Two Ways To Learn Things
You can learn from your mistakes and do less of those.
You can also look at anything that worked well and do more of that.
This week I talk about episode 780 with Adam Curry. I had more people connect with me to say, “Hey, I really liked that interviewed” and I started asking them WHY? What made it stick out? Today I share their answers.
Where is All This Positive Feedback Coming From ???
I know this makes me sound like a narcissist, but trust me I'm not. I just had something out of the ordinary happen, and I wanted to share it. Getting feedback is something do I get, but this just was an obvious “more than usual” situation. I started asking people, “Why did you feel it was good? What Stood out? Here is what they said:
- It was a comfortable conversation
- They appreciated that I had taken out some of the super geeky/technology discussion
- Hearing some new stories about the old times took them back.
- They were happy to hear Adam say nice things about me.
Now Let's Pick Those Apart:
Why was this a comfortable conversation?
Because Adam knew why he was here, and where we were going. He knew I had done my homework. He didn't have to worry if this was a “Gotcha” interview.
Why Did I Remove the Super Nerdy Talk?
I know my audience. They do handle nerd-lite. This was super-nerd. The result of not making them sit through super-nerd talk (again, not bad, but this is not the audience for that) was gratitude. They appreciate the effort. Think of this like ordering pizza for someone and you remember their favorite configuration.
Hearing some new stories about the old times took them back. So What?
So many people ask the same old questions and get the same old answers. I knew Adam is tired of talking about the invention of podcasting. I knew he feels a podcast network won't work as everyone on the network would need to be “Brand Safe.” So instead of the usual discussion, I asked him about Podshow/Mevio. I subject I've never heard him share much about.
They were happy to hear Adam say nice things about me.
For me, I like when the good guys/gals win. I know how hard they work, and when they finally get recognized you're happy for them. I had many people talk about how cool it was to hear Adam say nice things and be recognized. This is similar to when Joe Rogan explains Adam's role in the history of podcasting on his show.
So You Want To Be A Podcast Consultant?
I've heard some people mentioned me in different discussions. I'm not here to discourage you from pursuing your passions. However, before you go investing time, energy, and resources, I thought I would share what lift is like for a podcast consultant.
I've Got X Amount of Episodes and I've Been Podcasting For X Amount of Years
I have two People's Choice Awards for Best Technology podcasts and I've been inducted into the Academy of Podcaster's Hall of Fame in 2018. I still have people who want to “pick my brain” to see if we are “A good fit.” The bottom line is, people are not emailing me saying, “Please, just take my money.” I answer a fair amount of questions for free to entice people to sign up for a strategy session.
I'll Become An Editor and Make Money
Five years ago it was much easier (I feel) to get editing clients. There weren't that many editors out there. Here again, this doesn't mean you can't make money as a podcast editor. Steve Stewart has a membership program that will walk you through the tips and tricks. My point is if you think you can put up a website and start making money from day one – I don't believe that is the norm. You still have to find your target audience (one with a budget), build a relationship and gather their trust, and get them to hire you.
You're Just Trying To Discourage Your Competition
No. I'm trying to help my audience who is considering this path to make an educated decision.
Because Of My Podcast
Abby from A Time For Horses explains how she used the skills from her podcast to take an in-person college course and put it online. This took it from 14 students to 400. Check out her show A Time For Horses.
Time to Answer the Question of the Month
I need you to answer the question, “For whatever reason, you can't podcast anymore. What would you miss the most?” I need your answer by July 23rd. You can submit your answer at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/question
SPONSOR: Podpage
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Mentioned In This Episode
Marc Maron Interviews Quentin Tarantino
Podcasting 2.0 and the Podcast Index
Spark Christian Podcast Conference
Power of Podcasting Network (All of Dave's Podcasting Shows)
Profit From Your Podcast (Dave's Book)
Schedule a Podcast Strategy Meeting