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C (1:07)

Okay, should you start a podcast? You've read all the stats, you've heard the success stories. You've maybe even imagined your voice coming through someone's earbuds while they fold laundry or drive to work or walk their dog. And now you're wondering, am I cut out for this? Well, that is a great question and a necessary one. Because while podcasting is incredibly accessible and fun, it also demands time, consistency, and clarity of purpose. Without those things, you become one of the millions of podcasters. Yeah, millions who flame out by episode seven. Yep, that is the actual average. Let's help you beat the odds, shall we? Here's a podcaster readiness quiz. Let's see if you're ready to get this going. Grab a pen or keep score in your head. It doesn't matter. For each question, pick the answer that best describes you. Number one why do you want to start a podcast? A To become famous, rich, or both. B To grow your brand or your business C To share your passion and connect with others or D To explore ideas, stories, or people that fascinate you. Number two how much time can you realistically dedicate to podcasting each week? A maybe an hour if I Skip sleep. B2 to 3 hours tops. C5 to 7 hours if I schedule smartly. D I could easily carve out eight plus hours for something I care about. Number three when it comes to tech and editing, A I break into a cold sweat at the word interface. B I can figure it out if I have to. C I enjoy learning New tools if there's a purpose Or D I already use editing software and record content regularly. Number four, do you have a clear concept or niche for your show? A Not yet, but I'll wing it. B I have a few ideas but nothing concrete. C I know my theme, my audience and my message. Or D I've already outlined episodes and even possible guests. Number five, how do you handle the sound of your own voice? A I'd rather fight a bear. B. Ugh, cringe, but I'll survive circumstances. C It's weird at first, but I'm getting used to it Or D Honestly, I kind of love it now. Number six, what's your long term goal for the podcast? A going viral by episode three, baby. B a fun side project or a hobby C to build an audience and a community or D to turn it into a brand, a business or a legacy project? And last, how do you handle consistency and deadlines? Is it A I ghost my own calendar, B I try but life gets in the way C I do well with structure and checklists, or D I'm a machine when I care about something? All right, now that you've had the time to answer those questions, let's take a look at the scorecard. If you answered mostly A's, well, maybe you need to pause and reflect. You might need to clarify your motivation. See, podcasting can be thrilling, but it's not a shortcut to fame. Start exploring your deeper why and consider dabbling before you dive in. Have you answered mostly Bs? Well? You're close. You got the spark, just not the plan yet. Spend a little time working out your message format and schedule. A bit of structure will take you really far. If you answered mostly Cs, well, you're almost there. You're ready in spirit and mindset. The next few chapters are going to help you firm up your tools and your direction. You're poised to build something really meaningful. And if you answered mostly Ds, well, let's freaking go. You're not just ready, you're overdue. Time to hit record, friend. This course is going to walk beside you, but your journey, it's already begun. No matter which way you answered, this course is going to help you to figure out how to do the steps forward the right way, no matter where you are on your journey so far. Now the real deal. Here's five signs that maybe you shouldn't start yet. There are some red flags that podcasting might not be the right move for you right now. And that's okay. That's perfectly okay, but here's what to watch for one, if you want overnight results Like I said many times already, podcasting is a slow burn. Most shows don't find traction until at least episode 15 or 20. So if you're only in it for fast fame or money, the honeymoon is going to be short. Because the first 10, 15, 20 episodes, you might just have your Aunt Jenny and a couple of other friends listen to your show, and there's nothing more frustrating than to see three to five downloads per episode, week after week until you finally get that traction. So be ready for that. Number two, if you can't commit to a consistent schedule, even if you're releasing one episode a month, consistency is absolutely key. If your schedule is unpredictable and chaotic, maybe consider it a seasonal format or building a content buffer before you launch. It's okay, we just need to be consistent as soon as you launch. Once a month, once a week, every other week, once a quarter, it doesn't matter. Just stick to whatever you decide and that will go a long way. Number three, you hate talking or listening to yourself. You don't have to be a radio voice pro, but if the thought of hearing yourself makes you physically ill, podcasting is going to be a rough ride. One of the most important things I tell all my friends and clients, students, whatever you want to call it, you have to listen to your own show. That's the best way to be assured of the quality you're putting out there. If you just record and put it out there and never listen back to it, you'll never know what mistakes you're making. And I guarantee you you're going to be making some mistakes. We all do. Even to this day. The show has been going on for many, many years now, and I still find me making mistakes every time I listen to myself on one of the shows. So quality control. Definitely important for you to listen to yourself. And if you can't listen to yourself because you don't like the sound of your own voice, well, I think we got some work ahead of us. Number four, if you have no clear topic or audience, you can absolutely evolve your show over time. But if you launch your show with zero clarity, well, that's going to leave you frustrated and unmotivated. Don't let perfection stop you, but don't skip the vision step either, and we're gonna help you with that here shortly. Or maybe you're already burnt out. Podcasting should energize you, not drain you. If you're barely staying afloat as it is, well Maybe you should consider waiting until you have more bandwidth. The podcasting world's not gonna go anywhere. It's still gonna be here when you're ready. But it does take some commitment. It takes some effort. So if you're already feeling burnt out, then find some things to let go of, Take a breath, get yourself ready, and then come back to it. Now, having said all of that, if you do feel the nudge, if your gut keeps whispering, I have something to say. I just don't know where to start. That that's the sign. Because guess what? None of us feels a hundred percent ready ever. Ever. When I first started my show, I didn't have the best mic or the perfect branding or marketing team behind me. I still don't. What I did have is curiosity. I had a question. I had a sense that someone out there might need to hear this too. And that was enough. It still is. All right, time for a worksheet. Let's figure out your podcast readiness. Answer these questions in your journal or somewhere on your notes app. What's number one? What's your biggest fear about starting a podcast? Just write it all down. What is your biggest fear? Number two, what is the message or the story that you're dying to share? Just jot it down really quickly. Is there anything that you're dying to get out there? Number three, who is the one person that your show could help and how? Identify them as specifically as you can. And number four, what is one small step that you could take this week to move closer to launch? If you don't have that answer, not to worry. The next few episodes are going to help you to figure that out. So are you ready?