4. Keeping up with the (podcast) Joneses

It's easy to get discouraged while creating your podcast. Sometimes we compare our pace to other folx (hello, social media!), and doubt starts to creep in. 

This episode is a reminder not to compare your podcast journey with anyone else's. 

about the host:
Angela Briones is the creator, host, and producer of The Gay Podcast for Everyone, a podcast for the lgbtq+ community, family, friends, and allies. 

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music for episodes 12+: (1960's 2 house) by mobygratis

Transcript

Transcript via Descript. (Semi-edited)

[00:00:34] Angela: Hey everyone, thank you for joining me today. A topic I'd love to share with you today is something that has to do with like mindset and motivation and just kind of staying encouraged, really, because I think it's really easy to get your , podcast spirit deflated, if you will. You know, sometimes I'll open social media and I'll see something. And you kind of can't help but do this comparison thing. It's normal. It's totally natural.

But I will say that with podcasting, you really have to pull yourself out of that. As quickly as possible for a few reasons. 

There is room for everyone 

[00:01:06] Angela: Number one, there's plenty of room for everyone. Everyone's stories are different and unique and deserve to be heard and told. So you really have to remind yourself that there is room and there's space for everyone. The way you share a story is not the way somebody else shares a story, even if you're talking about the same topic. I remember learning about this long ago when I first started writing and specifically screenwriting, in the beginning, I was really scared to share my ideas.

Because, you know, what if somebody runs away with it? What if somebody steals this idea? And I really quickly learned that that's not how it works. I mean, yes, somebody could take the idea and run with it,

but the presentation of it. is completely unique to you. And then when I was in my writer groups, you know, we shared our ideas all the time and we were so supportive of each other's pages, of each other's stories, of each other's ideas, and would help each other make them better. And I really found the same is true for podcasting.

The people that I've met, especially recently,

They're so helpful, they're so encouraging.

 And believe me when I say everybody is busy focusing on their own podcast. So whatever it is you're feeling, whether it's jealousy or maybe a feeling of inferiority or imposter syndrome, I guarantee you a lot of people are going through that. They're just not sharing it. because their nose is to the grindstone, you know. 

Don't conflate quanity with quality

[00:02:27] Angela: 

So, there are three things I want to share with you and they all kind of intertwine. One is don't conflate quantity with quality. 

[00:02:33] Angela: And two is go at your own pace. And those work very much together because you're going to see people who do weekly podcasts and they are amazing at it. And, believe me when I say doing a weekly podcast is not for the faint of heart. It is difficult. Because like I said in an earlier episode, podcasting is time consuming.

So you really have to have the time to be able to do a weekly podcast.

If you need to pull it back to biweekly or even monthly, which is what I have with my other podcast.

That's okay, because you can't conflate quantity with quality. Maybe one person can crank out 10 episodes and in the same amount of time you crank out three.

But there's a reason for it. Maybe they have more time than you do.

Maybe they've been doing it longer than you have. Maybe you have other things on your plate that you're just not willing to let go of. You know, for me personally, I'll be really honest with you. I love doing a monthly podcast because it gives me time to live my life outside of the podcast.

My partner isn't a podcaster. She hears a lot about podcasting, she wants to or not. Right. But I don't want every moment to be about podcasting.

I want to stop doing the thing so that we can. Watch a movie or talk about our day or whatever it is, play with the dog, you know? And so for me, it's about balance. Because if I did more podcasting, it would mean sacrificing time with my partner. And I'm just not willing to sacrifice that time. Because I have a full time job too, you know, so believe me when I say I would love to do more podcasting. I would love to do more episodes and increase what I'm doing, but it would mean that I have to sacrifice something because until then it's not going to work for me.

 So until I can figure out a way to make it all work and balance the way I feel balanced and the way I don't feel like I'm sacrificing something.

It's just not going to work for me personally.

Go at your own pace

[00:04:26] Angela: So you have to go at your own pace and like I said, don't conflate quantity with quality.

[00:04:33] Angela: And that being said, 

don't worry about the people around you. Podcasting is a marathon, not a sprint. Focus on the quality of your podcast 

and over time it'll get easier. You'll get faster. Things will get better. And that's all that matters. The thing that really matters more than anything over the number of podcasts you have is who's listening. 

I have a handful of people who listened to every single episode I've done, and that means more to me than anything you could ever imagine.

[00:05:02] Angela: They've been with me as my podcast has grown. They've watched me change, and get better and the podcast get better, hopefully. Hopefully. Haha. But the interaction that I have with them and the connection and the engagement, that's what matters more than anything.

So when you're scrolling through social media and you see so and so doing whatever and you start to feel that twinge of I'm not doing enough or I'm not showing up the way I should or I've got to go faster or whatever it is,

pump the brakes a little bit.

Just stay focused 

 And don't overwhelm yourself with things. That's the easiest way to get discouraged. And that's where pod crash starts to rear its ugly head. You know, it starts to make its little nest in your head. 

All this doubt starts, trying to make space where motivation and focus and excitement should be instead.

[00:05:55] Angela: All right, you guys, I hope those tips were helpful. 

Want to thank you guys so much for listening and for being here with me today and sharing your time with me. It means so much. If you want to reach out to me, there is a link in the show notes where you can send me a text and I'd love to hear from you. In the meantime, if you'll give the podcast a follow, subscribe and share it with a friend, 

as you know, that would really help me. All right, you guys, until next time.