The Different Podcast Mixer Formats
NYC Gatherings and a new podcast episode
Before we dive-in, here is a little bit of context…..
What is a Podcast Mixer? It is a cozy, interactive, and intentional gathering with a live podcast recording in the middle of it. The podcast recording provides an activity and context for people to connect with each other. I think they are fun :)
How it got started: the first Podcast Mixer was on July 15th 2022 with Chris Schembra. He wrote a new book. And I invited him to come over to chat about it with a few close friends. The night went really well and a new repeatable event format was born!
Since then, I have hosted 60+ Podcast Mixers and here are some reflections on the different Podcast Mixer formats.
1. Interview-Based
This is how I got started and it’s most similar to what I was doing with the podcast already. These Podcast Mixers have a ~20 minute interview followed by audience Q&A. I usually create an event theme based on the podcast part and try to design an intentional gathering around that!
What I like: really impressive people have spoken during it without talking to me before. I could go from cold email to them speaking at an apartment in Brooklyn. How cool is that? These events were powerful too!
Challenges: it is hard for me to consistently find and secure podcast guests that I admire and that I think people would want to learn from. This format would also require me to do research on the podcast guest as well, making it likely the most time-intensive Podcast Mixer formats.
2. Short-Story, Themed Events
In this format, there is a theme to the gathering. And three people would share a short story on this theme with a follow-up question or two. Some event themes have been Decision Making Stories, Relationship Breakthrough Short Stories, Founder Short Stories, How They Got A New Job, etc.
What I like: similar to the interview-based Podcast Mixers, it was fun to select and design a themed event. Since people opted-into this topic, I think it made it easier for people to connect with other people at the event. “What decision are you looking to make?” as an example. Or “what is a relationship breakthrough that you recently had?” someone could ask.
Challenges: Coming up with a new theme regularly can be tough. I kind of put this format on pause, except for the recent dating and relating one that people really liked. That event had more cozy elements to it and it was a juicy topic too. Maybe there is a lesson there in that. Hmm…
3. Hot Seat
In this format, someone would be in a chair by themselves in front of an audience that would ask them questions. Any questions. They are literally on the hot seat haha. Initially, there was no theme or topic to guide the questions. Over time, I started requesting potential speakers to share potential topics in advance to help guide the Q&A.
What I like: it’s fun to really nerd out on a topic and/or *really* get to know someone. This format gave me a ton of flexibility as a host too, after the initial format was figured out. It is also easier to keep repeating this event because the content changes because different people (potential speakers) are attending different events.
Challenges: It was kind of hard to describe this event and its benefits, which might be good and bad haha. The lack of “what you will learn” at the event likely meant that I needed to invite more people to have a well-attended event too.
I wonder what an ideal or better version of this format could look like… I think an AMA with someone popular would be a lot of fun!
4. Hot Pod
This is a “small group podcast chat and then dinner” gathering. It was born out of some smaller experiments and also a creative constraint too. It’s the latest format and one that I am really enjoying. It is smaller and more cozy with 8-10 people all sitting around one table for the podcast part, compared to 15-20 people usually attending in the other formats.
What I like: how usually everyone at the event is part of / contributes to the podcast part of the event. Given it’s smaller and more intimate, this also likely allows for more focused and deeper conversations at the event. It’s also easier for me to host because it’s a smaller event and I don’t have to invite as many people either. Also, I am able to *participate* in the event too, compared to being in “host mode” that happens more in the other Podcast Mixer formats. This event seems to work well with many different social battery levels too.
Challenges: I don’t think I have perfected the actual podcast conversation flow part… yet! I am getting there though! Also, if a few people leave early (which I understand), it can impact the overall event vibe in this smaller event format.
Any questions or ideas? Please reply back or leave a comment below! Thank you!
Want to learn more about this? I wrote this before too!
NYC Gatherings: check out my NYC Gatherings calendar for fun gatherings to attend in NYC!
🎧 Podcast Episode
This week’s episode was a Hot Pod Podcast Mixer. A few friends gathered to share and discuss “something that they overcame.” I talked about overcoming shyness. You can listen to the full episode here!
Create a great day,
David Nebinski, who hopes you host gatherings if you want too
This looks sooo fun. I wish I lived in NYC!
It’s been so cool to see you experiment with different formats!