Talking with Lisa Gerber of The Gear Show Podcast

In episode seven of Podcaster Stories, I sit down with Lisa Gerber, owner of Big Leap Creative and host of The Gear Show.

After making her name as a communications pro and marketer, Lisa decided she wanted to attract more clients in the space – outdoor lifestyle – she was interested most in, and The Gear Show was born.

Talking with the people behind her favourite brands and companies, The Gear Show pivoted somewhat after 10 episodes, to feature more on the people behind the corporate front.

Topics up for discussion this week include:

How the loss of clients and talking to friends led to the show idea
How she started the show talking about gear before pivoting
Why she pivoted to more personal stories behind the gear heads
How she makes her guests feel comfortable
Why researching guests makes for a richer experience
Why Howard Stern’s interview technique is what she aims for
The interviews that have had the most impact on her
Why new podcasters should just start and not overthink things
How she won her school’s award for a foreign language

Settle back for a fun, engaging chat about following your dreams, and why you should never be afraid to change even when something has been going for a while.

Connect with Lisa:

Contact me: danny@podcasterstories.com

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Transcript

The following transcript has been created using an automated service, so may not be 100% accurate.

Danny (3s):
Hi and welcome to Podcaster Stories he made sure we will have a conversation with podcasts that across all mediums and share their story and what motivates them, why they started to show up as a group to show up and more, but also to talk about the personal life and some of the things have happened that made them the person in the afternoon. And now here’s your host Danny Brown. Hi guys. Welcome to another episode of Podcaster Stories the show that goes behind the scenes of your favorite podcast and get to know all the people buying devices this week. I’ve got a guest Lisa Gerber who I think I’ve probably known for about 10 years, maybe a little bit longer. And similarly, most of my elegance and the timer.

Danny (44s):
So it’s a lot of people I’ve met through social media and then physically, if, you know, either as a work or personally, et cetera, and this is one of these fine folks that I’ve known for a long time and, you know, luckily to meet in person. So, Lisa, thank you for coming on the show. How about telling us a little bit about yourself and your podcast?

Lisa (1m 4s):
Sure. My name Well. I was going to say my name, but I guess, you know, my name and I work and live here from Sandpoint, Idaho. I have Big Leap Creative so I help businesses do a better job of telling their story to make an emotional connection. And I have a podcast called The Gear Show, which I started. I didn’t even know, four years ago. I’d been on a little bit of a hiatus the past couple of months, but I started it to actually get into a market that I’ve always been very interested in and haven’t been able to break into.

Lisa (1m 44s):
And that is the outdoor lifestyle market, which is funny because it’s something that I love and live. And it was how I started my business. Big Leap Creative as a mountain lifestyle communications company and the clients that came to me, weren’t those target clients. So I thought, how can I do this? So I launched this podcast in that I was going to ask about that.

Danny (2m 9s):
’cause obviously you work in marketing and communications and that’s, I think that’s how we met or one of the ways that we met anyway, but you are sure, as you mentioned is not about Mark and it’s about the outdoor lifestyle and you know, I’ve, I always tell you, I’m not a jealous of where you are and your husband and you are on like this mountain area with a lot of snow skiing in it, et cetera. But what makes you decide to, to go on a, you know, I have a podcast that wasn’t about marketing, Percy Big go the direction of the outdoor lifestyle. Was it just like a natural progression of the life that you’re living with your husband? Or was it something more different? It was a few things.

Lisa (2m 49s):
First of all, I’m the fall, the few months leading up to that, I had had sort of this perfect storm of three really large clients. We finished up their engagement essentially for a variety of reasons. I had three large clients and at, in the same quarter, basically, and my revenue plummeted being a one person show that was, you know, those are the ups and downs that we experience, right? So I had a little extra time on my hands and it was right after the new year, that was actually new year’s weekend. And I had a whole bunch of friends visiting for me to go skiing for new year’s weekend and how the two of my friends were in the front hall.

Lisa (3m 31s):
And they were just, non-stop talking about Gear they were talking about the ski bindings. I could just hear them in the other room, like going back and forth, just like geeking out. And I’m just rolling my eyes, write like, well, these guys are ever shut up. All they talk about the ski is the bindings, the boots, the poles, everything. And then that’s kind of when the idea started to formulate, like there’s no end to the number of conversations you can have about Gear right. So that’s how it started. And then it evolved. So at that moment, I decided I wanted to launch a show called the Gear show and it would be a specifically about Gear.

