Quenton Garrett: 5 Things You Need To Know To Create A Very Successful Podcast

An Interview With Jason Hartman

Always do a pre-interview to make sure the guest you want has the same motives as you in mind and would be suitable for your audience/someone who conversation would benefit from each other.

As part of my series of interviews about “5 things you need to know to create a very successful podcast”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Quenton Garrett.

Quenton Garrett, host of “The Truth Tales Podcast” has prided himself in being an advocate to young men and women while also bringing awareness to mental health. He is a family man who puts other people in front of himself, no matter the cost, and will help anyone succeed in their life. Quenton is determined and motivated in every aspect of his life and wishes to bring joy and change to the people around him.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit of your “personal backstory? What is your background and what eventually brought you to this particular career path?

I was born in Akron, Ohio and raised in Montgomery, Alabama. I am very social and was always the person who carried himself with a joyful attitude and nothing but a positive outlook on life. Through any trial or tribulation, with the loss of my father at the age of 11 being the biggest one, I was able to face any battle with my head held high and heart strong. As I went through school, I was always the center of attention both in a positive and negative light. With having albinism, sometimes things become a bit difficult, discouraging me, but also reminding me that I can get through anything based on my previous experiences. Instead of using that experience to excel in my academics, I used that motivation to be the center of attention in everything I did, causing my academics to fall. I eventually had to leave school, but after leaving I was given the opportunity to move to Los Angeles, CA to pursue acting and entertainment. While in California, I truly began to understand my purpose and why I do what I do and it was also the time I met my wife and was then given the blessing of our beautiful daughter. My family gave me a sense of purpose that no words can describe, showing me that, with my voice, I can make a huge difference. Watching how hard my wife worked to take care of our little girl, it reminded me how hard my mom worked to take care of her four boys after the death of her husband. This drove me to not only want to excel in podcasting to provide them with the lifestyle they deserve but it also motivated me to inspire other individuals, to remain focused, and keep going because although the light may seem far, at the end of the tunnel a lot of character will be built on the journey to reach it.

Can you share a story about the most interesting thing that has happened to you since you started podcasting?

The most interesting thing happened recently. I was able to speak at a Nano Influencer Summit with a well-known social influencer in the ABC Islands with four other speakers in front of almost 200 people. This was my first experience doing a live public speaking event, which is a dream of mine. I look forward to doing more to share my experience and inspire others.

It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

My funniest mistake was attempting to get artificial followers on Instagram in order to boost my credibility and audience, but my account ended up being banned for doing so and I learned that I need to do things the right way even in the seemingly smallest things and if I trust God, it will work out just how it’s supposed to in the end.

How long have you been podcasting and how many shows have you aired?

I have been podcasting for around 6 months and I have 10 episodes aired. I had a spike of success early on and am looking forward to many more seasons and growth.

What are the main takeaways, lessons or messages that you want your listeners to walk away with after listening to your show?

I want my listeners to understand the importance of taking care of your mental health as well as understanding that whatever dream you’re trying to accomplish will not come easy, but it won’t be impossible to reach with self-motivation and determination. I want people to also look at me and hear my story and what I went through as a living example that no matter what obstacle you go through, even if it looks like it’s meant to break you, it will only make you stronger and get you to the level of success you’d like to gain.

In your opinion what makes your podcast binge-listenable? What do you think makes your podcast unique from the others in your category? What do you think is special about you as a host, your guests, or your content?

I believe that my podcast holds a sense of uniqueness that differentiates it from other podcasts. I am not doing this for views or for reputation, but I am doing it to provide guidance and inspiration to individuals who feel alone and stuck in a stagnant place. I am very unique myself and have experienced a lot that in other cases may have caused someone to give up, but instead I decided to use my stories to be an inspiration to others and hopefully encourage at least one person to see that the sky’s the limit and you can achieve anything you set your mind to.

Doing something on a consistent basis is not easy. Podcasting every work-day, or even every week can be monotonous. What would you recommend to others about how to maintain discipline and consistency? What would you recommend to others about how to avoid burnout?

To help with consistency, create a schedule on when you need to get things done and make sure you hold yourself accountable because life will get in the way sometimes. It’s also good to find an accountability partner that will tell you what you need to hear and not sugarcoat it to keep you in check and on track. To avoid burnout, keep constant watch of your limits and always be mindful of the signs that you are becoming stressed and overwhelmed. Don’t ignore the signs and think they are temporary because it will only gain strength as you push them off. You don’t want to miss out on your dreams due to overworking yourself. Don’t be afraid to take a break when needed; you need to work on yourself to be successful.

