Meet Phil Giangrande | Founder and CEO of Giangrande Productions

We had the good fortune of connecting with Phil Giangrande and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Phil, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Well, while I was a host and producer in radio, I saw a real need. Business owners looking for new clients would come to me to do a show hoping that listeners would call them. Now, while they did get some calls, I noticed the real opportunity was with the relationships that were formed with guests that would come on the shows. So, I spent years teaching these business owners how to be great as a host and perfecting a strategy that would turn these guests into strong referral partners. When podcasting came along, it become less expensive to implement my successful strategies and Giangrande Productions was born.

What should our readers know about your business?
I love working directly with clients on strategy and media consulting both on how to be a great host or how to be a phenomenal guest that producers beg to bring back. I am also at every recording to make sure things move flawlessly. For post-production, my team jumps in using the most current tech stack to take is 95% of the way. Then I jump back into the process to review everything before it goes out to our client and the public. My biggest challenge was actually during Covid. I had just gotten laid off after over 15 years at iHeartmedia and the world completely shut down. I had already taken on clients privately for many years, but I had to pivot fast. As remote platforms began to explode, my business grew. I began consulting remotely, recording remotely, doing post-production remotely etc…. I have to admit, that was difficult for me personalIy because I love face to face interaction, but as the world opened up again, I was able to make in-person meetings a priority. I take my clients success and enjoyment of the process very seriously and this hybrid approach allows me to stay in front of any concerns or strategies that come up.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love this question! First, I would take them to a concert at the Greek. The Greek theatre is so unique and there is no bad seat in the house. Next, we’d go for a little culture at the Getty Museum. After that, down to the Santa Monica pier and a fun day at the beach. For dinner I would head to the cliffs of Malibu at Geoffrey’s. For wine tasting if we’re staying local I’d spend a day at Malibu Wines and Beer Garden. If we’re traveling for an overnight or weekend, I’d take them to Solvang, a true Dutch surprise right here in California. Great little town! Then we’d hit the nearby wineries and tasting rooms of Los Olivos. If there was time, a trip down to San Diego would be in the plan as well.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Many people in my life have be so great at helping me along the way, but two people in particular deserve a lot of credit for their mentorship and support. Toni Patillo, along with being a fantastic Real Estate Agent is a good friend and business coach who told me for years that my true value was as a consultant. She watched me coach business owners just as a matter of course in my job of producer and would say, you have no idea the value you’re bringing to them do you? She was right, I was so focused on doing the technical side of my job, that I didn’t even really notice the other aspects I was contributing. The second person is Dino Katsiametis, an amazing Loan Officer and CEO of a revolutionary company called Ethos Lending. Definitely check it out if you’re looking for somewhere special to work. He has been a phenomenal mentor to me as an entrepreneur. How lucky am I to have these two people in my life?

Website: https://www.giangrandeproductions.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-giangrande/