400 Podcast Episodes – Why I Won’t Stop Now

Before the next episode of my weekly “Now Hear This Entertainment” (NHTE) podcast comes out in less than 48 hours, I want to bask just a little longer in the glow of having released the milestone 400th episode last week.  It’s a rare opportunity for me to give myself a small pat on the back.

In sports a lot of people will wonder if a veteran athlete wins a championship will they then retire so they can go out on top.  Similarly, some folks might be inclined to say to me, “Wow, that’s a lot of shows.  Do you think you might hang it up now?”

The fact is, a new episode of NHTE has been delivered on-time, every week for more than seven-and-a-half years now.  Like the Montgomery Gentry song says, “That’s something to be proud of.”  However, it’s also a regular part of my routine.  I think the question isn’t ‘Am I going to stop now,’ it’s ‘Why would I stop now?’

Consider:

•    I have met and get to talk to so many great guests every week.  As I’ve said when I get interviewed and when I am doing a speaking engagement, since the NHTE episodes are such a hearty length, I truly get to lay a foundation for starting a relationship that I can build upon going forward, unlike someone who just interviews a guest for, say, five minutes.

•    I will have an exciting announcement soon about a gear company that I am starting a relationship with thanks to the success of NHTE.  It would be strange timing to start into something like that only to then say, “Actually, I’m going to stop podcasting.”

•    Six nights ago, I was interviewed in a workshop format about podcasting.  In three-and-a-half weeks I’ll be a speaker at Podfest Origins in Tampa.  Two weeks after that I’ll be a speaker for a podcasting webinar.  With that kind of momentum, stepping away from podcasting would make no sense.  They don’t ask you to speak at events where you’re no longer active in the industry.

•    Similarly, this morning I was answering an email from someone who I’ve been helping get their podcast out into the world through both assisting in getting them set up with a hosting service and walking them through ensuring their show will be on the numerous platforms available.  You might also recall this photo from a little ways back when I did a consultation with someone else looking to start a podcast.  People don’t come to you for those kinds of services if you’re not in the game anymore.

•    I also recently launched a go-at-your-own pace online class that teaches people how to maximize opportunities to get interviewed on radio, TV, podcasts, etc., and certainly my credibility might be questioned if folks enrolling in that course see that, “Oh, he actually stepped away and isn’t going podcast interviews anymore.”

•    NHTE has gotten listeners from 155 countries around the world and is one of the top two percent most popular shows out of more than 2.5 million podcasts globally.  Does that sound like the time that you fold up shop and say, “Eh, oh well, it was fun while it lasted”?

•    I’m humble enough that I don’t want you to think that I’m fooling myself and sitting here thinking, “People will be so let down if I stop.”  When major TV shows go off the air, yes, but me and my podcast?  Heck, I’d like to think people really, truly subscribe/follow because they get value from listening to NHTE, whether that’s educational value, entertainment value, or both.  But as proud as I am of it and as hard as I work, I don’t think someone’s going to be beside themselves if I stop.  That being said, I still enjoy it after all these years, and it has taken me to so many places and brought me so many opportunities.  I hope people DO look forward to the new episode every week!

•    You know that expression, “You learn something new every day”?  I’d like to think that I’m (and/or you as the listener) learning something new every episode!  Especially in the ever-changing music industry, there’s certainly lessons that lots of us want to hear, so why walk away from a front row seat to that information that is being discussed week after week on NHTE?

•    One of the presentations that I do is “12 Ways to Monetize a Podcast.”  I always start that off by saying that if you’re already asking “How do I make money off this” when you’re just starting your podcast, then you’re getting into it for all the wrong reasons.  But then I proceed to explain a dozen methods that can be explored to bring some money in from doing a podcast.  So, for all those that want to know, “400 episodes is great, but are you making money off this,” I’ll give you two examples that both already happened today alone!  One is an email notification that I just saw in the bottom corner of my screen as I was typing this, telling me that I’d received money from PayPal (connected to the podcast).  Another is a Zoom call I had this morning with a past guest who is going to collaborate with someone on the Now Hear This roster.  And, of course, client services means you’re making money.  So, as non-traditional as that might seem, it’s still related to the podcast.  Stop doing the podcast and these doors close behind you too.

I’m going to stop there, but it’s quite clear that barring any unforeseen circumstances I should continue being thankful and looking ahead to the eight-year milestone and further down the road the 500 episodes milestone.

For now, another public thanks to all the great guests that have been on the show and to everyone who listens and subscribes/follows.  I don’t take any of it for granted and am truly grateful.

Now, on to Episode 401.

If you have questions about podcasting, I’d love to chat with you in a private, online, one-on-one video consultation.  Meanwhile, what have you been at for a long time?  Share your feedback with me on Twitter via @NHT_tweets or put it in a post on Facebook or LinkedIn.  Alternatively, send me an email with your insights.