29 Nov #002 Creating something worth sharing

Yesterday, I recorded the start of a new podcast ten times. I am not exaggerating or rounding up for smartness. I even paused after six attempts, had a tea break and tried again. I was committed to producing a podcast episode.

The theme I’d selected was based on a training I’d delivered a week earlier for my business community: How to build a six figure online marketing funnel.

The training was fire! Fast paced. Challenging. A direct call to arms to be useful, to work hard, to focus on client results at every step of the funnel. But it just didn’t translate to a podcast for a wider audience. Something that felt really poignant and topical for one audience became cliche and general for another.

Without considering why that was the case, I called my dad and said “Dad, I’m not working today – do you want to go and surprise mum at work?”. He was a yes. I told him I’d be leaving in an hour. I just had to walk the dogs and send some client emails first.

Deciding to walk away from the episode gave me something. Freedom? Space? It let me off the hook! It meant I didn’t have to produce something practical or functional. I didn’t have to ‘tick the box’ of marketing that day. It just wasn’t happening. I’d tried.

Somewhat ironically, then, I found myself reaching for my iPhone, whilst looping the field, to record the introduction of the podcast I wasn’t making. It felt fun, light, in flow. I recorded myself calling back the dogs. I recorded myself clipping them in. And that’s when I realised what was bothering me.

Content for the sake of content demotivates me. I can’t produce something for the sake of it. I don’t like to and I don’t want to. And I don’t have to.

When I think of what inspires me, what really gets me flowing, it’s the opportunity to create something new and different that will make people smile and ask ‘how did she do that?’. I don’t want to be a follower, of a pattern or a style or a formula. I want to be a leader, a creator, an original.

With that idea in mind, I recorded my thoughts (and the rest of my day) on my iPhone, sharing the concept of ‘being useful’. Today’s podcast episode is the result of that work. We explore the importance of being truly useful in a world filled with more and more content. We look at the catalytic effect of desire in making the world a better place for the people you can help. And I challenge you to produce something meaningful for your business today, over ticking yet another item off the list.

I hope you enjoy.

Lisa