I once had a friend who joked, “I should do a podcast about talking people out of their podcast idea.” Truth be told, it’s only when you can finally test the viability of a podcast idea that it can be deemed viable. The old sales advice, “always be closing…” can be repurposed for podcasts to “always be creating…”
Doing it all
Newman Media {Newman Media}, my name’s sake, was founded by me. I am the sole owner. This has allowed me to be the judge and jury of my creative work. It is a LOT. Podcasting is a LOT.
Coming up with the idea…
…writing it…
…researching it…
…writing it…
…recording it…
…writing it…
…recording it again…
…editing it…
...uploading it...
…getting it in front of your audience or selling it all to someone with money…
...AND repeat...
It's easy to get bogged down with all this background noise and forget about the first task.
Coming up with the idea.
….The one-line joke that should sweep you off your feet. It should excite you; you want that initial excitement at first…
All creatives, or anyone in the creative field, know they will have a million ideas before one will stick in their brain. You know it when it does. The one that you can feel in your bones. The one that you spend the rest of your daydreaming about, and it takes you down the endless chasm that is the internet for hours in research. That's the one! That's the idea that I’m talking about! You put all your effort into that one and roll with it.
Don’t get me wrong. This doesn’t have to be just one idea. Remember…
…it's only when you can finally test the viability of a podcast idea that a podcast can be deemed viable itself…
…I’m notorious for carrying on multiple projects at once. And making a living doing podcasts, you have to accept that you will wear many hats. But consider this at all stages. Just because you feel an idea is workable and have the drive to do it.
If only the idea excites you, pitch it to other creatives or get editors, hosts, or writers to do the work that doesn’t energize you as the idea did. And make it happen! The smaller podcasting festivals are great for networking this. Outlier and Resonte. This helps foster relationships with other indie podcasters. If you want access to the people who work at the bigger podcasting networks, go to Podcast Movement or Podcast Evolution. These events are made for networking and fostering work relationships. They can be a little "tech bro"-centric unless you go in with a networking plan, but you will find opportunities.
Life experience gives you credit. No one is born a podcaster, and your unique background gives you the foundation to make you sound more intelligent in your pod, saves time using your innate abilities, and requires no extra research. If you have that, you are already better than most podcasts. There is no golden rule, but consider this as well: if you know your subject well, you have a good sense of the audience. This helps narrow the target market (which we will discuss later).
The rest comes down to sound quality (microphone, sound editing) and show structure. When starting a podcast, it is also important to consider whether this can function as a proof-of-concept (POC) for other forms of media.
Podcasting is typically lower in upfront investments in money and time than other ventures like a web series, YouTube channel, or TV or movie pitch. Especially if your podcast is storytelling-focused. It can help generate a fanbase and help get your stuff out there to evaluate a market or an idea. Cutting out the video components can be supplemented by sound-scaping by building in the "visuals" with sound effects and music as needed.
Lastly, consider partnering with someone. Maybe to be your co-host on your idea. Maybe another person with subject matter expertise. When there are two people or more, these things can be easier. Sometimes, doing it lone wolf style makes sense, depending on the idea. Maybe that IS just your style, but take it from me because you have only yourself to uplift you when no one from the outside world is participating, engaging, or listening. It is a lot tougher to go it alone. It can be done, but why? If you can have someone else there with you, it's not just a joint project but a social activity and experience you can share.
Here are resources that can help you.
“Perennial Seller: The Art of Making and Marketing Work that Lasts” by Ryan Holiday
“You Are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth” by Jen Sincero
“The Money Book for Freelancers, Part-Timers, and the Self-Employed: The Only Personal Finance System for People with Not-So-Regular Jobs” by Joseph D'Agnese, Denise Kiernan
“The Artist's Way: 30th Anniversary Edition” by Julia Cameron
Now, we discussed how you might begin getting into the mindset of thinking about starting a podcast. Let's move on to the next portion: how do I do it….
This is the part where I unbiasedly deny, yet edify, what you are about to read. This blog post was designed to be revised and edited over the years. I don’t claim it to be, nor by any means is it a definitive or de facto “guide” to podcasting. The advice in this blog is my opinion: over the years of podcasting, I have been able to claw success. I recommend these affiliate links because I have firsthand knowledge of them, and I am currently using them. I would not recommend them otherwise. It helps us if you use them, too, but don't feel obligated. but in addition to them, the advice I give in this blog is designed to help you jump into the podcasting world with both feet and start off running.
Ultimately, there are a million ways to do podcasting, these are just some ways I have found that work.