October 13, 2023 • 25 mins
What if I told you that you could start with nothing, essentially no podcasting know-how, and ascend to the top 2% of podcasts globally? That's the story we're diving into today. I, Chris Anderson, take you on a captivating journey tracing my steps from launching the Pencil Leadership Podcast in 2019 to establishing Elevate Media. I'm letting you in on the epic adventure, detailing my initial struggles with lighting, equipment, and content creation. I'll share how I drew inspiration from industry greats like Lewis Howes and how I learned to swim in the deep end, rather than waiting for a perfect start.
You might be wondering, "What lessons can I pick from Chris's voyage?" Well, I've boiled down my experiences into five key lessons that have been instrumental to my growth and success. Learning the art of consistency, adaptability, and content repurposing transformed my podcasting journey and can do the same for yours. But it's not just about these, it's also about the continuous learning and improving, which helped me not only to establish Elevate Media Group but also to refine my skills as a speaker and listener. This episode is packed with insights, stories, and tips that can help you navigate your journey to success, regardless of where you're starting.
This episode is NOT sponsored. Some product links are affiliate links, meaning we'll receive a small commission if you buy something.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Elevate Media Podcast with your
host, Chris Anderson.
In this show, Chris and hisguests will share their
knowledge and experience on howto go from zero to successful
entrepreneur.
They have built theirbusinesses from scratch and are
now ready to give back to thosewho are just starting.
Let's get ready to learn, growand elevate our businesses.
And now your host, ChrisAnderson.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Welcome back to another recording of the Elevate
Media Podcast.
I'm Chris Anderson, your host.
Today.
I want to share a little bitabout my journey From podcasting
when I initially started backin 2019, and how it's led to
Elevate Media and the businesssuccess I've had so far in this
journey.
And then I want to end thisepisode with five key lessons
(00:47):
I've learned on this journey.
So you want to stick around tothe very end to get those
lessons that I've learned andhopefully that they can help you
elevate your journey, elevateyour brand as we go.
So if you're ready and you'renot driving, take out a pen and
paper and let's get to it.
Elevate Media Podcast.
Where did it all begin?
(01:08):
It actually started back in2019, november 2019.
So we're coming up on fouryears of the podcast here soon.
If you're listening to thislive, if not, well, it's past
four years probably.
When I first started it, itwasn't Elevate Media Podcast, it
was the Pencil LeadershipPodcast and it was the same
(01:31):
setup, the same format ofinterviewing guests, because I
originally just wanted to learnfrom successful entrepreneurs so
I could do something and buildsomething as well, but then I
could share it with those whotuned in and listened so they
could get the benefit as well.
And that's where it started.
It started and I was alwaysdoing video.
(01:52):
But if you look back and listenback to those episodes, they
are terrible and I've mentionedthis multiple times they are
really bad.
They just I didn't know aboutlighting, I didn't know about
equipment that well depth, allthis different pieces that I've
learned along the way.
(02:12):
So I'm surprised I had anyonelisten for the longest time and
so they're still up and they'restill there, because I'm not,
you know, I'm not of I don'tmind people seeing that because
we all start at zero.
We all start not knowinganything.
We all start at, you know, ourchapter one and that was mine,
(02:33):
and so to be able to see thatprogression, transition through
the years in such a short amountof time has been really a crazy
thing and be able to get whereI've done with it.
But the podcast originally wasjust again, like I said, for me
to learn and then be able toshare the same kind of things to
the audience and I kind of justdove into it.
(02:55):
Like I said, I didn't know muchabout video or lighting or all
the technical things.
I used my computer webcam was acheap pair of kid headphones
and, I think, originally the micon my computer and then I got a
cheap mic off Amazon shortlyafter I started.
But it wasn't that good when Ifirst started.
You know I'm one who fires andthen aims.
(03:19):
Later I kind of just jump intothe deep end and learn to swim.
But before I had started thepodcast I really learned from
Lewis Howes, the schoolgreatness, who you know I really
looked up to and what he haddone with his podcast, and so I
kind of learned from himdifferent steps to take to
launch.
So that's why I use Buzzsprout,that's why you stream yard,
(03:41):
because I heard it through him,and so Lewis was a really big
part of this whole journey andagain learning from him.
Like what, what systems useBuzzsprout, streamyard, I think.
Originally I started with Zoombecause I was unsure and I
didn't learn that from him untila little bit later.
But I just got started andthat's what a lot of people
(04:03):
that's where they get stuck Is.
They think they think they haveto have it perfect, they think
they have to have everythingfigured out or all the pieces of
equipment or everything inplace before they start and that
stops so many people and ithinders your ability to truly
elevate and get to that nextlevel of life.
With business, with life,whatever it is, we get in our
(04:25):
way, thinking we have to have ita certain way.
So I just kind of jumped to thedeep end and said, you know, I
love Indiana Jones and in theRiders of the Lost Ark someone
asked Indy, you know what's theplan?
He's like I don't know, makingthis up as I go and that's kind
of how I felt.
You know, I just kind offigured out as I went along and,
(04:45):
you know, hope something stuckand something came out of it.
But the podcast, it's been sucha journey with learning the
different tech skills, editingthe content creation, the topic
development, the guests, theinterviewing man listening back,
some of my early ones.
It was just so robotic and noflow to it and no very stiff,
(05:09):
just this question, okay, thisquestion, okay, this question,
and just rolling through themand just so much growth through
the years.
