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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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The best podcast equipment to use for newbies and pros

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.

In the last few months, I have been getting a lot of questions about how to start a podcast and creating income.

The best advice I can give you is: get the best equipment you can afford because no matter how great your content if your audio is not good you will lose listeners and miss sponsorship opportunities.

Think about your audio quality as part of your resume. If it isn’t good, why would any company hire you to represent their brands?

The basic equipment that you will use are:

Computer

Mic

When I first started my podcast a year ago, I had no clue how to create great audio. I didn’t even have a mic.

Resulting in bad quality audio and having to redo a few episodes because of my inexperience. A huge upset if you are interviewing guests and they took time out of their busy schedule to speak with you.

Learn from my mistakes and start your podcast journey on the right foot.

Here is the equipment I have used to get the best audio that has led me to monetize my podcast.

Computer

You will need a computer to upload your mp.3 files, do your editing and so much more.

I am currently using a MacBook Air Computer:
Apple MacBook Air (13-inch Retina display, 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, 128GB) – Space Gray (Latest Model)

Of course, there are other computers that you can use as well. find out what’s best for you.

Microphones

Having the right mic is crucial to great audio. Do not use the built-in microphones that are on your computer.

That’s what I did when I first started and it wasn’t a great idea. Learn from my mistakes.

If you search around, you will see a lot of mics with different capabilities and prices.

Here are the mic’s that I am currently using.

For recordings  online and solo audio recording I use  Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB Cardioid Dynamic USB/XLR Microphone

For in-person interviews, these are the headset mics I use Shure SM10A-CN Cardioid Dynamic, Headworn, includes 5-Feet attached cable with XLR Connector and belt clip

When I was looking for these mic’s I knew I wanted something that was easy to travel with, had great audio even when you are outdoors and was also comfortable for my interviewees to wear.

If you are planning to have an in-home studio and do your recordings mostly from home, here is a mic that has amazing quality:  Blue Yeti USB Microphone – Silver

You can also get the Blue Yeti as a bundle and save on the accessories Blue Yeticaster Professional Broadcast Bundle with Yeti USB Microphone, Radius III Shockmount and Compass Boom Arm

Headphones

Headphones are great to prevent mistakes and to retake the recordings. I have my headphones on while doing an interview to make sure that the audio is clear and there is enough volume.

You do not want to record something and realize later that it is completely unusable (this has happened to me before when I didn’t use my headphones).

Here is the headphone I use: Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone

When I am traveling I use: Gaea Headphones,Premium in-Ear Wired Earphones with Mic and Noise Isolating Headset Compatible with Apple iPhone iPad iPod SE/6/6S/5/5S/5C and All 3.5mm Earbuds Devices-White (2Pack)

Wires

I usually carry extra wires in my bag for my mics.

This is the wire that I am currently using for my mic and recorder: Kopul Studio Elite 4000 Series XLR M to XLR F Microphone Cable – 6′ (1.8 m)

Handheld Recorder

There are a lot of recorders out there but the one I bought is the Zoom H6 Six-Track Portable Recorder

It is the best investment I have made on my podcast, aside from the mics.

If you are thinking of doing a lot of in-person interviews this recorder is a must! It is light and the perfect equipment to travel with because it is light and small. The audio quality is also incredible!

You can also buy the bundle that has most of the accessories that you will need for the recorder Zoom H6 Six-Track Portable Recorder with Interchangeable Microphone System with Deluxe Accessory Bundle

Online recorders

When I record my interviews online. I usually use Skype calls with Ecamm recorder.

You can also use Zoom which already has a built-in recorder.

I prefer Skype call with Ecamm recorder but there are many who use Zoom, you can decide which you prefer.

Bag

I do a lot of running around because I often travel to do my podcast interviews.

It took a lot of research to find the best bag that will allow me to carry all my equipment, and it took a while to find the right bag that fit all my needs and would fit all my equipment.

Lowepro Pro Runner BP 350 AW II. Pro Photographer Carry-On Camera Backpack fits all my criteria. Not only does it fit my audio/podcast equipment, but also my laptop, and camera gear.


Whether you are just starting out or have already created your podcast, the most important thing you can do is provide the best audio quality for your audience.

I can not emphasize enough how you can lose or gain a new listener just from the first few seconds of your audio.

Make sure you give them a good experience from the start so they will stay.

If you have any other questions about the equipment, editing and how to get started you can sign up for my podcast mentorship program here.

I can give you one on one advice and help you get started and succeed with your podcast.

Happy recording everyone!

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9 lessons I learned failing spectacularly as a freelancer and how it is helping me succeed today.

Many of you may not know this but I’ve tried to become a freelancer and failed three times already. 

There was a lot of pain and feeling like a huge failure. I’ve shed a lot of tears, and have questioned my purpose.

I didn’t realize that all of those failures would lead to the best lessons I would ever learn. More valuable than my college education ever taught me.

Here are the 9 lessons I’ve learned failing spectacularly as a freelancer and how it is helping me succeed today: 

1. I don’t want to travel for work. I want to have work that will allow me to travel. 

My first dive into freelance work was being a photojournalist. I was able to travel the world and go to remote areas where I photographed indigenous tribes.

