Cultural Fit

I am super excited by the prospect of joining a positive team environment of nice people and participating in the monthly book club and masterclass group! Have you read The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership: A New Paradigm for Sustainable Success? I love that book and it aligns with how I feel working as a leader and as part of a team should be. Your Core Values of the “GIVE BACK” model really appeal to me. I strongly resonate with your requirement for "Nice" people! To me, this element is essential for a productive, long-term partnership. I get a little lonely freelancing and I would be grateful to be part of a team again.

Technology & AI

I personally build my own websites, sales funnels, and lead magnets using platforms like Systeme.io and Google Sites. I’ve used Dreamweaver and Wordpress in the past, but find the integrations of these other platforms essential (especially with Systeme). I use Cloudflare to manage my DNS and have a basic understanding of databases, JSON, HTML, and markup. I work daily with AI as a collaborator for brainstorming, editing, coding, and content generation. Leveraging my years of experience as an AI Data Trainer and Prompt Engineer to improve my workflow, I utilize AI to its full potential as much as possible, even using it recently to create all the animations for a community theater performance I co-directed!

Software

I have the Adobe Creative Cloud suite and a general knowledge of all of the apps included. I have varying levels of competency throughout, and am working on learning more with Premier Pro. I also use Premier Rush, Photoshop, and InDesign in my projects. I am not expert level at any of these, but I am functional and learn easily. The tutorials are amazing, and I can always ask AI for assistance when I cannot figure something out. When I was a Sales Engineer, I used SalesForce and was proficient with that CRM platform. I learn new software easily.

Sales & Business

I enjoy sales calls and converting leads. I don’t mind cold calling, in fact, I kind of enjoy the thrill of the hunt! Solution based sales is where I perform and feel my best. I like to help people and solve problems. When writing sales material, the PASTOR method is my favorite framework. I excelled in B2B industrial sales (pneumatics and hydraulics) with a long sales cycle. Relationship building is key. I am very motivated by financial rewards to deliver results.

Attention to Detail & Optimization

My attention to detail drives my work (and perhaps my perfectionism lol). I can’t not-see inconsistencies and errors. It led me to notice a few opportunities for improvement in your material, which you may find useful and I address in the accompanying package, following the writing samples. This includes an inconsistency on your website and an error in a podcast timestamp.

Optimization is also one of my traits. Being a daily viewer of Podcasts on YouTube (2-4 hours daily), I noticed something important holding your channel back. The amazing conversations and RISE25 hosts aren't getting the views they deserve. The core of the content is fantastic, but the YouTube packaging is accidentally making people scroll right past or click away. It looks like you have been trying some A/B testing and variations and still getting limited results. When the video is opened, it looks more like a Zoom meeting than the type of video content that YouTube viewers engage with. It feels like the channel is currently functioning as a passive podcast library instead of the active visual discovery channel it needs to be to unlock growth. I’ve included an analysis in the final section of this package that shows how we can fix that with simple, smart changes like better video hooks, dynamic editing, and attention-grabbing titles to quickly boost views, get more subscribers, and make sure the effort put into these great interviews expands across YouTube for the thousands of views it deserves.

Availability

I have flexible availability, and do not require minimum hours. I can invest extra time to finish projects on schedule, and take time off when things are slower. I thrive with the freedom to produce the best results, sometimes in the early morning hours, sometimes late at night, I utilize my most productive times to produce my top level work.

Hourly Rate

For ghostwriting and technical writing, my freelance hourly rates are $70 / hour, however, I would be receptive to hourly pay in the $35+ range for Content Creation to start. Your extra bonus incentives are very appealing to me, like a friendly team of people, a structure with repeating content needs, a steady stream of work I don’t have to source, the book club (yay!), mastermind classes (woo-hoo!), plus the collaborative environment. In a sales role I enjoy and am very motivated by commission or performance based incentives. I’m really flexible and if we are a good match I’m confident we can work out a mutually beneficial deal. Fitting in and working with people I like means a lot to me. It’s a little lonely freelancing, and I really resonate with your Core Values and the GIVE BACK model.

Reformatted for Readability: Please note that the original transcript verbatim has been edited for the reader experience. This means that filler words and speech patterns have been cleaned up for better flow and reading, to convey the messages clearly without the interpretation boundary between spoken and written words.

Smart Business Revolution: Recommendations & Industry Insights

“The Biggest Issues Impacting Podcasts Today and How to Stay Ahead With John Corcoran”

John Corcoran / Chad Franzen

November 26, 2025

Transcript:

Welcome to a slightly different format! Today, I (John Corcoran, your host) am being interviewed by Chad from Rise 25. We're diving into my recommendations for a book, a productivity tool, a story of a thought leader I respect, and discussing a few key issues affecting the podcasting industry today.

A note from the host: The Smart Business Revolution Podcast features top entrepreneurs, business leaders, and thought leaders, exploring how they built key relationships to get where they are today. This show is brought to you by Rise 25, your easy button for launching and running a profitable B2B podcast. We handle strategy, accountability, and full production. Learn more at rise25.com or email us at support@rise25.

Recommendations & Insights: An Interview with John Corcoran

Chad: Thanks so much, John. Great to be here. I'm looking forward to getting a few recommendations from you: a book/podcast, a helpful tool, a thought leader you respect, and your insights on a B2B podcasting industry issue. Let’s start with a book or podcast. What have you been reading lately?