And that comes from learningfrom other people for one.
And so, yeah, the podcast thenled into, you know, the business
itself.
I had no idea what I wanted todo when I quit my job in 2020.
(05:29):
All I knew was I had thispodcast.
I'm learning from thesesuccessful entrepreneurs, I'm
going to figure something outand it you know, the podcasting
stuff just kind of came to me.
People were like, hey, how didyour podcast get in the top you
know, 2% globally listened to?
At the time when I started, Ithink the first milestone was
top 10%.
Now we're in the top 2%.
But like, how'd you do that?
(05:50):
How'd you launch?
How'd you do this?
What's the best platform?
All these things?
You know I needed the money, Ineeded the cash flow, and so I
leaned into that and I used thatthose things that I learned, to
help other people, help themget their story out there, help
them to get their knowledge outthere to their audience.
And I started seeing kind ofthe cool ripple effects that I
(06:11):
could have by helping otherpeople get their shows out there
into the podcast universe.
And eventually you know, the endof 2021, again got myself out
of the way and said, okay, I'mgoing to lean into this podcast
service field.
I'm going to start elevatemedia group.
We're going to help launch,we're going to help edit, we're
(06:33):
going to do it for them so theycan get their story out there,
so they can elevate their lives,their businesses and those that
they're trying to impact theiraudience, and we're just going
to be in the background, youknow, helping these amazing
people do amazing stuff.
And that's when it was born andthat's kind of when business
started.
And because of the podcast,that's what led me to that.
Without that, without thepodcast, I don't know.
(06:55):
But I've started elevating,gotten into another video
podcast service realm and nowthe live production live video
production world as well.
So it was the stepping stone toget to where I am today.
And then the podcast, I think,has helped me be more successful
(07:16):
at business because it's openedup the doors for connections.
You know, 85% of our businesscomes from referrals from people
who have either been guests andwe built good relationships
with or from those clients thatwe've brought on that we've done
great work for they preferredpeople to us.
That's where the most, most ofour success comes from and it
(07:39):
comes from the podcast and themajority of clients either have
come as a guest or a guest ofours connected us with them, and
so it's been a huge driver forthe show.
In specific instances wherewe've we've got business
directly from a guest, they comeon.
You know, you build rapportwith them.
(07:59):
You're going to put them on apedestal in front of your
audience, but then they get up.
You know, learn a little aboutyou, see how you work and hear
more about what you do.
As you're building thatrelationship before you record,
and it's directly caused us tohave business.
Indirectly it's benefitedelevating myself through people
(08:21):
seeing the show and asking me tospeak at events, speak at
colleges, speak at differentconferences, and so that's an
indirect benefit.
But it's a benefit no lessbecause again, anytime I get a
share, I love being able toshare my story because it points
back to again that it's allgreater than myself, because my
(08:43):
face is big and how God has beenon my journey.
So it's been able to be able tobe a reflection to that which
is huge for me and indirectlyit's benefited I've become a
better speaker, I've become abetter interviewer, I've become
better at listening.
(09:03):
I'm not perfect.
Obviously.
If you're listening to theepisode you can understand I'm
not perfect, but it's helped meto grow as a person.
I've seen who I am more andseen myself in a different way,
which is good, and I've builtmore confidence.
I've been able to connect witha lot of cool people and so
(09:26):
there's been a lot of benefitsfrom it.
And as the podcast has beengrowing and then started to
trickle over into business andbusiness starts to grow even
though there's always ups anddowns in businesses but moments
that I've realized through thisjourney that, okay, this is
working, this is gonna work, youjust gotta stick with it.
(09:48):
Moments where people reach outto me and they have me speak to
things to have me be a guest ontheir show.
They're reaching out, wantingmy story and expertise, which is
crazy.
It's humbling for people to dothat and reach out.
Other moment where I started tobe able to make money from the
podcast directly through WidgetImage earlier, but directly
(10:11):
through payments.
When people pitch to be guests.
We do have a fee for thoseindividuals and that's only
because it goes towards our teamfor marketing purposes and
because of what we've built.
They're gonna get a lot of freepublicity.
Minus that, it's super, supersmall fee.
(10:31):
It's nothing really.
We just had to.
Eventually, the biggest reasonis to weed out some people who
weren't as serious or weren'tnecessarily a good fit for the
show, because you get pitched alot eventually as you're growing
.
We get I get multiple emails aday of people wanting to be on
(10:54):
the show and I just can'tfacilitate all of those, and so
we had to have a way to weed outsome or lessen those
applications for the show, andthat's one way we did it.
So, and a lot of times itbrings on hired quality guests
who are willing to invest intheir story and their message
(11:15):
getting out to more people sothey understand the benefit as
well.
So that's another reason we didit.
But, yeah, those moments werelike, okay, this machine is
gonna continue to grow if wecontinue to nurture and provide
value to those out in thecommunity, and so it's been a
fun, fun journey so far, and sonow I wanna break down five
(11:35):
lessons that I've learned so faron my journey, and hopefully
you can take some of these awayand implement them or learn
something from them as well.
But the first lesson is thepower of networking in
relationships.
This is critical because it'snot necessarily all about what
you know, but who you know, andyou never know who you're going
(11:58):
to meet, and so always comingyou know to a new relationship
or new connection, transparentlyand as your real self, will be
so much better because you'regonna be able to continue that
on and those who are gonnaresonate with you are gonna
stick around and those who don'tare, and that's okay.
