

Lizards. Ohh wait, where did the name Ringo come? 

00:14:05 Dan Diedriech 

From Ringo is a western term. 

00:14:08 Rich Bennett 

Ohh. OK, yeah, OK, OK. He also plays the drums. That's how was singing at first. I think it's OK. 

00:14:15 Dan Diedriech 

This totally OK, here comes Dan's Beatles fans. No, but but it's it's it's based on a Ringo who's a a Western character and goes a western character, and that's the other thing. Asim Hussein is our illustrator beyond fantastic beyond fantastic. 

00:14:26 Rich Bennett 

Yes. 

00:14:32 Rich Bennett 

Awesome. 

00:14:34 Dan Diedriech 

And he is very careful to make sure that the backgrounds that he has matches the characters emotional state. So when you see Katie down and depressed, she's got her milkweed stick over her and she's crawling away. It's gloomy, it's raining. And then you go out to the West. There's Ringo in the desert. 

00:14:38 Rich Bennett 

Hmm. 

00:14:49 

Yeah. 

00:14:54 Dan Diedriech 

You know. 

00:14:54 Dan Diedriech 

And Bucky the Beavers in a wooded area and you can feel all of them in their natural status playing on the emotions that they're giving to the readers. 

00:15:05 Rich Bennett 

How did you find your illustrator? 

00:15:07 Dan Diedriech 

I tell you what, I went on the Facebook site for children's illustrators, looked at a number I know. 

00:15:13 Rich Bennett 

Wow. 

00:15:14 Dan Diedriech 

I know and just got lucky. I saw this guy really liked what he did. We connected. He sent me some samples. I said let's give it a try. Then the next thing we're know, we're connected with the SIM. He is naturally talented. But after, after working with me for three or four months, he said. 

00:15:28 Rich Bennett 

He's he's awesome. 

00:15:32 Dan Diedriech 

Dan, you are the most frustrating and and diligent and and targeted author I've ever had, he said. Other people, when they want to oh, that's a nice drawing that'll do. But you said wait a minute, what color should the tuft of Katie's neck be? How big should her wings be? 

00:15:51 

Right. 

00:15:54 Dan Diedriech 

And a SIM. This looks a little bit too much like the same character on the last page. Let's change it up. And so he said. You pushed me to do better work than I've ever done before. 

00:16:04 Rich Bennett 

Wow. 

00:16:06 Dan Diedriech 

And so I. 

00:16:07 Dan Diedriech 

Hired him. He he works for me full time. 

00:16:09 Rich Bennett 

Now he's a hell of an artist. Those of you. Listen, if you you have to get this bookie to counter fly. And the the illustrate the story itself is phenomenal. But the illustrations, Oh my God. And I love the marketing you're doing. 

00:16:12 Dan Diedriech 

He is great. 

00:16:24 Dan Diedriech 

Yeah. 

00:16:27 Rich Bennett 

Facebook. You know, you standing next to the big bulge and you even have Katie to cater fly standing at your feet like this? Yeah. You you aspiring authors out there if you're not following Dan on Facebook or what else? 

00:16:33 Dan Diedriech 

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. 

00:16:43 Rich Bennett 

What other platforms? 

00:16:45 Dan Diedriech 

Right now we're on. We're on YouTube. 

00:16:47 Rich Bennett 

Instagram and Facebook OK, You need to follow him because when he comes to marketing. 

00:16:53 Rich Bennett 

This. Oh, God, it's it's just. It's amazing. Yeah. 

00:16:58 Rich Bennett 

The the stuff you're putting out there. 

00:17:00 Dan Diedriech 

Well, thank you. And of course we we want to increase our reach as well and as Sims working on that. But you know All in all rich, I couldn't be happier with how Katie's turned. 

00:17:03 Rich Bennett 

Yeah. 

00:17:10 Dan Diedriech 

Out and we're very pleased the feedback we've gotten have been extremely positive, especially among educators. The book has made its way into the hands of educators here in Maryland and also in other parts of the country, and they just rave about it because of of the fact that it teaches. Let's look at this. 

00:17:17 Rich Bennett 

Yeah. 

00:17:24 

Oh. 

00:17:30 Dan Diedriech 

You mentioned the adult factor. Let's look at this from a societal factor too, OK? 

00:17:33 Rich Bennett 

Mm-hmm. 

00:17:35 Dan Diedriech 

I mean, right now we're at a nation that that really needs to to bump up its kindness, its respect, its humanity, its civility, its tolerance, and and we can't back away from that. We've got to be upfront and in the middle of it. And Katie does a really good job of non politically. 

00:17:42 Rich Bennett 

Yes. 

00:17:49 

Hmm. 

00:17:56 Dan Diedriech 

You know, showing that you can be different and you can be successful. 

00:18:01 Dan Diedriech 

And again, the key is don't feel sorry for yourself. Get out there and help somebody else. And from a selfish point of view, you'll feel better about it. And that's the key message we're trying to get across. 

00:18:12 Rich Bennett 

Yeah. 

00:18:16 Rich Bennett 

Now, when did you bring out the? 

00:18:18 Dan Diedriech 

Coloring book coloring books will be featured on our new website, new website, new website for our new business. Huh. 

00:18:18 

The. 

00:18:27 Rich Bennett 

OK, you you're you. 

00:18:30 Rich Bennett 

Here comes Dan with more surprise. And when I say surprises because first of all, he surprised me when he came out with the book because I think the last time I talked to you, I said, Dan, you got to bring the podcast back. I didn't know you were hiding this hide. 

00:18:41 Dan Diedriech 

And it's. 

00:18:43 Rich Bennett 

In the bulk. 

00:18:44 Dan Diedriech 

Yeah, yeah, we got the books taken care of. And the book will be featured and and on the the Katie the Cater Fly website. Right now we will be featuring this book, but it's primarily for our new venture and that is a venture under our new business called day and Creative Studios. 

00:18:56 Rich Bennett 

OK. 

00:19:02 Dan Diedriech 

And one of the things that I found rich in fact you and forgive me, I forgot her name. But you did a brilliant interview with a publisher, Michelle. Michelle Filippo. 

00:19:12 Dan Diedriech 

De Filippo's really good interview and I looked at her sight and and if you're looking for general publications, you know, to to help have a self published partner, I would recommend her just based upon what I've seen, she looks great, but I've also been with other. 

00:19:13 Rich Bennett 

Yes. 

00:19:15 

Well, thank you. 

00:19:27 Rich Bennett 

Right. 

00:19:31 Dan Diedriech 

Self-publishing partners, where things haven't worked out so well and we went through a self-publishing company to get us Katie and there were some goods, there were some not so goods. I'll be diplomatic and say it was a mixed experience but when I look at what we can do I saw OK what have we got? I've got an illustrator. 

00:19:42 Rich Bennett 

MMM. 

00:19:51 Dan Diedriech 

I have the best editor in the world and you know her quite well. OK. She she is something. 

00:19:58 Dan Diedriech 

We've got myself as a person who's been in communications and video and audio production for all of his life, and then based upon our contacts, we have our printing company set up separate from Amazon, OK. And we also have marketing people who we're working with as well, so. 

00:20:05 

MHM. 

00:20:19 Dan Diedriech 

Our our niche is strictly children's book authors who wants a partner to take it from the time of the manuscript until the printed product is done, and then that printed product will go on Amazon. OK, but if they. 

00:20:36 Dan Diedriech 

Front they can purchase through our printing company 102 hundred copies of their books at about half the price that Amazon would charge if they want to sell these books on their own website. Which, by the way, we design. 

00:20:49 Rich Bennett 

Right. 

00:20:50 Dan Diedriech 

So, Katie, these coloring books that you're looking at here will simply be on there as kind of giveaways or something to people who who are interested in our product. 

00:21:00 Rich Bennett 

All right. So Dan, you got the coloring books, you're going to be doing a movie or TV series. 

00:21:07 Rich Bennett 

When are these stuffed animals coming out? I could see these as stuffed animals. 

00:21:09 Dan Diedriech 

You know. 

