God Bless Covid
My Favorite Christmas Gift
This newsletter contains affiliate links. Not all of them, but some of them. I earn a small commission, and it doesn’t cost you anything. I call that a win-win.
WAS THAT YOU THAT WANTED TO CANCEL?
First, one of the paid members contacted me about canceling their subscription. I told them I would look into it, and then their email got lost in the tsunami of emails I get daily (I recently deleted 20K unopened emails that arrived before April 2024).
According to the AI chat on substack:
Navigate to the Substack account Settings page at www.substack.com/settings
Under "Subscriptions", click on the paid publication they want to cancel.
Scroll to the "Account actions" section and click on "To cancel your paid subscription, click here".
On the next page, select "Cancel Subscription".
NOW, BACK TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED NEWSLETTER
Blessed With Covid
I had a wonderful holiday season, capped off by a visit from a friend who came in from out of town. Naturally, we ended up complaining about how aging isn’t for the faint of heart. My right knee and elbow have been giving me grief—woe is me, right?
Then, as if on cue, Covid hit me like a truck the week after. I was completely out of commission from Friday to Monday. I knew I was on the mend when the “hurting everywhere” phase faded, and I could again focus on the familiar ache in my elbow. Surprisingly, all that forced rest turned out to be a silver lining—my knee felt better after days of doing absolutely nothing (which I am notoriously terrible at). Climbing stairs is less of an adventure now. I was like, “Oh man! Only my elbow hurts!!!”
As long as you’re breathing, it could be worse.
Thinking about this reminded me of a lesson I learned early in my career. When I was 24, working my first job as a copier technician, I had a great relationship with the CEO. I had just accepted a role as a customer service trainer when he shared some advice I’ve never forgotten. He said, “We moved you into this role because of your attitude. You have one of the best attitudes in the company—and we have over a hundred people. Don’t ever lose that.”
It’s a reminder I carry with me, especially on those more brutal days when aches, pains, and even a bout with Covid try to get the best of me.
So, while COVID was no fun to live through (again, and yes, I took two jabs), it readjusted my attitude. If you’d like more on this, I talked about it on Building a Better Dave.
Podcast Hot Seat Now with a Private Option
Speaking of feedback, based on user feedback, the “Podcast Hotseat” auditing service now has the option to keep the coaching session private (previously, we used it as an episode for the audience to learn along with you and give you more exposure).
Not everyone wants to be coached in public, so now, for an additional fee, you can keep the coaching session private (and keep all the bonuses, like a free month at the School of Podcasting). Check it out.
My Latest Content
School of Podcasting (Follow)
My Favorite Podcast Is – and WHY – 2024 (my audience chimes in)
Demystifying Podcast Media Hosts: A Comprehensive Guide to Finding Your Perfect Match (blog)
Ask the Podcast Coach (Follow)
Is Your Podcast Ready for 2025?
Your Podcast Consultant (Follow)
Avoid These Common Corporate Podcast Pitfalls
Stuff That Caught Me Eye
Pikzels
Pikzels is an AI tool that creates impressive YouTube Thumbnails. If you’re entering the YouTube game, you know that a big part of getting found is your Thumbnails. Check it out.
Clockify
Clockify is an excellent free tool for your computer and/or phone. I’ve used it for a few weeks. With it, you can easily time yourself to see where your time is going (so you can use it more wisely). Sadly, the timer shows 25 minutes to make this newsletter, and I took a left turn and played “Goin Down” on the guitar which lead to a weird rabbit hole on Youtube. I will notice this when I press “stop on the timer” and somehow pressing start and stop makes me slightly more focused
One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s (or woman’s) Treasure
I went to Reddit one day and saw this.
Here is the cycle.
1. We love (the company), it's great. I wish it did this one thing...
2. The company releases updates, and now it does that one thing...
3. Bugs are found, and everyone hates the company.
4. Bugs are squashed.
5. Go back to step one.
In the end, pick one (I like Squadcast and Ecamm Live), and if it doesn't work for you, try another one.
I know people who LOVE Riverside while others curse the ground they walk on. Hence, one woman's trash is another woman's treasure.
What’s Coming In The Future
Next School of Podcasting
I normally do a “How to launch” you podcast for the first episode, but I’m starting the year focusing on mindset. Jordan Grumet, author of the book “The Purpose Code: How to unlock meaning, maximize happiness, and leave a lasting legacy who I’ve had on the School of Podcasting before, pitched me the idea of coming on the show. I told him I reserved the right not to publish it if it didn’t fit. It’s good stuff, and half the reason people struggle with podcasting is the mental side of Podcasting.
The book comes on on 1/7/25 so you can pre-order now (and yes there is an audio version).
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
USE THIS LINK ««to save 20%