How to Create A Podcast That People Will Listen to and Love w/Khudania Ajay

This is Tools of the Podcast Trade, where you can learn about the tools and resources you can use to start and grow your podcast Tune in this week, as we talk about the help you need to remove the mystery from podcasting so you can become a successful podcaster that can reach your audience where they are. Today's guest is an accomplished media consultant, podcast host, independent journalist based in New Delhi, india, Ajay. Thanks for taking the time and coming to talk with us today on Tools of the Podcast Trade.

Thank you so much. Thank you so much, rosemary, for this warm welcome, and I'm very happy to be here.

Yes, I'm glad to have you. Sorry, we got off to a little bit of a shaky start, so I'm fumbling a bit. No problem, apologies, okay, all right, so before we get into what you do, could you tell us who you are?

Right, right. So, as you said, as my background is my background, in terms of what I've experienced, in terms of my experience, I've full-placed into journalism for many years, more than 25 years and based out in India, new Delhi, so that has been where I learned a lot of things and that is on the professional part. As an individual, I am what I am, as you can see, I'm very open, very straightforward, and that reflects in what I do, and naturally I am like this. So this helps me into podcasting, into content, and I'm very happy that podcasting has come at the right time. When this whole mainstream media was a lot of changes were happening. I could utilize the same skills to bring A lot of value to you know, not only others, but also to myself, and I see that I can do much more with that old-school journalism, that sort of thing. I can refine it and put it into podcasting that way. So I believe that, individually, I'd like to add value as much as to you know, others, as much as to myself, and that is what I am doing at the moment with the KJ Masterclass life.

Oh, okay, all right, so I'm going to ask you to explain your Masterclass later on, but since this is a podcast-related show, I want to really talk about dig into podcasting, because that's your wheel well, right now. But tell me, compared to broadcasting, how easy it is to get into podcasting, to become a podcast host.

Right. Right, I would like to see it in a very different manner. It is like you know, if you are coming from a broadcast background, that helps you to fine-tune a few things. But if you are into podcasting, and even if you are starting afresh, it is not a disadvantage. The only advantage if you have from a broadcast background is that you know how to put things together at a much more quicker pace. So that is one thing. You can get to put a lot of thoughts together. You know, in a small bit of time that one, if you have refined it, it will help you. That Second part is you will be aware of a bit of technology. But now suddenly a lot of technology has changed, you know, and if someone is from the broadcast background does not mean that they have been in front of the camera. Most of the people are behind the camera. Like I was not in front of the camera, but I utilized the editorial understanding of things, of the knowledge of a few things, and brought it here. What actually matters is, you know, is that what is the time type of learning that you had been having? You know, having all through the years, and that is going to help you frame the questions what is podcasting? Podcasting, anyone can do. Anyone can have a mic, anyone can have all that equipment. The only difference that can create is the type of questions you can ask to bring out the value that you want for your audience. And as time goes by, more and more people will have less time and want the value immediately from even podcasts, and that is where you know this whole thing is coming. Very helpful to me. That's what I can say.

Oh, okay, so then there really isn't any difference between someone who has been broadcasting, or is used to the old guard, so to speak, and just someone coming off the street wanting just have an idea for a podcast. If they learn how to do podcasting, right, right right.

