How Many Podcast Downloads Do You Actually Need to Keep Going?
What is Your Rock Bottom Podcast Downloads Number?
Every podcaster wants more downloads. But I wanted to ask my audience the opposite question this month: what's the smallest number of podcast downloads that would still make it worth showing up to record?
I put that question to the School of Podcasting audience — and the answers reveal something more useful than any download benchmark could: what actually keeps a podcaster going once the growth curve flattens out.
What's a Good Number of Podcast Downloads? Real Answers From My Audience
There's no industry-standard "good" download number — plenty of profitable, sustainable shows run on far fewer downloads than most new podcasters assume they need. Here's what my listeners said when I asked them to name their personal floor.
Steve Stewart: "Fewer Than 25 Downloads, and I'd Think About Quitting"
Steve Stewart, co-founder of the Podcast Editor Academy and co-host of the Podcast Editors Mastermind Show, edits podcasts for personal finance content creators. He admits he thinks about quitting his own mastermind show every time he looks at the numbers — his Facebook group has almost 10,000 members, and less than 1% of them listen.
But downloads aren't really what the show is for. It's marketing for the Podcast Editor Academy, and it's already brought in new members who found the show. His real answer: under 25 downloads per episode, and he'd seriously consider stopping — but he'd probably just start a different show instead. As he puts it, "Podcasting is life."
Frank Bravo: Already Running on "10s" of Downloads — And That's Fine
Frank Bravo hosts Your Tech Makeover, a podcast that helps everyday people get more out of their technology. His answer to the download question was easy, because he's already there: not hundreds, not thousands — "10s" of downloads per episode.
Frank isn't building a business around the podcast. It's a value-add tied to the tech support work he already does — if one listener avoids a scam or finally sets up a password manager, that's a win, regardless of the download count. He's not chasing growth, but he wouldn't turn it away either.
Ralph Estep Jr.: From 20 Downloads to Over 1,000 — But the Real Metric Changed Along the Way
Ralph Estep Jr. has watched his download numbers climb steadily — from 20, to 30, to 100, to over 1,000 per episode today. When I asked him for his floor, he landed on 300, a number tied to an early goal of "really feeling like I've arrived."
But the more interesting part of his answer wasn't the number — it was what changed how he thinks about success. Regular emails from listeners describing what the show has meant to them convinced him that impact matters more than download count. Ralph is launching a new show, Becoming Financially Confident, on August 31.
Why I Don't Think Downloads Are the Right Way to Measure My Own Success
My own answer breaks from the pattern: I don't really have a download floor. Across more than 30 podcasts I've launched over the years, some — like Building a Better Dave and How to Pitch a Podcast — still get fewer than 100 downloads per episode, and that's not what determines whether I keep making them.
What actually made me walk away from a show was a change in my own life or interest, not a download number. I ended my long-running podcast for musicians when I was no longer in a band. I ended Weekly Web Tools after eight to ten years because I'd said everything I had to say. I ended New to Cooking after 18 episodes once I realized the real problem: I just don't like cooking.
The common thread for me: when a show stops being fun, that's my reason to stop — regardless of what the download numbers say.
When Should You Quit a Podcast? A Simple Test I Recommend Before You Walk Away
Before assuming your download numbers mean it's time to quit, here's a specific test I recommend: send a listener survey and mention it in every episode for six straight weeks. Offer an incentive if you want — even something small, like a $25 gift card.
If you run that experiment for six episodes and get zero responses, it stings — but it also tells you something real: your audience isn't as engaged as you hoped, which frees you to build the show you want to make instead of chasing feedback that isn't coming.
And if you do decide to end a show, that's not a failure — it's an opportunity. Podcast audiences follow hosts, not just content. If you're ending one show to start another, tell your audience exactly where you're going.
How to Grow Your Podcast Without Just Hoping It Happens
A recurring theme I keep coming back to: most podcasters know what they should be doing to grow — guesting on other shows, posting on social media, starting a newsletter — but don't actually do it. My advice is blunt: stop thinking about the tactic and go execute it.
