School of Podcasting - Podcast Tips to Plan, Launch, Grow Your Podcast

Last week, I interview Matthew Dicks who is the author of the book Storyworthy. I am a HUGE fan of Matthew and was very excited when he agreed to come on the show. After the episode was published I get email after email. I saw comments on Facebook all stating, "WOW, That was a great interview." There will be times when you get feedback, and no matter if it's positive or negative you want to investigate why (so you can do more about it). I've received more than average feedback on episodes like The Ultimate Guide to Hosting and Guesting Podcast Interviews, Overcoming Impostor Syndrome,  How to Start a Podcast Network: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly, but the feedback I got about How to Tell Better Stories with Matthew Dicks was "way more than usual." One of the things I help people do is figure out what they are doing correctly with their podcast so they can do more of that type of content. With this in mind, I went back and looked at "Why did this connect with my audience?" Step 1: Start with someone interesting Getting entertaining stories out of Matthew Dicks is like shooting fish in a barrel. Step 2: Ignore the Back Story Matthew has an AMAZING back story. He took enormous steps to avoid telling his first story. While that's a nice story, I was looking for something my audience could take away. Ask yourself what is more helpful their backstory, or what they can do for your audience NOW? Step 3: Have a Goal Why was I bringing in Matthew Dicks? Because his book storyworthy is filled with strategies. I wanted to focus on strategies. I wanted to boost the skills of my listeners, and I wanted to sell books more Matthew. Step 4: Know your Guest I really wanted to get this interview going in the right direction. The minute I knew he was coming on the show, I was focused on coming up with the best questions. I especially wanted that first question to lead to a story, and to help people understand that words matter. Every night I would walk around my neighborhood listening to Storyworthy on Audible. I've already listened to this book, but I was now looking at topics that I would want to expand on. This would allow me to mention the book, and to get the content I was looking for my audience. Step 5: Don't Test Their Powers of Improv I had decided that the opening question would be, "When did you realize the power of words?" I really liked that question. It would lead to a story, and let my audience knowing we were going to be talking about words, and story crafting. However, I also realized that this question might need some thought on Matthew's part. Consequently, I let him know the topics we would be covering. That would be: When did realize words had power? (the actual question) Editing (such as where to start a story). Homework for life (this is Matthew's Freebird). Normally I don't give my guests the exact questions. I typically let them know why I'm bringing them on, and the subjects we will be covering. Step 6: Get the Best Audio You Can When we connected via Squadcast,  I was hearing Matthew through his camera's microphone. I tested this by having him tap his microphone. When he tapped it, and I didn't hear the tapping, I knew Squadcast was using the wrong microphone. When he switched away from his camera's microphone, it was like night and day. Step 7: Prove You've Done Your Homework When we first connected and got the microphones configured, I wanted to show Matthew I was a fanboy without being a fanboy. I know he is a HUGE fan of the New England Patriots football team. They recently made a quarterback change, so I asked him how they thought they would do.  My questions also showed I had actually read the book. Step 8: Ask and Shut Up When I do an interview I had my list of questions on a pad to my left and a blank pad in front of me with a pen that doesn't click. When I was would ask a question I would then shut up and listen. I didn't "um, hmm" and I listened for potential opportunities to ask a follow-up question. Step 9: Follow Up Questions When he was talking about things that had happened because of his podcast he mentioned how at one event that he was asked to tell a story, his daughter got up and told I story. While I realize that asking an athlete, "How does it feel to win the game?"I still asked what it felt like to watch your child follow in your footsteps. This question isn't in alignment with my goal (story crafting and book sales), but I know my audience has children, and I believe we call can identify with how cool it would be to see your child follow in your foto steps; Step 10: Remove Things That Aren't Needed I asked Matthew what was the first podcast that he listened to. Matthew couldn't exactly remember it and was a little blurry on the year. Does this help us craft stories? Does it sell books? No. Does it give us a glimpse inside Matthew that you can't get anyplace else? Nope. This is why you didn't hear it. Step 11: I Ran It Through a Transcription Service to find the Nuggets of Gold If you do interviews, one way to reposition yourself as the expert (and not your guest) is to do what I call the "Jerry Springer" a summarize the main points that YOU found interesting. This enables you to share a bit of yourself as well as remind the audience of the value they just received. For this step, I ran the edited interview through Otter.ai. This enabled me to find those great points in record time. Instead of having to listen to the episode again, I could read it much faster. Using transcripts as an editing tool is not something I hear people talk about it is typically about to create a full transcript of the show. I did edit the transcript into something readable and added it to the website. This is not something I normally do, but maybe I should. Need to Plan, Launch, and Grow Your Podcast? Join the School of Podcasting and get access to our easy to understand, step-by-step tutorials, our live group coaching, and access to our private Facebook group filled with other brilliant podcasting minds. Joined worry-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Go to www.schoolofpodcastibg.com/startMentioned in this episode:2025 Audience SurveyI Want Your OpinionI am doing an audience survey and I want your input to help me make this show exactly what you want. If you have a few minutes, I have a quick survey at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/survey252025 Audience Survey

I have had the voice of Matthew Dicks in my head more than any other person this year. I heard him on a podcast, bought his audiobook Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling, and listened to it. When I was done with the book I wanted more and found his Speak Up Story Telling podcast. Unlike other books on Storytelling that have brilliant messages like "Stories are good," and "You should learn how to tell stories," I was THRILLED that I had finally found a book that explained HOW to tell better stories. It is an AMAZING book, and I feel it will benefit anyone who reads or listens to it. Today I am honored to have the author on my show. Here are some key points: Start with a thesis. I use to think something, and then something (the story) happened, and now I think something else. I would prefer to be entertaining than lengthy and boring. Always serve the story (not yourself). I think about what I want my audience to feel in certain parts of the story. I make those decisions before I begin crafting my story. "How about making the first thing you say something that's actually engaging and interesting? Because those first 30 seconds to 60 seconds of a story that is such fertile ground, that is your opportunity to either convince the audience that what is to come is worth listening to, or I don't know what the hell I'm doing. Because I've just bored you for 30 to 60 seconds, and essentially told you nothing." Our questions that we asked people like in a podcast, the more specific they are, the more helpful they are to our guests. Ready To Start Your Podcast? Are you worried about spending too much money on equipment? Sounding unprofessional? Not sure what software to use? How to shape your content?  