It Feels Scary to Start a Podcast
Starting a podcast is one of the very best ways to get your message to the people who need to hear it most. But, it can be one of the most intimidating things you'll ever do.
Most people think the biggest hurdle is going to be understanding the technology (microphone, mixer board, software, etc) you need to get started. But truthfully, there's a much more intimidating issue we all have to deal with when we start a podcast.
What Will People Think?
The fear of what other people will think is what stops most people from launching their podcast.
What if my voice sounds strange or I can't find the right words to express myself? What if I say something dumb or embarrassing?
The antidote for fear & shame is finding secure connections with others.
If feels like You might die.
I don't want to overstate the magnitude of the fear you feel, but it's important you realize where this fear comes from.
Our ancestors knew that public shaming could lead to being ostracized from "the tribe" and when that happened we became very vulnerable and likely faced the reality of death.
This doesn't mean you consciously think to yourself "If I launch a podcast I might die" but it does mean there's a part of you that FEELS that emotion. This is why our fear doesn't make sense.
The power of Peer Pressure
Think back to some of the riskiest things you've ever done. Hopefully most of those happened when you were much younger, but not always, at least not for me.
The risk of doing what our peers are doing seems lower than the risk of the act itself. We believe our survival is still contingent on being accepted by our community.
Drug addicts will risk relapse and even overdose because they worry what others will think about them if they don't participate in the use.
Topics You'll Hear in This Episode
We really dig into the fear and shame you're most likely struggling with and help you with strategies for overcoming them.
This is a very complex issue that most people struggle with most of their lives. But once you really understand it and what's at the foundation of it all, you can conquer it and finally have the courage to bring your message to the people who really need to hear it.
You can listen to this episode using the player at the top of the page or click on one of the links to open it in your favorite podcast player. We've included the time of each topic so you can go right to the issue you want to explore the most.
1:31
Fear of What Other People Think
This is truly what's at the core of your fear in this area and just about every other area of your life. Learn to master this and you'll be unstoppable. Remember, this all goes back to your fear of rejection and the fear of death associated with it.
4:17
Why We Focus on The Negative
It doesn't matter how many positive ratings and reviews your show may get, you'll find yourself focusing on the one negative comment. We'll talk about why this happens and how you can neutralize that instinct.
8:41
Building a Strong and Powerful Sense of Self
The more secure you feel in your relationships, the more powerful you'll feel. There are strategies for doing this that don't take a lot of effort and can still be very effective. This topic rolls into the next one so make sure you continue listening.
10:54
The Incredible Power of Secure Relationships
Finding the right group with which to surround yourself is going to be one of the best things you can do. You have to know the people around you have your back. Just like a weightlifter relies on his "spotter" to keep him safe without removing the struggle, you have to find those people to support you on your journey.
17:01
Overcoming Negative Past Experiences
We're all compelled to compare because our primitive brain is programmed to do this for survival reasons. "Am I keeping up with the tribe?" If we're not keeping up we're going to fail and to your primitive mind, failure means death. Sounds dramatic but that's what's at the core of our drive to compare, but comparison itself can cause us to give up before we've even had a chance to succeed. Here's where you'll find the solution to this challenge.
29:20
Detaching Yourself From Your Performance
Too often we suppress our message because we're worried about how we'll do presenting it. You know you have something to share, so we help you use something called "Ego Minimization" so you can drop your performance anxiety and focus on that content. We both share how we did this in our own lives.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
This is Your Brain on Sports: Beating Blocks, Slumps and Performance Anxiety for Good!
By Dr. David Grand and Dr. Alan Goldberg
Don't let the word "sports" stop you from reading this book. It's about all types of performance, including podcasting. This is will take you deeper into the techniques for overcoming all of the issues we talked about in this episode.
