Shownotes
It’s episode 3 of the Summer Spark Series and we're diving deep into a topic that's probably been on your mind: the quest for a uniquely perfect podcast / episodes. Now, don't get me wrong—striving for uniqueness is essential, but here's the catch: obsessing over it can actually hinder your podcast's growth.
You could be missing out on clients because you’re missing the ‘basic’ ideas
Are you guilty of overcomplicating your ideas, making each episode more complex than it needs to be? Well, that can lead to inconsistent content releases or leave you feeling exhausted every time you work on a new episode. But fear not, we'll find a way to simplify things and keep your creative juices flowing!
Have you ever missed out on fantastic ideas just because you thought they weren't "creative enough" for your show? Sometimes, the basics are precisely what your community needs from you. We'll explore how to strike a balance between innovation and providing valuable content.
And let's talk about the fear of treading on familiar ground. Obsessing over never discussing what other podcasts talk about can be crippling. While it's great to explore unique blue ocean ideas, it's essential to find your authentic voice without getting lost in comparison. I'll show you how in the episode.
When analysis paralysis becomes a good friend
Feeling stuck in analysis paralysis because you're aiming for a "next-level" podcast without a minimum viable podcast product (remember episode 24)? It's time to address that. We'll look into streamlining your processes and taking practical steps towards your podcast's successful launch.
But fear not! We've got solutions for you. First, recognize that the impostor syndrome might be at play here. Your personality and unique perspective already set you apart. Trust in your ability to create something special with all the skills that you already possess! Next, we'll dive into your processes and identify where you might be consistently stuck. By focusing on specific pain points, we can conquer those challenges together.
CHAPTERS
- 00:00 - Intro: Is Your Quest for a "Unique" Podcast Holding You Back?
- 00:58 - 4 Ways the Obsession with Uniqueness Complicates Podcasting
- 06:15 - The Real Kicker: It's All Rooted in Imposter Syndrome
- 08:39 - Actionable Tip: Audit Your Process & Define Your MVP
- 10:53 - A Question to Ask Yourself: Where Does the Need for Complexity Come From?
- 11:28 - Outro & How to Connect
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Transcripts
I want my show to be unique, to be the new serial or the new true crime podcast.
Speaker A:I want to create a genre that is absolutely new.
Speaker A:You probably thought about this before, or at least one of these, but what if I told you that obsessing over coining a uniquely perfect show is completely limiting your podcast's potential?
Speaker A:In this third episode of the Summer Spark series, I'm covering a few scenarios that are currently happening to you and how to overcome some of these limiting beliefs so that your podcast can grow and you can thrive as a podcast host.
Speaker A:Hi, I'm Anna Xavier.
Speaker A:I'm the founder of the podcast space.
Speaker A:I'm a podcast strategist that helps podcasters find the right strategies to grow their business while having fun and enjoying the process of creating an amazing show.
Speaker A:This podcast is practical, actionable, and also will get you unstuck on your podcast journey.
Speaker A:So let's go.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker A:So over the years, working with podcast hosts that are both media trained and others that are small business owners that are using the podcast as a tool for their business, I always noticed that there was always this idea of creating a unique show.
Speaker A:And hand in hand with that goes the fact that people want to create something that has never seen before in a way and that no one else is talking about.
Speaker A:And a lot of times the hosts felt like, you know, different ideas or standard ideas wouldn't work for them specifically, which I always thought were missed opportunities.
Speaker A:And so there are about four things that I always spot, and these things normally tend to make your life a bit more complicated than it needs to be.
Speaker A:So starting with the first one, it is over complicating the ideas and just making every podcast episode like a ginormous beast, so more complex than it needs to be.
Speaker A:And normally what happens is that it impacts your ability, ability to release content consistently, or it just exhausts you every time you're working on a new episode, because you're just adding so much complexity, so many layers, that at the end of the day, you feel like one, you're probably not enjoying it, or you're just incredibly overwhelmed, right?
Speaker A:Like, you're just thinking about every single step that needs to be accomplished.
Speaker A:And my God, is that a lot.
