January 2019 - the offbeat life

Choosing a podcast format

If you are planning to start your own podcast before thinking about the name, or even the topic, you have to decide the on your format.

There are several popular podcast formats that you may have heard of and learning about these different options can help you decide the best one to choose for your show.

Why should you choose a podcast format?

If you have listened to a podcast, you will notice that the successful shows have consistency in their frequency of publication, topics, and format.

This is because remaining consistent with your content is crucial to growing an audience for your listener’s experience.

They have to know what to expect from your show. Knowing when your podcast is published, the genre of the show and how you are providing them the experience is important.

Another bonus for consistency and choosing a format is the ease of how they can describe your show to other potential listeners. They’ll know the who, what and when which will help get the word out faster!

To help you select the right format for your show, we’ve listed a few types below.

The Interview

An interview-based podcast is a common format that many podcasts use because of ease. It is pretty straight forward, it involves an interviewer ( which is the host) and the interviewee.

Depending on your topic, you can choose anyone that you want who will be able to give you the right information for your chosen genre.

Your interview questions can be pre-formatted and you can ask similar questions for each guest, or you can do more research and ask questions that specifically pertain to each interviewee.

An interview-based format is relatively simple when it comes to editing, compared to group and multi-host shows where you have to deal with different people talking all at once.

Your equipment can also be basic, two different sets of microphones if you are doing a live interview. However, if you decide to do an interview online, make sure that you have the right recorder on your end and to ask your interviewees to have their own set of headphones or mics to make the audio quality good.

podcast format

The Soloist

Out of all the formats, I would say that the solo format is the easiest. It can be a great format to start with if you have not done a podcast because of simplicity and ease. You can use it as practice to be more comfortable speaking to a mic however, It can be a challenge to keep the flow of conversation going when you are on your own.

If you decide to do a solo podcast format, you do not have to look for guests but you do have to make sure you are providing entertaining topics for each episode that will interest your listeners. This is the format where you may need to do more research.

The Multi-host

Another podcast format is the multi-host or panel discussions. It will involve multi speakers and you talk about a particular topic conversationally or in a group discussion.

This format will involve a lot of guidance. An issue that you may encounter is when you have too many speakers and it becomes a jargon of noise.

You have to remember that your medium is in audio, so your listener’s experience has to be clear and entertaining. The worst thing you can do is to have a bunch of people talking at once and your audience not being able to understand your show.

Because there are multi-speakers it can become time-consuming to edit the show and you will most likely need a podcast mixer as well as extra mics for your guests.

Once you have organized the speakers well, it can be a fun format that will be entertaining to your listeners.

podcast format

The Storyteller

There has been a lot of excitement with podcasts that tell a story. This format is unique since the podcasters are given the opportunity to not only write a story but are also given the chance to act out the scenes. It becomes an audio theater that can be really enjoyable for your listeners.

Alternatively, you can also choose to do a series on a particular book or a show you can discuss and do your own personal take on the story.

You may need a lot of sound effects, music and of course dramatics to create a scene for your audience. Doing a great storytelling podcast will require the use of good recorders and editing software.

This is a great format to choose since there are not a lot of storytelling podcasts yet and can become addicting to audiences.

However, it is time-consuming and not a common genre that listeners will go to.

Which format should you choose?

Unfortunately and fortunately you are the only one who can decide that. Listen to a few podcasts that have different formats and see what you gravitate to, then ask yourself: Which one is realistic for my schedule and genre? Which one would be the most fun and entertaining to create?

You can experiment and try several formats to see what is most interesting for you. You should not only create a podcast for an audience but also for your self. Always remember, have fun while you are creating!

Still confused with choosing your podcast topic? Sign up for my Podcast Mentorship Program and I will guide you step by step to create your show!

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5 ways to successfully prepare for the laptop lifestyle.

So… it’s been a rocky few months, but a lot of growth has been happening personally and professionally.

I can’t believe that the time has arrived and I am finally diving into the laptop lifestyle full time!

There are so many doubts and fears running through my head every day. But as I have officially begun, all the anxieties have lessened and truthfully, I have been a bit numb.

I am sure it will all come back when I have settled in!