Lisa (4m 17s):
And I actually had, one of my friends was the guest for my first three episodes. Hence why I started getting into, and I did, I dunno, six, 10, or maybe even 15 episodes specific to Gear. But I found that the idea was that all of these Gear companies, you were just talking about Gear, So eventually someone’s going to want to hire me, or maybe they’re going to want to sponsor the podcast. I don’t know what’s going to happen with it. Its just, its about something that I love and I’m learning so much, so who cares? What’s going to happen? Let’s just do it. But after I got into it more and more, I realized that what was really interesting was the stories behind these people.

Lisa (4m 59s):
And that was way more fascinating to me. So it evolved and I kept the name of the same and I had just decided that instead of it being about Gear now we’re gearing up mentally and physically for our next big leap. It was kind of my line. And then I could talk and get the stories behind the entrepreneurs and the outdoor lifestyle business entrepreneurs. I’ve spoken with Olympic gold medalists and like the founder of Big Agnes, they made the tents and the sleeping pads and fly low gear and I’ve had to have all these amazing conversations and really learn how they started their businesses and how they grow up.

Danny (5m 40s):
And they, like, you mentioned, it ties in, you mentioned, it said, you know, get on up. I love the fact that you mentioned is given up to the next big Leap because that talks to both of the brands that you run in, essentially a Big Leap Creative and The Gear, you know, the The Gear shop, which I don’t know if you’ve made that deliberately or is that just, you know, set and I’m going to miss this word up again. And I did for Bob retired as a chat with the other week though. Serendipitously that’s the word? Yeah. Did you fall into that? Natural and I’m not even going to try that word again. Are, was it just, you know, what is that something that you thought, you know, getting a big leap plus tied the two together in and make them both a part of the, at the same offering that you thank you.

Lisa (6m 17s):
It was definitely by design because the whole idea was I wanted to grow my business in some way, but I also wanted to do this because I love it. So how does this tie in? I wanted it to tie into my business in some way. And when I have evolved, going away from talking about Gear to talking about gearing up, I actually did think about renaming the podcast. And I really actually thought about renaming it to Big Lee per take a big Leap, but decided not to. And who knows? I might still anyway to answer your question, it was by design and since I had evolved and I know a lot of people were saying why don’t listen to it because I’m not an outdoor person are I’m not interested in Gear or whatever.

Lisa (7m 3s):
So I wanted them to understand that this is not about Gear anymore. Its about gearing up for your, you know, mentally and physically a, you know, we’ve talked about meditation and we’ve talked about, Oh, Oh, a bunch of different, you know, what to put in your backpack for a summer weekend, camping trip, that kind of thing.

Danny (7m 21s):
And I think just to your point, I mean, I know you’ve mentioned some of the names at you bounced off that, you know, a possible rename at a possible rebrand in the take a big a leap. What? I’m not sure if they, if this was like a North American or sorry, a a U K a euphemism or something that I’m going to use, but take her on at home. And if you had that before,

Lisa (7m 38s):
Oh that’s like take, take off kind of like that.

Danny (7m 42s):
Yeah. You just get lots of you as I was a bit, I was a movie thinking yeah, take a, take a leap of faith.

Lisa (7m 51s):
There is, is that when you do come up with a name you want to kind of get some cross-cultural input?

Danny (7m 57s):
Oh for sure. Yeah. Especially, you know, because I, here in Canada it’s were very, I likened Why I’m from the UK originally and obviously, but I find that Canadian culture that is very similar to the UK ones. So I love the slang it’s similar, but then I still get lost. When I talk about pants has been underwear and then pants in North America is obviously you chose or your genes or something. So a lot of things like that, I still get shipped.

Lisa (8m 22s):
I never heard that pants were considered underwear in the UK lexicon. I did not know that.

Danny (8m 27s):
Yeah, yeah, exactly. What we were speaking to a guy Mark Asquith who say, who runs a captivate captivate FMB platform among so many other things and he’s in the UK. And he was telling me a story pre show about when he was caught with his pants, Darren. And I just thought that was hilarious because they know what he meant by it. So I can, if, if this was, you know, distributed to North America or whatever, it’ll be a totally different conversation and vice. So that, and that’s what I want to ask you though, because I’d been to listen to your show and you, as you mentioned, it’s called The Gear Show, but it’s more about the people behind the Gear of the people and, and their personal stories.

