Happy International Podcast Day

There are all kinds of celebrations happening these days for yours truly.  In fact, the first of them began exactly one week ago today.  As much as it could have been my weekly blog that day, there is a reason I held it back until this morning.

While two days ago it was my birthday, the occasion that we are celebrating today is International Podcast Day.  Ten years ago, it began as National Podcast Day and over the years has grown to a worldwide celebration every September 30th.

Never mind that it occurs two days after my birthday.  I like the similar trajectory of International Podcast Day alongside my weekly “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast, which also started back in 2014 and is still going strong.

Why the 2024 celebrations are particularly significant, however, is because one week ago today marked the release of the 900th episode that I have hosted over the course of my podcasting career.  You almost could not have lined things up better in terms of the timing.

For those of you who have been following me (and the podcast) long enough, you know that I love milestones, so to hit something like that right when this pops up on the calendar makes me want to get two cakes!

Fittingly, I was just interviewed as a guest on a podcast eleven days ago and one of the questions was about this longevity.  I told the host that I’m not even considering stopping anytime soon.  I told him that I know I would regret it and am glad that I recognize that now rather than calling it quits, only to experience that regret, say, four weeks or four months into pulling the plug.

What’s super important to not lose sight of in your creator career is your own happiness.  I told the host that after ten-and-a-half years of hosting “Now Hear This Entertainment” every week, I still enjoy it.  The episode that releases the day after tomorrow (number 555) features a HUGE guest.  And tomorrow morning I leave for the Florida panhandle where I’ll be recording on-site interviews for NHTE during the Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival.  Thus, there is no way I’d ride off into the sunset with all this excitement going on.

Last week when I was in Los Angeles, I talked to a lot of folks about my show and told them how beneficial I have found it to be over the years, even if the goal has changed from when I first started in February 2014.  Regardless of your craft, you too have probably found that your goals and objectives have shifted – a little or a lot – the longer that you’ve been at it.

I am still amazed and truly grateful that “Now Hear This Entertainment” has gotten listeners from 165 countries around the world.  If you would have told me ten-and-a-half years ago that the show would one day become one of the top two percent most popular shows out of more than 3.4 million podcasts worldwide, I would’ve said, “Yes, please.  Where do I sign?”

But, in the spirit of International Podcast Day, it’s the community that has been such a pleasant surprise.  From the monthly Florida Podcasters Association meetings to attending and speaking at Podfest Multimedia Expo or even the other events in the podcasting industry that I have been fortunate to be a speaker at, the connections have been such a bonus.  The fraternity is so important and so welcome, especially getting to network with everyone from not only beginners to intermediate to advanced but also folks from different facets of the medium, whether discussing gear, growth strategies, platforms, or anything in between.

I cannot stress enough the value of getting out to live events in your industry and talking with people who are facing the same challenges – but also celebrating similar successes – so you can rub elbows with others who are doing what you do every day.  They could have helpful resources, hints, shortcuts, and other tips and tricks that could go a long way in efficiency and success.

I should clarify that the way I’m at 900 (technically 902 as of today) is through 554 episodes of “Now Hear This Entertainment,” 296 of my other weekly podcast, and then 48 that I had done for TASCAM from August 2017 to February 2019, plus four episodes I’d hosted for the Pro Box Lacrosse Association.

It all adds up to years of enjoyment and valuable connections that I am grateful for and looking forward to continuing to add to.

For twenty years I have been helping indie music artists, authors, actors, entrepreneurs, podcasters, filmmakers, small business owners, and more.  What challenges are you having in your creator career that I can lend some insight to?  Let’s get on a short call together so you can take advantage of all my experience, and I can help and keep you moving forward.