My adventures in podcasting
The first time I thought about hosting a podcast was years ago, probably back when podcasts were newer and dinosaurs roamed the earth. I was listening to an obscure podcast about an even more obscure tv show that I liked and I thought to myself: If these adorable yahoos can host a podcast, I bet I could do one too.
Back then podcasting wasn't the next big thing and I didn't even know where to start. I had an idea, I knew what I wanted to talk about, the same thing I always talk about: Living your optimal life. I'm a broken record, I know it. My message hasn't changed over the years, I still believe that we can live our optimal lives in all areas including our businesses, our health, our finances and our relationships. I just don't believe that we need to be limited. But as far as podcasting went I was limited because like I said, I had no idea where to start, it seemed highly technical and so I shelved that idea and moved on to other ideas that were more readily executable.
I never stopped listening to podcasts though. I found new ones, one for every subject that interested me, from business topics to Sci-Fi book reviews. I'd listen to podcasts in my car, while doing chores, and one day I even caught myself listening in to a particularly amusing comedy podcast and chuckling like a crazed woman as I wheeled my shopping cart down the aisle of our local supermarket. It was official. Podcasts had become, a rather enjoyable, part of my life and they were here to stay.
And I'm not the only one who loves podcasts. I'm not the only one who checks if there is a podcast available on my current topic of interest for just about everything. Studies show, and you all know as a recovering researcher that I love my studies, that podcasting is a growing media form. On Apple podcasts alone there are over a billion podcasts: you heard that (read that?) right! Billion with a B y'all. So we have a growing media format, that people are actively seeking out and you have a business, or an idea that you are trying to get visible in the world... Hmmm... Does that sound like a match made in heaven?
It took me many years to finally decide to start our podcast. I had a lot of questions, the foremost of which was: where do I start? I also wondered about what sort of equipment I might need? What about hosting? Was it going to be an expensive endeavor? Was I going to have to learn another thing - learning sound editing felt formidable. What about copyright and intellectual property? Did I even want to have a podcast? If I did, why did I want one? What was I hoping to achieve? All these existential questions slowed me down a bit until the time was right, the conditions were right, the invitation was there, and once I decided that I was a solid YES as far as starting a podcast went, all the resources that I needed to get going were revealed.
What about you? You have probably, been toying with the idea of starting your own podcast, just like I was back in the day. In spite of the obvious benefits to growing your reach, impact and even income, you might be seeing that it could potentially be a huge time and energy commitment. You might be thinking it's just too much to contemplate with all the other things you have on your plate. I know you were expecting a rousing rendition of "YOU CAN DO IT," here, but I'm going to surprise you and agree with you.
I had an outstanding mentor in the early stages of my entrepreneurial career who would always reminded me that my only jobs were doing my job and marketing my job. She would insist that every single other thing that needed to be executed in business needed to be done by someone else who would lovingly attend to it as it fell within their scope of genius. So I'll borrow her advice and share it with you: There are many things that you have to do to keep your business going, and putting time and energy into starting a podcast needn't be one of them, especially when there are many ways to get started without it costing your precious time.
What did I end up doing? Even though the idea for my podcast was hatched what feels like a million years ago, It somehow remained front of mind for me. More recently, I was having a conversation with a friend and out of this conversation, just like all good conversations, came all the solutions. Not only did I end up launching my critically acclaimed podcast, but we ended up launching our own LPL podcast network! What we have created is a safe space for entrepreneurs to bring their heart centered podcasting ideas and together we take it from concept to reality with minimum effort. For those of you who know me you know that my aim in life is always to find a way to do everything with more EASE and FLOW. Oh and one more thing, in addition to the done for you, make your own podcast "cliff notes," while we are at it we also increase the visibility of your business in an exponential way.
All those questions that I had in the beginning, like where to start, equipment questions, mixing, mastering, marketing and monetizing, can thankfully be taken care of for you with ease and grace when you work with a podcasting network that provides that kind of support, technical and otherwise. The bottom line is: If you have been looking for a sign as to whether you should start a podcast, this is it. The great news is that you do not need to go learn another set of skills. As entrepreneurs, we do that far too much as it is. You do not need to invest a lot of time, and you can be up and running sooner than you think. If there is ever a job that should be farmed out to the professionals and if there was ever a time to do it, this is it.
Do you have questions or concerns about podcasting? I would love to chat more with you about how you can shine your light and be the beacon you are meant to be in this world. This free, absolutely no obligation invitation is open to you. For more information and to hop on my schedule, just take this brief survey, click through and schedule a time that works for you. Will we talk soon? Here's the link to connect: https://www.growsmarternotharder.com/visibilitysurvey
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