(12:18):
But the ones that stick around,the ones that are good
relationships, are those thatshould be nurtured, because you
never know how you can helpsomebody else and how they can
help you and what difference youcan make together by building
these relationships.
You don't know where businessgonna come from.
You don't know whereopportunities are gonna come
from, so you can't just assumefrom looking on the outside of a
(12:43):
person that what's gonna comefrom that.
So you know, building thoserelationships, giving as much as
you can before you ever ask foranything is a crucial piece,
and just being willing and opento share and you know, help and
add value again is crucial.
And that's the first lesson isjust really diving into
(13:04):
networking and buildingrelationships with new people in
the areas and the levels you'retrying to get to, and just
adding value how you can.
The second lesson is just beingconsistent.
That is something you know.
I've heard Alex Ramosy say.
So much is you gotta play thelong game.
If you can stick with somethinglonger than everyone else,
(13:26):
you're gonna succeed, becauseyou're gonna get better.
If you're doing right, you'regonna get better, you're gonna
innovate, you're going to, youknow, tweak things and you're
just gonna last and you're gonnaeventually get there because
you're gonna be the best andit's it's.
That's true in the long senseof things in business, but it's
also true in the here now.
(13:47):
Are you consistently getting amessage out?
Are you consistently connectingwith new people?
Are you consistently showingwhat you can do through your
business?
And doing that on a consistentschedule allows people to build
trust with you.
It allows people to know thatyou're gonna be there and you're
(14:10):
gonna show up and you're gonnaprovide value, which again goes
back to that no like and trustfactor.
It's gonna just amplify thatand it takes time and that's the
thing.
If you can be consistent withit, you're gonna build different
muscles, you're gonna get builda thicker skin.
You're gonna be able to build abetter.
You know mental fortitude tostick with things when they get
rough, because they will andthey're gonna be up to the doubt
(14:32):
.
But if you can, just you knowno, I'm gonna be consistent, no
matter why.
You know either win or learnright, there is no lose really.
Then you know that's gonna.
That's gonna take you a lotfarther and get you to new
levels a lot faster if you canjust be consistent.
That's why I love podcasting,because it helps you get on that
(14:52):
consistent schedule which thenhelps you get out more content
more consistently and show upmore consistently and improve
more consistently.
And that's why I always pushpeople doing video podcasts for
their brands, because it just itmakes you be consistent or it's
just not gonna work.
So that was the second lessonand the lesson three is being
(15:13):
adaptable and being able tochange.
So it's like that friend'sepisode pivot.
You know you've gotta be ableto pivot.
You've gotta be able to takechallenges and obstacles head on
because they're gonna come.
It's gonna come in podcasting,it's gonna come in business and
it's gonna come in life, becauselife's not fair, business isn't
fair.
(15:33):
There are hard times, there areunforeseen things that happen
and you have to be able to pivotand change quickly sometimes to
overcome those obstacles.
You've gotta have that thickskin and you've gotta have that
mental fortitude, like Imentioned earlier, about what
you that you get from beingconsistent.
So you know, there have beentimes where again, we started
(15:56):
out as pencil leadership andthat was my whole thought
process behind that.
That all had to change andadapt because what I was trying
to do there just didn't alignand didn't fit.
And then I was able to changeand adapt into what my strengths
was in, which was the podcastitself and in that field.
And so gaining myself out ofthe way and being able to change
(16:18):
and adapt was a challenge initself.
And then making money andgrowing a business and all that
comes with business you knowthere's so many challenges that
you have to face, figuring itall out, wearing all the hats at
first until you can bringpeople on.
Those are all challenges youhave to, you know, adapt to your
schedule, your routines.
(16:38):
And then, when you have kidsand you throw kids in the mix,
or even a wife, girlfriend,whatever, it is significant
other.
That all takes adaptation andchanges in your lifestyle, in
your schedule to, you know,continue to grow with that.
And then, of course, the trendsin podcasting and business.
Who would have thought we hadchat GPT this year come out Was
(17:01):
even this year, I don't know.
We had chat GP, chat GPT comeout and that was something huge.
Now that in AI itself, thingsthat we have to adapt to in
business and in podcasting,things that can make things
easier, but if we rely on themtoo much could cause some issues
.
So you've got to be able toadapt to these trends and
changes and be involved in those.
(17:23):
So that's the third lesson thatI've learned along the way is
just being able to, you know,pivot and shift when things are
needed to.
And then the fourth lesson Ilearned and I learned this
fairly quickly is repurposingyour content across different
channels for different purposes.
That's why I love videopodcasting, because you can
record one episode and you canrepurpose it across every
(17:46):
channel on any format you wantfrom a blog post a static post,
just a quote.
You know, you're, of course,your micro video content, like
your reels and ticktocks thatare huge.
You can take part of it out asan ad to push, you can use it
for marketing, like.
So there's so many purposes andit's so crucial to get all the
(18:09):
miles you can out of everythingyou create, especially when
you're bootstrapping from thebeginning and it's just you.
You've got to be able to dothat and you got to be you know,
omnipresent as best you can.
Obviously, you want to pick acouple of platforms at the
beginning and get really good,but you eventually got to expand
.
You've got to be there, you'vegot to show up, you got to be
seen, because if they don't knowyou, then you're not going to
grow and you've so to do that.
