What Is Your Why? - Episode 086

What Is Your Why? - Episode 086

What is your “why”? Why do you do what you do?

WORK ON YOUR BUSINESS

I've been doing a lot of work on my business over the past few weeks. In “The E-Myth Revisited”, author Michael Gerber talks about moving your business forward by spending more time working on your business rather than in it.

That is exactly what I've been doing lately. Am I going down the right path?

I thought you and I could review my progress with the hope that it will help you with your process.

We all face the little voice inside our head telling us we are not good enough. Whether we have been doing this for six months or six years, we all need a little confidence boost every now and then. It is only natural.

I will be speaking at New Media Expo in a week. (Last week to save $100 HERE.) My review of my business was inspired by NMX. I want to be sure things are in place to make the most of the opportunity.

As I have stepped back to look at the big picture, I have been reviewing a few great books like “The E-Myth Revisited”.

START WITH WHY

Another book that has helped my review is “Start With Why” by Simon Sinek. The book is focused on the theory that people do not buy what you do. They buy why you do it. Turn your customers into fans by making them believe in your mission and purpose.

Have I sufficiently defined my why? I thought I had. Even after refining it a few times, I am not quite sure.

Podcast Talent Coach is just over 18 months old as a podcast. From the limited feedback I have received from you, I am not quite sure my “why” is clear enough to truly inspire you to create great work.

Podcast Talent Coach was launched to help podcasters gain more confidence in their content. When you open the mic, I want you to truly believe that your voice matters. I want to arm you with the confidence you need to beat back the butterflies and excuses in order to create powerful content episode after episode.

With the information I provide every week, you should be able to take your information and turn it into entertainment that is engaging for your audience and unique to you.

MY STORY

I have been in radio for 25 years. I have been coaching radio talent for 20 of those years. As I listened to podcasts, I realized so many podcasts could improve with a few tips I have learned and used over those two-and-a-half decades.

The coaching experience I have gained could easily be used to help podcasters create amazing content that could replace other entertainment sources if I could only reach those podcasters.

Eighteen months in, I have only connected with a handful of podcasters interested in making that amazing entertainment a reality.

As I step back and examine the progress, I come up with four possible explanations.

ALREADY GETTING IT

One reason could be you get all you need from this podcast and the free worksheets I offer. You don't feel one-on-one coaching is necessary.

If this was the reason, I would see more downloads of both.

SPREAD THE WORD

Another explanation could be I haven't done a good job spreading the word about the show.

When I launched, the show got a solid start. I hit a few hundred downloads quickly. Things slowed down quite a bit after that. A few hundred downloads is about average and nothing to sneeze at. I am grateful for each person that joins me every week.

Thank you for being here.

As I continue to produce content for you each week, I am not seeing further growth. That concerns me.

PROBLEM SOLVING

A third reason I may not be seeing continued growth could be the market. Maybe I have not done a good job creating a solution to a problem my audience knows they have.

This is a likely reason. Most podcasters who have the confidence and ego to open the mic and create content every week believe they are good enough the way they are. They may not realize that there are steps they could take to create more powerful content.

It is also possible the problem I am trying to solve does not exist. As I help radio broadcasters improve their shows, many of them fear the critique, then love the feedback and growth after the fact.

THE "WHY"

The final reason may be my “why”. It is very possible that I have not sold my “why” well enough.

I have defined what I do quite a bit. But have I really defined why I do it for you? Maybe not.

My love for great radio and creative podcasts drive me to do this show every week. I love being able to create great audio that people look forward to every week.

More importantly, I love sharing my knowledge of that process with others. You can create amazing visual images in the theater of the mind to inspire your listener with your podcasts. Inspire them in such a way that they cannot wait for the next episode.

That incredible anticipation of future episodes is what makes this medium so wonderful. Holding the attention of a listener to the point where they cannot get enough of you is an amazing feeling.

FIND THE GOOD

Dave Jackson and I do a show together called “The Podcast Review Show”. Each episode, we invite a podcaster on the show to have his or her podcast reviewed by the two of us. It takes a great deal of confidence to have two coaches review your show right in front of you.

Every guest is a little nervous coming on the show. They are not quite sure what we will say. They fear we are going to tear their podcast apart and affirm their belief that they are not good enough.

During the show, Dave and I look for areas of the episode that are really good. Our goal is to help podcasters do more of the good. In turn, that will replace the stuff that isn't as strong. In the end, the podcast gets better.

Every guest fears coming on the show, but truly appreciates the actionable feedback at the end of the process.

JUMP THE HURDLE

Here lies my problem with Podcast Talent Coach. It is not easy to get you over the fear of being critiqued in order to get you the joy of the improvement. That fear at the front door is a pretty big barrier. It is very similar to the fear of getting in the roller coaster line in order to enjoy the exhilaration when you finally get off of the ride.

The anticipation and fear could be preventing Podcast Talent Coach from growing.

Then again, I am not sure what is holding me back. Maybe it is a bit of all four. My gut tells me it is probably the lack of communicating my “why”.

WHAT IS YOUR WHY?

Have you communicated your “why” well enough? Have you inspired your fan with the reason you create your content every week?

I haven't come up with the answer to my problem quite yet. I'll continue working on my business until I find the solution.

I would love your input. As a frequent listener to Podcast Talent Coach, what do you hear? What brings you back every week? What has prevented you from getting more involved with coaching?

E-mail me anytime you would like at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let me know what you think. How can I better help you?

Thanks for being here. I truly value your attention every week. You mean the world to me. I will help you any way I can.