My biggest goal was to work with the United Nations. And when I was given the opportunity by the UN to travel to China with 21 other artists to showcase my work, I realized that I accomplished what I set out to do and decided to leave at the “peak” of my career.

I realized that I needed to do something more to help the people I was photographing and constantly traveling for work was not sustainable.  I was burnt out. I left and didn’t touch my camera for 2 years.

FAILING AS A FREELANCER

2. Don’t get caught up in creating the perfect content. 

My second attempt to becoming a freelancer was to create a children’s website Lollie Tot. I produced how-to activity videos for parents with toddlers and provided in-person art classes.

I hustled hard, made the cutest videos, had the help of the most talented and supportive people. 

As a content creator, most of us are perfectionists’ and it can be really hard to publish your work when you feel like it is not “perfect”.

But, I realized that the more elaborate and complicated I made my work, the fewer people were interested. And the more simple they were, the more my audience was able to relate to the content.

One very simple video that I made in my kitchen-had almost 1 million views, while videos I made in a studio barely had a few thousand views.

Curious? See the video. 

3. Do the 80/20 rule when marketing. 

One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned as a creator was the 80/20 rule in marketing (and pretty much everything).

Spend 20 percent on creating content and 80 percent in marketing your product. Make the 20 percent the best it can be and market the hell out of it.

I learned that no matter how good your content is if you have no audience – it will only ever be a hobby.

I failed with Lollie Tot because I was creating quality content, but did not market my work properly and had no clue how to make money. It was not sustainable. I was spending too much and not earning enough.

failing as a freelancer

4. Having supportive people around you is crucial to your success.

You will know true friendships when you become an entrepreneur and freelancer.

A few years ago, someone ones told me that in order to succeed I may have to let go of certain people and to always surround myself with individuals who truly support me because it can be a very lonely road.

I never truly understood those words until recently. I realized how crucial it is to let go of negative people and to embrace the ones who truly support you.

5. You have to be passionate about what you do. 

Aaron and I also tried selling promotional products. It was a complete departure from my interests and there was no passion behind this new business except to make money and learn sales.

Freelance work really showed me why passion for your work is so important. I became bored. I hated the tasks I was doing and I was questioning my life choices every day.

I was not happy. I gave up.

failing as a freelancer

6. Networking the right way. 

During our time as promotional marketers, we attended so many networking events and we were constantly exhausted. After 6 months of doing 3-4 networking events every week we learned a valuable lesson:

Most people will waste your time. Learn how to be more efficient and research the person you want to connect with.

Instead of going to an event, contact them and ask them out for coffee, this way you will have their full attention and you can create a real relationship.

7. Delegating is the key to growth.

There were so many tasks that needed to be done, that Aaron and I decided to hire an assistant.

We learned that we could not do everything ourselves, and if we could – we really didn’t want to. We were getting some sales from the business and we decided to invest some of our profits to hiring an assistant to delegate some of the tedious tasks.

Although our business did not work, we learned that delegation is key to growth and to always hire someone who will make your business more efficient.

8. Be careful who you collaborate with but be open to new ideas. 

If you have ever met me and Aaron, you will quickly realize that we are very trusting people. We believe that everyone is essentially good.

We learned the hard way that not everyone can be trusted and ended up partnering with an individual who cost us thousands of dollars.

To this day, we still believe the best in people, but now we are more cautious in who we trust.

9. Learn from your mistakes and never give up.  If it is truly what you want. 

Although the last freelance work I did was a departure from my interests, it has taught me the most.

I have learned from so many of these mistakes and I am bringing them with me in my current business, that now it seems “easy” and a lot of things are “no-brainers”. But then I realized how many failures I’ve had in order to learn these lessons.

 

“It doesn’t get easier, you just get better”

Don’t get me wrong. I am still learning every day. But now I have a better picture of what’s ahead and more prepared to fall while I am continuously climbing up.

There will be opportunities that will be presented to you, many may not be your dream job, but they may be the jobs that will teach you the most about yourselves and what you really want in your life.

I “failed” at all of these freelance jobs and had to go back to my day job.

Feeling defeated and being lost is not new or foreign to me. I know that it isn’t too many of you either. Some of you may have gone through it already, while many more of you may feel defeated every day. 

failing as a freelancer

As I look back and as I am transitioning to yet another freelance lifestyle I realized that things are different this time around and the reason is… I’ve learned from all of these “mistakes”. 

I know that diving into a freelance career is hard work, but so is having a day job. Nothing is guaranteed and a lot of the people I have interviewed for the podcast became a freelancer because they lost a day-job.

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So whatever your decision is, whether to have a side hustle while you’re working your 9-5 or going into the unknown to become a full-time freelancer. Make sure it is the right decision for you at this moment.

Nothing is ever set in stone, and even if you have to go back to your day job, you can always try and try again. I am the living proof of that.

Embrace your failures. This is how life is educating you and it is worth more than any lessons you will receive in school. 

And always remember:

 

“You are not failing, you are learning.”

 


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