One Year of Conversations on Setting and Achieving Goals

August 26^th marks Elite Achievement’s one year anniversary! It’s hard to believe I’ve been a podcaster for a year. In honor of this podcasting milestone, I am sharing what I’ve learned through hosting a podcast. Before we jump into these reflections, let’s take a step back to where this all started. 

I knew going into 2020 that I wanted to start a podcast. I don’t think I would be here… coaching ambitious client-based business owners, writing blog posts, creating content to share online to help others achieve their goals and facilitating the Honor Your Ambition Mastermind if it wasn’t for podcasts. Listening to podcasts helped me dream bigger, think differently about options for my life and introduced me to tons of mentors at a time when I craved their guidance the most. My journey with podcasts started in 2018. Prior to that, I dabbled in podcasts listening to a show here and there, but in 2018 I set a goal to listen to one podcast per week (YES… the power of intentional goal setting!). I was craving personal and professional development and heard people talk positively about podcasts so I figured I would check them out. I started small to build the habit of consuming podcasts by listening to shows that were 15 minutes in length or shorter. Eventually, I graduated to longer episodes and found myself popping in my headphones on my walks to work and during workouts. Podcasts shaped the way I thought about my own potential and made a massive impact on my confidence. I initially started my podcast to give back. I wanted to make an impact by sharing the gifts I received from listening to podcasts with others, but podcasting has grown into so much more. 

Setting a clear goal is part of the achievement process, but your work is just beginning once that goal is set. I realized during my goal reviews last year that I wasn’t making a lot of progress towards my goal of launching a podcast because of limiting beliefs.

Working through My Limiting Beliefs to Bring You Elite Achievement

One of my initial limiting beliefs was that there are so many podcasts out there, so why should I even bother to start one? Thankfully, I heard that even though something has been done before, it’s important to remember that it hasn’t been done by you. We all have unique experiences and perspectives that shape our opinions and thoughts. I borrowed this insight to silence my limiting belief and instead focused on impact. I thought maybe my message will impact someone on the right day at the right time to inspire change. 

Another limiting belief that crossed my mind was, what if no one listens? I realized that if I actually let this belief guide me, I will create the very situation I am afraid of. No one will listen to a podcast that I never started! 

The final limiting belief I had to work through to get to the point where I had a podcast to launch was, what if I say something that upsets or frustrates others? This is a limiting belief that continues to pop up today, even after releasing 31 episodes. I ultimately decided that not positively impacting thousands is far worse than potentially upsetting a few listeners. Putting myself out there by sharing my thoughts, opinions and insights means I run the risk of negative feedback. But, it’s my hope that my desire to help others maximize their potential and achieve their definitions of success outweighs potential negative reactions. 

I was on a networking call with another coach last summer and she mentioned her podcast. I thought cool, I want one, and asked how she launched her podcast. An email introduction led me to Elzie at Podcast Town. When Elzie and I first connected, I was scared to make the investment, but I honored my belief in investing strategically to grow. I hired a podcast producer to help me bring Elite Achievement to reality, because I knew if I was paying for a service, I was more likely to follow through (the power of accountability – click here to read more about accountability!). Also, hiring a podcasting expert made a lot of sense because I am not an expert in production and the technological side of podcasting. I am incredibly grateful for Elzie and his team at Podcast Town. He coached me through hesitations and continues to be a resource as I explore ways to grow my podcast. 

Elite Achievement is a way for me to impact a larger audience outside of my individual coaching clients and workshops. I love helping people achieve their goals. I find the process of goal achievement fascinating. Why do some people achieve monumental success while others struggle? I’ll give you a hint… goal achievers have clarity, grow their confidence, act courageously and consistently pursue progress (not perfection) in the direction of their goals. 

In celebration of Elite Achievement’s one-year anniversary, I reflected on the biggest lessons I’ve learned as a podcast host.

The Top 5 Lessons I’ve Learned as a Podcast Host

1. Be open to new ideas! I originally thought I would record solo episodes and have an occasional guest interview. After 7 solo episodes, I finally interviewed a guest and LOVED the experience. Now, I release more guest episodes than solo.
2. Interviewing guests ROCKS! Maybe it’s the former recruiter in me, but I find the interviews fascinating. There is prep work that goes into an interview such as coordinating with guests, recording an introduction, and asking thought-provoking questions, but I find it to be less pressure than carrying the content of an entire episode by myself. I’ve also learned a ton from my guests and feel so grateful to have a platform that allows for people to share their stories and expertise. Pro tip – outline potential guests in advance of starting your show. One of the most helpful prep items my producer had me do before launching the show was to outline potential guests. At the time I thought, why bother? I’m going to mainly host solo shows. But after being open to the new ideas, I was grateful I had this list. I didn’t have to spend time thinking of who to ask and could focus on coordinating the interviews without missing an episode release date.  
3. I had more to share than I thought I did. I started the journey of podcasting a year ago to give back, inspire others to achieve their goals and share what I’ve learned about goal setting and goal achieving. I’m grateful for each listener and subscriber for allowing me the platform to share my thoughts, ideas and inspiration. I’m extra grateful for the people who text me after listening to an episode or share an episode on social. You never know who you will impact!
4. ‘Um’ and ‘uh’ aren’t the only filler words. Let me introduce you to my overused filler word SO. I had no idea how often I say SO in conversation until I read my podcast transcripts. Other frequently stated fillers include ‘right’ and ‘you know.’
5. I unintentionally minimized myself. I’m so grateful Meredith at @the.mmc.agency called me out on saying, “I think.” She was spot on! Why did I feel the need to say I think? Why not state what’s on my mind? ‘Just’ is another minimizer word I hear often in conversation. Try ditching the word ‘just’ to confidently share your next statement.

If you would have told me two years ago I’d be hosting a podcast, I would have thought you were crazy. But I’ve been doing the work to get clear on my vision, to trust myself and listen to my intuition – gratitude journal, vision statements, hiring coaches, weekly peer accountability calls, reading growth and development books and listening to podcasts have gotten me to this place. Goal achievement requires clarity and consistent effort. As you listen to Elite Achievement and other podcasts, I encourage you to pick one thing to implement or test. You’ll expedite your growth by taking action! 

If a podcast episode resonates with you, pass it along. Text the episode to a friend or screen shot the episode and post it on social. I remember so many times hearing a podcast and thinking about someone who needs to hear it. Yet, so many times I hesitated and worried about what that person would think. We all need support and guidance on this goal achievement journey. Don’t hesitate. Pass it along. One of my current favorite podcasts is Empire Building and I learned about the podcast from a client. According to data from Podcast Insights, there are over 2,000,000 podcasts with over 48 million episodes. If you love a show, there’s a chance that the people you lead will benefit from you letting them know about the show. 

If you haven’t listened to Elite Achievement yet, what are you waiting for? I’m excited to join you on your development journey. Let’s become best in class goal achievers. Let’s become elite achievers by being clear on what we want and courageously pursuing our goals with confidence and consistent effort!