Are you overthinking your podcast? Do you find yourself not publishing on a regular basis? Or are you just not even getting started? Because you were so overwhelmed with your overthinking than today's episode is just for you. So let's get right to it. Welcome to the Proffitt Podcast where we teach entrepreneurs how to start launch and market their podcast. I'm your host, Krystal, Proffitt, and I'm so excited that you're here.
Thanks for hanging out with me today. Because if you've been trying to figure out the world of podcasting, think of this show as the time saving shortcut you've been looking for. So let's get right to it, shall we?
Alright, I totally realize and acknowledge that the beginning the introduction sounded like a really bad infomercial. But that was kind of the intention, right? Like I feel like so much is like so much energy is wasted and spent on just overthinking so many parts of podcasting, which is why we created today's episode. Oh my gosh, I have been kind of like a fly on the wall.
Recently, I've attended some conferences and done some workshops, and I've really just been trying to see where I can show up and serve new podcasters beginning podcasters like podcasters that are still trying to find their stride. And You're overthinking some stuff like hard core getting stuck paralysis analysis, like all the metaphors, right? You are absolutely overthinking
so many things. So today's gonna be a combination of like a tough love, talk, some real talk about the things that maybe you should be thinking about and things that you can let go of. But I really just want to acknowledge that. If you are overthinking parts of your podcast, I want you to ask yourself, Is this me? Is this not me? And what are my next steps? Because maybe some of this, you're gonna be like Krystal, I got this. Like, I've been doing this for a while I got my stride.
But I bet they're still probably pieces that you are overthinking. So don't just write this off, press pause and say, I don't even listen to the rest of this. No, no, no, stick around. Because we have some really, really important parts that we need to talk about. Because I get it. Like there's so many decisions to make when you're just getting started with the podcast. And as a collective
group. Like we as podcasters really tend to overthink some of these decisions and myself included y'all I'm not sitting here like preaching at you saying you're doing this, this has never happened to me. No, because this is 100% happened to me, as well. And so I just want to point that out is like you are not alone in this. But collectively, let's try to figure this out together. Because I don't want you staying stuck, right? It's okay to get stuck, right? I've been
stuck so many times in my podcast journey. But where the issues arise is when you stay stuck, right?
Because overthinking, keep is keeping you stuck. It's just it's just you're there. I hear this all the time is like well, I thought I wanted to do this with my podcast artwork, but it's just not really gonna work out for me. So I'm still planning it, or I was gonna name my podcast is one thing, but somebody already took that name. So I'm still working on it. Or I'm trying to figure out which topics I'm going to do.
And I'm still working on it. And I say all these really specific examples, because recently, I saw someone say, I found you about a year ago, and I still haven't started my podcast. And I didn't want to shame this person and ask them like all the well Why haven't you started and give me all the details. Like Tell me your whole backstory, because I feel like it's almost like shaming someone and I don't I'd never ever ever want to do
that. But I can tell you podcast listener, that this person was stuck because they were overthinking it. We started talking we shared some messages back and forth. And they were just overthink. I'm like, Why are you so worried about this? Like why are you so worried about this one thing? And it's because they were so in the weeds right? Like they're so into the details, the minutiae, like everything is important. And I get it. I get it right like your message is important.
You want to share something that is valuable, you want to share something that your audience like it's going to be meaningful to them. So I get it, I get it, right. Like, I'm not sitting here like saying, I am totally like, never experienced this. But I can tell you, I'm the person that pushes past it and says, I'm going to get better. I'm going to get better. But I have to get started.
Before I can get better, right? It's like embracing the crappy part, the beginner part, the rookie part of your journey, and saying, I'm going to get better. This is just where I'm getting started. So whether you're overthinking is keeping you from launching, it's holding you back on trying new things, or paralyzing you. We're gonna stop it. Right? Like, I need you to acknowledge this. I need you to say this out loud. Okay, we're gonna do do a little exercise. Okay. I don't care
where you are. You're in the car, you're with your kids, you're on a run, you're folding laundry, I need you to say, I'm going to stop overthinking. Okay, stay with me again. I'm going to stop over thinking, because like I said, we are not going to stay paralyzed, we are not going to stay stuck. All right.
