Influential Voices of Authority

Podcast Resources – Episode 117 (These tools can be found on the resource page at PodcastTalentCoach.com. Most links on that page are affiliate links. I receive a variable commission for all purchases made using those links.) I have recently received questions from listeners looking to launch a podcast in 2016. I thought this would be a good time to review the tools I use to in my business. This includes the tools I use to create my podcast, website and newsletter. We will also review the resources I use to learn, grow and develop. This episode is an encore presentation of an earlier episode you may have missed. If you did catch it last time, let this serve as inspiration and a little refresher. I have been using most of these resources for at least 24 months. Some have been used longer. A couple tools are more recent. For the most part, I have been a long-time user and have been quite happy with each of them. That is why I feel confident recommending them to you. You can find affiliate links to most of these online at PodcastTalentCoach.com. COACHING RESOURCE This list doesn’t include much technical information, such as mixers, processors and software. I leave that to Dave Jackson at the School of Podcasting. He is the tech expert that helps me. If you are looking for help setting up the studio, Dave is your guy. He leads off my resources. TECHNICAL TOOLS A few technical tools from my studio include my mic, my mac and a few web tools. My studio mic is an ElectroVoice RE20. This runs about $450. It is a high quality mic. This mic is probably much more than a beginning podcaster needs. However, if you are serious about podcasting, this is a great mic. My backup mic is a Audio-Technica ATR-2100. It is a quality USB mic for the money. This costs around $60. For editing, I use Adobe Audition in the studio. I will occasionally use Garage Band for quick projects or when I'm traveling. I use a Mac Book Pro 13” for the flexibility. I cost me $1,200. My mp3s are tagged with ID3 Editor from PA Software. The price tag was $15. I host my audio with Libsyn. It runs $20/month. My URLs were purchased through GoDaddy. The price really depends on the URL. You can usually find a deal. After the initial deal, I pay about $45/year. I have a website on Homestead and one on Host Gator with Wordpress. Homestead is a stand alone site builder. Host Gator just hosts my Wordpress site. Homestead is $20/month. HostGator is $135/year, just over $11/month. Wordpress is free. On my website, I use Paypal for my transactions. Most of my providers accept it. Plus, they have a card option for my customers. I use Aweber for my newsletter. It is $196/year. Just over $16/month. I looked at Mail Chimp. Both are very similar services if you have a list under 5,000. Canva.com is a decent resource for creating graphics. They have a decent photo library as well. Most photos are about $1/photo. I self-published my workbook through Create Space, an Amazon company. You simply upload a .pdf. It is fairly simple to use. Not very expensive. They also sell the workbook through Amazon and converted it to Kindle. I am in the process of creating a membership portal through WishList Member. $297. They have solid training videos. I am not yet complete with this one. LEARNING TOOLS Dan Miller and 48Days.com is where it all started. He has great tools to help you find your passion and the work you love. Internet Business Mastery is a great podcast and course that have helped me refine my business focus. Jeremy & Jason have been there and done it. Michael Hyatt has a great membership site with Platform University. It is based on his book Platform, which is a must read as you develop your podcast. There is great learning inside the community. He only opens membership a couple times a year for enrollment. I got in early on this one and haven’t looked back since. Audible.com has turned my car into a mobile classroom. I am usually listening to a couple books a month on top of the podcasts. You can get a free book when you use my affiliate link on the resources page. Most of all, I cannot say enough about Dave Jackson and the School of Podcasting. If you want to learn the technical nuts and bolts, check out his course, membership and training tools. You can find affiliate links to most of these online at PodcastTalentCoach.com. I would appreciate the support if you choose to use any of these links and great products. I would love to help you with your podcast. E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

7 Thanksgiving Concepts To Drive Your Business And Podcast - Episode 116 As this episode is posted, it is Thanksgiving in the United States. It is a day of the year when we pause to give thanks to those treasures in our lives. Whether you are celebrating in America or just working another day somewhere else in the world, I would like to thank you for all you have done for me by simply being part of this community. Thank you. This week, I would like to share with you 7 Thanksgiving concepts to drive your business and podcast any day of the year. 1. New Relationships Take a few minutes today to plant the seeds of new relationships. Reach out to five people you do not know, and thank them for what you have learned from them. This could be authors, podcasters, business people, pastors or any other people who have given you a bit of their knowledge. Only thank them. There is no hidden agenda. We are simply reaching out to give thanks. If the quick note leads to a relationship down the road, that would be great. If it generates no response, that is ok as well. Our only goal is to give. Send good vibes into the universe. It will make you feel good. You never know what might come back. 2. Old Relationships Next, take a few minutes to strengthen the relationships you have already built. Reach out to five people you know, and thank them for enriching your life. This is a great opportunity to rekindle a few relationships that have gone dormant. Send a note to just say thanks. It will make the day of the recipient. We all enjoy hearing that we have influenced someone in some way. It gives us validation. When you take time to thank someone for all they have done for you, the good will created by the note will go a long way. The new conversation may also lead to new opportunities. Do not expect it. But, you never know what might happen. 3. What Gets Scheduled Gets Done Use a day off to plan the next 12 months. This year, Thanksgiving is 36 days from the end of the year. It is a great time to look forward. It doesn't necessarily need to be the beginning of the year to set your goals. Your 12-month plan can begin at any point in time. Don't let the calendar dictate your actions. Use today to look forward and plan. As the old saying goes, what gets scheduled gets done. A goal without a deadline is only a dream. Set your goals for the next 12 months, and then add deadlines. Schedule the time. Set goals at various lengths. Define big, 12-month goals. Decide what you will accomplish each month. Determine what steps need to happen each week to reach those goals. Let each goal build toward the next bigger milestone. 4. Great Offers Black Friday and Cyber Monday bring great deals. This is especially true in the online world. It seems everyone has a great deal. Just as with goals, the calendar shouldn't dictate your strategy. It doesn't need to be the day after Thanksgiving in order to make a great offer to your tribe. Create something of tremendous value, add a little more, and offer it to your community. Thank your followers for being part of the group. As a “thank you”, present your great offer. You do not need to wait for a particular day of the year to be generous to your tribe. Make your great offer today. 5. Fill Your Heart Take pause and ponder all of the things in your life for which you are thankful. Fill your heart. Be grateful. When we consider all of the wonderful things in our lives, it will naturally make us feel better. In business, we tend to think of all the things that need to be fixed. The items on our “to do” list. We look for the ways we can improve. We focus on our weaknesses. Take time to focus on the treasures present in your life. It is wonderful that we have access to the internet. That we can determine our own future with the effort we put forth. We have amazing gifts in our lives. Count your gifts. Let's fill our hearts by giving thanks for all we have. It will relieve some of the stress we bring upon ourselves. Life will be a little happier. 