(18:31):
You've got to be out there andsee what you're going to do and
seeing on the platforms thatthey're on.
And so being able to repurposecontent is is crucial, and
that's one, one big lesson Ilearned early on.
And then lesson five is alwaysbe learning and always be
improving.
You know, and that's somethingI truly enjoy, and that's one
(18:52):
reason I started the podcastright Cause I wanted to continue
to learn from success,successful people and be able to
improve my life, my show, mybusiness, and that's why I have
so many books.
I have over 800 books in my homelibrary.
I haven't read them all, but Ihave access to to learn from any
topic you know, from anybodyout there who's written a book
(19:15):
Like.
We have access to that.
We have YouTube channels wherewe can go and learn, you know,
at any moment we want.
We have podcasts that we can golisten to and learn at any
moment we want.
And so being dedicated to learnand improve is a huge lesson,
because we can always get betterand we can always learn new
skill, no matter who is from.
You know, I could talk to afive year old and in my mindset
(19:36):
is they could, they could teachme something, maybe not through
what they say, but how they, youknow, approach a situation.
So we can learn from anyone,and I think we can.
If we can keep our mindset fromin that, you know, position, I
think it would really do us alot of justice.
And I'm always open and lookingfor feedback from people.
You know I know I'm not perfect, I know the show's not perfect,
I know we can improve greatly.
(19:58):
I know I can do better onepisodes, and so I'm always
asking people like you'relistening, what do you think we
can do better?
What do you want to hear more?
Because I'm not above, you know, improving what we're doing and
I want to hear what people haveto say, and you know I can put
that ego away and pride awayenough to to listen.
(20:18):
I'm not perfect at it, ofcourse.
Sometimes I'm like huh, no, Ithought that was good, but you
know, taking a second look at it, okay, I see what they're
saying.
I could do that a little bitbetter.
So If you can put yourself in aposition to continually learn
and improve.
You're gonna.
You know, you're gonna takesteps a lot faster than other
people who aren't willing to sayyou know, I'm not the best or
(20:43):
I'm not as good in this area Ican.
I can learn and improve there,and it's seeking that from
mentors, from all the resourceswe have.
So that's, that's lesson fiveis being able to always learn
and improve for sure.
You know we've been trulyblessed on this journey.
You know, learning all theselessons and, like I said, you
know, the podcast is top 2%globally listened to.
(21:05):
We've been charted, you know,on different charts globally in
the top 25 in market or business, in marketing or business.
You know.
So open up the doors to, like acool relationships.
It's helped my business grow.
You know it's allowed me now tobe speaking on stages, in
classrooms.
(21:25):
It's, you know I've been ableto interview over 200 amazing,
successful people with greatstories to share, who are trying
to make a difference in theworld.
Like that proximity of theirsis just fantastic and amazing.
And you know, being able to beon other people's show and share
(21:48):
my story and hopefully inspiresomeone to elevate their life
and their brand, just from thathas been phenomenal.
I've been able to, you know,build a business that supports
me and my family, where I'm ableto work from home, see my kids
grow up and, you know, buildsomething that now can support
(22:09):
other people as we're continuingto grow, that we're able to now
share people's stories throughwhat we create so they can reach
more people, and it's just beenan amazing journey that I'm
super blessed to be on, to be apart of and to have you
listening out there.
I thank you for that.
So I don't tell you all that tobrag and, you know, make myself
look good or anything like that, because it's all because of
(22:31):
you guys out there listening andsupporting and, you know,
giving me feedback.
But I also wanted to say allthat to show you that it's
possible for you, because I wasnothing special from the middle
of cornfields in Indiana.
You know you can do somethinglike this too.
You just have to, you know, golearn those lessons, like I did.
(22:53):
You know, stay consistent, juststart and not give up, and you
too can can do some amazingthings, elevate your life and
elevate your brand.
So I'm looking forward to, youknow, many more episodes to come
.
You know this is episode 300,episode 300 that I put out there
.
We're not going to stop anytimesoon.
(23:14):
You know, looking forward tothe next 300.
Getting into, you know, episode1000 one day which is crazy to
think about to say even and justcontinue to grow business.
You know we reached the pointwhere you know we're an annual
six figure business.
We're looking to kick that tomultiple, multiple, six figures,
(23:37):
just because you know, in oureconomy now to be transparent,
like six years is great, but asa business it's not much like
it's a success.
I'm super grateful for it, butwith everything else that comes
from it, like things you have topay for, you know, when you
bring on team because obviouslyI can't do this myself, like it
(23:57):
is what it is, so like gettingit to the next cell so I can
continue to support, so I cancontinue to do great things and
help more people, that's thegoal.
Like not to stop and justcontinue to grow it, where we
can just continue to elevatebrands and lives out there.
The podcast again just continueto talk to great guests so we
can help those listening andyeah, so stay tuned for upcoming
(24:19):
episodes.
If you are, have you notsubscribed to the show yet?
Go do that and leave me areview and a rating.
Let me know what you trulythink so I can approve and get
better.
And I appreciate everyonelistening out there.
So, yeah, I just want to kind ofhighlight my journey a little
bit with the podcast andbusiness.
You know some things I'velearned, some things I've been
through and, yeah, again, truly,truly, I'm looking for feedback
(24:43):
.
So shoot me a message onInstagram at christanderson I
still take those messages andI'd love to hear from you any
feedback you have or maybeepisodes you want to hear about.