I'll use myself as the example — I host a local podcast about Akron, Ohio, and there's a free promotional opportunity I still haven't taken: handing out business cards at a weekly downtown concert. It's been sitting untouched because it means stepping outside my comfort zone to talk to strangers.
How to Pitch Yourself as a Podcast Guest (and How Not To)
I also included a quick-hit lesson on guest pitching this episode, featuring a clip from Scott Johnson of What Was That Like — a show about people who've survived extraordinary events, from alligator attacks to mass shootings. Scott shares a pitch he received offering an interview with a local U-Haul dealer, sandwiched between conversations with a plane crash survivor and a bombing survivor. It's a useful reminder to research a show before pitching yourself (or a guest) to it.
I also want to flag a growing problem I'm seeing on guest-matching platforms like PodMatch: some people are booking interviews purely to collect a per-interview payout, not because they're a good fit for the show. If you're vetting potential guests — or guest spots for yourself — listen to the show first and make sure the audience actually matches the expertise being offered. For a more structured approach to guest pitching, check out Pitch a Podcast, and for another guest-booking option, see PodcastGuest.com.
Resources I Mentioned in This Episode
- School of Podcasting — use code LISTENER for a discount on monthly, quarterly, or yearly plans
- PodPage — this episode's sponsor
- Podcast Editor Academy / Podcast Editors Mastermind Show — Steve Stewart
- Your Tech Makeover — Frank Bravo
- ralphestepjr.com / Becoming Financially Confident — Ralph Estep Jr.
- What Was That Like — Scott Johnson
- PodMatch
- PodcastGuest.com
This content may contain affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commission if you purchase through these links at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products or services I trust and believe will provide value to you. Thank you for your support!
Mentioned in this episode:
Where Will I Be?
I love meeting you when I'm out at events. Here are some of my next events: Podcast Movement September 17-18 Podindy November 7th (use the coupon pacer at podindy.com)
Question of the Month: Constructive and Deconstructive Feedback
This month we are talking feefdback. What is the most constructive or deconstructive (or both) piece of feedback you've received. If you haven't asked for feedback, why not? I need your answer by September 25th (late entries won't be accepted) go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/question and be sure to mention your show and your website address so I can link to it in the show notes.
Podpage Email Alerts
Podpage just launched a feature called Episode Alerts. It automatically emails your subscribers the moment a new episode goes live — no third-party email tool needed. When you publish, Podpage sends the email, links listeners straight to the episode, routes replies to your own inbox, and handles unsubscribes automatically. They also run every email address through validation and monitor bounces/spam complaints to protect your sender reputation. It's not meant to replace a full newsletter platform — no drip campaigns or segmentation — just a simple "hey, new episode's up" notification. It's available for Pro and Elite users, with monthly sending caps of 500 emails on Pro and 5,000 on Elite. For more information see https://www.podpage.com/updates/introducing-episode-alerts/
Join the #1 Podcast Education Site - The School of Podcasting
Adam Curry is the co-founder of Podcasting (and the co-host of the No Agenda Show). When asked about learning how to podcast Adam said, "The place to go with the guy who has taught more people how to podcast than anybody I know - Dave Jackson, School of Podcasting.com"
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a minimum number of downloads a podcast needs?
No official minimum exists. As I found when I asked my own audience, sustainable podcasters run shows with download counts ranging from the low tens to well over a thousand — what matters is whether the show still serves its purpose for the host, whether that's business marketing, community, or personal fulfillment.
Should I quit my podcast if downloads are dropping?
Not automatically. I recommend trying a structured feedback push first — a listener survey mentioned consistently for six episodes — before deciding the show itself is the problem. A drop in downloads is sometimes a sign the format needs tweaking, not that the show should end.
What's a good reason to end a podcast?
