Use the Teach Your Son podcast to show dads how to be better dads, me? Hush desk microphone! What was I thinking? It’s already three weeks since I dropped my last podcast to Anchor.
Four?
Microphone?
Was this a mistake?
Sound familiar?
For months you’ve read and studied and watched a ton of videos. You’ve listened in on hours of podcasts. Here’s your chance. You know what you’re talking about. The time seems right. Minutes soon disappear as you hit the record button.
Stop.
Here are 13 challenges you’ll discover and 13 victories you’ll celebrate in your podcast adventure like me.
Challenge 1: The Trap of Analysis Paralysis
You’ll hear it a thousand times more before it sinks in. Podcasting is about practice, not perfection.
You can…..watch countless YouTube videos
….read an innumerable amount of blog posts
….download both hands full of podcast starting guides.
But sooner or later…you’re going to have to…. pick up the microphone, hit record, and start from square one.
Victory 1: Push Through the Fear of Imperfection
Encouraged?
- You’ll press record.
- You’ll figure it out.
That’s what I heard. So, it bears repeating.
Just, do it!
Keep the end goal in mind.
- The goal is to practice not to reach perfection.
- Your goal is to get better. Without growing bitter. Or worse yet, becoming a quitter.
- So, start small.
- Take small steps.
Let me show you.
As of today, I have two broadcasts on Anchor. I used my phone’s recorder, and these recordings will download to Anchor.
Choose to break the silence with action.
Challenge 2: Need for the Right Equipment
After that podcast on my phone, the butterflies in my stomach jostled a bit. I started visualizing how I could make that podcast a bit better. Although I wanted to get a boost on my phone recording, I found this near impossible. This is because phones don’t save audio files in wav format. They save them in mp4s.
Victory 2: Bought Needed Equipment from Amazon
I researched microphones on the net. Found this great tutorial.
From the choices, I bought a Recording and Podcasting Pack which includes a dynamic microphone and three or four accessories. The microphone I selected is a Samson Q2U.
The microphone came with a windscreen. It took me a while to figure out what the windscreen was. Here’s what I can tell you. A windscreen is a fancy functional name for the foamy, squishable cover on most microphones.
Tadaah! The Podcasting Pack unveiled. There are a couple of components that come with the microphone itself that you need to make a broadcast. The mic, a mic stand, and a USB that connects the mic to the laptop are the basics it takes to get on the air.
This is not something someone shared with me. The microphone does not reverberate, so you won’t be able to tell it’s turned on. Those are condenser mics. Nor is this going to be something that produces echoes like mics used to back in the day. Those were types of microphones called boom mics. I did find a bit of reverberation when I opened up the sound mixer.
Challenge 3: So Getting Rid of the Pauses and a So and So and…
From college speech class, and as a teacher, I received tips to keep the ahs and umms from a recording. However, the flip side of that problem means that you have dead air space. As someone from the South, I already take my time as I pronounce words. But on the air, I noticed even more silence in between my sentences. The other issue I’ve noticed is that I use so as a transition way too much.
Victory 3: Download Two Free Programs
The first problem of shortening the space between sentences was resolved for free. I downloaded Audacity and watched a quick tutorial on it. Now, I had the dead space in between conversations and transitions minimized. It took a considerable amount of time to get the software down.
Also, I enhanced the phone’s prerecorded version of the podcast by saving it in a wav file format. This wasn’t easy. I had to download the Band Lab software to take care of this issue. This program allowed me to first download my mp4 off my phone and then save it this time as a wav file. I used the Band Lab program to download the program and enhance the recording at a higher volume.
Yep. The free open-source Audacity sound mixer is all I needed to fix the so and dead air space problems. Now, not gonna lie. It took about 4 hours to get all the pauses and so and so out of the podcast. But the sound is now clean. I feel proud of the product I made. That’s worth four hours to me.
Challenge 4: Marketing and Graphic Design
On the anchor platform, you’re given an opportunity to create a profile and brand for your podcast. What you need is a picture to post to advertise your podcast and podcast tracks.
Victory 4: Marketing and Graphic Design on Canva.com
Another free program to help with the basic merchandising of a podcast product is canva.com. All you must do is enter your customized dimensions into the canva.com home screen and use a supplemental image website to download images if you don’t like the free ones available on canva.com. The more specific the search terms, the more you find locked and gated content.