Danny (9m 9s):
So as a, as a host, how do you make these people that, you know, that run these big companies are run the, you know, founded on our call or, and, or on the brands that you use, et cetera, how do you make them feel comfortable enough to open up what could be potentially, you know, difficult topics to open up at a time in your life that maybe wasn’t so good for them.

Lisa (9m 30s):
Interesting. I just try to connect with them from the very beginning. You know, I don’t know that I consciously think about it that way, which is why I’m trying. So I think that it’s just important to be really conversational. And I think people are really willing to do that. I think that they are just really willing to talk about things if they feel like they in a comfortable and safe place. And I just haven’t had that. I haven’t ran up against someone who is not really willing And and it’s not like we get really, really personal, but they do like to share. And, and, and that’s, I think what you’re getting at is I’d like to find like that pivotal moment where someone has just like, maybe hit the bottom of a rock bottom that help them to change something or change their life or their business or whatever it is.

Lisa (10m 24s):
And I think once people get past it, I think that they are willing to talk about it as long as you can really just, you know, sort of ease into it.

Danny (10m 32s):
That’s a podcast or is there like a advice that you would give as a host for? So for someone who wanted to do something similar, for example, and wanted to speak to the people they admire and have them in the show, or do you sort of not sure that relationship for a set amount of time are on a certain way as opposed to having them come on cold, if you like, and then hopefully what you want your process of, of ease in a guest.

Lisa (10m 58s):
A great question. I actually, at one time I tried having a pre-conversation with someone and I found that it was way better than the actual recording. And that really bummed me out because I didn’t record the pre-conversation and it just felt too candy. And, and I knew some answers from earlier that I wanted to pull out that I wasn’t able to. So I decided at that moment, I wasn’t gonna do that anymore, that I really liked having these cold conversations, but I do a ton of research, so I would dig it. The other thing is I always send a pre questionnaire with four pretty high-level questions and I sort of, I let the guests know the more time you spend on these questions, the better I am going to be able to, the better the episode will turn out.

Lisa (11m 52s):
Basically sometimes I would just get like these one sentence responses and they just really weren’t helpful at all. So I would ask four broad questions, none of which are actually questions that I would ask on the podcast, but it just gave me the background that I needed. So for example, what is your proudest accomplishment or, you know, I wish I could, that was one of them. What is your greatest regret? Always the answer to that was I have no regrets. I’ve always heard it from that program. So I had to change that question and those kinds of things, and then it, it brings out so much backstory on these people. So that then I am able to ask questions that kind of lead into those stories.

Lisa (12m 35s):
So I loved when I started doing that, that helped me and my research because if a person didn’t have a lot, you know, Googling them, didn’t turn up a lot then, and then having this kind of richer context help me. But I would also do as much as I can, you know, on YouTube and just learn as much about that person. One person who really influenced me in the interviewing piece of it, which is really the biggest part of this whole thing, right. Is being able to do a great interview. And I love Howard Stern and his interview capabilities. So I listened to him, I actually read his most recent book and I just think to myself, how would Howard Stern asked this question or what would he say right now, if you listen to some of his, like when he asks, like I’m Chris Martin from Coldplay amazing interview.

Lisa (13m 28s):
And he was asking questions that are in the back of my, you know, Oh, I’m curious. And then all of a sudden Howard Stern will ask that question. And I’m like, Oh, it’s so good. I want to know the creative process behind how we came up with a, you know, that song, etc. So that was kind of, I’ve put myself in his shoes.

Danny (13m 46s):
And I think I have a lot of it comes down to, he loves a lot of admiration or respect for your, your topic. You’re, you know, the person you’re speaking with otherwise, its it’s just another job, but it’s just another review. It’s just another conversation

Lisa (14m 1s):
Always came from a selfish place. So I am actually very curious about how, you know, Dan Abrams started fly low gear and how, you know, you ran up to his credit cards, a huge amount and what kind of that must have caused so much anxiety. So when you actually have that curiosity yourself, then you know that others also your not the only one. So it really, it definitely comes from a place of selfishness

Danny (14m 30s):
Too, to your point that it comes up, you know, from a place of self as a nation and you get it to the stage where you guests are comfortable and the, they tell you because of that, they tell you are open up a little bit more than a male, I would say podcast or X or podcast or Why et cetera. How has it been an episode before picking favorites or anything? Cause I know that’s, you know, not something you would want to do, but how has it been an episode that stuck with you or resonated with you the most?

