The Build & Inspire Podcast is an interview-style podcast where I connect with people from all walks of life, doing what they love, in hopes of inspiring others to do the same.
I feel the podcast has been in the making since I was born. I’m a talker first and foremost, always have been and I have had lots of high school detention slips to prove it.
What can I say? I love to talk to and learn about people, and I love to support others whenever I can. Talk radio has always been part of my life and is still is. I start my day with NYC morning talk radio, regardless of where I am in the world (and yes, I sometimes this does cause confusion when it comes to whether or traffic…). I fell in love with podcasting the first time I heard Josh and Chuck from Stuff You Should Know (I never met them, but it feels like we’re best friends). Today, I’m listening to podcasts anytime Ican: as I shower, drive, exercise, and so on.
Producing and launching the podcast has been an incredible experience and I’m humbled by the those willing to take the journey with me both behind the scenes and as guests. I received thousands of listens on the first episodes, without any paid promotion. WOW! THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I would have been happy with ten listens.
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YouTubeThat said, the process has not been without its challenges. I’ve learned a lot and I’m still learning. Below is more on this journey so far in hopes of inspiring you to launch your own podcast – if you were ever thinking about it. One thing to keep in mind is that I wanted to do this as inexpensively as possible without sacrificing quality; I didn’t want to be the person who goes skiing once and buys all the best things to not be good at it or never go.
Podcasting Equipment:
The Build & Inspire Podcast is an interview style podcast and I knew I wanted all interviews to be in-person whenever possible. So I started with the equipment below:
The Movo LV20 setup has two microphones and really long cables. I’ve recorded in some really echoy rooms, and while the echo has come through, it’s many times better than the iPhone mic or the mic on my MacbookPro.
I also ordered the wind muffs to try to block out sound, but I don’t think they do much of anything. I’m going to see about ordering different ones.
I hook everything into the Sony recorder so I don’t have to worry about my phone’s batteries or forgetting to put my phone on silent. The microphone adapter cable I have as a just-in-case. This setup has worked well for me and I will continue to use it as I travel about.
Podcasting Audio Software:
This has been the hardest thing for me. I tried everything, including Audacity, Garageband, and Logic Pro X. After a lot of trial and error, YouTube tutorials, I had a mixed version of the podcast I thought was ready. I did a test launch and it sounded great on my computer and headphones. But after a friend gave it a listen in his car, and it sounded like I recorded it underwater.
Finally, I did what I should have done from the beginning, I outsourced it to Fiverr. I know better…I was going to do this initially but I thought it would be fun to learn audio mixing and production. Bad move. I now have someone I use out of Colombia who will clean up the sound, mix the intro with each new episode file, and I have it ready in MP3 and WAV formats within 24 hours.
Podcasting SaaS Distribution Platform:
This one was easy. I went with Anchor FM. I was familiar with Anchor FM from another podcast project I was a part of, it’s free, and it distributes to most of the major podcast channels (iTunes, Google, Spotify, etc.).
I know there are other ones out there, maybe others that are much better, but it was a no-brainer for me because it was free and I knew how to use it.
My Only Complaints:
- The Web Embedded Player: It takes a few seconds to load the widget, after the other parts of the page have loaded, and it makes me think it’s not working.
- Website Link: When Anchor FM shares the podcast details with iTunes, Google, and so on, it shares the podcast website as their profile page on Anchor FM (see below). I wish it would linkback to BuildAndInspire.com.
What’s Next?
There are lots of people I can’t wait to interview, but I won’t be able to get together with them in person, so I’ve built a makeshift studio with a Blue Yeti Nano and acoustic foam. I’m using Zoom to record the audio, and it’s been working out fantastically well:
I hope you learn from my challenges and if you were thinking of starting your own podcast, I hope you go ahead and do it. It’s been an amazing time learning and connecting with wonderful people, and I’m sure it will be for you too.
Please share any thoughts, recommendations, or anything else in the comments.
Also published on Medium.
