Podcasting isn't just a content channel — for speakers, it's a training ground. In this milestone 100th episode, Peter George sits down with Alex Sanfilippo, founder of PodMatch, to explore how hosting and guesting on podcasts can sharpen your speaking skills, expand your reach, and open doors you didn't know existed. You'll hear Alex's journey from aerospace operations to building one of podcasting's most community-driven platforms — and why he made the unconventional decision to give away half his revenue to keep podcast hosts in the game.
You'll come away with a clear understanding of how to use PodMatch to find the right guests or land the right shows, why a single call to action outperforms giving people five options, and how showing up consistently — on any kind of stage — is the real secret to becoming a more dynamic speaker. Whether you're building your own show or looking to grow as a podcast guest, this conversation is packed with practical insight and genuine inspiration.
Welcome to Public Speaking with Peter George. Do you want to be calm, confident, and credible every time you speak in public? Then stay tuned as we discuss public speaking tips, techniques, and tactics that help you increase your impact, influence, and income.
Can podcasting help you grow your speaking business? Absolutely. Through podcasting, Peter has gained new clients as both a speaker and a speaking coach — but the best part has been the people. Some of those connections found their way into The Captivating Public Speaker; others have become valuable resources and friends. One of them is Alex Sanfilippo, founder of PodMatch and a suite of services designed to help podcasters succeed. In this milestone 100th episode, Alex explains how PodMatch came to be, and how you can use it to build a show, become a frequent guest, or both. Here's the conversation.
Podcasting as a Stage for Speakers
Peter: Do you agree that the more you speak, the more you'll speak — and that podcasting is a fantastic outlet for speakers?
Alex: A hundred percent. I used to speak on maybe one or two stages a year, and every time I got back up, I was rusty. Once I started podcasting and guesting on shows, I'd jump back on a physical stage and people would say, "You're such a dynamic speaker — are you on stage all the time?" I was like, no, not really. A different kind of stage, but it really elevated my game. It's all about the reps.
It's all about the reps. Podcasting is another form of public speaking — just a different kind of stage.
From Aerospace to Entrepreneurship
Alex: My background was in aerospace — and before you picture an astronaut or a fighter pilot, I was behind a computer running the commercial operations division of a parts manufacturer. I focused on profit margins and process efficiency for about 15 years. Nothing about that translated to podcasting. When the company went public around year 12, the entrepreneurial freedom I'd had disappeared. Ideas that used to get implemented overnight suddenly took six months through a CEO, a board, and shareholders. I knew it was time to move on — and I started a podcast strictly to learn from people who had left corporate life to become entrepreneurs.
How PodMatch Was Born
Alex: PodMatch automatically connects podcast guests and hosts for interviews. The idea came from my own experience. When I started my show, I knew exactly three entrepreneurs. I had all three of them on, asked all three to come back, and then struggled. When I eventually started speaking at podcasting events, I made it my goal to talk to as many podcasters as possible and ask what they were struggling with. A hundred people gave me essentially the same answer: finding the right guests. I'd had the same problem. That moment told me everything I needed to know. I devoted myself to solving it.
The Aha Moment: Paying Podcast Hosts
Alex: Early on, hosts were leaving PodMatch as fast as they were joining. I personally emailed each one to ask why. Almost every single person said the same thing: "I didn't leave PodMatch. I stopped podcasting." That broke my heart. The reason? Usually a spouse pointing out that $45 a month adds up when nobody seems to be listening yet. So we made a decision — we cut our revenue in half and started sharing 50% of it with podcast hosts based on episodes released. Sometimes it's $2 or $3, sometimes $20. But hosts who start breaking even stay in the game. Our churn rate dropped dramatically.
We're finding that the hosts who are breaking even now are staying in podcasting longer — and that furthers the purpose we care about.
The PodMatch Ecosystem
Alex: Beyond PodMatch, we built Podcast SOP — essentially glorified project management software that gives hosts a standard checklist to manage every episode release. And Podcasting Made Simple is our show, focused purely on education for both guests and hosts. We've also been developing a review exchange system — a lottery-based platform that allows podcast hosts to leave reviews for each other and earn chances at receiving multiple reviews in return. We worked with Apple on it to ensure people actually listen before reviewing. Integrity matters to us.
The Singular Call to Action
Alex: Everything I do lives at podpros.com. All our products, services, and social media — one place. That's intentional. When you give people five different directions, they choose none. A single, clear call to action is everything.
Thank you for listening to this episode of Public Speaking with Peter George. Are you ready to be calm, confident, and credible every time you speak in public? Then visit petergeorgepublicspeaking.com and let's make it happen. I'll see you next time.
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