Forget the Critics: Love Your Podcast Voice

If you try to be someone you're not, it's not as easy and it's not as good.

Welcome to your podcast consultant.

Small lessons with big value.

With more than a decade of experience and millions of downloads, this hall of Fame podcaster is a featured speaker, author, and mentor to thousands.

Now he wants to work with you.

He's your podcast consultant.

Dave Jackson.

I was on Facebook, in a Facebook group, and I've said in the past there are good things about Facebook groups, but many times you get really, and I mean really bad advice over there.

But Lisa McLean reached out and said, as a female australian, I have received complaints regarding my voice.

I'm interested in exploring the option of cloning it, modifying it for use as a narrator.

However, I'm uncertain about the more the moral however, I'm uncertain about the moral implications of such an action.

Thoughts?

And so, if she's talking about being a podcaster, then the first thing I want to say here is be yourself and embrace yourself.

But that means that some people aren't going to like it.

But you know who's really going to like it?

Australians.

Because they sound, or you sound just like they do.

And there's a name for people that complain about your voice, and it's called not your target audience, because if you try to be something you're not, it makes podcasting harder, and it's already hard enough.

And you're not going to be as good about it because you're going to be constantly worrying about your voice.

Your voice is fine.

And here's how I know.

Have you ever been on the phone and you're talking to somebody, you're having a good time and you're laughing, and they just stop and go, ugh.

And hang up because they can't take your voice.

I think the answer for most people is no, it's never happened.

I've been.

I've been hung up on before, but it wasn't a nice conversation we were having.

Okay, well, if that's the case, your voice is fine.

Now, the only other thing that someone might complain about is if you weren't using proper mic techniques.

So if I push my microphone away and I talk louder, can you hear how I kind of like you can still hear me?

I'm just as loud, but I sound like I'm in a fishbowl.

Well, don't do that.

Put the mic about three fingers width away from your mouth, talk across it and you'll be fine.

Don't use a blue yeti.

Nothing wrong with a microphone, but 98% of people that use it use it wrong.

But the bottom line that I wanted to stress in this is just be yourself.

Because, a, you're really good at it.

Nobody can be you like you, so just be yourself.

And you gotta be okay that not everybody's gonna like it, and that's okay.

Think of a food right.

Think of a food that you don't like.

But I bet.

Let's go.

Brussels sprouts.

Not everybody likes Brussels sprouts.

I didn't think I liked Brussels sprouts until somebody cooked them a different way.

But nonetheless, my sister, I'll give you an example.

My sister does not like Kielbasa, which is basically sausage.

Don't know why everybody else eats it.

Everybody else thinks it's wonderful.

Not my sister.

And they're going to be some people that just don't like it.

Now, my sister trying to think of something she eats that I wouldn't.

And there's probably some food that my sister eats that I never would because we're all different.

And you just have to be okay with the fact that not everybody is going to love your show.

And if they say it's because of your voice, that's fine.

It's fine.

Because there are plenty other people who don't have a problem with your voice.

Don't focus on the one person that, for whatever reason, doesn't particularly care for your voice.

Focus on the others who love your voice, love your content, and love your personality.

Focus on them.

Forget the other people.

Because again, if you try to be somebody you're not, it's hard.

I know once I did a podcast as a character, a grumpy old man, and I would talk like this and it would ra already my voice hurts.

And so by the end of it, I would end up falling out of character.

Because being somebody you're not is not easy.

Just be yourself and you will be fine.

Now, if you need help with this, you want me to listen to something, then by all means, you know where to find me.

Schoolofpodcasting.com.

you can use the coupon code listener.

That'll save you on either a monthly or yearly subscription.

And that comes with a unlimited consulting.

Let me give an example what that looks like.

My buddy Greg signed up.

Greg is a little older than I am.

Greg had zero computer training growing up.

He's a little on the, you know, he is a seasoned middle aged person and doesn't really have much computer skills enough to send email and things like that.

And I've been working with Greg almost, I would say, every other day, just walking him through file management, which really doesn't have anything to do with podcasting, but yet it does.

Because if you don't have file management, oh, are you going to hate yourself?

So I'm helping him avoid those pitfalls.

And then we got him into recording, and then we got him into exporting an mp3 file, and then we got him into uploading it to captivate, and then we just baby stepped it through, and he's like, all right, well, can I.

We signed up today.

Can I do another one on Wednesday?

Yeah, can I do another one on Friday?

Hey, if it's available, take it.

That's what unlimited means.

And people go, well, how can you do that?

It's not going to scale.

Well, eventually, and it's already happened with the last meeting I just had with Craig.

He's publishing an episode now.

He is a podcaster.

And so Craig will not really need me as much as he normally did, and then somebody new will show up.

I love it.

That's what I love to do, is help podcasters.

And I would love to help you.

So, schoolofpodcasting.com, use the coupon code listener.

And I can't wait to see what we're going to do together.

I'm Dave Jackson.

I help podcasters.

It's what I do.

And I can't wait to see what we're going to do together.