The AMP (Al Mega Podcast) - Vinnie Potestivo

Vinny Potestivo is an award-winning media adviser and editor-in-chief of I Have a Podcast. He has worked with top stars and businesses, teaching people how to use their brand to reach their goals. He chose the name Amp for his company, Vinny Forte Entertainment, as an homage to audio having a moment in the industry. Vinny talks about his journey and his early inspirations, where he is from and how he got to where he is. He talks about his website VPE TV and the Verified Podcast Exchange, and how he came up with the Amp name. He shares tips on how to level up and reach one’s goals and encourages listeners to be inspired by those who have dared to dream big and make it a reality.

The speaker is from Staten Island, New York and has recently moved to Brooklyn. Despite the pandemic, the speaker has taken this opportunity to rebrand and reflect on their past experiences. They talk about their dream of working in Times Square, and how they were told as a child that they had no musical talent and couldn’t join the band. However, this experience sparked a realization of their capability to do more than what people believed. They mention a casting they went to on 45th and Broadway for MTV’s Spanking New Music Week, which was taking over Times Square. Ultimately, the speaker loves being from New York because they get to meet many different people from all over the world.

In this conversation, Vinnie speaks about Marlon L. Wallen and recalls his experience of being picked out of the audience to ask Whitney Houston a question during one of her single releases. Wallen had worked hard to practice his question, and ended up asking Whitney what it was like recording with Mariah Carey on the Prince of Egypt soundtrack. Wallen then goes on to explain that he had taken out an ad on Backstage magazine while in college in order to find work in a financial institution that did theater. This eventually lead to him working at MTV, where he had the opportunity to cast artists such as Beyonce, Mandy Moore, Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears. Wallen reflects on how he never expected his dream of working in Times Square to lead to all the opportunities he was presented with.

The conversation discussed the concept of building an audience and how it can be converted into a community. The example of Beyonce and Lady Gaga playing at music festivals was used to illustrate how an audience can be converted into a community. This is done by creating an experience that can be shared through content, social media, and podcasts. The conversation concluded that simply increasing visibility does not lead to discovery, rather it is the shareability of the experience that leads to discovery.

Follow Vinnie on:
@vinniepotestivo
@ihaveapodcast

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Episode 6 in an unlimited series!

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