00:21:11 Dan Diedriech 

Almost immediately. No, no, no. We're serious. Who else but a SIM? Yeah, he's he's got it. He's been in touch with people, and he knows people. Who knows, people who knows people. We've seen samples. They are fantastic. But as of right this second, I can't tell you we're going to offer them, but I will tell you, we will be offering them. 

00:21:13 Rich Bennett 

Ohh come on now. Are you serious? 

00:21:18 

Laugh. 

00:21:31 

Right. 

00:21:34 Dan Diedriech 

On our website and you can get your your little Katie the cat or fly. 

00:21:39 Dan Diedriech 

Little little stuffed. 

00:21:40 Dan Diedriech 

Like. 

00:21:41 Dan Diedriech 

Just for you. 

00:21:43 Rich Bennett 

I take it you're going to have shirts and everything as well too, right? 

00:21:45 Dan Diedriech 

Sure, it's merchandise. We already got the company lined up. 

00:21:49 Rich Bennett 

Any other surprises for me? 

00:21:51 Dan Diedriech 

No, rich, I think that I think you know right now that pretty well covers it. But you know in the self-publishing business it it can, it can be frustrating and you go the regular, yeah, I'm going to sign up with one of the five big companies, good luck. And if you do, they're going to take control, they're going to take your. 

00:21:53 Rich Bennett 

Wow. 

00:22:11 Dan Diedriech 

Then you can be a true self publisher and you can be your own subcontractor. You can hire all of these, the editor, the illustrator, the proofreader, the the marketing people, the web designer, social media experts separately. But unless you know what you're really getting into, you're you're going to like to say the. 

00:22:31 Dan Diedriech 

Jane is only as good as its weakest. 

00:22:33 Dan Diedriech 

Link. 

00:22:34 Dan Diedriech 

So most people don't want to go that route, so we offer then an alternative. And what makes us unique, I think in, in, in terms rich of what it is that we're doing is that number one, we're new, we're brand spanking new. So we haven't made the mistakes other people have. 

00:22:50 Rich Bennett 

Right. 

00:22:54 Dan Diedriech 

And we really target on the individual, whether it's one person or 50, you're going to be the only person. 

00:23:01 Dan Diedriech 

That matters to us, and I'm going to be the hookup. I'm available 24/7. You want to call me 3:00 on Sunday morning to check up on your book? Call me, OK? 

00:23:03 Rich Bennett 

Right. 

00:23:12 Rich Bennett 

Well, as you see you you're going to have to be available 24/7, especially when you start getting children's authors coming to you from. 

00:23:19 Rich Bennett 

Around the world. 

00:23:19 Dan Diedriech 

Well, and so it's it's going to be a wonderful, wonderful situation and we've got a little bonus for the first five. I'm not sure what that's going to look like right now, but we're looking for a partnership with these first five where they are actually our our team member and they go through US and they critique us through part of the process. 

00:23:38 

We. 

00:23:39 Dan Diedriech 

And that way we get better and better and better. And at the end then when they publish their book, we'll go back three or six months and say, how do you feel about your experiences? Right. Yeah. So as of now, you don't have any other authors lined up yet. 

00:23:55 Dan Diedriech 

Have one person who's coming in for reprints and another individual who's looking for a full package deal, both local or. 

00:24:05 Dan Diedriech 

International. 

00:24:05 Rich Bennett 

International. Right. OK. 

00:24:10 Dan Diedriech 

But we would love to have our local authors. I mean, because, you know, children's authors. 

00:24:13 Rich Bennett 

Children. So, Lindsay, Kayla, if you're listening. 

00:24:20 Rich Bennett 

Debbie. 

00:24:22 Rich Bennett 

God, there are so many out there. 

00:24:25 Dan Diedriech 

And I was privileged to be a part of the Harford County Riders group. 

00:24:31 Rich Bennett 

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. With. Oh, my God. I forgot her name already. The president. 

00:24:36 Dan Diedriech 

Yeah. 

00:24:38 

Ohh. 

00:24:38 Dan Diedriech 

Yeah, but you know, there are some children's authors there, so. 

00:24:41 Rich Bennett 

Well, Debbie Jennings is or DA Jennings, yeah. 

00:24:43 Dan Diedriech 

Debbie Jennings. Yeah, right. And I know DA. In fact, DA, if you're listening, give me a call. I'm going to. I'm going to pick your brain on a couple of things. 

00:24:51 Rich Bennett 

Well, she's the one who's when I talked about sponsoring the books, it was. 

00:24:55 Dan Diedriech 

Yeah, it was her. 

00:24:56 Dan Diedriech 

Yeah, great. 

00:24:58 Rich Bennett 

Yeah, we, our club went ahead and sponsored a bunch of books for her to give to either daycares or whatever, you know, for the kids to read. And then she actually went and did some readings. 

00:25:11 Rich Bennett 

And some of the daycares as well. 

00:25:13 Dan Diedriech 

Well, I'll tell you what, buddy. I'll give you as many copies of Katie the cat or fly that you want free to take to as many schools as you want to give to many preschools as you want. 

00:25:26 

Yeah. 

00:25:27 Rich Bennett 

Oh, God, don't tell me. I only know of two. 

00:25:30 Dan Diedriech 

Well, pick some more, you know. 

00:25:33 Dan Diedriech 

You know. 

00:25:34 Rich Bennett 

And the only reason I know too is because my daughter teaches that ohh yeah, I know. 

00:25:37 Dan Diedriech 

Well, right, but what I'm saying is if if if your club sponsor of this, that's what I'm saying. 

00:25:43 Rich Bennett 

Oh I, but I'm not going to charge you anything. I'm thinking outside of daycare too. We we just had the episode that I just published an episode with. 

00:25:52 

With. 

00:25:56 Rich Bennett 

Heidi Gerard, who started chrysanthemums. 

00:25:59 Dan Diedriech 

Oh, I love the name. 

00:26:00 Rich Bennett 

Which is a. It's the first from what I know, the only recovery home in Harford County for women and their children 7 and under 7 and under. 

00:26:11 Dan Diedriech 

OK. 

00:26:13 Dan Diedriech 

How about? 

00:26:14 Rich Bennett 

That sounds like, I mean, they have a book like that there. 

00:26:20 Rich Bennett 

There. 

00:26:22 Rich Bennett 

Oh, man, Dan. All right, I got homework now because you know, now that I think of it. 

00:26:27 Rich Bennett 

I could think of a lot of places where your. 

00:26:30 Dan Diedriech 

Yeah. Book. 

00:26:32 Rich Bennett 

And I I don't want to say your book with for your book to go to because I only wanted to go somewhere where it's going to be appreciated. Does that make sense and and be used and. 

00:26:39 Dan Diedriech 

Right, sure. 

00:26:44 Rich Bennett 

So a lot cause a lot of your daycares. You want the teachers to read to them as they get older. You want the kid to pick it up and read it themselves, which is why I say you got to start it. You know, daycare pre-K on up without a doubt and got. So what's next for you? Well, one of the things I I think that we're trying to do. 

00:26:48 Dan Diedriech 

Right, right. 

00:26:55 Dan Diedriech 

Have to have to absolutely have to. 

00:26:59 Dan Diedriech 

Yeah. 

00:27:05 Dan Diedriech 

Again on on Dan Creative Services, that's a bit diff. 

00:27:09 Dan Diedriech 

Is I'm going to do something that hasn't been done before, and of course a lot of author or a lot of of the owners and the owners and founders of these self partnering groups for self-publishing. We'll have an opening video. OK, I'll have a video under each section so that when people want to know about. 

00:27:21 Rich Bennett 

MHM. 

00:27:29 Dan Diedriech 

Editing illustration, time management. They're going to have. They're going to have an opening video by me that shows each can I reach you something? Absolutely. This is my opening video line. 

00:27:42 Dan Diedriech 

Of for editing OK. 

00:27:44 Dan Diedriech 

OK. And it's got me in front of the camera and I've got flash cards in front of me and I it says there once was a couple who lived over there. They're the proud parents of their daughter Claire. And I've got 3 flash cards, each with a different spelling of the word there. Claire lives in a house with neighbors below the diabolical. 

00:28:06 Dan Diedriech 

Criminals Judy and Joe. So you see, Judy and Joe in their, you know, prison outfits or is it the diabolical criminals? Comma Judy and Joe, and then you see a criminal faction and then you see Judy and Joe as nice people. 