For me, the strongest signal isn't a download number — it's whether the show is still fun and whether my life circumstances still support it. Several of my own shows ended because they were tied to interests or life stages that had passed, not because they'd "failed."
00:00 - Untitled
00:00 - What's the Floor?
00:58 - E,powered Podcasting Conference
01:25 - Behind the Scenes
03:20 - What's the Smallest number?
03:29 - Steve Stewart
04:55 - Frank Bravo
07:50 - Behind the Scenes
08:33 - Ralph Estep JR
10:58 - YORK from Welcome To Earth Stories
16:38 - Dave Jackson
23:59 - Keep an Eye Open For This
30:07 - Join the School of Podcasting
David Jackson:
Everybody talks about growing their audience,
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but nobody talks about the number where they'd well quietly
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give up. So I ask my audience exactly that, and the answers
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are surprisingly somewhat similar. We're also gonna give
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you a quick tip just to keep your eye open if you're booking
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yourself on other shows, hit it, ladies. The School of Podcasting
David Jackson:
with Dave Jackson. Podcasting Sense 2005. I am your
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award-winning Hall of Fame podcast coach, Dave Jackson.
David Jackson:
Thanking you so much for tuning in. If you're new to the show,
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welcome aboard. This is where we help you plan, launch, and grow
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your podcast. Our website, brought to you by PodPage.com,
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is SchoolOfPodcasting.com. Use the coupon code Listener when
David Jackson:
you sign up for either a monthly, quarterly, or yearly
David Jackson:
subscription. I am literally just got back like I don't know
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10 minutes ago from Empowered Podcasting Conference Number
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Three. It was a great time. I got to hang out with old
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friends. I got to make new friends. I saw some great
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speakers that I definitely want to be reaching out to. And I got
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home and I was like, oh, it's question of the month time, and
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I want to thank everyone who sent in their answers. And just
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to give you a little behind the scenes here, when I did a
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question of the month a while ago, and I asked, "How do you
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measure the success of your podcast? But one of the answers
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can't be downloads, and I was really trying to get you to hone
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in on why you're doing your podcast. Because if you don't
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get your why, you quit. And so I wanted to also get you to look
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at there are other ways to measure success than downloads.
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And so with this month's question, which is, look, we all
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want more downloads. We know that, but what's the smallest
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amount of downloads you would do the show for? And if you went
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below that number, would you quit or would you try to find a
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way to tweak things and keep on going? Now, again, if we go,
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well, let's just play the jingle, shall we? And so this
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question is again maybe trying to pull you away from downloads.
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That there are again other ways to do that, but also maybe look
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at it as, huh? Especially, would I quit or would I keep going?
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Because a lot of times we are doing things that, for whatever
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reason, are not resonating with our audience, and we turn around
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and do the exact same thing, and wonder why our show isn't
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growing. But maybe that was a fluke twice in a row. So we'll
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do the exact same thing again. And well, that didn't work
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either. Hmm. Well, surely the odds are with me. I'll just do
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the same thing again. And nope, that didn't work either. Yeah,
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that's kind of not not a great strategy. And so that's kind of
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where this question comes from. And I thought about this as I
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was driving home from the Cleveland airport, and I have my
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answer. But we're going to start off with the one, the only.
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Don't be fooled by cheap imitations. Steve Stewart from
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SteveStewart Me and the Podcast Editors Academy. Take it away,
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Steve.
Unknown:
Hey, Dave. Hey, SLB family. It's Steve from
Unknown:
SteveStewartme where I edit podcasts for personal finance
Unknown:
content creators. This is really sad, but I think about quitting
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the podcast editor mastermind show that I co-host. I think
Unknown:
about quitting it every time I look at the download numbers. I
Unknown:
mean, I've got this Facebook group of almost 10,000 people
Unknown:
and can't get more than like 1% to listen. It seems really,
Unknown:
really sad, but but the podcast isn't just for community and
Unknown:
just for fun, which I do have. I do have community and fun with
Unknown:
the podcast, but it's also marketing for the Podcast Editor
Unknown:
Academy, and I did get two people to sign up because they
Unknown:
found the show recently. And as a lot of people mentioned in a
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previous question of the month, it's not about the downloads.
