Frustrated with my longstanding pattern of working unfulfilling office jobs to pay the bills, I took an online class back in 2018 that had to do with coming up with a new vision for yourself.
We were asked to take a personal inventory of our longtime interests and see how these, along with things like our various educations, trainings, and life experiences, might converge into some new project, undertaking, or even something akin to a personal brand.
In response to some of the prompts we were given, I wrote at that time [excerpted]:
I’m interested in self-actualization, realizing our highest potential as individuals (and collectively). I’m fascinated by the subject of human motivation, and how we can actively shape our lives to the extent that we have some say about it (I’m also fascinated by the debate over how much say we have!).
However, how to turn this fascination into a product or service, let alone a brand?!?
One answer might be to conduct interviews with a wide array of thinkers and artists, but again….how? This would be a podcast, most likely.
Becoming a Bill Moyers-esque YouTube personality or podcast host? (That’s about all I’ve got.)
When the class was over, I put my notes aside and took no action on them.
Then…some things happened.
***
In March 2020, as a deadly new virus began spreading globally, the world practically came to a halt. All initial predictions about how long our lives would be disrupted for were proven to be hugely naïve. Multiple times.
Working from home became widespread, and the prevalence of Zoom meetings became a cultural touchstone.
Many people began reevaluating their lives and made big changes.
In 2021, a phenomenon dubbed “The Great Resignation” saw huge numbers of people leaving their jobs. I was among them.
Many businesses and industries were decimated during this time.
But some exploded.
Among these was: podcasting.
The medium had never been so accessible. With just basic computer equipment and some inexpensive online tools and services, anyone with an Internet connection could (if they hadn’t already done so) start one. Even one with decent-quality video. We were all quite accustomed to remote meetings, so conducting interviews this way became widely accepted as standard practice.
You could, without leaving your bedroom, connect with people all over the world and record conversations with them. Then (pants still optional) you could edit said recordings, and publish and distribute them on popular platforms accessible the world over, instantly.
To be sure, the vast majority of podcasters are not making a living from their efforts, if they’re making any money off of them at all.
But there are other things to be gained from the enterprise than just (potentially) money. Experience. Connection. Personal growth. Networking. All kinds of skills. The exchanging of ideas. A body of work. Creative fulfillment.
Podcasters today are creating an extraordinary amount of content. And, collectively, having unprecedented impact. No network TV (or radio) contract, or even previous experience, required.
***
Four-plus years after toying with the idea on paper to maybe start a podcast myself, I have now completed my first full “season” of episodes.
True to the initial vision for it I was only beginning to articulate in the scribblings I shared in the beginning part of this post, my podcast is called The Person You Want to Be.
It can be found on YouTube, as well as on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and other platforms.
On Tuesday, December 6th, I will be releasing the Season One Finale, in which I have compiled clips from all seventeen of the previous episodes and fashioned them into what I hope you will find to be a rich collection of impactful stories, ideas, and philosophies about how to become The Person You Want to Be.
I am excited to share it with you and hope you will check it out!
Stay tuned…
Eric's Inspired Living Blog 