Challenge 5: Original Podcast Idea
No one wants to start from nothing, and no one respects a copycat, so this is no easy task.
Focus on your training or professional background. What do you have a degree in? You can start to bring in value from that area.
It’s an excellent idea to do web searches to see if someone already has a podcast started like what you plan to create. Also, search for programs on podcast listening platforms too.
Victory 5: Teach Your Son Podcast
I fell into my idea by accident. I mentioned to a friend what I was doing in homeschool and voila. This friend knew I had a high-functioning autistic son. Fresh from the read of Tim Ferriss’s Four-Hour Work Week, my friend encouraged me to create a podcast in the autism and father niche.
As soon as I recorded the pilot, I ran this idea past another friend of mine, a superintendent of a public school system. In no time, the idea was housed on Anchor. When she commented with a favorable review, I knew this idea had tremendous potential. I had something worthy of my Sunday experimentation.
Challenge 6: Methods to a Better Podcast
Although, important to not lock on the competition. If you think about how you can make your podcast different, you might think of the format. But let’s not forget talk radio. What do they have that’s snazzy? Yup. Sound effects. Goodbye monotone voice. Entertain your audiences. You can call it a cartoon in a box. And if it is important to you, to have fun…sound effects and instrumentals may set that fun mood.
Victory 6: Free Band Lab and Sound Effects Website
The last preparation I researched for this podcast adventure was a free sound effects site. Freesound was my choice, well, because it’s free, and it’s a forum. Welcome to the forum where everyone helps everyone. Download your own sound effects and download from others’ collections. Sounds like a win-win.
I first found these sound effects when I was doing the review of the Descript software program.
To date, the only preparation I haven’t used is a sound effects site. But it is there for as the podcast gets better. Perfection is the enemy of the good podcast. My friend explained to me that you must trust that you’re going to figure podcasting out. It’s a learn by doing exercise.
If you are like me and play guitar or another instrument, you might want to use the Band Lab program and your mic to record an instrumental intro and outro.
Challenge 7: Podcast Expectations?
After you finish the podcast to no known audience. Realize, now, you work for free. You need set expectations. How can you deliver value to listeners of your podcast? How can you do that on a consistent basis? Be realistic at first. As this website didn’t fill up with awesome posts overnight. Patience is key. But dream.
Victory 7: Set Outrageous Expectations
From talking to my business coach, it is important to set expectations high for your podcast project. Without lofty and ambitious ideas to drive your podcast expectations, you won’t be consistent. You’ll lack the motivation you need to build excitement. And that excitement and your enjoyment are two things that sell.
Think $1.99 glow sticks at a night rock concert. A mosquito to a bug zapper, that’s the power of a passionate podcast to its would-be subscribers.
Challenge 8: Podcast Audience?
When you make a podcast, you don’t make it for the masses. Create it for one listener at a time. So, who is that one listener? Think about who you can speak to and impact the most with the valuable tips in your broadcast.
Who would listen to your podcast and say, wow, I never knew that or that’s soo helpful?
Challenge 8: Podcasts for Fathers and Sons
Rewind. In my discussion with my friend, he expressed interest in the homeschool sessions Joshua and I experience each week. He felt this speak to homeschool dads, dads with autistic kids, and maybe even dads with teens in general. All those audiences would be a great niche for a podcast. So, I dug into the competition. There is no competition as far as podcasts that talk about dads parenting sons, so that made me double-check.
No, this doesn’t seem to be an idea that has caught on. Therefore, I am in the place where I must create a demand for it. No easy task. But trust your value-driven instincts.
Challenge 9: Podcast Motivation?
You must have a reason to speak into the microphone and are sponsorships it?
- Who do you love?
- What do you love talking about?
- What’s your deepest level of motivation?
- Where does it lie?
Victory 9: A Better You
Odds are your Facebook friends won’t show any interest in this podcast venture either. Face it. They live busy lives.
So, believe there is an audience out there that wants to hear your message. Think of it as a matter of location. Stay committed to it. Target reasons to do this and set a focus on your growth. Plus, you’ll love to share what you know. Remember its only you talking to one friend on the podcast. Pray for the ears to hear the messages you are designed to deliver. It’s that type of project at this point.
Challenge 10: Content?
After a couple of episodes, your idea pool may run dry. That’s normal. You may want to plan ahead as far as two weeks ahead. This leaves room for some flexiblity in your plan.