Unknown:
It's about the feedback. It's about the participation. It's
Unknown:
about the audience, and of course, we're looking at growing
Unknown:
our academy membership. So that's the payback. But if I had
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to give you a number, I'd say less than 25 per episode. I'd
Unknown:
really think about stopping the podcast. But then I try and
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figure out how to start a different one. Podcasting is
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life. All right, this has been Steve Stewart, co-founder of the
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Podcast Editor Academy and co-host of the Podcast Editors
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Mastermind Show, which you can find in your favorite podcast
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app or@podcastededitorsmastermind.com.
Unknown:
Thanks, Dave.
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Thank you, Steve. I believe that is a new T-shirt.
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Podcasting is. Life. We're going to pass it over to the who. If
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this is this guy's real name, he was born to be behind the
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microphone. The one and only Frank Bravo.
Unknown:
Hey, Dave. It's Frank Bravo, host of Your Tech
Unknown:
Makeover, the podcast that helps everyday people simplify and get
Unknown:
more out of technology in their lives. This month's question was
Unknown:
actually pretty easy for me since I'm already only getting
Unknown:
10s of downloads per episodes, not hundreds, not 1000s. You
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heard me right, only 10s. So, what's the smallest number I'd
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continue? Well, I think I'm already there. Here's why.
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Someone recently asked me why I do my podcast, and actually, I'm
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going to do a bonus episode about this because I thought
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this was kind of a good question. I'm really not trying
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to build a business around this. It's more of a fun project and a
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value add. The kind of things that I take what I hear every
Unknown:
day from clients and turn them into something that everyone can
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use. For instance, just last week I scolded door-to-door AT&T
Unknown:
salesman on the difference between buying internet and
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buying Wi-Fi. Seems like a simple question, but he couldn't
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answer the difference. In his case, he walked away sort of
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mad. But I know my listeners don't have that same reaction,
Unknown:
and that's why I do this. If one person avoids a scam, or finally
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sets up a password manager, or stops paying for a subscription
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they don't need, I feel like that's a win. While the numbers
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matter, it's almost like they don't. So, am I just accepting
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of these numbers? Of course not. I'm trying to figure out how to
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increase them, but it's not my primary focus. If they grow,
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then great. I'd be super happy about that. And if a sponsor or
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a speaking opportunity comes along with it, I'm not going to
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say no. But I'm really not chasing it either. So the short
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version is, I'd continue to make the show even at 10s of
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downloads because it's the impact, not the count, that is
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the point. But I'm not pretending. I would absolutely
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take the growth if it showed up, and so that's what I think for
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my podcast. Again, I'm Frank Bravo, and your tech makeover is
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the podcast for people who use technology all the time but
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don't consider themselves tech people. Each episode, I turn
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everyday tech frustrations into tips and tricks that anyone can
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actually use. You can find the show and more about me at
Unknown:
yourtechmakeover.com. Thanks a lot, Dave.
David Jackson:
Thank you, mr. Bravo. And I got to hang out
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this weekend with again a lot of friends, and one of them is the
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one and only you know him as the content creators accountant
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Ralph Eastep Jr. Super nice guy super generous guy holy cow
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thank you for the free Uber rides and much much more and I
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don't think I'm going to do it in this episode but I'm going to
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do an episode probably next week on some of the takeaways and in
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true fashion, not that the speakers were bad. Some of them
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were very, very good, but the biggest takeaways, yep, came
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from the hallway. And so I was talking to Ralph about how this
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week was question of the month. I had no idea how many answers I
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got, and he's like, "Well, can I send one in? And so just to give
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you again behind the scenes, what's going on? Ralph did this
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on his phone, and then uploaded or shared it or however he got
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it to me. And what I'm doing this week is there's a cool, I
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guess, service. It's called Voice Regen from Waves, and I
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ran everybody through that tool, and then I'm also running it
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through D Revive Pro, which I probably don't need, but that's
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a tool that kind of makes everybody sound the same. And
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then my favorite plugin of all time is the Shep's Omni Channel,
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and I'm going to play Ralph straight from his phone, and
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then we will hear Ralph's full message after it's gone through
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the processing. Hey
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Ralph Estep Jr.: Dave, it's Ralph Eastep Jr. I'm responding
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to your question of the month.