6. Walk Away Wednesday We need to take time away from the “to do” list and devote it to a bit of housekeeping. This is a concept I learned from radio great Mike McVay. In radio, we tend to get too close to the product to be able to truly evaluate the quality. We live with the product every day. Knowing too much about the station handcuffs a program director. The same is true with your podcast. We get so focused on the next episode that we forget to review the content we have already published. The website needs to be cleaned up. The autoresponder needs to be freshened. We never take time. Mike created “Walk Away Wednesday” for radio program directors. It was a day to get away from the radio station and just listen. We would listen to everything to ensure it had a purpose. The goal was to review the radio station from top to bottom. Take a day to review everything about your podcast and business. Look over the website. Check all of the links. Proofread the copy. Sign up for your newsletter. Make your “about” page forward-facing. Ensure everything works as it should. Check your iTunes description to ensure it is still valid. Look over your Facebook “about” section. Listen to your podcast like a listener. Check the podcast on various devices. Review for quality in every aspect of your podcast and business. 7. Give Pretty simple. Help someone. As Zig Ziglar always said, “You can have anything you want as long as you help enough other people get what they want.” It is true. Giving does something to us. Giving makes us more attractive as a person. Serve people. We do not give expecting something in return. We are giving, because it is the right thing to do. Giving helps society. We have been given gifts to share with the world. Send out the good vibes. You never know what you will get in return. Take time this week to put a few of these concepts to use with your podcast and business. You never know what good things might come your way in the next year. Thank you for being part of this community. I truly value the time you give me every week. My hope is that you find value and some useful nugget in the content I provide in each episode. I would love to help you with your podcast. E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

8 Podcasting Tips & Tricks - Episode 115 This week, I would like to share a few podcasting tips and tricks I have learned over my 25 years of broadcasting. These tips will help you with your interviews, editing, voice and sound quality. 1. Stronger Interviews Would you like to make your interviews stronger? There are times when your guest is not great at thinking on their feet. Sometimes it takes a couple sentences before she really hits her stride with her answer to our question. To make your interview content stronger, prepare the guest ahead of time. Tell your guest to feel free to pause a few seconds to gather his thoughts before he begins to answer the question. You will edit out the silence before the podcast goes live. This little instruction will help your guest prepare much stronger answers. And, it will only take a little editing on your part. Next, tell your guest it is perfectly acceptable to stop and begin his answer again. If your guest feels the answer isn't as strong as he had hoped, he can pause 10 seconds for an easy edit and then begin again. This instruction will also provide some peace of mind for your guest. Simply knowing he can start again can sometimes calm his nerves and help him provide stronger answers in the first place. 2. Land Great Guests Land great interview guests for your show by positioning your podcast using the benefits to the guest. Many podcasters send the invite e-mail to potential guests explaining how the audience of the show will LOVE the info the guest will share. That fact is only a third of the puzzle ... and NOT the most important to your new friend. Just like most everyone in life, your guest want to know what is in it for them. Lead with the headline. How will your show benefit your guest? Once you have established the benefit to your potential guest, you can then share how the interview will benefit you and your audience. If you want to land a great guest, make your show as appealing as possible to your potential guest by leading with the prize for them. Lead with the headline. 3. Better Interview Answers If you want to get more from your guest and get deeper answers to your interview questions, do not be afraid of the pregnant pause. Many hosts panic as soon as the conversation stops. Let the silence sit there for a few seconds. Just as you typically jump in when you hear silence, your guest will do the same. If you do not talk, your guest will speak up. It is natural. If the pause gets too long, you can always edit the audio. Take the silence out if it sounds unnatural. If your guests provides a short answer, or you would like more, don't talk. Allow that pregnant pause to encourage them to talk more. You will be surprised by the effectiveness of the pause. Not talking is a learned skill just like talking is a talent. 4. Have More Energy If you want to better project your voice and sound like you have more energy, stand up while you record. Many podcast "coaches" will recommend that you sit down, because it will help you sound more natural. These teachers unfortunately do not understand how the human voice works. In order to project your voice, your diaphragm needs to work properly. Your larynx needs to be fully open. Your vocal chords need to have a sufficient oxygen supply. When you stand, your entire airway opens to the extent that it can fully function. Your diaphragm can send sufficient air to your vocal chords. Your vocal chords will then need to do less work. Your voice will not get tired as quickly. You can project your voice with less effort. When you sit, your abdomen is squashed. Your diaphragm does not have enough room to move properly. You then need to force the air through your vocal chords to create sound. In the end, your voice becomes tired. Have you ever been at a cocktail party or networking event and found yourself saying, "Hey, let's sit down so I can sound more conversational with you"? I didn't think so. If you believe you cannot sound natural and conversational while standing, just smile and stop yelling. Sitting has nothing to do with having a conversation. 5. Stop The Pop If you want to avoid popping your Ps, talk across the microphone at a 30-45 degree angle rather than directly into it. Your Ps pop when the burst of air from your mouth attacks the diaphragm inside the mic. When you talk across the mic rather than directly into it, the air doesn't hit the mic so hard. This will keep your Ps clean. 6. Like Your Voice More We often do not like the sound of our own voice. There are many reasons, many of them physiological. There is one trick that will help your voice sound less bouncy, less singsongy, and less like a puking radio DJ. It is the way you use your headphones. First, turn down the volume of your headphones. This will help you hear the natural sound of your voice. Next, only wear one cup of the headphones leaving the other ear open. This will help you hear your natural voice without the enhancement of any audio equipment. These two tips will help you deliver your content in a manner that is closer to your normal conversational voice. These may not make you suddenly love your voice. However, your voice will sound more natural. This adjustment should help you like your voice just a bit more. 7. Cleaner Edits Here is a quick tip to make cleaner edits. In post production, we often need to remove parts of our audio. We might stop then start a sentence a second time. Other times we might simply want to remove an entire section. The goal of a post production edit is to make the change unnoticeable to the listener. You want to avoid that audible bump or change in tone. Let's pretend you are editing a complete sentence out of your audio. The wave file would look like . We want to remove the . Most people make the first edit between and . They then make the second edit between and . This leaves a final product of into . The audible clunk comes from the unnatural transition between a word and a breath that didn't naturally follow it. To make your edit clean, place your first edit instead between and , keeping the original breath, with the second edit between and , eliminating the new breath. This leaves the final product of and . The natural transition between and will cover the edit. The way you inhale after words varies. They way you start a sentence with a particular vowel or consonant usually remains constant. Give it a try. I think you'll be surprised how clean your edits sound. 