Newtown City Lifestyle checked in with Ron Melk, a Newtown turned Washington Crossing resident, and Kevin Kennedy, of Richboro, about founding “Your Valuable Home," an informative podcast that's laser-focused on helping homeowners and residential real estate investors protect and grow their assets.
After seven years of successfully broadcasting on various radio stations throughout the area, including 920 Fox Sports, 610 ESPN and most recently, the popular talk radio channel 1210 PHT, this dynamic duo moved to podcasting. Read about their speed to growth and what makes their show different and truly valuable.
HOW DID YOU TWO MEET?
They come from separate backgrounds. Ron is a seasoned communications veteran, working for various firms in media and marketing. Kevin is a contractor who owns his own business and has been doing home improvements around the greater Bucks County area for 30 years. They met by happenstance through mutual friends, and from there the idea was born, melding Ron’s radio/TV production and programming experience along with Kevin’s knowledge of contracting. Though both of the guys had no previous “in front of the microphone” experience, they both sound great, especially Kevin who had an untapped broadcaster’s voice.
WHAT WAS THE RADIO TALK SHOW AND NOW PODCAST ABOUT?
The men make it very clear the show is not about DIY projects or how to flip real estate, two subjects that have tons of competitive content in the media landscape. Instead, they focus on educating homeowners and real estate investors on making the right choices when purchasing properties, selecting contractors, design advice that nets the best gain and how to make the best overall moves for adding home and community value. They assure they keep the homeowner only in mind, with honest and direct information.
AFTER SEVEN YEARS OF SUCCESS, WHY MOVE TO PODCASTING?
The simple answer was for reach. Radio limits the range of audience. With podcasting, the entire world can tune in at their pace and schedule. Currently, the show has domestic listeners in 35 states with international fans in 13 countries, including a large presence in Belgium. With available analytics, they also are able to monitor listening statistics and tailor the show around what's working and being demanded. The podcast and website also allow improved communication with the listeners. Kevin and Ron are available by email, among other methods, where feedback helps drive content.
HOW’S THE PODCAST GOING?
It’s been a fast-moving phenomenal success. The main reason attributed to this is that the podcast is in many respects unique. With a strong desire to strictly educate the listener on the best ways to improve home value through making the right choices, and having the expertise to back that up, the show certainly hits the mark on being original and informative to the listener. In terms of being a market mover, the show is looking at 1,000% growth over the past three months alone.
WHAT MAKES THE PODCAST UNIQUE AND TRULY A VALUE?
First, Kevin brings 30 years of home improvement contracting to the table. In addition to being an expert in this domain, he hangs his hat on being extremely honest and a businessman with not only profits in mind, but educating and building a trusted relationship with his customers. Kevin, along with producer and co-host Ron, drive the flow of the show and add just the right amount of commentary. They want nothing more than to educate and aid people. The show is a good mix of reviewing both successful and failed home improvement jobs, detailing what went right or wrong, along with interviews of industry experts across every faucet of contracting, real estate, innovative building products and concepts for uplifting entire communities.
HOW CAN AVERAGE HOMEOWNERS OR REAL ESTATE INVESTORS BENEFIT FROM THE YVH PROGRAM?
The content is perfect for the homeowner who's looking to increase the value of their home for the long haul. Each episode goes into detail on a specific project or project space, which a homeowner can use as advice on their next project. Selecting the right contractor is a weighted focus, because this is how projects typically go right or wrong. What questions to ask, how to vet a contractor and how to make the best choices on materials are some of the areas the two hosts dig deep on. They also focus on community and how neighborhoods can help drive value, along with industry trends.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR YVH?
“Your Valuable Home” is continuing steady growth in the podcast world. Indicators are that the show is quickly becoming the go-to podcast for homeowners, and it's landing advertising, which is the show's main revenue driver. Kevin and Ron also are launching a unique licensing program in which media outlets, such as newspapers and online content sites, can license the hundreds of broadcast episodes to air directly. They are exploring video opportunities, including the YouTube channel, too.
Each Friday evening, the “Your Valuable Home” one-hour podcast can be found on Apple Podcasts or NewPodCity.com (education category).
