2024W16: Lessons from a Third Podcast

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My podcast team (Louis) and I wrapped Season 1 of Instructor Notes podcast just over a week ago. In retrospect, I can’t believe we pulled it off (8 episodes in 9 weeks). But we did, and now we take a breath and a break.

We’ve had a few debrief conversations to gather our lessons learned. Here are a few of mine…

At-bats really do matter, and so do systems.

I knew from the prior two podcasts that the brain work of planning this new podcast would make all the difference in the world. We set up systems for file and asset management, and knowing the 3-part format of each episode minimized the “debugging” of systems once we started using them. When we recorded various interviews, solo audio, and co-hosting sessions out of order, the systems helped keep everything in the correct place, most of the time. And the systems helped us diagnose where we needed to improve our communication and workflow, and kept us on track. The planning phase is often difficult for me because I see the system arise but can’t yet see the end product at all. This experience reminds me that good planning is worth the investment.

Setting expectations is important for every member of the team.

Obviously I’m referring to my co-producer / sound engineer / audio editor. But also, every co-host and guest was flattered to participate and also at least a little uncertain — especially the early guests, who may not have had a completed episode to listen to yet. Creating brief but informative invitations, scheduling an orientation call before each recording session, and writing thorough and easy-to-scan follow-up documents were all an investment in each team members’ comfort and confidence. And it all paid off in the ease and richness of each conversation.

People are everything.

We were SO LUCKY to have people on the podcast who wanted to be involved. Everyone was willing to push past their uncertainty and take the risk of being involved in something new to them. Without the co-hosts, guests, and voice mail callers, we would not have had a season! The people involved were everything. This is true for the podcast and it is true in life. People first.

Rich content has a longer shelf life than we think.

It still feels weird to promote my projects, since I’m usually very spontaneous and casual about my social media presence. But with so many people pitching in to create each episode, it felt like a part of the thank-you to tag each person and thank them for their contribution in that public way. I was late with some promotional posts, and I dropped a couple of platforms when they seemed like a drag to use. The good news is: I can keep promoting every episode — I can promote each episode multiple times! The episodes are that good! And so I will continue to promote each episode, multiple times.

Take action, then take the next action. Let your confidence grow to match the action.

Although Instructor Notes is my third podcast, it is my first non-hobby podcast and so was a tiny bit intimidating to me. I have a lot to learn to be a great podcast interviewer. But while I see many areas of improvement, I am also proud of this small body of work and feel more confident about doing additional seasons of the podcast. In fact, I’m riding the wave of confidence right on into video content! Whole new ballgame, super brand new to me, and super intimidated.

But we are doing it anyway.

Join us over on YouTube — subscribe to get a notification when we go live. :)

2024W12: Travel as an Experiment in Minimalism

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I’ve always loved the fantasy of living a whole life in a hotel room. Me and my bare necessities in 400 sq ft of living space — what a rush! The minimalist mindset this fantasy inspired will probably last the rest of my life, but the practice started in adjusting my travel habits the past few years, even before the pandemic.

Today, I travel for most 3-4 day trips with one carry-on and one personal item, a large weekender type bag. The current keys to making this work, even in winter?

  • If I can’t fly home the night after the work is complete, I wear the same outfit home that I wore flying out.

  • Maximum pairs of shoes to pack are two: one dressier and one more comfy. And then there are the shoes I am wearing to travel as well.

  • I’ll only pack extra undergarments — no more overpacking clothes!

  • I use my personal item / weekender as my daily carry bag when I work. It’s larger than it needs to be for daily use, but it keeps me from having to pack an extra bag.

  • I wear the same color neutral to travel as I do on work days. It used to be all black. For the last 4-5 years, it’s been all navy. This means even the clothes and accessories I travel in can be mixed and matched with the clothes I pack, if necessary.

All this is harder for me to do in winter, with thicker layers and more of them required. But summertime? No problem! How about you? Are you a minimalist packer or a maximalist packer? Or somewhere in between?

2024W9: A Last-Minute Week 9 Post

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I wrote something and decided not to publish it. I’ve written this instead.

Some years ago, a KW associate started a great Facebook group for all KW associates to share their notes, which was perfect for those of us who suffer from FR FOMO. I was getting into sketch noting and shared my notes there, and I loved being able to read other people’s notes from the sessions I could not attend. It was a very active group! But during the pandemic, things in the FB group got messy and late last year it was mainly full of spam.

