Getting Clear on Your Why of Starting a Podcast and Choosing Your Podcast Name

This episode is all about getting started and understanding why you want to begin a podcast journey.

Sebastian Rusk emphasizes the importance of getting clear on why you want to start a podcast and suggests asking yourself questions to determine your unique why. He also advises seeking feedback from others to gain clarity and avoid blind spots, as well as highlighting the significance of choosing a catchy and relatable name for your podcast that complements your brand. 

If you're interested in learning more about these essential steps, join Sebastian Rusk on this episode of Podcasts SUCK!

TIMESTAMPS

[0:00:02]   Introduction to Podcast Suck
[0:01:15]   First Step: Get Clear on Why You're Starting a Podcast
[0:04:00]   Second Step: Come Up with a Name for the Show
[0:05:50]   Get Feedback on your Podcast Name from Others
[0:06:48]   Get Feedback on your Why from Others
[0:08:18]    Get Unsolicited Feedback on your Podcast Name
[0:08:50]     Find out How to Launch a Podcast

QUOTES

"Get real clear about why you're doing something, then you start to anchor that reasoning into your mind, into your desire to want to do it."

“…you start a podcast, and then it slowly fades away, just because you didn't stick to your commitment”

“You saw a sign that said start a podcast. That my friends is reason enough, to say you know what I'm gonna give this some further thought.”

“I wanna build relationships with people. People of notoriety people that I followed Who I looked up to.”

"Get feedback. Ask those same people what the feedback they have for you pertaining to the name is as well."

"Get clear on why you're starting a podcast. Get feedback on your WHY from other people and then come up with a name."

"That's where the magic happens. That's where the growth happens."

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Need help launching your podcast?

Schedule a Free Podcast Strategy Call with us today!

PodcastLaunchLabNow.com

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Connect with Sebastian Rusk:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/srusk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/podcastssuck/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastianrusk/

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WEBSITES:

Podcast Launch Lab: https://podcastlaunchlab.com/

Beyond the Story: https://www.beyondthestorypodcast.com/

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Need help launching your podcast?

Schedule a Free Podcast Strategy Call with us today!

PodcastLaunchLabNow.com

Transcript

00:00:02 - Speaker A
Welcome to Podcast Suck, a podcast about starting a podcast, where we dive headfirst into the wild, wacky, and sometimes frustrating world of podcasting. If you've ever sat down with a microphone, hit record, and thought, what on earth am I doing? Or if you're just curious about the magic behind your favorite shows, then you're in the right place. Get ready for laughs, inside heights, and a whole lot of what not to do advice as we embark on this podcasting journey together. Let's dive in. What's happening, everybody? Welcome to episode two of Podcasts Suck, a Podcast, dedicated to helping you better understand you guessed it how to start a podcast.

00:00:49 - Speaker A
All right, let's dive in. So you've had a thought. You had an idea, you saw a sign, someone told you something, whatever it may be, that's reason in and of itself that you should start a podcast. Let me back up. You had a thought about starting a podcast. Somebody has told you you should start a podcast. You saw a sign that says, start a podcast. That, my friends, is reason enough to say, you know what? I'm going to give this some further thought.

00:01:22 - Speaker A
So let's fast forward and say, you know what, I'm doing it. I'm starting a podcast. What's the very first thing that I need to do in order to start a podcast? I get asked this a lot, and my immediate answer is, why are you starting a podcast? Sometimes I get a funny look, but when you start to get really clear about why you're doing something, then you start to anchor that reasoning into your mind, into your desire to want to do it. And the procrastination, well, it starts to cease just a little bit. Not all the way, because you actually have to put the work in, take some massive action, and do the work in order to make something a reality.

00:02:05 - Speaker A
In this case, it's a podcast. So get real clear about why you're starting a podcast. Let me give you an example. I started a podcast because I like telling people stories, and I also like meeting new people. I also like building relationships with other people. So why am I a podcaster? Why have I been a podcaster for the past decade and a half, almost? That sounds crazy to even say it's, because when I first started, I didn't have any money or resources. All I had was the gift of being able to have a conversation with someone in the form of social media. In this case, it was a podcast. Years later, I had no idea it'd end up being my life's work, where I get to help people become podcasters now.

00:02:50 - Speaker A
But I did it because I wanted to get in front of people. I wanted to meet people. I wanted to build relationships with people, people of notoriety, people that I followed, people I looked up to. So that's my why of starting a podcast. Only you can figure out your why. But that why is when you wake up in the morning, get that funny feeling in your stomach, you're like, yeah, I want to do that. A good funny feeling in your stomach, not the O feeling. That's your why. Going to run yourself through a quick exercise that I liked.

