Podcaster Profiles: Steve Cooper -- CooperTalk & The Coop Tank
Also...Lenny.fm helps indie podcasters through a new and simple monetization system.
Podcaster Profiles: Steve Cooper -- CooperTalk & The Coop Tank
Podcaster Profiles has a simple goal: to highlight, spotlight, and focus on the indie podcasters who are the heart and soul of podcasting.
Indie podcasters wear more hats than any network-supported podcaster. They are creators, writers, producers, sound engineers, I.T. troubleshooters, researchers, hosts, distribution pros, marketing gurus, public relations professionals, and, most importantly, financial backers for the podcast.
This issue of Podcaster Profiles focuses on podcast host, comedian, speaker, writer, networker, marketer, and former hand model, Steve Cooper.
I met Steve Cooper, creator / host of CooperTalk and The CoopTank at a Panera Bread in Deptford, New Jersey, which is located about 15 miles west of Philadelphia. After ordering and picking up our lunches at the restaurant, we sat down to talk about Steve, his life and his podcasts.
I had heard about Steve from other South Jersey podcasters. Steve is a legend in the podcasting space in the southern part of the state.
As Joe Gangemi, co-owner and sound engineer for Suite Recording studio in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, insists: "Steve is the go-to guy about podcasting around here."
Joe is the sound engineer and second voice on The Coop Tank, which is recorded at Suite Recording.
As we began to talk, Steve reminded me that he had to leave in two hours because he had to record his latest episode of CooperTalk. Trying to corral Steve Cooper's life story is an almost impossible task because he's done so much. He's met and knows so many people of note in the entertainment industry, specifically actors and musicians.
Steve Cooper could "drop names" for hours without repeating himself.
Steve Cooper graduated from Stockton College (now University) in 1986. From that point until now, Steve Cooper is one of those rare people who can succeed at anything he attempts. And "Coop" has tried a lot of careers. After college, he sold fax machines, then was a successful stand-up comedian in New Jersey and in Los Angeles.
Steve was also a hand model, worked in Corporate Restaurant Marketing, wrote screenplays, started a comedy corner, and created and sustained two successful podcasts. Steve was -- and is -- a large presence in Internet radio.
Now, how do these divergent career paths relate to Steve Copper's podcasting success?
First, Steve's career as a successful stand-up comedian demonstrates his quick wit, sharp mind, and an eye for the absurd in life. These are essential traits for a successful podcast host.
Second, Steve's career stints in sales and marketing makes him the ideal podcaster to create visibility and a brand for his podcasting efforts. Talking to Steve, I realized that he could sell wood to a forest, religion to The Pope, or a cage to a lion.
Third, Steve is one of those people who can talk to anybody. And he's done that successfully with more than 1, 000 episodes of Cooper Talk and 100 episodes of The Coop Tank.
After living in L.A. for several decades, Steve returned to his South Jersey roots in 2017. He lives comfortably in the leafy suburb of Marlton, New Jersey with his wife. There, he records Cooper Talk in his home and The Coop Tank in Suite Recording in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.
Steve Cooper's life expertise has perfectly prepared him to host a podcast.
"Some podcasters worry more about the equipment than the content," Steve observes. "I concentrate on my guests."
When I asked Steve about his interviewing strategy on his podcasts, he tells me: "Preparation for a podcast interview is a delicate balance. If you over prepare, you become more focused on the questions you want to ask than responding to the answers of your guests. If you under prepare, then you seem like you don't care."
"I try to see my interviews as organic talks," Steve notes. "I listen intently to my guests and then react accordingly."
Of course, Steve's favorite topic is podcasting. CooperTalk has passed the 1,000th episode mark and is going strong.
On his show, Steve talks to actors and musicians.
"I've interviewed 60 members of the Rock N' Roll Hall Of Fame," Steve says with pride.
Recently, Steve had Thomas Dolby ("She Blinded Me with Science" 1982) as a guest on CooperTalk. On the episode, Dolby tells Steve about founding Beatnik, a software company that developed polyphonic ringtone software and the famous Nokia tune.
Steve has welcomed Mick Mars from Motley Crue, Greg Hawkes from The Cars, Rich Redmond, drummer for Jason Aldean, Greg Camp from Smash Mouth, and Ross Valory from Journey.
"My biggest get would be if I could have Springsteen on CooperTalk," Steve admits.
In over 1,000 episodes, Steve has also interviewed hundreds of well-known actors, from Penelope Ann Miller, who played Nancy Reagan in the recently released film, Reagan, Greg Grunberg from Felicity, Heroes, and Star Wars, Tom Arnold from True Lies, Anson Williams from Happy Days, Jill Whelan from The Love Boat, Tommy Chong from Cheech & Chong, and David Duchovny from The X Files.
Steve's ability to attract well-known Hollywood talent to his show can be attributed to his years spent in L.A., in the entertainment scene and his superb networking talent.
Steve's opening line of every episode: "I'm only as hip as my guests" is the kind of signature line many podcasters would die for.
His other show, The Coop Tank, enables Steve to talk to local, South Jersey business owners instead of entertainers and find out why they do what they do and how they got there. It's a roundtable discussion that could tie up any podcast host into knots, but Steve handles this talkfest with expertise and care.
