I tried. I failed. I reflected. I rebranded. And I am ready to try again.
Last December, after many conversations and a lot of encouragement from friends, I decided to launch a podcast. I researched, planned a little, contacted two potential guests, and bought the needed equipment. I was ready… or so I thought. Ten episodes later, I realized that I had enjoyed my guests, I had learned many things, and I had failed.
On January 14, 2017, I published my first episode: Episode 1 – Educational Larceny. I was proud of it. I had no idea what I was doing, but I had achieved my goal to start a podcast. I began a journey that would teach me many valuable lessons over the next six months. I am grateful for the experience and grateful for those who helped me. Appropriate to my endeavor, one of the podcast episodes addressed the value of failure: Episode 3 – I Failed. I Learned. I failed. But more importantly, would I do it again? Absolutely. Just wait for Round 2. My second attempt at a podcast will begin in the new year.
My original podcast, RADD School Leaders, ended each episode with “three takeaways.” True to form, I have three takeaways from my first podcast experience that will help me as I begin again.
RADD lacked a clear focus and, honestly, felt a bit forced. I spent too much time choosing the music and transitions instead of planning the show’s content. (Side note, the opening music is very catchy. Just saying.)
I also, unwisely, committed to producing two podcasts each month. Big mistake. I was constantly rushing.Ignoring the advice of many articles which emphasized of creating three episodes before publishing the first, my home and work life were consistently put on hold to meet my goal. It makes me anxious just recalling that pressure.
I created the RADD podcast as a way to meet educational leaders and learn from them; it was also a venue to share those lessons with people who may have shared my interest. Unfortunately, the unwieldy number and variety of topics in education blurred the goals of the show. Don’t misunderstand me. I love education and I love my job, but the complexity of school leadership left me adrift, and as a result, the direction of the show never became clear. My enthusiasm dwindled. I am proud of the experiences I had in creating the RADD podcast, and in my missteps, I recognize the growth that occurred. The experience was worthwhile, but my second attempt needs to address the challenges that I failed to meet in my first endeavor.
If I have ever shared a dinner table with you or a beer at the bar, you know that my conversations almost always lead to analyzing people’s behaviors. This can be a psychological evaluation or sociological evaluation. Most books that I read deal with these topics too. I love being an educator and leader in an all-male school. I love being a husband. I love being a father. I love being a son. I love being a friend. These identities also lead me to see the world in a unique perspective. The male mind intrigues me. We should really talk about it… great idea, stay tuned. I am ready for round 2. This time, my guests and I will discuss topics that deal with the male learner. I have a lot of questions, and hopefully, my guests will have a lot of insights. I hope you will join us for Educating Men, a podcast which explores the male mind to understand how we can educate Better Husbands, Better Fathers, Better Sons, Better Men. Coming soon.