21 lessons learned in 2021. My first year of podcasting.

One year into podcasting and it has been a journey. It’s been fun, enlightening, rewarding, difficult, and stress-inducing all at the same time. But overall, I’m a happier and better person for having done it.

As I explained in my first ever podcast Episode 1, appropriately titled “Welcome to the User Flows Podcast”. I had been thinking about creating this podcast for nearly two years before I actually got around to recording for the first time.

My goal for this year was to record 12 good podcasts. I ended up creating more than that and in the middle of the year I was having a great time creating shows and the content to promote them. Life got in the way though. I moved my family to a new state and went through the process of purchasing a new home in a crazy housing market. Eventually, I got wrapped up in getting my family comfortable in our new home. The show took a back seat and rightfully so. The second half of this year has been amazing for my family and I and I don’t think I would have done it any other way.

That’s the great part about trying something new. You can sit around forever thinking about something and not moving on it. Fearful of failing, fearful of the thing not living up to your expectations. Or just being plain too lazy to get started. The thing is though, once you’ve done it. Once you’ve gotten whatever that thing is out there. All that worry, fear, and self-loathing that goes along with thinking but not doing. All that just goes away and you are left with a more peaceful feeling in its place. A feeling of knowing you at least tried.

Even though this podcast has been no great smash hit, no show-stopping, life-changing event. It’s mine, it was fun, it wasn’t perfect, but it’s out there and for that, I feel like my goal has been accomplished. There are literally 1001 different things I would change about the show and some of them I may actually get around to.

This will however be the last blog post and podcast I’ll put out this year. I’m looking forward to spending some time reflecting and just doing nothing outside of my family life and day job for a couple of months. I plan to begin recording in the second quarter of 2022 and I can’t wait to share season 2 of the User Flows Podcast with you then.

So with that, I wanted to share the lessons I’ve learned in case you are interested in starting a podcast. Maybe take up where I left off. Hopefully, there is something here you can learn from without having to make the mistakes I did. The following is a shortlist of 21 lessons I learned in my first year of podcasting. Some obvious, some not so obvious. It’s not a succinct list of everything I learned, but that list would be a mile long. Just like the podcast. It’s not perfect, but that’s the point. It’s me. Flaws and all. Have a great 2022 everyone!

One: Podcasting is easier than you think.

Seriously, all you need is a phone. You can make it exceptionally more complicated than that, but if you really wanted to you could sign up for a service like Anchor.fm, which provides everything you need to record a show on your phone and have a podcast up in a matter of hours. Seriously, if the fear of learning the technology for podcasting is what’s holding you back. Don’t let it.

Two: Podcasting is also a lot harder than you think.

Okay, 180-degree turnabout from the last lesson. I meant what I said. Podcasting is easy, but making a show that people actually want to listen to and telling a great story is not easy. It takes a ton of practice. But storytelling is one of the most important things we do as designers and creators. Practicing the art of storytelling is exactly what we should do to improve our skillset and craft constantly.

Plus, as I said before. You can use your phone and an all-in-one service to broadcast your show. But, you can also add in software, complicated microphones, and other technical nonsense that can greatly complicate the process of talking and publishing as you go. In this year I’ve found, publishing your first show to be easy, but publishing your 21 first show is not.

Three: Storytelling is important.

As stated above, storytelling is an extremely important aspect of design. For those of us used to thinking visually. Communicating with just our voice can be a hard task, especially when you can’t see your audience and pick up on the cues that tell us they are into our story or getting ready to change the channel. I’ll talk about this in other lessons learned in this post, but focusing on telling a story YOU want to hear is the only way you’ll create a story anyone else wants to hear.

Four: Hyperfocus.

One of my biggest mistakes with the podcast I made is that I should have made it my only side hustle venture this year. I mixed in blogging, vlogging, social media content creation, teaching, speaking engagements, and a whole lot of personal hobbies on top of it. I have a feeling if I had been hyper-focused on the show, I would have been able to create something I’d be much more proud of instead of wondering if I could have created a better show.

In Episode 8: Building UX Products with Impact! Four-time founder Steven Cohn gave me some great advice on Hyperfocusing as the key to him being able to launch and sell four successful products. I think he called it “Ruthless Focus” and this will be something I’ll be working into my plan for 2022.

Five: Never stop learning.

There is so much out there to discover, never fall into the trap that you’ve learned all that you need to know, and there is nothing left to do. I’ve just begun to scratch the surface of what I’ll need to know to make a podcast great, but being a beginner again has been refreshing and fun and it keeps me entertained and coming back for more.

Try being a beginner again, somewhere. But if you’re interested in learning more about podcasting. There is no better class than Podcasters Paradise. I don’t so much like their Facebook group, but that’s because I don’t like using Facebook regularly. You might find that to be the best part of their group though. Their course is excellent and was exactly what I needed to get started. 

