Indie Talk-Radio Show "Summit Your Life" Attracts Impressive Guests

Westport, CT, November 16, 2010 --(PR.com)-- The indie talk-radio show Summit Your Life was launched early this year by husband and wife hosts Garrison Leykam and Betty-Lynn White. Started as a program designed to give hope and guidance to people who had never been unemployed and whose dreams were disappearing, Summit Your Life were profiled in the nationally advertised Pepsi Refresh Project that recognizes grass roots ideas that have a positive impact on their communities.

But, the show quickly evolved beyond unemployment coping strategies to focusing on creating more value in listeners’ lives as an impressive number of notable people began to take notice of the show and appear as guests, from CNBC anchors Maria Bartiromo and Michelle Caruso-Cabrera to Lisa Kelly of Ice Road Truckers. “We’ve taken listeners cave diving with James M. Tabor, author of Blind Descent, relived the Vietnam War with The Lotus Eaters author Tatjana Soli and taken a private look into the home of the President with Connie Mariano, author of The White House Doctor,” reflects White. “We had fun,” adds Leykam, “exploring contrasting UFO ideas with William J. Birnes of UFO Hunters and Seth Shostak, Senior Astronomer at SETI.” Mountaineer, educator, author and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Chris Warner has also been a guest on Summit Your Life as have history-making NASCAR racing twins Amber and Angela Cope. Leykam has a knack for attracting special guests. "I am driven to have guests on the show who can inform, entertain, motivate and excite our listeners."

“Garrison and I take great pride in interviewing guests who have demonstrated that the impossible is possible,” White points out, “such as talking about the rescue of the 33 miners in Chile with Julio Fiol, Consulate General of Chile, and Jeff Roten of Schramm Inc., a Senior Service Technician at the drill site during the rescue. We’ve also had fascinating discussions with politicians Dan Malloy, Jim Himes, Dan Dibecella and Rick Torres about the future of Connecticut and the country.”

Asked about his comparison of Summit Your Life to the digital- and Internet-driven indie music movement, Garrison was quick to reply: "We are taking traditional terrestrial radio into the mainstream of the social media and using Internet and digital mediums to grow listenership and expand the opportunities for listeners to get involved with the show and our sponsors. Every 'live' show is also streamed online simultaneously. Our 'local' audience is 'worldwide,'" notes Leykam.

Each interview is converted into a podcast so that listeners, guests and their own followers can hear Summit Your Life shows at any time. Guests are provided with a link to their interview, which they can add to their own websites, emails, newsletters, social media and more enabling them to expand their marketing. The same goes for sponsors. Leykam and White have a 'Sponsor Spotlight' segment in which they interview their sponsors. The podcasts have helped generate interest in the show. According to Leykam, monthly increases in podcast downloads from July through October were 26%, 31% and 35% respectively. “We're definitely doing the right things.” Summit Your Life is promoted on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

So, what's next for Garrison and Betty-Lynn's Summit Your Life℠ brainchild? "Our goal in 2011," projects Garrison, "is to expand the show's broadcast reach through syndication. We are already exploring the New York City market. I'd also like to see if the radio show translates into a TV format."

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