What I Learned From 4 Years of Podcasting

The Sonya Looney Show

Podcasting is About Loving the Process

You can't control the outcome of the podcast. It's well within my grasp to become the best interviewer I can be, do ample research on my guest and their work, put out high-quality content, and do my best to make sure people know about my podcast. I can't control the popularity of my podcast (I wish I could. I would love to be one of the very well-known podcasters). I also keep in mind that no matter how many downloads I get, it'll never be enough. This show has been ranked in the Top 100 in the Mental Health space and is in the top 5% in the world for widest-reaching. I am proud of that, but I always wish for more, just like anything else. I am a podcaster because I love sharing people's stories, asking them questions to help get interesting information or realizations from them through talking out loud, being able to help other people with this information. Podcasting has also helped me become an expert listener!

Podcasting is About Consistency and Commitment

My podcast comes out on the same day every week no matter what. I made sure of that when I'm across the world racing in places I can't access wifi. I made sure of that when my son was born. Having commitments to yourself that you regularly meet and are intrinsically motivated built a LOT of self-trust and integrity. When you say you are going to do something, you can trust that you will do it. The same goes for my newsletter. There is no one telling me that I have to do this podcast. There is no one who will reprimand me if I decide to just skip a week and take a break. But I made the commitment to myself and to my listeners. Showing up for yourself is so important to move the needle anywhere in life you want to see results.

Podcasting is About Mentorship

I don't know most of my mentors. Of course, I wish I had a dedicated mentor who could help me skip some of the loops and bumps on the non-linear path of success. Podcasting, books, heck- even Youtube, has all the information you need. Some of my biggest mentors are ones I hear and search for on podcasts. Some of my biggest mentors are podcast hosts of other shows I listen to. I love being able to bring an array of topics and guests so that my listeners can find a small, or maybe even a large handful of mentors that can assist them on their journey. Once I find someone I consider a distant mentor, I listen to them on every podcast I can find, read all their books if they have any, and watch them closely. And mentors can change over time!

Podcasting is About Rejection

Yes! You heard that right. While I'd love to have access to any guest, I have had a lot of people tell me no or worse, not respond at all. Rejection is part of the process. The same goes for podcast ads. I only work with podcast sponsors of products I truly believe in, but not all of them want to sponsor my podcast. Getting used to rejection doesn't necessarily soften the blow but it strengthens your resolve. Getting rejected happens to me all the time- with athlete sponsorships, with writing, even with asking for help. If you're not getting rejected regularly with your work, you're probably not pushing the boundaries of your potential enough. Rejection does NOT mean you're not good enough. It just means that person or business isn't the right fit right now. Like in Dumb And Dumber- SO YOU'RE SAYING THERE'S A CHANCE!

Podcasting Opens New Doors for Relationships and Education

I read a LOT more than I used to since I started the podcast. My rate of education has increased exponentially because I'm committed to reading the full book of a guest (if they have written one) or deeply familiarizing myself with their work or research. An amazing byproduct is my level of expertise in many areas has dramatically increased and I get to keep learning something new every week. Love of learning is one of my strengths, and getting to use this strength for my podcast is so rewarding! Also, getting to talk to people you really admire and ask them questions is invaluable. I've made a lot of new friends because of the podcast and also had the opportunity to greatly expand my network.

Should You Start A Podcast?

The question of should you start a podcast, especially in this day and age when many people have a podcast is common. My opinion is that you shouldn't start a podcast to try to be famous or to make money (if that byproduct happens, that is AWESOME!).

You should start a podcast because:

• you love the process of researching a guest
• you love listening, being succinct, and asking questions
• you want to help others
• you enjoy the grind of consistency and the self-trust it brings
• you want to read more books and be a lifelong learner
• you want to expand your personal network and relationships
• you want the valuable experience of putting yourself out there, and sometimes coming up short
• you want to learn the lesson of process over outcome and external validation