As we’ve explored several times in the past, the inherent democratic nature of the medium allows for hyper-niche podcasts to not only exist, but thrive. It’s not all that surprising to learn people will tune into interesting podcasts, no matter how specific. One such example is Float or Founder, which I’ll peg as the How I Built This … but Toronto specific.

Though it’s technically niche since it’s focused on a certain city, the conversations with entrepreneurs and other founders is compelling for a wide audience. I’m typically hesitant to recommend indie interview-based podcasts but Float or Founder is unique. They’re able to get not only high-caliber guests, but more importantly, they’re interesting with something valuable to say. Co-hosted by a husband and wife duo, Samantha Lloyd and Lisen Kaci, they have the rare blend of first hand experience combined with being talented interviewers to get the most out of their guests.

We were fortunate to swap emails with Lloyd to discuss the podcast, how they got started, and the common characteristics that make for successful entrepreneurs. See below for our full Q&A.

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify

DISCOVER PODS: How’d you get into podcasting?

LLOYD: Earlier this year, I was trying to think of a way to handle my personal brand. As a marketer, I’m obviously very bias, but I believe in the power of what marketing, branding, thought leadership, and all that jazz can do for an individual. However, as I’m a digital marketer I tend to be a bit on the nerdier side and don’t love the idea of putting myself out there on Instagram or doing a YouTube channel. What are the options for putting out a public brand when you aren’t too keen on being… public? A podcast seemed the most sensible! From that, Float or Founder was born.

My co-host, Lisen Kaci, is my husband and consistent co-founder in all our ventures and businesses. We have a great balance of skills and thought this would be another exciting challenge to take on. Our goals with the podcast are to highlight what it takes to be a founder, feature some really interesting individuals leading companies, and show off all that the city of Toronto has to offer entrepreneurs and those looking to scale a company.

DISCOVER PODS: In your own words, why should listeners tune in to Float or Founder?

LLOYD: Float or Founder offers actionable advice and in-depth insights into what it’s like to be a founder. We host founders across all industries to provide diverse voices. Our founders also talk about some of their favourite spots in Toronto, which are often delicious restaurants and hole-in-the-wall style eateries. Torontonians love their food!

DISCOVER PODS: After interviewing so many successful entrepreneurs, have you noticed a similar trait or quality you think helps lead to success?

LLOYD: It takes drive and it takes a village. No founder has gotten to where they are entirely on their own. They have the help of family, friends, their professional network, investors, advisory board members, and so much more. That said, no one is going to push you or push themselves for your company. You need to do it. You don’t need to get up at 5AM and meditate (though some founders definitely do!) and you don’t need to only eat a healthy diet (though you should) or go to the gym regularly (again: should) or drink four cups of coffee (but you might). You do need to keep yourself motivated. You’ll have bad days, you’ll have good days, and you need to keep pushing through. I have yet to meet a founder that isn’t incredible motivated and surrounded by the emotional support they need to get through those good days and celebrate the amazing ones.

As Rachel Kelly, founder of Make Lemonade, said in a recent episode, the successful founders are the ones that can face any challenge with a good attitude and have the resilience to keep carrying on.

DISCOVER PODS: Who’s on your guest wish list?

LLOYD: I would love to host Allen Lau, the founder of Wattpad. Wattpad is a huge publishing/authoring company based out of Toronto. It continues to expand across the globe and has a goal of becoming the next Disney. Watching this company grow right out of Toronto is inspiring. Also, Tobias Lutke, the founder of Shopify and Michelle Romanow, an incredible person who is not only a founder, but an engineer, investor, and Dragon’s Den judge, too. I’d love to talk to Eva Wong, the COO and co-founder of Borrowell. I think my wishlist is never-ending, Toronto keeps producing incredible founders. Keep an eye on Montreal, too! They’re growing a huge AI/tech scene out there.

DISCOVER PODS: Describe your recording set up? What equipment are you using?

LLOYD: We are using three AT2020 microphones, they came highly recommended to us by a friend in the music industry. They’re relatively inexpensive, and have amazing sound quality and longevity. On those, we attached an inexpensive pop filter for all those “Bs” and “Ps”. We grabbed the mics and pop filters from Steve’s Music Store in Toronto. Our equipment is attached to some fairly inexpensive boom arm clamps from Amazon. From there, the three microphones plug into the UR44 interface, which translates the sound from analog to digital in high quality. Your interface will be the most expensive piece of equipment (unless you don’t have a laptop available!) and you will need to decide if you want to buy one that has two ports or four+ ports for microphones. We have started using Logic Pro to record and edit, but were initially using GarageBand. 

Each time we record, we are in a new space. That leads to some challenges, but we have had the fortune of getting to explore so many offices, co-working spaces, and really cool spots across the city of Toronto, as a result.

If you buy boom arm claps for your microphones, which we highly recommend for flexibility of seating position, the shape of a table will impact your life like you wouldn’t believe. We never realized how many tables had lips, dips, slants, dents, glass, wide edges, and whatever else you can imagine. You will always need a table that has a perfectly flat top and bottom and a one to three inch thickness to clamp the arms on. The $20 LACK table from Ikea is a great item to bring around to places that don’t have the type of table you need (lightweight, easy to take apart if needed, and inexpensive). If this seems like too much of a hassle, consider microphone stands or having your guests come to you.

DISCOVER PODS: What’s the biggest challenge you face as an indie podcaster?

LLOYD: There are many challenges! We are very much “bootstrap” people and didn’t want this to become an onerous project on our budget. As a result, we do editing, scheduling, and in-person interviews ourselves. We travel to different offices across the city, lugging our equipment with us. Since this is a “side hustle” our time constraint can make things a bit difficult too.

The fun of being an indie podcast is getting to control the content. It’s your own project. If you’re an indie podcaster, you’re still a legitimate operation, so incorporate your podcast and treat it as you would a real company. Make sure you share it on all the channels, such as Apple, Spotify, Google, Overcast – everything! As an indie podcast, it’s up to you to make sure you’re getting as much spread for your brand as possible.

DISCOVER PODS: Where do you want to take your podcast?

LLOYD: Though we take our podcast seriously, we want it to remain a project we do outside of work. It’s something that’s essential to my co-host’s and my personal and professional brands, and will hopefully evolve with us, no matter which path we decide to pursue. It’s a fun creative outlet and an exciting project to have. We want it to remain a weekly episode starring and focusing on incredible founders, with us more as the background interviewers. Our goal is to continue to put the spotlight on Toronto and all the awesome companies coming out of here!

DISCOVER PODS: What other podcasts are you listening to now?

LLOYD: We recommend The Business Leadership podcast, which highlights executives and other awesome Canadian businesspeople. We also love the Y Combinator podcast, which features in-depth interviews with their alumni. 

DISCOVER PODS: Anything else you’d like to add?

LLOYD: If you ever need advice or have questions, please reach out to us on Twitter! We could not have started the Float or Founder podcast as easily without advice and help from a lot of others in the industry and support from friends and colleagues. You don’t know what you don’t know – so never feel shy about asking.

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