8. Better Audio If your audio sounds like you are in a canyon or restroom, you need something to absorb the sound waves in your studio. Many podcasters record in a spare bedroom or the basement next to the water heater. These rooms are not always the best recording environments. Your mic may pick up a lot of echo as the sound waves bounce off of the walls. To deaden the room, you need some baffling. Before you go spend a ton of money on expensive baffling, try creating your own from comforters, blankets, packing foam or other household items. Here is a link to a great video that will teach you how to build your own baffling. CLICK HERE. Are you stuck? I would love to help you with your podcast. E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

How Do I Market My Podcast ? - Episode 114 Thank you for allowing me to help you with your podcast. I get a great deal of joy helping podcasters achieve their goals. A few weeks ago, I asked you for questions and ways I can help you with your show. I received some great questions from you. This week, I want to go through a few with you. How do you market your show? How can I get to the point of launch? How do I fight the Impostor Syndrome? How do I name my podcast? I'm struggling with promotion/marketing and spreading the word. -Greg from the “I Want To Know” podcast There are many ways to market and promote. Most of it takes time. I learned a lot about marketing from Paige Nienaber from CPR Promotions. He often refers to this drip style of marketing as dog crap marketing. Paige lives in Minnesota, where it snows a lot every year. The ground is typically covered with snow from November to March. Paige also owns a dog. If you are a dog owner, you know all about cleaning the back yard. The dog makes deposits. You clean it up. Just because there is snow on the ground doesn't mean the dog doesn't need to go out to do his business. It just makes it tougher to clean up. When the snow finally melts in March, you find the results of all the hard work of your dog. It wasn't done in a few days. It built up slowly over months of productive work by the dog. The same is true for your marketing. Work on it daily and let the results build over time. Here are six tips you can use. Know your most frequent listeners by name and use them. Use stories to stand out and be remembered. Host events to create community. Make it easy to share your content. Don't blow your first impression. Write great show notes with helpful links that your audience can use. You can find a worksheet of 52 podcast marketing tips at PodcastTalentCoach.com. I am a beginner, not even live yet, in fact having problems getting from intro, outro, episode and artwork to live. So frustrating, feeling like I am THIS close. - Corrine This is a matter of finding the courage to launch. Fight the impostor syndrome. Learn as you go. If you have your intro, outro, episode notes and artwork, you are ready to go live. Create a Wordpress site and sign up for a Libsyn account. This should put you in a great position to launch. If it is belief in yourself that is holding you back, take baby steps. Record three episodes telling yourself you won't really post these. You are just practicing. Get them recorded. Once you have the episodes recorded, put them on Libsyn and post to your Wordpress site to ensure the technology works. Test the links. Listen to the shows. Submit it to iTunes. Just tell yourself you can always change it if necessary. After you are sure everything works, move on to the next few episodes. Changing those first three episodes is posible. However, it is more work. I think once you get them posted, you will be more excited and interested in working on the next few episodes rather than tinkering with the first three. Move forward in baby steps. If it is the technology that is holding you back, check out Dave Jackson at the School of Podcasting. He has great tutorials that will help you create a website, set up a Libsyn account and submit your show to iTunes. He also has a great offer where he will set up your site if you order your hosting through him. Dave always says if you can post on Facebook, you can create a website with Wordpress and launch a podcast. Don't let the intimidation stop you. There are many resources that can help. I want to launch a show I can be proud of. I quickly get into my own head and get slapped down by the Nobody's Going to Like This Fairy. Stupid fairy. Any tips for shutting that voice up? - Greg I began my broadcasting career when I was 19. It was completely by accident. I was going to college to get my architecture degree. Since I was 12-years-old, I had been tailoring my education to be an architect or engineer. In college, I had the same fear of public speaking as most people. In our design classes, we had to do presentations in front of a panel of judges. I absolutely hated doing these presentations. During class, four or five students would present during the hour. It would take about a week to get through the entire class. That was the worst part. The anxiety would build for presentation day only to not get your name called. I would have to live through the anxiety again in anticipation of presenting during the next class. I never envisioned being a public speaker, radio talent or any other presenter. My younger brother worked for a radio station at the time. I was home for the weekend doing nothing like most college students. That was when the phone rang. It was the manager of the radio station looking for my brother to fill in during a shift. My brother wasn't home and I was offered a part-time job. My career in radio started just running the board for long-form programs. I only talked on the radio between the 30-minute shows. I might give the time or temperature. Otherwise, I would sit around while the show played. Speaking was minimal. As an elective for my architecture degree, I took a class called “Broadcasting For The Non-Major”. I figured being in a radio station for a part-time job should make this class a little easier. It would also help me learn more about my job. That class eventually led me to become the music director of the college station. That position got me a job working overnights at a commercial station. Suddenly, I instantly found myself talking to 10,000 people. I was no longer talking between long-form programs to a handful of old people. This was real radio. Over time, I started to get comfortable talking on the radio. It took a little time. I eventually got there. As I started picking up more hours on the air, my boss started to send me out broadcasting live in front of a crowd. I was being sent onstage to introduce concerts in front of 10,000 people. These were no longer people I couldn't see. They were right in front of me. It took me years to figure out how to overcome those butterflies I would get each time I stepped in front of a crowd. There were tips and tricks I learned along the way to help me. It was a combination of things I learned over the years that helped me defeat the jitters. Here are a few ways to shake the butterflies out of your system. It could save you years of trial and error. Preparation is the key idea in the process. Here are four steps to properly prepare for your show. 1. Overcome Jitters - Prepare your material - Rehearse - Focus on one person – preferably your single target listener you have defined - Tell yourself you are an expert at your opinion - Making people either love you or hate you only means you are making people care. 2. Create Great Notes - Bullet points – don't script - Tell stories - Give examples – play audio - Determine your open and close, intro and outro for show and each topic … “now it's time for” is not