How To Select Fantastic Podcast Guests To Bring Expertise and Add Value

Before I started my own podcast, I worried about many things. One of the most worrisome issues was thinking about how to find (not pick!) great guests for Strategy Talks! 

Haha! I wasn't sure anyone even wanted to be on my podcast, so how was I going to fill these guest spots week after week?

Now that I am four years in, I am happy to report that I've developed and deployed a strategy behind every guest invitation, every topic, and every story I bring to the show. 

What you WON'T learn today

• A framework to define guest fit

• A scoring rubric you can steal

• Templates for outreach, vetting, and prep

What you WILL learn today

• The one thing I do every quarter that gets me new guests

• Why I won't host a guest I don't know, or haven't met

• Three pre-qualifying standards my guests adhere to

• Pivots that have given me 3x the number of downloads

1. The one thing I do every quarter that gets me new podcast guests

I always have my eye on new people I meet everywhere. On LinkedIn, at conferences, at local events, and through friend introductions, I always watch and listen to see if they would be a good fit for my show. 

I have a large spreadsheet with four years of guests. One of the tabs is a 'potential guest list' which updates frequently (I've got it bookmarked!) 

Each quarter, I send out 15-20 invites at a time, often via LinkedIn because I have found people respond faster and are more likely to say yes.

First, I ask if there is interest in being a guest. Once they respond positively, I'll send them a link to my Google form where they can learn more about Strategy Talks, book a time to record their episode and give me the info I need to prep for the event. 

I got this tip from my friend, Bruce Wawrzyniak, a long-time podcaster, and this one thing has been the catalyst that has kept me going for nearly four years. 

Now I try to stay booked 12-15 weeks out, and when it gets close to only having a few episodes left, I invite another batch of potential guests. 

2. Why I won't host a podcast guest I don't know, or haven't met

Two years into my podcasting journey, I replied to an emailed podcast guest pitch and invited someone unknown. They looked good on paper. 

The day before the recording, I confirmed the next day's 10 AM live slot with both the podcast guest and their manager, and I received a positive response. 

Guess who didn't show?

This ^^^ is why I do not have guests I don't know, I have never talked with or seen on LinkedIn. 

I do sometimes reply to emailed podcast pitches with an invitation to connect with me on LinkedIn (I do not give them a link). So far, two people have done that, one of whom ended up on my show. 

The rest? No response. Finding me and connecting was apparently too much work for them. 

If it's too much work to find me on LinkedIn, I am not putting in any work to host you. That's an easy decision on my end. 

3. Three nice-to-have guest qualifications

Now, as far as finding guests who will do well, here are three things I look for:

1. They are active on social media.

2. They have a unique point of view

3. They are excited to be on my show

BONUS: They have their own podcast I could be a guest on

But that last one is not a qualifier, because so far I've hosted at least 10 guests who'd never been on a podcast before, ever, and some who started their podcast after being on my show

Connect with the following peeps and find their podcasts!

Dr. Misha Kouzeh - Social Media for Social Impact Podcast

Jack W. - It Pays to Write Podcast

Sarah Scott - Bizcasters Podcast

Lindsay Tjepkema - Actually, I Can Podcast

Hope Himel-Benson - Dreamtime Marketing YouTube show

Elisabeth Griffioen - In Beeld Bij Je Klant Podcast (Dutch)

4. Pivots that have given me 3x the number of downloads

This is straightforward, simple, yet complex. 

Pivot 1

In 2025, I started treating my podcast as my best client (thanks, Milou Pietersz for always reminding us to do this!) 

I now repurpose everything, share everything and the results have been impressive. 

Each 2025 Strategy Talks episode has a blog article, short vertical clips, full transcripts. I use AI tools to create and distribute these everywhere (whereas before I wasn't repeatedly promoting the podcast episodes) 

Pivot 2

I now use a custom GPT to research my guests, dig up previous guest appearances, read transcripts and browse their socials. This allows me to do a better job of preparing for each interview.

I use this research to ask better questions, get better intro hooks and to be more relaxed when I show up. 

One of the commands my GPT knows to give me for each guest is the Top 10 most frequently asked questions. I often skip those questions and dig deeper, that is, unless the topic itself is heavy, like this recent episode with Dr. Elaine Young. With her, I didn't skip the easier questions, as this was a topic that warranted starting at the beginning, not the core.

Pivot 3

I am offering and asking for things. And I continue to follow up.

I offer my guests help in promoting their book, their program, or their next campaign. I also ask for podcast reviews, ask for their promotion of my episode. I try to spend some time in the greenroom with them, either prior to the recording, or right after. 

In short, I want being my podcast guest to be a memorable experience for them! 

I want to be memorable to them.

And it's working.

Pivot 4

While I elevate my guest, I am the star of the show.

For a while, Strategy Talks was all about my guests. I was only publishing clips that featured all the smart things my guests said. 

And that left me as the interviewer, or facilitator, not the expert! 

That was a strategic error I rectified this year; I am the expert. I also say smart things. 🤣

Now my clips are a mix of both: guests saying smart things and me saying them too. Phew, that was a big (but easy) one to correct. 

Pivot 5

I pick the topics. 

What? Yes, in previous years, I have let guests tell me what they'd like to talk about without making sure the topic made sense for my audience. This year, topics are aligned with the best-performing episodes from previous years and what I know my audience is interested in. 

How do I do this? A-n-a-l-y-t-i-c-s (and a bit of AI magic). 

I keep a close eye on what episodes do well and how the other pieces of content perform (i.e. blog posts, YouTube shorts, LinkedIn posts)

So how I pick my podcast guests...

My guests are the best! They are real humans, fun people who are genuinely interested in getting to know me, networking with me, and having a conversation with me. 

If you are a new host, or you are thinking about starting your own podcast with guests, take or leave this advice. 

Some experts will tell you to shoot for the stars with big-name guests. But here is the truth. 

Most podcasts fail by episode 6. 

Many podcasters don't set the right goals and can't measure success. 

Whom you talk to and what you talk about makes or breaks the show. Be sure you have full control of those things. 

Interested in being a guest on Strategy Talks? Email me at dorien@moreimedia.com. Tell me which episode(s) you listened to and what you can bring to my audience!