Today we’d like to introduce you to Phil Byrd.
Phil, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Phil Byrd, and I am known as “The Podcast Doctor.”
My love for entertainment started when I was very young. I used to have a severe stuttering problem and was constantly picked on and made fun of. My parents put me in speech therapy to help. My therapist at the time recommended I listen to radio hosts because I had a big personality at a young age. I fell in love with radio immediately and began to mimic a lot of the people I listened to. This helped my speech tremendously. I knew at a very young age that I wanted to be in entertainment, whether it was in radio or television, I knew I would get there. I started doing public speaking at a young age to help with my speech issues, and by high school, my stutter was virtually gone.
My fascination with audio recording never diminished; I would record my friends and my conversations on a tape deck or shoot random videos with family cameras. In high school, I was in the AV club and relished the fact that I could use the equipment. I learned all that I could. When I moved to Florida in 2006, I started working at Universal Studios (much like everyone’s first job in Orlando) and I was placed directly in front of a microphone. Honestly, I loved every second of my time there, even when it was sweltering hot out. I got to entertain guests, and I was happy.
I wanted to develop my skills and further my learning by attempting to create music around 2008-09. After I realized that it wasn’t for me, I needed a therapeutic outlet to express my feelings after going through a pretty emotional breakup and I wanted to spotlight an additional passion of mine, which was cars. So, I created my first podcast called Backseat Drivers. It was a podcast all about cars but in a radio-style format where the hosts competed against each other in silly challenges. The show went well for about 2 years, and we disbanded after I decided I wanted to go to broadcasting school.
I went to a broadcasting school in Orlando via CSB (The Connecticut School of Broadcasting). After completing school, I started interning at Real Radio 104.1 on the Monsters in the Morning. I was coined “FRO” (I had a big afro at the time). My experience at Real Radio was one that I will never forget and gave me the motivation to continue and push for my career in radio.
After my internship at Real Radio, I heard nothing. No calls, no Emails, no Job Offers. I was in a deep depression because I felt that my career was over before it officially started. One day, I was at a Christmas Party and met Mayra Uribe (Orange County Commissioner District 3) and her husband, Kevin Sutton, and we immediately hit it off. Kevin Sutton had a show on IheartRadio at the time on the local sports station 740TheGame. He invited me on as a member of the show, and we had a blast. We got picked up by ESPN Orlando in 2016 and lasted until August of 2019.
During my time on the Kevin Sutton Show, I was still focusing on podcasts. I would post on Craigslist looking for people who needed help with their podcasts. I would edit and distribute people’s podcasts for them so they wouldn’t have to. As technology progressed, so did my skills. We all left ESPN in August 2019, and I decided I wanted to take my skills and services and branch out on my own. Insert The Podcast Doctor…
I originally started The Podcast Doctor as a way for small businesses to reach and target their audience by creating and managing their very own podcast. Coming from terrestrial radio, I knew how much radio ads cost and what they were offering, and many businesses weren’t getting the type of return on investment they needed.
During Covid, I did lose a majority of my clients, so I decided to adjust and pivot my business to help all podcasters, local and at a distance by providing a service that helps them escape what I call “Podcast Purgatory.” The Podcast Doctor is a full-service podcast production company that does all the heavy lifting for podcasters. Whether it’s recording, editing, getting their podcasts on all the outlets, cutting out unwanted audio, or creating show notes and transcripts, The Podcast Doctor does it all. I want to help podcasters focus on what they do best – creating great content – while I handle the rest.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
After much contemplation, I made the difficult decision to leave my dream job at ESPN radio to pursue a new venture in creating and helping podcasters. Despite experiencing self-doubt and uncertainty about my future, I ultimately decided to take the leap because of my confidence in my skills and the belief that podcasts are the future. It was a challenging decision, but I am excited to see where this new path takes me.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The Podcast Doctor?
As the owner of The Podcast Doctor, I understand firsthand the challenges that podcasters face when it comes to producing, distributing, and marketing their content. That’s why I created The Podcast Doctor – to take the headache out of podcasting and allow my clients to focus on what they do best: creating compelling content.
I have a passion for podcasting and a wealth of knowledge and experience in the field, which I bring to every project I work on. I am dedicated to helping my clients succeed and I work closely with them from the inception of their podcast to its launch, offering personal support and guidance along the way.
My team and I are committed to providing top-quality, full-production services at competitive prices. We handle all of the technical and marketing aspects of podcasting in-house, including equipment, editing, distribution, and marketing. And we go above and beyond by providing a fully produced podcast before our clients even leave the studio.
At The Podcast Doctor, we genuinely enjoy watching our clients grow their brands and find their voice. We take pride in being a trusted partner for podcasters and helping them achieve their goals.
What do you think about luck?
Luck has played a significant role in my growth. While I believe I have talent, if it wasn’t for the chance encounter at the Christmas party where I met Marya and Kevin, I may not have gotten into radio. Before that, I was feeling very down because I didn’t think I would achieve my goals. That night was a turning point for me, and I am grateful for the luck that brought me there.
Pricing:
- $150: 1 hour of a fully produced podcast (This inludes camera cuts, graphics, videos, live callers, lower thirds, and more)
Contact Info:
- Website: itsthepodcastdoctor.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/podcastdoctor/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Podcastdoctor
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@podcastdoctor
- Other: Radio Rejects Live (It’s a food and entertainment podcast with other Orlando Radio hosts) http://radiorejects.live
Image Credits
Calen Herb
