The Start Of A Great Year
By Cheval John
Photo courtesy of www.vishava.com
Now that we are halfway into the New Year here in the United States while others have completed the first day of 2015, we are full of optimism on what this year will bring to us.
Some had a really great 2014 which they are believing will extend into this year while others are looking to this year as a fresh start.
As I have pointed out in my last post, this is going to be the best year ever for me.
The way how this will be the best year ever is to continuously have a great mindset and focus on helping others to be successful.
That is in my mind the only way that anyone can truly be successful.
This year, I will be blogging three times a week only because I want to remain consistent with my readers.
The only time I will not follow this schedule is if it is 30-day blogging challenges that can help me to become a better writer.
I will let you know when I will be taking part in these blog challenges.
And since I mentioned I will let you know about blog challenges, I will be blogging everyday for this month because of a 30-day blog challenge by Natalie Sisson.
My hope is that every one of you will enjoy the blog posts I put out on this site.
Let’s make 2015 the best year ever.
Sixth Lesson In Podcasting: Be A Good Listener
By Cheval John
This post is the sixth lesson (chapter) on podcasting.
It is part of a series of posts for my second book “8 Lessons Every Podcaster Needs To Learn.”
To read the back story on why I decided to blog the book, you can click here.
Here is the 6th lesson below, short and sweet.
One of the most important things a person can do during a podcast is listening carefully to what their guest are saying.
Most of the time, the interviewer will ask a question and then focus on what they are going to ask next.
When a person only focus on what they are going to ask instead of listening to their guest, they miss out on an answer so insightful that can benefit the listener.
If you don’t listen, the guest will believe that you do not care about what they have to share with you and your audience.
When that happens, your podcast might suffer and it will be hard to build it back up again.
So if you want to gain insightful information during your podcast that will benefit your audience, be a good listener.
Your guest will appreciate it so much that they will give you praise when they are showcasing their appearance on your podcast.
Video courtesy of Psyche Truth
It’s Social Media, Not Sales Media
By Cheval John
You receive an invitation from someone to be your friend on a social media platform (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn,etc).
You accept the invitation and feel good about it.
Immediately, you receive a message talking about liking their Facebook page, visiting their website or buying their product.
All of a sudden, you feel like another number and realize the person does not care about you.
The problem is many businesses or salespersons are really quick to go for the closing sale.
Just because it worked pre-social media does not mean it will work now.
You must be very authentic and build relationships if you want to be successful in this day and age.
It is why most businesses are reluctant to embrace social media because they understand you must be vulnerable and also show they really care about the customers.
If you can show your customers that you care, you and your business will be way ahead of your competition.
On the other hand, if you are the person who are going for a quick sale after connecting with a person, your reputation will be ruined because people will be talking about you in a negative light.
Have you dealt with someone who tried to go for the sale on social media quickly?
You can share your comments below.
Video courtesy of Common Craft
Second Lesson In Podcasting: Choose Your Niche
By Cheval John
This post is the second lesson (chapter) of my second book “8 Lessons Every Podcaster Needs To Learn” that I am blogging as part of Nina Amir’s “Write NonFiction In November Challenge, #NaNonFiWriMo.”
Though the challenge already began, it is not too late to join in on the fun of blogging a book in a month.
If you want to participate in #NaNonWriMo, visit the website at www.writenonfictionnow.com
Hope you enjoy this post below.
You might be wondering if you should aim for a general audience or go for a niche market.
You would think that it is easier to go after a general audience because you want to show that you are well rounded and also want to cater to everyone.
In a lot of ways, it might work if you want to display your experiences to a potential employer or in the case of a freelancer, a client.
However, that can cause you to lose your audience because you are trying to please everyone and are stretching yourself thin.
The best thing to do when you are starting a podcast is to go for a niche market.
Whether it is marketing, sports, self-help, etc., you are solving a specific need and in the process, creating a loyal following.
Dori DeCarlo, a seasoned entrepreneur, first got into podcasting after launching the show, “The Three Wise Girls” with co-hosts Debbie Barth and Linda Alexander.
During one of the shows, Dori did a two part segment on Mompreneurs, a woman who is a mom and is an entrepreneur.
In the process of that segment, Dori found her niche.
With the encouragement from her co-hosts, Dori launched her own show called “Word of Mom” which evolved into the network, “Word of Mom Radio.”
In the four years since launching, the network has received over 70,000 downloads in 2013 and is continuing to grow.
So if you want to grow your podcast, focus on a niche market because you will separate yourself from the crowd.
Video Courtesy of Tom Corson-Knowles
Patty Elizee Knows How To Keep Her “New Year’s Resolution”
By Cheval John
One of the best parts of 2014 was meeting amazing people who are fulfilling their calling and making the world a better place.
People like Patty Elizee, who has an amazing podcast called, “The Brand You Economy.”
Ms. Elizee overcame a lot to be where she is at today.
Patty will share with me on Monday at *3 p.m. on “What’s The Word?” about how she decided to launch her very own podcast and in the process gained a speaking gig at the first ever Podcast Florida conference last month.
As of right now, I will give you a little preview of Ms. Elizee’s story.
Patty had went with the program of working full time and accepting the mediocre for many years until she came to a cross roads and decided to not continue existing, but create a life that she dreamed of.
In the process of reclaiming her freedom, she accept a four month consulting gig in the direct sales industry with her former boss in Dallas, Texas.
That small step led to her realizing that it was not for her.
So after her contract was up, she left the industry for good.
In return, she put herself into the world of podcasting by taking classes from Cliff Ravenscraft, a veteran podcaster and attending conferences before launching her podcast in July.
I can honestly say that her podcast is really amazing because she has interviewed guests like John Lee Dumas, Lou Mongello, Pat Flynn, Mr. Ravenscraft and Jared Easley.
Also, anyone who listens to the podcast feels a positive energy because of her lovely personality.
That is why Patty is going to continue to succeed because she did not give up on her dream of living the life that she deserved.
That is what separates the ones who keep their “New Year’s Resolution” or in the case of Ms. Elizee, intentions, from those who just give up on their dreams.
How are you going to make your dreams come true? You can leave your comment below.
*The show is normally on Monday nights at 7 p.m., but this is an exception because of the time she was available.
Also, if you like to find out more about other episodes of my show, you can click on the podcast page on this site.
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