During the first week of August 2021, 30% of the top 10 podcasts on Apple Podcasts Canada were hosted by celebrities. So how does an indie podcaster compete with that? How does someone who isn’t already-famous Dax Shepard get celebrities on their podcast and maybe inch toward that top 10 list? Here are some tips from indie podcasters who have gotten Big Names on their podcasts.

Have something to offer (while making it easy for them)

Celebrities may have everything, but there is one thing they don’t have enough of: time. So before you ask J. Lo to come on your podcast and dish about Ben Affleck (can’t wait for that episode), ask yourself: what would Jennifer get out of this interview?

Renee Powers could definitely get J. Lo on her podcast. She hosts Feminist Book Club: The Podcast, where she exclusively interviews female-identifying authors, and has scored interviews with Big Names like Sex and the City’s Candace Bushnell, the “internet’s ob/gyn” Dr. Jen Gunter and New York Times best-selling author Emma Straub. So how did she get these celebs on her show?

“Publishers and publicists continue to come back to us with opportunities because they know they can expect great engagement with our audience, a high quality interview, and a pain-free process from start to finish,” Powers says.

Powers and her team make such an engaging podcast (listeners actually buy the book) that publicists and publishers reach out to her with opportunities to interview celebrity authors. They love working with her and they see results, so they keep coming back.

Publicity is always a mixed bag, so a podcaster who gets books sold and is easy to work with is somebody that celebrities will come back to on their next press tour.

So before you hit up your fave celeb, ask yourself how your podcast adds value to their busy life. And never underestimate the power of a pain-free process.

**Cultivate a relationship with a celebrity before you ask them on your show**

Befriending a celebrity is not only great for the Insta photos and fresh gossip, but also because they are way more likely to come on your podcast. This is why people hate podcasters, all we do is look for guests.

I produce a podcast about working through math trauma called Math Therapy. The only way that we have gotten celebs on our show is because our host, math educator Vanessa Vakharia, has been engaging with these Big Names for months — if not years! — via social media and email.

For instance, Vanessa had been DMing with Canada’s Drag Race star and TikTok math star/drag queen Kyne for a few months before we asked her to come on Math Therapy. When we did ask Kyne to come on the show, she said yes right away. She already knew Vanessa and what our show was all about, so it was easy for both of us!

I know I sound like a Tim Ferriss wannabe when I say this, but networking is key to bringing in those celeb guests to your podcast.

Get niche with your celebrities

We would all love to have Michelle Obama or Rihanna on our podcast… but sometimes it doesn’t make sense. Who does your audience actually want to hear from?

Ari Shapero knows this first-hand. He’s a social worker and therapist who hosts and produces Who’s Your Therapist, a podcast where he interviews therapists about their lives.

Many people in Shapero’s therapist community had mentioned they would love to hear from Intervention Canada star and psychotherapist Jesse Hanson because of his innovative approach to mental health (not just because he was on TV!).

Shapero hustled and scored an interview with Jesse, which is coming out soon. But how did he get one of the most famous therapists in Canada on his podcast?

“There wasn't much I could offer my guests other than the opportunity to have a different conversation and possibly contribute to a bigger collective goal in trying to destigmatize mental health,” Shapero says. “[Jesse] was taken by the concept of therapists being vulnerable and authentic in the public eye.

Shapero gave Jesse a rare opportunity: for him to open up. As a therapist himself, Shapero understood that it’s rare for a therapist to be vulnerable and share their own story. This shared understanding and community is the reason he could secure such a big interview. How does your podcast give a celebrity a unique opportunity? That might just be your ticket to that big interview.

Celebrities: they’re just like us! And yes, they may come on your podcast. But make sure you show them the value, the respect and the unique opportunity that your podcast holds for them.