Lisa (14m 57s):
I would say there are a couple and I’m like, that’s such a great question. And the theme as I’m thinking of a few of them or are usually the ones that I didn’t expect and they are the ones who gave a really authentic answers, I’ve spoken to others. I’m like Olympic gold medalist, for example, who are really media savvy. And their response is always felt very, you know, canned or a scripted or to be honest, they have done these interviews on, you know, I try to ask unique questions, but the ones who really wanted to share verbally. Great. And so I’ll go back to Dan Abrams, a fly low gear and also Tahoe trail bar founder.

Lisa (15m 38s):
That episode was amazing. I felt like I just learned so many things from what he did and from his, you know, he was really willing to share some mistakes that he made and how he learned from them. And it was, I thought those were a specially good episodes because of that.

Danny (15m 58s):
Yeah. And then, like I said, it’s because people aren’t just, you know, looking at the, the questions that you sent over previously and they already had the PR other agent’s head on and they’ll get it approved or whatever. Don’t know if that’s simple. You sure. It sounds are not the same for me, but I just get people in here. Like you, they are just happy to, you know, I’m going to come out and desperate. I want to cut it up. You know, what that meant that piece was getting at is, I mean, obviously you have been a big podcasts for a while now and you’ve you mentioned how much stand and has interviewed in style. And you know, I know what are the shows that you have and the, the topics you speak about it, you know, you have that relaxed monitor that people are looking into open up, just come back to the question where we are on a topic.

Danny (16m 46s):
We spoke out a lot about how you evolved style or what processed podcasts we could go through to, you know, emulate it. Isn’t a piece of advice that you would have for either new podcasts. There are people that enjoy the show. And so, you know what, I want to try something like that.

Lisa (17m 2s):
I would say to start to just start and not overthink things. A lot of, I mean, I think the tendency is to try to plan out and to think so term and to get caught in getting the perfect podcast graphic, the perfect name, the perfect description. And like I said, I mean, I evolved after, you know, even six or 10 episodes because I just felt like, you know what, I just want to go on this direction right now. So I think a lot of people don’t get started because they want to get at just right from the beginning. And I say it just start and allow it to iterate and evolve from there.

Danny (17m 45s):
No, that’s great advice. I mean that, that takes it back to you, I guess anything in life almost, you know, and if you want to be a great salesperson, you are going to start selling crappy products and for a crappy pay and eventually we will learn your trade. And like you said, it’s what, you know, been having the ability to pivot and a no know, get to the place where you are really comfortable and you’re really passionate about. So yes, I know it started.

Lisa (18m 13s):
And on that note I started with just people. I knew like my friend who was visiting, I mean he is a ma a ski Mountaineer. So he was very knowledgeable in the field, but I just started where my comfort level was. And I started talking to friends and local professionals and then I started to build it from there. And, and so to your point, that allowed me to kind of get my comfort level. And then I, I upped it from there. And then I just couldn’t believe like the caliber of guests that I was able to get. And then once you get those guests, you can use their name to say, Oh, I’ve had, you know, so-and-so and so-and-so on my podcast when you’re pitching to, to others who haven’t heard of your show.

Lisa (18m 54s):
If you can imagine someone hadn’t heard of my show, like kidding,

Danny (18m 60s):
I know a shock and horror, how dare people. So just to swing around a little bit for people that don’t know, if you’re having, you know, listened to the Your show yet, and you have to find You what is something that even for people like myself that know you reasonably well, what are some things that would surprise me that they don’t currently know?

Lisa (19m 24s):
It would be kind of an open book. So I’m trying to think one of the

Danny (19m 27s):
Things I am most proud about,

Lisa (19m 29s):
And it was very little known is that I, when I graduated college, I won the award for most academic achievement in a foreign language for French. I was a French major and I had no idea that I was even a contender or I was going to win this award. My, my, my, my advisor was, you know, made sure that I was coming to the awards dinner, which I wasn’t even going to go to anyway. So that’s my little known thing because it’s not really something that I can use in my world these days. And I think it’s awesome.

