Damn you, Perfectionism - How to stop obsessing and start enjoying

I have a story to share today—one that’s both embarrassing and hilarious. But more importantly, it taught me a valuable lesson that you can apply to your own podcasting endeavours. Recently, I was asked to give a workshop on "Podcasting for Coaches: Podcasting for Coaches: How to start and run a Podcast to elevate your coaching business." As someone frequently invited to speak about my podcasting expertise, I relish the opportunity to share my passion for podcasting with others. I really, really enjoy it.  However, there's this one thing about me that keeps causing hiccups: I am a recovering perfectionist.  I’ve always wanted everything to be meticulously prepared.I strive for excellence. I am ambitious, and I want to do well.  While these traits aren't inherently bad, they can become obsessive and paralyzing. In fact, they definitely paralyzed me when I was contemplating launching my first podcast in 2017—there was always yet another tweak I wanted to make to the episodes or my website. Over the last couple of years, though, I’ve gotten better at embracing progress instead of perfection—a philosophy I now teach my clients to adopt. Letting go of perfectionism has been incredibly liberating and essential in moving forward to achieve my own goals and those of my clients. Running my own podcast has been one of the greatest teachers in this journey, constantly reminding me to let go of my perfectionist tendencies.  However, every now and then, that nagging perfectionist voice in my head takes over. And when it does, it usually leads to disaster. This time was no exception. Well, it wasn’t a total disaster, but it was definitely embarrassing. As I share this personal story with you, I hope it brings a smile to your face and provides valuable context for your own podcasting journey.  If you’re a (recovering) perfectionist like me, this episode is right up your alley. It offers important insights on how to stop obsessing and start enjoying the process instead. More resources for your Podcasting journey: Free Podcasting with impact STARTER GUIDE: Get it HERE. Schedule your complimentary Podcast Consultation Call with Regina HERE.  Podcast Website: https://reginalarko.com/podcast/ Connect with Regina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/regina-larko/ Email Regina with feedback, questions or just say hi at: [email protected] --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/impact-podcast/message

Are you worried that you won’t sound professional enough to start your own podcast? Are you questioning your voice and how you express yourself?  It’s a common fear that holds many potential podcasters back from hitting that record button. But let me tell you something: sounding "professional" isn’t needed to bring you the podcasting success you aspire to.  And I am so excited for you and me as we will be working through busting some myths about sounding professional for your podcast together.  In this episode I will share six of the most common misconceptions about sounding professional that I have encountered from working with my clients from across the world over the past few years, but also my own when I first got into podcasting in 2016.  I know that this will help  you to rethink everything that you have so far thought about sounding professional. More resources for your Podcasting journey: Free Podcasting with impact STARTER GUIDE: Get it HERE. Schedule your complimentary Podcast Consultation Call with Regina HERE.  Podcast Website: https://www.hashtagimpact.com/podcasting/ Connect with Regina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/regina-larko/ Email Regina with feedback, questions or just say hi at: [email protected] --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/impact-podcast/message

We get busy, new client work comes in, and sometimes, keeping up with a podcast consistently over the years can feel like an overwhelming commitment. But it's a commitment that's so worthwhile. If I had stopped after just a few episodes, I would have missed out on so many opportunities. And today, I want to help you get back in the podcasting saddle. Why do people stop podcasting? Here are a few common reasons: Expectations Not Met: Maybe you expected to gain a large following quickly, but the growth was slower than anticipated. Time-Consuming: You might have found that producing quality episodes was more time-intensive than you could handle. Lack of Results: Perhaps you felt the podcast wasn't bringing the results you hoped for, whether that's in listener engagement, business leads, or personal satisfaction. And let's not forget the feelings of shame and guilt that come with stopping. I've been there myself—feeling like I've let myself and my audience down. I remember winning awards and still feeling that pressure. Or hearing from clients who felt they let down guests they had invited. It's a tough spot to be in. But guess what? It's never too late to restart. And in this episode I will show you how. More resources for your Podcasting journey: Schedule your complimentary Podcast Consultation Call to find out more about the PODCAST BOSS programme with Regina HERE.  Podcast Website: https://www.hashtagimpact.com/podcasting/ Connect with Regina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/regina-larko/ Email Regina with feedback, questions or just say hi at: [email protected] Free Podcasting with impact STARTER GUIDE: Get it HERE.⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/impact-podcast/message