00:28:23 Dan Diedriech 

Or is it? And Clara attends the school where the Oxford commas the rage. But is it AP style we use on this page and oh, the morons of oxy. That will make you swoon, like working Congress and lead balloon. It's enough to make any author stammer. Welcome to the world of English grammar. 

00:28:44 Rich Bennett 

Ohh wow. 

00:28:47 Rich Bennett 

Yeah, that's a pet peeve of mine too, because and you and you don't see with just self published books. Even books that have gone through publishers. You're reading. It's like, wait, is that a misprint? That. 

00:28:53 Dan Diedriech 

Oh, it's terrible. 

00:29:00 Rich Bennett 

What parent which is to me either bad editing or no editing? 

00:29:05 Dan Diedriech 

Ohh yeah yeah, and it it. It'll kill you rich. It'll kill you. And I took out one of my editors who, you know, to lunch the other day and she got the menu. 

00:29:06 Rich Bennett 

You know. Oh. 

00:29:16 Dan Diedriech 

And she's going through the menu. And I said, I said, you see something she likes. She says that's not what I'm looking for. And then she takes out. 

00:29:22 Dan Diedriech 

Her red pen and she. 

00:29:24 Dan Diedriech 

Circling the menu. How? How could they? How could they misspell sweet? 

00:29:30 Dan Diedriech 

It's this is sweat. It's not sweet or comma that's not supposed to be there or this is not 3 dashes, it's a semi colon. And I'm sitting there and then the waiter comes along. She hands it to him, says next time you print this, you might consider these. 

00:29:35 

Hey. 

00:29:49 Dan Diedriech 

And I'm going to crawl under the table. But you know it's in their blood. It's in their. 

00:29:53 Rich Bennett 

What? Yeah. DNA. And they can't help it. But the The funny thing is with that, because I've seen I went to order from some restaurants online and if I see menus like that. 

00:30:07 Rich Bennett 

No, no, no. I mean, you don't even know how to spell this. You may not know how to cook. 

00:30:10 

Yeah. 

00:30:13 Rich Bennett 

It neither. That's right. 

00:30:15 Dan Diedriech 

I mean the attentions of the details. 

00:30:17 Dan Diedriech 

The attentions that need to tend to do that so. 

00:30:18 Rich Bennett 

Hamburger HAM BER it's like. 

00:30:22 Rich Bennett 

Huh. 

00:30:23 Rich Bennett 

That's that. Ohh God. See. And I, I love that you're doing. You know this business now too, because the you're seeing more and more authors coming along because of Amazon the self, but. 

00:30:23 Dan Diedriech 

Something. 

00:30:36 Dan Diedriech 

Right. 

00:30:39 Rich Bennett 

I think. 

00:30:41 Rich Bennett 

What you're also seeing and and this is what I'm experiencing, experiencing from a lot of authors speak with on the show. I like to call them author preneurs. 

00:30:52 Rich Bennett 

And I've only had a few that say, well, they're not really doing it to make money. 

00:31:00 Rich Bennett 

But yet they're books on Amazon, right that which I don't understand. If you're doing that, then why? But the other thing that. 

00:31:10 Rich Bennett 

Is they don't. 

00:31:14 Rich Bennett 

I like to call them, you know, entrepreneurs because they are. They're an entrepreneur and they're an author, but they don't know how to go about selling their books. You see it here, where you went, went to Saint Saint Louis and did a reading. You see here, a lot of local authors will stay right here. They won't go outside of the area to push their books. 

00:31:18 Dan Diedriech 

Right. 

00:31:21 Dan Diedriech 

Exactly. 

00:31:34 Rich Bennett 

And if your books online? 

00:31:37 Rich Bennett 

Sell it to the world. You can. One of the things and you know this. You and I talked about this before. 

00:31:39 

Yeah. 

00:31:44 Rich Bennett 

Go on podcasts, not just local podcasts. Go on podcasts everywhere, because that's just going to help. 

00:31:50 Rich Bennett 

You sell places. 

00:31:51 Dan Diedriech 

And to your credit, you got me on, is it called Pod pod match? I'm I am signing I I was looking. I haven't finished signing up but I will finish signing it up today. It sounds like a great great opportunity. 

00:31:54 Rich Bennett 

Hard. 

00:31:56 Rich Bennett 

Yeah. 

00:32:03 Rich Bennett 

Ohh it is Alex. Most of my I can send you the link to most most of my guests are coming through pod match. If they're not from. 

00:32:12 Rich Bennett 

Here. 

00:32:13 Dan Diedriech 

Right. 

00:32:13 Rich Bennett 

They're coming through pod match and the people that I've met. 

00:32:19 Rich Bennett 

And it's just like, you know, with this when I do it here, getting people from here, we stay in. 

00:32:23 Rich Bennett 

Contact. 

00:32:25 Rich Bennett 

But. 

00:32:27 Rich Bennett 

It it's amazing how many people I've met through post match and we're helping each other out as well. Sure, you know, it's like just to me that's it's networking. 

00:32:36 Dan Diedriech 

It is. It is. 

00:32:37 Rich Bennett 

And ohh God I've had. 

00:32:41 Rich Bennett 

Terry and Brown, who's another author I had her on for her first book. She's the one that she was doing, getting on podcasts throughout the world. Another one I met through pond match. Well then she started sending people to me, other authors and matter of fact, it's because I heard I had. I had an interview with an author who is now 101 years old. Isn't that fantastic? 

00:33:01 Rich Bennett 

Book, she wrote. She was 97. 

00:33:04 Rich Bennett 

But now she's got. 

00:33:06 Rich Bennett 

I forget what it's. 

00:33:06 Rich Bennett 

Called with the eyes when the eyes start. 

00:33:09 Dan Diedriech 

Macular degeneration. 

00:33:12 Rich Bennett 

Yeah. So she's still going to get a special computer so she can go back to right. 

00:33:16 Rich Bennett 

I had to laugh though, because she says, yeah, but I'm not going to write novels anymore. 

00:33:21 Rich Bennett 

So why not? 

00:33:22 Rich Bennett 

You. 

00:33:22 Rich Bennett 

I don't have that much time left. 

00:33:24 Rich Bennett 

I'm just going to work on shorts. 

00:33:26 Dan Diedriech 

Oh my gosh, that's precious. 

00:33:29 Rich Bennett 

Ohh, but I mean it's. 

00:33:32 Rich Bennett 

How many people could say they what and what amazes me even more is she was podcasting. 

00:33:39 Dan Diedriech 

That is something. 

00:33:39 Rich Bennett 

101 years old. 

00:33:42 Rich Bennett 

She's in another state talking to me virtually, where we can see each other. And it's just. Yeah, I got to give Alex credit for starting pod match, one of the best things that I've come across. 

00:33:59 Dan Diedriech 

Join that and and look forward to it and the networking combined there too. 

00:34:02 Dan Diedriech 

It's it's like you said, Rich. You got to get out and and I'm going to tell you now. 

00:34:08 Dan Diedriech 

One of the things one of the videos that I have at the very end of my video sections are great end quotes, but realistic expectations and we talked about return on investment. Sad fact of the matter is that almost nobody less than 5% of the authors who publish on Amazon. 

00:34:28 Dan Diedriech 

Break even. Much less make money. 

00:34:29 Rich Bennett 

Hmm. 

00:34:32 Dan Diedriech 

And when you join these hybrid companies, who, by the way, have a terrible reputation, there are differences like the ones we just talked. 

00:34:39 Dan Diedriech 

About. 

00:34:40 Rich Bennett 

MHM. 

00:34:40 Dan Diedriech 

Have terrible reputations because they put you in what's called an authors funnel. Then you get on a conveyor belt and you get some cursory editing. Some computer generated illustrations, some. 

00:34:52 Dan Diedriech 

You know cookie cutter web thing and and a lot of bells and whistles, marketing support that really don't amount up to a hill of beans. Yeah. So at the they'll promise you the moon, they'll never be stupid enough to say we can guarantee you a sale of. 

00:34:54 Rich Bennett 

Mm-hmm. 