Yeah, let me add all these things. See, technical part, you can learn, you can. It's very easy for you to learn and get accustomed to it. But first thing important thing I want to tell anyone who wants to learn podcasting is that try to keep it a bit vibrant. Even if it's a drab subject, even if you are talking about a spirituality, try to keep it a bit vibrant. You know many shows I see very, very good shows, you know. But when you start and that is the beginning, first two minutes, three minutes you must create an atmosphere. That is where people want to stay with you and that is very important. And then you know, get the guest, then, you know, flourish after that. Yeah, first it is up to you how do you introduce the show to your audience to keep that vibrancy, bring a bit of energy? There are several ways of doing that. You teach. I'm sure a lot of other guests must be sharing that on the show. So that is one part. The second part is make the whole process simple. One of the big feedbacks that I keep getting from my guest is that they find this whole process easy. Do not create barriers. If you want to create filters, that is fine, but filters should not turn out into barriers. Keep the process as simple, easy. Your potential guests, your guests, will love you for that. Many times, you see, barriers are even for a person like me. Several guests who come to my show, they ask me to appear on their show. Like in your case, I did not face any barrier at all and that is why this is one of the few shows that I am coming in, because I did not feel several shows, even if they invite me, I open any of the things that I find it is a barrier and that takes a lot of time. It is not going to help. So that is what I want to say. Second thing is invest in yourself. Try to ask questions. Don't try to become intelligent suddenly. It will not happen. Don't try to suddenly try to ask intelligent questions. Try to gel with the, with what the guest is trying to say. Ask their expertise, try to think about it. Ask like a curious person, as a new person who wants to learn from that guest. So how will you ask? What will you ask? If you look at it like that, you will find that there are so many things you yourself want to learn from the guest, and that is what a lot of the audience would want to learn from the guest. To do that, that curiosity will make you ask good questions, learn and do a bit of reading the more you read. Even if it is so, what helps me most is the simple list of papers that I have studied, read long back. Sometimes those become as reference points and it helps you make that whole conversation very, very informative for me. I am not the master in my show, kj Masterclass Life. It is the master who is someone else. And one more important thing when you ask about journalism is that you see, in journalism you have the process where there is a lot of, you know, positive filters, not the negative gatekeeping, but the right side type of editorial understanding of things. There are people. When you have the mic in your hands, you don't only have the power of the mic, whichever side you are, but it is also a huge responsibility. You may not take yourself sick seriously, but others who may be listening to you will take it seriously. So give your platform to people who have a voice. They want to say something but don't endorse it. And if you are endorsing something, do it with a caveat. And that is where what I bring from journalism is the sense of balance. Let not that platform of yours become somebody's hunting ground. Bring that balance into, because the person he or she may be speaking about, he or she is not there on that show and one sided will not be a very good affair. People do not have all the good experience, all guests will not have good experience in the right to make that show about balance, make it objective for people and make it accuracy. That is what you know. I try to bring it from journalism Many a times. You know, in my personal life I know about things, but if I'm talking on air I will have a sense of doubt. Then I will try to caveat it If I understand it correctly, correct me if I am wrong. You know, so that somebody who is listening to it later on we'll know that this is not the final truth. You know nowadays what is happening once it creates a chain reaction. They think you are very knowledgeable. If they may have the impression, then that should. If you take it that way is you will always be coming out much more. You know with a credit, a creditable person, and your show will rise with time. You know people will want to come on to your show. This is what I can say.

Yeah, all right. All right, thank you, I appreciate it and yes, I have been on your show and I found that to be a very pleasant experience. I walked away thinking, hmm, that was fun and so, and so, yeah, I love your enthusiasm and I really appreciate you joining me here. I'm not as good as you are, but hopefully, you are very good.

I remember you. You you talked to on the show and I was not very sure because, but you still. It was a very difficult time for you and you made sure to be on the show. If I remember, you were in London at that point in time.

Yeah, still in London and heading to New York tomorrow for another funeral, unfortunately, but I'm good, I'm good, yeah, okay, all right. So you've, you've. You've given us a lot of insight and tips. I hope that when someone listened to it, they actually hear those nuggets in there, because there was a lot there. But I'm going to push you some more and using one of your own question as a seasoned podcast host what are the key elements to believe, to believe and make your podcast truly successful? So let me rephrase that what are the key elements you need to be believe as a podcaster, to make your podcast truly engaging and successful?

