Success in podcasting is talked about in zero-sum terms.
Evo Terra:Do more of this thing, less of these others, and success will come.
Evo Terra:But success is subjective and relative.
Evo Terra:We need a better measuring stick.
Evo Terra:Hello, and welcome to another Podcast Pontifications with me, Evo Terra.
Evo Terra:We hear a lot about being successful as podcasters, but we don't talk a lot about
Evo Terra:happiness, being happier as podcasters.
Evo Terra:Now, everybody measures happiness differently.
Evo Terra:And of course, yes, getting what you want probably makes you happy, but there's a
Evo Terra:lot of junk and garbage tied up in want.
Evo Terra:Me, I equate happiness to contentment, not to be confused
Evo Terra:with complacency, but contentment.
Evo Terra:And I try and strive for contentment in my podcasting journey.
Evo Terra:Now, sometimes getting there towards happiness, towards contentment,
Evo Terra:whichever word you prefer to use, sometimes doing that, getting there
Evo Terra:means doing more of some things.
Evo Terra:Like, for example, you might choose to focus more on your post-production
Evo Terra:to make your episodes sound that much better so that you are happier
Evo Terra:with the quality that you put out.
Spoiler alert:you'll also make your audience happier doing that, too.
Spoiler alert:That's a good thing.
Spoiler alert:That's a good thing.
Spoiler alert:It might mean investing more in marketing outreach that grows your audience to
Spoiler alert:a size that you now feel happy about.
Spoiler alert:That's also a valid thing for you to do.
Spoiler alert:It might mean building a bigger and better-connected community, making
Spoiler alert:more offerings to those members so that you and they are happier with the
Spoiler alert:deeper connection that you all have together between your audience and
Spoiler alert:your podcast and you, the podcaster.
Spoiler alert:Now, sometimes contentment means doing less things like outsourcing tasks about
Spoiler alert:your podcast that you really don't enjoy.
Spoiler alert:Perhaps things like I outsource correcting my transcripts, for example.
Spoiler alert:It might mean cutting ties with social platforms that you just
Spoiler alert:really don't enjoy engaging on.
Spoiler alert:You've been told to do that because you need to as a podcaster,
Spoiler alert:but you just don't like it.
Spoiler alert:Maybe you stop doing that, and maybe you just use them differently, only
Spoiler alert:perhaps as a distribution platform.
Spoiler alert:Or maybe deleting your account altogether.
Spoiler alert:Maybe it means reducing your episode output frequency, which will in turn
Spoiler alert:lower your stress and anxiety, perhaps, so that you're happier with the
Spoiler alert:podcast episodes that you do put out.
Spoiler alert:Sometimes getting to a happier place means doing things drastically
Spoiler alert:differently, or just a little differently.
Spoiler alert:Like maybe, drastically, you want to shift the entire focus of your show.
Spoiler alert:If you're not happy with the direction that it's been going, or you're just
Spoiler alert:feeling uninspired, you can do that.
Spoiler alert:Maybe you can join a network or a collective and then adjust your
Spoiler alert:processes, change them up to fit that community or that network's processes
Spoiler alert:so that you feel better connected to that collective, you're part of a team,
Spoiler alert:and your overall happiness increases.
Spoiler alert:Or maybe it's something as simple as changing where you podcast
Spoiler alert:in your house or which direction you will face at your desk.
Spoiler alert:Or, you know, when you podcast, change the dates and times you do things.
Spoiler alert:If that gives you a fresh perspective, that might also
Spoiler alert:increase your overall happiness.
Spoiler alert:You see, your happiness is just that, your own happiness.
Spoiler alert:So take control over it.
Spoiler alert:Don't try and chase someone else's definition of what
Spoiler alert:success in podcasting means.
Spoiler alert:I suggest you podcast in a way that makes you as happy as you can be.
Spoiler alert:Now, by my count, there are eight remaining episodes of Podcast
Spoiler alert:Pontifications for season three.
Spoiler alert:That's it.
Spoiler alert:Just eight, Then I'm going to take a few weeks off, as you know, I will
Spoiler alert:come back with season four in July.
Spoiler alert:Speaking of change and very great happiness, I think you're
Spoiler alert:going to find season four filled with both of those things.
Spoiler alert:And for both of us.
Spoiler alert:For those of you who have opted into a membership at buymeacoffee.com/EvoTerra,
Spoiler alert:you are going to get a sneak peek of some of those opportunities for deeper
Spoiler alert:engagement and other sorts of things we're doing tomorrow, as a matter of fact.
Spoiler alert:So if you've been considering a membership, but have yet to pull
Spoiler alert:the trigger, now is the time.
Spoiler alert:That's it.
Spoiler alert:There are no episodes of Podcast Pontifications from me, or anyone
Spoiler alert:for that matter, on Friday.
Spoiler alert:So I shall be back on Monday with yet another Podcast Pontifications.