Want to Get Booked More? Say the Thing No One Else Will
This week we're talking about the pitch angle that makes podcast hosts sit up straight.
The Hot Take.
A hot take is a clear, confident, slightly (or very) contrarian opinion about something in your field. It's the thing you believe that most of your colleagues won't say out loud. It's the conventional wisdom you disagree with. It's the advice everyone gives that you think is actually wrong.
Hosts love guests with hot takes because hot takes make great episodes. They spark conversation. They give listeners something to think about. They generate shares, comments, and replays.
And here's the thing — you probably have more hot takes than you realize. You've just been trained to keep them professional.
Time to use them.
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THE HOT TAKE PITCH: 5 ELEMENTS
1. THE STATEMENT
Lead with your take — clearly and without hedging. Don't soften it. Don't qualify it immediately. Let it land.
Example: "I've been a family law attorney for 18 years, and I think the way we talk about 'winning' a divorce is one of the most damaging things we do to families."
2. THE CONTRAST
Explain what the conventional wisdom or common approach is — and why you think it misses the mark.
Example: "Most people walk into divorce thinking about what they can get. Their attorneys encourage it. The whole system is structured around it. And the result is families who are financially and emotionally devastated for years afterward — not because divorce is hard, but because we made it a war."
3. YOUR ALTERNATIVE
Now give them the flip side — your actual position and why you believe it's better.
Example: "What I tell every client now is this: the goal isn't to win. The goal is to build a life you actually want on the other side. And the fastest path there is almost never through the courtroom."
4. WHY THIS MATTERS TO THE AUDIENCE RIGHT NOW
Connect the hot take to something timely, urgent, or personally relevant for the podcast's listeners.
Example: "With divorce rates still high and the average contested divorce costing $15,000-$30,000, I think your audience deserves to hear a different perspective on what's actually possible."
5. THE EPISODE PITCH
Offer 2-3 episode ideas that center your hot take as the conversation starter.
Example angles:
— "Why 'Winning' Your Divorce Might Be the Worst Thing That Could Happen to You"
— "The Divorce Advice Attorneys Give That I Think Is Completely Wrong"
— "What If Divorce Didn't Have to Be a Fight?"
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THREE FULL HOT TAKE PITCH EXAMPLES
— EXAMPLE 1: THE THERAPIST —
Subject: Unpopular Opinion: Closure After Divorce Is a Myth
Hi [Host Name],
Here's something I tell my clients that surprises almost every one of them:
Closure doesn't exist. And waiting for it is keeping you stuck.
For 12 years I've worked with people rebuilding their lives after divorce, and the single biggest thing that slows them down is the belief that they need to feel "done" before they can move forward. They're waiting for a feeling that's never coming — and meanwhile, their life is on hold.
I'd love to bring this conversation to your audience. Some episode ideas:
— "Why Closure After Divorce Is a Myth (And What to Seek Instead)"
— "How to Move Forward Before You Feel Ready"
— "The Healing Milestone That Actually Matters (And It's Not What You Think)"
This is the conversation my clients wish they'd had years earlier. Can we bring it to your show?
[Name] | [Credentials] | [Website]
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— EXAMPLE 2: THE FINANCIAL EXPERT —
Subject: Hot Take: Keeping the House After Divorce Is Usually a Mistake
Hi [Host Name],
I'm going to say something that makes me unpopular at cocktail parties:
Keeping the family home after divorce is, in most cases, the worst financial decision you can make.
I know. Everyone wants the house. It feels like stability. It feels like a win. But I've watched hundreds of clients struggle for years under a mortgage they can't really afford, in a home full of memories they're trying to escape, turning down their single greatest opportunity to start completely fresh.
The math almost never works. The emotional cost is even higher.
I'd love to make this case on your show:
— "Why Keeping the House After Divorce Might Be Holding You Back"
— "The Financial Fresh Start: What to Do With the Family Home"
— "What I Wish My Clients Knew Before Fighting for the House"
Would you be open to having me on?
[Name] | [Credentials] | [Website]
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— EXAMPLE 3: THE COACH —
Subject: I Think "Moving On" Is the Wrong Goal After Divorce
Hi [Host Name],
Everyone tells people going through divorce the same thing: you just need to move on.
I think that's exactly the wrong advice.
Moving on implies leaving something behind — erasing it, outrunning it. But your marriage was part of your story. Your kids, your memories, the person you became during those years — none of that should be "moved on" from. It should be integrated.
The people I see thrive after divorce aren't the ones who moved on the fastest. They're the ones who took the time to understand what happened and build something intentional on the other side.
Some episode ideas:
— "Stop Trying to 'Move On' After Divorce — Do This Instead"
— "What Thriving After Divorce Actually Looks Like (It's Not What Instagram Shows You)"
— "Integration Over Moving On: A New Framework for Life After Marriage"
I'd love to have this conversation with your audience. Can we connect?
[Name] | [Credentials] | [Website]
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Your hot take doesn't have to be inflammatory. It just has to be honest.
It's the thing you'd say at dinner with a trusted colleague. The thing you wish more people in your field would talk about. The perspective that comes from years of actually doing this work.
That's what makes a great episode. And that's what makes a great pitch.
Next: The Timely Pitch — how to tie your expertise to what's happening in the news and culture right now to get booked faster.