8 ‘Must Listen’ Podcast Episodes
Podcasts are everywhere and it seems like everyone has one…..I have three myself!
For this post instead of just recommending podcasts that I like, I wanted to get more granular and share certain episodes that I’ve enjoyed on those certain podcasts.
It can be overwhelming subscribing to new content for the first time and rather than scroll around looking for episodes that may interest you, hopefully these EIGHT specific ones can be the start to some new content!
Thanks to all the hosts for recording and editing and sharing with the world - enjoy!
Daily Stoic with Ryan Holiday
April 10th - 8 Stoic Habits That Will Improve Your Life
You’ve probably heard of Ryan Holiday’s books about stoicism that have been widely read and shared across pretty much all channels and industries. His Daily Stoic podcast is one of my favorites that I try to listen to on the regular, but this episode I’ve honestly listened to about ten different times since it dropped a few weeks ago.
So many nuggets of wisdom and ideas to think about, it’s a blockbuster!
Episode 132 with Retired General Stanley McCrystal
Leadership, lessons learned, combat stories, decision making and just great situational examples that can be related to so many things that people deal with in their own lives.
The Knowledge Project is also just a ‘go to’ podcast for me on such a wide array of topics and guests!
Jocko Podcast
Episode 290 with Admiral William McCraven
You might be sensing a military theme here with the Admiral and General and it’s true, I enjoy listening to military leaders talk about leadership. But Admiral McCraven is someone who I’ve read and listened to for years and this four hour plus episode is just PACKED with ideas, stories, lessons and so much more that I really enjoy.
At the Table with Patrick Lencioni
Episode 85 - The Whole World Is Wasting Time
Patrick is the best selling author of many books and his podcast is just as good. He’s always timely with the episodes and this one (The Whole World Is Wasting Time) is great perspective and packed with strategies for you to stop wasting time!
Unapologetic Leadership with Dr. Marcus Belin
Marcus is an amazing High School Principal in Illinois and he drops super relevant and for me timely episodes on his podcast. This episode is one I really enjoy and have shared with a bunch of friends around the country and I know you’ll enjoy it too!
Women Inc. Hosted by Jenna Todey
On Holding the Line, Knowing Your Worth and Advocating for Mothers with Pietra Tala Akhaven
This episode is all about women (the entire podcast is) and this show is one of my favorites. Women as entrepreneurs, balancing work and family, and just different models and policies in the workplace, I know you’re going to enjoy this episode and the entire podcast from Jenna!
Money Moves with Lauren Simmons (only on Spotify)
Lauren was the youngest female trader ever on the New York Stock Exchange and in this episode she just drops some really important and awesome financial advice. I’d recommend her other episodes as well, so much knowledge to share and learn from!
Side Hustle School with Chris Guillebeau
Episode #1937 Mural Painter Follows Signs to a New Career
Chris podcasts on the daily, hence he’s reaching his 2,000th episode which is just mind boggling on so many levels of producing content. I’ve been listening to his podcast for years and this very recent episode just jumped out at me and I listened to it again a few more times.
The time is never going to be perfect, the situation may not be ideal, but it’s time to get started!
Let’s Talk About Robots
Robots should definitely be integrated in our schools starting in Kindergarten and even Pre-K. It’s time that we start talking more about robots.
Robots and humans are already working together as co-workers in so many different industries.
Why robots?
Robots increase engagement.
Robots are relevant.
Robots help students understand challenging concepts.
Robots are a huge massive industry in so many different sectors of our life that can be a job and career for our students.
Robots just make learning more fun.
I know what some of you are thinking?
Robots are not in my budget.
When budgets come up I totally understand where educators are coming from. I’ve been a Principal and have had to make tough decisions on where to spend money.
If you take money from here, then it can’t go there.
You’re talking about robots, we’re trying to find the funds to purchase books!
I get it I get it I get it I get it.
But you can enter the robot experience with your students for $52.
There are really expensive robots on the market that schools purchase and they’re really awesome.
And I’m not saying expensive robots are bad or better, or that a $52 robot is better.
It’s just really hard to argue with that price point if money is a hurdle for you.
The robot I’m talking about is the Mini, from Sphero.
Sphero and I go way back.
Well I guess it’s more fair to say that I go way back with Sphero.
I feel like it was 10 years ago that I purchased our first Sphero when I was an Elementary Principal and I’ve been hooked ever since. I even wrote about Sphero in my first book ‘Kids Deserve It’ and how it really helped to transform learning experiences and engagement at our school.