an appropriate intro 3. Set the Room - Get the temp correct – be comfortable - Get some room temp water - No distractions – phone, family 4. Prepare Your Equipment - Close other programs - Prepare your software - Turn off your phone, close e-mail, close IM - Test your mic and set your levels - Contact and prepare guests & co-hosts The places I am struggling with my future podcast is mainly the what to name it. I have ideas for about 3 different podcasts (though I only want to start with one). The main problem is naming them also i.e. website name and so forth. I have an idea about formats but with never having done a podcast, they seem to escape me. I know I won't be perfect at first and I am okay with that. But at the same time I would like to be somewhat in order. A little more guidance on this would be greatly appreciated. - Richard The name of your podcast sets up your brand. It should tell people exactly what they will get from your show. Don't get cute. If you name your show “Outside the Lines”, nobody will know if that is a show about paint-by-numbers, football or off roading. “School of Podcasting” is pretty clear. You know what you are going to get. Take five minutes and brainstorm. Start writing every name you can think of that relates to your niche. There are no bad ideas here. Every idea will lead to another. Don't critique. Just write as much as you can. After the five minutes is up, review the list. Highlight the names you like. These names should be clear about your content. Find names that capture the imagination. Look for names that sound interesting. Once you have narrowed the list to five to ten names, ask others for their opinion. Explain the criteria of a great name. Have them give you their top three choices. Read over the five or ten lists of three. Look for the names that get the most mentions. Now, take action. Pick a name and run with it. What is the worst that can happen? You get a year into it and need to adjust it. That's ok. On a podcast the other day, I heard someone say, “If you wait until all of the stoplights turn green before you begin your journey, you'll never start.” Just begin. Don't wait for things to be perfect. That will never happen. Just start. Thanks for all of the questions. If you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's see what we can do. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

The Magic of the Taylor Swift Brand – Episode 113 Are you looking to make your brand stand out from the rest? It is possible. However, it takes a lot of work. Famous college basketball coach Bobby Knight once said, “Everyone wants to be a champion, but few want to do the work it takes to be a champion.” Taylor Swift is one of those people willing to do the work. I think you can learn a lot from the Taylor Swift brand when creating your own. She has done amazing work over the past 10 years. Regardless of your musical preferences, it is hard not to admire the empire she has created. Taylor Swift was recently in town for a pair of concerts. This was the fourth time I've had the pleasure of meeting her. She never fails to amaze me with her networking abilities. There are four things you can learn by studying the brand Taylor has created. 1. KNOW WHEN TO LAUNCH Now 25 years old, Taylor moved to Nashville when she was 14. She was determined to get a record deal when most 8th graders are just figuring out middle school. She knocked on doors until someone opened. Even though she got a record deal at 14, she didn't experience immediate success. Taylor wrote, recorded and learned the business for two years before her first album was even released. Taylor Swift took her time to learn what she needed to know. When her record label felt the time was right, they launched her. Lesson: Learning is important, but at some point you have to launch. 2. BE DARING & DIFFERENT Taylor Swift broke the mold. Kids simply didn't have hits on country radio. She dared to do the unthinkable. By not giving up, she eventually found a record label willing to give it a try. The accomplishments Taylor has achieved are impressive. She is the youngest songwriter to ever sign with Sony/ATV Music Publishing, one of the largest in the world. She is the youngest person to have ever write and perform a #1 song by themselves. Her 2nd album “Fearless” made her the youngest Album of the Year Grammy winner. Taylor Swift has only released 5 albums. Even so, she is the only artist to have 3 albums sell more than one million copies in the opening release week. That mark is even more impressive in today's music world on digital downloads when people are buying single songs over albums. With her latest album “1989”, Taylor left the world of country music to release a pop album. People thought she was crazy. She took the daring leap and sold over a million copies in the first week of release. It was also named one of the best albums of the year by magazines Rolling Stone, Time and others. By daring to be different, people take notice. Lesson: Do what others are scared to attempt. 3. PUT IN THE WORK Taylor Swift has many, many other awards. One of her attributes that make her so successful is the fact that she is willing to do things few others are willing to do. She goes above and beyond. When was the last time you sent a hand-written thank you note? I’ve had the great fortune of meeting many big names in the music business. Justin Timberlake, George Strait, Ozzy Osborne, Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton, Metallica. It is one of the perks of the business. The Program Director of a radio station decides which songs make it on the radio station. Artists usually want to take time to meet the person who holds the keys. They understand a handshake can go a long way. Most stop there. A typical meet & greet at a concert is in a converted locker room and resembles a cattle call. People wait in line making their way around the room until they reach the artist. "Thanks for being here. Let’s get a photo. Enjoy the show." Taylor is different. Instead of a locker room, Taylor sets up a “tea party” or a “loft” party backstage, complete with soda machines, photo booths, high top tables, boas, other party accessories and a professional photographer. VIP guests hang out, eat munchies and get ready for the show. Instead of the handshake and photo op, Taylor makes her way around the room coming to each VIP for a photo and minute to chat. It is obviously different from every other experiences. It is what happens a week later that really sets Taylor apart. About a week after the concert, I received a hand-written note from Taylor thanking me for taking the time to bring my family to the show and for the support. Nobody does that, especially the biggest stars in music. Inside of my note was another hand-written note. This one was for my daughter. That note thanked my daughter for coming to the show. Taylor encouraged my daughter to stick with her piano lessons. She went on to tell my daughter to tell her friend Ellory (who was also with us) “hi”. The details Taylor included were amazing. I'm not sure if she has a photographic memory, if she video tapes the event to review later, if someone close by takes notes, or if there is some other magic involved. It really doesn't matter. What does matter is the fact that Taylor takes the time to ensure it all happens. That attention to details makes her stand out from every other artist. She is willing to do the extra work. Lesson: Do the things that others are not willing to do that will make you stand out. 4. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH HELP After a typical meet & greet, the artist typically sends you on your way. Instead of sending you to your seat, Taylor sent us on a backstage tour led by her mom, Andrea. Mama Swift led out around the backstage area telling us all about the stage and production. We saw the hydraulics under the stage. We saw the cases and trucks that transport the gear. We saw the costumes Taylor wore. She took us to the tour busses Taylor uses for the band and dancers. At the end of the tour, Taylor's mom took us directly to our seats. It was the kind of customer service you don't typically receive from average businesses. As Taylor's mom is leading us around backstage, Taylor is freed up to handle the other pre-show duties on her list. She needs to meet those in her fan club. She needs to warm up her voice. I'm sure there are a few other things in her routine before the show begins. The amazing team Taylor has assembled helps her be the best she can be. Lesson: Find great people that can help you. YOUR BRAND As you create your brand, be willing to do the work it takes to be a champion. Know when to launch. Be daring and different. Put in the work. Surround yourself with others who will help you reach your goals. Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's see what we can do. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

