Are You Treating Podcast Guesting Like a Hobby Instead of Marketing? – Tom Schwab

Podcast guesting gives you a real shot at making new connections, sharing your expertise, and growing your business. When I sat down with Tom Schwab for this episode of Hustle and Flowchart, we got clear about what makes podcast guesting valuable, if you’re doing it right—and what you should avoid. If you’re curious about how podcast interviews have changed over the years, where AI fits in, and how to get more from every conversation, this summary will help.

You won’t see a list of fancy marketing tricks or big promises. Instead, you’ll hear about how being purposeful, showing up as yourself, and focusing on real conversations helps your business and brand grow. Tom Schwab has booked over 75,000 podcast interviews, done a thousand himself, and helped tons of companies build trust, not just make noise. This episode shares his lessons learned, common mistakes, and tools to make things more efficient.

The Real Value of Podcast Guesting

Podcast guesting isn’t just talking on someone’s show to rack up numbers. Tom Schwab calls out the difference between treating guest spots as a hobby versus a strategic way to grow your business. He says, “Nobody wants to be a podcast guest. That’s an activity. What they want is the results that come from that.”

Key ideas:

• People aren’t searching for more activities—they want results.
• The goal is better leads, stronger trust, and real authority—not just more exposure.
• “You get introduced by the authority,” Tom Schwab explains, meaning you benefit from the trust listeners already have in the host.

When you show up on podcasts, focus your energy on delivering value for the right audience. Saying, “I’m just here to be seen,” doesn’t work. Podcast guesting is about making people feel like they know and trust you, which leads to better business outcomes.

Podcast Evolution: From Hobby to Scalable Marketing

Podcasting has changed a bunch since Tom Schwab started in 2015. Back then, people barely knew what a podcast was. Fast forward to 2018—podcasts became easier to access, and then the COVID years supercharged things, as big companies realized they could reach people without expensive travel.

Key changes:

• Podcast interviews moved from “just something you did” to “a main way people learn, connect, and buy.”
• AI now indexes podcasts, which means your interview content isn’t just reaching people, it’s showing up in search and recommendation engines.
• The host role is demanding—creating meaningful interviews isn’t just hitting record and talking.

Tom Schwab’s stats are wild: over 75,000 interviews booked for others, 1,000+ done himself. He points out, “Being a host is so much harder… The great ones make it look easy.”

Podcast interviews aren’t just about listeners anymore—they’re also being indexed by AI which can recommend your content to more people. The reach goes way beyond just the listeners tuning in every week.

Marketing with Conversation, Not Just Activity

Tom Schwab draws a hard line between doing something for fun and making it useful for your business. Podcast interview marketing means you use each conversation to reach the right leads, build trust, and convert potential clients.

Takeaways:

• The sales process, especially for higher-ticket services, is all about know, like, and trust.
• Being everywhere doesn’t matter. “You can’t say enough of the right things to the wrong people,”
• Quality beats quantity every time.
• You don’t want to “look like a desperate, thirsty guest that will talk anywhere.”

Do more with every interview, instead of just chasing more interviews. Focused, intentional conversations get you further—target shows your ideal clients listen to, make your message relevant, and use each appearance to move people one step closer to working with you.

AI and Podcasting: What’s Changing in 2024

AI isn’t just a tech tool; it’s meaningfully changing how podcasts get heard, recommended, and even re-purposed. Podcast content gets picked up by language models (think ChatGPT and similar), which means your interviews are more discoverable than ever.

Important changes:

• Podcasts and interviews can be indexed by AI, making your insights available through search—even years after you record.
• AI-powered clones (like Delphi) now let people “talk” with your digital self, drawing on everything you’ve ever shared in your podcast interviews.
• Automation is huge, but Tom Schwab warns, “It can destroy trust very quickly” if you’re not honest about what’s AI and what’s real.