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Okay, and again, Ralph is just using his phone,
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and here's the full one now with all the processing.
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Ralph Estep Jr.: Hey Dave, it's Ralph Eastep Jr. I'm responding
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to your question of the month for the School of Podcasting,
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and that is how many downloads would I have to receive in order
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to keep on doing my podcast, and I've thought a lot about it. And
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I remember when I first started, I was so excited to have about
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20 downloads, and then it went up to 30 downloads, and and then
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it went to 100 downloads, and now it's over 1000 downloads an
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episode. And so, to answer your question, I remember working a
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few years ago with you, and we talked about man. If I could get
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this thing to 300 episode or 300 downloads an episode, I would
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feel like I've really arrived. So I guess my answer right now
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is 300 downloads per episode. But at the same time, in the
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last couple weeks, just about every week, I've gotten a
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letter, and it's been excuse me a letter, an email from a a
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listener, and they said, you know, here's what your podcast
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has meant to me, Ralph. So the truth is, Dave, when I think
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about it, it's not really a question of downloads; it's more
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a question of impact. And the truth is, if I can get a email
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occasionally from a listener like that, man, that's worth
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more than 1000s of downloads. So. I hope that answers your
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question. If you want to find out more information about me,
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the easiest thing to do is to go to ralphestepjr.com. That's r a
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l p h e s t e p j r.com, and we're going to be launching our
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new show, becoming financially confident. It's going to be live
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on august 31 at 1130 a.m. Eastern Time. That's
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becomingfinanciallyconfident.com. Thank you, Dave, and I'll be
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talking to you soon.
David Jackson:
Thank you, Ralph. And when I was talking to him
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about this, I said, "You know what's the hardest part about
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the question of the month is I'm. It's late. I've got
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everybody edited. I've got to do the show notes and put all the
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links, and I go. Then it'll dawn on me that I will need a new
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question for the question of the month, so I'm going to say this
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here. If you ever have a question that you think would be
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a good question of the month, I am always open to that. And
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Ralph spit out one, which you will hear somewhere in this
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episode. So, Ralph, again, thanks for helping me out on
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that as well. In just a second, you're going to hear my answer.
David Jackson:
So I've started over 30 shows, and some of the shows I do now
David Jackson:
still barely get less than 100 downloads. For example, I do a
David Jackson:
show called Building a Better Dave. It's basically me
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documenting things in my life. Some of it's very weird, where
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I'm trying to be funny. That gets less than 100 downloads.
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How to pitch a podcast is a show I just launched that's currently
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getting less than 100 downloads. Now, the question you have to
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ask yourself, right? We're talking about how many downloads
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do you need? What happens if you go under them? That's the thing.
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Where okay, what if your life depended on this? Because you're
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like, well, I should probably try to be a guest on other
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shows. Okay, well, quit trying and go do it. I probably should
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post on social. Well, quit trying and go do it. I should
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probably start a newsletter. We'll quit trying and go do it
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because you've already figured out what's not working. Go try
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some new stuff, and if you want to quit, it's perfectly fine.
David Jackson:
The reason when I looked through my list, there were some shows
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where life had changed. The very first show I did was for
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musicians. When I quit that show, I was no longer in a band.