For example, a recent episode included insightful and lighthearted conversation with Heather Kay (Ready Aim Impact), Carrie Nelson (Carrie Nelson Photography), and Frankie Patterson (Cherry Hill Neighbors) about the business world, the networking world, and life.
Ear Worthy will publish a review of CooperTalk and The Coop Tank in the coming weeks.
After spending a few hours with Steve Cooper, I came away with the sense of a man who was comfortable in his own skin, genuinely curious about others (a necessary trait for an interview podcast host) and always willing to give back to his community.
I direct you to a Mark Twain quote: “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you figure out why.”
Indie Podcaster Steve Cooper is one of the few who has life figured out. Through his networking and podcasts, Steve is helping the rest of us to get there.
**********************************************************************************************
lenny.fm -- How You Can Support Your Favorite Indie Podcasters
There's a famous TV commercial (for Boomers) that ran in 1984 called Hair Club For Men. In the one-minute commercial, a man with nicely combed full black hair, Sy Sperling, pitches bald men on the virtues of purchasing a toupee. At the end of the commercial, Sy Sperling says while holding up a photo of him with a bald head, "I'm not just the president of the company, I'm a client."
I tell you that upfront because I want you to know that I am a customer of lenny.fm. I think it's a terrific tool for podcast listeners who want to support their favorite indie podcasts and stay within their budget.
Here's their marketing pitch: "Your podcasts walk with you, talk with you, shown up for you in the podcast app — they do the show for you."
"Lenny.fm is a new way to support the people you spend so much time with. And to help them spend more time with you," says Courtney Carthy of Lenny.fm.
"It’s built for the podcast ecosystem, for podcast fans and podcast creators," Courtney continues. "For listeners, you can support the great work of the podcasts you enjoy listening to. A little makes a lot of difference."
"For podcast creators," Courtney adds. "If you want to monetize, Lenny.fm is one of many great options. Why not have more than one?"
Courtney Carthy, part of the founding team, says the concept came from his experience running a podcast production company and working in the music industry.
For me, I believe that most indie podcasts don't have as many listeners as you'd think, and most podcast creators do it without expectation that it'll be a full-time gig.
That’s why I’m asking you to consider supporting the indie podcasts you love.
Podcast consultant George Witt framed lenny.fm this way: "If you sign up and spend $4 a month, the podcasts you enjoy will likely be around for longer, be able to put more effort into doing what they do best, and be amazingly grateful for it."
How does lenny.fm work?
Listeners choose 4 or more podcasts to support in order of preference
Listeners contribute US$4 a month, which is split between the top 4 podcasts they chose.
If a podcast in their top 4 doesn’t publish an episode that month, the preferences reorder to 4 that have.
The podcast can choose how best to reward listeners supporting them via Lenny.fm, if they choose to.
I signed up for lenny.fm early on and the process was easy and seamless. I created an account, chose my four indie podcasts -- each of which would receive one dollar, and then hoped others would subscribe and support their favorite indie podcasters. If my favorite podcast has others who signed up, the podcaster would begin to see some real currency to help monetize their efforts.
"Indie podcasters don't have a Wondery, iHeart or Spotify to spend money on production costs, marketing, distribution, and salaries," notes podcast consultant George Witt.
Courtney Carthy of lenny.fm notes: "The biggest hurdle is not having a succinct way to explain how Lenny works. It does a few cool things all at once, behind the scenes, with minimal effort from either Creators or Listeners."
"This is our problem, and we're working on it constantly," Courtney adds.
When I asked Courtney about the reaction from creators when they find out that a listener has signed up on Lenny.fm to support them, she answered: "They are often delighted and surprised after we introduce them to Lenny.fm. A couple of Creators immediately said they'd like to contact their supporters and say thanks. We're working on this functionality."
Courtney adds: "Creators with paid supporters are similarly getting purposeful and meaningful appreciation. It's actual money that Listeners are choosing to put down and back the Creators they enjoy."
Courtney posted a question on a Creator Facebook Group - "How did you feel when a listener said thanks to you for making your podcast?"
Here's what Jennica Sadhwani of the Multispective podcast, who received money via lenny.FM said: "I just received my first podcast dollar thanks to you. Thank you so much for that. It means the whole world to know that the work we put in is appreciated and valued. I hope this can one day be a full-time job and the impact can be widespread. But honestly, I was so excited when I got the email; it felt like a dream turned reality."
Here's a comment from a listener who subscribes to lenny.fm.
From Nina, supporting podcasts via Lenny.fm
"It resonated with me because I truly appreciate the joy my regular podcasts bring to me and how much time it must take to create them. The creators deserve to be paid for their time and talents."
Lenny.fm is an ideal way to support indie podcasters. I urge to support these indie podcasters. Look what's happening in the network-supported podcast world. These large podcasts networks continue to hide their podcasts behind paywalls. The New York Times just began a subscription service. Wondery has Wondery Plus, and so on.
Indie podcasts don't have that luxury. They need your support.
Lenny.fm was also a sponsor of the Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards that were handed out in July. They are committed to indie podcasters.
Try lenny.fm. Choose a bundle of shows you enjoy to support for only US$4 a month.
Finally, to end at the beginning, here is a photo of Sy Sperling, President --and client -- of Hair Club For Men.
Thanks for doing the profile story. I don't think many people understand how much indie podcasters do. Appreciate it.