Let me know, don't be shy.
And yeah, again, you know,share this with someone who
might be on their journey, whomight be struggling, who might
be getting a little irritatedwith how things are going.
(25:03):
Let them know that it's part ofthe journey and that they can
make it, because we can helpmore people if we share this out
together.
So that's it for this episode.
Again, thanks so much fortuning in, but until next time,
go out there, elevate your life,elevate your business, elevate
your brand, and we'll talk toyou soon.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Thank you for listening to the Elevate Media
Podcast.
Don't forget to subscribe andleave a review.
See you in the next episode.
Welcome to the Elevate Media Podcast with your
host, Chris Anderson.
In this show, Chris and hisguests will share their
knowledge and experience on howto go from zero to successful
entrepreneur.
They have built theirbusinesses from scratch and are
now ready to give back to thosewho are just starting.
Let's get ready to learn, growand elevate our businesses.
And now your host, ChrisAnderson.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Welcome back to another recording of the Elevate
Media Podcast.
I'm Chris Anderson, your host.
Today.
I want to share a little bitabout my journey From podcasting
when I initially started backin 2019, and how it's led to
Elevate Media and the businesssuccess I've had so far in this
journey.
And then I want to end thisepisode with five key lessons
(00:47):
I've learned on this journey.
So you want to stick around tothe very end to get those
lessons that I've learned andhopefully that they can help you
elevate your journey, elevateyour brand as we go.
So if you're ready and you'renot driving, take out a pen and
paper and let's get to it.
Elevate Media Podcast.
Where did it all begin?
(01:08):
It actually started back in2019, november 2019.
So we're coming up on fouryears of the podcast here soon.
If you're listening to thislive, if not, well, it's past
four years probably.
When I first started it, itwasn't Elevate Media Podcast, it
was the Pencil LeadershipPodcast and it was the same
(01:31):
setup, the same format ofinterviewing guests, because I
originally just wanted to learnfrom successful entrepreneurs so
I could do something and buildsomething as well, but then I
could share it with those whotuned in and listened so they
could get the benefit as well.
And that's where it started.
It started and I was alwaysdoing video.
(01:52):
But if you look back and listenback to those episodes, they
are terrible and I've mentionedthis multiple times they are
really bad.
They just I didn't know aboutlighting, I didn't know about
equipment that well depth, allthis different pieces that I've
learned along the way.
(02:12):
So I'm surprised I had anyonelisten for the longest time and
so they're still up and they'restill there, because I'm not,
you know, I'm not of I don'tmind people seeing that because
we all start at zero.
We all start not knowinganything.
We all start at, you know, ourchapter one and that was mine,
(02:33):
and so to be able to see thatprogression, transition through
the years in such a short amountof time has been really a crazy
thing and be able to get whereI've done with it.
But the podcast originally wasjust again, like I said, for me
to learn and then be able toshare the same kind of things to
the audience and I kind of justdove into it.
(02:55):
Like I said, I didn't know muchabout video or lighting or all
the technical things.
I used my computer webcam was acheap pair of kid headphones
and, I think, originally the micon my computer and then I got a
cheap mic off Amazon shortlyafter I started.
But it wasn't that good when Ifirst started.
You know I'm one who fires andthen aims.
(03:19):
Later I kind of just jump intothe deep end and learn to swim.
But before I had started thepodcast I really learned from
Lewis Howes, the schoolgreatness, who you know I really
looked up to and what he haddone with his podcast, and so I
kind of learned from himdifferent steps to take to
launch.
So that's why I use Buzzsprout,that's why you stream yard,
(03:41):
because I heard it through him,and so Lewis was a really big
part of this whole journey andagain learning from him.
Like what, what systems useBuzzsprout, streamyard, I think.
Originally I started with Zoombecause I was unsure and I
didn't learn that from him untila little bit later.
But I just got started andthat's what a lot of people
(04:03):
that's where they get stuck Is.
They think they think they haveto have it perfect, they think
they have to have everythingfigured out or all the pieces of
equipment or everything inplace before they start and that
stops so many people and ithinders your ability to truly
elevate and get to that nextlevel of life.
With business, with life,whatever it is, we get in our
(04:25):
way, thinking we have to have ita certain way.
So I just kind of jumped to thedeep end and said, you know, I
love Indiana Jones and in theRiders of the Lost Ark someone
asked Indy, you know what's theplan?
He's like I don't know, makingthis up as I go and that's kind
of how I felt.
You know, I just kind offigured out as I went along and,
(04:45):
you know, hope something stuckand something came out of it.
But the podcast, it's been sucha journey with learning the
different tech skills, editingthe content creation, the topic
development, the guests, theinterviewing man listening back,
some of my early ones.
It was just so robotic and noflow to it and no very stiff,
(05:09):
just this question, okay, thisquestion, okay, this question,
and just rolling through themand just so much growth through
the years.
And that comes from learningfrom other people for one.
And so, yeah, the podcast thenled into, you know, the business
itself.
I had no idea what I wanted todo when I quit my job in 2020.
(05:29):
All I knew was I had thispodcast.
I'm learning from thesesuccessful entrepreneurs, I'm
going to figure something outand it you know, the podcasting
stuff just kind of came to me.
People were like, hey, how didyour podcast get in the top you
know, 2% globally listened to?
At the time when I started, Ithink the first milestone was
top 10%.
Now we're in the top 2%.
