What Should You Do First If You Want to Be a Podcaster?

So you want to start a podcast? Awesome! What should you do first? In this quick hit from episode 24, Kate Volman shares her advice for the initial steps you should take before recording a single episode.

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--Kate is the CEO of Floyd Coaching. With over twenty years of experience in developing and leading life-changing programs for entrepreneurs and leaders, she has a passion for helping people grow. In addition to serving on the leadership team for multiple organizations throughout her career, she also used her entrepreneurial skills to start and run a boutique marketing firm.

Her enthusiasm and passion for helping people explore their creativity both personally and professionally make her a sought-after speaker, trainer, and executive coach. She leverages her knowledge and experience in personal development and company culture to help people live more fulfilling lives.

Kate is a multi-passionate leader, fitness enthusiast, podcaster, and book lover. She is the author of Do What You Love: A Guide to Living Your Creative Life Without Leaving Your Job.

Kate’s Links:

-- Website: www.KateVolman.com

-- Link to purchase Kate's book: https://amzn.to/3QVSRQw

-- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRvJ5IsMvwd6NKXbl64K-5Q

-- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katevolman/

#startapodcast #podcastlife #podcasting101 #episode24

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Oh, okay. So if you want to start a podcast today, especially if you've thought about

(00:11):
it for longer than you care to admit, because it's something that you keep saying, right?
Like how many people are like, I'm going to start a podcast and they've been saying it
for like the past three years and you're like, seriously, dude, just start your podcast.
So I would say that before you even care about the microphone or any of that stuff, which
of course is important, you got to have good audio if you're going to be a podcaster, but

(00:32):
it would be to decide what is the name of your podcast and then just write down the
first episode. What is your first episode? What are you going to talk about? Now I will
say, I was going to say three episodes, but I'm trying to keep it even that easier. But
I feel like a lot of people get stuck because they overthink what it's going to be. And

(00:55):
I think about like, if you're going to start a podcast, you're in it for the long haul.
You're going to have to come up with a lot of ideas. So like Ashley was saying, I think
that James Altiger's like 10 ideas a day is a great way to kind of create that muscle.
But think about what would be the first three episodes. Like what are they going to be and
what are they going to talk about? What would I talk about? And then give yourself permission

(01:17):
to create them knowing they are probably going to be bad. Like they're probably not going
to be the best episodes. You're going to go back to your first episode after you've done
10, 20, 50, and look back to your first one and think, oh my gosh, I'm so embarrassed.
That was horrible. Like what was I thinking? But it doesn't matter. So I think a lot of
people get really stuck in the process of the strategy, right? Like I have to make all

(01:42):
of them perfect. No, because if it's, if it really is about the reps, then you do the
first episode and then you learn and you get feedback. And then you do the second episode
and you learn and get feedback and you just keep getting better and better and better.
And so if you haven't started one, this is your time. You're going to create the name
of it and you are going to just create, what are your first episodes? What, what do you

(02:04):
feel so passionate about that you think I need to be behind the microphone sharing this
message? If you don't feel that strongly about something, you're not going to want to do
it every week. Like you're just not going to be excited to find people to talk about
that specific topic. You're not going to be excited to sit down and figure out what am
I going to talk about? What am I going to write? And, and what am I going to say? And

(02:27):
then, again, once you do, I mean, honestly, you know, once you do a few episodes, you
just kind of get hooked. But I will say, I think it's really important, just like when
people ask me, you know, how the writing process and writing a book, it's, it is literally
sitting down, giving yourself that goal. When I wrote my book, I, like a lot of people,

(02:51):
I put it off because it seems like a big project, just like a podcast, seems like a huge project.
If you think a hundred episodes, that's a lot, that's a big project, but you can do
one episode. You can do one episode. And so writing the book, you can write 250 words
today. That's it. That's all you have to do is write 250 words. And then tomorrow you
write 250 words. And then sometimes you sit, sit down to write 250 words and you end up

(03:13):
writing 500, a thousand words, just like in podcasting. Sometimes I, I sit down to record
one podcast and I think, oh, I could do another episode because I'm on a roll and I get another
episode in, but you sit down and you do the work. So whatever habit you have to create
that gets you in your seat at the same time, whether it's every week, every day, whatever

(03:35):
it is that gives you that, so that you're able to actually create. And again, not wait
for inspiration, but you're creating the inspiration by actually sitting down and making it more
of a practice and process than outcome.