I hated doing podcasts — can you relate?

 

Do you struggle watching yourself on camera or listen to your voice on podcasts?

::John raises his hand::

Yeah, it used to be a real party to get me to watch or hear myself speak in front of a camera.

Over this past year, I’ve appeared on a few podcasts and done some video-based interviews talking about this whole branded lifestyle portrait thing.

To be honest, the first few I did were excruciating to watch back.

As a result, I haven’t listened or watched those at all.

As a television producer, I understood that a lot of this hesitation stemmed from my realization that I still am very green in front of the camera and need more seasoning to develop not only my delivery and cadence but also confidence in my ability to extemporaneously tap into my expertise and deliver informative and compelling answers.

As a result, I felt insecure and unworthy of such opportunities, and had no desire to listen to them back for fear of hearing how “horrible” it was.

This toxic dialog was playing in the background of my mind for a couple months.

And then one day, I decided enough with the bullshit.

I had an epiphany - I’m not just on these podcasts for my own benefit and to hear myself ramble on over here.  

I’m here to provide value and connect with audience members who are struggling with their image content, and if I stop worrying about me for a second, I just might be able to help them out.

Since I had that talk with myself, I’ve watched every appearance on camera, and listened to the podcasts, as well. I’ve taken copious notes and have been working at implementing my self-critiques with each appearance.

Am I where I want to be? Nope.

But am I better than where I was yesterday? Damn straight I am.

Ultimately, it comes down to understanding the big picture and committing to providing as much value as I can.

And that requires practice and review in order to improve.

Fortunately, my tribe is worth the effort, :)

If you’re curious to hear some of the podcasts I've been on and watch the TV appearances, visit the press page on my website.

Now, let’s turn the conversation to you...

When you started speaking in front of audiences, did you find it difficult to watch and listen, as well? Or, did you see it in another light?

Please share in the comments section, I’d love to hear about it.

PS - For those of you who aren’t in the know, I mail out these blogs 3x a week, and lemme tell you, they’re a real party, so, if you’d like to get in on this, sign up for it here and I’ll throw in a free gift for you...because I care, :)