Ep# 100: [Pep Talk] Priceless Lessons From 100 Episodes
Welcome to episode 100 of Scaling Up!
I thought a fun way to celebrate would be to share some of the valuable lessons I’ve learned over the course of 100 episodes. I’m going to give you a behind the scenes look at the creation process for the show and how the podcast has impacted our business.
Some of the lessons I’ve learned:
Launching a podcast at 38 weeks pregnant is not recommended. I was painfully out of breath recording, and I had to keep pausing in the middle of episodes to use the restroom. Lesson learned, but we made it! This leads me to Lesson #2...
You have to start before you’re ready, but you can (and should) have a plan. I knew that I wasn’t going to start a podcast until my business reached a place where I could outsource all of the tech. Tech is not my zone of genius, it takes a lot of time that I’m not willing to give up, and I had no interest in learning it. I wanted to be able to focus solely on the content. So I didn’t feel ready to start a podcast, but I did do some planning that helped to push me in the direction of feeling ready.
Launching and growing a podcast isn’t easy. It’s a significant undertaking of time and, if you do plan on outsourcing, money. It’s a challenge, but I like the challenge! We’ve had a lot of fun figuring out the “how” behind growing a podcast.
Pitching is a big part of running a successful and valuable podcast. I built my coaching business on referrals, so this was new to me and a little bit intimidating! But it’s always a “No” if you don’t ask, and I’ve learned that it’s usually a “No” if you don’t ask at least twice. The fortune is truly in the follow up
Having a public platform means that you will be under a lot of scrutiny, so I’ve learned that I need to be as “me” as I can be. Because I’m not going to please everyone no matter what I do/say, so I might as well at least be happy with me. This is hard! People love to share their opinion, so I’ve had to learn to have a thicker skin against the trolls and to only pay attention to the voices that actually matter.
We all have a calling and a purpose. And if we are solely focused on just building a business without making sure we are in alignment with that calling, we will never be fulfilled. You will always feel like you’re “not quite there”, always chasing the next level, if you aren’t finding purpose and fulfillment in your work.
Check your ego at the door. I don’t always get this right. There are times when I’ve felt myself puffing up and becoming defensive, and I don’t like it at all. It just feels bad and it doesn’t help anyone. That’s when I know I need to redirect and recalibrate.
I love being a connector! I’m super introverted, but there’s something about connecting deeply on podcasts that I love. When someone is on the show, or when I get to be interviewed on someone else’s show, we always get to the heart of the matter, the story behind the person’s success, and that is so life-giving. More often than not, I end up connecting with these guests and hosts past the end of the show and we get to support each other in our businesses. It fills my cup!
Ask for help and hire help. I’ve had to be humble enough to admit when I don’t know how to do something and ask for someone else to step in and help. Whether that’s a friend that can give me advice or a team member that I can hire, this has been key to the success of this show.
Consistency is king. Showing up no matter what is Boss. We have never missed a week, and we pride ourselves in that! In season 1, we released one show every Monday. In season 2, we started releasing two shows each week: every Monday and Thursday. And we’ve never missed. I was at some of my lowest lows at points during this year, but this was my commitment. This show is part of that purpose that is bigger than me.
Thank you so much for tuning in! It’s been 100 episodes, and I can’t wait the for next 100 and the next 100 after that, because we’re not slowing down!