And I’ve seen time and again across the country in all the work I do with educators, robots in schools is a winning formula.
I see robots every week in all the airports I visit. Sitting at my gate, a robot rolls down the terminal delivering food from one of the restaurants to a customer waiting for their flight at a different gate.
Amazon, Walmart, hospitals, hotels, airports, factories, warehouses, and so many other industries all over the world.
For $52 you can get started at your school or at home with a Sphero Mini.
If you’re a teacher and your Principal doesn’t have $52, write a grant on Donors Choose for one and share that grant on social media. Share the grant with me because I’ll share it on my social media and will help to get you funded.
It will build from there.
The engagement.
The questions.
The creation.
The conversation.
The kids taking charge of their learning.
The educators taking a step back and letting the kids take the lead.
I was talking with a Principal friend the other day and robots came up in our conversation. Of course I was telling her to buy some for the school and get them into classrooms and she said…..
“I don’t have money in the budget for robots.”
I told her…..
“You can get started for $52 with a Sphero Mini.”
Her response….
“Ohhhhh, we can afford $52!”
Let’s get kids coding, creating, solving, and ready for the world that they’re growing up in with opportunities and careers that didn’t exist a few years ago!
During math lessons - robot!
Social studies - robot!
Art - robot!
Language Arts - robot!
The $52 Sphero Mini is a great place to start.
Happy coding and creating!
One Time Isn’t Enough
One Time Isn’t Enough
Two years ago my wife was super excited about getting a piano for our house. She played most of her life and I played the violin for about ten years. Music is important and we needed to get it going for our kids.
We did a combination of, she would teach our kids the basics and they also attended lessons from a teacher.
My daughter LOVES playing and singing and performing and learning new songs and is just super into it.
My son, not so much.
It’s a struggle.
It’s a fight.
It’s drama.
It’s complaining.
It’s tears.
It’s he wants to play outside
It’s he doesn’t like piano.
It’s not fun, for anyone.
Like most families we have different strategies in our house to get things done, and piano is no exception.
Before you do this…..ten minutes of piano.
If you want to do this…..read for twenty minutes.
Just a couple of weeks ago I sat down with my son to play ten songs on the piano. He wasn’t terribly happy about it, but…..with me sitting next to him, his attitude was a little bit better.
He played a song.
I told him to play it again.
He huffed.
But he played it again, and it was better than the first time.
I told him to play it again.
He huffed even louder.
He played it smoother and better and more clearly the third time.
The mistakes he made the first and second time didn’t happen the third time around
Fourth, fifth and sixth he was really starting to get the rhythm and fine tune where he needed to improve.
And that’s when it really became even more clear.
One time isn’t enough.
You can’t just do something once and think that you’re doing it amazing. It takes repetition and focus and energy and someone by your side to support, encourage and be there if needed.
The more he played each song over and over again and got better and better he started to enjoy it more and more.
So if you actually do better at the thing you’re working on, even if you don’t really enjoy the thing that you’re working on, you may start to like it if you are better at the thing.
Magic!
If you play golf and you go to the driving range to hit balls, you don’t just hit one ball and then leave, you hit the entire bucket.
More reps.
More practice.
More chances.
More tries.
More encouragement.
More guidance.
More support.
More help.
More time.
More more more.
I really enjoy running marathons and it’s been a 15 year journey of running and training and tinkering and building a base of miles on my body.
Those early marathons were TOUGH.
Like it felt that my lungs were going to ooze out of my chest and I may never ever walk again.
But over the years with more marathons it’s gotten easier to prepare, and I know what to expect.
You can’t expect to run one marathon and have it all figured out and feel amazing.
Anything in life, especially when it’s new and challenging and complex…….
It takes time.
It takes patience.
It takes long term planning.
It takes support.
It takes research and learning from others that are already doing what you want to do, and then changing your practice approach as a way to improve.
It takes realizing that you’re not perfect. That you’re not going to be perfect. And that perfection is a myth and you should focus on self improvement and being the best version of you.
One time isn’t enough. The more you engage in the activity, with purpose and energy and passion and other people, you’re going to improve and just enjoy it that much more.
If you’re reading this…..
And you’re a teacher - give kids more chances to find mastery with a subject. Let them repeat a test if they didn’t do so well, because when they do it again and again, they’ll probably feel more comfortable with the content.
If you’re reading this…..