What resources do you get your inspiration for materials from?

I get my motivation from several places. Most of my inspiration comes from my own life experiences. I also listen to other podcasts such as Secrets to Success ft Eric Thomas. It talks about the life struggles people may go through.

Ok fantastic. Let’s now shift to the main questions of our discussion. Is there someone in the podcasting world who you think is a great model for how to run a really fantastic podcast? What are the ingredients that make that podcast so successful?

Eric Thomas runs a phenomenally structured podcast. It may sometimes seem as though they are talking about the same things in their podcasts but it’s revamped and different every time and is engaging for the audience, especially for those who want to know tangible things to do in order to become successful.

You are a very successful podcaster yourself. Can you share with our readers the five things you need to know to create an extremely successful podcast? (Please share a story or example for each, if you can.)

1. Invest in technology and products such as a mic and headset and recording/editing program
2. Know your audience — ex: mine is focused on people who are interested in social issues, mental health, steps to success, etc.
3. Remain consistent
4. Stay true to yourself and don’t change to be like anybody else
5. Stay patient — success doesn’t come overnight, it takes time and effort to gain genuine listeners

Can you share some insight from your experience about the best ways to: 1) book great guests; 2) increase listeners; 3) produce it in a professional way; 4) encourage engagement; and 5) the best way to monetize it? (Please share a story or example for each, if you can.)

1. Always do a pre-interview to make sure the guest you want has the same motives as you in mind and would be suitable for your audience/someone who conversation would benefit from each other
2. Promote on all social medias and local businesses and gain sponsors
3. Focus on your delivery and building your credibility and speak truth
4. Trial and error and figuring out your niche and sticking with it; change up your delivery
5. By gaining sponsors, doesn’t need to be big names start small in your community

For someone looking to start their own podcast, which equipment would you recommend that they start with?

In the beginning, stay within your means. Get whatever is affordable, you don’t need expensive equipment just starting. You can get a mic and headset on amazon. You also will need a hosting website. The last thing is to have discipline, you have to build the habits to stay consistent.

Ok. We are almost done. :-) Because of your position and work, you are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the greatest amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I currently work in and am extremely passionate about the mental health field. In the future, I would like to begin doing more public speaking and setting up charity events that would bring awareness to mental health and issues.

How can our readers follow you online?

The Truth Tales Podcast — On Instagram

The Truth Tales Podcast Website

Thank you so much for sharing your time and your excellent insights! We wish you continued success.

About The Interviewer: Jason Hartman is the Founder and CEO of Empowered Investor. Jason has been involved in several thousand real estate transactions and has owned income properties in 11 states and 17 cities. Empowered Investor helps people achieve The American Dream of financial freedom by purchasing income property in prudent markets nationwide. Jason’s Complete Solution for Real Estate Investors™ is a comprehensive system providing real estate investors with education, research, resources and technology to deal with all areas of their income property investment needs. Through Jason’s podcasts, educational events, referrals, mentoring and software to track your investments, investors can easily locate, finance and purchase properties in these exceptional markets with confidence and peace of mind.

Starting with very little, Jason, while still in college at the age of 19, embarked on a career in real estate. While brokering properties for clients, he was investing in his own portfolio along the way. Through creativity, persistence and hard work, he earned a number of prestigious industry awards and became a young multi-millionaire. Jason purchased a California real estate brokerage firm that was later acquired by Coldwell Banker. He combined his dedication and business talents to become a successful entrepreneur, public speaker, author, and media personality. Over the years he developed his Complete Solution for Real Estate Investors™ where his innovative firm educates and assists investors in acquiring prudent investments nationwide for their portfolio. Jason’s sought after educational events, speaking engagements, and his popular “Creating Wealth Podcast” inspire and empower hundreds of thousands of people in 189 countries worldwide.

While running his successful real estate and media businesses, Jason also believes that giving back to the community plays an important role in building strong personal relationships. He established The Jason Hartman Foundation in 2005 to provide financial literacy education to young adults providing the all-important real world skills not taught in school which are the key to the financial stability and success of future generations. We’re in a global monetary crisis caused by decades of misguided policies and the cycle of financial dependence has to be broken, literacy and self-reliance are a good start. Visit JasonHartman.com for free materials and resources.