52: Doing What “Makes Sense” Doesn’t Always Make Sense

We talk a lot on Profitcast about reorienting around what profiting with your podcast means for you and your situation. The traditional, or go-to, definition is monetization, and that’s natural and it doesn’t hurt to have that as a goal. But lately we’ve taken to broadening this definition. To me, profiting with my podcast means ___________.

Rob and Martha Southgate seriously challenge the idea of monetization as the pinnacle of profiting with podcasting. Their story is a remarkable one, a miraculous one, we might say. In many, many ways it differs from other success stories we often hear on Profitcast; one of Brian’s guests will explain the strategies he or she employed to reach the stage they are at now and can offer up suggestions or helpful hints for others currently fighting through the smog. Rob and Martha, though they have fantastic insight, truly have a unique (and likely non-reproducible) story that will challenge us in new ways.

Having such a unique experience in their podcasting journey provides some excellent insight into how we, as passion podcasters, consider our role in the broader podcasting world. In the business world, profit actually means this: “A financial benefit that is realized when the amount of revenue gained from a business activity exceeds the expenses, costs and taxes needed to sustain the activity.” But going back to the “Doing What Makes Sense Doesn’t Always Make Sense” mentality, Rob and Martha have come to find that profiting with podcasts doesn’t mean exceeding the expenses needed to sustain themselves, but actually finding fulfillment in having exactly what they need in order to live.

How often do we, particularly Americans, stop and reflect on the fact that having enough to live is enough? We strive for the padding between the day-to-day and the bottom line. We strive for vacation time and a slightly bigger house with a slightly bigger yard. And as passion podcasters, we strive to do what we love for monetary gain and end up losing sight of the bigger picture.

With their focus on producing quality podcasts, doing what they love, and committing to only what they need, Rob and Martha are in a place many financially successful podcasters lose. And they don’t lose it because they don’t believe in it anymore, but because–quite often–they become consumed by the monetary aspect of the podcast, they become consumed by the success that monetization brings, and they lose the ability to have that raw, excited impact on others. Not always! But often. Rob and Martha focus on people and talents, finding people with passion to spearhead podcast projects. They don’t focus on the number of downloads, but embrace the importance of doing and sharing what they love.

In Rob and Martha’s world, they are profiting big time because they stepped off the cliff and are walking on cloud nine! You’ve got to stop reading this blog and go listen to their story now.

PATREON
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