We were lucky to catch up with Michael Balko recently and have shared our conversation below.
Michael, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?
The idea of a podcast came in April of 2020 when I was setting for Instagram Live Q&A’s on a popular Instagram page that I grew to 34,000 followers. My wife, actually, was the one who straight up told me to make a podcast for people to listen on their own pace- to which I agreed and she helped me set everything up! The rest is history.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am a sports writer and podcaster who resides in Erie, Pennsylvania. I interview athletes in an effort to inspire the youth of our country through the stories and struggles of the people they look up to. I have been blessed to have interviewed numerous successful people like NFL Hall of Famer Morten Andersen, Chicago Bears legend Jim McMahon, and former NFL tight end and Bachelorette contestant Clay Harbor along the way!
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I can’t even begin to tell you how many people have told me that I wouldn’t be successful- and to be honest I’ve never really cared. If I can impact one life by sharing a story said person needed to hear- I have fulfilled my mission. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thankful and blessed for the success I’ve had as a podcast host- but the motivation behind my effort is not for me to be in the limelight.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Building an audience on social media can be one of the most difficult-yet most rewarding parts of being a podcast host. Obviously, you want people to listen to your show- so a social media presence is crucial- but I was blessed to have grown my following through collaborations with the people I interviewed!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @michael.balko
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themichaelbalkoshow
- Twitter: @michaelbalkojr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC5aZpoT5mnWOC3ENdsBOJlw