My first Week 9 post was a call to use that FB group, and link to it. But I’ve changed my mind, and changed the post. Because in retrospect, other ways of sharing notes have popped up in the past 5 years. And they seem to be meeting people’s needs better. We can get so caught up in forcing something that might organically have met its end.

So my lesson this week is: sometimes things we build have their season, and it’s OK to let them go when they are past their usefulness. File this one under my annual mantra “Bless and Release.”

2024W8: KW Family Reunion 2024

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7 Pro Tips for a Festive Family Reunion

Keller Williams’ annual convention Family Reunion is an event like no other. It’s 3-4 days of constant motion, excitement, and good vibes. At the end of this month, I’ll attend my 24th Family Reunion and of course I have some ideas for how each of us can make it a stellar experience.

  1. Treat your feet right

    If your body is able, the conference conditions will implore you to walk miles and miles each day. You’ll be in one breakout and get a text from someone to meet you someplace else in the convention center, which may be a 15-minute walk away. In the earlier years of FR, many of us decided fashion would win out over comfort, and we suffered and suffered. As the convention got more casual, our footwear got more comfortable, thankfully.

    Pack your most comfortable walking shoes and plan your clothing around them. If you are presenting and want to wear dress shoes that aren’t great walking shoes, bring them to change into before your 75 minutes of fame. Then switch back to walking shoes for the walking.

  2. Pack and unpack mindfully each day

    There is a short list of items you want to have at the ready each morning, like your name badge. Makes sense if, at the end of each day, you put that name badge in the same place (near your hotel room door, with your hotel room key, maybe).

    (My short list includes name badge, hotel room key, water bottle, snacks, phone, iPad, writing implements, portable battery / charging cords, and a scarf / wrap. Make sure your list includes the things you know you will reach for every day you’re there.)

    Give yourself that extra couple of minutes to make sure everything gets put away in its rightful place. Future you will thank you.

  3. Travel light at the convention center

    It’s tempting to want to pack everything you think you will need. Chances are you won’t use half of it, and you will get tired lugging it around the convention center. Plus, many times we need to go through a security and bag check on our way into the convention, and bringing more stuff means stopping for longer to get checked in.

    Keep your on-site gear simple and minimalist. I don’t carry a separate purse / handbag at KWFR — just one bag keeps it all.

  4. Keep a running list of a-ha’s

    You are going to hear so much good stuff at this event! You will hear quotes that you want to repeat with the same power and magic to someone else. if only you had written down the actual words…

    Keep a document on your phone Notes app with a running list of great quotes, ideas, conversations, etc., and who said each thing so you can attribute correctly later!

  5. Meet new people

    It’s tempting to stick with the crowd you run with. Definitely take advantage of this opportunity to deepen relationships with people who are valuable to you, and reconnect with folks you maybe only see a few times a year.

    Also introduce yourself to five people each day you have never met. It’s not hard to do — just approach folks who look like they don’t know anyone or might be lost, and say hello. Introduce yourself and ask questions to get to know them. Surprising connections get made this way that can last for your entire career!

  6. Plan your sessions and arrive early

    The most popular sessions can fill up before the session begins. And on occasion, monitors are posted at the door to prevent the risk of a dangerously overcrowded breakout room.

    Spend time on the plane, heading to FR24, to decide which sessions you plan to attend. Normally you can do this in the KWFR event app on your phone. Once you get to the convention center, pay attention to where groups of breakout rooms are located, in relation to the exhibit hall or main event ballroom. This will allow you to mentally (or you could just literally) map out your routes so that you get to your sessions while there are still great seats available.

  7. Treat your body well

    Yes, yes. All of this should be bolded. Go out and have fun and also get enough sleep! Pack your own good snacks and a refillable water bottle so you don’t end up on-site hungry and thirsty and standing in line for Cheetos and a Coke.

Family Reunion is the place to be, and can still be valuable even if you don’t take care of yourself. But you will be much, much happier if you do.

Safe travels and see you there!!!

2024W7: Popular Storytelling Models

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Breaking news: The first episode of Instructor Notes podcast is live!!! I’ve loved the conversations I’ve had so far. Connecting with people is THE BEST!!! For this first episode, I am so proud to interview one of the most compelling and successful leaders I know, Colette Ching! Her energy is just <chef’s kiss> — it will keep you going for days! And my co-host, the stupendous Lisa Teichner, helps me to introduce Colette. Please give the episode a listen and let me know what you think!