00:35:06 Dan Diedriech 

Book, but they will lead you to believe that you're the best at what you do that nobody's done it better and we're just confident this is going to be a success three to six months later. And I've talked with many of these authors. They say the books not selling, and unfortunately that is what, 95%. 

00:35:26 Dan Diedriech 

Of self published authors go through. They don't make money. So with Dan Creative Studios, I can't guarantee you profit, but I will guarantee you that we will set you up for success. The best way we possibly can. 

00:35:39 

Yeah. 

00:35:40 Rich Bennett 

Nat and you're setting up the marketing stuff for them as well, right? 

00:35:43 Dan Diedriech 

We are. We are, we're looking at several. Yeah, several different options there. Right now there's a press release service we're getting into. But you know again, Rich, it's just one of those things. 

00:35:45 Rich Bennett 

Which is the key thing. 

00:35:55 Dan Diedriech 

I can hire press release service and they can send out 1000 press releases on this, but the New York Times or you know the Boston Herald or the Baltimore Sun, they're not going to pick those up. So I would be much more interested in, in fine tuning it to the authors particular areas like give me 25 or 50. 

00:36:13 

Mm-hmm. 

00:36:17 Dan Diedriech 

Television, radio station, newspapers that we can start you out with because then if we get you known on a local and regional level, then we can expand. But I've I've spent several $100 on Amazon Ads, Zero return on investment. 

00:36:34 Rich Bennett 

Yeah. 

00:36:36 Dan Diedriech 

They're all return on investment and that's something that the publishers pushed. Oh, you get Amazon. 

00:36:41 Rich Bennett 

Where did those ads? 

00:36:42 Dan Diedriech 

Show up. They show up, yeah. 

00:36:45 Dan Diedriech 

Who knows, right? I have asked Rich for a copy of the ad. 

00:36:48 Rich Bennett 

And they don't know. 

00:36:50 Dan Diedriech 

So many times I can't get it. I don't know where it's running and the communications has been less than, less than great. So yeah, I mean hundreds of dollars on Amazon as they haven't gone any. 

00:36:52 Rich Bennett 

Hmm. 

00:37:04 Dan Diedriech 

Where? 

00:37:06 Rich Bennett 

Maybe you'd be better off. I mean, I know it would be a lot. It would be way more expensive, but advertising on like the Nickelodeon, the the kids channels, yeah, it's just like with podcasting, you know, you see people running ads on social media. 

00:37:16 Dan Diedriech 

Right, right. Or something like that, but. 

00:37:26 Rich Bennett 

Podcast listeners don't listen to podcasts on social media. They listen to podcasts. 

00:37:32 Rich Bennett 

On podcast platforms to advertise on the podcast platform, you know? But yeah, that's surprising though of Amazon because they're a big bookseller. 

00:37:34 Dan Diedriech 

Right, right. 

00:37:41 Dan Diedriech 

Right. But they've got 300, three, 165,000 books are sold through Amazon 365. 

00:37:41 Rich Bennett 

I don't recall seeing that. 

00:37:48 Rich Bennett 

Wow. 

00:37:52 Dan Diedriech 

Fowls and books are sold through Amazon. 

00:37:56 Rich Bennett 

Is is that a day? 

00:37:57 Dan Diedriech 

Or no. No, no, no, no, that's total. No. Let's let's start again. That's the number of books they offer. They offer 365,000 books. 

00:38:09 Dan Diedriech 

That you can buy on Amazon? Really, yes. 

00:38:15 Dan Diedriech 

So when you're an Amazon author. 

00:38:15 

Hey. 

00:38:18 Dan Diedriech 

You're 1 of 365,000 people that they've got who who are are on their website. 

00:38:19 Rich Bennett 

Yeah. 

00:38:26 Rich Bennett 

Would it best some of the there a lot of people that know know about because there's some independent book websites. 

00:38:33 Dan Diedriech 

There are, there are and. 

00:38:35 Rich Bennett 

But that's a problem that people gotta have to know. 

00:38:38 Dan Diedriech 

About them. Yeah. And the thing of it is, is, is. 

00:38:42 Dan Diedriech 

If I'm an author and I am and and guess who our first client's going to be. 

00:38:44 

MHM. 

00:38:47 Rich Bennett 

The adults. Well, you, yeah. 

00:38:48 Dan Diedriech 

Me. No. Specifically, I'm going to have Dan Creative services take my manuscript of Katy the cat or fly run it through the full course and publish it. Because if there's going to be a mistake or things that need to be made, I want them made. 

00:39:04 Dan Diedriech 

With. 

00:39:04 Dan Diedriech 

Me. OK. So we'll run through the whole gamut. 

00:39:04 Rich Bennett 

Right. 

00:39:08 Dan Diedriech 

And one of the things too rich that that I think and and this is just what we've been talking about is the frustration. 

00:39:15 Dan Diedriech 

Of having a good book out there and it's just not getting seen by people. So one of the challenges that I put on myself and my team is is we've got to rethink book marketing and book public relations and book distribution because I've seen these, these hybrid company sale. 

00:39:18 Rich Bennett 

Yeah. 

00:39:29 

Mm-hmm. 

00:39:35 Dan Diedriech 

Get your book on Barnes and Noble. How right. How were they doing that? 

00:39:41 Dan Diedriech 

And and I I'm going to spend a lot of time investigating how so we can actually put a package together that might actually work. 

00:39:49 Dan Diedriech 

And and hopefully that'll be another or selling. 

00:39:52 Rich Bennett 

Points. Yeah, and I think. 

00:39:55 Rich Bennett 

I don't even know if. 

00:39:57 Rich Bennett 

Do people even pay attention to the New York, NY Times bestseller anymore? Yeah, they do. But there's not. A children's section, is there? Sure, there there is. OK. 

00:40:01 Dan Diedriech 

Yeah, they do. 

00:40:04 Dan Diedriech 

Yeah, but the point of it is, if you're, you could be a top 100 and get into and and and get into the top 100 at the New York Times with a children's book just depends on the. 

00:40:15 Dan Diedriech 

Amount of sales. 

00:40:17 Rich Bennett 

And I had an author tell me this that the way people. 

00:40:18 

OK. 

00:40:20 Rich Bennett 

Make it in the New York Times bestseller chart is they buy like pallets of books. 

00:40:29 Rich Bennett 

And then they'll send them. 

00:40:31 Rich Bennett 

To bookstores, libraries or whatever, and they count as sales already, even before they're sold. And of course pre sales pre sales are very important. 

00:40:34 Dan Diedriech 

Sure, sure. 

00:40:39 Dan Diedriech 

Very important as well. Well, one of the things too that I've done and it's legitimate. I'm not saying it's not, but the company that I had and it's on Amazon, you don't have to go through any company. You can offer your e-book. 

00:40:51 Dan Diedriech 

For sale for free. OK. And it's during a three day period and then they, you know, promote the heck out of it. The last time we did that, we we sold 900 copies, OK. And it counts as sales even though it's a giveaway. Don't ask me why. 

00:40:53 Rich Bennett 

Yeah. 

00:41:00 

M. 

00:41:10 Rich Bennett 

Yeah. 

00:41:12 Dan Diedriech 

And for a while, we talked 5 children's book charts and that is why we can say. 

00:41:18 Rich Bennett 

Wow. 

00:41:20 Dan Diedriech 

Oh, where is it? Best selling author, yeah. 

00:41:21 Rich Bennett 

Best selling author. 

00:41:24 Rich Bennett 

So because I I don't know if they do, if children's folks or not, I knew a lot of novels. They do it the I'm gonna forget the term where you send out advance reader copies. Do they do that with children? 

00:41:36 Dan Diedriech 

'S books. You can buy them. What you can do. 

00:41:39 Dan Diedriech 

Is they have what's called an authors, right? 

00:41:41 Dan Diedriech 

And you as author can buy as many copies as you want for the cost of printing, and then you can do with those whatever whatever you want to with. 

00:41:42 Rich Bennett 

OK. 

00:41:50 Rich Bennett 

With them. So send them out to readers before they go on the market and that way you have your. 

00:41:51 Dan Diedriech 

Send them out of there before they go. Sure if you want. 

