Summary: It's hard to believe, but this is episode ten of this podcast! It's been quite a ride; challenging but worth it. Here are ten things I've learned from recording the first ten episodes. 1. Teaching is the best way to learn. Creating content for this show has solidified so many of the concepts I've learned but have become hazy. Reading is intake, but speaking and writing constitutes output. Crafting and distilling content has solidified so many of the foundational concepts I've learned. If you're an avid learner, teach! You'll be amazed at how quickly you grow. 2. Discipline is contagious. Recording this show week after week has been an exercise in discipline, something I hate discipline as much as the next guy. But the discipline required to put out an episode on a regular schedule has leaked over into other areas of my life: exercise, blogging, and personal productivity at work. Leverage the areas you are already showing discipline in, and let it run its course into other aspects of your life. 3. Communication in an unfamiliar medium. I’ve been a public communicator for most of my life: preaching, teaching, music, seminars, and more. But podcasting threw me for a loop and stretched me outside my comfort zone. Why? There's no live audience! A story about the comedian Chris Rock helped me overcome this. In an interview, Rock said that he magnifies himself by three when he's on stage. Podcasting has taught me to be even more expressive, especially since no one except my dogs can see what I'm doing! 4. Clarifying success is vital. One of my business coaches, Brian Scheer from communicatorcoaching.com asked me, “What does success look like for you with your podcast?” I don’t necessarily need 10,000 downloads an episode, though that would be great! This podcast exists for me to add value to others and simultaneously hone my craft, establish my expertise, and land consulting clients. Clarifying success has kept me from falling into the comparison trap. 5. To work smarter, not harder. A huge time sink: reinventing the wheel. A huge time saver: repurposing content. I never feel bad about this because my audience, though not 10,000 downloads, is always growing. Likewise, there are always new people being exposed to whatever you are putting out. Repurpose content and share your valuable ideas with those who haven’t been with you from the start. 6. How to be a pro’s pro. Is my audio good? Is my content tight? Am I rambling or am I making every word count? Am I human enough in my recording? Bottom line: am I delivering on a scale that the best in my industry or niche would find acceptable or exceptional? Up your game so that you make it easy for the best to engage and recommend you to others. 7. To give fear less airplay. All this talk of going pro stirs up the voice of fear. But I’ve realized fear gets too much airtime. Recently my Podcast classmate Johnny Lee Phillips from The Life Detective podcast asked me to record a short segment on my greatest fear. That made me realize: most people would rather have unhappiness than uncertainty. Step out into the unknown, and you'll develop the vital skill of learning to give fear less airtime. 8. To practice the art of the start. Deciding to start a podcast was equivalent to knocking on the door of opportunity. They say opportunity knocks; well this was backwards. No one invited me to podcast. No one suggested I do it. It was totally self-intiated, an opportunity I sought out. When I knocked on Opportunity's door, Work answered. There was a seemingly endless list of things I had to learn to podcast. But in the end, most of these tasks were "one and done" and I was able to push through. So can you. 9. Being my own worst critic also means I must be my own biggest fan. I expect a lot of myself; you probably expect alot from yourself. But podcasting has taught me to be patient with the process. If I’m going to be my own worst critic, I’ve also got to be my own greatest fan.
