Today we’d like to introduce you to Byron Duffin.
Hi Byron, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
July 1, 2024 I walked into a meet at work with the owners of the Ag Manufacturing Co. where I was the Brand President. They informed me that they could no longer afford me and my job ended on the spot. Two weeks later they filed bankruptcy and it took me 18 months to receive the compensation they owed me.
Not long after finding myself suddenly and unexpectedly retired, our daughter suggested my wife and I start a podcast. Within a few days we had a name, a plan purchased the necessary equipment and scheduled our first in person interview, since then we have done nearly 300 interviews from Key West,Nashville, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Montana, Wyoming and everywhere in between. From the start we decided that they would all be in person!
That’s how “Musical Miles Podcast” was born. From a true love of live music that we wanted to share with anyone willing to hear the stories. We’ve featured everyone from emerging artists to Nashville Hall of Fame Songwriters, Legendary Venues, Industry Professionals and fans from around the world.
We believe the perfect musical equation contains 4 key elements, 1-the song 2- the artist 3- the venue 4- the fans! We have included each of those elements in our podcast episodes.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Anytime you’re willing to take an idea and make it a reality, there are challenges. Early retirement wasn’t in my life plan. I’d planned on working at least another 4-5 years. But faced with a huge financial loss we figured we could be successful at this new endeavor. Little did we know that it takes a considerable amount of time and personal investment before we would see it generate any money.
Reaching the necessary benchmarks to monetize a podcast took considerably longer than we thought. It takes thousands of hours of watch time and hundreds of thousands of views to reach those levels for success. You never know if or when an episode will go viral. We have posted 245 episodes on our YouTube channel and all streaming platforms. Only recently did one of our episodes featuring Hall of Fame Songwriter Dean Dillon help us reach one of those major milestones.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As I mentioned, I spent the past 10 years as a manufacturing executive in the Ag industry. Having grown up on a farm, I learned the value of hard work and perseverance. I spent the past 50 years working in all aspects of the agricultural industry. From farming to livestock management, long days were filled will hard physical and even mental labor. We’ve had our share of success as well as disappointment and even failures. Each and everyone of them has helped to make us who we are today!
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
We knew little to nothing about hosting a podcast when we started. We’ve learned a lot, and we’’re constantly learning everyday.
It seems as though there are new podcasts like ours popping up everyday that are focusing on music. But what sets us apart is the fact that we have been willing to do whatever it takes to make ours be consistent and successful. From traveling to wherever the music takes us, and doing every interview in person to posting new episodes 3 times per week. Never being afraid to ask anyone for an interview regardless of their status or success.
Building relationships has been key to our growth and access to the kind of people we want to feature on our show.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.musicalmilespodcast.com
- Instagram: @musicalmilespodcast
- Facebook: musical_miles_podcast
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@musicalmilespodcast?si=4YCl1VLlzxbMSC24