Join the school of podcasting and enjoy the step by step tutorials along with a private Facebook group filled with other brilliant podcasting minds.  You can join worry-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/start TIME TABLE 01:22 Matthew Dicks Introduction 03:50 When Did You realize Stories Had Power? 08:38 Do Stories HAVE to show vulnerability? 10:14 Is vulnerability Magic? 12:38 How do you know what to keep and what to delete? 15:27 The Importance of Location 19:30 Homework For Life 23:44 Can you Tell a Story "By Numbers" 26:40 The Power of But and Therefore VS And 30:16 Story Telling Peeves 33:52 3-2-1 Game 36:23 When Did Mathew Know He Wanted to Podcast? 37:58 Because of My Podcast ______ 40:58 Watching Your Daughter Tell a Story 42:13 Where to Find Matthew's Workshops 44:33 Storytelling is More Than Just Stories 45:40 How Storytelling Helps 47:36 Matthew Has Other Books Profit From Your Podcast is Available Pick up any book on podcast monetization, and you will find 90 percent of it only covers how to launch a podcast. If you already have a podcast, you have that information; you’re ready for the next step. Profit from Your Podcast provides top strategies and real-life examples of podcast monetization. This book is more than what to do. It also tells you how to do it. Chapters cover such topics as:  How to Grow Your Audience How to Set Your Pricing Understanding Advertising Jargon How to Find Sponsors Best Strategies for Making Money as an Affiliate Master Strategies for Crowdfunding Harnessing the Power of Webinars and Events The Top Tools to Make Your Job Easy Built on the author’s fifteen years of experience in podcasting, this action-packed guide will benefit new and veteran podcasters. Get clear on who your audience is and what they want, deliver value, and build an engaged audience that wants to give you money. Leverage your relationships and the integrity you have built through your podcast to create multiple streams of income. Profit from Your Podcast gives you the tools to do it all. Mentioned In This Episode Matthew Dicks Website Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling Get the Audiobook for free if you're new to Audible Speak Up Story Telling podcast Homework for life video Profit from Your Podcast School of Podcasting Podcast ConsultingMentioned in this episode:I Want Your OpinionI am doing an audience survey and I want your input to help me make this show exactly what you want. If you have a few minutes, I have a quick survey at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/survey252025 Audience Survey2025 Audience Survey

This week rock guitar God Eddie Van Halen died after a long battle with throat cancer. As a guitar who was 13 when Van Halen's first album was released, and whose band provided the soundtrack to my adolescent years this hit me hard. With this in mind, I wanted to talk about things podcasters can learn from Eddie Van Halen. Sponsor -Profit from Your Podcast: Proven Strategies to Turn Listeners into a Livelihood Methods and Advice for Making the Most of Your Podcast—Pricing, Sponsors, Crowdfunding, and More Pick up any book on podcast monetization, and you will find 90 percent of it only covers how to launch a podcast. If you already have a podcast, you have that information; you’re ready for the next step. Profit from Your Podcast provides top strategies and real-life examples of podcast monetization. This book is more than what to do. It also tells you how to do it. Chapters cover such topics as: How to Grow Your Audience How to Set Your Pricing Understanding Advertising Jargon How to Find Sponsors Best Strategies for Making Money as an Affiliate Master Strategies for Crowdfunding Harnessing the Power of Webinars and Events The Top Tools to Make Your Job Easy Built on the author’s fifteen years of experience in podcasting, this action-packed guide will benefit new and veteran podcasters. Get clear on who your audience is and what they want, deliver value, and build an engaged audience that wants to give you money. Leverage your relationships and the integrity you have built through your podcast to create multiple streams of income. Profit from Your Podcast gives you the tools to do it all. Order on Amazon.com Van Halen Took Years to Build Their Audience The band was formed in 1972. Some of the top songs in 1972 were Saturday in the park in Chicago, Brandy (You're a fine girl), I'll take you there (the staple singers). Not exactly a thriving time of high energy, guitar-oriented hard rock. They played clubs for years. In 1976 (four years later) Gene Simmons of Kiss financed a demo tape, and arranged a performance in front of Kiss's management and was told that "they had no chance of making it" and that they wouldn't take them. Gene then removed himself from further involvement. A year later when they were playing the famed "Starwood: club Ted Templeman of Warner Brother saw the band and they were offered a contract. Good Planning Leads to Less Editing As they had been playing clubs for years, the band was well-rehearsed and ready to go. Their first album was recorded in three weeks with almost no overdubs. You Don't Need to Spend a Ton of Cash There are two popular guitars in rock music. A Stratocaster has a thin sound and used by blues players and it had a whammy bar. A Les Paul has a thicker, chunkier sound. Eddie took the guts of a Less Paul and put them into the Stratocaster (called the Frankencaster). He made the guitar himself using a guitar body that cost fifty dollars and a guitar neck that cost eighty. He ended up with a thicker, chunkier guitar tone that had a whammy bar. The guitar that cost $130 to make has a replica that now goes for thousands of dollars. He stated that because he was poor he had to find ways to make the noises on the guitar. He Learned Through Trial And Error In the process of creating his own guitar, Eddie states, "I ruined a bunch of stuff." The bottom line he never stopped experimenting. In the song intruder, you hear Eddie creating bizarre sounds on his guitar. It turns out that some of those sounds were Eddie Swiping a Schlitz beer can up and down the neck. In the song poundcake, Eddie uses an electric drill. The bizarre noise on Automic Punk is Eddie running the side of his hands up and down the strings. He was always looking for ways to make different noises (like an elephant) with his guitar. The strange wooshing noise in the middle of the song Panama is Eddie's Lamborgini. He had an endless curiosity and was constantly experimenting. He Never Learned How To Read Music He would watch his teacher's fingers and then play whatever he just saw. His parents forced him to play the piano and won contests when he was ages 9-11. After using the Beatles and the Dave Clark Five he picked up the guitar. Because he never learned guitars lessons "by the book" he believes he wouldn't play the way he does if he had done "Traditional" guitar studies. Inventions Around Van Halen I mentioned how he created his own guitar. He holds a patent for a device that allows you to stand and hold the guitar flat. He perfected a style of playing called "tapping" where he play notes with both hands. This lead to the invention of guitar tablature as people couldn't figure out how to put down on paper what he was doing on the fretboard. Enjoy Your Soup How did Van Halen get their sound? Drummer Alex Van Halen prefers straight forward rock. Eddie liked progressive rock, and David Lee Roth like disco at the time. Eddie referred to this as ingredients in your soup. I like singer Gary Cherone from the band Extreme. He joined Van Halen and recorded Van Halen III. On that album bassist Michael Anthony has stated that Eddie told him what and how to play, Gary stated that Eddie was playing bass and drums, making it more or less an Eddie Van Halen Solo album. One point here is this album came out in 1998, and was not sober until 2008. This was the first album to not go platinum (it did achieve Gold status). I was also the longest studio album.  