Do we really need another podcast to listen to?
That was the question I asked myself before approaching Todd about taking over the Strength Faction podcast. The answer I came up with; at first it was “no”. And to be honest, we probably don’t. The statistics don’t tell us we do anyway.
According to Podcasthosting.com, as of February, 2021 there are 1,750,000 podcasts and over 43,000,000 episodes out there. According to my mathematically deficient brain that is A LOT of podcasts.
When you look at those numbers you might not think that you should start a podcast or carry on with what you’ve got going. That’s absolutely true if your goal is to make millions of dollars through the venture. And this is coming from a true optimist. If your goal is revenue, you’re probably not going to get the results you want.
Money isn’t everything though, right? Right. So let’s talk about why you still might want to start or continue putting your voice out there.
Reason #1: You Enjoy It
That’s an easy reason to grasp, isn’t it? The fun of it. Full transparency, I didn’t enjoy it too much to begin with due to the fact that I hate the sound of my own voice and tend to think that nobody gives a shit about what I have to say. But, I wanted to challenge myself and grow my skillset so here we are. I’m a handful of episodes into hosting the Strength Faction podcast and I got to tell ya, I’m having fun with it!
Realizing that I’m not doing it to bring in millions of dollars to our business was a big step in letting loose a bit. With the statistics above it’s easy to put a lot of pressure on ourselves to be the unicorn. And that’s what big money podcasts are; unicorns.
You don’t have to be the unicorn though, you just have to enjoy doing it.
Reason #2: The Carry Over
There’s a couple of skills that are real, real important in our industry that stand to be gained by podcasting.
Learning when to talk and when to listen are vital in a job where connecting with people will make or break your career. I wasn’t always good at it and I certainly have room to improve. Hosting a podcast has accelerated my learning experience for sure!
Having a recorded conversation puts a little pressure on you and really makes you think about how you are communicating. That can be tough for the self-conscious but the juice is definitely worth the squeeze. I have no doubt that since I took over the podcast my verbal communication skills have gone up and will continue to do so with each episode I record.
That’s great for the podcast but the carry over into how I communicate with my team, my clients, my family, everyone for that matter, is where it’s at. Being a confident and skilled communicator is invaluable in all facets of life!
Reason #3: Learning
It’s hard to get through anything to do with a podcast and not think about or mention Joe Rogan. It’s almost cliché to bring him up but it’s also almost impossible not to. No matter what you think about the man, going from a recorded conversation with his buddy while smoking bongs to $100,000,000/year contract is undeniably awesome.
Truth be told, I like the guy. I mean, I like the show but I also like Joe as a human being. I think I like him so much because it is obvious that the Joe Rogan Experience, to him, isn’t about Joe Rogan. It’s about his guests. And his guest list covers such a vast expanse of information. He talks to fighters, hunters, vets, scientists, athletes from just about any sport, musicians, and on and on and on.
If you look at his guest list on paper it would be hard to say what his show is about. It’s after you hear him talk about his guest list that it becomes obvious; it’s about learning.
Joe often refers to himself as a moron and pins what he does as a quest to learn more about things that pique his interests. So, he has people on his show that he wants to learn from. Seeing this takes a ton of pressure off the table for anyone that wants to podcast but thinks that nobody cares what they have to say. It doesn’t have to be about you. In fact, it probably shouldn’t be about you. No offense intended, I just don’t believe that any one person is that interesting or has all the answers. But that’s ok because curiosity and the drive to learn seem to be a dandy of a reason alone.
So, should you start a podcast? I don’t know. There’s a lot more reasons to start one than listed above. There’s also a lot of reasons not to but if you want to try it out those don’t matter much. Let’s face it, you’re probably not the unicorn but you definitely do not have to be to stand to gain anything from the venture.
If you’re on the fence about it still or are already up and running, it’s worth checking out our next Mini Course. Coach Fury is going to dive into the details of the how and why of podcasting which might nudge you in the direction that’s right for you. And good news, if you’re not part of our Mini Course crew, you can be for just $1. Just go to http://www.strengthfaction.com and click some buttons. It’s that easy.