Book Recommendation: Michael Pollan

1 min 50 sec

John: Absolutely. I’ve been on quite the Michael Pollan kick. He's known for The Omnivore's Dilemma and a number of other books. He calls himself a "garden writer" and mostly writes about plants and human interactions with them. I recently read The Botany of Desire, How to Change Your Mind, and his most recent one, This is Your Mind on Plants.

He breaks down different plants—like the cocoa bean in coffee—and examines the cultural and legal history around them. For example, he did an experiment where he went off caffeine while writing that chapter, which he describes as a bit of a disaster! They are very well-researched, well-written, and mind-boggling when you think about the weird laws we have around naturally growing plants.

Chad: Regarding the book on plants—as someone who drinks coffee straight from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.—was there anything that personally affected you or changed the way you think about consumption?

John: The interesting thing about caffeine is that it's generally been determined by society that it affects us in a positive way. It makes our society much more productive because it allows workers to work longer hours. The downside, of course, is that it affects our sleep, which researchers say impacts our longevity and lifespan. It's a vicious cycle: we take more caffeine to stay up, which affects our sleep.

I say this as someone who enjoys coffee every day, but I have cut down on my intake since reading the book. If you read it, you'll probably feel the same impulse to cut back a little.

Chad: Is there a line you can walk? If you cut off all coffee after 1:00 p.m., would that impact your sleep less?

John: An interesting statistic I read was about the half-life of coffee. Twelve hours after you've consumed coffee, about 25% of it is still in your body affecting you. Cutting it off earlier in the day is definitely a move toward improving your sleep that evening.

Recommended Tool: The Productivity Game Changer, Whispr Flow

6 min 12 sec

Chad: All right, let's move on to a tool you might recommend to listeners.

John: This is one I've been crazy about, especially after I recently hurt my finger playing football with my kids and have been hunting and pecking while typing. I'm using it even more now: Whispr Flow.

It's a speech-to-text tool where you hold down a key and dictate your words. You can actually dictate about twice as fast as you can type. When you get in the habit of using it, you’ll be surprised how much more productive you can be, and it helps with things like carpal tunnel.

The amazing thing is its accuracy. It's much more accurate than any other tool I’ve used, including the built-in technology on iPhones and Androids. It can even format things—if you correct yourself, it often picks that up and will insert the other words. You can even say "list three things in a row" and it will format them as bullets.

Chad: I used to work with someone who dictated all their emails, and we often had to ask them to translate their messages because they weren't clear. I'm guessing Whispr Flow helps work around that?

John: It does. I get a lot of dictated messages now where the text clearly didn't spit out well. With Whispr Flow, it is far more likely to be accurate.

Thought Leadership & Authority: Jordan Harbinger

9 min 43 sec

Chad: Who is a thought leader you respect and admire?

John: I have to mention my old friend, Jordan Harbinger. Jordan is an OG in the podcasting space. He is like the Edward Murrow of Podcasting. When we write the history of podcasting, his name has to be up there. He does an amazing job with interviews, going to a depth of vulnerability that I aspire to reach. He's had a huge variety of experts on his show, from William H. Macy recently to Kobe Bryant back in the day.

Podcasting Industry Issue: Explicit Ratings 

10 min 45 sec

Chad: What's an issue affecting the B2B podcasting industry right now?

John: A common question we get is about swear words and explicit ratings. People often ask if they should label their B2B podcast as "explicit."

My advice is: If your podcast is not aimed at kids, just label it as explicit.

The reason is that if you don't label it, inevitably an episode will slip through where a guest says a swear word, or the algorithm thinks there's a swear word, and Apple or Spotify will label only that single episode as explicit. This single, randomly labeled episode stands out more and drives people crazy because they think it will deter listeners.

If you label the whole show as explicit, the tiny "E" symbol is generally unnoticeable on platforms, and your listeners (who are adults anyway) are focused on the content and the guest, not the rating. It prevents an unnecessary distraction.

Chad: From a B2B standpoint, should hosts generally avoid swearing?

John: You want your podcast to be an accurate reflection of your brand. The highest compliment you can get is when someone meets you after listening to your podcast and says, "You seem just like you are on your podcast."

If your brand is professional and clean, then you should avoid profanity. However, if you would naturally swear in a conversation with a client, you probably have no issue putting it in your podcast. Just make sure the show is an accurate reflection of who you are and who you want your brand to be.

Case Study: Podcasting for Revenue

14 min 20 sec

Chad: Finally, can you share a case study of a business using a podcast to establish thought leadership and authority?

John: I have to give a shout-out to our client, Samir. He has a digital agency in the e-commerce space. Like many businesses, he wanted an authentic way to get into conversations with his ideal clients (ICPs).

He was really disciplined and kept it simple when he started. He didn't get hung up on the artwork or perfect intro music. He used the podcast as a tool to get into conversations with prospective clients, demonstrate his expertise, and build trust.

The result? He told me recently that he could attribute $2 to $3 million in revenue to his business directly from the podcast. That's what happens when you are disciplined, you don't overthink it, and you use the podcast as a highly effective B2B tool.

Chad: Hey John, it's been great to talk to you as always. Thanks so much for having me today.

John: Chad, thank you so much. Thanks, everyone.