Let’s start by acknowledging something: having too many ideas is a good problem to have. It means you’re creative, passionate, and a lot of things to say!! YAY YOU!  But when it comes to podcasting, too many ideas can lead to analysis paralysis and indecision.  So, how do you narrow down your focus and commit to a topic? This is what we will uncover for you today and this is just one of the things I help my clients with when they join my Podcasting programme.  Because I want my clients to get very strategic with their topic picking.  And this is what I will help you do for yourself here today as well.  I can not recreate the exact experience for you here how this would work for you in a 1:1 or group coaching setting with me but I will walk you through some questions to run through to help you make choices you love for your podcast.  I will also share a concrete example from one of my clients how she found a way to cater to the many ideas she has for her podcast.   Feel free to grab a pen and paper to take some notes, or you could also get my checklist to choose and narrow down your topics for your podcast when you sign up for my podcast starter guide at hashtagimpact.com/guide More resources for your Podcasting journey: Free Podcasting with impact STARTER GUIDE: Get it HERE. Schedule your complimentary Podcast Consultation Call with Regina HERE.  Podcast Website: https://www.hashtagimpact.com/podcasting/ Connect with Regina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/regina-larko/ Email Regina with feedback, questions or just say hi at: [email protected] --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/impact-podcast/message

When you want to start or continue your podcast, your do to list is long.  The general perception is that - at any given time - you have a million things to consider and to do. Your social media feed is full of the advice of podcast marketers, telling you about all the things you have to do to be considered a successful podcaster. Publish every week Promote on every social media platform. Invite high caliber guests. Have the most crisp and perfect audio quality.  Come up with an innovative, creative format It can feel so overwhelming to have this long to-do list in front of us.  What often times happens then, is that we freeze. We don't know what to start with and what to do, so we don’t do anything instead. Or we start doing something completely unrelated, just to not be confronted with this uncomfortably long to do list.  I see that on myself all the time too.  Looking at my coaching podcasting business I have a lot on my plate. What I do on those days, not just when the list is particularly long, but in general, how I organise my work, with the help of 1 brilliant question. A question that will move you from overwhelm to taking action. Today I will teach you all about it so that you start taking simple action steps that actually matter the most at this point of your podcasting journey. Enjoy! More resources for your Podcasting journey: Free Podcasting with impact STARTER GUIDE: Get it HERE. Schedule your complimentary Podcast Consultation Call with Regina HERE.  Podcast Website: https://www.hashtagimpact.com/podcasting/ Connect with Regina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/regina-larko/ Email Regina with feedback, questions or just say hi at: [email protected] --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/impact-podcast/message

Disclaimer: If you need help, please reach out to professionals to guide you on your healing journey. There is help available for you. Through platforms like  ⁠https://findahelpline.com⁠ you can search for help close to you. There’s a lot of healing in podcasting. I see this for myself, the guests I invite on my podcast and the clients I support with starting and developing their podcasts all the time.What begins as a podcasting journey - almost inevitably -  turns into this beautiful journey of self discovery and self growth. And this is what podcasting with impact is all about really. To me this means, a podcast is never just a podcast. A podcast is an invitation to get to know each other better, to get to know ourselves better, to understand and listen to our own ambitions, to acknowledge the heartache and heartbreak that comes with being a human and to show up - for life - with curiosity and kindness. Heart-forward, hopeful, patient, unhurried.  I hope that through my sharing in this episode I can give you the confidence and courage to go into conversation with yourself as well as your guests, even touching on topics that are difficult to discuss, topics that maybe you have even shied away from in the past because you felt they were too painful or sensitive to address. Disclaimer: If you need help, please reach out to professionals to guide you on your healing journey. There is help available for you. Through platforms like  https://findahelpline.com you can search for help close to you. More resources for your Podcasting journey: Free Podcasting with impact STARTER GUIDE: Get it HERE. Schedule your complimentary Podcast Consultation Call with Regina HERE.  Podcast Website: https://www.hashtagimpact.com/podcasting/ Connect with Regina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/regina-larko/ Email Regina with feedback, questions or just say hi at: [email protected] --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/impact-podcast/message

In this episode, we will explore one of the most important questions every podcaster should ask themselves. It has nothing to do with podcasting equipment or which media host to choose for your podcast. It has also nothing to do with how long your episode should be or how you should best market your podcast. It has nothing to do with the technicalities or SEO strategies to grow your show It has nothing to do with how to be a better host or how to ask better interview questions Although all of the questions above are important, they aren't even close to the one crucial question that will impact the long term success of your podcast. It's a question that will help you paint a vivid picture of the extraordinary possibilities that await your podcast. The question we will unpack today will you help embrace your podcasting journey with more excitement, certainty and passion from here on out. All ingredients necessary to reap long term benefits of your podcast. Enjoy listening and reach out to me if any questions come up. More resources for your Podcasting journey: Free Podcasting with impact STARTER GUIDE: Get it HERE. Schedule your complimentary Podcast Consultation Call with Regina HERE.  Podcast Website: https://www.hashtagimpact.com/podcasting/ Connect with Regina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/regina-larko/ Email Regina with feedback, questions or just say hi at: [email protected] --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/impact-podcast/message

