November 2023
Behind The Scenes Of A Podcast Launch
Starting a podcast is way harder than I thought it would be. Come up with a name, record some audio, and upload, right? Maybe I was too naïve but I’ve got my work cut out for me.
Here is the process:
The Prep Work
Come up with a name: Harder than I thought. About 55 of the 70 titles I came up with are already podcasts.
Creating an image/thumbnail: Made one then revamped the image to be accommodated for YouTube (banner shape) and streaming services (square). Then each gets modified for each episode.
Creating an intro/outro: To avoid copyright issues, I used a music AI site to create a "song" that I paid for and now own.
Signing up for a new YouTube account, Instagram account, and every imaginable podcast streaming service.
Podcast Production Work
Text-to-voice readiness. I decided to go with a voice AI to transcribe my articles for multiple reasons including I thought it would be easier (wrong so far) and because my voice is not built for podcasting. After a lot of research, I settled on one but now I had to convert articles to voice-friendly by doing things like rephrasing language, modifying characters (dashes and decimal points are a no-go), and modifying some words to be more phonetic (I’m 0 for 100 on getting it to correctly pronounce “Attia”).
Editing: I had to find new software to edit all of the files and download them in a high-quality format.
Show notes: Each episode gets an intro, link to the article, a list of resources mentioned, and links back to the webpage, newsletter, social media, etc.
The Post-Production Work
Uploading: Once the files are put together I upload them to an RSS feed and create a thumbnail with audio for download then upload for YouTube.
Marketing: Each episode gets a social media post.
Creating a podcast page: Each episode gets its own designated page on MBD that reiterates the show note info.
It wasn't easy, it took a ton of learning, research, and tedious work, and, honestly, I don't know if it will pay off. Only time will tell if it will be successful which just means more of the above. What I also learned is the podcast industry is saturated at 2 million podcasts, yet 90% of those podcasts don't get past episode 3 and of the 200,000 remaining, 90% of those are done after 20 episodes. So, by making 21 podcast episodes I'm in the top 1%. So, I made 21 episodes (to start).
Is starting a podcast hard? Very. Is it worth it? Yes. The satisfaction of uploading that first episode is unparalleled. Tough things give us greater satisfaction. An A+ in a difficult class is more meaningful than one in an easy class, even though they're worth the same. Going for a tough workout, a cold plunge, or a long meditation session are all feats we can easily shy away from, but we all feel a sense of accomplishment after completing them. This is the IKEA effect: the more work we put into something, the more pride we get out of it. In today's world, more than ever before, hard work separates people into two categories. Which one are you in?
Work hard. Build on success. Evolve.
Brian
November Stuff
Mind
Body
Dad
The Growth Kit (Podcast)
Find the full list of episodes here.
Follow The Growth Kit on Instagram.
Subscribe to your favorite podcast player (Spotify, Apple). Please leave a review!
Guest Posts
The Good Men Project published two of my articles:
From One Year Ago
10 Life Lessons I Learned as an Occupational Therapist: Part 1
How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk: 3 Takeaways
More from September 2022 here.
Best Of The Month
Here are some of my favorite things of the month.
Podcast
How To Think Yourself YOUNGERL Ellen Langer, PhD. (mindbodygreen). I’ve been very interested in how our expectations impact our minds and bodies lately. This is a great podcast to learn more.
Book
Rehab Science: How to Overcome Pain and Heal from Injury by Tom Walters and Glen Cordoza. Basically, a beautifully illustrated therapy bible that guides you through the 3 phases of 30 common injuries (low back pain, shin splints, shoulder pain, plantar fasciitis, sprains, and more). It’s as much for the non-clinician as it is for the therapist.
Product
HigherDOSE Sauna Blanket. I’ve been using this portable sauna blanket for over 5 years now. It’s durable, easy to set up, and gives you all of the incredible benefits of the sauna without having to hit the spa, including:
HigherDOSE Sauna Blanket
Detoxification
Improved skin health
Improved sleep
Improved immune system
Reduced inflammation
Reduced risk of all-cause mortality by 40%!
I went with HigherDOSE because it’s low-EMF, portable, made with non-toxic materials, and it has a warranty. It’s a higher-end model so I know I’m not roasting in radiation and chemicals when I’m trying to sweat them out.
