Episode 12:
What Makes You Original On The Over Saturated Stage?
You know
what’s fun about doing this Pod-Crashing thing?
It’s about being real. Having a
generic attitude of community rather than burying yourself inside the four
walls of a major conglomeration trying to dominate a ratings war.
I’ve been
there. Oh the stress. The endless amount of meetings that normally
went nowhere except to agree to meeting again next week. It was never my career. It was their music, liner cards and listener
giveaways. In reality I’m shocked they
didn’t ask me to bring back every radio station t-shirt, jacket or cap.
Keep in mind
it wasn’t my radio career. The only
thing I owned was the choice to stay.
I’m gonna be
upfront and honest. I didn’t get into
podcasting because there was this huge bolt of lightning shot through
space. I was in that place where the broadcasting
business didn’t know what they hell to do with me. I quit market hopping which meant the scent
of my performance was making me come across as that old guy that’ll probably
die with the ship.
Coming off
the air to do imaging and commercial production was a stinger. You think you’ve got the strength to maintain
a healthy lifestyle cuz it’s all connected but wow that’s like telling Paul
McCartney he’s got a new job on the road.
The roadie.
I fell into
the podcasting hole by total accident. I
happen to be walking down and hall and heard someone talking to the morning
show, “You guys need to look at putting your best of shows up on the internet. New technology puts you on the listener’s smart
phone. Listening on demand.”
My lost
dreams suddenly shot to life. WTF? The morning show wanted nothing to do with
it. My radio driven soul wanted to Rock
n Roll. Then Bob Pitman of iHeart Media
mentioned in a meeting that podcasting was a brave new beginning that required real
radio people to bring its quality to the game.
Oh my God I
was on my way! Yeah right. I had no clue what I was doing! More importantly what could I write, produce
and perform all in the name of being attractive to global ears? I’ve always been addicted to being original. So original that it earned me a radio freak
label. He’s too weird, too wild, un-coachable.
I just knew
it was a performance. The question I
faced in 2013 is no different today.
What am I going to do that isn’t already being done?
I’m the
exact opposite of Randy Bachman’s quote, “You only see my hits not my misses.”
In this
stage of the podcast game there’ve been so many swings at the plate that I’ve
taken on the image of a drone.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Thank God I’ve got a big fat ego.
It’s the only thing keeping me grounded.
Let me ask
the question again, “What Makes You Original On The Over Saturated Stage?”
I don’t do
sports. TMZ has tired the world out with
gossip. Music updates are ok but not
unique enough for this wild new digital frontier. I know!
I’ll do interviews! I’ll talk
with anyone that says yes. What I needed
was practice. Podcast listeners make a
huge choice to somehow someway find their way onto your platform. The goal is
to get them to keep coming back.
For that to
happen those content consuming junkies need a relationship with a payoff. It was time for me to become them. How could I build a bigger better show if I
wasn’t wearing the same shoes? It was
time to drop tower radio listening and hook up the blue tooth!
I know what
I like and I know what I’ll never return to.
Digital on Demand has turned me into a spoiled snot. Give me what I want! I need my fix. Honestly the cool thing about being a podcast
listener is the variety of choice. It
doesn’t bother me to see there are 8 billion movie review channels. Toss in another 12 zillion medical and murder
mystery adventures. There’s so much out
there that I feel like the space shuttle busting tail through all those
stars.
What Makes
You Original On The Over Saturated Stage?
Exactly
that! Keep searching. Bust open a can of overworked with no pay and
play the game like it’s your last day on the planet. Warning.
I know you like certain things in life
and love to share the journey but don’t back into a stereotyped image. Let me give you an example. I jocked on a few Adult Contemporary radio
stations from 1985 to 2012. The Classic
Rock and New Rock stations wouldn’t give me an on-air shift because my name was
connected to Michael Bolton, Rod Stewart and Phil Collins.
With
podcasting what makes you an original will be your original way of bringing a
ton of content to life. Study the path
that Mike Rowe has taken. The dude has
his hands in everything.
So what’s
the moral of the story? The only person
that can invite originality to your podcast is you and it’s probably not going
to come in the shape of what we already do.
Through wide open space practicing and commitment combined with loyalty
you’ll find your voice. It’s not going
to happen overnight.
Never stop
testing the waters. Create several
different podcast platforms and cross-pollinate. Through show prep and careful planning one
single interview can be featured on several different shows. Every time I talk with YouTube sensation JoJo
Siwa our conversations go to my Kids show, music as well as writing. If she’s marketing something or talks about
food those shows get the upload as well.
It’s no
different than Taylor Swift hitting every music format. Your podcast can do it too!
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