Biting off More Than You Can Chew
Episode Show Notes
Welcome to PodOn, the podcast where we share stories from other podcasters and talk with them about the challenges we all face when beginning the podcasting journey. If you are a podcaster, we would love to hear your story and your feedback. If you love this podcast, please subscribe and share it with your friends.
Podcasting should be less about feeling overwhelmed and more about getting creative and enjoying the ride. In this PodOn episode, TJ and Julian talk about the importance of having realistic expectations, goals and ambitions when starting a podcast. The podcast industry has space to hold all of us, so let’s stop prioritizing “original ideas” and focus on creating great content instead. Stop overthinking and let’s get to work!
Jump straight into:
(00:27) - Avoid biting off more than you can chew - “Oftentimes the creative juices tend to fade because people realize the amount of work that goes into creating a particular show.”
(02:28) - The problem with the “original content only” approach - “The idea doesn’t always make the podcast successful, you as the host do.”
(03:45) - Same guest, different shows and how to get the Platinum Compliment - “Don’t be the person who’s asking the same questions over and over again, let your guests know you’re going to bring a fresh, different perspective.”
(05:09) - The thing with ambitious podcasts and the organizations that want to create them - “Understand that there are a lot of moving parts.”
(07:31) - Avoid paralysis by analysis at all costs - “I’m overthinking it, and I know I shouldn’t! I need to just get my recordings done, edit it and publish it.”
Resources
PodOn: Defining your audience
Dating in the Bae Podcast: The Man Who Revolutionized Modern Dating
PodOn is hosted by TJ Bonaventura and Julian Lewis, founders of the full-service podcast company based in San Francisco, StudioPod. If you want more details on how to fully record and produce your podcast with our services, you can reach us at http://studiopodsf.com, send us an email at info@studiopodsf.com or contact us through our social media channels as @studiopodmedia.
Episode Transcript (via Rev.com)
Julian Lewis:
This is the PodOn podcast.
TJ Bonaventura:
We're your hosts, TJ Bonaventura, that's me, and Julian Lewis.
Julian Lewis:
That's me. As founders of a podcast media company, we had to start a podcast.
TJ Bonaventura:
So join us each episode as we and our guests drop knowledge on podcasting for you, the curious and scrappy podcaster.
TJ Bonaventura:
Once again, we're back. I'm going to keep saying this now, Julian, we are back. He's Julian, I'm TJ. Together we're StudioPod. The biggest dynamic duo since Shaq and Penny, that's Shaquille O'Neil and Penny Hardaway.
Julian Lewis:
Shaq and Penny ... I don't know if I would've gone that route.
TJ Bonaventura:
Well, we'll give a new dynamic duo every week. How about that? It's a new challenge for us.
Julian Lewis:
Right, we'll start with Shaq and Penny.
TJ Bonaventura:
Today. We're talking about biting off more than you can chew. So what do I mean by this? Oftentimes we get that gung-ho feeling from our clients, who's like, "I have this idea for a podcast. There's something I want to create." And then they go off and they list this laundry list of ideas and items of what they want to do, which is awesome. We love seeing anybody come to us with an awesome creative idea and seeing those creative juices flowing, but oftentimes those tend to fade because they realize the type of work that goes into creating that particular show. So this is where we would ask you to be realistic with yourself and think, is this something that you can keep up with?
Julian Lewis:
And I think, TJ, we act as sawyers. A sawyer is somebody who works with wood and we're essentially whittling down that wood to really help them to be a little bit more focused, like understand exactly, to TJ's point, do they have the time and bandwidth to take this on and to take it on consistently? That's the very first thing that you have to really understand, and then go back to some of our other episodes where we talk about defining your audience, because a lot of times when they have this big idea, it's because they want to touch everybody. But instead, what we try to do is help them to whittle down those ideas. So I think even if you don't have a production team, like StudioPod, that you could bounce ideas off of, just bounce it off of a couple friends. Get an idea of, like, "Am I thinking too broadly about this? Can I chisel this down into something that's more focused towards a particular audience that may resonate with it?"