00:41:54 Dan Diedriech 

Testimonials. Yeah, and that's something else that, that, that see this is good for me. I'm writing stuff down here. 

00:42:01 Rich Bennett 

Well, and that's something, especially if you're selling your book, if your books on Amazon, which is also on Goodreads, one of the things I always tell people leave a full review of the book because that that does something with the algorithms and it's going to help the authors sell more books as well. 

00:42:16 Dan Diedriech 

It does. 

00:42:21 Rich Bennett 

And even and I say full review, because just putting five stars, three stars or whatever doesn't do diddly squat. Just, you know, even if you right in there, this book is awesome. 

00:42:33 Rich Bennett 

To do that. But you gotta leave. You gotta leave a full review. Yeah. You know, it just and I think. 

00:42:34 Dan Diedriech 

To do that. 

00:42:35 Dan Diedriech 

Gotta. 

00:42:35 Dan Diedriech 

That, yeah. 

00:42:43 Rich Bennett 

It's for like each category, so it could be for Kindle Audible and. 

00:42:49 Dan Diedriech 

Could be that that I haven't checked. Yeah. Yeah, but yeah, getting anything you can do in pre sales is important. And then again, one of the things that we have to do a better job in IS is targeting our audience because what we want to do with Katie the cat or fly now going back to the book specific. 

00:42:50 Rich Bennett 

I'm not 100% sure. 

00:42:56 Rich Bennett 

Yeah. 

00:43:03 

Hmm. 

00:43:07 Dan Diedriech 

Actually is put out press packets designed specifically to our two audiences within our region and that way we can give them a free copy of the book. We can give them a little press release. We can give them a picture of me. If Katie contact information and all of that and that goes a lot further than you know being one of the, you know, a splash press release out to 4000. 

00:43:28 Rich Bennett 

Right. 

00:43:29 Dan Diedriech 

People, none of whom are going to print, print the Dang thing anyway. 

00:43:33 Rich Bennett 

I always want to offer county living for. 

00:43:34 Rich Bennett 

You. 

00:43:35 Dan Diedriech 

All right. Gotcha, brother. Got you, brother. 

00:43:38 Rich Bennett 

That's a great idea though, and. 

00:43:40 Rich Bennett 

Marketing is why did I just? Why did I just see Katie the cat or fly going by on the Hartford Transit bus? Katie Harford Transit bus. Oh my gosh. 

00:44:00 Rich Bennett 

I mean. 

00:44:01 Rich Bennett 

But you're right, there are so many. 

00:44:04 Rich Bennett 

There, there's so many marketing ways to market. 

00:44:08 Rich Bennett 

But you got it's got to be smart marketing too. 

00:44:10 Dan Diedriech 

Does and that and that's where it gets tough, because I'm the king of let's throw more money at it and you know, the more money you throw at it, the more money. 

00:44:13 Rich Bennett 

Yeah. 

00:44:19 Dan Diedriech 

You're going to. 

00:44:19 Dan Diedriech 

Get back does not work that way, and that's one of the things with our new company that I've learned is that you know, it's not the amount of money you put into it, it's the amount of dedication. 

00:44:20 Rich Bennett 

Yeah. 

00:44:22 Rich Bennett 

Now. 

00:44:30 Dan Diedriech 

That you put into it. 

00:44:32 Rich Bennett 

From both parties, and when I see that is because I do this with my sponsors, I always ask my sponsors if, if. 

00:44:34 

Right. 

00:44:40 Rich Bennett 

You sent me an ad and it's not working. Let me know because it's time. 

00:44:43 Rich Bennett 

To. 

00:44:43 Rich Bennett 

Change it, whether it be the ad that's on the podcast or the ad that's on the website. If there's something else that I can. 

00:44:52 Rich Bennett 

Do to help. 

00:44:53 Rich Bennett 

You grow. Let me know. 

00:44:55 Rich Bennett 

You don't hear of other advertising agencies or whatever doing that. You know, if something's not working. 

00:45:01 Dan Diedriech 

Right. 

00:45:06 Rich Bennett 

Then it's not working for me. I want to if it's, if it's working for you then it's working for me. Does that make sense? Yeah, it's. But you don't. And one of the things I do too, which I believe is why my sponsors are loyal as well. 

00:45:12 Dan Diedriech 

It does. It absolutely makes sense. 

00:45:22 Rich Bennett 

Every year, when it comes time for renewal. Ohh is there something extra in there? 

00:45:26 Rich Bennett 

How many other advertising agencies are going to do that, you know, and that's why you. Yeah, it's both parties have to work together to make sure it succeeds, you know. 

00:45:28 Dan Diedriech 

That's right, yeah. 

00:45:34 Dan Diedriech 

Absolutely, yeah. And that's something that we're going to be working with our people too, because we what one of the things that we emphasize is is personal treatment, but also flexibility. And that is if you get, you know, if something's not going right during the publishing prop. 

00:45:44 Rich Bennett 

Mm-hmm. 

00:45:49 Dan Diedriech 

This you know what? You're on that conveyor belt with the hybrid companies. That's it. We got your contract. You're signed in. This is where it's going to be. Forget about it. We'll work with you. And if there's something that you think needs tweaking and it's reasonable we'll do it. I mean, no problem. You've got to be flexible. And and that's one of the advantages, I think of Dan. Creative studios to get these. 

00:46:10 Dan Diedriech 

You know, children's book authors out there because there's a ton of them and they're confused. They're frustrated, they're monies going to things that that aren't helping them. And I've been there and I've done that. And and I just want to want to help them avoid the pitfalls that I. 

00:46:19 Rich Bennett 

MHM. 

00:46:26 Rich Bennett 

Made so another. 

00:46:29 Rich Bennett 

Thing for you to check out newbooksnetwork.com. 

00:46:32 Dan Diedriech 

All right. 

00:46:33 Rich Bennett 

It's a gentleman named Marshall. Put it. Owns that and it's it's it's nothing but podcast. So what you do is look for the genre, and I don't know if they have children's books or not, but look into it and they have several different podcasts on that category. You listen or do you? Author listens to whatever podcast they want to pitch their. 

00:46:53 Rich Bennett 

Booked too, so they can go on as a guest and they have millions of downloads. 

00:46:57 Dan Diedriech 

That's fabulous. That's fabulous. 

00:46:58 Rich Bennett 

Yeah, they they're. He started out as a college professor and. 

00:47:03 Rich Bennett 

Started doing these podcasts and it's just it's blowing up. Yeah, I got to say this, Dan. I'm proud of you because when you and I talked a while ago, when you stopped doing the podcast, I was worried about you. And we won't discuss what was going on, but. 

00:47:10 Dan Diedriech 

Well, thank you, ma'am. I appreciate it. 

00:47:16 Dan Diedriech 

Yep. 

00:47:20 Rich Bennett 

Because. 

00:47:23 Rich Bennett 

I think you found your calling here this. 

00:47:24 Dan Diedriech 

Yeah. 

00:47:25 Rich Bennett 

Is. I mean, dance Creative studios is. 

00:47:30 Rich Bennett 

I can see this taking off big time. 

00:47:33 Dan Diedriech 

I hope so, and as far as the art of being you is considered what I was missing. That was, that was the podcast and that was the book I was working on. And you're right, it was the adult version of Katie the Catter fly. And basically I would interview individuals as you have done yourself, who who have been for whatever reason disenfranchised. 

00:47:54 Dan Diedriech 

And it could be because of drugs or, you know, other types of addiction. It could be because of physical health challenges, mental health challenges. 

00:48:04 Dan Diedriech 

Gender identity? It could be for any number of things. So I would interview these people and it went very well. The problem with it is, is #1I overproduced. I just got way too fancy and I should have done exactly what we're doing here. Done a Dang interview and put the Dang thing. 

00:48:09 Rich Bennett 

Did it. 

00:48:20 Dan Diedriech 

Out. 

00:48:21 Rich Bennett 

OK. Just natural, yeah. 

00:48:22 Dan Diedriech 

Just natural conversation and let it go rather than all of these sound effects and these bells and whistles and the music and all that. 

00:48:27 Rich Bennett 

Right. 