Six: Don't be afraid to share from wherever you are.

Not all of my guests were seasoned professionals and I did that for a good reason. I started this show with the mission of helping those interested in UX design discover more about the field. In episode 5, I had Ivan Crego come on the show and talk about landing his first role in UX Design right after he graduated from a UX boot camp. I also had Mariyam Elshrief in episode 12 talk about her time as a UX mentee. Wherever you are in your journey. Start sharing today. Episode 9 guest Sam Harper talks about how before he was a year into his career he started putting our content and it suddenly went viral, completely changing his career path. We all have something to share and a story to tell. Tell it.

Seven: You don't need a crazy work setup.

You can spend an insane amount of money on podcasting gear and equipment, but some of the best and most listened to shows in the world. Have extremely minimal setups. Here is my personal setup:

RedCircle: For podcast hosting. This is important, you need a podcast host, and unless you’re releasing multiple shows a weak. Then RedCircle’s free plan will probably be all you need. Super simple to set up and it will walk you through getting published on all the platforms you’ll need.  This made my life super easy.

ZenCastr: For recording and filming your podcast interviews. Great piece of software. It’s not without its flaws, but it’s getting better and adding more features constantly. I really enjoy this software and it’s been fun to watch their evolution.

Zoom: You can do the same as Zencastr as you can with Zoom. But who wants to be in yet another zoom call in their day.

Garage Band: For editing the show. Easy to use and it comes with your Mac if you’re an Apple user. Being an Adobe subscriber, I set out to use Adobe Audition, but it just seemed too complicated so I switched to GarageBand and it’s just so easy to use.

Notion: I use notion for note-taking and writing my introductions and outros for the show. It’s amazing how much this app has taken over my life, but I love it.

Recording: I bought this Samson Q2U microphone based on a YouTuber’s recommendation and it’s been great. You can purchase an easy all-in-one setup on Amazon. You can go crazy and spend a lot more money, but this is honestly all you need and it will only set you back $89.

LinkedIn: I use Linkedin to reach out to and schedule all my guests except for those who have reached out to me. I only use the free version.

Calendly: for scheduling the calls. Their free plan works just fine.

So with all those different software packages. You can get away with the free plan on just about everything if you’re only putting out 2 -4 shows a month, which as a beginner is way more than enough.

Eight: You do need a quiet space.

I can not stress this enough. Do all you can to eliminate background noise before you start recording. You can do a lot in post-production, but it will make your life so much easier to record quality sound, to begin with.

Nine: You can make a big impact on your career.

Even if your podcast doesn’t take off. It’s a great conversation started in professional network settings like conferences, meet-ups, and even interviews. It will allow you to meet interesting people and even small opportunities that come from it can take you in new and unexpected directions. I won’t get into details, but the amount of interesting little opportunities that have come from this very small show was at first a little overwhelming. I’ve even gotten to the point where guests reach out to me to be on the show, taking some of my burdens off of me which is great.

Ten: Just get started.

If it’s weighing on your mind. Just do it. You’ll feel so much better once you’ve put it out there.

Eleven: Be transparent and open with your wants.

I’m finding that telling people upfront what I’m looking for just cuts right to the point, eliminates so much miscommunication, and just makes everyone’s lives easier. Telling my guests exactly what I’m looking for and knowing exactly what they are looking to get out of being on the show, ensures me that we’re both going to have a good time. This is an important lesson as well to take into your professional life. In Episode 18. Jared Tredly speaks to this in-depth on this topic and how it relates to your job search. Give it a listen. That was one of my favorite episodes.

Twelve: You don't have to comment on every post.

Doing the social media game is one of the things I hated most about this year in podcasting. I just simply don’t enjoy it. I also got into a few little silly arguments completely unintentionally. Causing me to waste far too much brain energy when I commented on posts that I simply didn’t need to comment on. They weren’t even controversial issues, but they were things where I thought I’d share my two cents and then got berated by someone trying to prove a point that had little to do with my opinion. So I stopped commenting front unless it was a conversation I really wanted to be a part of. It’s just not worth the time.

Thirteen: It's worth giving it a try. Even if you know it's going to fail.

Would you do your podcast even if you knew it was going to fail? That was the question I asked myself before I started my show and my answer was yes. I answered YES because I knew even if I failed, I’d be able to check it off my list. I’d learn a ton, I’d get to talk to some cool people, and most importantly, shut up the voice in my head telling me this was something I should do. So if you would do a podcast even if you know you would get zero listeners. What else could you take away from it? Lessons, clear thoughts, a bucket list item checked off the list. There are plenty of reasons to do it and so few not to.

Fourteen: You're going to have to dedicate way more time to this to craft something worth listening to.

