How to Run a CEO / C-Suite Podcast Series That Doesn’t Sound Like a Press Release

Let’s be honest. Too many CEO updates are either a slickly produced video that screams “comms team hostage situation,” or a well-meaning all-staff email that nobody reads past the first paragraph.

So when someone suggests “a fireside chat with the CEO,” you can feel the nervousness rippling through the building like an electric shock.

But when done right?  It’s one of the most powerful podcast formats you can produce. And it can work well for both internal comms and public brand building alike.

Here’s how to make it work, without sounding anything like a press release.

Step 1: Decide If This Is An Internal or Public (External) Podcast, or Both

This fundamentally asks you who your audience is. Once you know who this is, it will help you brief your CEO, map out question areas and help you build your marketing plan. You can, however, be a little cheeky here. You could decide that this is an in-depth, internal comms podcast that you would then edit down to also make a lovely, almost highlights reel type, podcast for public consumption for a little bit of brand building 😉

Step 2: Decide if your CEO is a “talker” or a “thinker”

Every leader isn’t wired the same way. Some will fill the silence. Others need space to reflect. Identifying which one your leader is will help you find the right presenter to who will complement their style and get the most out of them.

If you match the wrong host / interviewer, you’ll likely find that you’ll get a rapid-fire monologue with no encouragement to open up or long pauses every time you ask a question.

Our tip: If your CEO is a thinker, pair them with a patient, listening-first host. If they’re a talker, give them a clear structure so the episode doesn’t spiral into stream-of-consciousness territory and a presenter who can confidently bring them back on topic.

Step 3: Skip the bio. Start with a bang.

Your listener’s time is precious, and they appreciate it when you get right to the point. So, dispense with the “Tell us a bit about your role,” or “How did you get here,” kick things off with something engaging / surprising:

• “What’s a recent decision you made that kept you up at night?”
• “What’s something you’ve changed your mind about in the last year?”
• “What’s a well trodden business cliché you secretly agree with?”

These kinds of prompts set the tone that this is a conversation, not a briefing.

Step 4: Let them disagree with themselves

This is where you’ll find some podcast gold.

CEOs are used to communicating in absolutes: targets, mission statements, KPIs. But this podcast is a space where they can be honest about evolution, how their thinking has changed and what shaped it.

You could ask your leaders to reflect on things like:

• “What did you believe at the start of your career that you no longer do?”
• “How did your perspective shift after that difficult Q4?”
• “What feedback did you get from your team that you really took on board?”

These stories build credibility and trust. Not because they’re polished, but because they’re real. Make sure you brief your presenter to really listen to the answers given here so that they can follow up naturally with additional questions that explore topics and thoughts that have come out of the previous answer in more depth.

Step 5: Make it sound like eavesdropping, not keynote speaking

A successful fireside chat should sound like two colleagues talking over coffee, not someone reading from a script or doing a TED Talk.

Tone matters here:

• Find a host who naturally speaks like this and brief your leader to speak naturally by using abbreviations like “we’ve,” “can’t,” “they’re”, just as they would normally talk to a friend.
• Don’t allow a script. If the presenter and leader need notes or prompts, have them prepare bullet points that they can talk around.
• Leave in laughter, pauses, or mid-sentence course corrections, the occasional erm or stutter. We all do it, it’s authentic and it builds trust.

Reassure your leader that you can polish things up, or even ditch entirely during the post-production.

Step 6: Let your listeners shape the next episode

One great fireside chat is nice. A series is gold, especially if you involve the people listening.

During each episode and through your social or comms, invite questions, suggestions for future topics and guest recommendations. 

Better still, kick off each new episode with a clip or quote from a previous one, and reflect on what’s changed since.

This makes the podcast a living conversation, not a one-off stunt.

TIP: If your CEO is nervous…

Some execs love a mic. Others don’t. If your leader is worried about saying the wrong thing, being misquoted, or “not sounding like a professional podcaster,” here are a few ways you can help.

• Pre-call: Arrange a quick face to face to chat through the process and any concerns.
• Warm-up: On the day, throw in a few warm up questions at the beginning that you won’t use to get your CEO chatting. Once they’re relaxed and in the flow, transition into your actual questions. Don’t signpost them, just ask them.
• Prep questions they care about, not just the ones you do. And they don’t all have to directly relate to the job.
• Record in private, not in front of an audience.
• Let them know they can stop and rephrase whenever they want and you’ll clean it all up in the edit.

Some Final Thoughts

The best fireside chats aren’t about talking points. They’re about creating human points of connection. Pick a relaxed setting (fireplace not required!) and let it flow.

So if you’re planning a CEO or C-Suite led podcast, here’s your cheat sheet:

✅ Ditch the script & bio
✅ Start with a question that makes them think
✅ Keep it conversational
✅ Reflect on the messy
✅ Build a sense of continuity

And if you want to make the whole process easier?

Download Our Fireside Interview Question Kit

We’ve pulled together some questions designed to help you get the heart of your leadership podcast interviews. They include:

• Ice-breakers that don’t sound cheesy
• Story prompts that reveal values, not just wins
• Reflection questions that spark deeper thinking

It’s your secret weapon for sounding real, not rehearsed, and a great launch pad to develop your own questioning style.

Want help making it happen?

We’re here to help you turn ideas into engaging audio and video podcasts. From brand building public facing ones to warm and engaging internal comms ones. Tap us up for  consultations and scoping work, whole-team or presenter training, recording to editing and social clip making. We’ll do all or some of the heavy lifting for you. Get in touch to discuss whatever you need.