I loved this three-parter and the image of you swimming had me veering between anxiety at the thought of it and belly laughing. I’m impressed and scared that you managed to stay in there the entire thirty minutes!
Like me, you’ve been a prolific creator. I wonder if there is something in what you’ve already created that can be transformed, repurposed, given a new vehicle. I think all the reasons you gave about how you got into making 14 episodes a month (to scale to what would make you a viable and attractive option for ad agencies) are the same reasons I opted out of trying to grow for that purpose. Having known a few people who’ve done it, including a now-retired big name podcast, it leads to burnout and saps the joy out of the thing you initially enjoyed as you have to keep doing more more more to feed the ads. And in realising my podcast would have a decent amount of downloads (just shy of 5 mil at the moment) but would not hit the big time (whatever that means) or make its money from advertising, I gradually tapered my expectations and had to keep checking in with myself.
After all, we often start out on a creative endeavour with an express purpose and intention and somewhere along the way, it gets lost in the process and the keeping up, or our priorities, purpose and intention change but we’re too busy to see it. So we have to keep checking in.
You’re so brilliant, and there is so much wisdom and gifts contained in what you’ve already made and your vulnerability and willingness to let us in on what’s really going on.
Thank you so much for yet another amazing, wise, encouraging, and oh-so-relatable addition/comment, Nat! I swear, the posts start as one thing, and they *always* get better when I read your story for the ones you relate to . . . even from across the pond, I have always felt such camaraderie with you and what we're both trying to do. At a pace and sustainability (financial, energy, etc) that actually works for us. I'm so happy every time I see one of your new episodes drop, because you're modeling what a return looks like . . . to that end, I loved this gem you shared above:
"After all, we often start out on a creative endeavour with an express purpose and intention and somewhere along the way, it gets lost in the process and the keeping up, or our priorities, purpose and intention change but we’re too busy to see it. So we have to keep checking in."
It has been cathartic to unpack the attempt (and fail), and now I'm curious what next creative insights will emerge . . . thank you so much, as always, for being here and for sharing your stories so openly too. They are incredibly life-giving, and hopefully as helpful to other readers as they are for me!! ❤️🙏
What about a series of smallish books (or ebooks) derived from editing many of your similarly themed podcasts together, with permission of course, or even helpfully co-written or embellished with the interviewee? Or even add your own new writing (as in this particular substack) to the core of the original recordings? You have SUCH a body of material that applies not only to business but to navigating life—and I often just don't have the patience, time, or right environment to listen deeply or even watch video podcasts, though I very much WANT to! It could be I'm not as auditory as other people, so reading transcripts, articles, and books (visual mode) lets me set my own pace, be interrupted, and pick up again later. . .
Ooh, what a brilliant idea, Penney, thank you!! I remember trying to do exactly this with the Penney & Jenny series — even printed all the transcripts and had them spiral-bound to start editing. It's incredible how much material the transcripts alone produce, just as you said! Thank you for planting this idea seed as a possibility for next year, especially for some of the free time episodes that aired after the book came out . . . you've got my gears turning now :D
I am so happy to hear how your health has improved. We still have the trove of Pivot and Free Time pods to re-listen or catch up one the ones we missed. That’s a benefit for all of us.
The image of swimming the crawl in the pool got me thinking:
Thank you so much for this beautiful poem John!! You have a heart of gold, and it shines through every comment and message — I'm smiling from ear-to-ear reading this :D Wishing you and yours the happiest start to the holidays!! I hope you have some cozy tea/coffee slippers free time in your future :D 🙏❤️
I loved this three-parter and the image of you swimming had me veering between anxiety at the thought of it and belly laughing. I’m impressed and scared that you managed to stay in there the entire thirty minutes!
Like me, you’ve been a prolific creator. I wonder if there is something in what you’ve already created that can be transformed, repurposed, given a new vehicle. I think all the reasons you gave about how you got into making 14 episodes a month (to scale to what would make you a viable and attractive option for ad agencies) are the same reasons I opted out of trying to grow for that purpose. Having known a few people who’ve done it, including a now-retired big name podcast, it leads to burnout and saps the joy out of the thing you initially enjoyed as you have to keep doing more more more to feed the ads. And in realising my podcast would have a decent amount of downloads (just shy of 5 mil at the moment) but would not hit the big time (whatever that means) or make its money from advertising, I gradually tapered my expectations and had to keep checking in with myself.
After all, we often start out on a creative endeavour with an express purpose and intention and somewhere along the way, it gets lost in the process and the keeping up, or our priorities, purpose and intention change but we’re too busy to see it. So we have to keep checking in.
You’re so brilliant, and there is so much wisdom and gifts contained in what you’ve already made and your vulnerability and willingness to let us in on what’s really going on.
Thank you so much for yet another amazing, wise, encouraging, and oh-so-relatable addition/comment, Nat! I swear, the posts start as one thing, and they *always* get better when I read your story for the ones you relate to . . . even from across the pond, I have always felt such camaraderie with you and what we're both trying to do. At a pace and sustainability (financial, energy, etc) that actually works for us. I'm so happy every time I see one of your new episodes drop, because you're modeling what a return looks like . . . to that end, I loved this gem you shared above:
"After all, we often start out on a creative endeavour with an express purpose and intention and somewhere along the way, it gets lost in the process and the keeping up, or our priorities, purpose and intention change but we’re too busy to see it. So we have to keep checking in."
It has been cathartic to unpack the attempt (and fail), and now I'm curious what next creative insights will emerge . . . thank you so much, as always, for being here and for sharing your stories so openly too. They are incredibly life-giving, and hopefully as helpful to other readers as they are for me!! ❤️🙏
What about a series of smallish books (or ebooks) derived from editing many of your similarly themed podcasts together, with permission of course, or even helpfully co-written or embellished with the interviewee? Or even add your own new writing (as in this particular substack) to the core of the original recordings? You have SUCH a body of material that applies not only to business but to navigating life—and I often just don't have the patience, time, or right environment to listen deeply or even watch video podcasts, though I very much WANT to! It could be I'm not as auditory as other people, so reading transcripts, articles, and books (visual mode) lets me set my own pace, be interrupted, and pick up again later. . .
Ooh, what a brilliant idea, Penney, thank you!! I remember trying to do exactly this with the Penney & Jenny series — even printed all the transcripts and had them spiral-bound to start editing. It's incredible how much material the transcripts alone produce, just as you said! Thank you for planting this idea seed as a possibility for next year, especially for some of the free time episodes that aired after the book came out . . . you've got my gears turning now :D
I am so happy to hear how your health has improved. We still have the trove of Pivot and Free Time pods to re-listen or catch up one the ones we missed. That’s a benefit for all of us.
The image of swimming the crawl in the pool got me thinking:
Lift head breathe
Stroke
Lift head breathe
Stroke
Sinusoidal
Yin and yang
Work corporate awhile
Get material
Then break free
And write/speak
The new lessons
To all of us
Repeat as
Needed.
Always in your corner.
Thank you so much for this beautiful poem John!! You have a heart of gold, and it shines through every comment and message — I'm smiling from ear-to-ear reading this :D Wishing you and yours the happiest start to the holidays!! I hope you have some cozy tea/coffee slippers free time in your future :D 🙏❤️