A Simple Way To Improve Your Show That Works For Every Professional Broadcaster – Episode 112 Do you want to be the best? Do you want to move forward quickly? Broadcasters learn early in their career that there is one primary way to get better. One well-worn path to improvement. A method used by nearly every broadcaster that has come before. It is a tactic still used today. It is not only used by professional broadcasters, but used by world class athletes, writers, dancers, musicians, and others throughout most highly visible and well-paid professions in the world. They all use a coach. You see coaches everywhere. Life coaches. Career coaches. Sport coaches. Birthing coaches. Speaker coaches. Executive coaches. It seems coaching is a big part of the world today. Why is that. Coaching is prevalent in our society, because coaching works. Coaching gets results. Coaching works, because your coach helps you reach your goals when you can't push yourself. Coaching helps you face difficult truths, learn how to make powerful change and maximize your potential. The best speakers, the best executives and the best athletes all have coaches. Coaching helps the best become the best and stay at the top. Coaching is a powerful, secret weapon of those at the top of their game. You can work tirelessly to learn on your own. Or, you can enlist the help of a coach and reach your goals much quicker. I offer a free podcast review to serious podcasters who wish to get better. Why free? Because nearly every podcaster who talks with me for 30 minutes about their show instantly sees the benefit. They leave the session with a list of things to transform their podcast and business in a week. Because it works, most want more. They sign up for a quick program. You can find the link at PodcastTalentCoach.com. How can a coach help you take your podcast to the top? There are five areas where a coach can help you. A coach will help you assess your current situation and see the big picture. Your coach will help you develop your goals and plan. You will be held accountable by your coach. You will have your own personal cheerleader. Finally, your coach will provide regular feedback to help you with improvement. THE BIG PICTURE A coach will help you assess your current situation and see the big picture. Sometimes it helps to have another set of eyes helping you see the forrest through the trees. A great coach will help you clear away all the clutter to gain clear focus for your show. A personal coach will help you honestly assess your strengths and weaknesses. These assessments are specific to your show. Your coach is not simply offering cookie cutter prescriptions. Once you understand your strengths and weaknesses, you can capitalize on the strengths and minimize the weaknesses. You get a different perspective on your show when you have someone else give you honest feedback. When you look at your content in a different way, you will discover new ideas and different approaches for your content. A different perspective helps you keep the end goal in mind. A big picture view of your podcast will also help you balance your life. Your coach can make sure you don't devote all of your time to one area of your life. Ensuring you are spending quality time on all areas of your life and business could be one of the most important benefits of a coach. GOAL DEVELOPMENT Your coach will help you develop your goals and a plan to achieve those goals. What do you hope to accomplish with your podcast? How does your show fit into your overall business plan? Does your podcast include a clear call to action. Your coach can help you develop each of those areas. A dream becomes a goal when deadlines are attached. Your coach can help you set those deadlines. Your coach can then help you develop a plan reach those goals. Setting goals help you maximize your potential. You can be your best when you set and achieve goals on a regular basis. Your coach can help keep you accountable to those goals. ACCOUNTABILITY Some people need a little extra push to remain focused on the task at hand. Your coach can help hold you accountable to your goals. The best part of that accountability is the goals are your goals. It is your agenda. Your coach is simply helping you achieve the goals you have set. With regular communication, your coach can push you to do your best. Your coach can help you keep your goals top of mind. When you don't feel like spending that extra hour making your podcast the best it can be, your coach can give you that little, extra motivation. You can use your coach to push you as much as you would like. Consistency is key to a successful podcast. Your coach can keep you on track. When your coach holds you accountable, you produce great content on a regular basis. Consistency produces a reliable, trusted brand. Let your coach help you achieve that quality with accountability. CHEERLEADER Fear and self doubt prevent many people from achieving their goals. We all have a little critic inside our head telling us we aren't quite good enough or we do not have the authority to succeed. The impostor syndrome destroys far too many great business ideas. When you have a coach, you will have your own personal cheerleader. Your coach will help you build self-confidence. You will have the courage to explore topics and ideas on your show that you previously avoided. Your coach will help you voice your opinion and be confident in your beliefs. You will overcome your fears and truly believe in yourself. You will develop self-confidence when your coach helps you improve your competence. FEEDBACK Finally, your coach will provide regular feedback to help you with improvement. Feedback will help you improve your competence. Nobody knows everything. Collaboration helps everyone learn. New ideas, new approaches and new contacts all come from great collaboration. A great coach can help you achieve that improvement. A great coach will share knowledge and expertise with you that will help you discover new ideas and concepts. It is difficult to improve when you don't know what you don't know. A coach can use years of experience to help you discover new processes and information. You can transform your mistakes into opportunities and learn to do things better with the help of a coach. A great coach has worked with many others allowing you to benefit from the trials and errors of many others. Your coach knows what has worked for others. There is a fountain of knowledge with your coach that you can access for the benefit of your show. Your coach will also provide specific feedback regarding your podcast. This feedback will include actionable items. You can isolate the areas of your podcast that need improvement. Your coach will help you create an improvement plan for those areas. You cannot simply remove the negative parts of your show. You must discover the effective parts of your podcast and figure out how to create more of those opportunities. This is where a great coach can help you succeed. A great coach will help you discover the parts of your show that are strong, help you develop a plan to create those moments more often, and then find the courage to present those moments during your podcast. Coaching works. That is why it is everywhere in our society. Find a great podcast coach to help you reach your goals. Though I would love to help you, your coach doesn't necessarily need to be me. You simply need to find someone with some experience that can provide a different perspective on your show. I help podcasters refine their content and transform their information into engaging entertainment. I can help you as well. Many podcasters let self-doubt derail their efforts. They