Stacey Simms is all about connections and community. We met through the alumni association of our college radio station, and since her son’s diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes, she has formed an incredible community of patients and caregivers around this disease. This includes her podcast, Diabetes Connections, and her book The World’s Worst Diabetes Mom.
We spend a couple minutes on diabetes itself, including Stacey explaining some common misconceptions about the disease.
Her podcast has connected her with everyone from diabetic celebrities to major drug companies, and she tells a great story of asking the head of Eli Lily, on a conference call, to drop the price of insulin.
As a dyed-in-the-wool reporter, Stacey knew she needed an angle and focus for her podcast – and that’s why she spends a lot of time focusing on diabetes news, even if that’s not how the first few episodes went.
Then, we delve into how Stacey started selling ads on her podcast. She stresses the importance of selling based on shows, not download numbers, as those metrics can vary wildly. Also, in the medical field, there are a number of rules that must be adhered to when it comes to advertising copy.
Stacey explains how she navigates each of these, and also how important it is to be transparent about sponsorship dollars and what parts of the show are paid for.
We zoom out, and I ask Stacey for some general advice about how -and when – to seek out advertisers for your podcast.
Finally, I ask Stacey for advice for other diabetes parents.
Resources:
Diabetes Connections Website: https://diabetes-connections.com/
Stacey’s Book: https://diabetes-connections.com/product/the-worlds-worst-diabetes-mom/
Stacey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/staceysimms
Stacey on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/staceysimms/
Jon Gay / JAG in Detroit Website: https://jagindetroit.com/
JAG on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jagindetroit
JAG on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jagindetroit/