This series is all about showcasing Libsyn podcasters. Its sole purpose is to introduce these awesome podcasts to the world as well as share their podcasting insight to empower the community!
Q & A with Lisa from Super Power U Podcast
When did you start podcasting?
After falling in love with podcasts in early 2017 and completely binge listening to just a ton of them (pretty much all the time) I decided I wanted my own. So I got serious about it in October and launched my show on Dec 14, 2017 with an Intro plus two more episodes.
My goal was to publish every single week for an entire year with no gaps and no second thoughts or podfading until then.
Why did you start podcasting?
I’ve always been more inclined to participate, to play, to create rather than just consume alone. So if there’s something I love, I usually want to play. I’d rather be on the stage than in the audience, in the conversation rather than just listening, so once I got obsessed the next obvious step was to have my own show.
Plus my first career was in film and television (like Elsie shared in the Feed #117, I too, am on honorable withdrawal from SAG) and although I’m a competitive ballroom dancer I’d been missing the part of performing that involves words and ideas.
My kids are a few years away from being fully launched and like so many other women my age who have done a lot of life, including raising up the next generation, I have stories to tell and information to share.
What’s the name of your show about and what is it about?
My Show is the Super Power U Podcast and it’s all about starting with strengths. We do long-form interviews with amazing people (80% women) about that special skill or strength that comes naturally to them and from which others can learn and be inspired.
What’s your podcasting set-up? Hardware, software, CMS, etc.
I have a 5-sided box built by my husband out of foam core board and corrugated foam.
I put my whole setup inside it including my Macbook Pro. I generally record on Zencastr and then edit on Audacity.
I spend a lot of time editing, do the first rough edit myself, then pass it on to a professional editor for the second cut.
It comes back to me and I do another few hours fine-tuning the edit, adding the context intros and wrap-up and, more recently, some asides to the audience with music.
After I finish the edit, I run the show through Auphonic even though I’m a bit deaf to what’s happening. I don’t understand a lot of the technicalities of sound editing and because there is just so much for me to learn about almost every aspect of podcasting, I haven’t been able to go in too deep.
So, I take a lot on faith. For example, I heard on the Feed that it’s wise to choose the –14LUFS option and so even though I don’t totally understand it, I do it. It’s kind of guerrilla sound editing, out of necessity…and it’s a bit embarrassing to be so ignorant about it but you know, you do what you can.
How have you promoted your podcast?
Oh boy, by trial and error and a bit of throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks. Some of the things I’ve done are reasonably random Facebook ads and boosts for episodes and posts I feel good about, posting information and links to groups that are relevant for the topic.
So for example, for my Intermittent Fasting episode, my two-part series on Facing Death and a show about strengthening bonds with our teenage girls in the tech age, I posted relevant info and links on Facebook groups dedicated to those topics.
I also do a Wavve graphic with an audio clip soundbite from my guest each week. I do social media posts through my Libsyn publishing directly to LinkedIn and Twitter and I post in an ad hoc way on Twitter when I think about it.
I also shout-out and promote other people’s show as much as I can because I figure “what goes around comes around.” I do, however, feel this is the biggest area of challenge for me right now. I’ve worked hard at being regular with my show and having great guests and I feel really good about the direction my show is taking. However, the growth is steady but very slow and I’d really like to hit an inflection point and see some more exponential growth. I’m not a marketing person and I think figuring this out is what’s up next for me.
What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started?
When I launched my podcast I had heard that it is good to post 3–5 episodes on the launch date as opposed to publishing just one so I launched with an intro show and Eps 1 and 2.
However, I wish I had also realized that I’d be better off if I had 2–3 more shows ready to publish because I spent the first six weeks (at least) under pressure every week trying to make sure to get done in time for my Thursday publishing schedule.
One week I even lost the entire episode the day before and had to get really creative and put together a show with recommendations from friends on what to do when disaster strikes. It was fun and I like the result but it was definitely stressful.
Thank you so much for all you do. For anyone thinking about starting a podcast I say Do it, Do it, Do it. There’s only up from the beginning.
In addition to the Twitter and LinkedIn links above, you can also connect with Lisa via Instagram and Facebook!
Of course if you are looking for your own strengths or searching for a way to be inspired to trust in your strengths and the strength of humanity, you need to subscribe to this podcast!
Podcasting is one of the rewarding ways to express yourself. If you feel like it’s time to let go and take a chance with your voice, consider starting a podcast! We would love to host your media and if you need a little bit more help making it happen, then we have a free Podcasting QuickStart