And you’re a parent - sit with your child as they go through the activity they may not like so much. Make them and encourage them to do it more than once, because once isn’t enough and as they make progress hopefully it’ll become more enjoyable.
If you’re reading this…..
And you’re struggling with starting an exercise routine, or wanting to run a marathon or pretty much anything in life. Just start and stay consistent and try not to make excuses that will derail your goal. Think big with your goal but act small in trying to achieve the next steps.
I believe in you, and I know you can do it.
8 Great Books I Recommend
It’s so hard to narrow down book recommendations because I read about one book a week. People have been asking me for years if I keep a list of all the books that I read.
Short answer - I do not.
I don’t have a Good Reads account, there isn’t a master list, and my Amazon order history is kind of incomplete.
I really should have started the list years ago, but I was just into reading and not keeping track of all the books I was getting through.
But - I did start a list last year and have gone back through some of my books and today's post is about 8 Great Books I Recommend in no particular order.
Team of Teams by General Stanley McCrystal absolutely blew me away with all the leadership strategies and ideas that he talked about. Military tactics, strategy changes, and the importance to all the organizations that we all work in and consult with.
Even if you’re not in the military, what General McCyrstal did with the Join Special Operations Task Force will help you envision change where you are!
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas is WOW WOW WOW! I’ve read a few of her other books and this one has over 3,200 four and five star reviews on Amazon! So much happens in this book with character development, relationships and I can’t recommend it highly enough!
Five stars for sure!
How The Words Is Passed by Clint Smith is a book that all Americans should read. The research, detail and personal stories that Clint gathered to write this book are absolutely phenomenal. The awards and recognition for this book are absolutely endless and speak for itself.
I’m a firm believer that we have to understand our past and the history that got us to where we are today, in order to move forward. From monuments, cemeteries, state prisons and the coast of Africa, this book is riveting and so very important!
Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes is a book that I could NOT PUT DOWN and it has over 42,000 ratings on Amazon. The ‘book women’ of Appalachia are real and such an important part of our history and so important to the literary journey of this country.
The characters that JoJo develops are complex and beautiful and I even cried at the end, which never ever happens. You’ll going to love this book for sure!
No Fixed Address by Susin Nielsen was a recommendation on social media and I was completely enamored with the story, characters and real life situation that so many people have with housing instability, especially kids.
The stories and events that take place in this book are sometimes funny and oftentimes sad, but it’s a powerful story to connect with.
Efren Divided by Ernesto Cisneros is another social media recommendation and I actually picked up this book at our local public library, and my eleven year old daughter said that she’d already read it and LOVED it! How awesome is it to get a book recommendation from your child.
What happens with Efren and his family is a story that we should all know about and work towards finding a solution to. It’s such an amazing book and the author is a current classroom teacher in Southern California!
Moneyball by Michael Lewis is one of the most game changing books that I’ve ever read, period. It chronicles the true story of the Oakland A’s and how Billy Beane completely revamped how the organization thinks, recruits, talks, prepares and plays the game of baseball.
There are so many parallels to education in this book that we should be talking about and how we can continue to create schools and districts that are innovative and doing what’s best for kids.
Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho started off as a YouTube channel after George Floyd was murdered and my entire family watched every single one of the videos.
Oprah called Emmanuel and asked him to write a book about it, so that’s what he did. Important, pivotal and a great book to learn and start conversations about race that we should be having in our communities.
It’s Ok, To Be Ok, With Good Enough
Your first blog post may not be very good.
Your first social media post may not be very good.
Your first podcast may not be very good.
A new lesson with a new technology tool that you’re trying for the first time with students, may have some problems initially and not be very good.
Your first speech most likely won’t be very good.
Your first video may be shaky and have bad audio and just not be very good.
The first webinar you host may go over time and you don’t get through all of your slides and it just may not be very good.
The first keynote that you get paid for, may not be very good.
But the super important thing to remember with all of this.
Where you start, is not where you end up.
You’re not going to be perfect the very first time.
You’re not even probably going to be good the very first time.
But please remember. It’s not forever.
Everything that you do doesn’t need to be perfect.
Anytime.
All the time.
Some of the time.
And especially just to get started.
As you go and progress, it’s going to get better. You’re going to get more comfortable.
If you never start, you’re never going to learn about the new thing. I really feel that most people have the deepest learning, when they’re doing. Not when they’re waiting for the perfect moment to start. Not when they feel it’s just about going to be perfect.
