Chris Marquardt from the top floor
Based in Germany, Chris Marquardt produces and hosts one of the most popular independent photography tips and advice video shows around.: Tips from the Top Floor.
When & why did you begin podcasting?
My brother pointed me to podcasting in 2005, and in April that year I had the first show out. I instantly knew that podcasting would be a great opportunity for me, and being a professional sound guy producing CDs and doing sound for video productions, and having a topic that is near and dear to my heart and that I love telling others about, it was a no-brainer for me to start podcasting.
What is the most significant thing to happen to you personally as a direct result of producing your podcast?
Doing the podcasts has been a rollercoaster ride on many levels. And I mean that in a positive way. About a year into it, I lost my daytime job, and instead of going the “normal” route trying to find a new job, I took the opportunity and went self-employed. Two years ago I held my first photo workshop here in Germany, and thanks to the power of community I ended up with participants from the Unites States, from England and Switzerland, and even from China and Japan. Last year I did my first workshop tour through the United States and I’m actually going to do the same again this year. In addition to that, my podcasts have given me enough visibility to be noticed by several companies that I now produce podcasts for.
What podcasts, if any, do you regularly listen to or watch?
Well, obviously the Charlie (Adam Curry’s Daily Source Code), then a ton of photography-related shows, a few public radio productions, WNYC’s Radio Lab and This American Life are great, some of Leo Laporte’s shows (well, most of them to be honest) and a few local podcasts from Germany. All in all, with over 60 entries, the list is far too long, but I like to be in the loop, and with my new German show “podhalde23” that is a podcast about new media and podcasting for podcasters, it really helps.
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
As a child I think I was pretty mainstream wanting to be a train driver, but when I grew up I ended up playing a lot of music in bands and for a while had the dream of becoming an rock star. What can I say, podcasting gives me at least some of that 
What does the future hold for you and your show?
You’re never there. I firmly believe in that. Without evolution and constant change, things get stale and you deprive yourself of the opportunity to grow. The key is in identifying what makes one’s show unique and appeal to the audience and keep the key bits while evolving other parts. With Tips from the Top Floor I keep my audience on their toes. They get audio and video, tips and tricks, interviews, sound-seeings and the odd experiment where I play with the medium and try out new things. My German podcast “Happy Shooting” is starting to get more attention from advertisers these days, so that stays interesting too. And with my latest project “podhalde23″ that I do together with Germany’s #1 comedy podcaster, we struck a surprise success, topping all sorts of podcast charts for weeks on end.
These are definitely very exciting times, and I’m really glad to be at the right place at the right time.