But like, how'd you do that?
(05:50):
How'd you launch?
How'd you do this?
What's the best platform?
All these things?
You know I needed the money, Ineeded the cash flow, and so I
leaned into that and I used thatthose things that I learned, to
help other people, help themget their story out there, help
them to get their knowledge outthere to their audience.
And I started seeing kind ofthe cool ripple effects that I
(06:11):
could have by helping otherpeople get their shows out there
into the podcast universe.
And eventually you know, the endof 2021, again got myself out
of the way and said, okay, I'mgoing to lean into this podcast
service field.
I'm going to start elevatemedia group.
We're going to help launch,we're going to help edit, we're
(06:33):
going to do it for them so theycan get their story out there,
so they can elevate their lives,their businesses and those that
they're trying to impact theiraudience, and we're just going
to be in the background, youknow, helping these amazing
people do amazing stuff.
And that's when it was born andthat's kind of when business
started.
And because of the podcast,that's what led me to that.
Without that, without thepodcast, I don't know.
(06:55):
But I've started elevating,gotten into another video
podcast service realm and nowthe live production live video
production world as well.
So it was the stepping stone toget to where I am today.
And then the podcast, I think,has helped me be more successful
(07:16):
at business because it's openedup the doors for connections.
You know, 85% of our businesscomes from referrals from people
who have either been guests andwe built good relationships
with or from those clients thatwe've brought on that we've done
great work for they preferredpeople to us.
That's where the most, most ofour success comes from and it
(07:39):
comes from the podcast and themajority of clients either have
come as a guest or a guest ofours connected us with them, and
so it's been a huge driver forthe show.
In specific instances wherewe've we've got business
directly from a guest, they comeon.
You know, you build rapportwith them.
(07:59):
You're going to put them on apedestal in front of your
audience, but then they get up.
You know, learn a little aboutyou, see how you work and hear
more about what you do.
As you're building thatrelationship before you record,
and it's directly caused us tohave business.
Indirectly it's benefitedelevating myself through people
(08:21):
seeing the show and asking me tospeak at events, speak at
colleges, speak at differentconferences, and so that's an
indirect benefit.
But it's a benefit no lessbecause again, anytime I get a
share, I love being able toshare my story because it points
back to again that it's allgreater than myself, because my
(08:43):
face is big and how God has beenon my journey.
So it's been able to be able tobe a reflection to that which
is huge for me and indirectlyit's benefited I've become a
better speaker, I've become abetter interviewer, I've become
better at listening.
(09:03):
I'm not perfect.
Obviously.
If you're listening to theepisode you can understand I'm
not perfect, but it's helped meto grow as a person.
I've seen who I am more andseen myself in a different way,
which is good, and I've builtmore confidence.
I've been able to connect witha lot of cool people and so
(09:26):
there's been a lot of benefitsfrom it.
And as the podcast has beengrowing and then started to
trickle over into business andbusiness starts to grow even
though there's always ups anddowns in businesses but moments
that I've realized through thisjourney that, okay, this is
working, this is gonna work, youjust gotta stick with it.
(09:48):
Moments where people reach outto me and they have me speak to
things to have me be a guest ontheir show.
They're reaching out, wantingmy story and expertise, which is
crazy.
It's humbling for people to dothat and reach out.
Other moment where I started tobe able to make money from the
podcast directly through WidgetImage earlier, but directly
(10:11):
through payments.
When people pitch to be guests.
We do have a fee for thoseindividuals and that's only
because it goes towards our teamfor marketing purposes and
because of what we've built.
They're gonna get a lot of freepublicity.
Minus that, it's super, supersmall fee.
(10:31):
It's nothing really.
We just had to.
Eventually, the biggest reasonis to weed out some people who
weren't as serious or weren'tnecessarily a good fit for the
show, because you get pitched alot eventually as you're growing
.
We get I get multiple emails aday of people wanting to be on
(10:54):
the show and I just can'tfacilitate all of those, and so
we had to have a way to weed outsome or lessen those
applications for the show, andthat's one way we did it.
So, and a lot of times itbrings on hired quality guests
who are willing to invest intheir story and their message
(11:15):
getting out to more people sothey understand the benefit as
well.
So that's another reason we didit.
But, yeah, those moments werelike, okay, this machine is
gonna continue to grow if wecontinue to nurture and provide
value to those out in thecommunity, and so it's been a
fun, fun journey so far, and sonow I wanna break down five
(11:35):
lessons that I've learned so faron my journey, and hopefully
you can take some of these awayand implement them or learn
something from them as well.
But the first lesson is thepower of networking in
relationships.
This is critical because it'snot necessarily all about what
you know, but who you know, andyou never know who you're going
(11:58):
to meet, and so always comingyou know to a new relationship
or new connection, transparentlyand as your real self, will be
so much better because you'regonna be able to continue that
on and those who are gonnaresonate with you are gonna
stick around and those who don'tare, and that's okay.
(12:18):
But the ones that stick around,the ones that are good
relationships, are those thatshould be nurtured, because you
never know how you can helpsomebody else and how they can
help you and what difference youcan make together by building
these relationships.
You don't know where businessgonna come from.
You don't know whereopportunities are gonna come
from, so you can't just assumefrom looking on the outside of a
(12:43):
person that what's gonna comefrom that.
So you know, building thoserelationships, giving as much as
you can before you ever ask foranything is a crucial piece,
and just being willing and opento share and you know, help and
add value again is crucial.
