I was scared, which was the main reason I kept quiet when I launched my podcast and blog. Yes, I also wanted time to find my voice, get used to talking in front of a camera, and feel comfortable with the content I was creating. Publishing is not needed to do that.
By keeping quiet, I gave myself space for people on the internet to randomly discover my work. To let the algorithms do their thing. Why? I thought that my initial work was terrible. As it should be, in some ways. I am a beginner in this field, after all. Slowly, my work is getting better. Not the best. But better. And that’s something. So if a random person listened to my podcast, which isn’t the greatest, thought it sucked, and moved on, no big deal right? But what if your family and friends are listening? What if the work you have produced is terrible?
That was why I stayed silent as I launched. That is why I was scared.
I know this thought was not helpful. Genuine criticism and feedback will help me to produce more thoughtful and better content each week.
Outside of my wife, I started telling people two weeks ago I was writing and podcasting. It was a relief. Everyone was stoked. I even appeared in a friends search result before I had the change to tell him. My work is now truely out there. I am excited for what this means for the future. Yes, I have to now start really paying attention to what I’m doing. I need to focus my aim. I want my content to be better. Those close to me will now hold me accountable. That helps. And (humble brag), a recent episode of mine recently had 50 views/listens. Woohoo.
So what are my plans then for the future?
- Continue weekly articles and podcasts
- Expand out my thinking to include more topics I’m interested in
- Look at a mini series of podcast, where for a few episodes, each week builds upon the next
- Interview others and start engaging in a dialogue
- Include unique artwork for each episode to make the podcast stand out
- Write a guest post to put my work even more out there for others to discover and connect with
We are just getting started. It’s scary, yes. I am also drawn to do it. I’m aiming with greater clarity and precision.