Embrace Who You Are When they were in the clubs, they were playing covers. As Eddie put it, no matter how hard I tried I couldn't play what was on the record. I could only be me. Consequently, when you hear a Van Halen record, it sounds like a Van Halen record. Go To Where Your Audience is and Promote Nonstop When they couldn't get a record deal they started throwing their own parties and concerts. They toured for 11 months straight to promote their first album including 23 shows in 25 days in the UK. When he got home Warner Brothers alerted the band that they owed the record label three million dollars and a new album. They wouldn't take no for an answer. They stuffed flyers in lockers of high schools. If you liked them or not, you were at least going to know about the band. Slowly they built an audience of 3-5000 people which attracted the attention of Warner Brothers. He Was Always Nervous Going On Stage In the early days, he asked his Dad how he dealy with stage fright. His father gave him alcohol and cigarettes (and would later die from Alcohol-related issues). After Eddie got sober, his son was in the band and Eddie said, "If my sixteen-year-old son can be out there kicking butt, then I guess I better get out there." You Don't Have To Release Everything Eddie built himself a studio and was always recording, experimenting, but it is assumed that there is quite a bit of music that was not released. Have Fun One of the things you can hear in a Van Halen record is fun. Watch Eddie play guitar and you will see one thing that never changes. He smiles. Why? Because he came to this country from Holland with his parents who brought a piano and what amounted to $50. He didn't speak the language and got bullied as he was considered a minority. Money Changes Everything In the book Runnin' wit the Devil" he states that the Van Halen brothers (along with David Lee Roth) gave Michael Anthony an ultimatum right around the time the “1984” album came out. In a nutshell, they did not believe Michael’s contributions to the band’s music entitled him to an equal 1/4 split of the profits, so they drew-up a contract that stipulated that he would no longer share in any royalties from Van Halen recordings from the “1984” album on, and I believe it also limited what he would receive from the previous records, touring, and merchandise sales as well. In effect, while Michael would technically still be in the band, he would essentially become a paid employee from that point on. Most die-hard fans found this offensive. We want to believe you all get along and are best buddies. Put Your Family First In 2006 Eddie Van Halen replaced Michael Anthony with his son Wolfgang. He knew this was not going to be a popular choice, but he put his family first. What father wouldn't want to play with his son? Communication is the Lubrication Eddie Van Halen wasn't on social media. The website as I write this now does not even have a notice that Eddie has died. For years his audience had no idea what he was up to. Michael Anthony found out he had been replaced via the Internet. He could have kept that connection stronger by keeping people in the loop.  Why? Eddie was a nice guy, but an introvert. He just wanted to make music. Upon his cancer diagnosis, he retreated even further.  Profit From Your Podcast Is Available Thanks to Letitia Evans who was the first to write a review of my new book Profit from your podcast: Proven Strategies to Turn Listeners into a Livelihood. She said, "Dave is one of the best in the podcasting space! This book does a great job of sharing the pieces that need to come together for podcasters to serve their listeners well without shortchanging their livelihoods. Any podcaster that wants to start right and continue well will benefit from this book. Mentioned in This Episode Audio Technica ATR2100x microphone Samson Q2u Start Your Podcast Worry-Free at the School of Podcasting You're worried you'll sound stupid. You won't as I show you how to know exactly what your audience wants. You're worried about the technology? Don't be as I have step by step tutorials to walk you through the whole podcasting process. Need some help along the way? I do live group coaching multiple times per month, you have priority email support, and a private Facebook group filled with brilliant podcasting minds. You also have a 30-day money-back guarantee so if you're not happy you can get your money back. Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/start  Mentioned in this episode:2025 Audience SurveyI Want Your OpinionI am doing an audience survey and I want your input to help me make this show exactly what you want. If you have a few minutes, I have a quick survey at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/survey252025 Audience Survey

School of Podcasting Win Best Technology Podcast People's Choice Podcast Award I am thrilled and humbled to be named the winner of People's Choice Podcast Award for best Technology podcasts (beating out seven other podcasts). Thanks to Todd Cochrane and everyone at podcastawards.com for all you do and thank YOU for voting for me. I had one this award back in 2017, and now I will have an awesome set of bookend for my bookcase.  THANK YOU!.  Profit From Your Podcast Is Now Available I spent months researching podcasters who are making money with their podcasts and assembled all the insights and strategies for you to follow. I announced that I was available for speaking on different podcasts, and I was lucky enough to have listeners who felt I would be a good fit for their show (I'm still available if you think I'm a good fit). By appearing on these different shows, the book was rated the #1 New Release in the blogging category. I was honored to be on the following shows, and look forward to appearing on yours.  06:02 I appeared with Ross Brand of Live Stream Universe on his Streamyard Connect Podcast which will be replaced in the future. 08:21 I appeared on Episode 360 the Jeff Sander 5 AM Miracle show.  I mention Jeff in the book on how Jeff won't take sponsors that he wouldn't use, and how you really need to guard your integrity as a podcaster. Jeff has appeared on this show back in show 603 in Getting Focused 12:11 I appeared on the "I Could Never Do That" podcast with Carrie Barret who is a podcast producer and talks about overcoming fears. We talk about how to find sponsors. 18:45 I appeared on Dealcster with Jeff and Chris. This was on Amazon Live so in addition to affiliate marketing we talked about Amazon getting into the podcasting space.  23:34  I will be appearing the For the Love of Podcasting show with Billy Samoa Saleebey talking about you need to look at negative feedback as an opportunity to improve.  What To Do With the "Wrong Audience" In the book Profit From Your Podcast I talk about Daniel J. Lewis who designed websites for people. His show "The Audacity to Podcast" attracted people looking for information about the free software titled "Audacity." This was not who Daniel wanted to attract. What did he do? Instead of trying to talk them into a product they didn't want (a website) he listened to what they wanted, and then gave it to them.  He creates products like an SEO for Podcasters Course, My Podcast Reviews (to track reviews in Apple, Stitcher, and others) as well as the Subscribe and Follow Plugin. He recently added a "Love this Podcast" feature to My Podcast Reviews that provides one link to provide to your audience and helps them get to the right directories/apps for their device.  You can test this by going to www.lovethispodcast.com/sop Sign up for My Podcast Reviews at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/mpr Table of Contents 06:02 Dave with Ross Brand 08:21 Dave with Jeff Sanders 12:11 Dave with Carie Barrett 17:15 Join the School of Podcasting 18:45 Dave on Dealcasters 23:34 Dave on For the Love of Podcasting 26:11 What To Do With the "Wrong" Audience 31:41 Because of My Podcast: Ross Brand Mentioned In This Episode The 5 AM Miracle Book by Jeff Sanders also available on Audible Profit From Your Podcast: Turn Your Listeners Into Livelihood My Podcast Reviews Subscribe and Follow Plugin SEO for Podcasters Course, Zita Christian from Ritual Recipes David Hooper of Big Podcast Join the School of Podcasting Check out the Love The Podcast Link and subscribe to the show. This is episode 743 of the School of Podcasting which is part of the Power of Podcasting Network.Mentioned in this episode:I Want Your OpinionI am doing an audience survey and I want your input to help me make this show exactly what you want. If you have a few minutes, I have a quick survey at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/survey252025 Audience Survey2025 Audience Survey

