Evo Terra:
Podcasters are plagued with conflicting advice.
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Be yourself, but also follow this exact format, or you
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won't have a successful show.
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Resolving that conflict isn't easy, but it starts by trusting your talents.
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Hello, and welcome to another Podcast Pontifications with me, Evo Terra.
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We're taught not to be a show-off.
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Now, clearly, some people ignore this.
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They rely on others not showing off so that their own antics shine through.
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And, of course, in some cultures showing off is really bad,
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way worse than in others.
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But even here in the weirdness that is America, society whispers at us all
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the time, "No one likes a show-off."
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Well, at the risk of offending my late grandmother, that doesn't
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really cut it in podcasting.
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So I'm going to ask a challenging question for you to ponder over the weekend.
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Are you showcasing your talents on your podcast?
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Let me put that another way.
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Do you know what it is that you are really, really good
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at, and are you leaning into those skills when you podcast?
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I'm constantly surprised how often this isn't the case.
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'Times where a podcaster, even an experienced podcaster, is credulously
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following a format or a playbook that was developed by someone else
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so that podcaster can be like them.
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Look, not that there's anything wrong with taking inspiration from someone else.
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In fact, I think that early stage podcasters should be a
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lot like teenagers, if you will.
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But instead of trying on different styles and attitudes and weird worldviews,
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fledgling podcasters should try on different formats, play different roles,
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and dig deep into different topics.
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I know, personally, the type of show I'm doing right now is vastly
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different than the one I started with - today's the 14th, holy cow!
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Today, it has been seventeen years exactly, to the day,
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that I have been podcasting.
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Happy anniversary to me!
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Anyhow, a lot different right now what I'm doing than what I was doing back then.
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But I digress.
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Let me turn that question into a statement.
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Don't be afraid to showcase your talents as you podcast.
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And yes, you do have talents.
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There are certain aspects of podcasting that you are better at,
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some you're better at than other aspects of podcasting, right?
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There's certain things you're good at, but some of those things, you might
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be one of the best, or, at least, a highly skilled person in that thing.
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Now, the question is what is that?
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I don't know.
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I can look at myself and figure that out.
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I know that I am not a great listener.
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I'm just not.
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So that makes me not a great interviewer, at least not for the kinds of interviews
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that you might be thinking of.
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But what I am pretty good at is doing research.
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So in the rare occasion I do an interview, and I have in the past and
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do help clients with this as well, I'm able to come up with some really
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unusual questions, questions that the guest gives you that little nod, like,
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"Ooh, someone's done their homework."
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Yeah, I do my homework.
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And see, that's me leaning into the idea that I know what I'm not
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good at - just listening, getting good things, but I can dig deep.
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So that's what I do in the rare instance I actually do an interview.
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Maybe your voice has a certain equality or tambour that makes
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it interesting to the audience.
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Well, lean into that.
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If you're the kind of person who has a laugh that is labeled
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"infectious," you should laugh a lot.
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Just make that a part [of your show].
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Don't be embarrassed by it.
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Do it.
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Are you a skilled musician, maybe?
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If so, are you putting any of your music into your podcast episodes?
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And are you letting people know that it's your music rolling through?
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I think you should do that.
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It's a unique part of who you are.
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Showcase that talent.
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Look, whatever it is that you are good at, either are naturally good at, or
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due to lots of effort and training you've put into something to become even
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better at it, don't be afraid to let that talent shine through on your show.
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That's way, way more important than following some arbitrary plan or format
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that someone else gave you, especially if there's nothing special about that format.
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But there is something special about your show, and that's you.
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So showcase that.
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I want to leave you with the reminder that She Podcasts LIVE
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starts today in the Phoenix area.
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If you are attending, I will see you there.
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The opening party is tonight, and, yes, I will have my bag of
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goodies on hand for any Podcast Pontifications listeners I might meet.
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Don't forget to check out podcastpontifications.com/valueforvalue
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for ways to support the show, and also for ways for me to keep buying
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these cool goodies I can give to people that I meet in real life.
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You never know when I might meet you at a future event, too.
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Now, there are no episodes of Podcast Pontifications on Fridays.
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I like to keep the Friday sacred.
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So with that, have a great weekend.
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I shall be back on Monday with yet another Podcast Pontifications.
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Cheers!
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Podcast Pontifications is written and narrated by Evo Terra.
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He's on a mission to make podcasting better.
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Links to everything mentioned in today's episode are in the notes
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section of your podcast listening app.
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A written-to-be-read article based on today's episode is available at
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podcastpontifications.com where you'll also find a video version and a corrected
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transcript, both created by Allie Press.
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Podcast Pontifications is a production of Simpler Media.