Right. First you talked about being making it successful and then you talked about making it engaging. So these sometimes this can be the same thing. Sometimes it can be two different things. So first is success. You define what your success is. What is it that you want from what you are doing If you want to make it a successful podcast in terms of spreading knowledge? You have it as a power, and then you need to be patient with yourself. Be patient with with the way you are doing things, Learn along the way, Keep on making that. I do it almost every day. I'll tell you and and you know. So many things are so obvious that after two years of podcasting, you realize this was such an obvious thing. Why didn't I think of it? It will not happen. It is the way our brains work. This is the way it will happen. So be kind to yourself, be patient with yourself. That is one part, so success will come. Now you also know, in podcasting, monetization is a big challenge.

How do you?

want to. That is where I said if you want to reach audience, the biggest thing you can do for yourself is create a better profile for yourself through podcasting people who would want to know you. You can reach those audience you know and spread your message to those people. It can be. You know your potential customers, your potential clients, your stakeholders. You know different sort of people industries using differently. Politicians are using differently. You as a podcaster can use it differently. So define that for yourself. If you have not, then enjoy that process. I look forward to all the interviews. Most of the time, you know, be yourself. Don't try to be someone. See, I am not applying too much of my brain. If I do that, I will not be true to myself. I will not be able to be true to who I am. So be yourself and you will find your way. Trust me. I have seen a bit of life. You will find your way. That is one part. Now engaging part I've already said about make it a bit of you know. Make it. Keep that vibrancy. Don't try too hard. But there are simple tips you can certainly do about that. There are. There is a bit of a music you can play. There are so many places where there is available free music is available. You just put a sting to it, put some music and ensure that it is it is gelling with you, like you put a timer countdown. That is also very good, so that your guest is like that. Secondly, use some phrases you know which are, which will connect you to the guest immediately, make them smile and you know that will be the. That will be a very good part for you, because if a guest immediately gets into the, into the flow of the show, that is very good. And third thing is that it is very important because you can, that smiling face will quickly become a thumbnail. You will not have to search for a good thumbnail. You know, through the show, as soon as your guest smiles, you know that becomes a quick thumbnail. There are many tools you can use to quickly make a thumbnail and put it out. You know if you are going live on YouTube or any other platform. So all these three tools you can utilize. If there is any question, I'm always always, you know open to such things. Write to me, connect with me on LinkedIn, ask me anywhere. I will answer. So those are a few things. You will immediately find that with a lot of hard, without a lot of hard work, you know, but with intelligent work, you will make your show very vibrant, very, very engaging. And then, if you put your definition of success and engaging together, you will start making money also. But you have to be patient. What you want out of it? But it will certainly refine you as a human being, as an individual, as a professional, as somebody. You know you will come out very chiseled and it will. It will reflect in the way you will be talking to your clients in the office or anywhere else. I have learned so much. You know, and, and, and I feel that if I had started earlier on, I would have, you know, got much more benefit. But it is good, it is very good. And now I know that you know going forward, I've got something in my hand which will be always there. This skills will always remain with me. So the earlier you start, the the faster you will grow, the better you will go, and it will be. This skill will certainly be needed for a long, long time.

Yes, thank you for sure. All right, I'm good. I have a couple more questions to ask you, but before I do that, can you tell us, tell our audience, about the Kaj masterclass and then your you know your contact information, so we have that in middle there.

Absolutely, absolutely, kaj. Masterclass is is my, is the shortened version of my name, khudanya Ajay, and and because Kaj was actually. You know my initials in journalism days in terms of in agency news agency. If you work, you get an initial. That is how people know internally earlier days in most of the places. You know when your name out. You don't get by line, so you use those initials so that everyone knows okay, this was the, this is the copy you have edited, this is the copy. So within the system, people know even a few people from outside. So that is there. But one big thing people don't know is in India, in Hindi, especially in a, especially in the eastern part of our country, we use KJ or Kaj as actually work. So my podcast is most about work. So I put all these things together. And who is the master? Even though it is about my name or the work related, the masters are my guests. So together, you know it, it makes a much more sense for for me to put all those things together and it is about the masters which I bring for, especially, you know, young professionals, in fact, for people who are starting out in entrepreneurship, in business, who have, who are looking for solutions, and this is where you know a lot of these people are who are coming on to the show. They may not be the biggest name. I don't want big names. That is why I don't search for obviously they are welcome, but I don't intentionally search for big names. I search for people who are solving problems for themselves. Those are the people you know people want to learn from. Those are because you have done it recently. You are doing it each day, every day, and that is bringing a lot of value. People are looking and I'm seeing that happening. I keep on getting that feedback and that is such a heartening thing. You know that. Okay, this thing I may not have a huge, huge following, but at least this is bringing a lot of you know value to that, to whatever you are doing. So KJ Masterclass is about value. It is about you know value in business, it is about value in career and that is why there is a lot of talk about leadership, and it is a value in terms of transformation, either in terms of personal transformation or in terms of financial transformation, and that is why I try to put all that content that helps in any of these you know things, so that people are where people get what they want, and KJ Masterclass comes in a lot of searches whenever they are searching for something that can alleviate whatever pain they are facing in their lives.

