From Scripted to Stranded: My Podcast Fail

Well... Here It Goes! Today I Failed – And in a Big Way

Let's start from the beginning. I woke up this morning with the intent to be a badass and ended up being just plain bad.

Slotted to be a guest on a podcast, I was beyond excited to represent my team, my company, and, most importantly, the community of buyers and sellers that make up our ASD Market Week. I did my hair and makeup (which, let's face it, is a big deal when working remotely), checked my mic and lights, and logged into the session.

I saw myself on the screen alongside the host and I smile and bat my eyes and start talking about how happy I was to be there. It took a minute, but I soon realized that the face in the box next to me was now talking, and I couldn't hear a thing. Silence. I looked at the options, clicking buttons for speaker control with no success.

So, I pulled the plug. Who needs a mic...overrated, right? Except that in my cozy little home, the only room I can film in just happens to have tile floors, creating lots of echoes and the worst sound.

First hurdle: mic. Second hurdle: lights. Living in Southern California, we're spoiled rotten with sunny skies and brilliant weather. The natural light that comes through the sliding glass door has always been my ace! But not today. The weather gods decided it would look like Seattle with cloudy skies and no sunshine.

But the show must go on. So we jumped into the recording with no mic, no lights, and just my vast knowledge of the industry and our show. However, the first question came, and I simply blanked. Then the next one came, and for whatever reason, I just couldn't form words and properly articulate the power of the show, the people, the product. I was a hot mess. And I could blame the recent flurry of back-to-back end-of-the-school-year shenanigans, but I am not an excuse type of gal. The truth is, I lost sight of what my strength is.

I went into the podcast with a script, which is, quite frankly, my kryptonite. My sweet spot is to authentically dial in on questions on the cusp. And I let small things like the mic and lighting make me feel uncomfortable and inadequate.

This particular episode hurt because I was so excited and looking forward to spreading the good word about our events!

Not only was it an opportunity to represent our internal team of hard-working sales and marketing colleagues, but it was also a chance to shed light on how our event can help retailers of all sizes find innovative products and really make money for their businesses. Particularly for the smaller businesses—the businesses that need us most and just don't know it yet.

These are the boutique owners who are usually accustomed to going to the same tradeshows and have never been to ASD Market Week. We get it! We know that these buyers need to go to branded-focused shows so they can fill their stores with core items their consumers expect.

But we also know they can greatly benefit from a new event that can inspire and shed light on the endless possibilities of incorporating "me too" buys with high margins that excite and expand basket sizes for their customer base.

All that being said, I realize I need to embrace my natural strengths and let go of the idea that I have to stick to a script. Authenticity has always been my power. When I speak from the heart and engage in the moment, I connect and I convey the passion that drives our team and our mission.

To my team and community of buyers and sellers, I apologize for not delivering today. Our mission to support retailers, especially the small businesses that are the backbone of our economy, is too important to be derailed by one bad showing.

And to myself, this too shall pass. I may feel embarrassed and defeated today, but tomorrow I will move on! To all of you out there who want to create content or have done content and had poor experiences: keep pushing forward. Embrace the failures, learn from them, and continue to share your authentic self.

Meanwhile, For all you small retailers, please take a look at ASD Market Week (www.asdonline.com Click Here and connect so we can share how this show can inspire future buys that can help you make profits! Just send a note to [email protected]

You can also hear success stories coming straight from other boutique owners experiences. Check out the below YouTube links to get the inside scoop!

Why Brianne’s Boutique Shops ASD Market Week

Why Jean Marie’s Boutique Shops ASD Market Week

Why Paddington Boutique Stores Shops ASD Market Week

Why Adrian’s Boutiqe Shops ASD Market Week