We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ed Dentzel a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Ed, so great to have you with us and thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with the community. So, let’s jump into something that stops so many people from going after their dreams – haters, nay-sayers, etc. We’d love to hear about how you dealt with that and persisted on your path.
This is a fantastic question because my attitude when I started my podcast is completely different from what my attitude is now. Back in September 2016 when I started, I read every review on places like iTunes. And my podcast, frankly, got horrible, horrible reviews. It really ate me up because I really thought I was doing a good job. Yes, the audio could’ve been better. But overall, the interviews were great. The podcast was and still is very organized. I cover information on disappearances that nobody else touches.
And still, these horrible 1-star reviews kept coming. I just could not stop thinking about them.
Eventually, I decided they didn’t matter. I woke up one day and said to myself, “I’m doing the podcast, period. Bad reviews do not physically keep me from reaching out to people, interviewing them, and then playing the recordings on my podcast. Whoever these people are, they can keep giving me horrible reviews, but I’m not stopping.”
And here in 2023, I’m still here. Having been featured on 48 Hours twice. Testified due to my work in a murder trial twice. Over a million downloads a year. Speaking to high school and college students. Etc. And where are those haters now? Probably in their same horrible places.
I haven’t read a review of my podcast since 2017. True story. I don’t care. In fact, at least for podcasting, I would say reviews don’t matter at all. Podcasters out there, do not read your reviews. You just keep doing what you think is right. Reviews don’t matter. Haters don’t matter. Trolls don’t matter. Forget all that.
Instead, with the people who like what you’re doing, treasure every one of them. If listeners email you, you always respond quickly. Thank them. Earn their respect with every episode you produce.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m a missing persons podcaster. I host the podcast, Unfound, that can be found on Spotify, iTunes, and everywhere else. I started in September 2016 after another podcast which I co-hosted failed.
I’ve always been interested in disappearances. I’m not sure why. Nothing like that has happened in my family. None of my friends have ever disappeared. Maybe the fascination comes from knowing that there are things out there that exist but we can’t see them. Missing people are out there . . . somewhere . . . on the earth but somehow, day after day, all 7 billion humans don’t see them or their remains. This then leads me to start thinking about the entire universe, what else is out there existing but we haven’t encountered it yet.
From my work, though, I’m not just a reporter now. I’ve become an educator, speaking to criminal justice majors about disappearances. Why? They get no training at all. Recently I just spoke to high school students about podcasting but also about staying safe in a dangerous world–how not to become victims. My work was important enough that in 2021 and 2022 I testifed in a murder trial in Greeley, CO. The prosecution believed an interview I did with the suspect was important to their case. They got a conviction the second time after a hung jury for the first.
Eventually, I hope to have more of an impact with law enforcement in teaching all of the men and women on the job about what they can do better. I hope to take what I’ve learned from listening to over 300 families talk about their disappearances and the emotional trauma they’ve experienced, and pass that to men and women whose responsibility it is to figure out what happened to these missing people. Right now law enforcement overall has no instincts on the topic at all.
You should also look for me in two tv shows that will be coming out in 2024 where I was interviewed about my work pertinent to the murder trials in 2021 and 2022.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Three skills that have helped me be a great podcaster:
1. Writing. I do more writing than recording. Without great writing, you cannot have a great podcast. Everybody should be always trying to improve their writing.
2. Public speaking. You have to be comfortable knowing that millions of people are going to dissect every word you say. Plus, you have to get use to listening to your own voice–which can be weird for many people.
3. Finding your place. I attempted and failed at many things before I happened upon creating Unfound. I thought all those other things were what I was supposed to do with my life. I was wrong. And you may need to fail many times before you find your place as well. I’m here to tell you: It’s okay.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
The idea that I can succeed at anything when I put my mind to it. Granted, they ended up being wrong. Hahahaha. Because I’ve failed at many things. However, the idea that there is something out there–a career, a hobby, a relationship, etc.–that is meant for me and all I have to do is find it, is a philosophy that every person should have. Failure only means that that very very very particular subject or person or whatever just wasn’t mean for you. That doesn’t mean something else, someone else isn’t mean for you. Failling once does not mean failing forever.
Likewise, when you succeed, never take it for granted because you may never succeed again. Cherish it.
Contact Info:
- Website: theunfoundpodcast.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/unfoundpodcast
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unfoundpodcast
- Twitter: twitter.com/unfoundpodcast
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheUnfoundPodcastChannel/videos
- Other: howtopodcastbetterthananyone.teachable.com/courses
