Six Unexpected Valuable Lessons from Podcast Movement 2021
Six Unexpected & Valuable Lessons From Podcast Movement 2021
This month, me and about 2,000 of my fellow podcast industry folk descended upon Nashville for Podcast Movement 2021. The overall consensus was that we were excited to see each other in person for the first time since 2019, and the unstated fact was that we were all a little nervous. With the COVID-19 Delta variant spreading faster than chicken pocks, many of us were unsure about who would show up and what the event would feel like.
Overall, the Gaylord Opryland Conference area was buzzing with podcasters looking to reconnect, learn, and most importantly have another shot of espresso from the iHeart coffee bar. Thank you very much ya’ll!
I felt confident that most of us were either vaccinated or would be responsible enough to wear masks, since Nashville is not currently (as of August 6th) requiring indoor face coverings for those who are fully vaccinated.
Mask-wearing aside, the overall feel was energetic and enthusiastic, and I came home healthy! However, I did bring back these six unexpected and valuable lessons with me.
Be kind. When you meet a ton of people in three days, it can start to feel disingenuous and forced. I don’t know about you, but I can always tell when someone is actually interested in what I’m sharing, or just being “polite”. One of the biggest lessons for me last week was to be kind to folks who take the time to introduce themselves and share their story with me. Sure, it’s easier said than done, but I think it goes a long way. As I met and conversed with folks at Podcast Movement this year felt more intentional and genuine. And isn’t that how you actually build a network?
The dot card puts all business cards to shame. First, a brief story. My husband comes home one day super excited and hands me a dot card. I stare at the white credit card looking thing perplexed and he says: “So you can use this instead of business cards!” I thanked him and put the card on my desk, where it sat untouched for three weeks. Two days before I leave for Nashville, I decide to open the package and create my profile. That’s when I got excited. This card just taps to the back of most phones and brings up a landing page with all of your contact info (the stuff you wish to share), your social media handles, website, even your picture! And all the receiver has to do is click on “download contact” and save it to their phone. BAM! That simple. Fast forward to Podcast Movement last week and I’m tapping people’s phones all over Nashville. Every person I tapped was super impressed and I’m pretty sure will remember meeting me, even if only thanks to the dot card. Hey dot card, can I get a sponsorship?
Podcast promo swaps work! If you’ve been to any podcast conference in the last three years I can almost guarantee that someone had a session on promo swaps. I confess that I never really believed in the power of this venture until I spoke with several podcasters who had applied it and got amazing results. I met a podcaster who doubled his listenership in one month by swapping promos with two other shows similar in target audience, that offer different content themes. My conclusion? I think it’s worth trying if you can find the right shows to swap with, everyone on board is clear on the expectations, and they also deliver the same quality content as you.
Speak up. I’ve mentioned before that when I attend a conference, I always try to ask a question in every session I’m in. The main reason I do this is because I’m super curious and always want to know more, but also because it allows other people in the room to see me and basically says to them: “I’m open to speaking, if you want to come talk to me.” It’s a great way to meet people who might otherwise not approach you. But this time, I learned that speaking up is more than just a way to network better, it’s completely necessary as a person of color in podcasting. It’s important to let people know we are here, and we have important things to contribute.
Don’t make assumptions about people. On day one, I find myself eating lunch alone, sitting in a corner table at the back of the courtyard. Sitting next to me are two super chill people finishing their meal. We’re all just there trying not to make eye contact. At least that’s how it usually goes with strangers, I feel like we’re often avoiding any type of stranger interaction, especially when we’re trying to take a break. I decide to try something new and spark up a conversation with them. Two minutes later, I discover I’m speaking with the president of a super important podcasting company. The lesson here is: don’t make assumptions about people you don’t even know. If I had assumed that they wanted nothing to do with me and not asked how their day was going, I would have missed out on a very interesting and worthwhile conversation and a new connection.
All panels should have Q&A. There were a few things that I would’ve liked to see done differently at Podcast Movement, starting with the timing and location of some events. But that’s a different conversation for another day. But one major gripe I had about the conference had to do with the panels. Every panel I attended, outside of my own, (The Movement to Podcast in Spanish with Jerome Socolovsky at NPR and Andrea López-Cruzado at Latino USA, which you can watch on replay through the Podcast Movement virtual pass!) was that the panelist or moderator did not allow for Q&A. The discussions were isolated and felt like I was just listening to a podcast, ironically. I wanted to have more discussion and expand further on the ideas being shared, but for some reason this was not a priority. In the future, I think people need to remember that panels need to also inspire further questions about the topic being discussed, and there’s no point showing up to something where people are only going to be speaking about their greatest achievements. I can read that on their wikipedia page.
As a bonus, I also came home inspired to keep learning and advocating for independent podcasters. The ones who grind every week to inspire thought and awaken curiosity among listeners. These are the folks I created my Production Coaching service for. The ones who believe in their own talent and ability to create meaningful content through podcasting, and are ready to level up their podcast and maybe host their own panel with NPR one day. I’m here for you!
As your Production Coach, I will teach you how to level-up your podcast production, so you can skip the endless YouTube tutorials and save time. If you’re ready to take your podcast to the next level, take my Production Style Quiz to get started.