This will be the final episode of Podcast Talent Coach. It has been a great journey through 550 shows. But, it has reached its destination. WHEN I REALIZED IT WAS THE END I've met a lot of great people. The things I've learned are immeasurable. The journey has been incredible. As I was shaping this episode, I thought about a variety of approaches. The 7 things I learned over 550 episodes. The top ten people I've met. The list of mentors who shaped my success. Everything I considered seemed cliché. So, I'm just taking you to how it came to be. The end of the show came to me during my latest launch. As the cart close approached, I realized the end was near. WHERE IT STARTED This all started 20 years ago. In a March 2005 edition of Wired Magazine, I came across an article about MTV VJ Adam Curry. The article was called "Adam Curry Wants You To Be An iPod Radio Star". The article mentioned that Curry was the brains behind iPodder, described as the offspring of the blog and the Apple MP3 player. This was the beginning of podcasting. And I was fascinated. Unfortunately, I had no interest in tech. A few years later I got my first iPhone. I was soon downloading podcasts. By 2009, I was in love with the format. By this time, I had been coaching radio talent for about 15 years with a successful radio show of my own. As I listened to these podcasts, I thought they could be so much more effective if they just used the techniques we used in radio to connect with an audience. They just didn't know what they didn't know. It was still the wild west. MY PERSONAL LAUNCH I started creating content. By 2012 I was speaking on stage at events like New Media Expo and BlogWorld. In June 2013, this podcast was launched. It was also the month that Ken Allan became my first coaching client. He came to me help him create stronger content and a more compelling show. Over the years, I've coached many incredible content creators. I've created a few courses and live programs. There have been webinars that have completely crashed, 3-day events that have been incredible, and lots in between. As the years went on, I started drifting away from stronger content and more toward launching podcasts. THE DRIFT STARTED HAPPENING As I would explain what I do to help people create effective content, people would say, "That sounds great, Erik... but I don't have a podcast." Launching a podcast isn't the tough part. The struggle is figuring out what to do with your podcast. Getting to grow and using it to generate revenue are the areas that create challenges for people. But, they wanted me to help them launch. So, I did. I launched the Podcast Launch Accelerator to help people launch in 30 days. That's when I started attracting people who didn't have a podcast rather than those that needed help with content and growth. Two problems come from this. First, I was attracting people who needed help launching rather than those who wanted more effective content. Second, I was now more into tech and less into how to use it. Exactly where I didn't want to be. BACK TO MY ROOTS So, I got back to my roots. I dove into become influential with your content. My content became more about who you are, how you share your story, and how you move a room to action. We were talking less about how to launch. I recently did market research around influence and impact. I talked to dozens of people about where they struggle regarding becoming someone worth listening to. Their challenges were right in my wheelhouse. When the program was developed, I rolled it out. It was offered in one-on-one calls, workshops, and short info sessions. Of all the people who saw the opportunity, only one purchased. Over the years, I've tried different approaches with different courses. I have some amazing clients and a wonderful group program. The revenue has been solid and growing over the years. It just isn't where I hoped it would be. KNOW WHEN TO END IT Dan Miller was one of my mentors with 48 Days To The Work and Life You Love. He and I shared a birthday, though years apart. We lost Dan at the beginning of 2024. Dan always said you should be able to tell in about 90 days if a business idea has legs. He should know. Dan launched many businesses, some successful, some not so much. He also thought "winners never quit and quitters never win" was a false cliché. In a blog post and podcast episode, Dan said, "I constantly have areas in my business and life that are on the bubble. If they are not proven successful in a very specific period of time – they're gone – I quit but keep moving on to success in other ways." Dan's point was that winners know when to quit. NOT IN THE NUMBERS It happened as I was crunching the numbers from the latest launch and examining the results of 2024 in my business. I came to the realization that the success wasn't where I wanted it to be. During my mastermind call three days later, I explained what I was thinking. That when it was confirmed. It's time to find the next fun thing to pursue. There are 550 episodes here to serve you and help you shape your content. The first 275 episodes are solo with just me, except for episode 200. I sprinkled in some great interviews with some amazing people over the next 275. Find them all here: PODCAST TALENT COACH EPISODES It has been a blast. I can't thank you enough for coming along on the journey. We've done some incredible things. I'm not sure what's next. There are a few things I want to try. I'm sure a podcast will be part of it. I'm sure we'll cross paths again down the road. Until then, remember to always tell the truth, always make it matter, and always have fun. I'll see ya soon.