If you want to hold someone's attention you first need to know who they are and what they need. Then we hear that people's attention span keeps getting smaller. Is it? Today I look into attention spans, and what makes things interesting. I asked my audience what thought made things interesting. Thanks to everyone who contributed including: Craig From http://www.inglespodcast.com/ Thomas from www.novelmarketing.com Harris from Wild Talk (XFL Podcast) Orlando from www.hablandodetecnologia.com/ Carey from Podcastification Andres from Colmillo Roquero Brandon from Florida Focus Podcast Bill from the Stroke Cast Kim from the Pharmacist's Voice Sean Whaley from Tourpreneur, Spybrary and Radio GDR Full show notes at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/742 Conclusion It's not that attention spans are getting smaller (they are not) but more our ability to know what we want and identify when we are NOT going to get it has grown. Know your audience, and give them what you want. Be your honest, transparent, vulnerable self to hold their attention. Use tools like your voice, your pacing, to grab their attention. Never stop your passion from coming out. Let people hear your passion. Keep in mind you are somewhat doomed. If you stay 100% consistent, your audience may get bored. If you branch out and try new things, you may upset those who want the show to never change. I know... so be ready to embrace that no matter what you do - some people will leave. Include any of these six to be more interesting: Tone of voice Pacing Passion Stories Autonomy Vulnerability Start Your Podcast Today - Join the School of Podcasting When you join today you can immediately start taking the online courses and: Enjoy step by step tutorials Live group coaching Private Facebook group filled with other brilliant podcasting minds. Join worry-free with our 30-day money-back guarantee.  Start Your Podcast Today Mentioned In This Podcast Tyler Perry Episode on the School of Podcasting Podcast Talent Coach Podcast Review Show Podcast Rodeo Show Dave's Patreon Page Buy Dave a Coffee Discounted "Teacher's Pet" Podcast ConsultingMentioned in this episode:I Want Your OpinionI am doing an audience survey and I want your input to help me make this show exactly what you want. If you have a few minutes, I have a quick survey at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/survey252025 Audience Survey2025 Audience Survey

Elizabeth Benton is known as a health and nutrition guru, but to me, she is more of a "mindset guru." She is someone who has dug herself out of being $130,000 in debt, and has lost (and kept off )150 lbs. My audience from the Logical Weight Loss podcast told me I HAD to read her book, Chasing Cupcakes (get it for free on Audible), and once I finished her book, I checked out her Primal Potential podcast and downloaded all of her episodes. I was thrilled when she agreed to come on the show and explain how podcasting has boosted her business. SPONSOR: School of Podcasting Get access to step by step tutorials, a private Facebook group filled with brilliant podcasting minds, and live group coaching and access to me. Join worry-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee.  Join Today   Topics With Elizabeth Benton 7:16 How Long Did You Run Your Business Without a Podcast? 8:31 Did you hesitate to start your podcast? 9:11 People have STONG Feelings about Eating Healthy 11:24 How has your podcast impacted your business? 12:53 Because of her podcast ______. 14:01 Have you interviewed your clients on your podcast? 14:32 How do you keep going? 16:29 Favorite Piece of Feedback 17:36 Elizabeth shares about expectations in relationships 20:43 Advice for a new podcaster 22:20 You attract people who are like you. My Favorite Takeaways I want to be challenged because in that I learn. If you don't want to roll an ankle don't play basketball if you don't want people to disagree with you Don't ever say anything out in public. The advantage over email is people can listen to episode four. They can't read your fourth email.  If you're having fun, stay in the game. Stay consistent. Don't just do podcasting because podcasting is hot. It's only hot if you're really good at it. Podcast Rewind I appeared on The Brave Files  podcast with Heather Vickery talking about some of my biggest fears and how I overcome them. The show features people living courageously. I also appeared on the Business of Podcasting show with Charley Valher. We talked about taking steps to make sure your podcast connects with your audience. Without a connection, you won't be able to monetize your show. Profit From Your Podcast Pre-Order 30:29  Dave's book "Profit from your podcast" is being released 9/28. You can pre-order today. The book contains oroven strategies to turn listeners into a livelihood. I Need Your Thoughts in Interesting 31:48 Right now, I'm obsessed with the word, Interesting. When you hear the word interesting, what comes to your mind? If someone who spoke another language and asked you to explain what Interesting mean, how would you describe it. Feel free to “riff” on your thoughts of interesting, and explain any examples of content you feel is interesting. I need your answer by September 25th, 2020. Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/queston   Mentioned In This Podcast Elizabeth Benton on the Logical Weight Loss Podcast Elizabeth Benton's Book "Chasing Cupcakes" on Amazon and Audible Elizabeth Benton's website Primal Potential and Podcast Primal Potential Episode on Expectations Question of the Month Start Your Podcast at the School of Podcasting Amazon Music adds Podcasting on YouTube Got podcast questions? Schedule a Coaching Session Today Just want to support the show? Consider becoming a Patron.Mentioned in this episode:I Want Your OpinionI am doing an audience survey and I want your input to help me make this show exactly what you want. If you have a few minutes, I have a quick survey at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/survey252025 Audience Survey2025 Audience Survey

