As I head back to DC after a week in Atlanta, I’m pretty excited about what is to come. The She Podcasts conference was amazing, and I’ve already started making changes to Fish Food (I’ve even started recording episodes that I can’t wait to share soon!) The sessions definitely gave me some new insight on podcasting, but I also walked away with a couple of new thoughts on the business. Today I want to talk about three big takeaways from my experience.
THIS PODCAST (AND BUSINESS) IS MINE. You know the deal. There are SO many rules to podcasting. From scheduling to recording to formats, there is plenty of advice out there on how to do it right. But the thing is, it’s mine. All of it. The way I run my business, handle my podcast, and everything in between is up to me. A decision I made this weekend - no more seasons. From now on, Fish Food will just be published once a week. I will do my best to stay consistent but if I miss one, everyone will be fine. And I release the pressure of developing seasons to fit my episodes in a box when I don’t really want to.
IT REALLY DOESN’T COST THAT MUCH. I do way too much research on things. Case in point? I bought a microphone a while ago on Amazon and used it a couple of times but basically forgot about it. When I decided to record an episode while I was in Atlanta, I decided to bring it with me. But somewhere along the way of conference sessions, I kept hearing the same recommendation for a new mic and thought maybe mine wasn’t good enough. I ordered that mic, along with a small mixer and headphones (because you NEED those for a good podcast) and had it ordered the next day. It wasn’t better. I ended up using the mic I already had with nothing else and it sounded great. This reminded me that the real work is in being consistent and working hard to get it done. Sometimes that requires equipment and shiny things, but most of the time, it just means that you need to keep showing up.
YOUR LISTENERS ARE YOUR FOCUS. It’s not about me, and never has been. As much as I enjoy recording the podcast, choosing guests, and providing guidance, the mission has always been for Fish Food to act as a resource in improving accounting accessibility to people who wouldn’t otherwise think they could afford it. That means I have to listen to what listeners want and need from it. Can I do what I want? Sure. But that’s not the goal. If I want to provide a service, I have to listen to the folks I’m giving it to in order to makes sure I’m giving the value that I intend to.
So that’s it. I’m off to do the work. Here’s hoping this message inspires you to make what you do better!