I love going to conferences. Wait…I FREAKIN’ LOVE CONFERENCES!
Learning is my jam, although I have a hard time sitting still for long periods of time. I also like to network with other people in my field as well as people not in my field.
Last week was Podcast Movement 2023 in Denver, Colorado. It’s the largest conference on podcasting with over 3,000 people attending. On top of all that, they had PUPPIES!
Here are some of the Big Takeaways for me from Podcast Movement that you can apply to your own path as well even if it isn’t in podcasting.
Table of Contents
#1 Be Curious
The Podcast Movement team offered up something new this year called “Braindates”. A Braindate was a meet-up aimed at a small group of two to eight people sharing ideas and best practices with each other.
They even asked me to be one of the ambassadors where I hosted two sessions, and I even attended two additional Braindates! The connections I made and the tips I learned were a game-changer for my podcast and business!
On top of that, I tend to write off all the hype around short-form video. Tagging along with a buddy of mine brought me to a session about YouTube and short-form video. Having an open mind made me realize that video plays a very large part in both podcast discoverability and consumption. It’s not just audio-only anymore!
The short here is to keep an open mind, because you may see something from a new angle that opens up opportunities for you.
#2 Put Yourself Out There
iHeartRadio
I did two big things that led to improvements I didn’t expect.
The first was pitching a show idea to iHeartMedia. I originally stepped up to the microphone to describe why Beyond the Rut should be in the iHeartMedia network before I found myself pitching a completely different show in the process.
Keep your fingers crossed. Let’s see what comes out of that process.
A Roast or a Critique?
You rarely get a second chance to make a good first impression. The same goes for podcasts.
When I learned there was a panel of radio and podcast professionals critiquing the first 30 seconds of up to seven shows, I put my name in the hat and got picked.
My friends came in support, but also in anticipation of a few good laughs. The end result was a fervent flurry of notetaking on what I could do better. I’ve already applied those notes to the two most recent episodes, too!
Feedback is a gift. Treat it as such.
#3 Build Your Tribe
Beyond the Rut ranked in the Top 1% of all podcasts on ListenNotes by the middle of 2023. That was not done in a vacuum. It’s the result of you, past co-hosts, and a network of podcasters and marketing gurus who shared their time with me.
Thank you!
During PM23, I had a chance to say thank you, connect, and share ideas with fellow podcasters and show producers, which made the trip worth more than what I paid to attend.
Meeting Ed Squires in passing was a series of serendipitous events that are too many to list here. Turns out there was a recording booth that became available and we recorded an episode that will air in 2024. It is powerful! That’s all I’m going to say about that.
Where Would You Go?
Thinking about your own passions and desired career growth, what is a conference you would find value in attending?
There are people who wait for their workplace to pay for their professional growth, then there are those who take responsibility for their own success.
It’s a sweet deal if your employer will pay for your conference experience, but I can speak from personal experience that it’s worth going anyway.
Conferences don’t even have to be about professional growth either. Olivia and I will celebrate our 22nd anniversary this year in November. We owe a lot of that to what we learned from attending a marriage conference for multiple years in a row. That’s right! “Multiple” years in a row.
Hope that helped you appreciate and even plan your next conference whether it’s something local or something that requires travel. Let a conference be an experience that catalyzes your next level.
Resources
Subscribe on your favorite podcast player.
Other episodes and articles you’ll enjoy:
2 Great Reasons to Attend a Professional Conference BtR 186
7 Simple Hacks from Podcast Movement 2019 to Boost Your Business or Career – BtR 189
8 Powerful Lessons Learned from 8 Years of Podcasting – BtR 381
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