TJ Bonaventura:
Yeah. You know, I was having coffee with a friend not too long ago. And she was saying, "I have this idea for a podcast, but then I looked it up and somebody already did it." I don't think that should deter you. A lot of people are doing podcasts nowadays, and the thing to note is, the idea doesn't make the podcast successful, you as the host do. You're the one that's original. You're the reason why the audience is always coming back to listen in. And I think it's okay to emulate other podcasts out there and find a structure that's right for you. So you can still bring your flavor, your energy, your tone, your voice, that way the audience will always expect what's going to come from episode to episode. I would say be careful that you're not ripping off an existing podcast altogether, but I think it's okay to steal some ideas here and there, as long as you make it your own and you make it your style.
Julian Lewis:
Yeah, and if it's a topic that you're passionate about, lean into it in a different way, exactly as TJ laid it out. If you liken it to the number of blogs that are out there, or the number of people who are posting fashion or fitness inspiration on Instagram, there's plenty of people doing it, right? You just have to do it in your own unique way and bring a different perspective to your audience and then see if you're able to grow it over time. So don't get discouraged when you see somebody else with your idea, but you have to create it as your own. Exactly what TJ said.
TJ Bonaventura:
And one thing that I know that, Julian, you like to say to our clients when we're either having an education session or doing a consultation, if you're going to have a guest on, based off of your subject matter or the topic of what your show's going to be about, take a listen to the other shows that this guest has been a part of, if they have been, so then you can bring a different perspective of what you're going to be interviewing them about. You don't want to be part of what the old TV and radio industry would call a car wash, where if a movie is coming out, that actor will just be on every TV and radio show and podcast to help promote it. Don't be that person who's just going to be asking the same questions over and over. Have a different perspective. Let them know you're going to be bringing a different perspective. I think it's okay to lean into the niche-ness and not be too scared of the market and podcasting and how saturated it's become.
Julian Lewis:
Yeah, and TJ, I'm going to give a shout out to Rebecca from Dating in the Bae. She had the founder of match.com on her podcast, and he gave her the golden or platinum compliment of "I've never heard that question before." It's because she did her homework to understand, like, "How can I take a different angle to this and bring my own perspective?" You'll know you're doing well when you get that platinum compliment, as I just made up on the spot.
TJ Bonaventura:
Yeah, that's awesome. I like it. Platinum comment. All right.
Julian Lewis:
Compliment.
TJ Bonaventura:
All right, platinum compliment. We got to remember that. Got to remember that.
Julian Lewis:
Awesome. And I think when it comes to biting off more than you can chew, let's talk directly to organizations and try to liken it to, we were talking about individuals before, when have you seen organizations kind of bite off more than they can chew?
TJ Bonaventura:
Yeah, so I think a great example is, we had someone who came to us and they were like, "We want to create a How I Built This style podcast. We want to copy that structure. If someone came to us and said, 'You know what? That seems very similar to How I Built This.' That's exactly what we want." So we did it. Little do they know, the amount of production work and upfront time it took on their end to not only do the interviews, to do the voiceover, to figure out where to put in the transition music, and ultimately what they thought was going to be a four to six month project ended up taking up over a year of time to do. I think 12 episodes is where that show ended up. So be realistic if you're an organization, understand that there's a lot of moving parts, typically, depending on what type of show you want to create. I'm working with a company right now who, their CEO is creating an internal podcast for the workforce, and one hurdle that we have to deal with is getting time on the calendar to make sure that we can record. Understand that. Come up with ideas that we'll be able to create content that can be easily recorded and produced, so you can spit it out there as quick as possible with the highest amount of production.
Julian Lewis:
Yeah, and to add to that, being mindful of the time of your executives, if that's who you want to have on your podcast. When you can, just block a couple hours of their time in between when they have earnings reports and things that they have to prepare for, and just try to knock out as many as you can. I think also leaning on an external team to really help you, because this is just one cog in your marketing wheel, so to speak, and you have people already doing those things. So lean on an external production team, even if it's just to help you get started. And we always recommend having one point person, because what ends up happening is, if you are working at an organization with many layers, you're going to have way too many cooks in the kitchen and it's going to take a lot longer for you to produce that initial episode if you have to get four levels of approval.