Okay, thank you, and how can we get in touch with you? We'll put those links in the show and out as well.

Right, right. So the easiest way is, you know, to connect with me on LinkedIn. I'm very much there. That is one of the top platforms that I'm very much active on. So there you search for my name, kudanya Ajay and in mine name will pop up. And in case you want to search for more of KJ masterclass content, though, I'm there on several social media platforms, but for more you can always look at either YouTube, because then you will immediately get all that, or you can also look at KJ masterclass live. I have a LinkedIn page also there. I'm also quite active. Anything on LinkedIn, anything on YouTube, gets the first priority Rest. I'm also there in terms of Facebook, instagram and obviously, all the audio platforms are there. We are very much there. There is very vibrant and I'm sure a lot of people do listen to it, and that's very nice. But sometimes, you know, since my show is most about video initially, it takes a bit of a time to put all the things you know after optimizing in terms of you know, show notes and all. That's why I put I'm able to put it only after some time on Spotify and, through that, on Apple and hundreds of other platforms. So best is YouTube, linkedin and this I'm always available. Search for me. I will be available for anything that you need at any point in time.

Okay, aj, go look up AJ on, actually follow you on LinkedIn. And yeah, one of the quickest way to get to see your content is YouTube, I believe. Yes, so thank you for explaining all of that. I'm going to hit on something. So you and I are both on the Podmatch platform and Alex of San Felipe came out with a report the other day about the, about active podcasters, and I want to tie this in with leadership, because a lot of us, when we start podcasts, we have we have a purpose, we have a reason, we have a why we wanted to start podcasting, and it was because we wanted to lead lead a group of people, or niche, if you will, or avatar. We wanted to lead them in what we know. Right, but it seems like most podcasts just start and just do that, just fizzle out. And I you mentioned also finance and I'm going to ask you a question what are some of the ways that new podcasters can finance, can, can get the money to keep going, because I'm suspecting that that's one of the reasons why they fail, you know, to keep going. So, to provide leadership and to and to come up with the money to keep providing that leadership, could you give us some tips?

Absolutely, absolutely. I have my own thoughts on that. Not everybody will agree with that, but I will be very frank on this. It is not just about what paid, about the podcasters itself, it's about the industry itself, and if certain steps are not taken, then the industry will face a lot of challenge going forward. And it will exist, it will keep on growing, but it will grow in a very different manner. To make it viable for podcasters especially, you know, for podcast hosts, it has to change in a bit different manner. For example, if you ask me a general podcaster, how will he become successful? Because he has to put a lot of time and energy into that. And so how is podcasting supporting and who are in the podcasting industry? So podcasting industry is there Apart from the host. You see, it is the, it is the guests, it is the podcast agencies, it is the PR agencies and it is a whole lot of other people related to it. Who is the one who is adding value to a podcast host? Slide? It will give you that answer. The only thing I don't know about, you know, podmatch LXN team. They are the ones who are actually adding value to a podcast host slide. That is why I take my guests from Podmatch. I don't try to take from anywhere else. As of today, I keep on getting many, many requests from everywhere, from podcast agencies and from everyone. There are several reasons I don't take Rarely. I take from those places Minds and mark my words and play it as many a times. The Podmatch way is the only way for podcast industry to not only move forward, to also survive. If it does not happen, we will see a lot of churning. That will keep on happening. It is already happening. That is why you will see a lot of these creating platforms are trying to get creators and trying to tell listen, we are thinking about you. For example, you see, if a marketing agency guy comes on my podcast, or if a person who is spending, you know, 5000 dollars on a book tour and they are spending money everywhere else but are not able to contribute anything to a podcast host I am not talking about in terms of you know, but make his or her life easy.