feel like they are kids playing dress-up among other professional podcasters that have been doing it for years. Those podcasters haven't learned how to properly structure a show, prepare the content or review the podcast. The impostor syndrome creeps in and they lose faith in their abilities. It happened to me when I began in broadcasting 25 years ago. There were so many great broadcasters that came before me. Who was I to be on the radio? What did I know about broadcasting? Over two-and-a-half decades, I've learned the secrets of the great broadcasters to overcome that fear to create powerful relationships with my listeners. I've helped many broadcaster and podcasters over the years. Many have reached the top of their game. My own personal radio show has been #1 over 80% of the time. I know what works, and it isn't the big radio voice and cheesy lines you heard on the radio 20 years ago. This is a new era. It is a relationship era. It is time to use your podcast to create meaningful, powerful, profitable relationships with your listeners. I can help you create those relationships using these five coaching areas. I can help you assess your current situation and see the big picture. Together, we will develop your goals and plan. You will be held accountable to your own agenda. You will have your own personal cheerleader. Finally, you will receive regular feedback to help you with improvement. Are you ready for a coach? If you feel you could benefit from my help, e-mail me at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. We can collaborate on a plan to crate a powerful podcast. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Is This Causing You To Lose Podcast Listeners – Episode 111 There are two elements of your podcast that will help you engage your listeners and keep them coming back for more. Focus and consistency. Impress your listeners by making one big splash. Then, do it so consistently that your listener comes to expect it. FOCUS Focus on the one thing you do best. When you try to be all things to all people, you fade into the wallpaper. Those with focused intensity stand out. Be great at something. People will take notice. Rather than being consistently good with your podcast, be occasionally great. Your listener will remember one big thing from your show. They will not remember every detail, every comment or every e-mail answer. They will remember that one thing you did. Each show, try to make one big splash that will be memorable. Swing for the fence. Many know the great Babe Ruth as one of the greatest home run hitters in baseball. Many also know that Ruth struck out roughly twice as often as the league average. He struck out 1,330 times. Babe set out to do something exciting. He wanted to be memorable. Sometimes, that meant striking out. People don’t remember all of the singles Babe hit. Even though he is 2nd all-time with his on-base percentage of .474, nobody talks about all the times Ruth got on base. He had 1,517 singles and 506 doubles to his 714 home runs. That is nearly twice as many singles as homers. Doubles and home runs were just about equal. Why do people remember all of the home runs? Because they were exciting. Babe was occasionally great. He was great often enough to be memorable. You don’t have to set records. Simply make your podcast occasionally great. Nobody remembers your strikeouts. Don’t worry about them. When you finally hit the home run, people will remember. Every now and then, swing for the fence. When you try to be all things to all people, you end up being nothing. Focus your topic on what you know best. Be opinionated. Be passionate. Pick a side. Be unique. CONSISTENT Once you have focus, add consistency. When you try to discuss an industry in general, your audience won’t know what to expect when they visit your show. Stick to your focus. Simply find new ways to communicate it. Let’s take Dave Ramsey for example. During the opening of “The Dave Ramsey Show”, Dave says, “Where debt is dumb, cash is king, and the paid-off home mortgage has taken the place of the BMW as the status symbol of choice.” Dave’s show is a personal finance show. Moreover, it is a show about getting out of debt. Dave helps people find ways to pay off their debt and become financially stable. “The Dave Ramsey Show” doesn’t discuss particular stocks or mutual funds. Dave doesn’t discuss how to go about investing other than simply suggesting you sock away 15 percent of your income for retirement and then some for college. On his show, Dave recommends 7 basic steps to financial security. He has been doing a show on these 7 steps for over 20 years. Every show, everyday, every call. It’s all about these 7 steps in some way or another. When you tune into “The Dave Ramsey Show”, you know what you will get. Dave is focused. He is consistent with his focus on a daily basis. Now, if Dave talked about the benefits of real estate investing on one show and the pitfalls of no-load mutual funds on another, you would never know what to expect. You wouldn’t know what the show would be about on any particular day. There are times where Dave will focus a particular hour on entrepreneurs. Even these shows are centered around the 7 steps. He helps businesses launch and operate debt free. The focus of “The Dave Ramsey Show” is consistent, but not predictable. When you listen, you cannot predict the questions. However, the answers are consistent. Give your podcast focus. Consistently deliver on that focus. Your audience will find comfort in the known. I'd love to help you with your podcast. Post any questions or comments you might have, or e-mail me at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

How To Turn Podcast Topics Into Creative Content – Episode 110 Before we dive in, here is the link to the Podcast Review Show I mentioned. PODCAST REVIEW SHOW You can turn your clever podcast topics into creative content by answering a few easy questions. Developing your overall podcast strategy involves determining how you will uniquely address each topic on your show. Whether you are presenting information, answering questions or interviewing guests, there are many ways to address each topic. So many podcasters follow the herd. They create interview shows that sound like every other igniting interview show. You do not need to do it the same way every other podcast does it. Be unique. Find the way that will stand out. If you are interviewing, do you really need to ask the same questions that every other podcast asks? When you actually listen to the answers coming from your guest, you will be surprised by the new questions you can discover. Play a game. Do a contest. Get your guests to tell stories. Different stories than every other show. “How did your mom influence you?” “What was your first business?” “When did you know you wanted to be an artist as a career?” “What is a unique talent you have that few people know?” Here is a tip many people forget. This is show business. You are here to entertain. Create compelling entertainment? How do you do make it engaging? First, you know where you want to go and what you hope to accomplish. Then, you map out how to get there. Don't just wing it. Do you think the actors in “Modern Family” or “The Walking Dead” ad lib their lines? Of course not. Do you find it less entertaining when they follow the script? Of course not. There is no reason you cannot add a little show biz to your show. Just be sure to always be true to the show. 9 QUESTIONS There are nine questions on the Podcast Talent Coach Topic Development Worksheet that will help you transform your podcast topic into creative content. RELEVANT? How is your topic relevant to your niche? This question will help you begin to shape your topic. If we can determine why your niche needs to know this material and how it fits into the overall concept of the show, we can make sure it fits the show. I love hockey. However, hockey isn't relevant to this particular podcast niche unless I'm discussing a hockey podcast. There is no relevancy. WHO CARES? How are you going to make your audience care about this topic? What is in it for your listener? If we can determine why they would care, we can begin in their world. Every listeners asks, “What's in it for me?” Care about your listener first. You will be well on your way to