00:48:28 Dan Diedriech 

Kind of stuff. That was nonsense. That was a waste of time. And so I've learned from that. The other thing is I now have an ending to the art of being you, which is now going to be called the art of being me, and it's going to be it's going to be two fold. It's going to be auto by biographical, but by the same token, it'll be a self help book. 

00:48:40 

Ohh. 

00:48:49 Dan Diedriech 

But I am going to center on myself and my discussions with other people and first and foremost, look at me in my journey through life and I think we can generate a podcast off of that. I'd love to generate a podcast off of Katie the cat or fly, but I'm not sure how. 

00:48:55 Rich Bennett 

Right. 

00:49:03 Dan Diedriech 

To do that yet well. 

00:49:06 Rich Bennett 

Do you want? 

00:49:07 Rich Bennett 

It. 

00:49:08 Rich Bennett 

A podcast off of Katie, the caterer flying or dance Creative Studios podcast because I think if you do the dance Creative Studios podcast, all these other authors that are going to be under your company. 

00:49:25 Rich Bennett 

You have the platform for them to also come on and promote their book, and you already know how to do the podcasting, what platforms they use and everything. 

00:49:32 Dan Diedriech 

Ohh yeah. 

00:49:36 Rich Bennett 

And I I think that's the way to do it and there's a lot there's. 

00:49:36 Dan Diedriech 

OK. 

00:49:42 Rich Bennett 

Prime example, when I when I had Michelle De Filippo on, I think she may have been the. 

00:49:48 Rich Bennett 

Second publisher I had on, but I haven't had many publishers on. It's always been authors, and she's got. 

00:49:49 

Let's see. 

00:49:57 Rich Bennett 

Ohh God Michelle, if I get it wrong, please don't yell at me. I wanna say she had over 50 has over 50 years publishing. 

00:50:02 Rich Bennett 

Experience. 

00:50:02 Dan Diedriech 

I think so somewhere around. 

00:50:03 Rich Bennett 

OK, sorry. So I'm so I'm right, but I mean. 

00:50:09 Rich Bennett 

You to. 

00:50:11 Rich Bennett 

For aspiring authors to hear from somebody who's been in the publishing field for that long and has left it to start her own, what more credibility do you need? You've been in the field for God knows how long the media field. 

00:50:16 Dan Diedriech 

Right. 

00:50:22 Dan Diedriech 

No, it was a. 

00:50:25 Dan Diedriech 

Yeah. 

00:50:28 Rich Bennett 

You got. You're the. You're the expert in. 

00:50:30 Rich Bennett 

A lot of this. 

00:50:31 Rich Bennett 

Stuff. OK, you know. 

00:50:32 

Yeah. 

00:50:32 Rich Bennett 

So you have a lot the author as well, author, author. 

00:50:36 Rich Bennett 

As well, there's that chord. 

00:50:40 Dan Diedriech 

Yeah, I and I mean, I like it. I I I think I think with Katie it it's it's so much of A niche thing. I I'm really not sure how I could expand that into a podcast. So I'm sure there's a way to do it, but I like I like the idea of dance creative studios there because then we could just talk about authors, children's authors. 

00:50:56 Rich Bennett 

MHM. 

00:50:57 Dan Diedriech 

In general, what they're doing and yeah. 

00:50:59 Rich Bennett 

I like that and tips? 

00:51:01 Rich Bennett 

Tips, tips on editing, writing, publishing all that stuff. 

00:51:06 Dan Diedriech 

See, I'm getting so much out of this. 

00:51:10 Rich Bennett 

Katie the cat or fly instead of a podcast? Well, like I said, if you if it's not a TV series, they make it into like a YouTube series. If you could somehow or another. 

00:51:22 Rich Bennett 

Create a cartoon and voice the cast or you already said you have voices for the characters and do that. 

00:51:29 Rich Bennett 

That's a gold. 

00:51:29 Dan Diedriech 

Mine it is and it's one of the things we've been we've been kicking around is a cartoon series. 

00:51:34 Dan Diedriech 

And a SIM can do that. What I've got to get a SIM to doing and a SIM. I know you're listening, is he? He pinches a penny harder than anybody I know. 

00:51:38 Rich Bennett 

Hmm. 

00:51:46 Dan Diedriech 

And and you know, we're a small outfit. One of the things too is we have to have the technology to to really make these things happen. And Oh my gosh, rich a I artificial intelligence, we're we've got it. We got to get into that and and and kind of see how that can help us with the children's books. 

00:51:48 

Yeah. 

00:52:05 Dan Diedriech 

With the publishing company and what have you, because I'm just downloaded an app and I just just said a few words into it and I said give me a creation of such and such. 

00:52:17 Dan Diedriech 

And such. 

00:52:18 Dan Diedriech 

15 seconds later, there it is. 

00:52:20 Rich Bennett 

Yeah. 

00:52:21 Dan Diedriech 

And I thought, OK, write me a mission statement. Here are the guidelines 15 seconds later and it says please edit, I can't edit it. It's perfect. Yeah, sometimes it is. And and. And you just look at that. And one of the things that that we're constantly looking for, one of the things I demand of my staff every month. 

00:52:41 Dan Diedriech 

We have a we we meet once a week, but once a month I say tell me something new that you've learned that you've sought that is going to help you professionally and help our business. 

00:52:52 Dan Diedriech 

OK, because I want us to always be on the cutting edge of what's out there. 

00:52:55 Rich Bennett 

Right. 

00:52:57 Rich Bennett 

People. 

00:53:00 Rich Bennett 

And we've talked about AI several times. People do not need to be afraid of it, and they need, and it's been around since I want to say the 40s or 50s as it is. People need to embrace it, learn how to use it. When computers came out, people were afraid of them. It's basically AI works the same way as a computer, it's remembers. 

00:53:04 Dan Diedriech 

No. 

00:53:20 Rich Bennett 

What you input right? AI is searching the Internet. 

00:53:25 Rich Bennett 

That's what it's doing when you ask it to do something, and it's pulling this stuff together. It's. 

00:53:32 Rich Bennett 

Yeah, sometimes you don't have to edit it. Sometimes you do. But let me tell you so it it could be your best friend. I can't tell you how it's helped me with the podcasting. Oh, so with the one hour episode, when I first started, it would take me 8 hours total. That's recording, editing, show notes and everything. 

00:53:52 Rich Bennett 

Now one hour episode now takes me maximum 3 hours. If everything's fine one hour recording one hour of editing, I say one hour of editing because I'm listening to it as I edit it, and then the share notes and everything. So I'll use AI to help me create the show notes. 

00:54:12 Rich Bennett 

I use. 

00:54:13 Rich Bennett 

AI in the software that I use to help transcribe. 

00:54:20 Rich Bennett 

The recording. So like when I when I. 

00:54:24 Rich Bennett 

Edit this. I'll then transcribe it. I'll get so I'll get the manuscript of what you said and then I'll print out what you said. What I said. I can upload that to the AI. It reads the manuscript. 

00:54:35 Rich Bennett 

And it will pull from it whatever I want. That's how you create the show. 

00:54:38 Rich Bennett 

Notes and everything. 

00:54:40 Rich Bennett 

Can it help you with the actual editing? Yes, there's one out there called the script, actually where it can help you with which it's squad. 

00:54:50 Rich Bennett 

Yes, I don't know if you ever used squad cases before. OK, so squad case is what I use. 

00:54:53 Dan Diedriech 

I have. 

00:54:55 Rich Bennett 

When I'm recording virtually. 

00:54:57 

Yeah. 

00:54:57 Rich Bennett 

Which is now owned by the script. What I love about it is so when you edit it and you're looking at it through the script instead of listening to it to take out certain words, you can read it. 

00:55:11 Rich Bennett 

And you can cut out those words and it will play it back for you. And those words will be gone. 

00:55:15 Rich Bennett 

It will a lot of. 

00:55:16 Rich Bennett 

People hate the UMS, the odds and all that. 

00:55:20 Rich Bennett 

Another program I use, I think it's called resampa. 

00:55:23 Rich Bennett 

Prime example, right? So we did, Joe Aileron, Star Hill Construction group, came up with the idea because he's one of my sponsors. He said let's do a podcast on living on fulfilled life. It's like, OK yeah, it works for me. Let's do it. So we there was five of us sitting around and. 

