Y'all it is officially here Start a Binge-Worthy Podcast is out in the world. And I am just so blown away by the support and encouragement and all the fantastic things that this community has done to show up for me during this book launch. I am so grateful. So if you are interested in learning more about my brand new book Start a Binge-Worthy Podcast a step by step guide to creating a podcast your audience craves, make sure you go Order your copy at the
best podcast book.com. And while you're there, make sure you register for the free bonus that we have for anyone that orders the book. So again, go to the estpodcastbook.com to grab yo r copy today.
So here we are. I'm just like, my brain is still reeling after this week's book launch. And it's funny because you know, normally I tried to get way ahead with my podcast content, right. So you may be listening to something that is recorded a week, maybe even two weeks in advance of whenever it actually airs. I mean, ideally, in a perfect world, it could be several weeks, because that would mean I have my act together. And I'm batching and I am just recording and I'm on top
of it. But let's be real. That's not the case. I am recording this on Wednesday, the day before it goes live. Because this episode's coming out on Thursday. And it's two o'clock in the afternoon. It's not like it's still morning time. And I'm like, Oh, I got I got the whole day ahead of me. No, no, this is
just me being real with you. So I want y'all to know, because I've had several people say, Well, sometimes I have to wait until the day before that the episode is actually going to go live that I put it out and I'm like a Me too. Samesies that happens for me that way too, sometimes. So I just want to keep it real. And let you know, I didn't I didn't record this several weeks ago, and it's coming out. I'm literally recording this the day before it
goes live. So that's my little behind the scenes sneak peek. I've been trying to throw those in, like a day in the life of letting you know what's actually happening over here behind the scenes at profit media. But Start a Binge-Worthy Podcast officially launched yesterday. And I am just totally blown away. absolutely blown away by the response by people sharing on social media, people buying the book, people leaving reviews, like, my heart is so full. And I just I feel like I'm
bursting at the seams. It's just such a fun ride. So today, I wanted to share with you the first chapter of the book. And this isn't the pre recorded what's going to be in the audio. I'm actually going to read it to you in real time. So you might get a little extra sass in this version than you would in the actual audio book version later. So I just want to give you a little sneak peek. So let's get
right to it. Welcome to the profit 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?
So before we get started today, I have to tell you about the giveaway. Okay, I have started if you're on my email list, you already know about the giveaway. You already know what I'm going to tell you but for those of you that aren't, first of all, why are you not on my email list? You need to get your butt over to KrystalProffitt.com and get on my email list immediately, immediately. Okay, because this is important, what I'm about to share with you. And this is actually a great way to get on
my email list. So go to KrystalProffitt.com/giveaway. All one word, g IV, a w a y. It always makes me really nervous to spell Okay. Oh, you'll find that too. You'll find that too. If you start doing self sponsored ads on your podcast, you're like, Wait, did I spell that correctly? Somebody's gonna spell it out and be like that is not the right URL. That one is
the right one. Okay, I spelled it right but I'm just telling you again, I like to give you the whole mindset things that I think about I always terrified I'm gonna misspell something even worse is pronouncing things which is why today's episodes gonna be real fun because you're gonna To get the first chapter of start to mentor the podcast, but the giveaway, what is this giveaway about? Well, I have to tell you, it is time sensitive. So if you're listening to this later, you're in the future.
