For professionals in training, learning and development, we explore how to support organizational performance through learning.
For professionals in training, learning and development, we explore how to support organizational performance through learning.
"The best advice I can offer is to relax. Podcasts should be clear but don't need to be perfect."
Today Scott Rutherford, the creator of AXIOM Insights - Learning and Development Podcast shares his story of management podcast.
► Tell us about you and your podcast
The AXIOM Insights Learning & Development Podcast is hosted by Scott Rutherford. Scott began his career in print and broadcast journalism before moving into corporate roles, and has had leadership roles with the continuing education unit of the University of California, Irvine and L&D publisher and analyst Training Industry, where he also was the original producer and co-host of The Business of Learning podcast. He is currently vice president of marketing for learning services company AXIOM Learning Solutions.
The podcast is designed around topics and themes that matter for the learning and development professional. We describe it as focusing on how to drive organizational performance through learning, and as such we do spend some time exploring the strategies of developing effective learning in the workplace and strategies for managing the learning function effectively.
Our listeners are anyone who wants to help their organization grow and achieve, and more specifically to do so with the effective support of learning and development. This can be a professional within a learning and development or training function, like an instructional designer, a learning strategist, a training manager, etc., but can also be a team leader or manager who's looking for insights about how to support their team members, or professionals in HR who are exploring how to support employee effectiveness and staff retention.
► Why & how did you start this podcast?
My career began with work in radio (as a talk show host, a DJ and as a news reporter and anchor), so my start in podcasting felt like a return to my roots, in a way. I listen to a variety of podcasts daily. Some serious, but many not! I enjoy the variety. "No Such Thing as a Fish," produced by the researchers behind the British TV show QI, is a particular favorite.
The AXIOM Insights Learning & Development Podcast was created as a way to create a conversation with other professionals in our line of work. As an organization, AXIOM has more than 20 years of experience managing L&D projects and professionals, and we saw the podcast as a way to share what we've learned and to explore what's next in the L&D profession. While we do occasionally talk about the work we do, we're very intentional that the podcast is not promotional. It's about sharing ideas and being collaborative.
The podcast launched its first episode in April, 2022. The first episode came together reasonably quickly because our guests were the president of AXIOM, Herb Blanchard, talking about his many decades of experience in the field, and we were joined by the co-founder of Training Industry, Doug Harward, who both Herb and I have known for many years.
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► How'd you find the time and funding to do this podcast?
New episodes are released monthly, more or less. Production time for each episode can vary considerably. We've had episodes with multiple guests, and the coordination and production time can increase somewhat exponentially as we add more people, as we coordinate everyone's availability or try to bring together the episode through editing.
I'm fortunate that the production of the podcast falls under the umbrella of my "day job" at AXIOM, and as such we have the support of the company behind its production, marketing, distribution, etc.
► What do you gain from podcasting?
As I mentioned earlier, we try to keep the content of the podcast informational, not promotional. It is a production of AXIOM Learning Solutions, and as such the business is the sole underwriter and sponsor. We close most episodes with an "about AXIOM" message, but that's kept separate from the content of the conversation of each episode.
The podcast is part of AXIOM's strategy to engage with and provide information that's useful to our colleagues, which we also do by publishing articles (on our own website and through third-party industry publications), speaking at industry conferences, hosting webinars, etc. And of course, one of the intended outcomes of the podcast project is to support the business.
► How does your podcasting process look like?
In the first 18 months of the podcast, it was audio-only. It's rare that our guests are in our studio in person, and so most episodes are recorded virtually using Zoom or Zencastr, and editing/production in Audacity. Moving forward, we're introducing video, which will mean changing our production process and tools somewhat, including the inclusion of a video editor like Adobe Premiere.
► How do you market your show?
We've found that our new listeners come to the podcast series based on their interest in a specific episode/topic, and most new listeners find us through referrals on Linkedin and similar social sharing. Repeat listeners are a combination of subscribers (iTunes, Spotify, etc.) and subscribers to our email list. New episodes are shared by email, social media and on our website.
► What advice would you share with aspiring (new) podcasters?
The best advice I can offer is to relax. Podcasts should be clear but don't need to be perfect. People want to listen to a conversation. So once you have the basics covered - including making sure your microphone setup is clear - just relax a little and talk.
I've found it interesting and helpful to listen to the advice of other podcasters, of course! For example, Jamie Jeffers, who hosts the British History Podcast, at one point released an episode about "how to start a podcast." It's good advice from someone who's built a very good series over many years.
► Where can we learn more about you & your podcasts?
I'm always glad to connect on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sjrutherford
The podcast series home page is: https://axiomlearningsolutions.com/podcast
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