The One About Starting Strong

Right out the gate, here’s wishing all of you a Happy New Year! 2023 is done and dusted!

So, here’s to 2024! We know you’ve got great things in store!

(And we know that’s true 👆…because it rhymes! 😉)

With the start of any new year, we typically see all kinds of messaging encouraging us to set our New Year’s Resolutions (which are, of course, all to be recorded in the notebook that is officially going to change everything! IYKYK!🤣) and this message is usually accompanied by the “New year, new me!” slogan blasted everywhere.

But this year, I’m changing the narrative by coming up with my own slogan…"New year, TRUE me.”

So, why the slogan revamp?

Because I realized I’m not looking to completely change myself every 365 days. No, what I want is to consistently be the best version of myself, and be more myself as we move into a new year.

(Side note: I had toyed with coining it, “New year, more me.” But that just sounded like I had eaten my body weight in Holiday food over the break.)

(Which may be true🫢…but that's beside the point!)

So, how am I going to put this “new year, true me” into practice? By ditching those New Year’s Resolutions, that’s how!

Because, fun fact! New Year’s Resolutions statistically rarely last! So, rather than wasting time and energy on a practice doomed to fail, I’ve been on the hunt for sustainable alternatives to New Year’s Resolutions.

And something that has really stuck with me was the concept of choosing a theme for the year.

And hence, the “New year, true me” theme was born!

(Another side note: I share my findings and my 6 sustainable alternatives to New Year’s Resolutions in the latest post over on the Podcast Digest! 👇)

A theme for the year, rather than a laundry list of unattainable resolutions, is great for 3 main reasons:

1️⃣ Celebrating the Process, Not the Outcome

Having an overall theme, rather than fixed outcomes, means that you can celebrate the process and any progress - no matter how small - over the year, instead of measuring success based solely on whether or not you meet a very rigid outcome.

2️⃣ Unaffected By Setbacks

Unlike those rigid resolutions, themes accommodate setbacks, hurdles, or "hiccups" as part of the growth process, reframing them as learning experiences on the journey towards your goals, rather than failures. This takes off so much pressure! And this, in turn, makes it that much easier to reach your goals.

3️⃣ Encourages Lasting Change

When you pick a theme over setting resolutions, it's far less about 'flash-in-the-pan' temporary change, and more about creating lasting habits. If we are what we do, then building great habits is what wins at the end of the day! And it's this that will then help us successfully achieve our overall goals.

So, here’s to 2024, to being the best YOU…and to NO MORE New Year’s Resolutions! 🥂

- Jennay

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Behind the Scenes...and Beyond the Mic x 2! 😉

We have not one but TWO new Business Beyond the Mic episodes to share with you today! First up Carli and Jennay (me! 🙋🏻‍♀️) teamed up again for a fun holiday episode! So if you're looking to keep the Holidays alive for a little longer, or you want some advice for taking a break from your podcast without losing your momentum, no matter the time of year, check out the episode here!

But that's not all!

You should also check out Carli's New Year’s Review episode! In this episode, Carli and her guests share their thoughts on the true impact of podcasting. From listening, learning and communicating, to passion and purpose, business savvy and more, each guest has been profoundly impacted by their journey into this fascinating form of media.

It's a wonderful, wisdom-filled collaborative episode! 🤩

Hit this link to tune in now, and be sure to subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you listen in! 🎧

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Links Worth A Look...

• Starting out 2024 with some facts and figures! 📊 Libsyn Unveils December 2023 Podcast Advertising Rates.
• The second edition of Sound Sorceresses is out! Check it out and subscribe here! 🤩
• And a heads-up from Headliner! Podcasting AI: Podcasters Tell All! 🤖

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Founder's Corner

In the spirit of the ✨New Year✨ and the task of setting goals for yourself, I wanted to touch on something that is sometimes overlooked in this season.

During the goal-setting process, more often than not, we are faced with some daunting crossroads. So what do you do when a potential goal brings you to a fork in the road? What tools do you use when you get to these crossroads and you are unsure of which path to take?

The tricky thing about a goal with different outcomes is, how do you pick up speed to accomplish the goal if you don’t know the destination? 🧐

Now, it feels like so far it’s just been a series of questions. Which is quite fitting since my strategy for making a decision at a fork in the road is to ask myself three clarifying questions…

But more on that later!

First, let’s look at some tools for making big decisions. 💪

Inevitably, when you face a fork in the road you might also be faced with a big decision. Whether that’s to start a podcast, or not? To leave your job, or not? To start a business, or not? To get married, start a family, move countries... the list goes on!

So where do you start?

Tony Robbins laid out Four Rules for decision-making, which include:

1. Write it down
2. Get clear about your feelings
3. Let go of fear
4. Recognize your values

This strategy has worked wonders when making big decisions. Once you become clear on the obstacle/opportunity in front of you and know what you value, you can move past the fear and take the right road for YOU! 🙌

Read more on that here.

So to get even more clear on which path to take, let’s dive into those three clarifying questions to help you make a decision when you are faced with the fork in the road.

1. Where in your life do you desire something more? 🔍

In which area of your life, business, podcast, wellness, etc. are you constantly craving something better? Something more than what you’ve achieved thus far?

This is a strong indication that it’s time to make a change and to pivot towards that new desire.

Whether this is changing up the format of your podcast, spending more time writing, or even focusing on building your personal brand - there are always new opportunities for “more”!

2. What truth are you ignoring? 💬

If you’re standing at the crossroads there is always something that led you there to begin with. So what are you avoiding looking at because it’s too hard or uncomfortable to deal with? What is your inconvenient truth?

This can be as simple as a marketing strategy that isn’t working, or a sponsor partnership that is no longer aligned. Or it can be as life-changing as knowing when to call it quits or when it’s time to do a complete overhaul of your podcast or your personal brand. 🎙️

Whether you’re starting over or starting something new, it’s scary and disruptive for your comfort zone, either way. But once you’ve nailed down the truth and faced it head-on, your path forward becomes so much clearer and you can make the best decision for yourself.

3. What do you need to let go of? 👋

Now that you know where you want to go and what you need to change, it’s time to take a closer look at your habits, strategies, and activities and to get brutally honest. Which do you want to change? And what do you need to let go of in order to move forward?

I read today that “if you want to be the noun, first do the verb” (a poetic message by Austin Kleon here).

This absolutely hit home for me! 🏆

If you want to be a podcaster, record podcast episodes. If you want to be a writer, then spend time writing! It’s time to let go of what you’re trying to “be” and focus on actually doing the work to get there.

All this said, there are two important things to remember when you hit that fork in the road:

► One: There is no right or wrong answer. Make sure to gather as much information to make the best decision for YOU!

► Two: Nothing is set in stone. Make a decision, test it out, re-evaluate, and pivot if necessary.

Until next week!

Happy podcasting! 🎧

The Team at We Edit Podcasts

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Is it your first time here? Then, welcome! Allow me to officially introduce you to We Edit Podcasts.

We are a full-scale podcast production agency, on a mission to provide everything you need to simplify your podcasting process, reduce overheads, and publish quickly with a strong team behind you!

Our team has been serving podcasters since 2015, so by now we know a thing or two about what it takes to create a successful show!

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So, how can we help YOU and your podcast? 👇

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