What if one book could change the way you tell stories, connect with your audience, or even see your own podcast? In this episode of the School of Podcasting, I asked a simple question: “If you found out someone was a content creator, what book would you recommend?” — and the responses were pure gold.You’ll hear from working podcasters, educators, business owners, and storytellers sharing the books that sharpened their craft, grew their communities, and kept them going when numbers and algorithms tried to wear them down. Along the way, I share my own must‑reads and pay tribute to a podcasting legend whose work shaped an entire generation of creators. If you’re ready to level up your show — not with more gear, but with better thinking, storytelling, and heart — this is the episode you’ll want to queue up next.<h2>Participants</h2>Kim Newlove<a href="https://thepharmacistvoice.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Pharmacist Voice Podcast</a><a href="https://perrysburgpodcast.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Perrysburg Podcast</a>Ralph Estep Jr.<a href="https://www.contentcreatorsaccountant.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Content Creators Accountant</a><a href="https://ralphestepjr.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://ralphestepjr.com</a>Chris Nessi<a href="https://www.chrisnesi.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">House of EdTech</a>Mark Lawley<a href="https://practicalprepping.info" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Practical Prepping Podcast</a>Nancy May (with co‑host Sylvia France)<a href="https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Family Tree Food Stories Podcast</a>Dave Cohen<a href="https://www.davecohen.org.uk/the-shakespeare-mindset/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Shakespeare Mindset</a>Tom Haley<a href="https://www.bluegrassregionvoicesandviews.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bluegrass Region Voices and Views</a><h2>Books Mentioned</h2><a href="https://geni.us/redthread" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Find Your Red Thread: Make Your Big Ideas</a> - Tamsen Webster<a href="https://geni.us/tomwebsterbook" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Audience Is Listening: A Little Guide to Building a Big Podcast</a> – Tom Webster<a href="https://geni.us/carnegie-win-friends" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">How to Win Friends and Influence People</a> - Dale Carnegie<a href="https://geni.us/sacred-cows" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sacred Cows Make the Best Burgers</a> – Robert J. Kriegel, David Brandt<a href="https://geni.us/twelve-garyv" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">12 and a Half: Leveraging the Emotional Ingredients Necessary for Business Success</a> – Gary Vaynerchuk<a href="https://geni.us/acres-of-diamonds" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Acres of Diamonds</a> – Jentezen Franklin<a href="https://geni.us/awesome-name" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hello, My Name Is Awesome: How to Create Brand Names That Stick</a> – Alexandra Watkins<a href="https://geni.us/into-the-woods-story" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Into the Woods: A Five-Act Journey Into Story</a> – John Yorke<a href="https://geni.us/strong-podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Build a Strong Podcast: From Creation to Captivated Audience</a> – Jennifer Longworth<a href="https://geni.us/makenoise" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Make Noise: A Creator’s Guide to Podcasting and Great Audio Storytelling</a><a href="https://geni.us/makenoise" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> </a>– Eric Nuzum<a href="https://geni.us/storyworthy-dicks" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life Through the Power of Storytelling</a> – Matthew Dicks<a href="https://geni.us/platform-michael-hyatt" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World – A Step-by-Step Guide for Anyone with Something to Say or Sell</a> – Michael Hyatt<a href="https://geni.us/big-podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Big Podcast: Grow Your Podcast Audience, Build Listener Loyalty, and Get Everybody Talking About Your Show</a><a href="https://geni.us/big-podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> </a>– David Hooper<a href="https://geni.us/start-a-podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">So You Want to Start a Podcast: Finding Your Voice, Telling Your Story, and Building a Community That Will Listen</a> – Kristen Meinzer<a href="https://geni.us/out-on-wire" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Out on the Wire: The Storytelling Secrets of the New Masters of Radio</a> – Jessica Abel<a href="https://geni.us/valerie-geller" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Beyond Powerful Radio: A Communicator’s Guide to the Internet Age</a> – Valerie Geller<a href="https://geni.us/dynamic-communication" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Secrets of Dynamic Communication: Prepare with Focus, Deliver with Clarity, Speak with Power</a> – Ken Davis<a href="https://geni.us/sponsormagnet" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sponsor Magnet</a> – Justin Moore<a href="https://www.profitfromyourpodcast.com/book" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Profit from Your Podcast: Turn Your Listeners into a Livelihood</a> – Dave JacksonLooking for more books on podcasting? <a href="https://geni.us/podcasting-books" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Check here</a><h2>In Honor of John C. Dvorak</h2><a href="https://geni.us/grief-recovery" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Grief Recovery Handbook: The Action Program for Moving Beyond Death, Divorce, and Other Losses</a><a href="https://geni.us/grief-recovery" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> </a>(20th Anniversary Expanded Edition) – John W. James, Russell FriedmanJohn was an amazing broadcaster. <a href="https://podcastingobservations.com/p/impacting-your-audience" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">More thoughts on John's Impact.</a>Mentioned in this episode:Build the Website You Want with PodpagePodpage is flexible. If you want to promote something you can put it in the sidebar, on the front page, or at the bottom of every episode (not to mention the navigation bar, the footer and more). Podpage is designed specifically for podcasts. Quit trying to squeeze your podcast into a website made for a yoga studio. Start your free trial at podpage.com/preview<a href="https://school-of-podcasting.captivate.fm/podpage">Podpage</a>Podcasting Six WeeksReady to start your podcast? Podcasting in Six Weeks gives aspiring podcasters a proven, step-by-step system to launch with confidence. Stop overthinking and start publishing. Enroll today and your podcast could be live in just six weeks. Classes start August 19th<a href="https://school-of-podcasting.captivate.fm/six-weeks">Podcasting in Six Weeks</a>Question of the Month: The Smallest Amount of DownloadsWe all want a bigger audience. We all put a lot of work into our shows. With this in mind, what is the smallest amount of downloads you would do the show for? If it drops below a number would you stop, or put effort into finding out why?
Does the size of your audience matter?
Go to schoolofpodcasting.com/question by August 28th (and don't forget to say a little bit about your show and your website address so I can link to it in the notes)<a href="https://school-of-podcasting.captivate.fm/start">School of Podcasting</a>Live AppearancesI love to meet people when I'm on the road. I'm going to be at 
Empowered Podcasting Conference in Charlotte NC
Podcast Movement in NYC
Podindy in Indianapolis In.
For more information and links, go to schoolofpodcasting.com/where
To have me speak at your event, reach out at schoolofpodcasting.com/contacnt<a href="https://school-of-podcasting.captivate.fm/where">Where Will I Be?</a>

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