TJ Bonaventura:
Oftentimes we do see companies who are understaffed and they have these grandiose ideas, but they also want to be cautious of budget. So, as Julian mentioned, definitely think about outsourcing that as much as you can, we do it where we can, most companies do it, where they can overall.
TJ Bonaventura:
So, getting back to your idea. If you come up with an idea, let's take advantage of a trend that's happening. Jump on it. Get your ducks in a row. Figure out who you want to have on, what your subject matter's going to be, how you're going to record, and then just do it. Don't fall into the trap that's paralysis by analysis. This is something that we see often. We get caught. I am caught in it right now. I have a great idea for a pod. I'm not going to share it because I am very, very in love with the idea, and I don't want anyone to steal it, but I'm overthinking it. And I know I shouldn't, and I need to just get my recordings done, get it edited, and then publish it out there. It will force me to do it more often and more frequently.
Julian Lewis:
I'm actually going to counter punch the heck out of you right now, because you should get it out there because then it puts pressure on you to actually get it done and beat out the person who's going to take that original idea from you.
TJ Bonaventura:
All right, let's do it. Listen, I'm going to put it out there in the world. I actually was listening to something that says, if you put it out in the world in the universe, it will happen some way, shape or form. The idea is called The What's Cooking podcast. I'm happy to announce it. It is a podcast that is specifically meant to listen as you are cooking, whether by yourself or with somebody else. It is part directions and recipes, part podcast, where we dive into where the recipe came from, the history of that recipe. Maybe it's a family member, maybe it's someone in the annals of history that we want to talk about. Obviously, still being a little bit shaken out, but I'm excited that this is something that's going to be coming out soon.
Julian Lewis:
What's crazy is that while you were saying that I came up with my own podcast, as you were speaking to that, it's going to be called What's Cooking Good Looking?, and I'll be the host of that one.
TJ Bonaventura:
Julian is the face of StudioPod. All right, so to summarize what we've talked about, there's a lot of emphasis on being original, and coming up with an original idea. With a market being as saturated as it is right now, oftentimes you're going to find that your idea's already been taken. Don't put so much emphasis on having that original idea. Focus on yourself and what you bring to the podcast and how you are going to make that idea different, but staying within yourself because you are the reason why your audience is going to come back. Study your subject, know your guests, see where they've been on. If there's a new trend, that's coming about, jump on the trend and don't overanalyze. Jump right in. Julian, what did I miss?
Julian Lewis:
You got it. You nailed it. I think it's time to just say pod on and pod on.
TJ Bonaventura:
PodOn!
TJ Bonaventura:
Every episode of the PodOn podcast is produced and edited by StudioPod Media. For more information about our work and our clients go to studiopodsf.com.
Julian Lewis:
Shout out to Gary Oakland for the fire track.
TJ Bonaventura:
Gary O.
This is the PodOn podcast.
TJ Bonaventura:
We're your hosts, TJ Bonaventura, that's me, and Julian Lewis.
Julian Lewis:
That's me. As founders of a podcast media company, we had to start a podcast.
TJ Bonaventura:
So join us each episode as we and our guests drop knowledge on podcasting for you, the curious and scrappy podcaster.
TJ Bonaventura:
Once again, we're back. I'm going to keep saying this now, Julian, we are back. He's Julian, I'm TJ. Together we're StudioPod. The biggest dynamic duo since Shaq and Penny, that's Shaquille O'Neil and Penny Hardaway.
Julian Lewis:
Shaq and Penny ... I don't know if I would've gone that route.
TJ Bonaventura:
Well, we'll give a new dynamic duo every week. How about that? It's a new challenge for us.
Julian Lewis:
Right, we'll start with Shaq and Penny.
