Podcasting is about more than just download numbers, which is what most people focus on. Podcasting can be a powerful tool to grow your business if you have the right strategies. That’s what I discuss in this episode with my guest, Steve Ramona. Steve discovered his calling at a young age and is now on a mission to share his secret sauce for success. He thrives on forging meaningful connections, sharing referrals, and watching people flourish. His contagious passion for the “Law of Increase” makes his podcast "Doing Business with a Servant's Heart" so successful. This show is chock-full of inspiring stories about overcoming challenges and serving others. Getting Started in Podcasting A few years Steve got involved with a company named Pantheon in a podcasting capacity. Steve asked for advice about how to get started. The owner told Steve “Just start recording, I don’t care how you get started, what you look like or what happens on each episode. Just hit record and have fun with it.” Steve found his first guests through his network. He went to his them and simply said, “I’m launching a podcast, who wants to be a guest?” Steve had 5-10 quick email responses from people, and he was off and running. Steve believes you can use podcasting as a networking tool, even though a lot of people don’t look at it like that. They look at it as getting the guests, getting the downloads, plays, partial plays and other metrics. Networking is a much more powerful reason to have a podcast. Podcasting as a Networking Tool Regarding podcasting as a networking tool Steve pointed out a few things. When you’re on a podcast you laugh, joke, and get to know your guests. You’re also adding value to their lives because you’re promoting them. They’re excited when you get done recording. Then you both start promoting the episode to share both of your messages. It’s a win-win situation. That’s where the “Law of Increase” comes into play. This happens because of the value you’re offering them from being a guest on your podcast. As a guest, you’ve got their attention.  You’ve got them excited about the show that you’re going to be promoting so their energy level is up. Leverage that in a good way by giving them even more value by helping with their business endeavors and their energy goes up even more. That’s networking at its finest. Steve says that giving them business referrals is the gold trophy, but it doesn't have to be referrals. If they have a podcast, you can offer them resources, guests, or marketing ideas. Don’t immediately try to sell them something. Offer free resources, don’t say “Come to my coaching program, it’s only $199 a month.” People are going to want you, love you and need you down the road one way or the other when you provide value to them first. What’s going to happen at the end of the recording and marketing? Most of the time they’re going to ask you “How can I help you?” They might be able to help you find more guests, support your events if you’re in the event space, support a professional community that you’re involved with or any myriad of other things. Let’s look at that in more detail. Have an “Ask” Ready Early on Steve realized that if he wanted to build his business through his podcast, he had to have an “ask” ready when he and his guests were having discussions about helping each other. In the early days of his podcasting career, he felt he was “selling” them if he brought anything up. He soon realized that you’re never selling if you bring value to the relationship. Bringing value is a natural human interaction in successful relationships. Sometimes that value will be your product or service if it can help them solve a problem or advance their business initiatives. It could be asking them with help growing a professional community that you’re involved with, and so on. In another example, your ask could be for help with an event you’re having by asking them to invite their friends.