Whatever?

how is Alex able to do it? Yeah, if you are not doing it, then why should I? You are earning hundreds of dollars for each podcast. Generally, if you see, agencies chart between 300 to 500 and more dollars and then it becomes very difficult to coordinate with them. The guest will decide whether he or she wants to come. I would rather have people who are simple guests but who are very involved with this whole process.

They want to come.

They are looking for value. You know then it makes sense but don't look at it that you will want to commercialize everything. You want to keep all the profits and the podcast host will die in poverty. That is where the potpet begins. That is where the problem is. So you have to be careful who is here to take, take, take. You have to be careful who is here to also sit across the table on equal footing and then talk about. So you have to be also very careful in terms of a host. Create a value for yourself. Do not endorse people who are there to only take, take, take. Then do not promote them later on. You will regret it and you will be facing, when you face, all these problems. You will be all alone. If people who are making money out of what you are doing for them, let them contribute in terms of sponsorship, in terms of presenting your shows, in terms of aiding you in whatever way, you can't just say, oh listen, I was on a book tour. I am a simple book writer. I have spent $100,000 and given to any agency. I cannot do anything. But can you please, you know, on priority, because my book launch is next week, can you give me priority response. I want to talk to my book. Don't do that, yeah yeah, that is you have to be very clear about it, yeah, if you don't do it. As I said again, I repeat, the pod match way is the only way for the podcasting industry to move forward. If it does not happen, you will continue to have what paid good people. Why will they come and spend their time? Not to make millions for you, but also to make you know their life easy. Creation and good content creation is almost like a full time job, even if you make it look like you are doing as a side hustle, but actually it is not.

If you want to do it.

It will take, otherwise I will not have any guests. Then I will keep on talking about solo podcasting. That will not add any value to that. There are so many things, but again, I repeat, pod match way is the only way forward for the podcasting industry.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I agree with that, and that's actually I don't know why other platforms still adopt that thing, because you are in value to the guests, as you say, and they're coming and selling their stuff and sometimes it's not really adding value to your show or your audience, but for new podcasters, pod match is a really great way to start making money right off the bat. So, yeah, thank you for mentioning that. All right, so what is RJ grateful for today?

Okay, I am grateful. Is that the question? What are you Am?

I grateful.

I am grateful for being able to talk to you. I am grateful for being on this planet. I am grateful. There are so many things to be grateful for. I don't know how to thank almighty or anything, or even the glass of water you know that I'm able to drink. Without the God's permission, you will not be able to have one next step or a nanosecond forward, and that is where I don't have to be extra grateful for anything. If grateful should become a part of your life and the more you understand life, the more you will understand a tree a tree related with fruits will always bow in that gratitude, you know, and people who will be empty vessels, they will always keep on making that noise. We need to keep that distinction in life. Some people will always see the glass empty, half glass empties. Some people will always see a half glass or even a little bit of glass with water. As a lot of you know, with a lot of gratitude, I have seen a bit of life and with that experience I can say it is. This whole living itself is such a big blessing if we see it the right way.

Awesome. I really appreciate you for coming and talking to us today. Any parting shots?

Thank you very much. Thank you for this, you know, for I'm very happy to be on your show and being able to talk and talk the way I am the talk, the talk, the way. You know, I would always like to be myself and it's such a pleasure to talk to you, to, through you, to a whole new audience altogether.

It's really awesome. I appreciate you, thank you. Thank you so much.