Charley Valher started a podcast and was "swinging for the fences" and after hiring a team, and putting 50,000 into a marketing budget he realized after a year that the show just wasn't producing the results he needed. Today he shares the mistakes he made, and how he came back to podcasting with new strategies and insights that resulted in his podcast (the business of podcasting) being the number one way her is driving customers to his business at Valher Media.  Topics Include: 02:41 Charlie's Services 05:14 Charlies Hired a Team for His First Podcast 07:59 What Was Missing? 10:44 How did you come up with the new formula? 12:19 Position Yourself as the Expert 14:45 Can You Niche Down Too Far? 15:54 Three Ingredients of a Niche 16:40 Charlie's Original Call to Action 18:07 Having the Right Topics 22:11 Was it Hard To Try Again? 25:13 How Long Until You Saw Results? 26:57 How do you pick topics? 29:32 Interviewing Potential Clients 33:22 Did You Make Any Technology Mistakes 34:59 Most Memorable Feedback 39:55 What's Working Now? 40:41 How Do You Grow Your Podcast? 43:04 Insights Into Charlie's Prices Great Takeaways Position yourself as an expert  I want to talk to my audience so they feel like I've been watching them. When creating a niche, consider the demographic, the service/industry, and if this is for Beginners/Intermediates/Experts His audience is now quoting the podcast in his approval form. They say things like, "This podcast was made for me."  The 5o,00 budget did not result in success. You can't buy an audience if your content doesn't connect. Question of the Month DeadLine 9/25 Right now, I'm obsessed with the word, Interesting. When you hear the word interesting, what comes to your mind? If someone who spoke another language and asked you to explain what Interesting mean, how would you describe it. Feel free to “riff” on your thoughts of interesting, and explain any examples of content you feel is interesting. I need your answer by September 25th, 2020. Submit your answer at schoolofpodcasting.com/question Mentioned In This Podcast The Business of Podcasting Show  Valher Media Rodecaster Pro and Zoom Podtrack P4 Audio Technica ATR2100 USB Microphone. Join the School of Podcasting  Mentioned in this episode:2025 Audience SurveyI Want Your OpinionI am doing an audience survey and I want your input to help me make this show exactly what you want. If you have a few minutes, I have a quick survey at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/survey252025 Audience Survey

As I continue (as a middle-aged white dude) to attempt to learn more about Black History, Culture, and issues, a friend of mine suggested I watch the TV show Black AF on Netflix as there is always a hidden history lesson.   (a writer and producer)  plays a television writer and producer (named Kenya Berris). In one episode the main character (who is a movie and television creator) is worried about giving feedback to a fellow black creator, and also is worried about what others might think about his films and content. In sone scene, Kenya meets Tyler Perry who might know from his movies feature Madea. This is a character played by Perry. She is a tough, elderly African-American woman. She 6'2" and 365 lbs. Diary of a Mad Black Woman—2005 Madea's Family Reunion—2006 Meet the Browns (cameo)—2008 Madea Goes to Jail—2009 I Can Do Bad All by Myself—2009 Madea's Big Happy Family—2011 Madea's Witness Protection—2012 A Madea Christmas—2013 Boo! A Madea Halloween—2016 Boo 2! A Madea Halloween—2017 A Madea Family Funeral—2019 Transcript from Black AF Featuring Tyler Perry In the episode, Kenya asks about the website Rotten Tomatoes. ---- Kenya Barris: Go to Rotten Tomatoes. Tyler Perry: But let me just tell you about the tomatoes. I don't fuck with 'em. Kenya Barris: No tomatoes? Tyler Perry: I don't give a damn about a rotten or a fresh none of that means shit to me. Kenya Barris: That's amazing. What about critics? Tyler Perry: I don't give a fuck Kenya Barris: I guess that's amazing. Tyler Perry: Can I just tell you why? Listen, man, I know that I'm telling stories that my folks want to see. I'm talking from our point of view. We're speaking a language. We're speaking a shorthand that we get, and that white people don't necessarily get. Nina Simone said this and I never forgot that she said, "You will use up everything you got trying to give everybody what they want." You got to focus man you know what I do? I super serve my niche. We speak like we're talking we know each other - we get it. There's a lot of times I see shit that wins Oscars and I be like, what is this shit? I walked out halfway through it. I don't get it.  I feel like they feel the same way about my work. They don't get it, which is all cool. My mother born in Jim Crow South In Louisiana, right down the street from Mississippi where Emmett Till was murdered. She told me the value of being who I am of my blackness. She said, "Don't you ever let anybody tell you who you are, you know who you are, you know where you come from." I watched her stories, I watched her struggles and that's what I'm telling. I'm telling the stories that I come from, and that's why they're winning. Because people are recognizing themselves in these stories, no matter how crass that people think they are, no matter what the critics are saying, Oh, I don't get this shit. I don't understand what is. I don't give a fuck because I'm talking to us. That's why millions of people are watching my shows every week. That's why people keep showing up and sending the movies to number one. I'm talking to us connecting with us. You know, I'm saying? Let me tell you what you're doing, you're trying to get them to approve you. That's when I don't get why niggas run around trying to get white folks, "Please tell me I'm special. Oh, give me your Oscar. Oh, let me know I'm all of these things that you want me.." Fuck that. Tell your story. Live in your own life in your own culture. Tell your own experience. Ain't nobody gonna tell you how to be you. You hear what I'm saying? Kenya Barris: I do man. I really fucking do. Tyler Perry: Good. ---- Now keep in mind that this is Kenya Berris playing himself and the same for Tyler Perry, but the more I got into researching Tyler Perry the move I loved his message. It's Not How You Start - It's How you Finish Tyler grew up in Louisiana with his mother and an alcoholic father who would beat both he and his mother. His Success Didn't Come Overnight Tyler started with plays. His first play cost $12,000 to put on. He expected to get 1200 people, and instead he got 30. It Starts With Knowing Your Audience Tyler Perry knows white critics are not going to get his movies. He doesn't care because he got feedback from someone who saw the movie "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" and she said, "In two hours, you got my sister to do what we've been trying to do for twelve years - leave an abusive relationship." (source) His Attitude on Feedback In his book Higher is Waiting, he states, "What's more, you need some naysayers in your life. You need people to challenge your point of view. Your job is to look for the truth in their negativity. For instance, sometimes I'll get a bad review. And my first defensive reaction is to think it's completely off the mark. Once I give myself a moment and allow my initial reaction to be released, I'll read it again to see if there's anything I can learn from the review. If it's pure vitriol, well, I let it go. But if there's some truth, even a kernel, I'll use what's written to be better at what I do. I can take constructive criticism." It Took Seven Years to Start to Catch On Tyler mentions how each year he would work different jobs, saving his money so he could put his play I Know I've Been Changed on in a theater. Upon the seventh year, he started to get feedback from attendees saying how much they enjoyed the play. It would go on tour from 1998-2000. He Went To Where His Audience Was Perry continued to create new stage productions, touring with them on the so-called "Chitlin' Circuit" (now also known as the "urban theater circuit") and developing a large, devoted following among African-American audiences. In 2005, Forbes reported that he had sold "more than $100 million in tickets, $30 million in videos of his shows and an estimated $20 million in merchandise", and "the 300 live shows he produces each year are attended by an average of 35,000 people a week." He is Brave and Shares His Faith If you interview Tyler Perry he will say his success is due to one thing. The grace of God. He knows saying "Jesus" is not a popular thing to do in mainstream media. But