Thanks for considering a guest appearance on the JumpLeap Long-Term Podcast!
Hi, This is Francis Wade and thanks for responding to my invitation.
If we have already spoken, you may already know some of this information, but in case I didn’t cover everything here are some details that may help you gain the most from of this experience.
Why the podcast? To provide our audience with practical solutions to specific, “wicked” problem in the area of 15–30-year, game changing strategic plans. To be more clear, in each episode we tackle a single, specific problem that does not have a simple solution.
How is this different? In our podcast conversation, we are looking to have a deeper than average discussion.
Our ultimate goal? To uncover some new aspect of the chosen problem…a fresh insight that we didn’t have before the start of the discussion. Something serendipitous. This means that we should end up far beyond the world of cliches, popular memes and conventional wisdom. Sometimes we get there in a single episode, sometimes we don’t. But we’ll try!
To accomplish this goal, I ask you to nominate a problem you are “working” on that neither you nor I have completely solved. As such, this is not an interview. (See below).
As such, the first part of each show is devoted to defining the problem in a way that should be brand new for listeners. In other words, as we diagnose the issue, they should get excited by the depth of knowledge we bring to the teardown.
This part should help them start to find solutions, in real time, as they listen. We spend about twice as much time here as we do in the next part.
The second part of the show is spent searching for solutions. The final segment deals with implementing them.
Logistics: Each show takes about 50-75 minutes to record. But we’ll need about 90 minutes in total time in your calendar to set things up, record and wrap things up at the end. Come to the call ready to be video-taped.
Interested? – Jump to the section on Next Steps. Or keep reading.
Sample Topics: To start with, here is a list suggested of points or topics I’d like to cover during the current season of the podcast. A few have been covered in the episodes recorded so far, and if you want to make sure we don’t cover something twice, check the list of prior episodes.
However, most guests have their own list of interesting problems, so come prepared with a few candidates.
Preparation: Unlike other “show-up-and-have-a-chat” podcasts, this one requires prior preparation. During the hour-long pre-call, we’ll go over the problem we plan to tackle and some of the resources we may use or refer to.
I will need a short bio and a picture.
Target Audience: Our ideal listeners are “sponsors” (aka champions) of a corporate strategic planning project intended to produce a game-changing, long-term plan. They will be paying to listen to the full podcast – most of our broadcasts are intended for the paid subscribers of the JumpLeap Newsletter.
Who would pay? The listener could be a top executive, staff member, board member or even an outside consultant. Their job is to organize the strategic planning effort and manage the process from start to finish.
More importantly, they are exploring the possibility of a 15-30-year, game-changing strategic plan.
Chances are, they haven’t ever been in a workshop to produce an interwoven short/long-term strategic plan. This is their first-time. And they are well aware that there are some who argue that life is changing too fast to make long-term plans. In fact, someone above them in their organization’s hierarchy might believe this is true.
As such, they come to the podcast looking to solve a real challenge. Our job in the podcast is to help them make progress.
Access to the Full Recording: We publish the first 10-15 minutes of the podcast to the public via an RSS feed. However, the entire recording will only be available to subscribers of the JumpLeap Long-Term Strategy Newsletter.
However, we will be promoting clips from all portions of the podcast. FYI, a monthly subscription to the full archive is currently $7 per month. Also, anyone can hear your recording via a free trial.
Your Commercial Objectives: In our pre-call, let’s get your goals clearly defined. You may want to promote a book, or build your list, or just create some brand awareness. We’ll discuss any specific measurable results you are aiming for and ways this experience can help accomplish them.
Our way of accomplishing these objectives is a bit different. The traditional way involves advertising your prior accomplishments, or share the answers you have uncovered to particular problems. It’s an approach which relies on “telling.”
In our podcast, you’ll be demonstrating the quality of your thinking in real time. Therefore, it’s more about “showing.”.
Think of it like walking up to a blackboard to solve a math problem in real-time…with everyone watching!
Fun: While this may sound like your worst nightmare, the key to making this work is to have some fun. Chances are…we’ll both be in the flow state, losing track of time, and will probably forget that we are being recorded! Such is the nature of this approach.
To add to the fun, we use bells and buzzers during the interview to show when something new or original is taking place…or not.
Having said that…this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
Promotion: To help you alert your audience, I’ll provide you with swipe files and graphics. We’ll promote the episode to past/future attendees of the Long-Term Strategy Conference, Linkedin, Twitter and YouTube.
Not an Interview
Just to reiterate…this is not a typical podcast interview where your career or book or training course or solutions are the subject of the episode. No offense intended, but I am inviting you to engage in solving a fresh challenge our audience currently faces. It’s one you have not yet solved.
Consequently, if you already have the answer up your sleeve…this won’t be the right format. But if you have only a half-answer…or some intelligent guesses… perfect! That’s our pathway to having a spontaneous bit of serendipity which our audience appreciates. Our audience loves this!
If you can’t think of a problem, here’s a suggestion: go to the edges of your solution(s) and search for cases where it doesn’t work all the time.
Your Next Step
If you’re interested, first, complete this application form. You will find a link in the form to this list of suggested, possible topics.
Then, send me a meeting link from my calendar to set up our 45-60 min pre-call. You can also share your idea/problem/issue in the calendar invite or via email or Linkedin.
During the pre-call we’ll complete a guideline template to help us put a discussion outline together.
I look forward to talking with you.
Francis