Do You Start Small Enough – PTC 401

August 13, 2022

Are you thinking big enough? Do you start small enough?

We need to have big goals. But to reach those goals, we need to start small and focus.

We often overestimate what we can accomplish in one year. However, we underestimate what we can accomplish in five years.

GUEST ON MY SHOW

Would you like to be a guest on this podcast AND get a coaching call at the same time?

I would love to give you a coaching session. In return, I will record the session and may use it as an episode of my podcast.

Are you interested?

Go to www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/record. That is a link directly to my calendar. Grab a time that works best for you.

We will develop your plan and see how I can help and support you to achieve your podcast goals. I may then use that call as an episode of my podcast. We both win.

Grab your time at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/record.

GOALS

As you create your goals, it is important that you set shortterm and longterm goals.

Start with your longterm goal. What would you like to accomplish in five years?

Once you have the goal established, break it down to one-year, quarterly, monthly and weekly benchmarks.

Now, focus on those weekly goals. We eat an elephant one bite at a time.

START SMALL

I got to thinking about this while listening to an interview with Spencer Fry of Podia on the Flipped Lifestyle Podcast with Shane and Jocelyn Sams.

Spencer said one of the big challenges people face when they start building their business or any project is not starting small enough.

When I started Podcast Talent Coach, I created the ultimate podcast solution.

This project contained 7 modules. It walked podcasters through theater of the mind, building the podcast foundation, creating great content, how to prepare for the episode, reviewing your own show, making money with your show and how to get started.

The project was everything you needed for your podcast.

This thing took me a long time to create. It is 135 pages of text. All of my best stuff.

Then, I started asking people if they wanted it. What I discovered was podcasters didn’t want the solution to every problem. They want to solve their specific problem.

The project was many hours, days and months wasted. I was starting too big.

MY FIRST CLIENT

One day in April of 2013, I spoke with a guy in Canada who wanted to make his content and show stronger. As we talked, we got specific on his struggle.

We worked together to develop a plan to solve his most pressing challenge. Over the next nine months, we worked on his struggles one at a time to reach his goals.

This was before I had a book or course or membership. He discovered me through my podcast and saw how I could help him solve his problem.

I didn’t need an extensive program that gave him everything I knew. He was looking for one specific answer to the problem he was trying to solve.

What is the biggest problem your listener is trying to solve? Start there with your content and your business.

Keep it simple. Define the shortest way to reach the goal.

If you are trying to grow your show, take the steps necessary to get your next listener.

One way I’ve grown my email list by participating in giveaways. Each giveaway grows my list by about 100 subscribers. Over time, my email list has grown to 4,500 people.

You don’t need to build an entire city at one time. Start with a tent. Then a house. Build the city one building at a time.

Start small enough.

PIANO

My daughter Emma plays piano. She has learned to be patient as she learns to play particular songs.

When she was 6, I took her backstage to meet Taylor Swift. Now, Taylor Swift is absolutely amazing when it comes to business.

Taylor walked into the room and addressed me by name. She was well prepared by her record label representative.

Emma introduced herself to Taylor, and they had a good chat. Taylor was really engaged in the conversation.

During the chat, Emma mentioned that she plays piano. Taylor said she wished she had never given up piano. She then made Emma pinky swear that she would never give it up. My little 6-year-old did just that.

SUZUKI

Fast forward a few years to Emma learning a difficult piece for her piano lesson. Emma learned through the Suzuki method. It involves listening to the piece of music and reading the notes in order to train your ear.

This was not a piece Emma had heard before. She had moved beyond the initial Suzuki pieces where she started.

Emma soon became very frustrated with her struggles. Tears came. She didn’t know what to do next.

I tried to explain that she needed to give it time, work through it methodically, and learn it a little piece at a time. She didn’t want to follow my suggestions. Emma just wanted to know it now. The microwave generation.

That’s when I told Emma, “If you’re going to get this frustrated trying to learn these pieces, you don’t need to continue piano. Quit and do something you enjoy.”

She said, “I can’t quit. I pinky swore Taylor Swift I wouldn’t quit.”

I said, “Well then, keep practicing and give it time.”

Within a week, Emma had the piece down and was playing it quite well. She is 20 today and still plays piano. However, she enjoys learning songs by ear and writing her own. She does it all by taking it one small piece at a time.