Travis Johnson Of Nonprofit Architect Podcast On How to Create A Podcast With A Lasting Impact

How do you provide value and stay on target with your podcast mission? And how do you tie your name, direction, and impact into that mission?

Travis Johnson, The host of the?Nonprofit Architect Podcast?recently shared how he got started on his podcasting path and he’s got some great tips on aligning with your mission, finding your voice, and more.

What’s In A Name?

I’ve got an architectural podcast. No, not really. In fact, Travis has nothing to do with the architecture industry- but what he does as an architect is a very binge-worthy show. It’s the?Nonprofit Architect Podcast. I love the name. It’s fun and unusual. It implies such importance to the planning and architecting of, not only your podcast but also your nonprofit. Travis lays out, very clearly, the things you need to do if your goal is to create impact, which I love because there is so much noise out there, it’s nice to see an industry being simplified and broken into tangibility.

To Make Your Mission Possible, Begin with a Why

His humble beginnings include 36 moves before graduating high school at 17, 6 states, 5 foster homes, and surviving 2 murder attempts. Travis has experienced life like some of us never will — and he uses that as his motivation now that he is in a position to give back. And he isn’t unique in the simple fact that we tend to be more committed when we are carrying a strong ‘why’ with us. Whether this is in business or podcasting, or in life, the things that drive us to keep us on track.

Go Where Others Won’t

This applies to building a nonprofit and podcasting really, and that is you must be willing to walk your own path or create it if the path doesn’t exist yet.

“I talk about things and issues most nonprofits aren’t even thinking about. Their mission, their message, their impact they always have down pat, but I want to get them thinking about how they are going to actually be successful, how they fundraise, how they make things happen. These are the conversations we have on the show. We really dig in and get gritty with the content and solutions we bring.”

Show Up and Listen

Where hosts easily go wrong is when they ask a question and then they are onto the next, sometimes leaving their listeners hanging by not tuning in and responding to the actual response. As Travis put it, there is always something to learn, if we’re willing to settle in, tune in and really focus on the moments of the conversation.

“In this area of nonprofits, there’s a lot of podcasts out in the arena, but they are focused on one side. I decided to talk to the nonprofit organizers, the boards, the people who might be investing. Anyone willing to share how-to’s that nobody else is sharing. That’s how I know I am providing legitimate value.”

It Won’t Be Perfect, No Matter What

I tell podcasters this as a way to encourage them to roll with the punches and just know and be okay with the fact that this will be a learning process and you’re not alone in that experience. As a host, admittedly, Travis had no idea what he was doing. He knew what he was passionate about and he took a chance on learning his voice and pushing through the pain points.

“In the beginning, you’re trying to build not only who you are but what the voice of the podcast is going to be and how to fine-tune your target audience. You’re trying to find guests and figure out a system to book them. And there are a lot of moving pieces. Every host has to go through that.”

Where To Find Time

As an active-duty Navy officer, with two children at home, sitting on nonprofit boards, sometimes being stationed away from home — Travis has to make podcasting a priority. We are all so busy, especially if we’re business owners or entrepreneurs. Finding time for the podcast is one more thing on the list and this takes a strategic approach.

“One of the ways I started making time for my show was to change my schedule so I was only available certain times. Instead of leaving my calendar wide open, I started being more intentional about how and what I was scheduling. Even blocking out “me time” because I knew I needed to. This also helps me stay ahead on episodes and keep a backlog so I’m never scrambling.”

Binge Factor:?The thing that makes Travis’s show so bingeable is how dedicated he is to making his mission possible. He is committed to providing extreme value to his listeners, the value they are not getting anywhere else. The show is curated to serve a purpose and that is the foundation for a long-term successful show, and a show listeners can’t stop listening to. His audience knows this, they trust him, and they keep coming back for more. The Nonprofit Architect does exactly what the title of the show implies- with each episode digging into exactly what it takes to architect your own impact.

You can watch Tracy Hazzard’s full on-air podcast coaching with Travis Johnson below or listen to?The Binge Factor?on your favorite podcast player.