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This week’s Profitcast features an interview with Jason Van Orden, one of the masterminds behind and as the title of this episode suggests, Jason is adamant that there is still money to be made in podcasting, but it’s not something to...
This week’s Profitcast features an interview with Jason Van Orden, one of the masterminds behind Internet Business Mastery and as the title of this episode suggests, Jason is adamant that there is still money to be made in podcasting, but it’s not something to be taken lightly. I’m going to address the aspects of Jason’s interview that resonated with me and how important the terms differentiation and curiosity suddenly became to my daily vernacular.
Listening to Jason describe his process and methodology was very comforting to me, because I approach projects in much the same way as he does. I have what the Kolbe A Index calls a high Fact Finder and low Quick Start. (Apologies for the photographed image, I only ever got a hard copy of my Kolbe results.) To quickly break this down, having a high number in the Fact Finder category means that I gather and share information by getting down to the specifics. A good example of this is that I really dislike trying to describe a book when I’m in the midst of reading it. I want to have all the information before I tell you about the plot of the book. Having a low Quick Start, on the other hand, refers to a tendency to stick with what already works really well in order to avoid chaos and reduce the chances of making mistakes.
After reading that, you may wonder how I ever accomplish anything. Well, as I become more knowledgeable in a given topic, my ability to accomplish my Fact Finder quota quickly increases and I’m able to broaden my Quick Start capabilities, moving on from sticking with what already works and begin experimenting with new ideas. The advice Jason gives in this podcast resonates really well with me — and not just in the affirming way that it’s okay to do a ton of research before starting a project. A certain degree of preparation and research is absolutely necessary when approaching a medium as densely packed as podcasting.
Here at Profitcast, our thing is passion podcasting. We’re passionate and want to share ideas and information through the medium of podcasting. Chances are you found this podcast and this blog post for that very reason, and good for you! For real. Sometimes it troubles me to see how few people care enough about a topic to be comfortable, and intentional, about being openly nerdy about it! In high school, or earlier even, did you ever just get so excited about something that you were bouncing all over the room while your peers look on, crossing their arms and acting embarrassed for you, wondering why you deigned to show an emotion that was anything other than indifference? Passion podcasters are enablers. We provide outlets to people who think that they are the only ones bouncing around the room, excited over something everyone else is too unwilling to become genuinely nerdy about. We are specifically identifying our name, our brand, our reputation with something.
But that’s the thing, isn’t it? Getting specific. It’s 2015. There are thousands upon thousands of podcasts, millions upon millions of podcast episodes. When we have this itch, this passion, and there are so many others out there just like it, how can we chime in and not sound like everyone else?
This is where, I do believe, having a high Fact Finder and low Quick Start come in extremely handy. I cannot just jump into something and start experimenting. If you don’t believe me, ask Brian. In the course of our friendship, and partnership, I’m sure he can come up with several scenarios in which we discussed and deliberated instead of jumping in and going because of my insatiable need to know the details. He’s been incredibly gracious and has taught me a lot about being able to fill the gaps of my subjectively lacking knowledge in order to get a task accomplished, but it still can be burdensome to those around me. And yet, when it comes to finding uniqueness in the world of podcasting, I might just have the drive and the mental instruments necessary to find a solid niche.
Jason references a couple very key points of preparing to do a podcast that I think are vital to my point here. And if I’ve been too vague, my point is to encourage you to not overlook the research and prep that goes into your podcast before you begin and while you’re producing. Two key points are these:
One. Differentiation. It is possible to be the first on a certain topic, but increasingly difficult. As Brian likes to say, if you can be the first, AWESOME! If not, find a niche. Get specific. Jason’s idea of differentiation comes from this same mold. It’s okay to admit to yourself that there may be other podcasts out there just like the one you want to start, so listen to them. Do not be afraid of the competition. Embrace the challenge to find a way to make the delivery of your passion unique. You can even broaden the scope some, find podcasts that might not even be in your category or genre, but perhaps approach a topic with the same formula you’d like to implement, and take note of what works and what doesn’t.
B. Curiosity. We talk about passion, but how about curiosity? Curiosity increases passion, so stay curious. Research does this for me. The more I read, the more I want to read. The problem zone for myself is that I often cannot confidently state that I’ve learned enough to be an expert, or to have the authority necessary to speak on the matter. What happens after I read the whole book and still don’t think I can adequately describe the plot? What if I need to read it again? Keeping yourself curious will undoubtedly be the key to a full and dynamic podcast, but don’t forget that sometimes curiosity can be external. Like Larry King, and even The Real Brian, curiosity can be the means to connect with your audience, instead of strictly the means to be an authority to your audience.
Thanks to Jason for being on the show this week! It was so great to hear his brain picked apart, get some very validating perspectives on the state of podcasting, and the hope that there is, assuredly, money in podcasting.
PATREON
Would you please consider supporting Profitcast through Patreon? I would be ETERNALLY grateful! Thank you to ALL who have come alongside Profitcast through Profitcast Patreon
The foundation of Profitcast has been to pioneer techniques of turning passion into profit. Many podcasters have been successful with Patreon, and Brian hopes to provide meaningful insights and suggestions on how to launch your own campaign.
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