It’s been tough keeping my self sane during these last few months and here are 5 ways that I have prepared and kept myself sane for the laptop lifestyle.

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Surround yourself with the right support system

When you are preparing to become a freelancer, you may not anticipate how lonely and isolated you will feel when you are no longer surrounded by co-workers and people you can bounce off ideas from.

One of the ways I have been able to keep sane throughout this journey is finding the right support system and creating friendships with people who are in the industry.

I can never stress enough how it is crucial to have these relationships, especially when you are in the thick of it and are ready to give up.

Create multiple streams of income.

One of the best advice I ever received was to make a steady stream of income for my essentials. Once the essentials are taken care of I can be free to play around with how I am making income.

This way, I am not desperate and can still stay creative.

I have come to realize that in order to succeed in this laptop lifestyle, I have to create income from the skills I already had.

So, before I even left my 9-5, I was already looking for multiple ways to take advantage of the skills I have acquired.

Whether through my podcast, blog, social media, teaching English online or being a freelance writer.

Through their e-course I learned negotiating techniques that allowed me to triple my rates as a content creator. This e-course has been instrumental in my success in making revenue from my podcast and website.

My income did not take off until I learned the negotiation techniques that Jacob shares in this e-course.

Pay off as much debt as you can.

One of the biggest reasons why I was confident in leaving my 9-5 is because I have paid off all of my debt.

Which makes it easier for me to rest easy knowing that I do not have the added stress of creating income to sustain my living, make a profit from my business and also pay off debts.

I know this may not be realistic for many people, but pay off as much as you can before you dive into this laptop lifestyle.

Save, Save, Save.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it can also be the hardest things to do.

Make sure you have a nest egg to fall back on in case you fall on hard times because being a freelancer and entrepreneur your income will be unsteady.

There will be weeks and sometimes months where the money will be extremely low.

Living a laptop lifestyle in New York city is even harder because of the cost of living. A lot of you who are thinking of going into this lifestyle can definitely go around this predicament by living in low-cost cities like South America or South East Asia.

But for those of us, who choose to live in bigger cities, here are a few ways I have learned to save.

Find an apartment that is not in the heart of the city.

If you are willing to commute a bit longer to the hot spots, you will be able to save on your apartment.

Don’t eat out or order in.

This may be a sacrifice for many of you, but eating out even a few times a week can add up.

Instead, buy a slow cooker and meal prep for the week. Not only will you be able to eat healthier but save a ton!

Know your budget and stick to it.

Track what you are spending and learn what you need your monthly budget to be.

This way you can be more aware of when you need to slow or stop your spending.

I have used the app Mint- which has been extremely helpful since it tracks my spending and shows me when I am overspending.

Be mentally and professionally prepared.

The one thing that a lot of people don’t tell you is the mental preparation you need in order to succeed in this laptop lifestyle.

You can have the savings and the right support but if you are not mentally prepared, you will struggle.

There will be so many times where you will get distracted, feel depressed, and face a huge setback that will make you unmotivated.

Having the right mindset and mental preparation will keep you going even through the tough times.

The way I have been able to prepare myself for these situations is by asking:

Is having a freedom lifestyle more important than a steady income?

Will I be OK with unstable income and to fail continuously before I succeed?

Am I willing to work my ass off so I can succeed?

If you answered yes to all of these questions, then you may have a good chance of succeeding!

Have you thought about a laptop lifestyle? Comment below and let me know how you are preparing for this crazy amazing lifestyle.

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Choosing the right podcast topic.

Finding your topic can be one of the hardest things to do when you are first starting your podcast journey.

With so many ideas and topics, where do you start?

It is important to understand that if you want a successful podcast, you will need to find a subject that will not only interest you but also attract an audience that will be interested in your topic as well.

If you try to create a podcast you have no interest in, your audience will easily see that you are not being sincere, which will most likely lead to a poor listener experience.

If that happens, you will struggle to keep your audience and it will be difficult to gain their trust.

Remember, you can not attract everyone but you should try to attract the listeners who will be genuinely interested in the topic you are passionate about.

Let’s break it down and make it a little easier.

podcast topic

What are you passionate about?

