Happy First Anniversary to my podcast!
On the 12th of February 2021, I published my first podcast. Looking back, I was very bold, as I’m not an audio engineer and I didn’t know anything about podcasting. I don’t regret it as I dared to try out something new and I met amazing people through the podcast. I’m producing the podcast entirely as a side project.
How did you come up with the idea?
I often get this question: I’ve been managing projects in international environments for 20 years without having received any special guidance. So I learned by doing and sometimes it was challenging. So I wanted to help other people to succeed.
During the strict lockdown in 2020 in France, I listened to many podcasts and I thought: 'why not me?’. It looked crazy as I didn’t know anything about the podcast. Here is what helped me to be successful.
Being part of Dorie Clark’s recognized expert community helped me a lot
I enrolled in Dorie Clark’s recognized expert online class. Associated with the course, there is a very lively and generous Facebook community. There were many podcasters there and I began to ask some questions about the process.
Materials
How to ask good questions and this video by Tim Ferris helped me
Issues faced
How to find guests
How often it shall be published
I also said loudly that I wanted to create a podcast, which made me accountable to the community to turn this idea into reality.
Through this community, I met Fei Wu and could take part in an accelerator workshop on how to build a podcast. I could meet also Chris Palmore and what he told me left with me: ‘I met so many wonderful people through my podcast’ and he was right.
However, producing a podcast is a full project and you have to think about everything.
Materials and Softwares
I was lucky to have the advice of the son of a colleague who was studying audio engineering. He recommended me Rode and I’m very happy with this micro as it doesn’t get much background noise. I’m recording in a home environment, not in a professional studio.
Below I disclose all the materials and software I use
Materials used to record: Rode NT USB: even if you have good material, it is important to insist on the sound quality of your guest. Now I try to have a first meeting with the targeted material and to listen to the sound before the real recording
Software to record: ZOOM with video to facilitate the exchange but the video is not used
Software for the edition (free): Audacity
I create the visuals using canva.com: trailer visual, guest’s visual and quotation’s visual.
Music from pixabay: it took me a while to find the proper music for the topic.
Podcast Hosting Site: Libsyn
My project management background helped me
My project management background helped me to lay down the full process in order not to miss anything. I am also fortunate to have a close friend who is a copy editor and give insightful feedback.
I wrote down all the processes from what I knew and completed them along the way.
Creating a soundboard
What is also crucial is to surround yourself with a soundboard. I lacked self-confidence as it was a completely new field. So, I have two close friends who listen with me to each episode to give me their honest feedback. I was also lucky to ger technical support from seasoned podcasters!
Building Trust
Most guests I have interviewed are people I knew through Linkedin or common connections. So, we have to learn to work together during this process. I think having a strong process and being explicit about it helped. Another aspect of building trust is to be consistent and follow what you said.
Don’t let feedback from derailing you from your goals
Along the way, I got well-intentioned feedback that make me doubt my abilities to move forward.
I have a full questionnaire but some people told me they didn’t have any time to fill it and it was far more detailed. They could improvise. so I thought: ‘Shall I stop sending the questionnaire?’. But some other people feedbacked they loved it. so I kept it and it is up to the guest to use it or not.
I got some feedback about my accent in English and why I spoke in English: well, when you talk about global management it is obvious the podcast has to be in English, the business language and I’ve been working in English for 20 years. As far as the accent is concerned, in the first episodes, I tried to speak slowly to articulate well, but I got feedback it was too slow.
Someone told me I had to make follow up questions, which I try to do now: but at the beginning, I followed the script because I was a learner.
So, we all have to accept that there is a learning curve when you begin something new.
Thank you to all the guests who trusted me and to all people who are listening to our conversations!
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