Quote
“Live in rooms full of light. Avoid heavy food. Be moderate in the drinking of wine. Take massage, baths, exercise, and gymnastics. Fight insomnia with gentle rocking or the sound of running water. Change surroundings and take long journeys. Strictly avoid frightening ideas. Indulge in cheerful conversation and amusements. Listen to music.”
—Aulus Cornelius Celsus (25 BC-50 AD)
Things I’ve Learned
Mind
More Hobbies = Less Depression
Engaging in hobbies is associated with reduced depressive symptoms, increased happiness, self-reported health, and life satisfaction in people aged 65 and over across 16 countries, as per a study led by UCL researchers. The study, based on data from 93,263 older individuals from five longitudinal studies across different nations, revealed a consistent link between hobbies and improved mental well-being. Pick a hobby and do it consistently.
Unexpected Coaching Factors
This survey, involving 106 coaches revealed that only 28% of participants considered physical training as the most important factor in determining sports performance. Instead, non-physical factors, such as the coach-athlete relationship, life stress, athletes' belief in the training plan, and psychological and emotional stress, were rated as highly influential on an athlete's ability to adapt to a training program.
20 Life Lessons
A list of 20 great life lessons from the recently decreased Byron Wien, former Vice Chair at Blackstone. Here are a few:
When meeting someone new, try to find out what formative experience occurred in their lives before they were 17. It is my belief that some important event in everyone’s youth has an influence on everything that occurs afterwards.
Don’t try to be better than your competitors, try to be different. There is always going to be someone smarter than you, but there may not be someone who is more imaginative.
When your children are grown or if you have no children, always find someone younger to mentor. It is very satisfying to help someone steer through life’s obstacles, and you’ll be surprised at how much you will learn in the process.
Nasal Breathing For BP & HRV
According to one study, nasal breathing gets the nod over mouth breathing. I’ve long been a proponent and my recommendation to keep nasal breathing occurring at night is to use mouth strips.
Centenarian Blood Tests
looked at commonalities in the blood of those who lived to be 100 years old. What they found:
Individuals reaching 100 had lower levels of glucose, creatinine, and uric acid from their sixties onwards.
Centenarians seldom displayed extremely high or low values for most biomarkers.
Few centenarians had glucose levels exceeding 6.5 or creatinine levels exceeding 125 earlier in life.
Out of 12 biomarkers, all but two (alat and albumin) were linked to the likelihood of living to 100, even after accounting for age, sex, and disease burden.
Lower levels of total cholesterol and iron were associated with a decreased chance of reaching 100.
Higher levels of glucose, creatinine, uric acid, and markers for liver function reduced the likelihood of becoming a centenarian.
“Those differences in blood biomarkers were seen as early as 65 years old—35 years before they would have turned 100.”
Starchy Veggies < Non-Starchy Veggies
A study found a clear distinction between food type and weight gain.
Food linked to weight gain: sugar, starch, carbs from starchy vegetables.
Food linked to weight loss: fiber and carbs from non-starchy veggies.
Salt Restriction Increases Blood Sugar
In a meta-analysis of six randomized crossover studies involving 485 participants with hypertension or diabetes, low-salt diets were found to increase blood glucose levels compared to high-salt diets, with an average difference of 3.5 mg/dL (0.19 millimoles). It’s worth noting, however, that most of the studies had relatively short durations.
Dad
Are Parents Restricting Autonomy?
Half of parents of kids ages 9-11 surveyed said that they won’t let their kid find something in a grocery store in a different aisle from them.
Asthma & Linoleic Acid
The increased consumption of linoleic acid, a common type of fatty acid (omega-6) found in Western diets, has raised concerns about its impact on health, especially its potential role in pediatric asthma.
In this review, The re-emerging role of linoleic acid in paediatric asthma, researchers state “While there is conflicting evidence, there is growing support for a role of linoleic acid in the onset and pathophysiology of asthma.”
Foods that contain linoleic acid:
Sunflower oil
Soybean oil
Corn oil
Safflower oil
Nuts (particularly pine nuts)
Seeds (like pumpkin and sunflower seeds)
Vegetable oils (used in cooking and dressings)
Processed foods (often containing vegetable oils)
For more on the dangers of seed oils, read this.
Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) Resources
A great list of sensory integration activities and books for a variety of conditions including:
Vestibular sensory integration
Deep pressure
Heavy work/proprioceptive activities
Oral motor