David Jackson:
I'd done it for over 10 years. I had said all I had to say, and
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it wasn't fun anymore. I did a show called Weekly Web Tools. I
David Jackson:
did it for over 10 years, I believe, maybe eight, and I had
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said all I had to say, and it wasn't fun anymore. So for me, I
David Jackson:
don't think it's really about the downloads. I think it's more
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about the fun, and life's too short to do things that aren't
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fun. And in those cases, because I'd done them so long-810,
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years-that I just decided I'm not going to try to fix this. I
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did a show called New to Cooking, where I was-you guessed
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it-New to cooking, and I did, I think, 18 episodes of that. And
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then it dawned on me: Oh, that's right. I don't like cooking, so
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that's not a one where it's like, well, let's figure out
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what's wrong. No, I figured out what's wrong. I don't like to
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cook, so there wasn't anything wrong with the podcast. It was
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just I don't know why I thought somehow doing a podcast would
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keep my passion up for that, and that's where you need natural
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passion of like I will talk about this even if I have no
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download. So there are things you can do. One of the things
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that we talked about this this weekend at Empowered Podcasting
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Conference of getting actual feedback from your show, and
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we're kind of confused as to why you haven't done that yet. In
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fact, you'll hear the question of the month is around that, but
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that's me. I don't really have a number for me. I think it's more
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about the fun or the passion because sometimes your life has
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just changed. So realize, sometimes we talk about pod
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fade, and that is there's nothing wrong with just quitting
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a show. But if you're going to do another show, that's a huge
David Jackson:
opportunity to say, "Hey, I'm not doing this show anymore, but
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I'm going to be over here, and that's where you say your domain
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because you do have a domain right for the new show, so they
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can follow you over there. We have seen this time after time
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that if you're stopping one show and starting another one, that
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people will follow the host.
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They come for the content, but they stay for the host. So if
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you've decided, hey, my life has changed, I don't want to talk
David Jackson:
about this anymore, or whatever it is, then let people know
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where you're going to go. And if you've decided, hey, I'm going
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to try to make this show better, I would start with a survey, get
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some feedback from people, and then here's the thing, and this
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is hard, it is tough, it is a. Punch! If you do a survey and
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you mention it in every show for six months, six months, six six
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weeks, six episodes. Let's go that route. Six episodes you
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mention and you explain how this is going to make the show
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better, and you need your feedback, and you maybe even
David Jackson:
offer a I don't know $25 gift certificate to Amazon and you
David Jackson:
get zero responses. I'm not here to pretend that doesn't hurt. It
David Jackson:
does, but it also then gives you free rein to do whatever you
David Jackson:
want because your audience just isn't engaged, and so it's up to
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you then to follow your intuition to make the show that
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you hope people like, and one of the things in that case is do
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the show that you want to do, so that you're not popping a hole
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in your passion that's going to sift out and leave you back in
David Jackson:
the same idea. Hope that helps. If you have any questions, it's
David Jackson:
an interesting thought process just to go through that. What
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would be if I only had 10 downloads? If I only had five,
David Jackson:
would I keep going and what would I do? And that's where
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sometimes again, quit thinking about how would how do I grow
David Jackson:
this and actually do those steps. Sometimes we get a little
David Jackson:
picky, like no, go try this, and like I'll give you an example,
David Jackson:
and then we'll wrap this up. I do a show about Akron, Ohio.
David Jackson:
I've been actually doing it fairly steady, and every Friday,
David Jackson:
every Friday there is a concert in downtown Akron, and I have
David Jackson:
yet to go and hand out business cards. So if I'm sitting there
David Jackson:
going, I don't know why my show is growing, shame on you! That
David Jackson:
is free promotion. I've already bought the business cards. It
David Jackson:
just requires me to step out of my comfort zone and go talk to
David Jackson:
strangers, which is not my favorite thing. But as I as I'm
David Jackson:
recording this now, there's that voice in my head that says,
David Jackson:
"This is the week you're going to do it. And so, quit thinking
David Jackson:
about trying things to grow your audience and actually do them.