Welcome to the past. Here we are. But this giveaway that I'm doing is to celebrate the launch of the book and our 200th podcast episode. What, what 200 episodes of this podcast? Are you kidding me? That is a whole lot of me talking about podcasting and my shenanigans, and we want to celebrate it. So we're doing a giveaway, we're doing a 10 prizes, which I'm really excited about, oh my
gosh, I'm really excited. So we're giving away eight signed copies of my brand new book started binge worthy podcast. We're also giving away a coaching session with me, that also comes with a signed copy of the book. So one on one one hour coaching session with me. And then the grand prize winner, where one grand prize winner who's going to get full access to my course profit podcasting, as well as a one on one coaching with me and a signed copy of the book. What Yes, it is absolutely
worth it. Go to KrystalProffitt.com/giveaway to enter and there are multiple ways to enter like you go in and you'd put your email address in and then the screen will pop up and say, Oh, do you want some more entries, and you can go follow the podcast, you can go like us on YouTube you like there's so many other ways to get additional entries. But this giveaway ends on October 30 2020, at 12pm Central, okay, and then we're gonna announce the winners at 3pm. Central on
Friday, October 30. So if you're listening to this later, I'm sorry, you have missed out on all these amazing prizes. But for those of you listening, in real time, go into the giveaway, KrystalProffitt.com/giveaway. Okay, I know that was a big thing, a big lead up, but it is that important because I want to get this book into your hands. And there's only gonna be so
many signed copies. And I'm really excited because there's actually another secret thing that I'm doing to all the books that I signed, which I can't tell you about it, okay, it's just it's secret, but you're going to have another extra special prize for those of you that get a signed copy of that. Okay, so I'm gonna say, because if I keep talking about it, I'm gonna give it away. And I just, I can't say it.
So we are going into the first chapter of the book, I thought about reading the introduction as well. But that's really for those people. If you know, you know, like, if you've read it already, you know, that's, that's a little more backstory and a little personality, you just got to go read that you got to go read that one for yourself. So if you have a copy of the book, go read the introduction. It's totally worth
it. And some books, you're just kind of like, man, I need that you need this introduction, I promise you, I promise you. Okay, so here we go. Hmm, sorry, I might clear my throat like you're getting just the the raw version of chapter one. Because the audio book version is going to be a little bit more polished. Okay, I will let you know that it will be a lot more clean than what you're getting today. But I'm just giving it to you like it is this is the street version of Start a
Binge-Worthy Podcast. So are you ready? We're gonna do this together. Okay. I have in the book, quotes that I've taken. And I wanted to read this to you today because I made sure and I put these at the beginning of each chapter. These were very significant quotes that I have found that just made my heart so happy. And I was like, Oh my gosh, I wrote that I'm really proud of myself. So the quote for chapter one, which is all about equipment, is work with
what you have right now. And remember that you can always upgrade in the future. Don't let your podcast setup hold you back from getting started. Okay, I'm gonna try not to like adlib and like add things in. And this was really hard for me when I was recording the audio book. But I'm going to add a little extra sass in here just because I can because I can write and I want you to remember this for your podcast. You can do whatever you want, because it's your podcast.
So I'm gonna do whatever I want. And I would read this with a super thick accent, but I will just start laughing the whole time. So I'm not going to do that to you. But here we go.
Chapter One, equipment. What equipment Do I need for my podcast? This is the question I see most often from curious new podcasters And my response is always the same. It depends. It depends on your budget, your ambition, the quality of show you're trying to produce whether you have enough time to wait on equipment, or you need to run out to the nearest store and grab it today, and more. There are many factors when it comes to choosing the right equipment for you and your
podcasts but never fear. I came prepared with suggestions, basic needs for your podcast. As we cover your podcast equipment, we'll talk about your basic needs, optional features and upgrades to consider my personal microphone recommendations and your podcast setup. So to kick us off, what are the basic needs to start your podcast, one computer with internet to a quiet place to record three, a
microphone. The computer with internet should be pretty self explanatory, and we'll cover software in depth in a later chapter. So for now, let's go straight to item number two, quiet place to record. There's a lot of echo in my office. Like I've literally tried everything that multiple sound engineers have suggested I try curtains over glass doors and windows, blankets on the floor blankets on the desk when I'm recording acoustic panels on the wall blanket over my head when I'm
recording of all of them. I hated this one the most. And that's why I don't record my podcast in my office. I've done as much as I can to get the acoustics just right. But I still record my podcast episodes in my closet from time to time. I know what you're thinking. But crystal, you teach podcasting? Shouldn't you have a fancy studio with all the bells and whistles that you spent hundreds or even thousands of dollars on? Um, no. And I don't recommend
