We kick off the last mini-series of 2019: launching a podcast. On this episode, we start with the end, your exit strategy. More at www.bemovingforward.com.
Moving Forward is also available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher Radio, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music.
Part 1: What’s this podcast about? A recap
If you’re new to this podcast, here’s a brief recap and roadmap of the episodes to date:
Episodes 1 – 201: Interviews with entrepreneurs, thought and business leaders, artists and more.
Episodes 202 – 226: Starting a business on Poshmark.
Episodes 227 – 256: Writing and publishing your book.
Episodes 257 – 261: Creating an adult coloring book.
Part 2: Launch your podcast with the end
Originally published on LinkedIn on October 4, 2018.
As I’m writing this, I’m at a very interesting crossroads that involves a question I’ve been pondering since May: what am I going to do with Moving Forward?
Currently, I’m well into the fifth season with no shortage of interested guests to continue into 2019 if I so choose.
However, I have a number of projects that are quickly filling up the rest of my 2018 and early 2019 calendar. One of the most impactful conversations I’ve had this year was with Tim Fulton on episode 165. We spoke a lot about the importance of having an exit strategy. He recommends to his clients that they start with the end when beginning a new business venture.
Truth be told, I didn’t do this when I launched Moving Forward. I was too busy treading water, hoping that I’d last 10 episodes. Looking back, I think if I had spent more time on exit strategy planning, it would have served me better in making some key decisions and maybe avoiding some early mistakes I made along the way.
But now, I’m at a point where I can no longer avoid the exit. I have to weigh my options and time carefully. Currently, I’m contemplating three pathways. These range from a complete exit to partial ones that are more of a tune-up:
End Moving Forward after this year with 200 episodes.
Re-format the show: streamline it with shorter episodes, a seasonal approach and/or a schedule change.
Continue the show as-is but with a greater emphasis on monetizing it to justify the continued time input.
While I’m still working out which path to take, the exit is now a regular part of my calculus.
If you’re thinking about launching a podcast or already have one that you produce, it may be odd to think about the end. But too often, I see exits forced upon shows with little or no warning to their audiences. As I’ve talked about previously, inconsistency can kill the momentum of a show, resulting in podcasts that start out strong but peter out after 12-20 episodes. This can be avoided with a careful time audit and making the exit a part of your planning process. Put another way, every great story has an arc: a beginning, middle, and end. Most of us focus on the first two stages. But often, it’s the third act that will determine where your adventure takes you and how you will get there.
Part 3: What I’m reading
We need to talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver (**). This is a really dark novel about the mother of a teenager who commits a mass murder at his school. I’m conflicted about this book as the Shriver has an engaging writing style and draws out some compelling themes but reading this feels like a pit of despair and will leave you feeling depressed. I have decided not to place an affiliate link to the book; however, it is easy to find on Amazon or at the library.
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