More In Common’s tips for starting a podcast

More In Common is a podcast hosted by Rodney and Keith aiming to anchor humanity in compassionate conversation. They ultimately want to spread a culture where people engage with each other and both hear and feel heard with everyone they cross paths with. The More In Common Podcast is perfect for anyone wanting to increase their own empathy and compassion, anyone willing to have what they believe challenged, and anyone looking to grow.

Tips, thoughts, and considerations for starting a podcast

1. Why are you starting a podcast

• Is it to be rich? Famous?  Talk about a thing you love?  Showcase your expertise?
• Why it’s important: It helps to know why you’re starting.  It’ll help expectations from growing out of hand.
• Be honest about it, own it, and don’t lose sight of it.

2. Hardware, hardware, hardware

• You can get started with what you have, no need to spend tons of money
• Start with a cell phone or a USB microphone
• Don’t let what you don’t know here keep you from creating.

3. Consistency

• Whether you release monthly, every 2 weeks, weekly, or daily…

The key is CONSISTENCY.  Show up and keep showing up, even if the listeners don’t right away.  You have to prove to them that they should show up and that you’re not going to leave them out to dry by disappearing

4. Topics

• Do you have a list of topics and/or guests already?
• It’s OK if you don’t – we didn’t.
• We suggest starting with an overall theme and seeing how it goes.  You’ll likely change over time and that’s OK

5. Content

• Map to your why first.
• What your content is will likely change as you get comfortable.
• Don’t be afraid to try new things out, especially early.
• Find what is natural and comfortable for you
• Give changes time to breath
  • Try not to give up on new ideas too quickly

6. Guests

• If you plan to interview people, finding guests is always a thing
• Do you want experts? Friends?  Think about it.
• Find a clear way to communicate why they should come on your podcast.
  • What you do.
  • What they would get from it.
• How to get them? ASK, ASK, ASK – email, call, DM, ask in person at events
  • The worst thing that can happen is they say no and more often than you imagine they will say YES

7. START

• Don’t let any of these things stop you from starting.
• As one of our guests put it to us “Don’t over-engineer it.”
• Once you have your idea, think through the basics and go.
• START!!