Podcast Summary: The Amazing Authorities Podcast

Episode Title: How a Relationship-First Podcast Strategy Unlocks High-Profile Guests and Real Business Growth
Host: Mitch Carson
Guest: Dylan England
Date: December 18, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Mitch Carson dives deep with Dylan England—entrepreneur, insurance agency owner, and podcast creator—about how a relationship-first approach to podcasting can unlock high-profile guests and drive genuine business growth. Dylan shares his journey from insurance sales to podcasting, his strategies for landing celebrity guests, and actionable tips for those looking to leverage podcasts for authority and relationships, not just downloads.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dylan's Path to Podcasting

• Chance and Motivation: Dylan’s journey into podcasting began by accident and was influenced by his wife. (01:26)
• Early Business Hustle: Started in insurance (100% commission), hustled at B2B door-knocking, and navigated through COVID’s disruption. (01:45)
• Realization: The pandemic taught him the dangers of relying on one income stream and highlighted the importance of relationships. (02:18)
• First Attempts at Content: Experimented with finance YouTube but quit due to a dislike for editing. (03:20)
  • "I hate editing. You know, Like, I like yapping and I hate editing." — Dylan (03:20)
• Switch to Podcasting: Inspired by simple conversation formats and a desire to highlight genuine entrepreneurial grit.

2. From Local Entrepreneurs to Celebrity Guests

• Start Small, Think Big: Began interviewing local Michigan entrepreneurs, limited by perfectionism and time constraints. (05:32)
• Critical Compliment: Early encouragement from a guest boosted his confidence.
  • “This is the best interview I’ve ever done.” — Guest to Dylan (06:35)
• Dream Guest List: Physically wrote down dream guests as advice from Mike Ruley: "If you don't write it down, it doesn't happen." (07:05–07:27)
• Going Viral and Gaining Access: A viral clip with The Babylon Bee led to connections with larger political commentators and Danica Patrick. (07:30–08:10)
• Networking Up the Ladder: Leveraging guest relationships for higher-profile introductions, exemplified by upcoming interviews with noted figures like Nick Freitas. (08:15)

3. Podcasts as Relationship-Making Machines

• Business Networking & Referrals: Many podcast guests become clients or referral sources. Podcasts foster trust and rapport.
  • "Podcasts are a relationship machine. That's like, at the end of the day, Forget the views." — Dylan (09:03)
• ROI for Business Podcasting: Developed systems for companies to track podcast-related ROI: leads, referrals, conversions, etc. (09:23)
• Defining Success: Advocates for clear-purpose podcasting with specific business or relationship goals, not simply chasing downloads. (10:27–10:53)

4. Sustaining and Planning Your Podcast

• Surviving Past Episode 8: Most podcasts fail after 8 episodes; success starts at 50+, and especially at 100.
  • "People that start podcasts don't have a good plan from the beginning..." — Dylan (10:27)
• Goal Setting: Focus on producing episodes and improving instead of immediate audience growth.
• Contact, Follow ups, and Conversions: Treat podcasting as a sales funnel—track guest follow-ups, referrals, and conversions. (11:30–12:16)
• Recommended Cadence & Batching: Weekly episodes (52 a year); batch recording one day a month makes it manageable for busy professionals.
  • "If you ask the average businessperson what getting in front of 52 of your ideal clients a year would do... that would change my business." — Dylan (12:48–13:42)

5. Video vs. Audio in Modern Podcasting

• Video is Essential: “Don’t podcast if you’re not going to do video.” Video is key for marketing (reels, YouTube), while audio powers actual consumption. (14:11–15:14)
• Marketing Clips: Short-form video (e.g., Instagram Reels) is crucial for discoverability.
• YouTube’s Importance: Leveraging the world’s biggest search engine for discoverability. (15:55–16:27)
• Live vs. Edited Shows: Lives are great for community, but most guests—especially high-profile ones—prefer editing; offers a safer, deeper conversation space. (16:28–17:45)
• Workarounds for 'Live': Use YouTube Premiere to simulate a live experience with recorded content, mitigating client and tech risks. (19:36–20:59)

6. Guest Management: No-Shows & Reliability

• Dylan’s System: Uses pre-calls, admin contact, and guest forms to ensure reliability—especially crucial at lower podcast volume and higher guest selectivity. (18:39–19:32)

7. Podcast Production Choices

• Quality vs. Quantity: Dylan leans toward high production, customizing every intro, but is considering pre-made intros for scale.
  • “You have to choose... you have to sacrifice [some] quality to increase volume.” — Dylan (22:36)
• Production Advice: Invest first in audio quality (microphones, mixers, etc.). Poor audio or video is a “barrier of entry” for listeners. (24:38–26:14)
• iPhone Production: Professional audio + iPhone video = high perceived studio quality; avoid wasting money on the wrong equipment. (26:17–27:27)

