There are givers, takers, and wasters all around us. Which one are you and your podcast?
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Good podcasts will always have an appropriate proportion of giving and taking. But my focus, here, is to explore whether you are being a giver, taker, or waster.
Are you a podcasting giver?
A giver seeks to bestow good on others before or without receiving anything in return.
Podcasting givers have the shows we love. They provide valuable content, episode after episode; they interact to the best of their limited availability, and they are regularly looking for how they can give bigger or better.
This doesn't mean a podcasting giver will never receive something in return. Quite the contrary, you will often see the biggest givers have also received the most.
Giving starts with recognizing what you have been given; it comes from a heart of gratefulness. Giving doesn't have to cost money. Instead, it could cost time, knowledge, happiness, and more.
What do you give with your podcast?
Are you a podcasting taker?
A taker seeks to have good bestowed upon themselves, often before or without giving to others.
Podcasting takers may provide good content; their purpose is not to give, but to take from others. They want fame or fortune (not bad in themselves) and they focus selfishly on those pursuits.
Takers usually fixate on what you can do for them. They ask for things upfront, they focus most on themselves, and they don't often leave positive impressions.
Takers are easy to spot at networking events. They're the people who start handing out business cards at the beginning of the conversation (sometimes without even participating!).
It's okay to take or receive. But evaluate your podcast to see whether its focus is on giving or on taking.
Are you a podcasting waster?
A waster is neither giving nor taking. They may not even be seeking anything in particular. No positive or negative energy comes from this kind of person. They simply waste what they have and waste what is given to them.
Podcasting wasters are often without direction. They usually don't give value, don't engage, and don't bring anything unique to the world.
I've listened to “waster” podcasts before. There was no value—no entertaining or helpful content. Such shows usually seemed like people talking about nothing.
Wasters may desire much, but “they have not because they ask not” (James 4:2, paraphrased).
You can change!
Ideally, we should all be givers in podcasting. But don't think that means you can't profit! There's plenty to profit by being a giver!
You may not be a giver right now. You may be a taker or even a waster. But you can change, if you want to. It takes work to change, and it starts with your recognizing where you are and where you want to be.
Podcasters' Society is not for takers who are interested in podcasting only to make money. Podcasters' Society is for givers or those who want to become givers and see the bigger vision of “profit.” To get you started, join our free webinar on January 28, 2016, with Brian from ProfitCast. We'll talk about what podcasting profit really is and how to get it.
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After re-listening to this episode I really feel this is an important topic Daniel, and although I think you might have couched it in slightly too cutesy a way (for my taste anyway), congrats on having the guts (the Audacity) to put it out there!
I see more and more taking (and desperate taking at that) in podcasting, and less and less honest giving year by year. This makes me sad for the current state of the medium, and worried for the future of the artistic and/or craft side of Podcasting.
I would add to the discussion that:
“Giving and Taking is a natural function of any medium that has an artistic lineage – one that moves towards the mainstream over time, and gains increased commercial awareness both inside and outside of the medium.”
I believe Giving and Taking work in phases and Daniel you yourself were in a heavy Giving-Phase for a number of years (IMH) and now you’re in a more deliberate Taking-Phase, and there’s little wrong with that as long as you don’t remain in there over the long-term. All that to say, the phase a Podcaster happens to be in whether it be Giving or Taking is rarely a true reflection of ones true intent in Podcasting, or any other creative endeavour for that matter.
Best of luck in 2016 mate.
~ @joshuacliston
Australia
Great thoughts, Joshua! Thanks!
Man…I’m falling asleep with DJL cooing in my ear about giving/receiving and he drops a Bible verse and juxtaposes himself with Christ. Lol. 😉
“Juxtaposes himself with Christ”? I don’t think that’s what I did. I am a Christian, so I leak Christianity, just like everyone leaks their own worldview.
Just started a new podcast, have been listening to you for a long while. A lot to take in from this episode…made me evaluate even just my first episode.
Great! But don’t let that re-evaluating prevent you from moving forward.