And that's the first lesson isjust really diving into
(13:04):
networking and buildingrelationships with new people in
the areas and the levels you'retrying to get to, and just
adding value how you can.
The second lesson is just beingconsistent.
That is something you know.
I've heard Alex Ramosy say.
So much is you gotta play thelong game.
If you can stick with somethinglonger than everyone else,
(13:26):
you're gonna succeed, becauseyou're gonna get better.
If you're doing right, you'regonna get better, you're gonna
innovate, you're going to, youknow, tweak things and you're
just gonna last and you're gonnaeventually get there because
you're gonna be the best andit's it's.
That's true in the long senseof things in business, but it's
also true in the here now.
(13:47):
Are you consistently getting amessage out?
Are you consistently connectingwith new people?
Are you consistently showingwhat you can do through your
business?
And doing that on a consistentschedule allows people to build
trust with you.
It allows people to know thatyou're gonna be there and you're
(14:10):
gonna show up and you're gonnaprovide value, which again goes
back to that no like and trustfactor.
It's gonna just amplify thatand it takes time and that's the
thing.
If you can be consistent withit, you're gonna build different
muscles, you're gonna get builda thicker skin.
You're gonna be able to build abetter.
You know mental fortitude tostick with things when they get
rough, because they will andthey're gonna be up to the doubt
(14:32):
.
But if you can, just you knowno, I'm gonna be consistent, no
matter why.
You know either win or learnright, there is no lose really.
Then you know that's gonna.
That's gonna take you a lotfarther and get you to new
levels a lot faster if you canjust be consistent.
That's why I love podcasting,because it helps you get on that
(14:52):
consistent schedule which thenhelps you get out more content
more consistently and show upmore consistently and improve
more consistently.
And that's why I always pushpeople doing video podcasts for
their brands, because it just itmakes you be consistent or it's
just not gonna work.
So that was the second lessonand the lesson three is being
(15:13):
adaptable and being able tochange.
So it's like that friend'sepisode pivot.
You know you've gotta be ableto pivot.
You've gotta be able to takechallenges and obstacles head on
because they're gonna come.
It's gonna come in podcasting,it's gonna come in business and
it's gonna come in life, becauselife's not fair, business isn't
fair.
(15:33):
There are hard times, there areunforeseen things that happen
and you have to be able to pivotand change quickly sometimes to
overcome those obstacles.
You've gotta have that thickskin and you've gotta have that
mental fortitude, like Imentioned earlier, about what
you that you get from beingconsistent.
So you know, there have beentimes where again, we started
(15:56):
out as pencil leadership andthat was my whole thought
process behind that.
That all had to change andadapt because what I was trying
to do there just didn't alignand didn't fit.
And then I was able to changeand adapt into what my strengths
was in, which was the podcastitself and in that field.
And so gaining myself out ofthe way and being able to change
(16:18):
and adapt was a challenge initself.
And then making money andgrowing a business and all that
comes with business you knowthere's so many challenges that
you have to face, figuring itall out, wearing all the hats at
first until you can bringpeople on.
Those are all challenges youhave to, you know, adapt to your
schedule, your routines.
(16:38):
And then, when you have kidsand you throw kids in the mix,
or even a wife, girlfriend,whatever, it is significant
other.
That all takes adaptation andchanges in your lifestyle, in
your schedule to, you know,continue to grow with that.
And then, of course, the trendsin podcasting and business.
Who would have thought we hadchat GPT this year come out Was
(17:01):
even this year, I don't know.
We had chat GP, chat GPT comeout and that was something huge.
Now that in AI itself, thingsthat we have to adapt to in
business and in podcasting,things that can make things
easier, but if we rely on themtoo much could cause some issues
.
So you've got to be able toadapt to these trends and
changes and be involved in those.
(17:23):
So that's the third lesson thatI've learned along the way is
just being able to, you know,pivot and shift when things are
needed to.
And then the fourth lesson Ilearned and I learned this
fairly quickly is repurposingyour content across different
channels for different purposes.
That's why I love videopodcasting, because you can
record one episode and you canrepurpose it across every
(17:46):
channel on any format you wantfrom a blog post a static post,
just a quote.
You know, you're, of course,your micro video content, like
your reels and ticktocks thatare huge.
You can take part of it out asan ad to push, you can use it
for marketing, like.
So there's so many purposes andit's so crucial to get all the
(18:09):
miles you can out of everythingyou create, especially when
you're bootstrapping from thebeginning and it's just you.
You've got to be able to dothat and you got to be you know,
omnipresent as best you can.
Obviously, you want to pick acouple of platforms at the
beginning and get really good,but you eventually got to expand
.
You've got to be there, you'vegot to show up, you got to be
seen, because if they don't knowyou, then you're not going to
grow and you've so to do that.
(18:31):
You've got to be out there andsee what you're going to do and
seeing on the platforms thatthey're on.
And so being able to repurposecontent is is crucial, and
that's one, one big lesson Ilearned early on.
And then lesson five is alwaysbe learning and always be
improving.
You know, and that's somethingI truly enjoy, and that's one
(18:52):
reason I started the podcastright Cause I wanted to continue
to learn from success,successful people and be able to
improve my life, my show, mybusiness, and that's why I have
so many books.
I have over 800 books in my homelibrary.
I haven't read them all, but Ihave access to to learn from any
topic you know, from anybodyout there who's written a book
(19:15):
Like.
