10 Aug 😱Overcoming Fear and Creating with Confidence
👋Hey there Podcaster!
🎉I’m celebrating my 50th birthday this week! I am getting nostalgic around podcasting. After all, I have been podcasting for over a third of my lifetime now, and I have a few lessons learned I would love to share with you.
I got into a deep dive of the challenges and triumphs of content creation and sharing insights from my personal journey. I hope it helps you on your own journey.
😱Overcoming Fear and Creating with Confidence
August 7, 2023 is a big day for me – it’s my 50th birthday! In honor of this milestone, I want to dive into a topic that’s been a personal challenge for me most of my life, and something I’ve been actively working on overcoming, especially over the past year.
Let’s set the scene to get started. Imagine standing on a stage, a sea of faces looking up at you, waiting for you to speak. Your heart pounds in your chest, your palms are sweaty, and a million thoughts race through your mind. What if they don’t like what I have to say? What if they disagree or think they have a better solution? What if they judge me?
As podcasters and creators, we often find ourselves on this metaphorical stage. Each piece of content we create is a performance, open to scrutiny from our peers and the public. The fear of judgment and failure can be overwhelming, often hindering our creative process and authenticity.
Ever felt the weight of self-doubt in content creation? Dive into my creator’s transformative journey from fear to authentic confidence in the new blog article: Embracing Your Authentic Voice: Overcoming Fear and Creating with Confidence.
💫From Podcast Padawan to Jedi Master: Finding Your Yoda
Last week in Clubhouse, we discussed mentors. Finding the right mentoring can level up your podcasting skills and strategy. Mentors can provide knowledge and advice, because they have walked the path before you and can help you pack the right gear for the trip. Here’s how to know if a podcast mentor is right for you, how to find one, and maximize the relationship.
Signs it’s time for a podcast mentor:
- Feeling overwhelmed learning the tech side.
- Need help developing show format and segments.
- Want feedback to improve.
- Need help figuring out monetization.
- Want more connections to be a guest on other podcasts and get guests on your podcast.
- Feeling burned out and not as inspired by the constant content creation wheel.
- Don’t know how to return from a break.
- Want to switch your niche, format, branding, or content.
- Would like to promote your business on your podcast in a more effective way.
Where to find a podcast mentor:
- Look in your network first. Ask podcasters you know if they’d be open to advising you informally or formally.
- Join podcasting in-person meetups and conferences to expand your network.
- Come hang out with us in Clubhouse every weekday 7-8am EST.
- Seek out successful podcasters in your niche. They’ll provide the most relevant advice on format, guests, promotion, etc.
How to maximize your mentor relationship:
- Make sure your communication styles mesh. You want to feel comfortable being open with feedback and criticism.
- Define the structure upfront. How often you’ll meet, specific goals, level of involvement, metrics to track progress. Discuss if it’s free or paid.
- Come to every meeting prepared. Have clear questions and be ready to provide updates on progress and challenges.
- Be ready to switch mentors if needed. As your show evolves you may outgrow the relationship.
- Apply advice selectively. Listen openly but remember you know your show and audience best.
The right podcasting mentor provides an invaluable outside perspective on leveling up your show and reaching more listeners. Laying the groundwork for an effective partnership is key to your mentorship success.
Want to have a free 30-minute call with me and chat about your podcast? Check out my calendar and see if we can schedule a time!
🎒Pod-Story: Back to School with Lessons From Nature
This week to celebrate National Back-to-School month, we are bringing you our second Pod-Story. This time from Mark Rubin, the host of Lessons From Nature. We love Mark’s passion for nature and how he shares it with the world. Read on to get inspired and be sure to tune in to Mark’s podcast or connect with him on Twitter.
Can you tell me how you got the idea to start your podcast?
I wrote a book called Honey is Money – the Secrets of the Bees. I’m using the podcast to explain the concepts in the book through six domains: physics, biology, psychology, economics, anthropology, and futurology. This will allow me to cross-functionally connect the book with a broad range of people.
How have you or your podcast changed since you started it?
I’ve kept my ideas to myself since I was a kid, and I’m using the podcast to share them. The podcast is helping me find people who are interested in my ideas.
What do you love most about podcasting?
Many things. First, it is fun to think about my content in terms of helping people, rather than just explaining things. Second, I enjoy the structure of telling stories using this format. Third, the reach will be inexpensive when I gain traction.
What kind of hurdles have you come across while podcasting?
Attention is hard to capture.
Has anything surprising or amazing come out of your podcasting experience that you didn’t expect?
I’ve been surprised by the way my co-hosts love the podcast.
Do you have a favorite episode that means a lot to you?
I love all of them, but I’d say the most important one in terms of the ideas I’m conveying is Secret 4. Time is Honey.
As a fellow podcaster, what’s one piece of advice that you would give to someone who is just starting or thinking about starting a podcast?
Be yourself.
How has Marc’s advice or guidance assisted or impacted you on your podcast journey?
Marc is a true podcast expert and a cool person. He has experience, wisdom, creative ideas, an excellent tech stack, and practical suggestions for connecting with an audience and maximizing impact.
Anything else you would like to add?
If it’s in you, let it out.
I’m so grateful to be connected with you and a part of your podcast journey.
All My Best,
👋Marc Ronick
This content was composed with assistance from OpenAI