We had the good fortune of connecting with Joe Ennis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joe, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Since I was in high-school at my first job (Starbucks), I had always wanted to be my own boss. I was always told that I was a good manager, and I enjoyed doing things my way.

I began creating podcasts right after high school with a friend. I figured that it was a form of content that I could do by myself, and not need a team behind me to help. I learned that I was pretty good at it after meeting with local podcast companies, and decided that it was something I wanted to turn into a career.

I worked for a couple of companies as a podcast producer. The most impactful being for Anik Singal (The Fighting Entrepreneur, Lurn Inc.). Working for him helped me learn a TON about what it looked like to run your own agency as an entrepreneur.

After I left Lurn I jumped into Podcasts By Joe full time and never looked back.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
One of the things that sets Podcasts By Joe apart from other agencies is that we care about what happens after the episode is finished and published.

We want businesses to take as much advantage as they can of the content they create. That’s why we not only offer podcast recording/editing, but also YouTube channels, micro-content for social media, blogs, and more.

Podcasts are an amazing structure for recording content, because they can be so easily recycled. We put as much emphasis on other forms of content as we do on the podcast itself.

It was not easy to get to this point, but that is part of the fun of being an entrepreneur and agency owner. The journey.

Looking back over the journey of the last 4 years has been amazing. There have been huge ups and downs. Overall, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I love what I do and wouldn’t want to do anything else.

The biggest lessons that I have learned along the way are…

#1. Be wise with the money that you receive. I learned early on that taxes are the worst. Don’t make the same mistake I did. Save your money or reinvest back into the business.

#2. Don’t stop working. Anywhere you are, think about what you can do the continue to move the business forward. It is easy as an entrepreneur and as your own boss to want to take breaks, don’t. You won’t last long if you do.

#3. Reach out to people who have gone before you. People love to pass on their knowledge to the next in line. I have been quite surprised with some of the far more successful people who have agreed to meet with me. Mentors are key when running an agency.

If I wanted the world to know one thing about me, it would be that I have a real passion for content creation. Anyone can take advantage of social media, they just need to know the right tools to do it.

I want to help people create their dream show, blog, podcast etc., and the best part of my job is watching it come to life exactly how they saw it in their head.

On top of that, I would also recommend every business that is creating content, or thinking about creating content, think of the most efficient way to create 20 posts/month, and do it. If you can make even 20 posts/month, you are ahead of the curve.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Wow. Well this is a tough one as I don’t tend to leave my house all that often, but when I do, I enjoy downtown Frederick a lot. There are some great restaurants up there (White Rabbit is my favorite).

In Gaithersburg, you should check out Barking Mad Cafe. I am currently writing this from there! Great coffee, great people, great spot.

If you want to do something unique and a little strange, check out Monster Mini Golf. It is a black lit mini golf spot and I am pretty sure it is owned by the band KISS. Cool place. I shot a 26 there once. Try and beat my record.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Well I could thank so many people. My parents obviously come to mind first as being the best support that I could ask for.

In terms of my current career path, I want to shout out Charlie Birney (Podville Media). Charlie was the first one that gave me a shot as a 18 year old kid. He taught me a lot and I can’t thank him enough.

I also want to shout out Anik Singal (The Fighting Entrepreneur, Lurn Inc.). Anik was extremely influential to my career. His example of growing a thriving business, and his passion for entrepreneurship gave me the confidence to jump into my agency full time.

Website: podcastsbyjoe.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-ennis-56a52615b/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHU0dylEsDvU_NN2kPXvHuQ

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