it's not to his audience. In a survey in 2007 by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life, the African-American population was found to be more religious than the U.S. population as a whole, with 87% of its members being affiliated with a religion, and 79% of them saying that "religion is very important in their life", in contrast to 83% and 56% of the whole US. population, most of which is Christian, with 83% of black Americans identifying as Christian, including 45% who identify as baptist. He Owns All of His Material While many podcasters are looking to be on a big network, Tyler Perry went direct. He rented theaters for his plays. He wrote, acted, and directed his content. Why? His father was a carpenter and he would see his father build a house and get paid $8,000 while to owner/seller of the house got $80,000. Perry's films are co-produced and distributed by Lions Gate Entertainment; he retains full copyright ownership under the corporate name Tyler Perry Films, and places his name in front of all titles. Perry's movies have seen very limited release outside North America, but in May 2010, Lionsgate announced plans to begin releasing his films in the United Kingdom. He Gives Back to His Community His dream was to own his own studio. He bought land in Atlanta Georgia that was previously a confederate fort that made plans to keep 3.9 million negros enslaved, and he put built it there so other black children could see "that the land is now owned by one negro." (source) Mentioned in This Episode www.reviewsandrandomness.com Question of the Month Indie Pod Con Tyler Perry Spring Tuskegee Commencement Speech Tyler Perry Gives Powerful Speech Of Motivation As He Accepts Ultimate Icon Award | BET Awards 2019 Avoid Overwhelm - Start Your Podcast Today Get access to the private Facebook group, the step by step tutorials, and access to live group coaching, and me! http://www.schoolofpodcasting.com/start  Mentioned in this episode:I Want Your OpinionI am doing an audience survey and I want your input to help me make this show exactly what you want. If you have a few minutes, I have a quick survey at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/survey252025 Audience Survey2025 Audience Survey

It's to know what is working for your audience. Sure you can look at your downloads but there are other ways to look at engagement. Today in episode 738 I dig deeper. Website Traffic How many website visitors are you getting? You may be surprised that your top ten pages on your website are the same as the top ten episodes of your podcast? Why, you might have more keywords in your notes that attract google. People may be linking to your episode which can boost "Google Juice" (your rankings). WHAT ABOUT TRANSCRIPTS? I was listening to The Business of Podcasting a great podcast with Charlie Valher from Valher media (Charlie will be on this show in the future), and he was interview Stephan Spencer who is one THE SEO people on the planet. While we often say, "This person wrote the book on..." Stephen actually wrote the book on SEO (Search Engine Optimization) The Art of SEO. It's 994 pages. Here is what he had to say about transcripts: But the key thing here is you're creating something in an audio format and although Google is getting better at taking that audio and doing something amazing with it, like turning that into searchable content on its own, you can't just rely on that. A lot of people don't have time to listen to podcasts and they like to just scan through articles, but nobody wants to read a transcript. Who's gonna get excited about reading a transcript with a bunch of the back and forth banter and not cutting to the chase? Having an article made out of the transcript, however, is a very powerful strategy and if you have an hour-long show or a half-hour-long show, that's a lot of textual content. -Stephen Spencer the Business of Podcasting show. Transcribed by https://otter.ai Google Analytics Google Analytics is a great free tool that enables you to pull insights about your website visitors. The best part is its free. It is very robust. There are ways you can flatten the learning curve with Google Analytics. One is to take the free course(s) offered by Google. One of my favorite tools that takes that data and creates easy to understand reports is Monster Insights. Check out the video on Monster Insights Tracking Clicks In WordPress, many people use a plugin that is free/premium called Pretty Links. There is a free version and the premium version starts at $49/year. It's been downloaded over 2.5 million times. Thirsty affiliates is a very similar plugin for about the same price ($49/year). If you want something even more powerful (especially for affiliate links) check out Lasso which can even check the stock at Amazon for your links, and much more. It starts at $19/month. URL Shortener Pro is only $19. The advantage of these plugins is they enable you to reinforce your brand's website while making an easy to remember. For example, www.schoolofpodcasting.com/subscribe will take you to my subscription page. If someone asks me where to subscribe, I have one link with all the apps. If someone asks about the Podpage service, they can go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/podpage. For my Patreon account that I promote on the Ask the Podcast Coach show I use www.askthepodcastcoach.com/awesome What if you don't use WordPress? How Do You Track Clicks? bit.ly Many people use bit.ly which I did, but I found something that really changed my opinion of bit.ly. While you can setup a bit.ly link to point at a long URL that makes it easier to remember if later you want to change that link - you can't. This is why I started researching this topic. Then on August 13th, they added the feature to update a link see announcement. However, you have to pay for this feature ($35/month). Rebrandly One company called Rebrandly was started based on the pain point of "I can't change my destination URL in Bitly." With Rebrandly you can have up to 500 links and have up to 5000 clicks per month for free. You can have up to 5 custom domains. If you're looking for a free tool to track clicks this seems to be the tool. They have 550,000 happy customers. If You Want to Do More Track Clicks (Marketing?) Click.org Click.org allows you to do A/B Split testing, and you can have one link for people in one part of the world, and another link used for others in a different part. For marketing people it adds the tracking pixel. So now when you send someone to a website that is not yours, you can add a pixel to retarget them. This is much more of a marketing tool and may be overkill for those who want to just have a link to give to their audience. Pixle.me Pixle.me is all about retargeting. It is the primary feature you see when you go to their website. For example, you could send people to a post on Medium and then they would see your Facebook ads when they go about the Internet. They have a tool where you can send someone to an Amazon site (for example) and make YOUR email pop up box appear. While they have some fun marketing tools if you want to change the destination URL (the feature that launched this investigation) it will cost you $24 a month. I did like some of their tools, and when it comes to marketing and tracking (which somewhat keeps your brand in front of your audience) it seemed to be a clear winner. What You Can Learn? Here is a list of things you might want to track: A link in your email signature Links in your emails Links in your show notes. Your Instagram URL (instead of using some third-party service) Links to your subscribe buttons A general idea of how engaged your audience is with your content. Check How Far People Are Listening To Your Episode What do Apple, Google, Spotify, and Stitcher all have in common? They all provide extra stats that show you how far your audience is listening. Also, if you are using Anchor