Just think about all the missed learning opportunities, if you don’t start. And you wait for perfection.
Let’s say you’ve been thinking about starting a podcast, or a blog or a business that you can run as a side hustle.
You have the idea. And some ideas of course will take more time, energy or even money to get off the ground. But most of the ideas, to just get started, you can do it for free.
Starting a podcast = free.
Starting a blog = free.
Starting a side hustle business where you walk dogs = free.
The longer you wait, the longer it takes to get started. It’s such a super simple mindset.
The longer you wait, the longer it takes to get started.
Your first podcast or blog or digital announcement about your new dog walking side hustle business, may not be very good.
The audio on the podcast won’t be super crystal clear. You may not even think about recording a proper intro and outro. And it doesn’t matter.
The margins and color and font type on your first blog post may look kind of like the beginning of the internet, and it’s ok, because it’s your first post and you’re just getting started.
And if you make a digital flier to walk some dogs and earn some side hustle cash, you may forget to put in some details.
But you can always add and fix and change and iterate and beautify and clean up and enhance and and and and and and - and nobody is going to notice that when you started, it wasn’t perfect.
Where you start, is not where you end up.
Google - in a trailer on the Stanford campus.
Harley Davidson - in a small shed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Facebook - in a Harvard dorm room.
Mattel - in a garage in 1945 in Southern California
If you never start, you’re never going to know what’s possible.
It’s Ok, To Be Ok, With Good Enough.
How do you get started with a new idea?
How do you get started with a new idea?
I’ve been getting that question for so many years.
From teachers
Superintendents
Parent groups
Principals
Neighbors
Friends
And even my wife!
I’ve been working on that myself, so I understand the struggle on a personal basis.
I’ve done a lot of things well.
And I’ve made a lot of mistakes.
You have an idea and want to start moving forward?
Where do you start? What do you do? What makes the most sense? What shouldn’t you do? Move forward by yourself or with a partner?
Here’s my advice!
Think big, act small.
Don’t overthink it.
Just get started.
So often that new idea you have never takes off or even gets started, because just getting started is usually the biggest challenge of all. The idea you have is amazing, and most times it’s just way too big to implement where you are with it right now.
Starting off with a new idea is kind of like running an ultra marathon for me. I’ve run dozens of marathons, 50k races and the hardest one of all was a 24 hour race I ran years ago.
The goal of a 24 hour race is to run the course that’s been set up, as many times as you can, in 24 hours.
New Years Eve 2017, a mile loop for an entire day.
My goal was to run 100 miles in 24 hours, which even for me was completely daunting.
The longest that I’d ever run previously, was 52 miles and I did that just two weeks prior to the 24 hour race.
Nervous?
Yes!
Worried?
You bet!
Unsure of the outcome?
100%!
But if you never try, you’ll never know.
So I didn’t think about the race in terms of my overall goal. My BIG goal was to run 100 miles, but I broke it down into smaller parts.
Instead of trying to run 100 miles, my small goal was to run for an hour. And then another hour, and then another hour, until I’d run for 24 hours straight.
Anyone can run or move their body for an hour, that’s what I told myself and that’s how I moved forward.
So here’s a strategy I’ve been using in my personal and professional life for years.
Get a regular size post-it note.
On top of the post-it, write down your new idea or goal.
Then below the idea, write out your implementation plan.
That’s it.
Then you start.
My first post-it note said -
‘Run 100 miles’
Run for one hour
Run, eat, drink, smile
Run for another hour
The amazing thing about a regular size post-it note is, you can’t make your implementation plan too complicated.
Because you don’t have the room to write down too much.
How often have you been part of a planning meeting, or committee or task force that meets for hours and hours. Someone is taking notes. Or maybe even writing everything down on a big white board in some conference room. Or even worse on a Google Doc that ends up being seven pages long.
Then what happens?
Someone takes a picture of the whiteboard, they share the Google Doc and NOTHING HAPPENS.
Nothing. Ever. Happens.
Or, nothing happens quickly. The idea fizzles. You’re back to where you were before, no new ideas.
Because it was all too complicated, too many layers, too many people involved, too many steps, too many budget line items, too many too many too many too many.
Just this week I was speaking with a few hundred school Principals in Minnesota at their state conference and my post-it idea came up after my keynote address during Q&A.
