Podcamp Nashville: Becoming a Thought Leader Via Podcast

Let me begin by saying I’m embarrassed that I don’t have a podcast. I registered a URL I intended to use to promote our podcast nearly a year ago. Summer Huggins did a lot of great prep work for it. I even talked to someone about being our first interviewee. And I haven’t executed yet.

I’m OK with confessing that to you, because I don’t think it’s an ongoing issue I have, failure to execute. I recently read Seth Godin’s Poke the Box, after several friends urged me to go back to him [that’s a longer story]. This book is a treatise on getting off your duff and making stuff happen. It’s wonderful — because I happen to be someone who likes to start yesterday. I figure you don’t know what you’re going to get til you try it, so you should get started right away.

But on the podcast front, I haven’t pulled the trigger yet. Now, I have renewed my inspiration.

You might think from the name “Podcamp” that last weekend’s Nashville conference was all about podcasting, but it covers many topics related to digital media. However, podcasting does get more than a passing nod at Podcamp. I went to a great session moderated by Cliff Ravenscraft, a guy who makes podcasting feel accessible to anyone.

Ravenscraft moderated a panel of people who, until 1-3 years ago, didn’t have a large digital footprint. But now, they’re all successful podcasters, reaching decent-sized audiences and dramatically upping their business impact. Given their examples, I can’t figure out any reasonable excuses not to get our podcast off the ground. So watch for more on that soon!

In the meantime, I’d like to share some of the great insights from the podcast panel:

Dan Miller: Life coach and author, host of 48Days. [48 Days to the Work You Love]

David and Paula Foster: 5 podcasts between them. They host Making Marriage Fun Again together. They started this podcast to help people who need support in making their marriage work.

Sheila Tidwell and Connie Williams, hosts of Connie and Sheila Talk: Real Life, Real Estate, Real Fun. They met Ravenscraft last year at Podcamp and started their podcast immediately afterward.

All quotes are paraphrases.

Podcasts to instill trust

Miller: Podcasting has an incredible degree of transparency. I’ve been coaching, teaching for a long time and have communicated in a variety of ways. I’ve never experienced this same level of connection with other media though. It forces me to be authentic.

David Foster: Great podcasts are about discovery. I’m on the journey — I’m not a guru delivering it down from the throne.

Connecting with your audience

Tidwell: We don’t edit out a lot of things. Even dogs barking, etc.

Paula Foster: Reading a script isn’t real. [You can plan — you should plan — but talk from the heart.]

David Foster: Trust your voice. You have something to say, and it will be compelling when you say it in your voice.

Benefits for the podcaster

Paula Foster: A podcast can help you keep your story alive. Telling the story will help you think of things in different ways.

Williams: Podcasting is a great exercise in thinking, no matter what your passion or topic is.