I’m one day late posting this weekly blog update, but that’s OK. Seven weekly posts is more than I’ve been able to sustain before, and it’s feeling habitual so that is very, very positive. I outlined a 20-minute presentation at the Keller Williams Family Reunion convention later this month. The topic: Storytelling.

I’ll post the outline and maybe some resources from the final presentation as it gets closer to finished. For now though, I took stock of storytelling models I’ve learned over the years and want to share them here:

  • The Hero’s Journey by Joseph Campbell
    This storytelling model itself is mythologized IMO! It’s way too complex for my needs, but people who use it love it.

  • The Story Spine by Kenn Adams, re-popularized by Pixar, as included in Pixar’s 22 Rules for Storytelling
    I have found this model useful when planning a story that serves as a through-line in a presentation, from start to finish.

  • Public Narrative by Marshall Ganz
    You might recognize parts of this (the story of self, the story of us, the story of now) but all of them together are known as Public Narrative.

  • Three-Act Structure by Syd Field
    This is taught in probably every single screenwriting class out there!

The model that works best for me for storytelling in training and presentations is the Three-Act Structure. It’s simple, it’s recognizable, it’s the best choice for me 95% of the time. Stay tuned — I’ll share more of the presentation itself soon!

2024W6: New podcast or nah?

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My short answer is… it depends.

I don’t think a podcast is a quick way to fame and riches. It’s a notoriously “slow burn” for most hoping to monetize their podcasts.

But if you want to add a content-rich social media element to your business or personal brand — especially if you are a podcast listener yourself — I don’t see any reason not to try.

I am working on my third podcast at the moment. The first two were definitely “hobby” podcasts, so the new one is the only one to cover territory that I’m immersed in professionally, day in and day out: workshop facilitation (aka training, instructing, presenting, speaking, adult learning).

Look at the new artwork for my Instructor Notes podcast 👀 Won’t hurt my feelings if you follow / subscribe…

Despite the fact that my first two podcasts were mainly done out of about my need for personal expression and my desire to learn how to produce a podcast — and never about subscriber numbers and monetization — I am asked for a fair amount of advice about podcasting. So here’s some of the advice I share:

  1. Know why you want to podcast.

    If you want to get rich and famous, skip the podcast and hire an agent and a publicist. But podcasting is probably better for expanding your reach and influence, establishing credibility, exploring new ideas and approaches, finding like-minded or similarly-interested individuals, and expressing yourself. Not to mention that if you love your work and you want to podcast about work stuff, your passion will show, and people connect to passion.

    For my Instructor Notes podcast, my main goal is to build a community of facilitators. I love working with facilitators, but my work often means leading a workshop and then flying home. Staying in community with those folks takes effort, and the podcast is one way to reach a lot of people I meet that I might not otherwise see in between workshops. Also, no one loses when surrounding themselves with enthusiastic, positive, growth-oriented individuals as facilitators usually are. Win-win-win.

  2. Find out what other podcasts cover the topic you want to cover.

    Listen to them. Understand the gaps: Do current podcasts miss specific perspectives, so you immediately know an angle to present that is new and fresh? Do current podcasters all go for an interview format, whereas you have a strong and distinct point of view and can podcast solo, as The Expert? Do all the current podcasts on your topic run over an hour in length per episode, so you can add an entry that comes in bite-size pieces instead of entire meals each time?

    There is still probably plenty of room for you to fill a niche in the podcasting world, so a little competitive research can go a long way.

    In the facilitator podcasting space, there are many resources geared toward public speakers, generally those who aim to keynote at conferences. Instructor Notes podcast will center workshop facilitation first and foremost, and other types of public speaking only tangentially.

  3. Consider what kind of investment you want to make in your podcast.

    If you self-produce your entire podcast, you will invest a lot of time. You’ll probably end up doing things you don’t like to do, or aren’t skilled / confident at doing (for me, that would be typing up show notes haha). But there are also reputable services out there that can do some or all of the pre-production, production, and post-production for you. This will require less time of you, but more money.

    My first two podcasts were entirely self-produced, though the first was co-produced with a partner. That was nice because we agreed on division of labor and each of us took on tasks we were naturally more comfortable with. My second podcast was a solo effort and I did it all. I was glad to learn all the pieces, and grateful for the experience of setting up a system that ran smoothly over the course of the season. Also, I was glad when it was over because it was a lot of work!