and allowed them to submit your show to directories "for you" you have given away this option (they don't tell you that when they offer to do you a "favor"). Here is a video from Apple Advertiser Practice Run Last week I talked about the Zoom Podtrack P4, and 84 people clicked on it (11% of my audience at the time), but nobody purchased it. As many people feel that 3-5% click rate is "great" this seems to be a very interesting product for my audience. My feeling is due to it not being available yet (and only available for pre-order) this may mess up my affiliate stats. By using an affiliate link, it has built-in click tracking and you can see how many units were sold. Amazon Associates is the largest affiliate program. The best thing is to find a product you like, and then see if the word "affiliates" or "partners" is at the bottom of their website. Sign up and promote it. As its a favorite product of yours, your sales pitch will be more heartfelt. Mentioned In This Episode Start your podcast at the School of Podcasting Zoom Podtrack P4 Episode Zoom Podtrack P4 Pretty Links WordPress Plugin Thirsty affiliates WordPress Plugin Lasso  WordPress Plugin (great for Affiliate marketing) Easy AZON Plugin Click.org Pixle.me rebrandly.com bitly.com Need Help With Your Podcast? I'd love to help you plan, launch, and grow your podcast. Need some feedback on your show? Get your show audited on the Podcast Review Show Looking for podcast Mentoring? Let's setup a coaching callMentioned in this episode:I Want Your OpinionI am doing an audience survey and I want your input to help me make this show exactly what you want. If you have a few minutes, I have a quick survey at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/survey252025 Audience Survey2025 Audience Survey

The Zoom Podtrack P4 is coming out next month (from what I hear) and this appears to be a game-changer for those podcasting on a budget. Here are some of the features of the Zoom Podtrack P4: Zoom Podtrack P4 Podcast Recorder Four mic inputs with XLR connectors Four headphone outputs with individual volume control Gain control knobs and mute buttons for each input Phantom power for all XLR inputs Automatically prevent feedback from call audio using the Mix-Minus function Easily connect your phone using the TRRS connection Trigger sound effects using four assignable Sound Pads with 11preset sounds All input sources can be recorded on separate tracks 16-bit /44.1kHz audio WAV Records directly to SD, SDHC and SDXC cards up to 512 GB 2-input, 2-output USB audio interface Class-compliant mode for iOS compatibility Up to four hours of use with just two AA batteries or a USB power supply Can be powered via 2 AA Batteries Can be powered via USB or Zoom AD-17 AC Adapter Comparing the Podtrack P4 to the Rodecaster Pro Zoom P4 VS Rodercaster Pro Zoom Podtrack P4 Manual (pdf), Price: Zoom Podtrack P4 is $199 Rodecaster is $599 Audio Processing: The Rodecaster has built-in APHEX audio processing and mic modeling. There is a "big bottom," an aural exciter, a compressor, and noise gate. The P4 has a low cut (to cut out unnecessary frequencies) and a limiter (to make sure you don't peak and distort). ThePodtrack P4 does have very powerful preamps that are very quiet. The Rodecaster also features a built-in ducking option so if the host is in channel 1, and someone tries to talk at the same time this feature (which can be turned on and off) will ensure the host (mic 1) is heard. Sound Pads: The Rodecaster has 8 pads for sound effects vs the 4 on the P4. If you're doing things live and want the ability to play sounds with a press of a button. As both the Rodecaster and the P4 have the ability to plug a phone in and you could use an app like Backpack studio which enables you to have a ton of sound pads. Slider Vs Knobs The Rodecaster has sliders vs the knobs on the P4 Storage: The P4 has a SD card, the Rodecaster has a micro SD Card. On their website, the Rodecaster mentions Micro SD up to 256 Gigs. The Podtrack P4 mentions card up to 512 Gigs. Both of those sizes are huge. Bluetooth: The Rodecaster has built-in Blue Tooth, the P4 has an optional BTA-2 Bluetooth option ($49) Recording Sample Rate: The Rodecaster records in 48khz/24-bit, the P4 is 44.1khz/16 bit. While I don't feel this makes that much of a difference (as in the end your podcast is listened to in earbuds, car speakers, and portable speakers). However, if you're doing anything with video, your video editor will be happy you have the ability to record in 48khz. Number of Tracks: The Rodecaster can record up to 8 tracks, the P4 records up to 4 Both units provide a stereo mixdown, and in addition to the mic inputs, they provide tracks for the pads. The Rodecaster has the ability to turn off the multi-track recording. Recording Into Your Computer Both send a stereo mix to the computer (great for live streaming), but the Rodecaster can also send map individual tracks to channels. Interface The Rodecaster has a touch screen. The P4 has a simple to use menu system. Markers The Rodecaster has the ability to add markers (which can be very useful for editing) While other room recorders have this feature the P4 does not ) Outputs The Rodecaster has 4 headphones out in addition to a stereo out. The Zoom P4 has four headphones out. Footprint:The Rodecaster is 14" X 11" the P4  4.1" X6.1.' This might be important for those with smaller desktops. The P4 is  1/4th smaller than the Rodecaster. For my friends across the pond the Rodecaster is 350 mm x 275 mm the Podtrack P4 is 112 mm x 155 mm Warranty: RodecasterPro: Limited 1-Year Warranty with 1 Additional Year upon Registration. (source BNH). Podtrack P4: Limited 1-Year Warranty (source BNH). If you're looking for a great sounding unit, and never need to record more than four sources, this is a great unit. Audio snobs will complain about the lack of ability to record in 48khz/24hz but 44.1/16 will be fine for something that is heard in-car speakers and earbuds. Some will complain about sliders vs knobs. The knobs help cut the footprint which gives you your desk back. If you want to achieve the tone of the rodecaster you will need to invest in some plugins. If you're on a budget and want an easy way to record separate tracks including the phone, this is worth checking out. Just don't drop it. Check out the Zoom Podtrack P4 The Zoom ZDM-1 Dynamic Microphone I must confess that the Electrovoice RE320 has been my mic for many years. It's also close to $300. The ZDM-1 comes with a pop filter, "stand" a cable, and headphones for $120. I didn't think it was fair to compare it to the RE320 so I pulled out the Rode Podmic (another microphone designed for podcasters for around $99). Both microphones are very well built, and when I kid about using them as a weapon, I'm not kidding. You need a sturdy stand to hold these up. The ZDM-1 has a great mount that screws into the bottom and just seems solid. The Rode Podmic also is well built. The Zoom ZMD-1 has 50 Hz to 18 kHz frequency response with tight bass and smooth highs enhance vocal tone for radio, podcasting, and more The Rode Podmic has a frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz. In specs, it should pick up a bit more bass and a bit more high end. While neither one of these microphones sound bad, I thought I heard a little more high end and sibilance on the Zoom ZMD-1. The one thing that Audio Technica, Zoom, and other microphone companies need to quit doing is giving us microphone stands that are 100% completely worthless. While the TPS-4 stand that comes with the ZDM-1 is sturdier than the other worthless microphone stands, They are so short that you have to do a bizarre yoga pose to lean over to use it. Either invent a new mic stand as an accessory, or just include the clip/mount and lower the price. Nobody in their right mind is using the TPS-4 microphone stand. The Zoom ZHP-1 Headphones were amazingly clear. The high end was crystal