Victory 10: Poll audiences for show ideas
From what I have read, it is a great strategy to poll your audience for ideas for shows. Yet, this works best if who you ask makes up your target audience. So again, this may seem like a roadblock. But it’s only a disguise.
Facebook groups are a suitable place to begin. These groups have administrators that control the feed on their group’s Facebook conversations. It is rather easy to contact these administrators and pitch them on your idea for a podcast. Then, see if you can ask people to come to listen. Another option, see if these FB group members will give your feedback on your podcast. Bring up the potential for the value you have to add to this platform.
Challenge 11: Low Follower Count
Ask friends who listen to podcasts for a review. Be ready to hear their honest feedback. Remember it’s all about a better product, your best podcast.
Victory 11: Ask Social Network Friends for Feedback
Friends can always say no. Don’t think of it as an imposition. You can move on to another idea of feedback if this friendly audience is uninterested. But social network friends may be the first place to start. You are kind of practicing the elevator pitch with support. Who knows…if you aren’t trying to sell anything and speak from a place of value to someone’s Facebook group subscribers, they may bend the rules and let you post in their group.
If you do get a friend to listen to your podcast, do ask them for their honest feedback. My friend gave me valuable feedback. It helped a ton.
The things you’ll hear from that friend’s perspective will be invaluable.
I felt like I was a teacher on the first day of school. I had a plan. But it was a whole other story when what I thought in my head went to paper and then to tape.
Frustration set in when I realized I was at the ten-minute mark and hadn’t delivered the value I promised. So, I listened to my friend’s feedback. He explained people don’t have time for the strategy of sharing the journey or let you figure things out the hard way. Talk to them from a place of authority.
Challenge 12: Response to Feedback
One thing you’ll understand right away is that with the press of the record button, you’ve gone further than most people who say they want to create a podcast. Blows your mind, doesn’t it?
You have guts, and you need a pat on the back. Then, you need to get busy with improvement. Progress, not perfection is the goal.
Challenge 12: Back to Basics of Presentations
On my second podcast, I set myself up as that teaching authority. As a former public-school teacher, I had to own my professional education. So, I reworked the podcast from let’s discover this together to a here’s what I did with success, and here’s what you need to do to enjoy the same level of success.
The other criticisms he voiced I put into a plan to address as my listener questions. And if by some whim I chose to tackle one of these for each show. For example, my friend was confused as to who my target audience was. So, the first question I recorded on the show?
Do I have to be a dad to listen to the podcast?
The other modification I made was to appeal to more than one learning style. You can appeal to a visual learner with a set of visual worksheets and handouts. To get those housed, use a google doc link and make the link public or send a special link out or post it, as I did below in this post.
Episode 1:
Weekly All Category Goal Planning Sheet
Episode 2:
Individualized Educational Learning Plan Plan Sheet
Episode 3:
Goals That Stick Documentation for Evaluation
Episode 4:
Rewards and Artificial Consequences Planning Handout
Episode 6:
Teen Restrictive Smartphone Contract
Challenge 13: Listener Correspondence?
If you supply value to listeners in a niche, you need to make yourself available to answer any questions.
Victory 13: G-mail Podcast-related Email
With podcast production aimed as a Sunday growth exercise, I believed a separation between business and pleasure was necessary. Thus, I opened a Gmail account emailteachyourson@gmail.com. The wonderful truth is if you begin with the prefix email(your podcast name)@gmail.com you can pick from plenty of specific titles.
Wrap Up
There are oodles of challenges and victories you can experience in a short two months into your podcast creation adventure. Keep it fun and steady your sights on your challenges and celebrate the smallest of victories.
Victories
- Fix on a growth focus
- Select idea with the broadest potential, but low competition
- Maintain a slow, quality improvement focus
- Learn from friendly feedback.
- Download free open-source programs to better your podcasts
- Purchase equipment to the level of quality experience for your listener
- Use canva.com for podcast marketing materials
- Choose an audience and topic you love
- Have fun and visualize what that looks like, then, get what you need to make it fun
- Make Facebook Group administrator inquiries. Worse they can say is no thank you
- Speak from a place of teaching authority
- Focus on more than one learning style with a resource section
- Set up listener correspondence systems
If you liked this post, hit like button and share. Until next time, be your best you.
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