Later that evening a Principal came up to me wanting to chat and brought it up. He actually brought up his boss who schedules three hour meetings and someone takes notes on a white board, Google Doc and butcher paper all at the same time and when the meeting is over there are thirty-five bullet points, seventeen action items, notes in three different places, too many ‘things’ to assign and not enough people at the table or on the committee and everything is so dang complicated none of it is ever even going to get started.
Keep it simple and don’t overthink it.
Now don’t think you’re done with that one post-it.
After you get that new idea rolling, take another post-it note that’s the same exact size. Write down the next few steps on how you’re going to continue implementing the idea, and add it to the bottom of your original note.
Post-it note number one - ‘Run one hour’
Post-it note number two - ‘Run one hour, eat solid foods, keep smiling’
It doesn’t stop with the one post-it, it’s just the place where it all begins.
But you have to begin.
And you can’t make it too complicated. Or involve too many people, or layers, or scenarios that may never even happen.
“But what if at hour seventeen of the twenty-four hour race ‘this’ happens.”
I’m not saying don’t plan for contingencies, just don’t overthink it.
What does this look like in schools or business?
I work with teachers, administrators, authors, speakers and executives all the time that have an idea, or want to implement something that I’m talking about or even better an idea they’ve come up with.
And they just don’t know how to start?
Don’t involve everyone in your organization. If you’re trying to move forward with that new thing, bringing everyone on board in my opinion is a mistake.
Too many people, too many opinions, too many roadblocks, too many naysayers, too many ‘that won’t work here’ - you know the rest.
Collaboration is important, but collaboration at the right time is more important.
Gather a small group, start with one post-it note, see how the first trial goes, listen, learn, ask questions, adjust, and then you expand.
Maybe it’s bringing in more people. Maybe it’s adding another layer with the small group that you’ve already started with. Maybe it’s continuing where you are for a few more days to really work out the kinks?
If you think big, and act big, oftentimes that level of ambition will stifle getting the new idea off the ground. It’s better to think big, act small and adjust as you go.
It’s Time To Start a Podcast
It’s time to start a podcast and it’s easier than ever to get one off the ground!
You can listen to the audio version of this blog post here
Podcasting is in its golden hour right now and you need one.
I’ve been podcasting for the past ten years and it’s even easier and more relevant right now than it ever has been.
Spotify
Apple
Overcast
Breaker
Castbox
Pocket Casts
Radio Public
Stitcher
And I’m sure there are more!
Just the sheer number of platforms where you can listen to podcast content is staggering.
Fifteen years ago I feel like everyone had a blog, they were super relevant and there was a lot of attention in that space.
And if you think about it, the vast majority of blogs that I read were hosted on either Blogger or WordPress. There are five times more podcasting platforms than what we had, ten to fifteen years ago for blogging.
Don’t get me wrong, writing is still relevant and important - but right now, podcasting is where so much of the attention is.
Who should have a podcast?
Teachers ✅
Principals ✅
Communication Directors ✅
Superintendents ✅
Parent groups ✅
Coaches ✅
Anyone with an idea that they’re passionate about ✅
Ten years ago when I first started, we recorded on an app called AudioBoom - directly from my phone as a Principal and then we’d embed the episodes on our schools website.
The audio quality was mediocre, but the kids and our school community LOVED the interaction.
We had parents engaging with the episodes.
Grandparents in other states around the country would comment and then in turn support our message, it was amazing!
Trying to get the word out about an upcoming social event, parent conferences, fundraiser, changes with the parking lot, construction, reading at home strategies and anything else that you’re thinking of.
Put. It. In. A. Podcast.
Fast forward ten more years and podcasting is even more prolific.
Fifteen years ago when blogging was in its heyday, that was a job for some people.
Now…..
Podcasting is a job and more importantly for schools and districts, it’s a communication bridge with the community.
People are ‘listening’ and it’s time to capture their attention.
If you’re a Teacher - Principal - Superintendent - Communications Director - Coach or in charge of the parent group at your school - start talking, people are listening.
And I know what so many people are thinking right now.
“What do I talk about?”
That’s always the question I get when talking in person with thousands of people across the country before or after I give a keynote presentation.
And here’s the super simple answer.
Just. Start. Talking.
Keep your first episode short - three to four minutes.
The first episode could be entirely just introducing the new show to your community.
After you release the first episode you’re going to be constantly thinking about what you said. How you prepared. The intonation in your voice. Background music. And most importantly….
You’re going to be thinking about your next episode and what you’ll do differently.