8. Landing High-Profile Guests

• Mindset: Persistence and optimism are key. Having confidence and a dream list is essential.
  • "Why can't I get in front of Chris Pratt one day? ...every great person had a humble beginning somewhere." — Dylan (27:52)
• Strategic Networking: Work backward from target guests; identify and reach out to intermediates (e.g., aiming for 10–100K follower guests before 'A-listers'). (29:23–32:31)
• Proactive Outreach: Engage authentically with target guests’ content, then request an interview. (31:15)
• Always Make the Ask: "You're guaranteed to get a no if you don't ask." — Dylan (36:00)

9. Lessons From Sales & Entrepreneurship

• Cold Calling & Grit: Dylan credits his insurance sales background (100 door knocks/week) for his persistence in podcasting.
  • "Grinding a hundred cold calls every single week, being told no every day—that's shaped my mentality..." — Dylan (37:03)
• Resilience: Both host and guest relate stories of rejection and perseverance from their sales backgrounds. (37:29–39:51)
• Early Work Ethic: Service industry jobs teach resilience—take jobs that involve 'getting punched in the face' (figuratively) to build character. (39:51–41:04)

10. Abundance Mindset & Collaboration

• Share and Collaborate: Networking is exponential—abundance, not scarcity philosophy. Potential competitors may become valuable collaborators or referral sources. (43:03–44:57)
  • "Build up walls before you burn bridges." — Dylan (45:00)
  • “Some of my best allies... were in the same category at a time I could refer, they could refer me.” — Mitch (44:09)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Perfectionism:
  • "Perfectionism... has helped me a little bit... but also hurt me in other ways." — Dylan (05:32)
• Credibility Catalyst:
  • “This is the best interview I’ve ever done.” — Guest to Dylan (06:35)
• On Relationship ROI:
  • "Podcasts are a relationship machine. That's like, at the end of the day, Forget the views." — Dylan (09:03)
• Goal Setting:
  • "Don't make a view goal... Make a episode goal. Record 20 episodes. That's your goal. And improve every single time." — Dylan (10:53)
• On Video:
  • “Don't podcast if you're not going to do video.” — Dylan (14:11)
• On Guest Outreach:
  • "Work backwards... You're not going to be able to jump right away to that million plus celebrity. But you'd be surprised. People from 10,000 to 100,000 are very reachable." — Dylan (29:23)
• Making The Ask:
  • "You're guaranteed to get a no if you don't ask. Right. You're guaranteed. So you might as well make the ask." — Dylan (36:00)
• Mindset:
  • "Build up walls before you burn bridges." — Dylan (45:00)
• Passing Along Opportunity:
  • “Even if you never do nail him down, you know that you gave it your best effort... The whole. We would have been having this conversation, you'd be like, oh, I should have asked Chuck Liddell. Right. But you did ask, and now you at least have a chance.” — Dylan (41:44)
• Abundance:
  • “There's so much business to go around... Giving is always better than just taking.” — Dylan (44:09)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Introduction & Dylan’s Backstory: 00:30–03:20
• Failing and Pivoting in Content Creation: 03:20–05:32
• Early Encouraging Guest Feedback: 06:30–07:05
• “Dream Guest List” Strategy: 07:05–07:27
• Going Viral & Network Effects: 07:30–08:15
• Podcast as Relationship Engine: 09:03–10:01
• ROI and Defining Success: 10:27–12:16
• Weekly/Episodic Structure, Batching: 12:16–13:46
• Video’s Importance: 14:11–16:27
• Live vs. Edited Podcasting: 16:27–20:59
• Guest Management: 18:39–19:32
• YouTube Growth & Production Choices: 21:06–23:52
• Gear & Production Advice: 24:38–27:27
• Networking to Land High-Profile Guests: 27:52–33:41
• Cold Calling and Grit: 37:03–39:51
• On Competition, Collaboration, and Mindset: 43:03–45:27

Actionable Takeaways

• Focus on relationships, not downloads.
• Set clear business goals for your podcast, not vanity metrics.
• Podcasting opens doors that cold-calling alone cannot; use guest spots strategically.
• Invest in audio quality above all; video is key for marketing.
• Batch your recordings to maintain consistency.
• Don’t be shy to work up the guest ladder—always ask for introductions.
• Adopt an abundance mindset; collaboration beats competition.

Resources & Contact

• Guest: Dylan England
  • Podcast consulting, B2B podcast systems, and more.
  • Instagram: @DylanEnglandI (verify official handle on his site)

For those seeking to unlock authority and business growth through podcasting, this episode is a masterclass in mindset, systems, and strategic relationship-building.