Speaker A:Because besides the content that you're creating, you're running a business or you have a busy life.
Speaker A:So obviously this just creates a lot of chaos.
Speaker A:Number two is to miss out on really good ideas that could bring in new clients or listeners, because those ideas aren't quote, unquote, creative enough, even though sometimes they are.
Speaker A:The basics that your community needs from you.
Speaker A:A few times I've been asked to do podcast audits and the client would tell me, okay, these are my goals for the podcast.
Speaker A:And, you know, like, go ahead and listen to the five episodes.
Speaker A:So I would always find that particularly if the person was trying to use the podcast as like a tool to get new clients or leads or whatever it was, the types of content that that person needed to create weren't there.
Speaker A:And so we would talk about like, okay, identify this type of content that is missing from your strategy.
Speaker A:And they would normally say, well, I kind of talked about that before, or, well, my audience already knows that.
Speaker A:And assuming could be really problematic because in your head, you're way ahead of your podcast community.
Speaker A:And so you're making assumptions based on your level of expertise and not their level of expertise.
Speaker A:And sometimes it's just like the ideas that you know as basic aren't basic at all for them.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:And most times when we are creating a podcast, we are creative people.
Speaker A:And so looking into the podcast, we always think about like, okay, that's not exciting enough.
Speaker A:And so we add these layers that really don't need to be there.
Speaker A:And like, a clear example is for people who are really time bound and they keep adding all of these sound effects and these segments that take time, one to prepare, but also to edit in.
Speaker A:And sometimes the music isn't needed, it's too much, or it just doesn't make sense and you're disrupting the train of thought that the listener's having, or you're disrupting the conversation so it's just not needed.
Speaker A:All right, number three, obsessing over making sure that you never talk about things other podcasts talk about.
Speaker A:So this is great for finding what's called the blue ocean ideas.
Speaker A:So something that, you know, again, nobody has talked about, but it can become really crippling when you start either researching or you realize someone else came up with that same idea.
Speaker A:Or even long term, you will just run out of these really complex, unique ideas.
Speaker A:Like, at some point you just realize that someone has done that, right?
Speaker A:And so if you're constantly going through this assumption that every podcast episode needs to be incredibly unique, you're maybe missing out on really good opportunities because you're just setting the bar so high that it feels unattainable for most podcast episodes.
Speaker A:And then last but not least, you're getting analysis paralysis because you don't have what's called a minimum viable podcast product, which I talked about on episode 24.
Speaker A:And there's an insane amount of work that goes into each podcast episode, right?
Speaker A:Like, I know you know, there's preparing the script.
Speaker A:If you practice, get it all, like practiced a few times, editing it.
Speaker A:If you have podcast guests, booking interviews, doing all of that, plus promoting it after the episode is out.
Speaker A:In fact, I know some of you are listening and you haven't launched your podcast yet.
Speaker A:And you may not have launched your podcast because you just want to create a podcast that is like incredibly next level.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker A:But you either don't have the capacity to do so, or you don't have the skills to do so just yet.
Speaker A:And so in a way, you're leaving projects half done or you just never see a way in which you will be able to release something at some point.
Speaker A:And obviously I want to leave you with some solutions to start looking into and start implementing so that you could break away from these obsession over creating the most perfectly unique podcast and that you actually start somewhere.
Speaker A:Because again, projects evolve and you may start with something that isn't perfect, isn't like initially what you envisioned, but for most people, it's actually getting in action that you realize, okay, I started with this idea, but I actually don't enjoy it.
Speaker A:Or as you start, you realize that there's a lot more work to it.
Speaker A:So you may need help or you may need to just establish a different process.
Speaker A:Now here's the real kicker for me.
Speaker A:I've been coaching clients for a long time, and I always notice that this obsession over creating the uniquely perfect podcast is rooted in imposter syndrome.
Speaker A:So you think that people are not going to appreciate your content and that you need to create something so over the top, so next level that that's the only way you're going to be able to get listener traction or people to enjoy your content.
Speaker A:And so again, if you are a small business owner, if you are a creative, just by existing and doing normal things, people resonate with who you are and what you do.