that for you either. I encourage people to use what they have. And what is almost every single home anywhere have a closet. And here's why it's ideal. There's a lot of stuff in there, clothes, shoes, suitcases, hats, etc. There's carpet or if there's not, it's a small enough sports space that's easy to cover with a cheap rug. In my office, there are tile floors, there's not as much stuff hanging on the walls. And there are windows
everywhere. So it's not ideal to record everything in my office, I want you to find a great space within your home or your office where you can record your podcast with little interruptions and as little echo as possible. Optional upgrade number one adore what can make this space quieter you ask. adore goes a long way in cutting out ambient noise. If you're in a space you can totally control that's great and adore may not
make a difference. But if your household is anything like mine, I have three kids in a dog, then there's a lot going on all the time. I have all kinds of people going in and out of my house on any given day. But at least my closet has a door. Another way to cut down on distractions and interruptions is to tell everyone in the house Hey, I'm going in here for 30 minutes to an hour. Unless it's an emergency. Please don't interrupt. This is really
important. interruptions and distractions can kill your creative flow, or steal your train of thought. If you constantly have to hit pause when you're recording. If you don't have a door, or even if you do, try to find time to record when you're either alone or have a solid chunk of time where interruptions are at a minimum. There's something magical about having a dedicated hour or two to enter to record
uninterrupted. You can batch all of your podcast content to get several episodes recorded at one time. But it's a lot harder to accomplish that if you don't have a door, try to find a space where you can just shut people out with love, of course, and tell them this is important. This is my recording space for now. fervid over fancy, please don't get caught up in the idea of trying to have a fancy
studio. I get it. Of course that is the dream to walk into a fancy studio with beautiful equipment that works properly and has been tested and set to the correct recording volume. So all you have to do do is hit record, but it's not necessary to get started. Use what you have. Optional number two pop filter. Another piece of optional equipment is a pop filter. You've probably seen these on tuck shows, images of radio DJs, or other footage of a recording artist in the studio.
This is a piece of soft, round mesh like material that attaches to the microphone. What's the purpose of a pop filter? Well, I'll just give it to you straight. It's a spit catcher. Nope, that's not the technical term. That's what my mom calls it. Again. We're fervid over fancy round here. This piece of equipment is important for catching and deadening the sounds of those puffs of air that come out of your mouth when you say a sound with unintentional added emphasis,
like bah, bah, dah, dah. If you want to know the technical term, these sounds are called plosives. By the way, my editor told me that I'd never heard the term plosive before but it's totally appropriate because they sort of explode out of your mouth. My pop filter really comes in handy for me. I mean, my name is Proffitt, and I talk about podcasting. It's a lot of mouth noises. If you to find yourself making lots of extra sounds when you talk, I suggest
investing in a pop filter. It reduces a lot of those noises when you're recording your podcast. Again, this is an optional feature. It's totally not required, but it's a good idea. Optional number three. Oh, sorry. See, I said it wrong. See, you're getting like I said the raw version. And normally, if I messed up on the audio book, I would stop. But we're not doing that. We're just gonna push through. Okay. Optional upgrade number three headphones. Why do radio DJs and recording
artist wear headphones? This was a legit question I had when I first started podcasting, but I quickly understood why I needed them when it was time for an interview. First of all, I'd hear feedback from the other person's audio if my mic caught their audio from my speakers, right. But there was something else I hadn't considered when I first started podcasting. My voice volume. I'm a loud person. It's the reason my parents picked my voice out of the crowd when I was cheering at a
football game. Imagine them walking to find their seats during the first quarter. Where's crystal at? We need to sit where we can see, nevermind, I hear her. She's close to the 30 yard line down there. When I start talking to my husband first thing in the morning, mind you I normally have my coffee. Well before he does. His first reaction is usually a hand gesture that looks like him turning down the volume on my voice. Sometimes they'll say you're at a 10 can you take it
down to a three? I can't help it. I'm naturally a very loud person. So how do earbuds and headphones play into the picture here. When you have headphones, you can listen to the sound of your own voice when you're recording solo, and you can listen to someone else more easily. I must admit that I don't always use my earbuds when I'm recording solo episodes, but I always use them when I'm recording interviews. For my podcast, I conduct most of my interviews through zoom. We'll