00:55:41 Rich Bennett 

Somehow or another out. Yeah, I always check the levels before I start recording. Everything was fine. 

00:55:47 Rich Bennett 

Somehow or another, and I think I know what happened, I think Joe may have turned off his microphone when he was moving it to move his drink and the day I go to edit it. 

00:55:58 Rich Bennett 

I upload everything I was. 

00:56:00 Rich Bennett 

Like, wait a minute. 

00:56:01 Rich Bennett 

There should be 5 tracks. Why is? 

00:56:03 Rich Bennett 

There only four. 

00:56:05 Rich Bennett 

So now this episode did take me 8 hours. That episode took me 8 hours to do because what I had to do. 

00:56:12 Rich Bennett 

Joe's voice was not there. 

00:56:15 Rich Bennett 

AI through this one program I used because we, you know, we had all the other microphones around the table was able to pull out Joe's voice slowly but surely. I mean, it took me several times. 

00:56:28 Rich Bennett 

But I was able to get his voice from the other microphones and then the final edit sounded like. 

00:56:36 Rich Bennett 

Jerry's microphone was fine. 

00:56:38 Dan Diedriech 

Wow. 

00:56:38 Rich Bennett 

Yeah. 

00:56:39 Rich Bennett 

It's amazing how much AI has been helping podcasters. I mean, and again, again, a lot of people are afraid of it. Don't be afraid of it. Embrace it. Learn. I think that's the biggest thing people need to learn. 

00:56:54 Rich Bennett 

How to use it? 

00:56:56 Rich Bennett 

Yeah, a lot of people think, oh, well, it'll write a book for me. 

00:56:59 Rich Bennett 

Well, no, not not really. I mean it, I guess in a way it can, but AI doesn't have that magic thing that a lot of authors use, and that's an editor. Yeah. You still have to edit it. The other thing is you could tell if you look at certain things. 

00:57:10 Dan Diedriech 

Right, right. 

00:57:20 Rich Bennett 

Like you don't get pushed, everything on you could tell if it's been. 

00:57:24 Rich Bennett 

If you use AI enough, you can tell if it's been produced by AI. The other thing you have to do. 

00:57:29 Rich Bennett 

Now too and. 

00:57:30 Rich Bennett 

They're they're starting to do this with other sites. Like if you generate a a picture through AI, you have to depend on the platform. You have to let them know that it was generated by AI. Music's another thing. 

00:57:44 Rich Bennett 

Because there are people who are producing music with AI well, you have to let them know that it's been produced with AI. Whenever I'm doing my show notes because I don't always use AI, but if I do. 

00:57:45 Dan Diedriech 

Right, right. 

00:57:58 Rich Bennett 

Then I'll put a disclaimer at the end. Yes, part of this was. 

00:58:03 Rich Bennett 

Use or created by using AI you know exactly. 

00:58:05 Dan Diedriech 

Right. It's a well it's, it's. 

00:58:09 Dan Diedriech 

You know, and it's it's it's not good or bad. It's a tool and it's how you use it. And and I am the least technical person you will ever find. OK, if I can learn to use it, anybody can learn to use it. It's just a matter of patience and trial and error. 

00:58:22 Rich Bennett 

Mm-hmm. 

00:58:25 Dan Diedriech 

Keep going until until you find out what you. 

00:58:28 Dan Diedriech 

Want but it's a time saver, and if it, if you're disciplined enough to learn it, if you're disciplined enough not to let it take over and get lazy, it can really, I think, be a game. 

00:58:38 Rich Bennett 

Hmm. 

00:58:39 Rich Bennett 

Changer. Well, I mean Google, Google has already adapted it Microsoft. Things adapted it. Yeah. You when you type in in the search bar now, it'll bring up the separate. 

00:58:49 Rich Bennett 

Section yeah. 

00:58:50 Rich Bennett 

You know which is generated by them. 

00:58:52 Rich Bennett 

And technically, aren't they already AI? 

00:58:55 Rich Bennett 

Well, when you do a Google search I mean. 

00:58:58 Rich Bennett 

Part of it the old. 

00:58:58 Rich Bennett 

Yeah, yeah, yeah. 

00:59:03 Rich Bennett 

Gses. 

00:59:04 Rich Bennett 

Technically it was AI. 

00:59:06 Rich Bennett 

Yeah. How many people have Alexa or Google Nest or whatever? Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're. 

00:59:10 Dan Diedriech 

Series, right? 

00:59:13 Rich Bennett 

Perfect your cell. 

00:59:14 Rich Bennett 

Phones. Yeah. Siri. Yeah, whatever. It's it's. 

00:59:17 Dan Diedriech 

It's a yeah, yeah. 

00:59:18 Rich Bennett 

I. 

00:59:18 Rich Bennett 

Don't be afraid of it generation. 

00:59:19 Dan Diedriech 

We've had it for a long time, just called it something different. 

00:59:22 Rich Bennett 

Yeah, that's going to be one of your next children's books. 

00:59:25 Dan Diedriech 

Kate, he uses AI. 

00:59:27 Rich Bennett 

Ohh God, that would be funny. That would be funny. Dan, do you have besides your tell everybody the websites again if you have anything to add please add that as. 

00:59:28 

Thanks. 

00:59:37 Dan Diedriech 

Sure. We are at dancreativestudios.com. 

00:59:43 Dan Diedriech 

And if you want to reach me, direct my phone number is 410-231-3075. 

00:59:51 Dan Diedriech 

Five. That's 410-231-3075. Dan creativestudios.com. We are up. We are live. We're ready to go and we would love to have you. 

01:00:01 Dan Diedriech 

As a client and where'd you see some? 

01:00:03 Rich Bennett 

Is located in Pakistan. Oh, really? Yeah. 

01:00:07 Rich Bennett 

Why was I think in Arizona for? 

01:00:10 

Oh. 

01:00:11 Rich Bennett 

Yeah, because I think of Ringo thinking I'm thinking of Ringo, OK? 

01:00:14 Dan Diedriech 

No, he's in Pakistan now and we talked a dozen times a day. Video calls everything like that. I never met the guy and you know, to shake his hand. But I know him as well as I know any member of my family. He's. 

01:00:25 Rich Bennett 

A fabulous person. I'm thinking in the future. 

01:00:29 Rich Bennett 

Especially when once you get the. 

01:00:32 Rich Bennett 

TV series or YouTube series going we have to do because I know you saw your podcast equipment, so we'll have to do a virtual. 

01:00:38 Dan Diedriech 

Oh yeah. 

01:00:41 Rich Bennett 

Podcast recording with him, he. 

01:00:45 Dan Diedriech 

If I, but he's terribly shy, but we might be able to coax him. 

01:00:48 Rich Bennett 

We'll break him of that. Yeah, we'll fix that. 

01:00:49 Dan Diedriech 

We'll break him in that. 

01:00:51 Rich Bennett 

Yeah. If I have to put on a Katie the cater. 

01:00:54 Rich Bennett 

My mask or whatever. 

01:00:57 Rich Bennett 

Well, hopefully it's a big head. You're the gooser for me. Then I'll do that then, if that makes. Although my voice would be muffled, but still. 

01:00:59 Dan Diedriech 

Yeah, yeah, right, right. 

01:01:03 Dan Diedriech 

Yeah, he'll, he'll. 

01:01:06 Dan Diedriech 

We'll work it out. We'll work it out, Rich. We'll work it out, but yeah, and great to be on your show and you know it's lots going on and and I wish you the best. Now, my friend, we. Yes, you most certainly haven't done it. And I'm going to call you on it. Why aren't you doing video yet? 

01:01:13 Rich Bennett 

Oh, it's great seeing. 

01:01:18 Rich Bennett 

Uh, I didn't do it. 

01:01:29 Dan Diedriech 

You YouTube is calling to you brother. 

01:01:29 Rich Bennett 

You. 

01:01:32 Rich Bennett 

Yes and no. You know when it comes to podcasts. I'm. 

01:01:38 Rich Bennett 

Old school packets. They're doing this since 2015. The podcast is on YouTube. It's just not motion video, right? 