So there's a few things that I want to talk about. There's actually four steps in particular that I use to stop this overthinking. And I want you to start using these techniques in your podcast decisions. So if you find yourself like thinking too long about you, like who's your audience that you're trying to speak to or the content that you're going to
produce? Or what you're going to title something like y'all, there's so many areas that we overthink that I want you to enforce these next four steps, okay, I'm going to give them to you pretty high level, and then we're going to go a little bit deeper. So step one, I want you to focus on your goal. What is your goal? Like this should be the very first thing you ask yourself? What is my goal? Now this, again, could be your podcast artwork, you could be deciding on your
audience deciding on your content. What is your goal, that is step one, focusing on your goal defining what your goal is. Step two is plan it out. And we're really going to dive into this one. Y'all know, I love a good plan. We're going to talk about planning. Step three, I'm make a decision. You just have to make a decision. Okay, what and we'll decide later whether it was a right or wrong decision, but you got to make a decision. Before you can decide whether it was the right
move or the wrong move. Maybe you should pivot in a different way in the future, but you got to make a decision. And then step number four is revisit and re evaluate. Okay, so that is the four step process that I use to stop overthinking, keep me like or get me out of this. Like being stuck situation where I'm not getting momentum, like nothing is happening. These are the four steps in our opinion. Again, number one, focus on your goal. Number two, plan it out. Step three, make a
decision. And step four, revisit and re evaluate. So here's a great example of these four steps in action. Okay, let's talk about the podcast artwork, because this is usually one of those major decisions that people are like, Oh my gosh, if I get this wrong, no one's ever gonna listen to my show. Because if I have crappy artwork, no one's gonna want to listen. Because it's like we judge our we judge the books by the cover, right?
We're not supposed to but we do. And we all know this, ladies and gentlemen, but this is the one place where I see a lot of new beginner podcasters are like, Oh, if I could just tweak that fun, make it bold. Make it italicize. Maybe it should be this color. Not that color. Should I move this one? just a smidge? Like part of a millimeter this way? Oh, that doesn't look right. I will see people spend weeks weeks on their podcast artwork.
So this is absolutely one place where a lot of people are overthinking every every single thing and I'm like yelling like at the screen. I've seen people do this. It's just not good enough. It's not good enough. I can't do it. It's just it's not gonna happen. I'm telling you. Let's make a decision and go with it.
Okay, so we're gonna put the four steps into play. So what is your goal with your podcast artwork? Well, it's to attract new listeners with the clear and easy to read message. Something that shows off your brand personality, period, the end. That is what the goal of your podcast artwork is. Now, this is my definition of what my goal is with my podcast artwork, right? I want to have something that conveys my message. I want something that is easy to read. And something that shows a little bit of
my personality. So that is the goal with the podcast artwork.
Now if we go into step two, in planning it out, okay, if we're going to stop overthinking our podcast artwork, how can we plan out our podcast artwork? Well, where are you going to create it? And how much time? Do you need to invest in this? And then if you are just like totally overthinking this, do you need to outsource it? Like seriously? ask yourself that question. Like, I'm a terrible designer, I don't
know what I'm doing. Should I just outsource this to a graphic designer who can get it done in like, less than a week's time and I can just move on with my life, like, ask yourself these questions. But planning it out, will help you decide when it's going to happen. But in order to make this plan, and to get to step three, which is making a decision, you have to set a deadline. So we have our goal, we have our plan, and part of the plan needs to incorporate a deadline. This is crucial.