00:03:18 - Speaker A
I did when I was trying to figure out what my why was. And that was ask yourself a couple of questions. If I was doing my absolute dream job, what would it be? If I got to do fill in the blank, what would that look like? And then go do it. So step one, figure out why you're doing what you're doing. Why are you starting a podcast? It's a very, very humbling question to ask yourself because just cuz and because everyone else is doing it.

00:03:50 - Speaker A
And all of the other normal check the box reasonings aren't what you're looking for. You're looking for your unique differentiator why are you starting a podcast? Get clear on that. I'm telling you, you'll be able to anchor that feeling into further motivating yourself to stick with it. Because pod fade is real. For those of you who don't know, that means you start a podcast and then it slowly fades away just because you didn't stick to your commitment.

00:04:24 - Speaker A
That's essentially what it is. So that's the first step getting clear on why you're starting a podcast. Next up, you need to come up with a name for the show. Okay, what are you going to call the show now? Coming up with something quirky or your old AOL screen name or your company name or something that you think is funny isn't going to be enough. You're going to need to dig a little bit deeper and get a little bit more creative. I always like to say come up with a name that complements your brand. That's catchy. When you tell someone the name, they understand it when you hear podcasts suck. A podcast about starting a podcast, that explains everything that you need to know. My main show, beyond the Story. I like to go beyond the story. When telling people's stories, I like to build relationships because of that story.

00:05:18 - Speaker A
Both of those names resonate with people and I had to run it through several different filters and get feedback from people to make sure it did land. Again. You want a five year old to be able to understand what your podcast name is all about and what it represents. But remember, it's an extension of your brand. So when you come up with a name, come up with like four or five of them and be really bold. Post them on Facebook and get feedback from the internets. You want the truth? Post something on the internet.

00:05:47 - Speaker A
Don't just call your mom or people that tell you the truth. Call people that give you constructive criticism that are willing to tell you exactly how they feel about something. That's where the growth happens. That's where the real quality work starts to come out. Why can't show the internet that I can't ask that person. They might just tell me the truth. The truth is exactly what you want. Why? Because that's where we get clarity and that's where we get really, really good.

00:06:21 - Speaker A
So this episode is all about the very initial steps. Once you've made a decision to start a podcast, you ask yourself, why am I starting a podcast? Get clear on it. Write it down, tell people about it. Also get feedback on your why. That doesn't hurt either. Hey, listen, I'm thinking about starting a podcast and here's why. What do you think about that, Bob? What do you think about that, Mary? What do you think about that, Joe? Get feedback. Ask those same people what the feedback they have for you pertaining to the name is as well, feedback's very powerful, allows us to get really clear and also reveal some blind spots.

00:07:04 - Speaker A
We never think about blind spots, the areas that we just don't see. Think about a blind spot in your car you're trying to back up or turn. That blind spot is right there. You need your mirrors. Sometimes you need those little mini round mirrors to go in the corner of the mirror so you can see even more. Do they even have those anymore? But get clear on why you're starting a podcast. Get feedback on your why from other people and then come up with a name, something that's catchy, something that's relatable, something that complements your brand. Remember, our ideas are always the best ideas to us. But when we welcome in feedback, we start to reveal some blind spots.

00:07:43 - Speaker A
We start to see things through a different lens and we grow. Is that uncomfortable? Usually. Is it a stroke to our ego in a negative way? It can be. It depends how you perceive it, what meaning you give it. So for episode two, I want you to get really clear on why you're starting a podcast. And then I want you to think long and hard and come up with four or five options about what you want to call the show.

00:08:12 - Speaker A
What is your podcast name going to be? Feel free to shoot me a DM at podcast. Suck. I'd be more than happy to give you my unsolicited feedback. Direct feedback. I always say my love language is direct feedback. And clear. Next steps. Say what needs to be said. Use your big words, y'all. So I hope you're gaining some clarity around the whole idea of I want to start a podcast. It's been pending. I kind of been mulling it over a little bit. Great. Why are you starting a podcast? And what are you going to call the podcast and get feedback on both of those? That's where the magic happens. That's where the growth happens. I hope you're walking away from this episode knowing at least one or two or three things that you didn't even consider when it comes to actually starting a podcast.

00:09:01 - Speaker A
This is the very beginning. This is the beginning of the journey. Get clear on why you're starting a podcast. Come up with four or five names, get feedback, and stay tuned for episode three. We'll dive into what it looks like to start putting the brand together with your cover art and your brand and your strategy. I'm excited for that, and you should be too. Thanks so much for tuning into this episode. We sure do appreciate it. If you haven't done so already, make sure you're subscribed to the show wherever you consume podcasts.

00:09:30 - Speaker A
This way we get updates as new episodes become available. If you feel so inclined, please leave us a review and share the show with someone you know should start a podcast or may already have one. And remember, podcasts suck if you don't have one. Until next time. Friendship.