It's important to know your why before you start a podcast

The very first thing I asked myself after I read through the Toastmasters Level 4 Pathways project "Create a podcast" was, "60 minutes of content?! What the heck am I going to talk about?" I had never even listened to a podcast before and I definitely had zero editing skills or knowledge about how to record and distribute a podcast. So, as I sat with all of that uncertainty (though absolutely certain this was the project I would complete next) I had the thought, "you better make It something you care about."

So my why to starting the podcast was that I felt challenged by this Pathways project more than any of the other options for that level. It made me nervous, even a little scared. When It comes to public speaking, this Is my sweet spot. I love that feeling of putting myself out there In a new way. I wanted to see what I could do with It. Since I hadn't listened to podcasts before I wasn't sure If I would like It. There was a chance that after the 60 minutes of content was out In the world and I had presented a segment to my Toastmasters club that I would put It down and never publish another episode again.

There was also the very real possibility that I would enjoy it. I have always had Main Character Energy (as the kids say, I think) so having my own show certainly was appealing. What I might talk about for an hour and what I might talk about for hours to come could be incredibly different. What would actually stick?

Once I had that thought, the topic was clear. Veganism. Of course, I didn't know exactly what about veganism I would cover or how I could cover It. Those are next level questions, but, I had to get to this Idea before I could begin building anything out. If you're a listener of the pod, you know It has evolved and changed over time. There was so much to consider now but at least I had my main focus.

Knowing my why was the base I could build from, once I knew and really understood my motivation, It made It easier to start to see what I could talk about and what I needed to consider around choosing a topic.

Bringing you back to the questions from my October 1st blog:

To keep It simple on our first day together, ask yourself the following three things:

1. Why do I want to do a podcast?

2. What do I think I want the focus of the show to be?

3. What can I talk about for hours and not get bored?

Sometimes the answers to questions 2 and 3 are different!

What did you come up with? What Is your "veganism"? Were the answers to questions 2 & 3 different for you?

Once you have the main topic, It's time to start brainstorming. You are not committing to anything at this stage. During the brainstorming you will likely come up with Ideas that seem really Interesting but a couple of days later might not feel so great and others you might overlook after your first brainstorming session but realize the potential after further consideration.

So, your activity for the next day or two Is to take your main topic or Idea and start to brainstorm where you can go with It. We're not yet considering what type of pocast you might want to do (Interview, educational, solo or with a co-host...etc.), we'll get to those things later, so just focus on the topic.

Ask yourself some of the following questions, read articles about the topic, listen to other podcasts already talking about the topic you are considering. See what Ideas you can pull together Into your brainstorming sheet.

Some questions to consider:

• What are the different facets of this Idea?

• Of those different pieces or facets of the Idea, which ones make me wish I had someone to talk about with them right now? (circle those)

• What are the different perspectives or angles of this topic/idea?

I encourage you to block some time on your calendar to focus on this piece of the process. I know It can feel more exciting sometimes to just jump In and do a thing but getting this piece down will make the whole process of podcasting much more enjoyable. Once you're at your notebook or computer, take a few deep breaths and allow yourself to focus, you've blocked the time for this, so there Is nothing else to do.

Are you considering doing a podcast? These types of questions work really well If you would prefer to be on other people's podcasts than start your own. How to be a good guest starts here too. Tell me all about It In and ask me questions the comments below!

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Hey, I'm Kimberly.

As a Vegan Educator and the creator behind this space, I spend my time covering all things vegan. My goal is to help you live your best vegan life.

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