clear to an almost alarming point. The somewhat self-adjusting headphones fit nice and snug and really cut out the outside world. I used other "included" headphones with other microphones and they were typically uncomfortable and had the fidelity of a record cut out of a cereal box (you have to be over 50 to get that). These had a nice sound, and I love that the cable can be disconnected at the headphones (great for those of us who are always tangled in or headphone cable. For $199 this a good value with a solid mic, nice pop filter, study mount and comfortable headphones to boot. Just pick up a nice boom arm (are strong desk stand as it is heavy). August Question of the Month: What Keeps You Going? This month the question was, "What has kept you going with your podcast when others have stopped?" Kris and Kristine from the Kris and Kristine Show Kris and Kristine are engaged and this is just another great way of spending time together. (everyone together  - awww....). Kristine said, " I'm big on trying to constantly strengthen our relationship. And there's a lot of research that says, for a woman, when she invests in the hobbies and the interests of her partner, then it really helps to build that bond. And so Kris could have loved going to golf or you could have had all these hobbies that take you out of the house and away from me, but instead, you choose to build and grow a hobby with me. What woman wouldn't want that from her significant other that you want to spend dedicated time with me? These are super nice peeps and I wish them the best when they get married in November. Check out their show at www.krisandkristine.com Curtis Longellow from the Rerozest Podcast Curtis Longfellow from the Retrozest podcast needed an outlet. He wanted to talk about all things retro (70's and 80's) and by starting a podcast he attracted other people who are just like him. It turns out it's really paid off. Diane Franklin, the actress who portrayed Monique Juno in the classic 80s dark comedy film Better Off Dead, granted me an interview in celebration of the 30 fifth anniversary of the film. In fact, it just posted yesterday. The other thing that keeps me going is the power of podcasting network shows. In fact, via Episode Number 678 of the School of podcasting, you really prepared me for the aforementioned interview with Diane Franklin. What was supposed to only be a 45-minute interview ballooned into an hour and 15 minutes. This was largely because the tips you shared on Episode Number 678 really prepared me and helped me to frame and ask some very unique questions, which kept the stories from Diane flowing. Additionally, you recently did a short review of my AC DC Back in Black 40th anniversary episode on your Podcast Rodeo Show. You shared several tips which helped me to plan for future episodes. And also you pointed out a glaring typo on my podcast description to which I immediately responded and corrected. Thank you for all you do. Dave. I suspect that your contribution to teaching about podcasting is really keeping a bunch of podcasters going, keep up the good work, and check out the retros s podcasts at retro zest.com forward slash podcast. Civilla Morgan from the Childless, Not By Choice (and Not Just Another Religion and politics Podcast) Here is what Civilla from the Childless, Not by Choice had this to say, "I believe I believe in the power of podcasting, I believe podcasting is a Message carrier. And I can see the results of it because of the response that I get. I may not be at a million downloads. But I'm hearing from people whose lives are literally being changed when they listen to the Childless, not by choice podcast episodes. They're writing into me.  One woman just called me about a week ago from Holland on speakpipe on my website, and she left a message because she was so excited to find thes podcast, she couldn't believe it. And she had to tell me all about what episode she was on and how the podcast has completely absolutely helped her and that she just recently joined the Facebook group. I've got to keep going. I've got to keep getting the word out. Slowly but surely it can be tedious. There can be deep valley moments where you just want to throw everything across the room and just walk away from it all. And then those awesome mountain top moments where you get that awesome interview, like when I got that interview with you, Dave Jackson. And so you have to take the good with the bad when it comes to podcasting and I just love that I can get the message out whether it's the Childless, not by choice podcast, or the Not just another religion and politics podcast where I get to say my part as to how the Christian community is behaving (or misbehaving right now), in some instances. It's just a way to get the word out to get your message out. It's truly a message carrier. And that's why I'm still podcasting. Craig Wealand from Ingles Podcast Here are the reason Craig keeps podcasting: I podcast with a co-host, who I've known for many years. He's a very good friend. And it's a lot of fun to get together with him. once every three weeks, batch record some episodes, then have a nice lunch together and just hang out, just be with someone who I really like. We have a laugh, we have fun together. So one big element of the fun I get from podcasting is getting together with my friend and colleague. I think we're helping people with our product when I know we're helping people, we get feedback, voice messages, emails, telling us that because of the podcasts, we've helped people, get promotions, find a job pass an exam in English, so we know that we're doing some good out there and then keeps us going the feedback from our community.  I really like the podcasting community. They're a great bunch of people. And I enjoy hanging out with podcasters. I feel very comfortable when I'm with podcasters. And, and over the years, I've made some really good friends in the podcasting community going to events and conferences, and meeting people online. So I really like being part of the community. And it's much easier to be part of the community if you have a podcast. I think I really like creating something that wasn't in the world before. Hopefully, that's a good thing. It might be a bad thing. But I like the idea that we've put something out there that might be of use to people and it didn't exist before we turned on the microphones.  I like the idea that I've created something. Check out Craig at Ingles Podcast Dave Jackson from the School of Podcasting I've always said that podcasting scratches every itch I have. It is somewhat technical, and I'm somewhat of a geek. You are in 100% control and you can do anything you want. As a creative person, I love that. I get to help people. As someone with a teaching background, that puts a lot of "Gas in my tank." As someone who spent myself into bankruptcy trying to have children (and failed), this is somehow my "Legacy." Check out all of Dave's shows at www.powerofpodcasting.com September Question of the Month Right now, I'm obsessed with the word, Interesting. When you hear the word interesting, what comes to your mind. If someone who spoke another language and asked you to explain what Interesting mean, how would you describe it. Feel free to "riff" on your thoughts of interesting, and explain any examples of content you feel is interesting. I need your answer by September 25th, 2020.  Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/question Ready to Start Your Podcast? I love helping people plan, launch, and grow their podcast. I have multiple plans and scenarios to meet any budget. Let's work together.Mentioned in this episode:2025 Audience SurveyI Want Your OpinionI am doing an audience survey and I want your input to help me make this show exactly what you want. If you have a few minutes, I have a quick survey at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/survey252025 Audience Survey