Real examples:

• Tom Schwab told a story about getting a client who had listened to a 2018 interview of his—their first question was about his beard!
• Content is evergreen—people may find and act on conversations years after they happen.
• AI can instantly find and serve pieces of your content. Instead of an intern spending months searching, software can pull dozens of podcast clips in minutes.
• Tom Schwab and others now have AI clones on their websites where you can ask questions and get answers from their past interviews.

AI isn’t a threat to human connection—it’s a tool to scale your reach and get the most out of what you’ve already created, if you use it right.

How to Book and Maximize Guest Interviews

Getting booked on other podcasts isn’t about sending out a thousand mass emails. Tom Schwab says, “Pick five shows, not a thousand. Listen to them, leave reviews, engage with the host.” Show you care about what they do before you ask for something in return.

Key steps to book shows:

• Figure out why you want to guest—brand, business growth, connection.
• Find shows your ideal clients really listen to.
• Listen, review, and interact thoughtfully with podcast hosts.
• When you pitch, give value—share what you offer, why their listeners can benefit.
• Only reach out when you know you fit their audience.
• After your interview, ask for introductions; podcasters know other podcasters.

Maximizing value:

• Go into each conversation with a clear goal—what do you want people to know, feel, and do after hearing you?
• Talk about their challenge, not just your own story. “We’re all selling Preparation H, nobody cares about the product, they care about the pain,”
• At the end, send people to one page with multiple ways to connect or learn more (schedule a call, download a book, interact with your AI clone).
• Provide options: direct contact, an AI-powered chat, or bonus resources.

Key point: Don’t be generic. Know your target audience, deliver real help, and make it easy for them to continue the conversation (not just download a PDF and get lost).

The Conversation Economy: Human Connection in a Digital World

The future isn’t all about automation and AI. “We’re moving into a conversation economy,” Tom Schwab says. People want real voices, not just typed words and forms. Podcast interviews work because humans connect through conversation.

Key themes:

• Typing is fading—speaking and listening are the new ways tech and humans interact.
• Automation helps with efficiency, but effectiveness comes from authentic talk.
• “People gravitate toward long-form, collaborative content. Listening in on a conversation.”
• Human connection and honesty build trust. If your audience knows what’s real, they’ll stick with you.
• Podcast content is evergreen—conversations get re-used, found, and referenced for years.

Being honest about what’s AI and what’s human, inviting more real dialogue, and staying generous helps your business stand out in the noise. Trust is harder to build and easier to lose now that AI can mimic voices, so being transparent matters deeply.

Action Steps & Resources

Actionable tips from Tom Schwab and the show:

• Set your goal for being a guest—know what success looks like.
• Find podcasts your ideal clients listen to (leverage interviewvalet.com and AI databases).
• Give value to hosts: listen, review, and engage before you pitch.
• Focus on impact, not numbers. Targeted shows with real audiences beat big shows with little connection.
• After the interview, keep the conversation going—don’t just stop at the end.
• Use tech and AI clones to make your expertise available 24/7.
• Always let people know if your content is AI-generated; honesty protects trust.

Connect with Tom Schwab

• Our Special Link: https://interviewvalet.com/flowcharts
• Interview Valet: https://interviewvalet.com
• X: https://x.com/interviewvalet
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InterviewValet/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/interview-valet/
• YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@interviewvalet
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/interview_valet/

Thanks for Listening

Podcast guesting works when you care more about results than just getting seen everywhere. Tom Schwab shares practical steps for using interviews to build trust, authority, and better leads; not just more “activity.” Podcasting continues to evolve, with AI taking what you say and making it available far past when you record—so it’s an investment that lasts.

The main idea: Focus on conversation. Be human, be direct, and use every tool (tech included) to make your insights accessible. The future belongs to businesses and creators who are generous, honest, and clear about why they show up on podcasts and how they help. Keep talking, keep sharing, and remember every conversation counts.

If you want to see how a pro sets things up, Interview Valet offers a welcome page with every option for connecting—including an AI clone, scheduling link, and book download. Take lessons from Tom Schwab: be intentional, quality over quantity, and treat every podcast interview like the valuable opportunity it is.