And this is actually something that I'm very, very, what is the word I was gonna say I'm very well at doing this, that does not make sense. I'm very good at doing this is that is that the right like I have got like expert level status on this now is project planning and setting deadlines that I stick to. So what I will do is I will, you know, lay out my plan, I have my goals, I got my strategy. And I'm laying out my plan. And I will
choose a deadline. If you are a Proffitt Podcasti g student, you know this so well, because we have a whole module dedicated to launching your podcas . And one of the things that we talk about s choosing your podcast launch date, because that s half the battle of getting your podcast launc , you got to pick a pick a date, is it six mont s from now? Is it six weeks from now? Is it sev n days from now? Like you have to decide? When a
e you going to launch your podcast? So whenev r you're doing your podcast artwork, you got to s t a deadline for these things, when and when is t going to be done? Okay, it probably needs to e done at least two weeks before you actually laun h your podcast. Maybe sooner if you want to do so e marketing of your show before it's actually o t into the world. So just make a plan, have a goa , make a pla
And step three is make a decision. Make a decision, if you are jacking around with the what font should I use? Should it be this color should be that color? Do I want to use a picture of myself? Do I want to use, you know, a stock photo image like what do I want to do like, stop jacking around, just pick your three favorite ones and get some feedback from people who would potentially listen to the show and then make a decision, make a decision. This is
where people get stuck. And I will see people in all the different podcast communities I'm a part of they'll post like seven different versions of their podcast artwork. And then they have all of these people giving them feedback. And this is where you kind of get into the danger zone, right? Because you get feedback. And then maybe have like the seven different ones that you put out there. You get your top three, right, so now you have your top three, maybe they're all slightly
different. And then so you start looking at them and saying, what's the real difference? Well, I kind of like this one, but the majority of the audience that they like this one, but then you have to ask yourself, are the people giving you feedback? Your potential listeners? Because if they're not, their opinions don't matter. Ooh, that feels that feels like a line in the sand. Like, hang on, I feel like we just like took a
stick and just went like line in the sand. If they are not your potential audience, their opinions do not matter. Maybe they matter on some level, right? Because they're humans, they have eyes, they have opinions, and they are giving you, you know, a little bit of feedback. But if they would never listen to your show, does it really matter? Does it really matter? I'm just saying, I don't think it does. I really don't. And maybe that's like, maybe that's I got real harsh line in the
sand. Like I feel like that's more like building a wall in the sand. I don't know, like maybe like digging out a moat when you do that. But the people that listen to your show are the people that I want feedback from. I don't want someone that says I would never listen to a podcast about podcasting. And I don't care about your opinion. I really don't. I really don't. So take that as you
will take it with a grain of salt, right? Like I've gotten feedback from friends and family members and I take their opinions with a grain of salt, right because I know that they have my best interest at heart. But at the end of the day, they're like, Oh, I'd never listened to your show. But I want to tell you my opinion. I'm like, I love you. But your opinion doesn't really matter right here in my artwork, okay? So we're making a decision.
Next Step four is revisiting. You can always come back in the next six months, the next quarter whenever you want to, to change things up with your podcast artwork, if you don't like it. But again, you have to first play in it, make a decision, and then you can come back and change it. So you have to have the first steps done first, before you can change things in the future. So I want to tell you and this is like, best I feel like that's my tough love. Like Good, good cop, bad cop situation. So
that was the bad cop, right? The one that's coming down on you. Don't be hard. Don't be doing this. But now, I'm the good cop. I'm the good do you have Are you a parent or it's like good cop bad cop like you do it? And then you like tag team like, Alright, I got on to him. I put the hammer down. Now I need you go in there. Be nice to him because I can't do it for a little bit. Yeah, you've been you've been there. You're nodding. Okay, good.
But I want to tell you, all the things that I share with you today are from lived experiences. They're 100% from my own experiences, like I have overthought my audience before I've ever thought my content I've ever thought my artwork I've ever thought my
content strategy. Right. And this is something we're going to get into over the next few weeks is like your content strategy and how you put out different episodes at different times during different promotions, like all those things, but at the end of the day, I have changed my artwork. But it was after I had already made the decision. I hated my artwork for the regular life, y'all. If you didn't know this, if you haven't seen the original, I'll put them in the show notes.
KrystalProffitt.com/Episode259. I look back at the artwork. I guess I shouldn't say hey, I'm actually like, we've been telling the kids like don't say, hey, that's so harsh. We don't need to use the word hate. And it's okay. So I take it back. I don't hate that artwork. But I look at it. And I realize that was me trying to be something that I'm not. And I've talked about this before. But if you haven't seen it, I'll give you a brief description, right? Because you're probably
running, you're doing something else. Your hands are probably busy. And you can't stop and look at the show notes like right this second. But the the rookie life was the original podcast that I had when I first launched back in 2018. And I look at that picture. I have all my glasses, which PS I wear glasses. Only when I watch TV. Or only when I go to the movies like that is the only time I ever wear my glasses. I don't like I have prescription sunglasses, but like my regular glasses like I
only wear them when I'm watching TV. I don't wear them to work. I don't wear them when I'm doing my videos because I don't need them. I don't need them. I don't ever I always forget nearsighted, farsighted. I don't know. I can't see far away. So I guess I'm nearsighted. I don't know. I don't know what that means. But I wore my glasses in this in this picture for my podcast. And I'm like, that doesn't it just I look at it. It doesn't look like me. Who doesn't and like I like the color
that I'm wearing. Because it's it was it's very close to my brand color. But it was a button down shirt with like an undershirt. And it just looked like more. Not dressy. But it just it's a shirt I would never wear. I would never wear that shirt. And honestly, I had that I think already I gave that shirt away that I had. Because I never wore it and never ever wore that shirt. So anyway, long story short, you can have a goal, have a plan, make a decision and still want to change things in
the future. But the message today was for all of you over thinkers, if you are stuck right now, you've been overthinking your content strategy. You've been overthinking your audience overthinking your artwork like and overthinking when you're supposed to launch your podcast, right? There's so many people that listen to this show that still have not launched their podcast
because they are stuck. They are overthinking maybe You're overthinking something that you're like this is this just should not be this hard. This this decision. I can't say that this decision should not be this hard. I've been thinking about starting a podcast for six months. I've been thinking about starting a podcast for two years. And I still have not made this decision. It should not be this hard. I want you to put these steps into play. This is your go to now. Okay, I'm
giving you my tools. This is these are the tools in my toolbox. I want you to put this into play. So you can get into action, to get more momentum with your podcast to feel like you are doing something, you're getting traction because you are stuck, you are stuck. And I want you to get moving again.
