The Tea with Mike Story
A storyteller's journey…
How the Tea with Mike show started
Since the show started in January 2019, the Tea with Mike show community has continued to grow and is now listened to around the globe. And the story people want to hear the most is how the Tea with Mike show started.
Well, it all started with an idea for a college project and three words that I scrawled on a piece of paper, “conversations with people.” Writing has never been one of my strengths and I was reluctant to write another essay, citing sources. I wanted to do something different.
I’ve always enjoyed being on a Stage and talking to people. I fell in love with Theatre at a young age and had the opportunity to perform at the Georgian Theatre Royal in Richmond, North Yorkshire, England as a dedicated member of their Youth Theatre group. Through this opportunity, I experienced first-hand the magical impact that performance and storytelling can have on people and knew that I wanted to do more to promote the sharing of stories. And this was the aspiration that lead, ten years later, to the Tea with Mike show.
In the beginning, the show was just about me chatting to someone, having a conversation. But now, with an ever growing audience and community, I feel that I can use the platform that I’ve created to showcase not only conversations but the stories of the show’s amazing guests and their journeys to where they are today. The show could simply have been a college project that ended when I graduated in July 2019. I could have walked away from it and ended up doing something else. If I had listened to those who doubted me in those early days and given up my dream there would have been no Tea with Mike show. But I didn’t give up, I decided to believe in myself and not listen to other people’s opinions. I pursued my dreams.
The Tea with Mike show is my fuel, my passion and my life. There is nothing that I would rather being doing. Thank you for supporting the show and believing in me. I hope you continue to follow the show and to share the stories of the guests with the world.
Mike
What's it like being on the Tea with Mike show?
When someone reaches out to me, because they are considering sharing their story on the show, they often ask what’s it like being on the Tea with Mike show? They know that the Tea with Mike show is about storytelling and conversation over a good cup of tea but want to know more about what the experience involves.
Prior to appearing on the show, I ask guests to send me a show bio, a profile picture and filling out a couple of guest agreement forms. Once the paperwork is complete, we agree a date to record the show and I send the guest a private link to from the platform used to record the show. On the day of recording, we have a brief pre-show chat and then record the show. Once the show is recorded, it is edited and promoted it across different social media platforms. The show is posted to the Tea with Mike website and to Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Listen Notes and Google Podcasts.
Check out the show reviews page on the website to learn more about the on the show experience. Please contact the Tea with Mike show on social media @teawithmike or e-mail team@teawithmike.com if you would like to find out more about appearing on the show. I look forward to hearing your story and chatting with you over my next cup of tea.
Mike
How do I get guests for the Tea with Mike show?
One of the main questions that people ask me about the Tea with Mike show is, how do I find guests for the Tea with Mike show? The short answer is that this is an ongoing process.
When I first started the show in January 2019, finding someone willing to sit and talk with me on a show with no history was challenging to say the least. I just kept asking. A big shout out here to Brooklyn Meunier for being the first-ever guest of the show and for not cancelling, despite being ill on the day of the recording. I began to realise that recording and producing a show is like having another job; it demands passion and a time commitment. In the beginning, most of my guests were college peers who were kind enough to give up their time to support me. After doing a handful of episodes, I started to get a little more ambitious about finding guests. As I built up my social media followers I was able to reach out to them and ask if they would appear on the show. A few said yes and, that strategy for finding guests lasted until episode 57 of the Tea with Mike show. By then the show had built some momentum and people were starting to notice the Tea with Mike show.
My first breakthrough moment was appearing on “Tea with Gary Vaynerchuk”. My seven minute appearance on the show enabled me to promote my show to a global audience. This exposure allowed me to attract some more high-profile guests to the show. But, irrespective of who the guest is, they all have something in common. Every guest has a story to share, a story from which there is always something to learn. After having put countless hours into finding guests, I was amazed when I first received an e-mail request to be a guest on the show. This was another breakthrough moment for me and now I often get e-mails from people wanting to share their stories on the show.
These days I have multiple ways of finding guests, reaching out to them, messaging potential guests on Social Media, and receiving email inquires about being on the show. I also ask guests if they know of anyone in their networks who may be interested in appearing on the Tea with Mike show. I now ask guests to create a short video review of their experiences on the show that I can post to Social Media platforms. Word of mouth is everything.
I hope this piece gives you some insight into how I find guests for the Tea with Mike show. The one piece of advice I would like to pass on is, don’t be afraid to keep asking until someone says yes. If you believe in something, persevere, don’t give up on the first hurdle and be patient. It takes time. Ultimately, I have learnt that storytelling is powerful and everyone has a story to tell.
Good luck with your journey.
Mike
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