By Lydia Mercado

“If you’re not giving people something that they can’t get elsewhere, then your podcast will fail.” Such a bold (and bordering brash) statement may give the potential podcaster pause, but Robert Smith is simply being direct. And Smith certainly has the life experience to merit such boldness. While attending high school in Park City, Smith began his radio journal at a local station. He has since continued to hone his skill of storytelling, currently hosting NPR’s Planet Money. Smith shares some of his expertise in a conversation with Grant Frazier on Measuring Success Right.

Robert Smith explains what makes a good story and how to find it. This process often requires a good team, one that will be honest with you even when your ideas miss the mark. Smith’s own team is a tough audience, who he is extremely grateful for. The different interests and criticisms of his team allow the cream to rise to the top. Smith emphasizes, “you’re not doing a story for yourself . . . you want strangers to listen.” With a solid team, only the best remains, which holds the attention of even the most distant strangers.

Smith also discusses his experience in radio and how podcasting may be the future for the audio medium. As the average age of radio consumers got older, Smith had doubts about encouraging potential journalists to pursue audio production. With the current variety of platforms for podcasting, Smith now sees revitalization and opportunity. He also understands the economics behind the budding industry, which often requires podcasts to share the characteristics of radio stories. Listen to Measuring Success Right to hear Smith’s thoughts on the future of podcasting and the art of storytelling.