So here are the four steps again. And like I said, All these are gonna be in the show notes. And I'm gonna tell you the show notes in one second, but four steps, Okay, ready. Step one, focus on your goal. And I'm gonna link in the show notes. If you don't know what your goal is. I have a podcast episode that will help you figure out what your goal is. So we're gonna talk about that in the show notes. But focus on your goal, you have to know what that is, first and foremost.
Step two, I want you to plan it out. Whatever it is that you're overthinking, get a notepad like get a notebook, get a legal pad, get a Google Doc, get a note in your app, like your phone, whatever. But plan it out. plan it out, ask yourself, what are the things that I have to figure out in order to get this other thing figured out? Right? If it's your artwork that you're worried about, use
Canva. Hire a graphic designer, figure out when you want to publish your podcast like these are the questions you need to ask yourself is how am I actually gonna make this happen? So you got to plan it out. Step three, is you got to make a decision. Like I said, we won't know if it was the right decision or the wrong decision. But you have to make a decision. And step four, you can always revisit and re evaluate. And I think half the battle is just knowing that you can always change
things in the future. I think a lot of people are really stuck in the mindset of I'm going to put this one piece of podcast artwork out. It has to be perfect. It has to be perfect because this is going to be my artwork forever and ever. Amen. It's not. It's not I can
Okay, I'm gonna call out Cathy. So Cathy is one of our students from Proffitt Podcasting. So shout out Cathy, I know she listens to the show a lot. But she started her podcast, it was the caregiver wife. It's a podcast about helping women work like working women, who are also caregivers. And she started her podcast wanting to serve wives, because that was the role that she had played, she
had played the role of a caregiving wife. But about a few months into her journey, she realized her audience was more than just women who were wives. There were partners, there were siblings, there were parents that were taking care of children. There were children that were taking care of their aging parents, like there were so many definitive ways that you could define a caregiver. And she said, You know what, I think I
have to change this. So she changed her podcast went from the caregiver, wife to the caregiver cup. And with this, there was a title change, there was artwork change, and I actually did an episode I did an interview with Cathy that's going to be airing in a few weeks. So you have to just wait and check it out. But I just want you to know, she basically did these things. She focused on her goal, what she was trying to accomplish. She planned it out, what did she want her artwork
to look like? Then she made a decision. And now she's at the stage of revisiting and re evaluating what she did originally. And I gotta tell you, it's working out really well. So shout out Cathy, I'm so proud of you. I can't wait for her episode to drop in a few weeks. It's gonna be so good. I just I can't wait. I love sharing stories from Proffitt Podcasting, like so shout out to all our Proffitt Podcasting members. There's gonna be a link in the show notes if you want to join us or
learn more about the program. But this is our digital course where we take you through what it takes to start launch and market your podcast in a profitable way. No pun intended, but also all the puns intended.
Okay. Alright. So if you're overthinking go to the show notes. KrystalProffitt.com/Episode259, to see all the things that we talked about here today, but start implementing those four steps start doing it. I know you can. And if you're stuck, reach out in our Facebook group. If you're not already over there, there's gonna be a link in the show notes too. We have so many amazing questions all the time in the podcast community and that's really what the community was built
for. It's to help you not get stuck and not stay stuck, like have a place to ask the important questions that you have. But that's all I have for you today. So make sure you are following this podcast wherever you are listening the show notes again or KrystalProffitt.com/Episode259. And as always, remember, keep it up. We all have to start somewhere.