How One Man is Helping People Fall Asleep with Drew Ackerman

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SUMMARY:
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Drew Ackerman wants to help you fall asleep. Think of him as the Sandman of podcasting except that instead of sprinkling sand in your eyes he’s sprinkling hour long stories in your earbuds with his slow, droning voice so you can get your much needed rest and relaxation.

Drew describes his podcast, Sleep with Me, as a bedtime story podcast for grown ups and thanks to his hard work and dedication, he’s been helping insomniacs find the priceless sleep they’ve been craving. After discovering podcasts in 2005, he took the plunge and launched Sleep with Me in 2013, making him the last voice many people hear before they doze off for the night. With a head spinning amount of podcast downloads per month and the perfect sponsor to boot, Sleep with Me is evidence of just how impactful podcasting can be.
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TAKEAWAYS:
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03:21 - The importance of podcast conferences for him
05:16 - What people believe he looks like when they hear his voice
06:48 - The first time he discovered podcasts
08:03 - When he first started dabbling with podcasting
09:16 - What he did to learn the craft of podcasting
10:20 - His aha moment when he decided to start his Sleep with Me podcast
13:22 - If he’s always had a creative streak
14:21 - The family dynamic growing up with five siblings
15:39 - Who he thinks is the most surprised at where he’s ended up in life
17:06 - When he realized his podcast was starting to get attention
21:37 - The importance of promoting your content
22:38 - When people outside of the podcasting space started taking notice of his show
26:05 - The nicest pieces of feedback he’s received so far
27:57 - When he started having conversations with sponsors
29:14 - If Casper mattresses (his show’s sponsor) are really comfortable
30:11 - How he landed Casper as a sponsor
31:55 - Other shows that have copied the Sleep with Me model
32:56 - Who he looks to for guidance
36:39 - My experience interviewing Lea Thau
38:15 - The podcasting heroes he’s had a chance to meet
40:12 - His experience at PodCon
41:43 - If podcasting has helped him become less introverted
44:24 - Connecting on a deeper level through podcasting/podcasts
47:25 - The insight he’s gained through Apple’s new podcasting stats
48:40 - The one most misunderstood thing about him
49:18 - Something he’s changed his mind about recently
52:43 - The story behind his Twitter handle
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ABOUT HARRY
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For the past 2+ years, Harry has been the host of Podcast Junkies, AKA, The Podcasters Voice. He is the Founder/CEO of FullCast [http://fullcast.co], a done-for-you podcasting service, targeted at thought leaders who are interested in amplifying their authority and expanding their reach through the power of a podcast. He also recently launched a new SaaS tool for the podcasting community, PodFunnel [http://podfunnel.com]. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife of 10+ years, and their Yorkie, Disco.

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ABOUT PODCAST JUNKIES
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Podcast Junkies was born out of a genuine interest in and curiosity for this growing league of podcast hosts. It's hosted by Harry Duran. It features wide-ranging, authentic and sometimes candid interviews with this family of voices behind the microphone. The shows themselves cover a variety of topics such as Business, Finance Entrepreneurism, History, Comedy, Storytelling and more. Podcast Junkies explores the motivations behind the podcast's inception and allows the listener to connect on a more personal level with some of their favorite hosts. Some of the show's most memorable guests have been WTF with Marc Maron Executive Producer Brendan McDonald, Lea Thau, Host of Strangers, Helen Zaltzman, Host of The Allusionist, and Jordan Harbinger, Host of The Art of Charm.