Speaker A:So consider bringing it down a notch.
Speaker A:But your personality, the way you see the world, it already makes you unique.
Speaker A:You have a life path that in itself is different.
Speaker A:If my husband and I go to the movies, we will probably describe the movie in two different ways.
Speaker A:We're not going to use the same words.
Speaker A:We're not going to spend the same amount of time describing, describing some stuff or even paid the same type of attention to other things.
Speaker A:Something that I'm really good at.
Speaker A:This is like really random trivia, but I am really good at spotting continuity issues, which is for instance, when you know there's a scene, let's say someone's holding a coffee.
Speaker A:In the next scene, they're not holding a coffee.
Speaker A:And then the following scene, they're holding a coffee.
Speaker A:Again, for someone who is not great at, like, attention to detail, for some reason, I am really good at that.
Speaker A:And so, anyway, trivia done.
Speaker A:But again, just to remind you that every single detail about our lives is different.
Speaker A:So don't assume that you have to make this, like, tremendous effort in order for you to stand out.
Speaker A:And then the most practical tip of this episode truly could be possibly to look into your processes and see where you're consistently stuck.
Speaker A:And is that something that you need to hire out or maybe get a buddy in or get someone else to research it or.
Speaker A:Or maybe looking into AI to reduce some of those tedious tasks?
Speaker A:I want you to be mindful as well of researching.
Speaker A:I know that you love what you do.
Speaker A:I know that you want to create good product, but sometimes we get so obsessed in the research that we end up never taking action on anything.
Speaker A:And this podcast episode is something that I was doing that with myself as well.
Speaker A:I was like, no, I need to create more content.
Speaker A:This is not enough.
Speaker A:And then I was like, oh, my gosh, let me embody exactly what I'm talking about.
Speaker A:I don't need to create every episode filled with, like, at least seven takeaways.
Speaker A:I mean, four are good, right?
Speaker A:So, again, you're still listening.
Speaker A:You're finding value in this podcast.
Speaker A:So if you're thinking about creating something that is incredibly complex, think about, like, does it need to be this complex?
Speaker A:With that in mind, determine what is a minimum viable podcast product that you can create.
Speaker A:So you can create and combine podcast episodes that are kind of, like, shorter and less complex.
Speaker A:So if you're doing something that requires having, you know, maybe three voiceovers or whatever it is, think about maybe just two.
Speaker A:Every single task has time requirements on it and complexity on it.
Speaker A:And again, I am a former journalist, I was a radio host, I worked as a livestream producer.
Speaker A:And when I tell you that every single week on these podcasts, I make a compromise, because, yes, I could create something incredibly complex, but that would not allow me to create content consistently.
Speaker A:And so I have to make a decision, a clever decision, about, like, what do I want for this episode?
Speaker A:Do I want to get it out?
Speaker A:And I do have other episodes that are in the back burner that I dedicate time when I can.
Speaker A:These are episodes that are probably going to take me a full year to prepare Because I just have so many other things cooking in the kitchen.
Speaker A:And so basically, what is your goal with this podcast?
Speaker A:Of course, if you're thinking about creating something that you need to submit to podcast awards and stuff like that, sure.
Speaker A:Something very unique.
Speaker A:I'm not saying go with basic stuff, but really question where that need for complexity comes from.
Speaker A:Is it from imposter syndrome, or is it truly from the beauty of the craft of wanting to create something that is unique?
Speaker A:If you want, if that's your jam, go and journal about it.
Speaker A:You may find that all of those great episode ideas that you've been saving, they could actually be published right now.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So if you found value in this podcast episode, please share it with a friend.
Speaker A:I would be so grateful that you share it, that you rate and review if you haven't.
Speaker A:And talk to me on Instagram.
Speaker A:I'm hepodcastspace.
Speaker A: is episode, including episode: Speaker A:So thepodcastspace.com podcast for everything that you will need.
Speaker A:All right, Have a fantastic week and keep creating content that is imperfect but moves you forward.
Speaker A:Bye.