01:01:39 Dan Diedriech 

Right. 

01:01:48 Rich Bennett 

Whenever YouTube. 

01:01:52 Rich Bennett 

We'll start showing the numbers. 

01:01:55 Rich Bennett 

To your hosting platform for podcasts. Then they may consider doing video because right now it doesn't do that. 

01:02:02 Dan Diedriech 

Oh yeah. 

01:02:04 Rich Bennett 

Even though you can upload your RSS feed. 

01:02:08 Rich Bennett 

For your podcast to go there and it's, you know, it's just the audio, it doesn't report back to the hosting services yet. Yet now the other thing is. 

01:02:16 Dan Diedriech 

Ah. 

01:02:22 Rich Bennett 

Well, you know, as far as the audio part, there are got so many platforms out there. I mean the podcast right now, last I checked is in 100 different countries. 

01:02:34 Rich Bennett 

Listening, you know, listen to because there's so many different platforms out there with video. So you have YouTube. 

01:02:43 Rich Bennett 

Spotify is jumping on the bandwagon, so. 

01:02:48 Rich Bennett 

It's going to be those two going back and forth, but. 

01:02:54 Rich Bennett 

My understanding is and I don't know if this is true or not. 

01:03:00 Rich Bennett 

The they will be able to throw ads in. 

01:03:06 Rich Bennett 

OK. And with my podcast, my sponsors are exclusive for that at the only other time I threw ads in, it may be in the beginning, the middle or the end of the podcast, but that's only for a short period of time. So my sponsor like if like if I say, you know, this episode is brought to you by. 

01:03:14 

OK. 

01:03:27 Rich Bennett 

Whoever and I do the host red ad. 

01:03:30 Rich Bennett 

Well. 

01:03:32 Rich Bennett 

YouTube or Spotify may throw something right in the middle. 

01:03:34 Rich Bennett 

Of that ad, you don't know and and. 

01:03:35 Dan Diedriech 

OK, don't know about it. 

01:03:38 Rich Bennett 

Yeah, I don't. 

01:03:39 Dan Diedriech 

It's a lot more complicated than I. 

01:03:40 Rich Bennett 

It is, it is. And the other thing is too, because you never know what kind. 

01:03:40 Dan Diedriech 

Thought. 

01:03:45 Rich Bennett 

Of ads going to go in there. 

01:03:46 Rich Bennett 

You know, if I'm talking, let's say I'm doing an episode about addiction recovery. Last thing I want is that and in there about alcohol, you know, or it's. Yeah, it's it's all about the advertising thing right now. And the reporting back to your hosting, Sir. That's right. I'm not doing it. The other reason. 

01:04:08 Rich Bennett 

Because I do it either virtually and for the other one I do for Harford County, living with visit Hartford once a month, we do record that that is video. I haven't broke my camera yet, but I'm recording virtually or I'm recording here virtually. I can do the video here. I really can't do it to the video. 

01:04:28 Rich Bennett 

So my goal is one of my goals, if you're listening, Greg. Yes, one of my goals that's got my mentor goals is to get a 200 square foot. 

01:04:39 Rich Bennett 

But. 

01:04:40 Rich Bennett 

Studio, whether it be a shed in my backyard. 

01:04:44 Rich Bennett 

Or if my brother-in-law decides that he's tired of looking at an empty building wants. 

01:04:49 Rich Bennett 

Me taking over? 

01:04:50 Rich Bennett 

That and turning that into a podcast studio that then I'll add video, but I don't want. 

01:05:00 Rich Bennett 

When it comes to the studio. 

01:05:03 Rich Bennett 

It's got to be perfect. I've seen some studios around here. Where? 

01:05:05 

Yeah. 

01:05:09 Rich Bennett 

They call it a studio, but it's not soundproof and it's not set up technically to be a proper recording area. You know I want. 

01:05:11 Dan Diedriech 

Might not. 

01:05:19 Rich Bennett 

It's got to be soundproof. I want the round table. 

01:05:22 Rich Bennett 

With the microphone sit in there to where those of you listening. Excuse me for doing this, but if my hand hits the table, you don't hear the vibration and then cameras. 

01:05:34 Rich Bennett 

All around, but I'll also more than likely have to bring on an intern or somebody to run. 

01:05:40 Rich Bennett 

The cameras in the sand, you see this? 

01:05:44 Rich Bennett 

What are you ohh. 

01:05:44 Dan Diedriech 

That's a smile. That's a smile. You. 

01:05:46 Rich Bennett 

Know what I do? 

01:05:47 Dan Diedriech 

You know, you know what I was doing yesterday? 

01:05:50 Dan Diedriech 

Looking for rental rental places for a podcast studio. 

01:05:55 Rich Bennett 

There's and you need 200 square foot. You don't need a lot. 

01:05:58 Dan Diedriech 

I know, I know. 

01:06:00 Rich Bennett 

A matter of fact, if I get the shed, I just gotta be ready. I gotta make sure I can fit a bed and the bathroom in there because my wife told me I. 

01:06:07 Rich Bennett 

Think that I'll probably be living in it. 

01:06:12 Rich Bennett 

I mean, one of my dreams and this one was before the coffee bar or anything opened up in Bel Air. One of my dreams because my brother-in-law. 

01:06:21 Rich Bennett 

And they have it in a restaurant that's sitting empty right now in White Marsh. 

01:06:27 Rich Bennett 

I put together a business plan. My plan was because he owns a liquor license. So my plan was to open up a podcast studio Slash unique. 

01:06:38 Rich Bennett 

Coffee bar and when I say unique coffee bar, meaning that if you wanted an Irish coffee, you got a true Irish coffee, Mexican coffee, true Mexican coffee. If you wanted a beer, it was going to be coffee, everything coffee, but I could fit easily. 

01:06:53 Rich Bennett 

6 studios in there. 

01:06:57 Rich Bennett 

For people to come in and record and then one stage for live. 

01:07:02 Rich Bennett 

Reco. 

01:07:03 Rich Bennett 

If I wanted to do that, it was it's big enough to do that. Hmm. And it was shut down more or less. 

01:07:09 Rich Bennett 

Was it? Yeah, my knee said it. 

01:07:11 Dan Diedriech 

Would never work there. 

01:07:14 Rich Bennett 

It's right on 40. 

01:07:15 Dan Diedriech 

There are other options my friend. 

01:07:16 Rich Bennett 

Oh, I know, I know. 

01:07:18 Dan Diedriech 

We'll, we'll talk. 

01:07:20 Rich Bennett 

I'm looking but if I do it that way. 

01:07:23 Rich Bennett 

It it's it's got to be unique. 

01:07:27 Dan Diedriech 

Coffee bar. We'll talk. OK. Sounds good. Let's talk. 

01:07:32 Rich Bennett 

Dan, I want to thank you. It's been great seeing you, Katie. 

01:07:37 Rich Bennett 

And wait, who does who's going? 

01:07:38 Rich Bennett 

To be doing Katie's. 

01:07:39 Rich Bennett 

Voice. I will. 

01:07:40 Dan Diedriech 

No, I will definitely not. 

01:07:43 Dan Diedriech 

I don't know who's going to be. 

01:07:44 Dan Diedriech 

Doing Katie's voice this year. 

01:07:44 Rich Bennett 

I was going to say bye, Katie. 

01:07:46 Rich Bennett 

I was waiting. Bye, rich. 

01:07:48 Rich Bennett 

Who will you be, Ringo? 

01:07:49 Dan Diedriech 

Ohh, I'm Ringo. Yeah, Ringo call me Ringo. Yeah, Ringo Ringo. I was born in the desert underneath the sage. I was born in the desert at very young age. I marengo. 

01:07:53 Rich Bennett 

How did I? 

01:08:02 Dan Diedriech 

Baby Ringo y'all's living in with families born to run fast as lightning in the desert sun. I'm Ringo. Call me Ringo. Y'all be doing Ringo. 

01:08:14 Rich Bennett 

I love it, Dan. Thanks a lot. It's been a. 

01:08:17 Dan Diedriech 

Who always a hoot. Always a. 

01:08:18 Dan Diedriech 

Pleasure. 

01:08:19 Rich Bennett 

Ohh God.