Fatima Zaidi

Quitting the Corporate World, Starting a Podcast Company, and Finding Balance as an Entrepreneur.

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Today I’m sitting down with Fatima Zaidi who is the CEO and co-founder of Quill Inc. the world’s first one-stop marketplace and agency where podcasters and brands can find pre-vetted experts who will save them time, improve their podcast quality, and help grow their audience.

In addition to recently launching Quill, Fatima is also the owner of the Listen In Conference held in LA that supports brands moving into podcasting, she’s a public speaker who has shared stages with speakers like Gary Vaynerchuk, contributor to publications including The Globe and Mail, and Huffington Post, has won two Top 30 under 30 awards… and I could go on.

Basically, she’s an incredibly passionate and visionary individual with a fire inside of her to make a big impact through the work that she does.

In today’s conversation, Fatima and I are chatting about…

• Why she left her career in marketing and advertising to pursue Podcasting

• Where her love of podcasts first stemmed from

• Her philosophy on imposter syndrome

• Why she couldn’t stand working in the corporate world, and knew she needed to do her own thing

• The early successes that Quill has had, and where they’re headed

• Why everyone should start a podcast

• & MORE
  

Head to https://www.quillpodcasting.com/ for more.

👇 Click the image below to tune in to this weeks episode 🎙️

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Want to take a peek at my “Prep Notes” for the show? 👇

These are totally unedited, and give you an idea of what I do to get ready for the interview.

Fatima, welcome to the Visionary Life Podcast.

Thanks for being here.

As the listeners just heard in your introduction, you have accomplished quite a lot in your lifetime. What sparks that inner fire within you, each day?

Life Before Quill

• You were at various marketing agencies, take us back to that chapter of your life

• This is where you were first made aware of how toxic some work cultures can be, operating on a “hustle 24/7 mentality” where the ones who are given the raises are the ones you stay at the office the longest
  

Birth of Quill - Launched Feb 2020, The upwork or fiverr for podcasts 

• Not only does Quill support podcasters like myself, but you also support bigger companies in launching podcasts. Can you share a bit more about what Quill is and who you serve?

• Where did the idea for Quill first come from? 

• You connect podcasters with freelancers! What parts of the process can you enlist freelance help on?

• Where did the name come from?

• To date, I think you’ve worked with 100’s of clients. Sign our listeners all have client-service businesses, can you share some tips in landing your first or next 5 clients? How do you “find clients”
  

Why Podcasts?

• I love that you are offering the opportunity for bigger companies to work with you, likely because they are realizing that podcasts are an amazing way to make an emotional connection with their customers

  • Study on podcast listeners…

  • After listening to a podcast episode, they purchase a product or service (61%)

  • Traditional advertising converts at 1-2%

  • Connection with the host, there’s trust there

• Podcasts aren’t trends… you say that “in the 80’s phone number, 90’s website, 2000’s it was social media, 2020+ podcast”

  • Are podcasts saturated?

  • Are podcasts a “get rich quick” plan?

  • Who should start a podcast?

• You can actually start the sales process (many guests become clients)

• Become a thought leader, increase brand awareness

• Do you need a specific niche?
  

Business Tips:

• How do you find a balance of hard work and rest?

• What’s one skill set that you’re currently working to uplevel, as you grow Quill into a Global Empire?

• Where are you hanging out to get smarter?

• Do you ever feel lonely or isolated as a business owner?

• You say “Everyone suffers from imposter syndrome but nobody has MORE or LESS rights to delivering what you do!” - any tips for our listeners on being more unapologetically promotional about their personal brands or businesses? 

• What soft or hard skills matter the MOST (in your opinion) in building a successful business?
  

Marketing & Promotion

• Once we create and launch the podcast, we have to find listeners! What are some of your favourite tips for finding a marketing strategy for a show

• Why are you so passionate about The Art of Podcasting

• I know that you are some who is unapologetic that part of your motive for starting a business is to make money - 

• Podcasts for exposure

• What are some of the key lessons you learned as a Sales Person

• How did you build a strong personal brand? You said “one handshake at a time”. Building warm relationships, being resilient, not everyone has this!

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Watch our Interview on YouTube!

People & places mentioned in the show:

• Joe Rogan

• Lewis Howes

• Jay Shetty

• Serial Podcast

• Sara Koenig 

• Startup CEO

• Multiplier 

• Soho House

Connect with Fatima & Quill

• Fatima Twitter: https://twitter.com/zaidiafatima 

• Quill Website: https://www.quillpodcasting.com/

• Fatima LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fatima-zaidi-6a6b844b/

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