get to that in chapter nine. But I just want to make sure that you have all the equipment you're going to need. That way you can zoom through the next chapters and be ready for those first interviews. I know you're already eager to get there. Optional upgrade number four, a boom arm. How can I maximize this space on my desk to podcast. This is a piece of equipment that I didn't use until I was well over 100
episodes into my podcast. But many of my students use these and one in particular said it worked out really great for me. I love that I can literally just push it out of the way when I'm not using it. And now that I have one too I want 100% agree with her. A boom arm is a piece of equipment that attaches to the edge of your desk and hold your microphone in place. It gives you the ability to swivel your microphone back and forth when you're recording and then push it out of the way when it's
not in use. So if you're tight on space don't have a lot of room to keep a microphone on your desk at all times. This might be something to look into optional upgrade number five acoustic panels. How can I get the best sound in my echoey space? As I previously mentioned, I've tried everything to make my office less echoey. And one suggestion from an audio engineer was to try acoustic panels. Well, the ones I tried didn't work out well. For me, I think they are an effective
solution. For some people. The cheap ones I purchased did help a little. But if you're going to go the route of putting panels on the wall, I'd look into buying thicker, heavier duty ones. If you have the budget and you're able to invest in high quality acoustic panels, you can definitely create a space for higher quality sound. Quick note about sound and equipment,
microphones. My journey with podcasting equipment has taken me taken me from buying a $21 microphone on Amazon, to spending hundreds of dollars on one piece of equipment just to test it. It's in person interview capabilities. I'll share two of my long standing favorites here. But I want to be very clear on one thing when it comes to microphones stay within your budget. There's no need to go into debt for podcasting equipment, you can do just fine with the first microphone I used
when I got started. I even used it through the first 38 episodes of my podcast and still use it on occasion. The five fine USB microphone was my very first mic and it was so easy. The USB cord plugs directly into the computer and you can start recording immediately. I used it with a pop filter and it worked great. You can invest lots of money in a fancy microphone and recording
equipment. But if your recording space isn't properly treated to absorb sounds, then your time, money and efforts will be wasted. It's better to invest your energy in making your space sound better than it is to show off the price tag of your fancy microphone. When I received a $100 amazon gift card I upgraded to the Blue Yeti USB microphone. I love the different color choices they offer. And there are more recording options on
the Blue Yeti. record yourself record one on one with someone sitting across from you record with multiple people in the same room, etc. The Blue Yeti has been a great fix for me to get a more crisp, clear sound whenever I'm recording my podcast, podcast setup. The last thing I want to cover is your podcast setup. I want to remind you to just keep it simple. Work with what you have right now and remember that you can always
upgrade in the future. Don't let your podcast setup hold you back from getting started.
So that was chapter one of Start a Binge-Worthy Podcast. I just wanted to share it here with you today to give you a little taste of what you can expect in the book. Like I said, I created a much cleaner version for the audiobook which I can't wait to share with you all I've had several people reach out and say when is the audiobook gonna be ready and I don't have the
exact date. I'm hoping within the next one to two weeks that's like fingers and toes crossed that it's gonna be ready but I will absolutely let my community of the Proffitt Podcast know whenever it is ready. But again, thank you so much for all of your support. During this book journey process. You can go to KrystalProffitt.com/Episode198 and I'm actually going to link to some fun things that are a little bit different than our
Show Notes for this episode. So make sure you go to KrystalProffitt.com/Episode198 to check out what that is, but before I let you go, make sure that you enter the giveaway KrystalProffitt.com Oh no, no, no saying the wrong one. See this. I told you about saying URLs earlier KrystalProffitt.com/giveaway into the giveaway before it expires because it's from now until October 30 2020. Get those entries in check back every day to see if you can enter more and I just wish you the best of
luck. I can't wait to see who's gonna win the grand prize who's going to win the one on one coaching and to give outside copies of the book because I think it's incredible. I'm a little biased But I have already gotten incredible feedback. And I can't wait to hear what you think about the book. So if you have purchased it, I would love
it. If you would take a screenshot of your ebook, or take a picture, whenever the physical book comes in, tag me on social media, I have had so much fun sharing these out to the podcast community. And it just it makes my heart just like I said earlier, it's just bursting with how much support and encouragement that we've gotten from this book launch. So thank you again, so so much for being a podcast listener being here showing up every single week because y'all are the
reason why I do this. And I'm so passionate about it because I love seeing all of your success. But remember, keep it up. We all have to start somewhere.