With Season 1 of our podcast, Beer, Beats, & Business wrapping up, I wanted to share some of the lessons that I learned from my first few months into the podcast world. It's been a lot of fun, and I'm proud of what we've created so far. If you are looking to start your own podcast, these concepts will steer you along the right path. They apply to much more than podcasting, though. Whether you are starting a podcast, a book, a blog, or a business, these ideas are totally relevant. 1. Now is Better than Perfect The podcast idea started kicking around my head 6 months before I got around to starting. I knew a little about audio … [Read more...]
Monday Morning Mash-Up – Re-Framing for Proper Perspective
When recording an album, the last step in the process is called audio mastering. You send your tracks to someone who has an expert ear and who applies things like "compression", "normalization", and "equalization" to make your music sound crisp. It's the final bit of polish that makes what you hear on a CD sound different (better) than what you record on your iPhone. I was thinking about that process as I get ready to launch my new podcast: Beer, Beats, and Business. I'm recording and producing it on my own, and while I have gotten some great help from friends who are podcasters, the finished result isn't going to sound like it's on … [Read more...]
The Mantra That Will Make You More Influential: They Don’t Care How the Beer Tastes
One of the nice things about working for myself is that I get to work where I want. That's often my home office or one of the many coffeehouses around Evanston, IL. Or if it's about 3:30 and another cup of tea will make my head explode, it's one of my favorite bars where I can sip a craft brew and work in the eerily dead time between lunch and happy hour. (I love the fact that pretty much every establishment feels the need to have free WiFi). Watching a Sales Call Unravel As I was sitting here at the bar today, enjoying the last drops of this year's Great Lakes Oktoberfest, a sales rep for a local Chicago craft brewer came in. She had … [Read more...]