If you’re a Principal then your first episode should just be a version of the announcements you would give over the loudspeaker in school. Adjust them a little bit to make sense for the community and hit the record button.
If you don’t do announcements then read what you would write for the weekly newsletter.
I can remember a very good friend of mine who was a Middle School Principal and he would spend hours and hours each week on his newsletter for families, he was so darn proud of that newsletter.
Finally after some encouragement he looked at the analytics and ‘open’ rate of the newsletter, and it was below fifteen percent.
For a school with 1,000 students, and only 150 opened (that’s not even reading) the newsletter.
It’s time for a change.
I’ve been a Teacher and a Principal, and I know not every single parent at my school reads the newsletter. So that’s why we started podcasting the message and we captured their attention with our voice for the ones who didn’t read it.
Teachers!
Do the same exact thing, but with your own style and flare. Your students and the parents in your class are your audience.
And one of the best things you can do is involve your students. If I was still a Principal right now, I’d put the entire podcast production in the hands of the kids and let them take charge.
You’re the organizer.
But the kids are the doer of all the things.
Adults get busy.
Adults forget.
Adults are gone for professional development.
The kids will not forget to upload, so just put them in charge.
Here are Adam’s super simple next steps to get started podcasting.
1. Create a Google Doc
Start writing a script for your new show. Each week just do a page break on the document and copy/paste the outline as a really easy way to keep yourself organized and dialed in with your message.
Introduction
Questions for your guests? Updates from your organization? Good news of the day/week? Upcoming events, announcements, news?
Wrap it up!
2. Set up an account on anchor.fm
There are quite a few websites and apps to host your podcast, and I’ve used quite a few over the last ten years of my podcasting journey. Anchor.fm is my favorite so far. Anchor.fm is the place where you host your podcast, and then Anchor.fm distributes your podcast to all the places where people listen to podcasts. (ie: Apple, Spotify, Google, etc.) Anchor.fm is completely free, super easy to use and you can record episodes ahead of time and schedule them to release when you’re ready, it’s so awesome!
3. Record record record
One of the worst things you can do is start a podcast, record a few episodes, and then not record for a few weeks or months. I’m a huge believer in consistency for yourself, your audience and your message that’s being shared. The more consistent you are with releasing episodes, the more consistent your audience will be with listening, and you’ll just think about your podcast way more because it will be on the forefront of your brain.
Record - Record - Record
4. Share your podcast
Plan and record episodes, and then be sure to share them with your community.
Email out direct links
Share on social media
Create QR codes for kids to take home to their families for direct access,
Film a commercial on an iPad or phone introducing the podcast with a screencast or directions on how people can listen.
Ask your audience to share the podcast with others they think may want to listen.
Adam’s Top Tips For Podcasting
1. Don’t overthink it. All of it, just don’t overthink it. Your fifteenth podcast episode is going to be different and better and more evolved than your first three episodes. You can’t get to episode fifteen, if you don’t start with episode one, two and three. Don’t overthink it.
2. Putting out consistent episodes is way better than waiting to put out any episodes until you think it’s perfect. Podcasting is a constant evolution and you’re going to get better with frequency.
3. Try different episode models. Maybe at first it’s just you on the episode, and then try interviewing a guest. Or alternate episodes every other week. Part of this process is seeing what works and what your audience grabs on to, so don’t worry about changing things up a little bit each week.
4. I podcasted for years without a microphone and just a simple iPhone headset. My recommendation is to NOT purchase a microphone right away - yes the audio quality is better with a microphone, it’s just not necessary to get started. When you do feel the need for a microphone, the Blue Yeti is an affordable and pretty high quality USB plug and record microphone that I’ve used off and on for years.
5. Listen to other podcasts and even podcasts that you may not be interested in, just to see what others are doing so you can be a student of the platform yourself. It’s really important for you to be you, and it’s also important to learn from others so you can hone your message and continue evolving that message for your audience.
6. One tip I always give to people that are recording for the first time ever, is to smile. I’ve learned over the last ten years of podcasting and five years of public speaking that smiling now and then is important. I’m not saying to be fake, but people can’t see you when they’re listening to a podcast, so be sure to remind yourself to smile as you're talking and of course have fun recording. Smile, laugh, be yourself and the listeners will feel that mojo through their headphones!
7. Once your show is up and running, please tag me on social media when you share it out. I’d love to hear what you have to say and if you think someone you know would benefit from this blog post, please share it with them!
Good luck, I know you can do it!