Before starting, if you want a successful career in podcasting, you have to realize that it may take a long time to grow your audience.

So, your topic and niche should be something that you are passionate about.

Without this passion, you will easily get tired and most likely give-up before making any progress.

|MORE: Find out the best podcast equipment to use for newbies and pros

What are you excited about learning and talking?

Your podcast will play a huge part in your life.

You will be spending most of your time editing, researching and talking about the topics you choose.

Make a list of the subjects that you are excited to learn and talk about.

Then ask yourself, will I be excited about these topics 6 months from now, 1 year from now, 5 years from now?

If your answer is no, then move on.

Before I began my podcast I was extremely interested in talking to and learning about the freedom lifestyle.

I aspired to be a full-time location independent entrepreneur and every time I met a person who lived this lifestyle during my travels, I always had so many questions.

Over a year after my podcast launched, I am still in awe of the people I interview, and still interested in the knowledge they give me as I navigate my way into the location independent lifestyle and movement.

You have to make sure you are enjoying what you are talking about, even when you are not making a profit or when you are faced with obstacles.

Your audience will hear and feel the excitement from your voice and your excited or disinterest will come across your podcast.

podcast topic

Who is your ideal listener?

One of the most important thing as a content creator is defining your avatar or ideal audience.

This is extremely important in order for you to understand their needs and wants in order to provide them with the right content.

You have to remember, you are not creating a podcast for everyone. The more specific your niche and avatar, the more relevant your content will be and the more focused your audience will become.

The more focused you are with your ideal audience, the more relevant your content will be which will solidify your place in the market.

To find your ideal listener make sure you understand their background. You can do this by creating a sample of your ideal listener and client that will be your target.

|MORE: Download a template to create your own avatar list of your ideal listener.

Once you have created their background, understand their problems, then figure out a way to solve their issues.

Throughout all of this, keep in mind that you have to either educate and entertain your audience.

So if you can not do it for yourself, then it will be almost impossible to do it for your potential audience.

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Extended: How to think, save and retire early with Steve Adcock.

Here are the incredible tips that Steve shares on how to think, save and retire early.

Listen Below:

In this episode:

How did you prepare to do early retirement?

The first step is to understand exactly where your money is going.

Then decide whether that money you are spending is genuinely making you happy or not and if that spending is supporting your future goals of early retirement.

What are some of the roadblocks you have encountered preparing for early retirement?

It was hard not to spending less and not doing the same activities with your friends and co-workers.
Sensible living can be a sacrifice when you are trying to achieve your goals for early retirement.

It is a hard transition in the beginning but you will get used to it but the more you do it, the easier the process becomes.

How did you know how much money you needed to retire without the worry of running out of your savings?

They used the Trinity study or the four percent rule to decide on a retirement budget.

Where do you invest your money, so you can have access to it before you retire?

You have to remember if all of your money is tied up to your retirement accounts, it will be really difficult for you to retire early.
Steve and his wife opened up a brokerage account and it will grow with the stock market like your retirement account.
The difference is you can buy or sell whenever you want and you are not restricted by age of when you can access the money.
They also established an emergency fund.

Think of it as paying yourself off first money management.

When do you know you are finally ready to leave your job and retire?

If your finances are fully prepared that the rest is 100% mental.

Don’t fall into the “just one more year” syndrome – where you work for one more year and never leave.

Check out the full interview with Steve Adcock where he shares how to retire early and travel in an airstream.

Subscribe, rate and review on iTunes.

Why traveling to escape will not lead you to self-discovery.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, I will make a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Do you travel to explore or to escape life?

It’s amazing how your life can change within a few years or even a few months.

For several years, I had panic attacks every January because I was not living a life I truly wanted and it was literally suffocating me.

I wanted to constantly escape New York City and used travel as an excuse to escape a life I did not want to live.

I would have panic attacks every 4 months and thought that it was because I needed to travel.

But I came to realize that it was not really traveling that I needed but to change the lifestyle that I was living.

To finally take the steps to have the freedom lifestyle I craved and to leave a job I no longer wanted.

As I began to work towards my goals, the need to constantly escape and the panic attacks began to disappear.