TJ Bonaventura:
Today. We're talking about biting off more than you can chew. So what do I mean by this? Oftentimes we get that gung-ho feeling from our clients, who's like, "I have this idea for a podcast. There's something I want to create." And then they go off and they list this laundry list of ideas and items of what they want to do, which is awesome. We love seeing anybody come to us with an awesome creative idea and seeing those creative juices flowing, but oftentimes those tend to fade because they realize the type of work that goes into creating that particular show. So this is where we would ask you to be realistic with yourself and think, is this something that you can keep up with?
Julian Lewis:
And I think, TJ, we act as sawyers. A sawyer is somebody who works with wood and we're essentially whittling down that wood to really help them to be a little bit more focused, like understand exactly, to TJ's point, do they have the time and bandwidth to take this on and to take it on consistently? That's the very first thing that you have to really understand, and then go back to some of our other episodes where we talk about defining your audience, because a lot of times when they have this big idea, it's because they want to touch everybody. But instead, what we try to do is help them to whittle down those ideas. So I think even if you don't have a production team, like StudioPod, that you could bounce ideas off of, just bounce it off of a couple friends. Get an idea of, like, "Am I thinking too broadly about this? Can I chisel this down into something that's more focused towards a particular audience that may resonate with it?"
TJ Bonaventura:
Yeah. You know, I was having coffee with a friend not too long ago. And she was saying, "I have this idea for a podcast, but then I looked it up and somebody already did it." I don't think that should deter you. A lot of people are doing podcasts nowadays, and the thing to note is, the idea doesn't make the podcast successful, you as the host do. You're the one that's original. You're the reason why the audience is always coming back to listen in. And I think it's okay to emulate other podcasts out there and find a structure that's right for you. So you can still bring your flavor, your energy, your tone, your voice, that way the audience will always expect what's going to come from episode to episode. I would say be careful that you're not ripping off an existing podcast altogether, but I think it's okay to steal some ideas here and there, as long as you make it your own and you make it your style.
Julian Lewis:
Yeah, and if it's a topic that you're passionate about, lean into it in a different way, exactly as TJ laid it out. If you liken it to the number of blogs that are out there, or the number of people who are posting fashion or fitness inspiration on Instagram, there's plenty of people doing it, right? You just have to do it in your own unique way and bring a different perspective to your audience and then see if you're able to grow it over time. So don't get discouraged when you see somebody else with your idea, but you have to create it as your own. Exactly what TJ said.
TJ Bonaventura:
And one thing that I know that, Julian, you like to say to our clients when we're either having an education session or doing a consultation, if you're going to have a guest on, based off of your subject matter or the topic of what your show's going to be about, take a listen to the other shows that this guest has been a part of, if they have been, so then you can bring a different perspective of what you're going to be interviewing them about. You don't want to be part of what the old TV and radio industry would call a car wash, where if a movie is coming out, that actor will just be on every TV and radio show and podcast to help promote it. Don't be that person who's just going to be asking the same questions over and over. Have a different perspective. Let them know you're going to be bringing a different perspective. I think it's okay to lean into the niche-ness and not be too scared of the market and podcasting and how saturated it's become.
Julian Lewis:
Yeah, and TJ, I'm going to give a shout out to Rebecca from Dating in the Bae. She had the founder of match.com on her podcast, and he gave her the golden or platinum compliment of "I've never heard that question before." It's because she did her homework to understand, like, "How can I take a different angle to this and bring my own perspective?" You'll know you're doing well when you get that platinum compliment, as I just made up on the spot.
TJ Bonaventura:
Yeah, that's awesome. I like it. Platinum comment. All right.
Julian Lewis:
Compliment.
TJ Bonaventura:
All right, platinum compliment. We got to remember that. Got to remember that.
Julian Lewis:
Awesome. And I think when it comes to biting off more than you can chew, let's talk directly to organizations and try to liken it to, we were talking about individuals before, when have you seen organizations kind of bite off more than they can chew?
