I do some unorthodox things when it comes to podcasting, aka weird things that nobody else does! And these unorthodox things are things that you can do too. I pray that what I outline here are podcasting permission slips that will give you peace in your mind and some ease in your heart knowing that podcasting can actually be so much easier than you think it is, or even so much easier than the way that you are actually executing.
No 1. I Do Not Professionally Edit My Podcast
Maybe one day, if I get fancy, I will have my podcast professionally edited! But as of today, I do not professionally edit.
Why? Because I think that you appreciate authenticity. I think that I’m coaching people how to have a podcast that they can record, edit and air in less than two hours a week. So for me if I mess up or I have a big flub or my dog barks or my kid shouts, I can just pause and delete and start from there. That is the extent of the editing that I will do. I do also remove the background noise and that kind of thing and you will learn all of this basic editing in my courses which means that you can also do it yourself. It is really not necessary to spend $40 to $100 to remove some ums.
No 2. I Am Unapologetic About Background Noise
I do apologize sometimes if the background noise is really bad! For example, there was an episode a while ago where there was vacuuming going on in the background which was probably a bit much. But if you can hear some birds chirping or you hear some kids playing in the living room, I am fine with that.
I am not going to constantly say I am sorry. I live in a house with other human beings and I am not going to lock myself up in a closet in the dark to record my episodes. How depressing!
And here I am, 600 and something episodes later, a top .5% show in the world, and I don’t professionally edit and I don’t worry about background noise. Of course, I do my best but I am fine with some mild noise.
No 3. I Don’t Have Fancy Equipment
I have the same Yeti mic that I have had for four years and I don’t even use headphones unless I absolutely have to. And sometimes I record from my phone. So that is a permission slip that you don’t need a super fancy $1000 podcasting system. We are normal human beings recording a message that somebody else wants to learn from and I think that’s enough.
Now, if your mic sounds really bad and it’s staticky or it’s affecting the quality of the listener’s experience, then it might be a good idea to up level but otherwise, a $100 mic is perfectly fine.
No 4. I Started Messy
I started real messy. My podcast art was done on Canva and I did it myself which I do not recommend. When you come into my courses, you will hear that I recommend that you get your podcast art professionally designed. I have an amazing graphic designer. I have got templates for you so your artwork can be super professional but super affordable.
But I started messy and kudos to those of you who have to start scrappy. I was unclear on the direction of my show. I didn’t have a micro niche when I started. Starting messy is important because it’s fantastic that you are starting at all. The messier you start, the longer the growth process is because you do have some things to optimize. But if you never start at all, you will never grow at all. So start!
No 5. I Was Not 100% Clear and Things Were Not 100% Perfect
This piggybacks off number four. I had a direction but I didn’t have an outcome. There was no clear offer for me to present to listeners. I didn’t know what the end result was going to end up being and I didn’t have all the right software. I was still fuzzy. But if you have your direction 20% mapped out, you are ok. If you do need more clarity, my course Clarify Your Calling can help you to really get clear on what your podcast and your brand should be so that you can get started.
I started even though I was not 100% there and you should, too!
No 6. I Was Willing to Fail and I Was Willing to Fine Tune
Boy, did I ever do both of these things. When you start a new thing, it will not be perfect and right the first time. You are going to have to optimise along the way and you are going to have to learn more. It’s a bit like the first time you ever set out to get healthy and build muscles. You don’t know all the secrets. When you start working out, you don’t understand all the different macros and workouts. You don’t know about resistance training and how it should progress. Your tool belt doesn’t have any tools in it. You have just bought it and now you have to fill it.
That is the point. When you are starting your podcast and your brand, it is going to be a process and I want you to be here for the work. You have got to be willing to know that there are pieces of the brand and the business that might not be right. You may fail a couple of times and that is ok. No one successful who has an incredible story now got it right the first time. Or even the hundredth time, for some of them.
You have to be willing to know that it is not failure. It is progress. Be ready to redo and refine. Some of you will have a small pivot to make. And there will definitely be changes to make when you come into Podcast to Profit and have my eyes all over your stuff. There will be changes that I will make to your brand, to your business, to your message, to your marketing and it’s going to be for the better.
But it doesn’t make it easy. So we have to be willing to do the work and be willing to fine-tune.
Permission Slips to Allow You to Start Podcasting Now!
So, there you go. 6 unorthodox things that I do/did that you can do too. And I pray that knowing these gives you permission to start the podcast. Start the brand. Start the thing. Get to know what it is. Get it done. Move forward. There are limited days and years on earth for us to make a difference, to do things that are going to be the most fulfilling and the most impactful while we are this side of heaven.
Don’t wait another minute to start taking the steps toward fulfilling those things. Even if it’s unclear or muddy, God will give you the next right step. All we are responsible for is saying ‘Yes, Lord. Show me the way’ and then walking in it. Take that one right step and then He will show you the next one after that and the next one and the next one until you begin to really get that clarity on where He is taking you.
Remember, God’s plans are bigger and better than yours. So trust in that.
I look forward to seeing you inside Podcast to Profit when you sign up and am so proud of so many of you for saying yes to this journey with me!
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