We have access to that.
We have YouTube channels wherewe can go and learn, you know,
at any moment we want.
We have podcasts that we can golisten to and learn at any
moment we want.
And so being dedicated to learnand improve is a huge lesson,
because we can always get betterand we can always learn new
skill, no matter who is from.
You know, I could talk to afive year old and in my mindset
(19:36):
is they could, they could teachme something, maybe not through
what they say, but how they, youknow, approach a situation.
So we can learn from anyone,and I think we can.
If we can keep our mindset fromin that, you know, position, I
think it would really do us alot of justice.
And I'm always open and lookingfor feedback from people.
You know I know I'm not perfect, I know the show's not perfect,
I know we can improve greatly.
(19:58):
I know I can do better onepisodes, and so I'm always
asking people like you'relistening, what do you think we
can do better?
What do you want to hear more?
Because I'm not above, you know, improving what we're doing and
I want to hear what people haveto say, and you know I can put
that ego away and pride awayenough to to listen.
(20:18):
I'm not perfect at it, ofcourse.
Sometimes I'm like huh, no, Ithought that was good, but you
know, taking a second look at it, okay, I see what they're
saying.
I could do that a little bitbetter.
So If you can put yourself in aposition to continually learn
and improve.
You're gonna.
You know, you're gonna takesteps a lot faster than other
people who aren't willing to sayyou know, I'm not the best or
(20:43):
I'm not as good in this area Ican.
I can learn and improve there,and it's seeking that from
mentors, from all the resourceswe have.
So that's, that's lesson fiveis being able to always learn
and improve for sure.
You know we've been trulyblessed on this journey.
You know, learning all theselessons and, like I said, you
know, the podcast is top 2%globally listened to.
(21:05):
We've been charted, you know,on different charts globally in
the top 25 in market or business, in marketing or business.
You know.
So open up the doors to, like acool relationships.
It's helped my business grow.
You know it's allowed me now tobe speaking on stages, in
classrooms.
(21:25):
It's, you know I've been ableto interview over 200 amazing,
successful people with greatstories to share, who are trying
to make a difference in theworld.
Like that proximity of theirsis just fantastic and amazing.
And you know, being able to beon other people's show and share
(21:48):
my story and hopefully inspiresomeone to elevate their life
and their brand, just from thathas been phenomenal.
I've been able to, you know,build a business that supports
me and my family, where I'm ableto work from home, see my kids
grow up and, you know, buildsomething that now can support
(22:09):
other people as we're continuingto grow, that we're able to now
share people's stories throughwhat we create so they can reach
more people, and it's just beenan amazing journey that I'm
super blessed to be on, to be apart of and to have you
listening out there.
I thank you for that.
So I don't tell you all that tobrag and, you know, make myself
look good or anything like that, because it's all because of
(22:31):
you guys out there listening andsupporting and, you know,
giving me feedback.
But I also wanted to say allthat to show you that it's
possible for you, because I wasnothing special from the middle
of cornfields in Indiana.
You know you can do somethinglike this too.
You just have to, you know, golearn those lessons, like I did.
(22:53):
You know, stay consistent, juststart and not give up, and you
too can can do some amazingthings, elevate your life and
elevate your brand.
So I'm looking forward to, youknow, many more episodes to come
.
You know this is episode 300,episode 300 that I put out there
.
We're not going to stop anytimesoon.
(23:14):
You know, looking forward tothe next 300.
Getting into, you know, episode1000 one day which is crazy to
think about to say even and justcontinue to grow business.
You know we reached the pointwhere you know we're an annual
six figure business.
We're looking to kick that tomultiple, multiple, six figures,
(23:37):
just because you know, in oureconomy now to be transparent,
like six years is great, but asa business it's not much like
it's a success.
I'm super grateful for it, butwith everything else that comes
from it, like things you have topay for, you know, when you
bring on team because obviouslyI can't do this myself, like it
(23:57):
is what it is, so like gettingit to the next cell so I can
continue to support, so I cancontinue to do great things and
help more people, that's thegoal.
Like not to stop and justcontinue to grow it, where we
can just continue to elevatebrands and lives out there.
The podcast again just continueto talk to great guests so we
can help those listening andyeah, so stay tuned for upcoming
(24:19):
episodes.
If you are, have you notsubscribed to the show yet?
Go do that and leave me areview and a rating.
Let me know what you trulythink so I can approve and get
better.
And I appreciate everyonelistening out there.
So, yeah, I just want to kind ofhighlight my journey a little
bit with the podcast andbusiness.
You know some things I'velearned, some things I've been
through and, yeah, again, truly,truly, I'm looking for feedback
(24:43):
.
So shoot me a message onInstagram at christanderson I
still take those messages andI'd love to hear from you any
feedback you have or maybeepisodes you want to hear about.
Let me know, don't be shy.
And yeah, again, you know,share this with someone who
might be on their journey, whomight be struggling, who might
be getting a little irritatedwith how things are going.
(25:03):
Let them know that it's part ofthe journey and that they can
make it, because we can helpmore people if we share this out
together.
So that's it for this episode.
Again, thanks so much fortuning in, but until next time,
go out there, elevate your life,elevate your business, elevate
your brand, and we'll talk toyou soon.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Thank you for listening to the Elevate Media
Podcast.
Don't forget to subscribe andleave a review.
See you in the next episode.
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