Lots of exciting stuff happened in 2021. I officially registered my company in March, taught my last class as a visiting assistant professor in June, traveled to NC to deliver my first official gig as a corporate communication skills coach, and in July I published the very first episode of the Communication TwentyFourSeven Podcast.
I’m going to be upfront with you, I’ve been flying by the seat of my pants the whole time. I’ve had some crazy ups and downs the past 6 months. I’ve been in academics for 17 years. It’s a scary thing leaving behind a guaranteed paycheck and a job you’re completely comfortable in. But I have found that it’s also empowering to know that the successes and failures are 100% my responsibility.
So let’s talk about the podcast and the things that were great, the things that were not so great, and what’s to come next.
Like I just mentioned, the very first episode of this podcast was in July, July 11, 2021, to be exact. Just 6 months ago! My goal was to offer small easy to chew bits of information, tips that you can use to become a more effective communicator. The challenge? I knew nothing about podcasting! This was truly a learn-as-you-go process and I am eternally grateful to the pioneers who have gone before me and posted the how-to videos to get me started. In 6 months I published 12 episodes, well 13 if you count the Intro to the Show and Host episode.
So how did I do?
According to the stats, the most listened-to podcast was How to Influence the Overthinkers followed by How to Communicate with an Airhead. The top devices being used to listen to the podcast are smart speakers. Most exciting is finding out the Communication TwentyFourSeven podcast is being listened to all over the world. The top five countries include the U.S. at number one (makes sense), followed by Canada (hello neighbors!), then the United Kingdom (to whom I’d like to send greetings from across the pond), followed by Australia (to whom I’d like to send greetings to from the other side of the world), and the number five spot goes to, you’ll never guess it … Slovakia! Yes, Slovakia! To those who are listening from Slovakia, I would like to say, Ahoj! (pronounced Ah-ho-we)
Now the overall numbers so far are not huge, but by the end of the year, the podcast had over 2,100 downloads. I will say for someone who started 6 months ago and has no idea what in the hell they are doing, those numbers don’t sound too bad. I’m excited to see where it goes from here.
Speaking of the future, it’s got me thinking. How can the podcast do better? What changes do I need to make to create a truly useful show, something that the audience will actually get something out of it and will want to come back for more? I already have my own critiques. Yes, I could be more consistent in the releases. I was all over the place when it came to writing, recording, editing, and publishing the episodes. I will definitely work on that, but no promises. I am a work in progress and I produce the entire show on my own. It takes time. And my time management is also a work in progress.
Also, I want to be more interactive. I truly want to create a following that is comfortable with getting online and talking about communication. The tagline of the show after all is “where we communicate about how we communicate.” “We” does not mean just me. So plan to see me on social media live every now and again and plan to participate!
But I don’t think those things are enough.
I’ve gotten some really good feedback from you listeners about the podcast. Turns out you love the short episodes. They are quick and easy to listen to. You don’t worry about information overload. Something that works well with short attention spans!
But you want more. It turns out that chat shows are trending. You like shows that include guests who are genuine, informative, and fun. So I took the feedback, studied the trends, and came up with a game plan for 2022.
I’m so excited to announce that the Communication TwentyFourSeven Podcast will be expanding! You can still expect to get your bi-weekly taste of little bits of communication tips. That is not going to change. Seems to be appreciated. So I don’t want to mess with that. I’ll just keep making more of those episodes.
In addition to that, I will be adding new content that will include guest interviews with people who are considered experts in their respective fields. This new addition is called Communication TwentyFourSeven Unscripted and will be built into the existing show, so you don’t even have to worry about going anywhere else. I’m making this as easy as possible for you!
My goal is to provide a platform for each guest to share their insights on the important role communication plays in a variety of different areas. For example, we know communication plays a key role in every single aspect of our lives. From politics to religion, to the workplace, to your intimate relationships, communication is key.
Having a conversation with guest experts will be a great way to unpack some of these topics.
Future episodes will feature:
How are Republicans communicating a vision for 2022? Is it enough to unite the GOP? What about the Democrats’ vision for 2022. How is that being communicated? Will it be enough to unite that party?
How do headlines impact your perception of a news story? Is TV news more biased than print news?
Are introverts able to get through a networking event successfully? If so, how?
How can I become a more engaging storyteller?
I’ve got some serious Imposter Syndrome, what can I do about it?
What are some strategies for managing jealousy? How do polygamists communicate about boundaries and expectations? Yes, I’m not kidding, that is an actual topic for one of the episodes!
I could go on and on because there’s so much to discuss! The guest lineup is amazing and I am super excited about it. I think we all are going to learn so much this year!
So again, welcome to 2022! And don't forget to check out the new and improved Communication TwentyFourSeven Podcast, where we communicate about how we communicate.