In my last entry, I shared with you how I ended up starting a podcast. As exciting as it has been, it didn't come without its challenges. This has to be written, as self-reflection is a must for us coaches.
I have to admit: starting a podcast – for me – was not an easy thing. I had all sorts of concerns. How to do it technically? Are my questions good enough? Do I speak too much or not enough? As a non-native English speaker – despite my considerable experience working internationally – I worried about my language skills. So, all the familiar “everything has to be perfect” pattern of mine came to me.
I am lucky that I have great guests. At the time of the publication of this post, you don’t know who they are, but some of the conversations are already recorded - and oh man! I am so lucky with my guests. I have always loved to work with experienced partners.
Experience emerged as a keyword for my journey with the podcast. As I have never done such a thing before. I was interviewed by others. I had led hundreds of coaching sessions where I had to be “just curious.” I have conducted hundreds of hours of training and workshops where I could wield the staff of the director. But not a podcast.
With all those experiences under my belt, I was confident when I sat down to the microphone with my first guests. And I was pretty pleased right after the conversations. However, listening to the recording a few weeks afterward did not feed my ego.
First, I just put the whole idea aside. Some of the conversations you’ll listen to will be months old now. Fortunately, they did not lose a gram, from the relevance of their messages or the actuality of the content.
I blamed work and the rest of the world for moving slowly with the show, but it was really me. Eventually, I got there. I re-realized how important this goal is for me, how much I enjoy being in a conversation with my valued guests, and I realized that I am in the position of the learner again. I was gaining experience!
Listening to the recording, making some fine edits, experimenting during the next recording… it all became more and more inspiring and fun over the time of the production. I am still on the learning curve and hope to stay on it for a long time. I am finding a new voice for myself, and I am really enjoying it. So as you are listening to the episodes, you’ll also be listening to my experimentation on myself. 😉
What are my initial learnings from this process?
- It definitely does not have to be perfect. Just like in a coaching session, we are “just” two people meeting over a topic and having a curious exchange. Whatever I could see as a mistake could be our added uniqueness.
- The flow matters. I came to all the sessions prepared with questions and topics. I do like to prepare. But then I found myself carried away by the answers and reflections of my guests. I was facing a dilemma: should I stick to my agenda? “Squeeze” out all I wanted from my guests, or should I follow my reactions and give space to the new topics within the time limits of the conversation? I had to find a balance. Sometimes I let my agenda go, and sometimes I do stick with the questions I have, but I focus on having a flow within the conversation.
- We can not fit in everything. Unfortunately, we have time limits. Some of my guests had shorter limits than others, so I had to give up my intention to reflect on everything in detail. I am learning to focus on my main aim: showing the person and passing on their light of inspiration.
Plus, I got all the content! I guess it is as amazing for me to listen to my guests as it is for you!
As the final statement, I have to express my gratitude to Hugo from MoonDesk Media, who I like to call my “production coach,” and to the members of “Gang Of 5,” our precious mastermind group.
You can listen to the ONCoaching Podcast here.
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