David Jackson:
One of the great things about getting together with other
David Jackson:
podcasters is you can compare notes. So I'm going to talk a
David Jackson:
little bit about pitching yourself as a guest to other
David Jackson:
shows, which leads me to how to pitch a podcast, and I'm just
David Jackson:
going to play a clip from it. This was from Scott Johnson from
David Jackson:
the show "What Was That Like, and if you want to learn how to
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pitch yourself to a podcast, just listen to this. I'm gonna.
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This is an abbreviated version of this episode, but Scott's
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show is called "What Was That Like, and in regards to his
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episodes, well, here's Scott.
Unknown:
Each episode is a conversation with someone who's
Unknown:
been through something extremely unusual, like an alligator
Unknown:
attack, or they were crushed by a falling tree, or they survived
Unknown:
a mass shooting, things like that. And even if you didn't
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listen to the show, if you just read Scott's titles, you would
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see things like Sue's parachute didn't open, Chris survived a
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home invasion, Jeff's arm was torn off. But for some
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publicists, even that is too much work. So I recently got
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this pitch. The email was titled "Clearwater Welcomes U-Haul
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Rentals to the Home Improvement Discount Center, and the email
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said, "Hi Scott, U-Haul Company of Florida is pleased to
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announce that Home Improvement Discount Center signed on as a
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U-Haul neighborhood dealer to serve the Clearwater community,
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please consider sharing this news with your audience. If you
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wish to interview the local U-Haul dealer, I'm happy to
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assist.
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And as you might imagine, Scott was overjoyed.
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In between my conversations with the man who
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survived a plane crash and the woman whose Oklahoma office was
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blown up by a terrorist, I have the opportunity to talk about
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U-Haul trailers with the local dealer. Honestly, if I actually
Unknown:
put out an episode like that, my audience would think it's an
Unknown:
April Fool's joke in July.
David Jackson:
Now, one of the resources I often recommend when
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it comes to being booked as a guest on your show, or vice
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versa, if you're looking to have people come on your show, is
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Podmatch, and I still do. Another one is PodcastGuest.com,
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but Podmatch is probably one of my favorites. And one of the
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things, because Alex Sanfilippo is such a great guy, he has an
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affiliate program. So if you use my link to join Podmatch, I'll
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get a small commission from that, and he also pays people to
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use it to you know be the host. So he's always giving back, and
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as always with the internet, when somebody comes up with
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something with a great idea, someone will take it and
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potentially abuse it. So this has. Nothing to do with Alex, or
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I shouldn't say nothing, but it's one of those things where
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I'm not throwing shade at Alex. It's the weenies that are taking
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his generosity and maybe kind of tainting it a bit, and we're all
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just noticing. So this is something to maybe do now. Any
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time you want to be on somebody's show, you should
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always go over and listen to it to make sure that your expertise
David Jackson:
as a guest will match the audience. And so you really want
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to do your due diligence because we're finding people often in
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what appears to be Africa, and nothing against African
David Jackson:
podcasters, or you know, et cetera. But here's the thing:
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these are people that are doing interviews simply for getting
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paid from Alex, which is they're kind of abusing his generosity
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here. And I'm not saying all of them. We're just it's one of
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those things when we all compare notes and and we all kind of
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went. Anybody else notice? And this is I mentioned this I
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believe on this show I did an experiment one week where I had
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four interviews booked back to back to back to back, and they
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all asked me almost the same identical questions, and it
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makes you go. Hmm. Did they go? I'm interviewing Dave Jackson.
