The ego trap that can sink your business

“What if I publish content and only hear crickets?”

“What if nobody comments on my post?”

“What if nobody listens to my podcast?”

Have any of these questions ever held you back?

They’ve kept me from putting myself out there more times than I’d like to admit.

I’m willing to bet it’s the same for you.

We can’t let this happen. The world needs your ideas.

That’s why I was thrilled recently to see that a former client and friend, Stu Swineford, had launched his podcast. But he almost didn’t and had already put it off for a while.

Then he had a shift in perspective that changed everything.

When he shared it with me in an email, I knew I had to share it with you.

Here’s what he had to say.

I was concerned about not having an audience (ego), not being “important enough” for anyone to listen to me (ego and imposter syndrome), etc.

You know what? It doesn’t matter. You know what else? Guess how many listeners someone with no podcast gets?

Of course, no one will listen at first. That’s ok. It takes time to build a following.

I use my podcast to hone my skills, build relationships, have a vehicle to get my name out there to people who otherwise DEFINITELY wouldn’t give me a moment’s notice, and create content that I can share.

Eventually, it’ll turn into a book. So listeners? I barely even check that metric.

I count five reasons he lists for producing his podcast that have nothing to do with the size of his audience.

1. Hone skills
2. Build relationships
3. Get in front of new people who otherwise wouldn’t take notice
4. Create new content to share (i.e. re-purpose and syndicate)
5. Turn the content it into a book

This is such a powerful perspective for many reasons.

FIRST, it’s a growth mindset that allows for learning and progress.

SECOND, Stu has so many great reasons stacked up that even if one or two of them don’t work out, the effort will still feel worthwhile.

THIRD, his objectives tap into what I consider to be some of the most beneficial reasons to start a podcast, none of which have to do with audience size.

Whether you’re posting to social media, producing a podcast, writing a book, or some other similar pursuit, don’t get caught up in the ego of numbers or the worry that nobody will pay attention.

If you do, you’ll miss out on a myriad of other benefits and potential opportunities.

Hit publish. move forward, and before you know it, the audience will show up.