I said in the beginning that podcasting was easier than you think. Which it is. I also said it’s harder than you think and that’s because as you get better, you’re going to expect more out of yourself and your show. If you want to craft something like the pros do. You’re going to have to dedicate a lot of time to this. Weekend warriors will more than likely not be the next Tim Ferris or Joe Rogan. But if you put the time into it and craft something you’re proud of. You’ll likely reach the people you’ll need to and this medium is still small enough that you can scratch out a nice little niche following. That really may be all you need and possibly all you may really be looking for.

Fifteen: It's a great way to connect with people.

I got to connect with some very cool, kind, and interesting people this year and in a year without too many in-person activities. It was a lifeline. It also caused me to reconnect with past colleagues on the show. Brian Evans on Episode 2, Evan Tyerman from Episode 3, Mike Reed, Episode 6, Caryn Gallis on Episode 1o, Viet Hoang, Episode 14, and Shehab Ibrahim on Episode 16.

It was nice to catch up with these folks just for the sake of catching up, but you also don’t get to know someone’s whole story a lot of times when you work with them. Having them on the show, at least in my mind has only heightened our relationships. I also had several past colleagues reach out off-line to give me their feedback and just catch up once they saw the show was out, which was honestly a highlight from this past year. These were people who I really enjoyed who I eventually fell out of touch with once we were no longer working together.

Sixteen: It's cool to have a side hustle, but make sure you get outside.

For me, getting outside is essential to my health and well-being and that is why I’m so happy I’ve chosen Coastal Georgia as my new home. The weather is great, honestly most of the year it’s not boiling hot and the landscape is something out of a dream. Endless marshes, Spanish moss blowing in the wind, and scenic barrier islands to explore. I never feel like I’ve wasted a day that I’ve spent outdoors. 

Seventeen: You'll need to make this about something you’re really interested in or it'll never last.

I started this show to teach people about UX Design but to keep it going, I’m going to need to pivot. I need to make the show about something I’m much more interested in than teaching UX Design to beginners. I need to make it about the next level, the advanced stuff, the new technologies, the latest books, the most intriguing ideas or I’m simply going to run out of steam. I can already feel it happening and I’ve considered abandoning the show altogether. 

Eighteen: It's okay to pivot.

I did what I set out to do. I made a show, I enjoyed it, and am very proud of it. But it’s not the right show for me to host. So if I’m going to make it work, I’m going to have to pivot and that is 100% okay. I don’t owe anything to anyone and based on the small amount of feedback I have received. My listeners and connections will enjoy the pivot I’m planning to make more than the current show.

Nineteen: Helping someone else achieve something is almost a good as achieving it yourself.

It was great hearing feedback that I helped somebody in their career. It’s honestly up there as a standout highlight in my year. That goes for not only teaching on the podcast but also with Sprinboard.com. It’s been one of the main highlights of my year to connect with and help students get to the next phase of their working lives. It’s truly been an honor.

Twenty: You can and should design your life.

I spoke about this in a recent talk I gave to some students at Kean Unversity. I've been a professional designer coming up on twenty years in May. However, I would venture to guess that I have been for the most part designing my life since I was born more than 42 years ago. We all have.

Of course, parents and others are in charge of your coming and going and daily routine for the early years of your childhood. Once you are old enough to have some form of free will though, your actions, inactions, thoughts, and experiences have designed the life that you are currently living.

Good, bad, or otherwise. We've all been designing our lives whether we were aware of it or not. Of course, outside hands shape that life. In a mostly free society, the decisions we make determine our outcomes. I think everyone is aware of this to a degree, but the power of this idea has only hit me this year.

I am in charge of every aspect of my life as you are the designer of your own. Yes, some circumstances are beyond our control, but if anything in our lives doesn’t fit our vision. We’re the only ones that can change it.

So just like this podcast, if I’m not enjoying an aspect of my life. I’m simply the only one to blame, but I’m also the only one who’s going to change it or make it better. It’s both a frightening yet freeing thought all at the same time. No heroes are coming to help us. Our lives will be by our own designs.

Twenty-One: It's time for a break.

It’s been a fun year. Packed. Lot’s learned, lot’s crossed off the list, but so much not crossed off the list as well. But all that is going to have to wait. It’s time to put side hustles to the side and life to the forefront.

At least for the first quarter of 2022. I am quitting all my side hustles. No more freelance work, no podcast at least, for now, no more blogging unless I just feel the need to write. No more teaching, I’ve left my post as a UX mentor. No more social media except for LinkedIn. I’ve deleted almost all of my personal and podcast social media accounts. They’re just a distraction from creating meaningful work and enjoying one’s time.

No more late nights or weekends focused on anything other than family and myself. This is something I haven’t done in the past 15 years. To just have a job and a life is almost a foreign concept to me. I’ve always had side hustles on side hustles. I’m looking forward to boredom and the creativity and peace of mind it creates.

Here’s to wishing you all an amazing and experience-filled 2022. Thank you for all your support, thank you for reading, thank you for listening, and thank you for making this all worthwhile. It’s been one hell of a year!

TM