Show notes
Can one self-taught editor change how an entire industry promotes its content?Anthony Smith is the former Diary Of A CEO trailer editor who helped transform podcast promotion from simple social media clips into cinematic, emotionally charged miniature movies.Watch more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingthebrandofficialWant more from Building The Brand - connect here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletterAfter struggling to break into the film and television industry without money, contacts or formal training, Ant started his own production company and taught himself to edit because he could not afford to employ an editor.That decision eventually led him to work on major campaigns involving Bond, Star Wars, Disney and Marvel before joining The Diary Of A CEO when the team consisted of fewer than ten people.Over the next four and a half years, Ant created or oversaw more than 450 podcast trailers, helping turn Steven Bartlett’s podcast into one of the world’s biggest media brands. His documentary-inspired storytelling, cinematic sound design and emotionally driven editing style helped redefine how podcasts, creators and brands promote long-form content.You will hear: ▪️Working on campaigns involving Bond, Star Wars, Disney and Marvel▪️Joining Diary Of A CEO when the team had fewer than ten people▪️Why Steven Bartlett told Ant not to study other podcasts▪️Turning podcast trailers into cinematic miniature documentaries▪️The storytelling principles behind more than 450 trailers▪️How music, sound design and editing can provoke emotion▪️Why Diary Of A CEO’s trailers helped define the brand▪️Why copying the Diary Of A CEO style will not work for every business▪️The 15-point mindset checklist used to train trailer editors▪️Why brands must create content from first principles▪️The difference between building a brand and chasing attention▪️Why going viral can become an addictive and destructive cycle▪️How vanity metrics cause brands to abandon their identity▪️Why a million views may produce no customers or meaningful community▪️How AI and human creativity can work together0:00 — Has Ant Smith changed the podcasting industry?4:00 — Growing up believing success happened to other people8:17 — Working on Bond, Star Wars, Disney and Marvel campaigns13:10 — Pressure, burnout and becoming addicted to difficult work17:50 — Joining Diary Of A CEO for an “easier” creative role19:49 — How cinematic trailers transformed the podcast21:15 — Turning a podcast into a global media show23:31 — Ant’s first day with Jonny Wilkinson and Wretch 3230:01 — Why Steven Bartlett told him not to watch other podcasts32:10 — Creating the first Diary Of A CEO trailer34:05 — The first and final trailers that bookended Ant’s journey37:28 — Creating and overseeing more than 450 trailers38:25 — An estimated 1.5 billion episode views and what comes next40:24 — Why copying successful content causes industries to stagnate47:18 — How trailers helped define the Diary Of A CEO brand48:50 — Why brand building should be treated as an art form55:22 — Creating different identities for new podcast brands59:59 — The 15-point mindset checklist behind effective trailers1:01:32 — What brands get wrong about short-form content1:03:27 — Why going viral can become a destructive addiction1:05:28 — The dopamine crash that follows viral success1:09:45 — Leaving the world’s biggest podcast 48 hours earlier1:10:23 — Why success left Ant feeling empty and worthless1:12:49 — The friendships behind Diary Of A CEO’s growth1:15:10 — Leaving a powerful brand and questioning your own value1:16:54 — What comes after Diary Of A CEO?1:17:40 — Stepping into the unknown without another job1:18:14 — Building a better relationship between AI and creativity1:20:29 — Challenging the belief that employment equals safety1:22:07 — Reflecting on a career that changed podcast promotion
