Episode Details

Episode 770 - Podcasters - Do What You Can, With What You Have, Where You Are - Guilt-Free Permission to Podcast Your Way

Dave podcasts from the backyard within earshot of neighbours as his podcast studio is flooded and deconstructed after back to back floods - sewer water (affectionately known in these parts as 💩 water) is nasty - we have lost many treasures - but one thing remains - podcasting.

Podcasters: Do What You Can With What You Have, Where You Are

Podcasting often demands more than creators expect. Life can disrupt schedules, damage equipment, remove internet access, and create serious personal pressure. Dave shares how two floods affected his home while he continued recording from his backyard with a Google Pixel phone, a basic recorder app, free Audacity software, and whatever time and space he could find.

Start With Your Current Resources

Many podcasters feel pressure to buy better microphones, adopt new platforms, follow every trend, and collect more information before they begin. Dave challenges that mindset. A creator can make progress with the tools already available.

A new podcaster might record one episode every two months. That schedule still creates momentum when the podcaster follows through. Consistency should match real circumstances, energy, knowledge, and available resources.

Technical limitations may affect production quality, yet they do not have to stop the work. Offline tools can also protect a podcast from total dependence on internet access.

For me podcasting is not the avoidance of work, it is a mental and physical break from 20 hour days of dangerous, back breaking, disgusting work. I don't have to podcast in times like these - I get to podcast in times like these.

You are not my obligation - this show is not my vocation - I get the opportunity to podcast, even when times are spinning out of control.

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are". Dave revisits this quote in the contest of 2 floods and how podcasting might just be the thing to run towards and not away from when things get tough.

Record From Where You Are

The phrase “do what you can with what you have, where you are” applies to a podcaster’s physical environment and personal stage of development. Creators often delay recording while they search for another course, book, conference, or expert. That pattern can replace action with endless preparation.

Dave encourages listeners to use what they already know and start recording. Improvement follows action. A supportive friend can also provide the encouragement needed to move forward.

Small Audience Responses Still Matter

Dave also discusses podcast surveys and listener engagement. A small number of responses does not prove that an audience has lost interest. Most listeners remain silent. They may never comment, complete a survey, or send a message, yet they can still return to the show and apply its ideas.

Creators should celebrate every response and continue promoting surveys over time. Explaining why the survey matters can motivate more listeners to participate. Dave describes using Google Forms with Google Sheets to collect and organize feedback through a free system.

Podcasting rewards action more than endless preparation. Use the tools, time, space, and knowledge you have today. Record when conditions feel imperfect. Keep serving the quiet listeners, appreciate the people who respond, and allow steady effort to shape the show.____

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