Everything is Hard - Until It Isn't
Maybe I'm not an Introvert After All
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It wasn’t until the night before that I understood what I was flying into when going to Ecamm Creator Camp 2024 (Ecamm is the people behind Ecamm Live Software). This is not Ecamm’s fault, but mine, for not reading all the info they had put in Discord. I am not a fan of Discord (more on that in a bit).
I had chosen to go to this camp because I didn't know anyone except for maybe three people. This was not a podcast crowd but a bunch of live-streamers. But those people should be taking their live streams and turning them into audio podcasts, so off I went.
Sixteen-year-old Dave Jackson would’ve died just thinking about this. Probably twenty years ago, I was at my then-wife’s Christmas party (where I knew one person—her). She looked at me and said,
“No, NO, NO!!! Don’t be shy, Dave—I don’t like Shy Dave!”
and so I stayed out of my shell. I would’ve been more comfortable there but stayed out to keep her happy.
Now it’s 2024, and aside from probably two minutes of the weekend when “Shy Dave” tried to come out, and I put him back in his place, I was fine. I wasn’t as comfortable as I would be at home, but I wasn’t uncomfortable.
The return on investment was amazing. I learned about some great tools. I boosted my knowledge and confidence behind the camera. So I’m glad I went. I’m so happy I was able to go into a place where I had no idea what I was going to experience.
I was thinking about this. I’ve been working on being more outgoing for over forty years, and I think I've got it down.
Randy Cantrell has a show called “Leaning Towards Wisdom” (a show he started to pass knowledge on to his grandchildren someday), and he often uses the phrase,
“Everything is hard until it isn’t.”
Lacing up your shoes, riding and biking, writing your name, etc., were hard until they weren’t. Using Discord was frustrating until I took five minutes to clean it up and take it out of dark mode.
Look, a new segment! I have loved reading since the days of Charlotte's Web and Clifford the Big Red Dog. College made me hate reading, and I quit (because I had to read things that I didn’t want to read).
I was in the CEO's office for the company I was working for. There were books EVERYWHERE. He explained how books are inexpensive education available 24/7. There are libraries, and you should check with your library. There may be free resources to get audiobooks.
This week, I listened to all seven hours of “Brothers” by Alex Van Halen, brother to Edward Van Halen, who together make up 50% of the band Van Halen. I’d give it 3.5 stars out of 5 because the timeline stops when David Lee Roth (their singer) leaves the band. So, it left me wanting more (which is a good thing and kind of bad). The beginning, where he talks about his parents, is slow.
Podcasting Please?
The part that pertains to podcasting is appreciating your co-host’s differences. David Lee Roth has very different musical tastes from the Van Halen brothers.
Exhibit A: - I’m the One from Van Halen 1.
Alex (Who played in swing bands when he was eight) is playing a swing beat on the drums. Eddie is playing guitar, which can set your eyebrows on fire. Michael Anthony is holding down the bottom with his bass while soaring his backup vocals, which only dogs can hear.
Then, in the middle, the David Lee Roth influence comes out. At the 2:49 minute mark, they stop a blistering guitar solo to break the song down and sing “bop bada, shoo bee doo wah,” each time adding a layer of harmony.
Huh? Exactly.
It's a combination of everyone creating a band that can’t be repeated. There will never be a band that sounds like Van Halen. There will be knockoffs and tribute bands, but they are all cheap imitations.
If you have co-hosts, fuse your differences to create a podcast that can’t be duplicated and can only be imitated (poorly).
Alex reads the book himself on Audible or get the book/kindle.
It’s Like a Hallway at a Podcast Event
click for more information.
This week, we hear from Swell, a tool that makes it super easy (Think Anchor) to make a podcast. I see it as a community-building tool. Sign up to get notified.
My Latest Content
Podpage Blog
They Have to Find Your Podcast to Hear Your Podcast (blog)
School of Podcasting (Follow)
10 Lessons From Ecamm Creator Camp
Ask the Podcast Coach (Follow)
Podcasting Insights: From Cryptocurrency Challenges to YouTube Strategies
Building a Better Dave (Follow)
An Easy Way to Make $50 a Month
What's Wrong with My Brain? Dealing with Self-Doubt and Recognition
Your Podcast Consultant (follow)
Forget the Critics: Love Your Podcast Voice
Avoiding Middlemen: Directly Monetizing Your Podcast
Morning Fame
If you go to a conference with a bunch of YouTubers, you’re going to come home with some video tools. Morning Fame is a tool that examines your YouTube channel and shows you what works and what does not. Then, it suggests keywords for videos that you might rank well. Morning Fame guides you through the process of optimizing your videos. Check it out.
Site Behaviour
If you want a replacement for Google Analytics and the ability to watch people surf your site, check out SiteBehaviour, which is on App Summo for $49 for a lifetime deal.
Check it out
Notion
OK, I’ve heard about Notion over the last few years, but it seemed like EVERYONE at the Creator Camp was using Notion to create forms, organize episodes, and share items with co-hosts. It somewhat does it all. I always thought it was somewhat overkill for podcasters, but as they say, “Everything is hard - until it isn’t.
Check it out.
Affordable Virtual Ticket: Podindy.com
Podindy.com is November 9th. I will speak with Craig Van Slyke from the show AI Goes to College on “How to Profit From Your Podcast with the Power of AI.”
This is a super affordable one-day event, and if you can’t make it to Indy, there is a super affordable virtual ticket. Check it out at www.podindy.com and use the coupon code DAVE.
What’s Coming In The Future
Next School of Podcasting
I want to add things to my workflow. That’s great, but let’s get serious about one thing. What one thing? It will be in the next episode of the School of Podcasting.
Follow the show and get it the minutes it’s available.
I’ll also be talking about some gear I bought. Shure SE215 in ear monitors, and the Shure Movmic Two (a pair of super small wireless lav microphones that enable you to record directly to your phone).
Need Help With Your Podcast?
Whether you’re just starting or a seasoned podcaster, the School of Podcasting can help. Helping podcasters is what I do, and I’ve been doing it since 2005
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