TJ Bonaventura:
Yeah, so I think a great example is, we had someone who came to us and they were like, "We want to create a How I Built This style podcast. We want to copy that structure. If someone came to us and said, 'You know what? That seems very similar to How I Built This.' That's exactly what we want." So we did it. Little do they know, the amount of production work and upfront time it took on their end to not only do the interviews, to do the voiceover, to figure out where to put in the transition music, and ultimately what they thought was going to be a four to six month project ended up taking up over a year of time to do. I think 12 episodes is where that show ended up. So be realistic if you're an organization, understand that there's a lot of moving parts, typically, depending on what type of show you want to create. I'm working with a company right now who, their CEO is creating an internal podcast for the workforce, and one hurdle that we have to deal with is getting time on the calendar to make sure that we can record. Understand that. Come up with ideas that we'll be able to create content that can be easily recorded and produced, so you can spit it out there as quick as possible with the highest amount of production.
Julian Lewis:
Yeah, and to add to that, being mindful of the time of your executives, if that's who you want to have on your podcast. When you can, just block a couple hours of their time in between when they have earnings reports and things that they have to prepare for, and just try to knock out as many as you can. I think also leaning on an external team to really help you, because this is just one cog in your marketing wheel, so to speak, and you have people already doing those things. So lean on an external production team, even if it's just to help you get started. And we always recommend having one point person, because what ends up happening is, if you are working at an organization with many layers, you're going to have way too many cooks in the kitchen and it's going to take a lot longer for you to produce that initial episode if you have to get four levels of approval.
TJ Bonaventura:
Oftentimes we do see companies who are understaffed and they have these grandiose ideas, but they also want to be cautious of budget. So, as Julian mentioned, definitely think about outsourcing that as much as you can, we do it where we can, most companies do it, where they can overall.
TJ Bonaventura:
So, getting back to your idea. If you come up with an idea, let's take advantage of a trend that's happening. Jump on it. Get your ducks in a row. Figure out who you want to have on, what your subject matter's going to be, how you're going to record, and then just do it. Don't fall into the trap that's paralysis by analysis. This is something that we see often. We get caught. I am caught in it right now. I have a great idea for a pod. I'm not going to share it because I am very, very in love with the idea, and I don't want anyone to steal it, but I'm overthinking it. And I know I shouldn't, and I need to just get my recordings done, get it edited, and then publish it out there. It will force me to do it more often and more frequently.
Julian Lewis:
I'm actually going to counter punch the heck out of you right now, because you should get it out there because then it puts pressure on you to actually get it done and beat out the person who's going to take that original idea from you.
TJ Bonaventura:
All right, let's do it. Listen, I'm going to put it out there in the world. I actually was listening to something that says, if you put it out in the world in the universe, it will happen some way, shape or form. The idea is called The What's Cooking podcast. I'm happy to announce it. It is a podcast that is specifically meant to listen as you are cooking, whether by yourself or with somebody else. It is part directions and recipes, part podcast, where we dive into where the recipe came from, the history of that recipe. Maybe it's a family member, maybe it's someone in the annals of history that we want to talk about. Obviously, still being a little bit shaken out, but I'm excited that this is something that's going to be coming out soon.
Julian Lewis:
What's crazy is that while you were saying that I came up with my own podcast, as you were speaking to that, it's going to be called What's Cooking Good Looking?, and I'll be the host of that one.
TJ Bonaventura:
Julian is the face of StudioPod. All right, so to summarize what we've talked about, there's a lot of emphasis on being original, and coming up with an original idea. With a market being as saturated as it is right now, oftentimes you're going to find that your idea's already been taken. Don't put so much emphasis on having that original idea. Focus on yourself and what you bring to the podcast and how you are going to make that idea different, but staying within yourself because you are the reason why your audience is going to come back. Study your subject, know your guests, see where they've been on. If there's a new trend, that's coming about, jump on the trend and don't overanalyze. Jump right in. Julian, what did I miss?
Julian Lewis:
You got it. You nailed it. I think it's time to just say pod on and pod on.
TJ Bonaventura:
PodOn!
TJ Bonaventura:
Every episode of the PodOn podcast is produced and edited by StudioPod Media. For more information about our work and our clients go to studiopodsf.com.
Julian Lewis:
Shout out to Gary Oakland for the fire track.
TJ Bonaventura:
Gary O.