I started to understand that although travel was and is a huge part of my life, it is not what is going to fulfill or necessarily make me happy.

Reaching my goals and to have freedom is what I really craved and being in a 9-5 was what I wanted to escape.

Today, as I sit here writing these words to you – earning less than my 9-5, struggling to create income and navigating my new life as a location independent entrepreneur. I am happier than I ever was at my stable day job.

Traveling to escape is not the answer.

If you are in the same predicament, make sure you are not looking at travel as a way to solve the issues that are in your life.

Instead, take a good look at your self and learn what you want to achieve and work on them daily.

If one of those goals is to travel to see and experience the world then, by all means, do it! But do not think that it will solve your problems.

Remember, it will still be there when you return.

So, instead of travel escape – do a bit of soul-searching and understand what will make you fulfilled and achieve your purpose.

Travel may be a part of this soul-searching but it should not be the escape from your reality.

Traveling to escape will not not solve your problem.

Change your mindset

A few ways that I was able to change my mindset was to have a clear goal, which was to start and create income from my podcast.I was extremely passionate about the location independent movement and craved to finally have the freedom to take responsibility for my own happiness.

Once I made this decision, I began to work on my goal every single day which made me have a sense of purpose.

Instead of having panic attacks, I devoted my energy to creating and learning about podcasts.

I also met with amazing individuals who inspired me to pursue the goals that I wanted.

The turning point

I began to realize that it was not really traveling that made me happy when traveling no longer felt the same.

The feeling of relief when I was in a different destination lessened and instead I began to crave working on my long term goals.

I began to turn down traveling opportunities because they started to get in the way of my life purpose.

It is amazing how my life has changed within a few months. Now that I am a full-time location independent entrepreneur I have decided to travel less, even when I have every opportunity to travel full time.

Now I think of travel as a way to discover the world and have different experiences. It is no longer an escape, but an added bonus to the life I have chosen to create for myself.

What about you? Have you been using travel as an escape?

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Extended: How to get the courage to be a female lone traveller with Anit Hora.

Here are the incredible tips that Anit shares on how to get the courage to be a female lone traveller.

Listen Below:

In this episode:

How did you gain the courage to leave NYC to be a lone traveller in South America for a year?

It was not necessarily courage but a yearning to travel that pushed Anti to finally travel the world.
Although Anit had a job she enjoyed, she knew that she had to take the chance to be lone traveller.

How do you stay safe as a female lone traveller?

It is important to know that most people care about your safety no matter where you go.
Staying in hostels is a great way to meet other fellow travelers.
It’s also important to learn a little bit of the language.
Follow your intuition and instincts.

How were you able to afford to travel for a year?

Anit had money saved before traveling.
She then took a job teaching English while she was in South America.

What has been the biggest lesson you have learned during your travels?

It’s OK to take chances.
Even if you don’t do well, its OK because you took the chance.

Check out the full interview with Anit Hora where she shares how travel can lead to a journey of self discovery.

Subscribe, rate and review on iTunes.

Month: January 2019

Why should you choose a podcast format?

RELATED POSTS:

The Interview

The Soloist

The Multi-host

The Storyteller

Which format should you choose?

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RELATED POSTS:

Free Work Online Training

This training with Andrea will help you learn how to land your ideal remote job ASAP!

Surround yourself with the right support system

Create multiple streams of income.

Pay off as much debt as you can.

Save, Save, Save.

Be mentally and professionally prepared.

DID YOU ENJOY THIS POST? PIN IT FOR LATER.

You might also like:

|MORE: Find out the best podcast equipment to use for newbies and pros

|MORE: Download a template to create your own avatar list of your ideal listener.

DID YOU ENJOY THIS POST? PIN IT FOR LATER.

WANT TO LEARN HOW I’VE BEEN ABLE TO EARN INCOME WITH SPONSORSHIPS?﻿

You might also like:

Here are the incredible tips that Steve shares on how to think, save and retire early.

Listen Below:

Do you travel to explore or to escape life?

RELATED POSTS:

Traveling to escape is not the answer.

Change your mindset

The turning point

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You might also like:

Here are the incredible tips that Anit shares on how to get the courage to be a female lone traveller.

Listen Below:

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