What I’m working on as a podcaster (A work in progress)

Recently, I started having this niggling thought in my head that says “Cheryl, you’re not a good podcaster”. For a few weeks, I dreaded writing more podcast episodes because I started feeling shame around not being a “good enough” podcaster despite doing this for almost four years.

Needless to say: This is NOT the headspace I want to be in, so naturally, I whipped out my journal and started teasing apart these thoughts.?

In a nutshell, I came to recognize that the root cause behind these thoughts and feelings is that I feel like I’m reaching a cap in terms of my skills as a podcaster.?

From my speaking skills to the breadth & depth of topics I can speak on… I feel like I’ve reached a plateau where I’m simply repeating and recycling what I’ve been doing for the past four years.

Although the podcast has helped to grow my solopreneur business, attracted multiple speaking opportunities, and connected me with incredible folks all around the world (Meaning: The podcast is “working”. It’s been a success in my books)...

I’ve now reached a point in my podcasting journey where… I am yearning to grow and improve certain skill sets.?

Yes, the podcast “worked” for four years, but I’m now itching to do better and be better for my audience.?

So, I started to explore what this could look like in my journal.?

Below are some snippets of what I wrote on paper:

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Q1: What would an awesome solo episode from Cheryl look like?

• I would offer thoughtful perspectives or honest lessons from my own personal experiences?
• My voice would be energizing (and calming at the same time lol)
• My body language on video would be expressive?
• I would speak clearly and confidently, and explain my thought process with sufficient depth and substance?
• My personality would shine through my voice and presence on camera?

Q2: What would these episodes look like?

1. Storytelling and extracting lessons from experiences, topics, or areas NOT related to entrepreneurship or content creation
2. Sharing the lessons and behind-the-scenes of what I’m working on
3. Teaching a concept or sharing the framework behind how I’ve been able to do XYZ

Overall, I’m getting the sense that my goal for my solo episodes is to showcase how I’m growing. For example:?

• Sharpening my communication and speaking skills (ex: Scripting less of my podcast episodes so that there is more room for me to think on the spot and speak from the heart, rather than reading a script word for word)
• Thinking deeper and engaging in more critical reflection when it comes to the topics I speak on (ex: Don’t state a point or idea without explaining my thought process behind how I arrived at this point)?
• Expanding the range of topics I speak on (ex: Stepping out of my comfort zone to learn new things)

Q3: What would an awesome guest episode look like where I am the host?

• I would ask thoughtful questions that challenge the guest to go deeper, be more vulnerable, and have a stance?
• I would be able to add another perspective to follow up on what a guest just said?
• I would not be embarrassed to ask questions if I don’t understand or don’t know something?
• I would not be afraid to converse with experts who come from fields I know nothing about?
• I would be sharp and think quickly on my feet

Q4: What would these episodes look like?

1. Quit Story - This is where I talk to folks who have quit the traditional for what they perceive to be exceptional. This could look like quitting a career, lifestyle, way of thinking… Anything that no longer serves them. But, the common thread among all the guests in this series is building the courage to make decisions that have since then changed their lives and shaped them to be who they are today?
2. Thought Leader Case Study - I’d love to invite guests who have established a reputation in their respective fields to unpack both the mindset and practical tips for building thought leadership and becoming known for their work
3. The Behind the Scenes of Building a Body of Work - I’d love to speak to creators (ex: Podcasters, bloggers, LinkedIn Top Voices, etc) who have built a substantial and strong body of work online, and do a practical deep dive on HOW they did it

I can also see that my goal for future guest episodes is to do so much work both internally (i.e. having the audacity to ask questions that might seem beginner, building my confidence to speak to subject matter experts, etc) and externally (i.e. developing my question + follow up question skills as an interviewer) such that the final product is a conversation that the listener can tune into AND still take away the key ideas EVEN IF they are doing something else?

… And that’s where I’m at so far! This exploration has helped clarify where I want to take my podcast in the next 12 months or so, and I’m now super clear on the skill sets and mindsets that are important for me to work on moving forward.

Anyways. That’s all from me for today.?

As always, thanks for reading this newsletter and I hope you get lots done for the rest of this week :) Talk soon.?

Sounds good? Awesome. Let’s get to work.

I help business leaders and organizations build a substantial and compelling body of work that matters.

How I can help you:

• 1:1 Podcast coaching: I help business owners, consultants, and creators build a podcast content strategy that resonates with their audience, differentiates their brand, and establishes their position in the industry.
• Corporate consulting: I work with organizations to direct your capstone content projects. From conceptualization to scripting to coaching your team on facilitating conversation, I am your go-to strategic partner to execute your content ideas.

Schedule a discovery call for us to explore what working together might look like: https://cheryllau.com/discovery