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The degree of autonomy and self-determination we have

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in podcasting is staggering.

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But we can get caught up in "the rest" of podcasting and overlook others

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struggling to find the freedom we enjoy.

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Today's episode is brought to you by My Podcast Reviews because you

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Hello, and welcome to another Podcast Pontifications with me, Evo Terra.

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I sometimes forget how empowering podcasting can be.

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I mean, I know that it is, but I tend to forget about empowerment as

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a primary motivation for podcasting.

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You see, people podcast for lots of reasons.

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You podcast for lots of different reasons.

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Some people podcast to make a pile of money, a big pile, or a small pile.

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Hope springs eternal for this particular bunch.

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And a lot of these would-be podcast millionaires give up when they

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realize that the road to riches is, well, unpaved, uncharted,

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complicated, and time-consuming.

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Some do it as a job - working in podcasting or working on a podcast.

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It's a slightly better chance of those people actually making some

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money from podcasting, but still it's filled with uncertainty.

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Some of us do it as art.

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Not me, but some podcasters do this as art because creating things is

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at their very core and audio is a beautiful medium to work within.

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Some podcast for fun, pure and simple, not much other motivation beyond that.

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They don't have any, or at least very few, hang-ups or expectations other

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than this is something to have fun with.

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Honestly, this is how I got started in podcasting way back in the day, and

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still to a certain degree is how I feel.

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Now, there are other motivations, but I keep those primary motivations out

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there in mind when I'm interacting with other people, especially

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people I don't really know all that well in the podcasting space.

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Each one of those types of people I mentioned previously, they

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all have their own goals, their own wants, and their own needs.

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And I understand bits and pieces of all of them.

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But I constantly need to remind myself that for some people podcasting

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is truly an act of empowerment.

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Empowered podcasters have their own motivations that I, from my

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position of privilege, I don't - I mean, I can understand them, but

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I'm also an egotistical narcissist.

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Those are true statements about me, which I try and tamp down as much as possible.

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But because of that, I honestly have a tough time relating to

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the people who podcast because of the empowerment factors.

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I think I can do better.

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In fact, I think we all can do better acknowledging the empowering

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capabilities of podcasting.

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We can do better accepting that empowerment is a valid reason to podcast,

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and then not foist any of our own baggage upon them, or pile up our own assumptions

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on those who podcast for that very reason.

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I also think we can do better at enabling those who podcast, not only

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because it's fun or an art form or a job or a path to riches, but because

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it gives them a voice, a sense of worth, a way to do something beyond the

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limitations of their own circumstances.

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We can start by asking a new question when we meet a new podcaster, especially

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someone who may be shy and not as outgoing and egregious - if that's

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the word I'm looking for - as we are.

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Instead of asking the question, "So why do you podcast?"

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Or, "What do you podcast about?"

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Instead of asking why do you podcast, I think we can ask them,

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"How does podcasting make you feel?"

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Because, in fact I do feel empowered when I podcast.

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Yes, I get it.

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And I'm betting that you too, to a certain degree, a large degree, or a small degree,

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also feel empowered when you podcast.

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My first response if someone asks me how I feel when I podcast wouldn't be empowered.

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No.

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And it might not be yours either.

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But for someone else, it might be.

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Now maybe they don't come out and say, "I podcast because I feel empowered,"

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but they would likely use some words that would clearly point to a completely

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different primary motivation than you have, a different motivation than I have.

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I think we should all work to ensure that podcasting remains a

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way, not the only way, but remains a way that people can find a sense

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of empowerment in their lives.

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More to the point, I think that they deserve our support along their

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journey to discover exactly where that empowerment might take them.

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We can do our part, not to try to force them to podcast the way that we do, which

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is my big problem, but to listen and support, encourage, and even celebrate

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their successes however they define them.

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Let's make all of podcasting better by also being better

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podcasters to other podcasters.

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Shall we?

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Speaking of things we shall do, a quick Boostagram Corner.

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Now it's time for the boost-the boost-the boost- Boostagram Corner.

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Boostagram Corner.

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I don't know a thing about crypto.

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Big thanks to York Campbell of Poetic Earthlings.

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You might've heard York previously.

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He has done a guest version of Podcast Pontifications while

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I was on break last year.

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York bought me virtual coffee and sent the following note.

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"Thank you, Evo, for making podcasting more thoughtful."

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Well, you are welcome, York, and I hope you're thinking that today's

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episode is also somewhat thoughtful.

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Last thing is sponsorship deals.

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You may have noticed we've got My Podcast Reviews.

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Thank you very much, Daniel J.

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Lewis, for sponsoring Podcast Pontifications this month.

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There are still opportunities for sponsorship for 2021, and I'm

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starting to book into 2022 now.

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I know, crazy.

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By the way, these are not ads.

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These are not ads.

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I'm not running ads on the program.

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I offer sponsorship.

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Only services that are of relevance to working podcasters that I

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genuinely feel will make podcasting better can sponsor the show.

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There are also some opportunities for Podcast Pontifications to showcase

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your podcast if you'd like to do that.

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Go to podcastpontifications.com/sponsor if that's interesting to you.

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And with that, have a fantastic weekend.

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No episodes from me on Friday, as you know, but I shall be back on Monday

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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.