I was literally just recording another episode when I walked away, turned off the lights here in the studio and thought to myself": “I'm just so glad I have a recording space already set up.”
I was thinking if I had to set the mic up and set up the lights and move everything around- I wouldn’t have taken the time to record. I would let the thoughts or ideas float away or live in Voxer with my friends.
It reminds me of what Adriene from Yoga with Adriene says: “The hardest part is showing up and getting yourself to the mat.”
Shortening the Distance from Download to Creation
I've noticed that when I feel inspired, if I get behind the mic right then, the content is so much better. It's so much more dropped in when I can lessen the distance between download of an idea and speaking it out. The better it is for everyone and everything.
Exhibit A: I've been recording in the Leopard Room lately but right now I'm in the Mompreneur Guide Room because everything was set up here. And I thought, isn't that so interesting that the ease of being able to just sit down and hit record and feel really good is all it takes.
The other interesting thing is that we had an extra mic, boom arm and mixer that we're not using here at the studio (we converted one of our rooms from a studio room into a photo room. Not for negatives and stuff, but to take pictures and headshots in.)
And so I took that extra gear to our house and had an inspired hit to set it up in our bedroom. There are some days where after the kids go to bed, I feel inspired to record, but I don't really want to drive or walk down the street to the studio (which is me being lazy) but adding that little home studio, if you will, feels really good. So at any point, I have access to a mic.
Sure, I could just record on my phone or with my Airpods in and capture that inspired recording and I do think that's important. But for me, I really like having the nice sounding mic and grabbing the video too. I always tell people who come into the studio to grab the video while you’re recording because you can never get it back. It's easier to have it and not use it than not have it when you need it.
And so I having a full setup feels good to me. But something different might feel good to you.
And I just think this concept of:
Having yourself set up for success feels so nice. To be able to sit down, hit record and then go on with my day.
And I think this other concept of making sure the timing from download to getting that download out there is shorter has made all the difference for me too.
Creating a More Connective Podcast with Less Production
I've been calling what I’ve been doing here on Substack: Live Journaling. It started with me literally just journaling in my notebook because the kids were quiet for a second and I needed to get things out of my brain and I didn't want to Voxer my thoughts and disrupt the flow of everything (one of those nobody breathe they’re nicely, independently playing together, moments🤣)
I had two seconds and that was the best I could do but that became the essence of everything that I'm doing now.
It's really changed the way that I'm podcasting. It's been an easier, lighter lift for me. It's been more connective and more real because I just take my thoughts, write them down and then record them shortly thereafter.
That also means that in those moments, when those downloads come in, even if I'm not physically recording them then, (because even if I had that at-home mic set-up I couldn't have gone into the room and done the recording in that moment… you know the kids would have screamed and I would have been frustrated and it just wouldn't have worked.🤷🏼♀️)
But at least I got that gold down onto paper. And those feelings of when I wrote it still come up and it still feels real and authentic, even though it wasn't quite that moment. It's still kept a tight timeline between download and sharing it. And so this live journaling concept has just been so nice.
Our Clients are Live Journaling Too
Our one client in particular, Melissa launched her first podcast season in November and during this in-between Season One and Season Two time she's been live journaling on Substack.
She gets an inspired hit and is working that muscle to get herself immediately behind the mic. Sometimes she's written her thoughts down. Other times she just gets right to recording. Either way- the thoughts are flowing out of her and the quality of the content is undeniable. It's emotionally more connective with her people, they're resonating and it's so much easier for her.
Plus the editing has been very minimal. And transforming that audio into writing, adding pictures to build the story visually and creating even more out of this one thing- has been a breeze.
It's been really interesting to compare this new style of podcasting to the traditional way of doing it. I'm really enjoying this process and sharing that: It can be easy.
In my opinion, this is a relaxed way to have a connective podcast that has little production to it and feels really, really good.
Creating Intentional, Thought Leadership Content
Ultimately it's really a thought leadership thing, right? It works that muscle of: I'm not just putting content out there to put content out there, to hit certain marks, to just make a hook that attracts people.
It's like, no, I just genuinely have something to say and I want to share it. And it comes out really authentically.
So this was just an impromptu little recording- I felt like I needed to get behind the mic and share this concept of having a space so that you can get that insight out into the world as quickly as possible.
If you have a mic, think about having it already set up with your lights so all you have to do is plug in your computer and go.
If you don't have a space like this, maybe try to set one up if you're called to after reading this.
Or find a place that you can go to if you are inspired to birth that content.
And this live journaling concept too. I'm sure I'm going to do more on it soon (would you want to see this process in action?👇🏻)
I've just really enjoyed this connection between a connective, emotional, real conversational podcast and the lesser production that needs to be done to get it out into the world. As a producer, it's nice when there's even less to have to produce that it's just more raw, real and flowing.
And it's easier from the host perspective too, where you're not trying to hit points, right? You're just actually sharing.
So I hope you enjoy this impromptu little recording here and maybe it's inspired you too.
How to create more connective content with less production