After 200 days of producing podcasts, mostly doing them Monday to Friday over the last 2 years, I thought I'd highlight 10 things I've learnt.
Highlighting 10 things is hard, 200 podcasts, 10 things?
Here's the thing.
At first I wanted more to happen.
A lot more.
I guess I wanted more reward.
We all want something back for doing something.
I did.
I didn't want fame, but I did want to feel that there was a reward.
We chase reward because it motivates us to do more.
This is why we do what we do.
This is why I'm building All Gardening.
That's what I thought.
The truth that I quickly learnt was there is little reward, no quick reward, no quick win, no fame, no business changing change.
But there was a day when I started to feel different.
About 130 podcasts in.
I started feeling like I was building a brand, a story, memories.
I feel better for having done 200 podcasts now, I feel pride, a reward and sense of achievement,
I've done something very few will ever do.
I've been a pioneer.
The other day I was thinking this podcast was more a gift to the future.
A future that will be better than the past.
It will be exciting.
Here's my list:
- No one is listening, but if they are - I love that saying, when I started I thought who was listening mattered, but at the start no one was listening, I found comfort in that, it made it easier.
- 23'000 people have now listened to the podcast in 104 countries, over 400 cities. Which is amazing. I (me Phil), and All Gardening have a worldwide audience, the question I ponder is just what can I offer the world?
- People who click through to the website stick around to learn more, like 98.64% dig deeper into All Gardening.
- 37% of all my website traffic comes from people discovering the blog attached to the podcast or the other way round, I'm not sure they are both one and the same thing.
- People listen to me to drop off, when travelling on a train or plane, in bed, in the bath, which makes me think I'm a calm voice perhaps and a good companion.
- A lazy discipline, I don't feel I NEED to try hard to do the podcasts, after maybe 60-70 podcasts they are easy to do, I just try and make them better, have more depth of information.
- I have a structure to building each podcast, first I write about the days subject in the form of a short blog, I use a few key words but limit any SEO hacks in favour of system thinking (like today's is about the 200th podcast). I then I use Spotify for producers and do the podcast, Spotify helps to link all the podcast channels. I link the content from the blog to the podcasts which creates the discriptions and links (back to my website), I then use Headliner to auto generate a Youtube video.
- Growing All Gardening is more radio station than podcast. My podcasts are chatty, around the subject of gardens, lawns and business, but all to often i stray, but on most podcasts I eventually come back to home, which is kinda like a game in my mind.
- It's become part of my day, part of me, part of the identity of All Gardening. I'm proud of the "works" I've created.
- Building the content for each podcast gets easier every episode, I focus on what I'm doing to move my business forward, think about my customer ahead, and try to bring them closer to me through a daily story.
I guess the thing I've really learnt is doing the podcast sets my day.
I guess doing the podcast has created a story of me and All Gardening.
I guess the story is building a brand.
The brand I'm building is a personal, trustworthy, friendly, open, chatty, kinfolk, and an international brand.
I guess when I travel, If I tell people I'll be travelling somewhere, maybe they will come and meet me?
My past is rooted in the podcast.
I think being able to access the past is powerful.
After all AI is being trained by understanding the past.
One day perhaps someone will join me on the podcast, I don't know who or when, but I hope when it happens it will be a joy for me and the many who will have travelled with me and All Gardening.
I think businesses, and people who tell stories have better lives.
Stories give anything depth.
So to end today's blog and podcast, I say this, I know someone is listening, thank you.
Here's today's podcast
Phil
Founder of All Gardening
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The Growing All Gardening podcast with Phil Argent.
Short personal stories, moments, ideas discussed.
Just you and me. No ads, no guests.
Get more from your garden:
https://www.allgardening.co.uk/blogs/blogcast
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