There are so many free resources out there if you feel like you’re ready to take the next step. The resources that help me are easily 3-5 years old now, and I’m sure there are more recent and relevant sources out there. One company that produces a lot of free content for aspiring podcasters is Buzzsprout, who we chose to host my first podcast. They are still big in the podcasting space and just updated their “How to Start a Podcast” guide on 1/1/24. So go check it out! And let me know if you decide to start a podcast so I can give it a follow!

2024W4: New Year FOCUS (an annual project with daily-ish tasks)

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I’m no spring chicken, so I don’t have a lot of excuses to not be doing things every day that I should be doing every day! In other words, I am old enough to know what I should be doing, and do them! Exercise daily? I only need to work out a couple times a week, and the other days I am active so that works for me. Eat better? I’ve been “plant based” aka vegetarian for almost 20 years, which is enough time to figure out how to get all I need nutritionally, calorically, etc. etc. and still enjoy junk food occasionally.

But obviously I see the value of an annual project to commit to daily. Last year I chose to draw and post on Instagram daily. It was perfect to explore different digital workflows as well as to get in the habit of putting my work in the social media sphere every day.

This year, it felt like the right time to take on something I’ve considered for a while now: I call it my 365 Notes project. The idea is to write 365 snail mail notes over the course of the year, which comes out to an average of one note a day. I have hoarded collected stationery for years, I love to send snail mail, I have been studying and practicing calligraphy and hand lettering since 2017, and I think about other people a lot!!! All the ingredients are there for a successful annual project like 365 Notes.

I’m still refining the system to support this project. I have a place to write down the name of someone I’m thinking of, and a tracker so I know who got a note and how I’m progressing toward 365. And I have a little kit with note cards, stamps, stickers, etc. that I can move around to whatever is my workspace at the moment.

So far the system is working! I’ve sent 18 note cards so far this year. I feel a surge of energy every few days, I’ll write and mail out several notes at a time, and I have been hearing back from folks already who receive my mail. It is SO MUCH FUN to stay connected, and in some cases to reconnect, with people this way.

U.S. friends, yesterday the rates for first class letters went up again by 2 cents, to $0.68 for a regular ol’ stamp. It’s nice that you can order stamps online very easily and quickly, and you can access the full catalog of stamps online and not just what your local post office has left for you. I recommend these if you’re ready to order, which are seasonally suitable for the weeks to come:

  • Year of the Dragon stamps — I’m so stoked about Lunar New Year!!!

  • Love 2024 stamps — Valentine’s Day is near

  • Winter Woodland stamps — it’s still cold in many places in the U.S.

  • John Lewis stamps — order now to be ready for Black History Month, but also order a couple extra books because every month is a good month to think about civil rights and people who inspire us to step up for civil rights and human rights

2024W1: Writing In New Planners And Journals

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Happy New Year!!! 🥳 Lots of fun things are ahead this year and I. Am. Excited.

Did you get a new planner??? A new journal? Sometimes an overachiever, I started the new year with a whole new set of planning and organizing tools. I’ll tell you about the entire system and all its components later.

My new Hobonichi Techo Weeks planner. Thank you, Brenda!

One tool that is new to me was a gift from my friend Brenda: a Hobonichi Techo Weeks planner. You can get lost learning all about the Hobonichi family of products, which has inspired a lot of followers and fans and devotees over the years. I decided in December how I wanted to use mine, and even though I had four weeks in 2023 to get started, I found that I could not write in my new planner! I was just paralyzed to make the first mark in this beautiful planner.

I know this isn’t uncommon among all humans, but I am a regular journaler, and have been for years, and have started many journals and planners with no hesitation. Why was this one so different?

I went searching on The Google and hoped for an article, a think piece, a study of some kind to validate this very common feeling and back it up with some science and data. I found nothing! (But if you have an article to recommend with some science to back it up, please leave it below!)

I did find some really neat ideas for making the first marks in a new planner or journal though, which of course I have to share:

Also Apple iOS users — did you know that Apple has a Journal app now, included in their iOS 17.2 release? I used it last week twice and it integrates nicely with… life. All the creepy AI and privacy-encroaching components of our phone can finally be put to use for our benefit!

Weekly Notes #2

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Blah blah blah: