I'm Randy Black, and this episode marks day eight of my NAPOD POMO journey for National
:
Podcast Post Month, where podcasters and creators around the world take on the challenge of
:
producing 30 episodes in 30 days.
:
It's a creative stretch that pushes consistency, sparks innovation, and keeps those microphones warm all month long.
:
Today I'm sharing something I'm especially excited about.
:
My upcoming experience at PodIndy, an independent podcasting and content creator event happening in Indiana tomorrow.
:
If you're a creator or just curious about how AI is reshaping the podcasting world, you're going to want to stick around for this one.
:
pod indie is a one-day event built for independent creators like podcasters youtubers educators
:
business owners pastors communicators individuals who want to grow their craft and connect with
:
others walking the same creative road the name pod indie combines podcasting and indie a nod to
:
both its indiana home base and the independent spirit that drives its mission the event started
:
a few years ago as a small in-person meetup in Whiteland, Indiana, giving local podcasters
:
a space to learn, collaborate, and share resources. Since then, it's evolved into an annual event that
:
draws creators from across the region for workshops, speaker sessions, and authentic
:
networking opportunities. By 2024, Pod Indie had grown into something much larger. That year's theme,
:
Profit From Your Podcast, Amplified with AI, centered on how creators could build sustainable
:
shows and use technology to enhance their workflow. Two of the featured speakers were
:
Dr. Craig Van Slyke from Louisiana Tech University and Dave Jackson, the founder of the School of
:
Podcasting and the author of Profit From Your Podcast. Both are returning this year for Pod
:
Indie 2025, which takes place this weekend. It's taking place tomorrow, Saturday, November 8th,
:
at the Heaven Earth Podcast Studio in Whiteland, Indiana.
:
The event theme this year is AI for Content Creators.
:
It's a hands-on workshop running from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
:
with registration and coffee starting about 8 o'clock in the morning.
:
And yes, you'll want to bring your laptop.
:
The day currently scheduled to wrap up with a casual pizza lunch
:
and plenty of time for creators to keep the conversation going.
:
So, why am I making the trip four and a half hours to Pod Indie this year?
:
Well, it actually started with a connection.
:
The events organizer, Dr. Brad Miller, host of the Cancer and Comedy podcast,
:
was a guest on one of my other podcasts, Shooting It Straight,
:
where we had a fantastic conversation about communication, purpose, and faith in action
:
along with humor and how humor is a healing component of the human body.
:
My co-host on that show, we've talked about before, Coach Jim Clayton, passed away.
:
Jim was invited to be a guest on Brad's podcast, but never had the opportunity.
:
Not long after everything that's been going on lately with that and after the interview with Brad,
:
he reached out to me and he personally invited me to come to this year's Pod Indie.
:
Not just to attend, he actually called and asked me to take part in a panel discussion
:
about the use of AI in and for podcasting.
:
That invitation was both an honor and an opportunity that I could not turn down.
:
As someone who works at the intersection of education, technology, and communication,
:
I'm passionate about how AI can be used responsibly to empower creators, not to replace them.
:
Getting discussed that alongside with other thoughtful voices in the podcasting community
:
is something that I'm genuinely looking forward to.
:
And to make the event even better, this event's going to also give me the chance to finally meet in person Dave Jackson from the School of Podcasting.
:
We've been connected online for several years, and his work has been a huge influence on my own podcasting journey.
:
But meeting him face-to-face, along with reconnecting with Brad and meeting him face-to-face for the first time,
:
And being able to learn from Dr. Van Slyke, it makes this weekend full of what I want to call full circle moments.
:
Throughout the event, I'm going to record reflections.
:
I'm going to take notes, possibly even capture a few conversations to share in future episodes here on Randy Unscripted.
:
I want to bring you my top takeaways from Pod Indie.
:
The most useful ideas I can find about creativity, about connection, about how AI is being applied in real-world podcasting.
:
If you're a creator looking to better understand the balance between human storytelling and smart technology, the follow-up episode, it's going to be one that will be worth your time.
:
PodIndy is more than just a conference.
:
It's a gathering of people who believe in the power of voice and story.
:
It's a reminder that while tools and technologies evolve, what truly matters are the people behind
:
the microphones and the messages they share. Being a Christian, I'm going to slide some
:
scripture in here to illustrate a point. Colossians 3.23 reminds us, and whatsoever ye do,
:
do it heartily, ask to the Lord and not unto men. That's the mindset I'm bringing into
:
Pod Indie this weekend to learn, contribute, and ultimately create with purpose.
:
Until the next time, I'm Randy Black.
:
This is Randy Unscripted, and I'm reminding you to keep learning, to stay curious, and