Danny (20m 2s):
Yes. And, and how did that come about? Did you tell? Yeah, I started taking French when I was in fifth grade. I love,

Lisa (20m 9s):
I have French. I still love French. I love the country, France. I love everything about it. And M when I was in 10th grade, I was practicing for my French monologue. So we were actually driving to go skiing with my family. I’m in the back seat. My dad is driving to go skiing and I’m practicing in the back seat, my French, a monologue for that Monday at my dad, because he goes, you should, you should go to France some time. And it never even occurred to me to go to France. I don’t know why it just didn’t. And I got all excited and I said, well, there’s actually a summer exchange program this summer. And so that when not in the summer, I was 16.

Lisa (20m 49s):
I went, I spent the summer there and ever since I’ve been going back and forth, in fact, my family from when I was 16, my French sister quote-unquote we, I celebrated my 50th birthday with her in Paris, a gorgeous restaurant. So, yeah.

Danny (21m 7s):
Oh, that’s awesome. Yes. And is that where your love of French wine came from? Or did you have that before you turned 16?

Lisa (21m 13s):
50 Danny

Danny (21m 16s):
And I said 60. So I was going back to your school. You said 60. I don’t find like at the little more relaxed, but the age of when you, you know, the kids can start to get to like a lot of SIPI way in it, you know, and I think that’s a good way to take it and it keeps that sort of mystery out of it. And I think avoid a lot of issues later on.

Lisa (21m 40s):
Yeah. I don’t think they have the problems that we, that we do here with kids. The younger kids are getting drunk and partying. I mean, I know that they do their butt here. You know, they’re much more adult about it over there than here, because it’s introduced to you at a much younger age and it’s not. So like you said, it’s not like this really Oh, you know, forbidden thing. So I think I started drinking wine a little bit then I dunno, I didn’t really, I worked in the restaurant business in the nineties and that’s when I really developed my pallet for a wine.

Danny (22m 17s):
That’s a good place to do that, to discover it. So at least they have, for people that haven’t found on your show up, or if they’re interested in learning more either about your marketing, you know, services or your podcast or the, the, the, the, the people behind the podcast and the kind of Gear, and, and you’re out doing 11 because your husband’s or a realtor in as well. So you, you know, even, or anything like that, where, where does the best place for people to find you online?

Lisa (22m 43s):
People can find me at Big Leap Creative dot com. You’ll see the podcast is on a tab there it’s also the Gear show.com, which are just directly to the podcast tab on that website. They can learn all about me and my business and the podcast. I am most active on Instagram at Lisa Gerber. And my podcast is on, should be on all podcast channels, your favorite place, listen. And then I would love to hear from people and happy to know what they think and guest ideas and all that kind of thing. I have been have been on hold for a few months, but I’m, I’m putting together a new season and getting ready to do some, some new episodes very soon.

Danny (23m 28s):
Awesome. I’ll be sure to drop the, the links to all these places and the show notes, to make sure that you check out the show notes on your listening to the shop. So really appreciate you coming on to the Lisa. And it was nice to catch up. As we mentioned in a pre-show definitely once this whole craziness with the virus is over or back to some form of normality. I think a road trips in order to come out your way with a family in, and just having an amazing, I would love that I would love to meet Jackie and the kids. I feel like I know them so well. I’m sure the kids are going to be suing me for them and, you know, in Paris and photographs and putting them on Facebook. But I know that that’s something that I will feel with in 10 years time or so, hopefully this has been on another episode of podcasts.

Danny (24m 10s):
The stories as mentioned, we’ll drop out all the details about what Lisa and the shownotes. So please do checks out to find out what she’s saying in the online and check on her podcast, app and website. Uhm, if you enjoy this episode and makes sure you subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get the latest show when it’s released and you can find either all webisodes at Podcaster Stories dot com or on your favorite apps, either at Apple podcasts, Spotify, Google podcast, and more until the next time guys take care and we’ll speak soon. You’ve been listening to Podcaster Stories if you enjoy this week’s show, be sure to subscribe. So you don’t miss an episode and feel free to live a review on iTunes to help on the train, to show it to, and we’ll show you the next time on Podcaster Stories.

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