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Give me six questions because I remember question number three
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was, "What's the difference between a podcast that quits at
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episode seven and one that keeps on going? And and I when I'm
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literally I'm doing these interviews back to back to back,
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and when you hear the same questions, you're like, "Hmm,
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that seems weird. And somebody told me that they were doing the
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interview, and they said, "I don't really care about the
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interview. I just know if I can do two of these a day, I'll make
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like 50 bucks a month. And apparently, where they were,
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that was a lot of money. So again, this isn't everyone, and
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this isn't really a problem that Podmatch, you know, doesn't care
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about. They, in fact, if you don't use the service, they will
David Jackson:
ask you, "Hey, what's the deal? People are, you know, sending
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you messages and you're not replying, and they will
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actually, in some cases, kick you off the platform if you're
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not going to use it. Which again goes back to Alex wanting to
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make a great program and a great service. So this isn't an Alex
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problem. It's people that are being weenies and taking
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advantage of his generosity. But I'm just saying that when you go
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to be a guest on someone's podcast, you might dig a little
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deeper because it may just be someone trying to interview
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anybody with a pulse to take advantage of Alex and his
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generosity and get paid. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Thanks again to all
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the new friends I made at Empowered Podcasting Conference
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Three. Thanks to Mark and Rich and Jason for putting on a fun
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event. I look forward to EPC four. I'll definitely be going
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back. And I got to tell you, I got conference brain. The the
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blooper section of the show is going to be longer than the
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actual show today. And if you need help with your podcast,
David Jackson:
schoolofpodcasting.com. You can sign up for a monthly,
David Jackson:
quarterly, or yearly subscription. And the big thing
David Jackson:
that everybody goes, wait, what? Yeah, you can have five hours of
David Jackson:
one-on-one consulting with me. You get the step-by-step
David Jackson:
courses, you get group coaching, and you can sign up for what we
David Jackson:
call listener parties, which is just honest, constructive
David Jackson:
feedback on is you know if you go is my show any good?
David Jackson:
There's an easy way to to do this. Sign up for the School of
David Jackson:
Podcasting and get some honest feedback. And so many times when
David Jackson:
people hear honest feedback, they think it means put your
David Jackson:
show out there and let people rip it to shreds. I'm going to
David Jackson:
assume your show is not absolutely horrible, but we all
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have things that we don't see, and that's where it's helpful to
David Jackson:
have a friend that goes, "Hey, did you know? I'll give you an
David Jackson:
example. We heard Steve Stewart. We're at I think Podcast
David Jackson:
Movement might have been Podfest. Don't really care
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doesn't really matter and Steve and I went to lunch and he said
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hey are you open for notes and I'm like look man I'm Mister
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Constant Improvement you know I am and he said I gotta let you
David Jackson:
know the curmudgeon is coming out a little quicker than usual
David Jackson:
meaning I might be losing my patience being a little more
David Jackson:
cranky than usual and I was like, and I told him, I said,
David Jackson:
you know, if we hadn't even gone to the conference yet, we were
David Jackson:
literally, you know, walking in the parking lot when we went to
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lunch, and I was like, if I leave right now and never go to
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the conference, the you know the money I spent on the hotel and
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the travel was worth it. I love constructive feedback because
David Jackson:
it. Gives you an option to fix, and in many cases, it's really
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easy to fix. So why wouldn't you do that? So that is something
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that's also available at the School of Podcasting. So until
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next week, if you got value out of this show, do me a favor,
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share it with a friend. I understand that when you do
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that, karma comes along and kisses you on the lips. How cool
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is that? I'm Dave Jackson. I've been helping people for over 20
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years, and I can't wait to see what we're going to do together.
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Until next week, take care. God bless. Class is dismissed.
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Because, as the old saying goes, what does not get measured does
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not manage. Something like that. I have conference brain, so a
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lot of this is going to be, what did Dave just say? I don't know.
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And man, this is bad. Thank you, Frey. Frey, what was that?
David Jackson:
That's when it's half Bravo and half Frank. You get Frey, and
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your brain just freaks out. Wow, conference brain. My services,
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like fix a podcast or fix my podcast, it would be good if you
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knew your own brand, Dave. Just saying for the record, what's
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the smallest number? I don't know that there is a small
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number. I know every episode, not every. Oh boy, gee,
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seriously, come on, brain, you can do it. You can do it. Hang
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in there, my friend. Thanks so much for listening. If you know
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somebody who we're not going to do that this week,
Unknown:
yeah.






