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Last week, we began talking about suffering from digital burnout. We interupted our main topic for a really great interview by our own Patti Serrano, so this week, we will conclude our discussion.

Now, we have already talked about what digital burnout is and to finish our discussion this week, I am going to talk about how a broken toaster relates to podcasting and burnout. Or more aptly put, your podcast is not a broken toaster.

A former Co-Host of this show, Tommy Vallier, came back one evening talking about a gentleman that spoke at a conference and he talked about broken toasters. Tommy explained this and I went back into the archives and found his explanation. I am going to play this for you now, just as it was recorded more than a year and a half ago.

Ok, thank you Tommy for helping us relive that moment from a past episode. I went out and found the transcript for this presentation that Tommy talked about and yes, it had some rough language in it. To summerize it though, Neil Gorman, the presenter here, started by saying that his presentation was about broken toasters, William Shatner and podcast burnout. He went on to say that podcast burnout is known by many other names including pod fade, flash in the pan, and taking a hiatus. Sometimes podcasters decide that they are not going to do their show anymore, for whatever reason.

So, we have to agree that we all want to avoid podcast burnout, right? Do we all agree on this? I hope so, that way we are all on the same page here. I really want you to get a couple of things out of tonight’s training, a better understanding of how to avoid podcast burnout and how to have fun podcasting.

To better understand podcast burnout, you have to look at motivation. What motivates you to become a podcaster. What is it that makes you hungry. If you look at your world before you became a podcaster, what mostly did you see? Usually someone trying to sell you something. The whole point was to find customers and sell them a product. Not a bad idea, sometimes irritating, but still, we buy stuff and don’t mind being sold, especially if it is something we want to buy!

Ok, now look at the big boys out their with their marketing departments and big budgets, they can reach a larger audience of customers without trying too hard. Lots of radio stations, both big and small, operate primarily from ad based revenue. Why do advertisers spend money on radio stations…one reason, a built in audience of customers just waiting to buy something.

Ok, then came something called podcasting. Now, anyone can come along and for a few bucks a month, start talking to all sizes of audiences. The myth is, if you build it, they will come! This isn’t always the reality, is it? But, I’m straying from the subject here.

Let’s look at William Shatner for a moment. How is William Shatner like podcasting…he was a symbol on Star Trek, the final frontier. Podcasting is a frontier and like in Star Trek, podcasters are seeking out new possibilities in this new frontier. As podcasters, we explore ways to make our podcasts bigger and better. We look for ways to seek out new people to listen to our ideas and our shows. We try new and innovative ways to appeal to a general audience. But then one day, we realize, hey, we aren’t getting paid to do this, so why should I keep going on week after week, day after day. You try everything, but the burnout starts setting in and if you don’t do something to stop it, it will overtake you and the next thing you know…you stop producing your show and usually never look back.

Now, let’s talk about broken toasters. What do you do when your toaster breaks? You go out and buy a new one! Why? Because they are cheap enough to buy and they are disposable, mostly. It’s not like you have an emotional attachment to your toaster. Sometimes your old toaster won’t do bagels and you just started eating more bagels, so you go out and buy one that will do bagels. Or your toaster starts burning everything you put into it, no matter what setting it is on, so you always get burnt toast, even on a light setting. What you have to remember here is, your podcast is NOT a toaster! You can’t just go out and start a new podcast when the old one doesn’t perform right.

The thing about your podcast is, you’ve invested a lot of money, time and energy and even your passion producing it. Over time, it doesn’t seem like a lot, but think about this, maybe you start off with about $20 a month, then over a few months it becomes $40 a month and then maybe you buy some new equipment one month and there’s an additional couple of hundred bucks, then you add a new web site, more hosting, an auto responder, more new equipment…it all adds up to a bunch of money invested into this little hobby of yours. What I’m saying here is, after this kind of investment, don’t treat your podcast like a broken toaster and just throw it out. Take some pride in it and take some ownership and look for ways ways to fix your podcast.

Look for ways to change your show around, do a mini-series, add a co-host, change your niche or topics, change the format of your show, add some music…most importantly, talk to your listeners and find out what they are looking for. Don’t throw up a poll on your web site, actually talk to them. Do a special show and get their opinions. Most importantly, make your show fun to do again. When you podcast becomes work or a chore and you start dreading firing it up, take some time to see where the magic went and then go re-invent that magic again.

Well, now you learned at least one thing during this episode. What is that? Your podcast is NOT a broken toaster! If you are thinking of shutting down your podcast or you think you are getting burned out on this whole podcasting thing. Find someone in the podcast community and talk to them first. There are a lot of hosts on Talkshoe that would be willing to lend an ear and many on this program will do that too! Better yet, if you want to talk about this in a group setting, Podcaster Training is here to help!

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Last week we started this discussion and this week we will conclude the discussion along with a great analogy about "burnt toast". http://www.podcastertraining.com

Any goal, especially writing goals are
planned.

“I’m going to be a billion dollar
writer, or make that much yearly.”
You said.

It’s good to have dreams, goals,
but you have to have a plan.
Ask questions. How are you going
to start making money? Have you
been published yet? You have a
income from writing? Have you
been contracted? Are numerous
projects in the works?

Sometimes, it best to work on
one project at a time. It stops you
from over–extending yourself.

Don’t take on more than you
can handle. It stresses you,
and your best work isn’t sent out.

Make a schedule, plan to work
on a project. Write it on your
calendar, in an appointment
book.

Work on it as planned. This is
the only way to reach your goal.

Writing must become a habit.
It’s done frequently. It helps
you become a better writer as
you stumble toward your goal.

Is there any tool you need
to foster in achieving a goal?

Take the time to gather these
tools.

“What do you mean?” You
asked.

Well, would taking a college
course help you further a
goal? Perhaps, subscribing
to a blog, e-newsletter, and
the like to heighten your
abilities? Don’t be bashful
when picking tools needed
to further your goals. Do
what’s best for your life-style.

A plan involves stacking the
most important items on top.
So, you have to look at your
life, and pluck-out what’s
most important to you.

I know, it isn’t easy.
Still, make a choice.
Will you pick to achieve
your writing goal?

You’ve come this far.
Remember, as in life,
writing goals require
determination to be
successful.

Rarely, a goal is realized
without hard work,
determination.

If a goal feels too large,
slice it into pieces.
If writing a book, for
example gets over–whelming,
stop working on it. Take a break.

Go back to it tomorrow. Write
three-four pages, not a whole
chapter.

The same advice applies to
articles, business proposals,
essays, reports, poems,
fiction, or non-fiction.

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