engaging content. SOURCE What is the source of the topic? Does the source matter with regard to the context and credibility of the information? There are times when the source will help shape the context of your story. Other times, the source was simply the spark to the idea and doesn't really matter. We discussed it a bit last week. If I read a story about the correlation between bars and churches and it sparks the topic of “everyone wants to constantly change the rules”, the source really adds nothing to the context. If I read a Gallup report covering the President's approval rating which leads me to the discussion of where it is trending, the source adds context. It also adds credibility. INTRIGUE What do you find intriguing about the topic? We have discussed this before. If you want to be interesting, be interested. You are only interested when you find topics that are intriguing to you. Determine what parts of the topic pique your interest. If you creates a spark in you, it is likely that it will do the same in your listener. EMOTION What emotion do you hope to stir? Content is always most powerful when you stir emotion. You can make money when you sell things people need. You can get rich when you sell things people want. Why? Wants come from an emotional place. Find ways to get your audience emotionally involved in your content. CONTEXT In what context will your story be set? Determine how you will approach each topic. Will you play audio examples? Will you play voice messages from your listeners? Are you going to read e-mail? Maybe there is a guest contributor. Determine each approach before the show begins. Add some context by making the topic personal. Drugs mean different things when you add context. Are we talking criminals or pharmacists? That is context. JOURNEY Where will you take the topic? In other words, what is your point? This is like your headline. It is the one thing you want to drive home about this particular topics. With this episode, I want you to understand there are defined steps you can take to create shape your content. Your point (or intriguing introduction) is where your episode will begin. Take time to define it. DETAILS What details will you include in your episode? Vivid details make your stories come to life. Find great words and details that make visions dance in the theater of the mind. YOUR ONE THING What is the one thing you hope listeners will remember about this episode? Your “one thing” goes hand-in-hand with your point. The one thing you want to drive home to your listener is very similar to the one thing you want them to remember. My point here is the fact there are steps you can take. What I want you to remember is that you can do it, and the steps are easy to understand. The point is the “what” and the one thing is the “why”. Start with your intriguing introduction. Lead with the headline. Then, shape the content to support your point with some passionate “why”. I'd love to help you with your podcast. Post any questions or comments you might have, or e-mail me at Erik@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Here Is A Method That Helps Successful Radio Professionals Find Great Topics – Episode 109 As I coach talent, people often as me, “Where do I find good topics?” It is often a struggle of new talent and veterans alike. Creating an entertaining podcast show after show, week after week, is a challenge. You need to find a topic that holds your interest. Your topic must also be attractive to your audience. Finally, you need to present it in a way that is engaging. Every topic, every time. Even the most seasoned talent run into a sort of writer's block from time to time. When you hit a wall and have no topic readily at hand, where do you turn? How do you get past the block to create engaging entertainment? Where does the next captivating topic originate? There are five primary methods I teach my clients to get past the topic block. These five questions will help you find quality topics for your show. If you take a few minutes before each episode to brainstorm these questions, you will have plenty of material for your show. The key to each of these questions is awareness. Be aware when events, comments and ideas throughout your day capture your attention. If you are interested in something, you can usually deliver it in a way that will be interesting to your audience. Keep these questions in your mind as you go through your day. I would also suggest you keep a little notebook in your pocket to jot down ideas. You never know when the next interesting topic might pop up. 1. What daily happenings capture my attention? Things are happening all around you everyday. You may find yourself wondering why things happen like they do. Something might spark a laugh. You might learn something new. All of these things can lead to great topics. Be aware. Jot down people you meet, things you see and ideas you learn that captures your attention. It is possible to turn it all into great topics. 2. What has happened in my past that created vivid memories? You have tremendous experience in your field. That is why you create your podcast in the first place. Put it to work. What are the things in your past that generate clear memories? Remember, many listeners that are learning from you are staring at the very beginning. They are in the same place you were when you began years ago. Help them learn. Even if your listeners already know the information, your podcast will serve as a refresher course. Be confident in your material. Deliver it with passion, and your listeners will love you. 3. What articles have caputure your attention? Read many articles from a variety of industries. Your topic ideas won't always come from information within your field. Simply look for statements within the article that pique your interest. Read with a highlighter. Whenever you come across a word, phrase or sentence that captures your attention, highlight it. When you're done with the article, scan the highlighted parts for the most interesting one or two. Use that word, phrase or sentence to begin brainstorming. You never know where it may lead. Let's say you read an article about the correlation between the location of churches and liquor stores. As you highlight the article, you highlight a phrase where a local councilman wants to pass an ordinance that keeps liquor stores at least 500 yards from any church. Your podcast is about hockey. How do we make the link to a great topic? When you begin brainstorming, your thoughts will lead in many directions. Within your freeform writing as you are considering new laws, you write, “People are always looking to change the rules of the game. Are more rules really good for the growth of the sport?” Suddenly, you've gone from church and liquor to the rules of hockey. You now have a great topic. Topics can come from anywhere. 4. What conversations have you had today that were truly engaging? If a conversation engaged both you and your counterpart, there is a good chance it will also engage your audience. Conversations tend to wander in many directions. You might start discussing the news of the day. That may lead the discussion into a movie you want to see. Suddenly, you're discussing classic leading men. Any part of the discussion might lead to a good topic. You simply need to be aware of the parts of the discussion that are most interesting. 