We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Charles Smith. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Charles below.
Charles, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
My family and friends would always tell me that I had the “gift of gab” and I have always had a love for broadcast radio. The way the personality pulls you in and hooks you in with their vocal inflections did it for me. When I was in my late 20’s, I started listening to podcasts while the medium was still new. I was looking for an organic transition out of being a singer and wanted a way to story tell through this style of media. I approach podcasting much like I do with music. With that being said, I believe having certain skill sets are vital. The main thing is creating the framework to articulate a complete set of ideas in a way that flows well enough to take the listener on a journey.
I started my first podcast in late 2012 and I believe the major obstacle for everyone was limitations with content distribution. There was a lot of file transferring back then since podcast applications were not popular at the time. I would say that was an obstacle for growth which is different than the obstacles podcast creators deal with today. Now, the main challenge is to stand out from the millions of podcasts out there to build your brand.
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?
As I mentioned, I was a singer. With that, I already had a love for the audio content. I was deep in the world of technology and was getting into a Product Management role at IHG Hotels and Resorts. I was also a thriving pitmaster and wanted a way to talk about all the things I love to do. So, I started The Charlie Maveric Show which changed to The Cell Tech Junkie and finally to The MavCast podcast. My goal was to entertain and educate non nerds on what technology means to them in the real world. I was the point person for many people looking for new phones, TVs and smart home products. Over the years, I have grown my brand and created a podcast network with some great friends of mine called Black Out Loud Media Group. The podcasts I created and host are: The MavCast, Jesus Take The Wheel which I host with my mom, This Mindful World, Pass the Remote which I host Terrance P. Elmore & The Black Smoke Barbecue Podcast which I host with a great group of accomplished black pitmasters/content creators.
Outside of the podcasts I have created or hosted, I try to encourage others to start their podcasts by giving guidance on what tools they need to get started.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My mission is the build a podcast empire that allows people that look like me to be able to tell their stories and share they experiences. I feel I do not have to always be the person in front of the mic all the time. The real work is to find talent and empower said talent deliver the best content they can. I also want to give the power back to creators that are trying to make a living or drive growth but fight against the social media platforms interests which suppress a lot of great content.
Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?
I will be as kind as possible when I say that NFT’s is one of the biggest scams I have ever seen in my life. If this was an verbal interview, this is where I would go into full rant mode. All I will say to your readers is to invest in something that is…… more tangible.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.maverigbbq.com
- Instagram: maveric_bbq
- Facebook: CharlieMaveric
- Twitter: CharlieMaveric
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MavericBBQ/featured
- Other: https://discord.gg/rNgjpEnbsU
Image Credits
Credit Charlie Maveric