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Shane Larson

Conversations with Shane Larson

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Shane Larson.

Hi Shane, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
This was taken from my website thegametimeguru.com/about

Where It Started

Back in 2017, I was 27 years old, sitting in a class at Boise State taught by Kevin Skidmore. Bob Behler, the voice of the Boise State Broncos, was in that class answering questions from students. I asked him what advice he had for someone like me. I hadn’t gone to journalism school. I didn’t have any real experience. I just wanted to find a way into sports broadcasting.

His answer was simple. He told me to go home and start recording something.

So I did. I sat down at my computer and started talking about sports. Just updates, just my thoughts, nothing fancy. But somewhere in there, something clicked. If I was going to put in the effort to record myself, I wanted it to be something bigger. Something that would hold me accountable. That’s when I decided to start a podcast.

The Turning Point

About ten months into the show, I had roughly 2,000 total downloads. I was publishing consistently, but the numbers made one thing clear. Not many people wanted to just hear me talk.

So I changed the format. Instead of doing all the talking myself, I brought on a guest. His name was Harvey Hargrove, a former minor league baseball player with a story worth telling. That single interview brought in over 400 downloads on its own.

That was the moment everything shifted. I rebuilt the show around interviews, and it changed the entire trajectory of The Gametime Guru.

Where It’s Led

Since that pivot, this podcast has opened doors I never expected:

I’m now a Biletnikoff Award voter for college football

I’m a member of the FWAA (Football Writers Association of America)

I’ve partnered with companies both locally and nationally who believe in the show

I’ve interviewed athletes I never thought I’d get to speak with, including my childhood hero, Eddie George

I’ve emceed events because of the platform and the skills I’ve built doing this

I’ve brought lessons from these conversations directly into my coaching career

More Than Interviews

My coaching career with Idaho Premier Basketball, and my shooting coaching through GTG Academy, are all part of the same brand I’ve built. I’ve always competed, and I wanted this platform to be more than just a place for interviews.

Every conversation I have teaches me something I can bring back to the athletes I coach. The coaches and leaders I’ve talked to on this show have shaped how I show up for the players I work with every single day.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not a smooth road. Throughout this journey I’ve been rejected by HUNDREDS of potential guests who I would have loved to have on the show. Some of which ghosted me with no response and others who simply said it wasn’t worth their time to do the interviews with me. I’ve had to learn new platforms. When I started i planned on ONLY doing an audio podcast and publishing that. Along the way I had to have a presence on Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), now TikTok, and I’m sure others will come along the way too.

Also, learning how to optimize my YouTube Channel has been a big challenge. I never really took the time to do that because I was a one-man band so it was hard with the lack of bandwidth to be able to get all of that done.

Now YouTube is a MAJOR focus for me but it’s been an uphill battle.

Along the way I’ve had technical difficulties, where podcasts didn’t record the way I wanted them to. When I had my dream interview with Eddie George, the first time we spoke, I couldn’t get his audio to come through so it wasn’t working.. Then the 2nd time we spoke after re-scheduling, the audio was cutting out throughout the whole interview. It was a tough thing to realize that technical difficulties still occur even when you think you have everything down.

Along the way I have truly had to learn new systems and softwares to really get this to work and it’s been an uphill battle, but that’s where the growth truly occurs.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Outside of being a Marketing Director in my full-time work, I’m a podcast host for The Gametime Guru Podcast.

I started this back in 2017 and each week I interview sports figures from all over the world. I love hearing people’s stories. Allowing them to share their stories on my platform and encourage others through their stories. I’m known for extracting stories from guests and truly getting them to open up on my show.

I would say I’m most proud of the fact that I began this podcast back in 2017 and it’s almost been ten years of consistent publishing and learning that has built my reputation across the industry.

I would say I am a really good interviewer. I always love having genuine conversations with people and getting to know them. I love building authentic relationships with those around me.

What sets me apart from others in the same space is how I do this on my own (one person company) and I am able to consistently not only publish content, but also stay active on social media.

Any big plans?
As we come up on ten years of publishing content with The Gametime Guru Podcast, my goal is to write a children series of books. I want to take the stories from the guests I’ve had on the show and share them in a children series style of books. This way my interviews can also serve the youth while they also serve the adults.

I am planning on partnering with bigger sports brands and companies to expand the reach. I love the people I work with and I want to partner with companies who believe in the mission that I’m working towards.

There will also be an app that will be built out eventually that I will use that is tied to the podcast and brand as well. This will be an app that will be not only about the interviews I’ve done but will also be helpful for coaches and leaders across the globe that work in the sports world.

Contact Info:

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