Every podcaster has things on their plate that feel "not-fun." When it comes to your podcast, what is it for you? Editing, Marketing, Researching, Social Media? It’s easy to find yourself procrastinating or putting off important tasks that you know you need to do because they don't feel fun. So how do we solve  this? First, it's important to categorize the not-fun task so you know what you are up against. There are 2 types of not-fun stuff: 1. The Boring Stuff 2. The Scary Stuff How you motivate yourself to do the not fun-stuff depends on what type it is. And in today’s  podcast episode I share my tips and tricks for motivating yourself on all the not-fun stuff.  Listen if you are ready to stop procrastinating or putting-off the "not-fun stuff" in your podcast. Or, if you simply want to inject more energy and intention into an area of your podcast that doesn’t feel fun right now, this is the perfect companion for you. PS: You have a podcasting question you feel stuck on? Email me at [email protected]⁠ and I will address it in one of my upcoming episodes.  More resources for your Podcasting journey: Free Podcasting with impact STARTER GUIDE: Get it HERE. Schedule your complimentary Podcast Consultation Call with Regina HERE.  Podcast Website: https://www.hashtagimpact.com/podcasting/ Connect with Regina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/regina-larko/ Email Regina with feedback, questions or just say hi at: [email protected] --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/impact-podcast/message

If you've been thinking about starting your own podcast for what feels like an eternity, you need to hear this. (I know because I needed to hear it too when I started my podcast back in 2017)  Seriously, how long have you been pondering over this? Weeks? Months? Perhaps even years? I want to help you cut through the procrastination, the doubts, and the excuses because, truthfully, at this point, you are wasting your time. Time you don’t have.  So instead of time wasting, I will have you make a choice.  A tough choice. But one that is necessary to make for you to stop wasting your time when it comes to starting your podcast once and for all.  In this episode, I will break it down for you. I kept it super short and sweet too.  It's a reality check, a pep talk, and a roadmap all rolled into one. We will tackle the two fundamental questions you need to ask yourself if you want to stop wasting your time in regards to starting your podcast.  It's not rocket science, but it's the kind of clarity you've been missing in your podcasting journey.  After listening, my hope for you is that you'll be equipped to make that crucial choice and start podcasting with intention and purpose - in the most time efficient way (because I know, you are super busy, Coach!)  Warning / / This episode contains a generous dose of tough love. It’s  not everyone's cup of tea. So, listen with caution. If it stirs up thoughts and you need someone to talk it through with, my calendar is open for you. Schedule a chat with me [here], and I will help you stop wasting your time.  Here’s to you as you stop wasting your time and start putting your energy where it will truly make an impact. Reach out to me with your questions & get them answered in one of the upcoming episodes. More resources for your Podcasting journey: Free Podcasting with impact STARTER GUIDE: Get it HERE. Schedule your complimentary Podcast Consultation Call with Regina HERE.  Podcast Website: https://www.hashtagimpact.com/podcasting/ Connect with Regina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/regina-larko/ Email Regina with feedback, questions or just say hi at: [email protected] --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/impact-podcast/message

In this episode I will talk about disappointment in podcasting and how to look at this inevitable feeling we will all be confronted with in our podcasting journey from a whole new angle. I am so curious to hear your thoughts on this too.  Here’s how I see it:  On the long and windy road of our podcasting journey, disappointments are lurking everywhere.  Disappointments happen when our expectations are not met. (And I know you have big dreams and expectations for your podcast - AS YOU SHOULD!)  So what do you feel disappointed about when it comes to your podcast? 😞Are you disappointed that you haven’t launched your podcast yet? 😞Are you disappointed that you can’t seem to find the time for your podcast? 😞Are you disappointed because you wish you had more listeners already? 😞Did you have some great episode planned but then the guest cancelled on you last minute? 😞Or did you have to part ways with your co-host? It is inevitable that we will encounter disappointments in our podcasting journey.  My own podcasting journey is a massive minefield of disappointments and set backs. (but of course also GLORIOUS and triumphant moments!) But let’s just acknowledge something for a second here. When things don't work out with our podcast IT SUCKS.  Its annoying, its frustrating. I remember my tremendous frustration and disappointment  when I was talking to my husband about having to reschedule my Season 6 launch for my flagship production #impact yet again. I cried and cried because I felt things were so out of my hands - it was a time when our little kids fell sick a lot and the sheer frustration of having to push another deadline, yet again, it was making me sad. There will always be things in our life that might force us to focus our attention away of our podcast. Times when we want to or have to reprioritise. So YES, sometimes this podcasting journey feels upsetting. But here's the thing, if you are feeling disappointed in your podcast right now - no matter for what reason - it is actually a great sign. Yes, you heard me right. It's a great sign.  And in this episode I will tell you why. **************** More resources for your Podcasting journey: Free Podcasting with impact STARTER GUIDE: Get it HERE. Schedule your complimentary Podcast Consultation Call with Regina HERE.  Podcast Website: https://www.hashtagimpact.com/podcasting/ Connect with Regina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/regina-larko/ Email Regina with feedback, questions or just say hi at: [email protected] --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/impact-podcast/message