5. What questions are people in your industry asking? You can find questions on a daily basis even if you aren't regularly talking to people. The internet is your friend. Search the discussion boards to find the questions. Help those in your industry solve their problems. You don't need to answer the question verbatim. Let the question lead you to great topics. If you find a question interesting, but not completely engaging, rephrase it. Mold the question a bit until it becomes an entertaining topic. It doesn't matter that the question is not exact. It only matters that it is compelling. When your listeners e-mail questions to you, you should answer the question as it is stated and give credit to the individual that asked. If you feel the need to change the question to make it more engaging, briefly answer the original question, then move on to the rephrased version. Say something such as, “Yes, it is possible to do that. However, the more important question is 'should you do that'”. NEXT: Brainstorm your notes Great topics can originate in many places. The topic might not jump out at first. However, you can brainstorm the topic until it becomes engaging. If you get curious about something, there is a good chance your audience might be just as curious. Jot down things that strike your interest as they happen in daily life. Then, brainstorm a bit to really flush out the idea. As you write, let your thoughts flow. Don't critique. Simply write. Let the ideas flow to the paper. You may start with your experience at a restaurant and by the end of your brainstorm wonder why we learn calculus. That's ok. You simply want to find the most interesting topic related to your podcast. It doesn't necessarily need to have any relationship to your original observation. Your topic only needs to be interesting. Be aware of all that happens around you. That next great topic could come from anywhere. You'll miss it unless you are looking. Keep a notepad in your pocket. Write down everything that captures your imagination. Take ten minutes before your podcast to brainstorm your topic. You will get past the podcast topic block and create engaging entertainment with your content. I would love to help you with your podcast. E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Three Key Elements To A Rockstar Podcast Brand - Episode 108 Why is a brand so important for your podcast? Your brand communicates the essence of you, your podcast, your business and everything you represent. There are many, many definitions of a brand. Basically, it is your identity. When people think of you and your podcast, what comes to mind? There are usually a couple words that your brand represents in the mind of the consumer. Apple is Think Different. Nike is Just Do It. Ford is Built Ford Tough. Those brands are more than just slogans. They mean something to the consumer. Different is part of the fabric that makes up Apple. Everything they do is different. Many companies try to add slogans thinking it will become their brand identity. Most of the time, the words just become throw away tag lines. IBM is currently using “building a smarter planet” as their slogan. What does that mean? There are many articles written on the brilliance of this campaign. However, most of the writing centers around the cool logo, the social aspect of the idea and Watson, the mega computer. How does that change my life? What's in it for me? How am I smarter because of that slogan? An iPod is different. The iOS platform is different. Apple is different. When I interact with the product, I am different as well. We can be different together. "Different together” is one element of a cult brand as described by B.J. Bueno in “The Power of Cult Branding”. We've discussed that in a past episode. I truly enjoy studying branding. When I was completing my M.B.A., I studies branding all I could. I have read many books on branding in addition to “Cult Branding.” Those include “The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding” by Ries & Ries and “Brand Like a Rock Star” by Steve Jones. The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding Brand Like A Rock Star: Lessons from Rock 'n Roll to Make Your Business Rich and Famous The Power of Cult Branding: How 9 Magnetic Brands Turned Customers into Loyal Followers (and Yours Can, Too! ) "Different together” brings us to the first element of a successful brand. Consistent To create a solid brand, you need to be consistent. Consistent with your message. Consistent with your promise. Consistent with your image. When you think of great brands like McDonald's, Coca Cola and Nike, you can see the evidence of solid consistency. When you walk into McDonald's, you know exactly what you will get. You'll get inexpensive hamburgers fast. It doesn't matter if it is a McDonald's in Missoula, Montana or Mexico City, Mexico. The brand will be the same. You may be experience some small differences in the menu. For the most part, you'll still get hamburgers, french fries and a Coke. And of course the Big Mac. If you head into a McDonald's and suddenly find fish n chips or bratwurst as the main entree, your trust in the brand will be destroyed. You won't be sure what you'll get next time you visit. Your podcast must be just as consistent in order to create a great brand. Your listener must know exactly what they will get each time they listen. They come to your show to receive your promise. Deliver every time. Deliver consistently. Consistency doesn't mean lack of variety. It simply means that you always deliver your promise. McDonald's offers different sizes. They offer chicken and fish sandwiches. You can get McNuggets. Either way, it is always inexpensive food fast when you want it. And the burgers are always there. You are creating a brand when you are creating your podcast. You need to deliver consistently each time your listener tunes into the show. Foster that strong relationship with your audience. Be consistent. Benefits Your podcast should contain some sort of call to action. You might ask the listener to visit your website. You may ask them to contribute to a cause. Selling your product is a definite possibility. Simply tuning in again is a call to action. Whatever it happens to be, the call to action is part of the relationship building process with your listener. In your call to action, be sure to sell benefits, not features. If you are selling a cookbook, the large print, stain-free cover and fact that it will stay open are all features. The ease at which the cook can read the book at a distance, the way it will stay clean to hand down to the next generation and the hands-free help it provides are all benefits. People don't buy products. They buy what the product will accomplish. How often does Starbuck’s promote their fine coffee bean. The answer is very little. Starbuck’s spends their time creating the Starbuck’s experience. They market the way Starbuck’s makes you feel. They aren’t promoting the warmth, color and robust flavor of their coffee. Starbuck's creates a relationship and true experience. They sell the way the coffee experience makes you feel. It is the barista, the smell, the music, the drink names, the cup, the sleeve, and even the lid. It isn't warm, dark caffeinated beverages. Find the true benefits of your podcast and product. Then, promote them heavily. People buy benefits. Last week, we discussed changing your show introduction to better reflect your benefits. Unique Great brands are unique. Not simply a different shade of gray, but truly unique. To be remembered, you must stand out. You stand out when you are loved. You are remembered when you are hated. You fade into the background when you are plain, vanilla and trying to avoid upsetting anyone. If you don't stir strong emotions, you are easily forgotten. When we create, we expose our perspective. We open ourselves to criticism. It is natural to want your thoughts, views, art and creation to be accepted by everyone. To avoid being disappointed, we often play it safe. Those fantastic, memorable brands are usually both loved and hated. Apple is loved and defended by the converted and outcast by the PC crowd. Harley Davidson is loved to the extent that the converted tattoo the logo on their bodies. Rush Limbaugh is loved by the conservatives and hated by the liberals. Dave Ramsey is loved by the conservative investor and hated by credit card companies and whole life insurance salespeople. Dr. Laura would consistently be critical of her callers. Yet she would receive more callers than she could handle on any given show. Safety lacks creativity. It is risky to be truly creative. Taking a chance is really the only way to get noticed. Safe blends in. Risky stands out. Great brands are unique. Take this week and review your brand. Look for consistency, the benefits and the uniqueness. Are you succeeding at all three elements of powerful brand? Where can you improve? Successful brands do not happen overnight. It takes time. We are creating a relationship. Continue to build your consistency each week. Keep your listener at the forefront of your content. Then, find ways to be unique. I would love to help you with your podcast. E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.