Influential Introvert: Communication Coaching for Professionals with Performance Anxiety

Latest Episodes:

Podcasting on Facebook Live to Build Community Jun 18, 2020

Show notes

In the last episode, podcast editor and host Emily Prokop told us about how she manages her ADHD as a podcaster and business owner, and she gave us some great advice on how we can find our focus and be more productive.

Today I’m continuing the conversation with Emily to learn about her podcast production process, specifically how she’s using Facebook Lives to build community.

I hope this episode inspires you to try a new way to connect with your audience.

Enjoy the show.

***

Hello. I’m Sarah, your host and founder of Podcast Launch Academy. Are you ready to launch a podcast that builds your brand and business, connects you to your global community, and grows your influence? Visit sarahmikutel.com to see how we can work together.

Here’s a special treat for you: Use my Buzzsprout affiliate link to sign up for their podcast media hosting and get a $20 Amazon gift certificate. I’ve gotten to know the Buzzsprout team over this last year and love their customer service so much, I moved my shows over there. sarahmikutel.com/buzzsprout

Do you ever go blank or start rambling when someone puts you on the spot?

I created a free Conversation Cheat Sheet with simple formulas you can use so you can respond with clarity, whether you’re in a meeting or just talking with friends.

Download it at sarahmikutel.com/blanknomore and start feeling more confident in your conversations today.

Hard Time Focussing? Here's What to Do Jun 12, 2020

Show notes

Are you having a hard time focussing on your podcast?

Maybe you’re a daydreamer. Maybe something is going on with your family. Maybe you’re devastated at the state of the world. Maybe you’re happy and hopeful and jumping around from thing to thing because you’re so excited. Maybe you have ADHD like today’s guest.

I’m speaking with my friend Emily Prokop, podcast editor, host of the Story Behind, and co-host of the Hate to Weight podcast.

Emily and I have a lot in common, including being recovering research-obsessed perfectionists. That doesn’t mean we’re natural planners. We definitely fall in the daydreamer category.

We still have big goals that we want to accomplish.

One very important thing that I learned this year is that there are several different personality types — you can go back and listen to my Myers Briggs episode to hear more about that.

Our brains work in very different ways. We’re motivated by different things.

Some podcasters are natural organizers and they love talking about spreadsheets and achievements and they thrive on praise.

Others are procrastinators, not out of laziness, but out of analysis paralysis and overwhelm, which is the primary reason I started Podcast Launch Academy — to give people the roadmap they need to move out of that.

Lack of focus doesn’t mean lack of ambition or lack of interest.

Today, Emily and I are sharing our favorite routines and resources to make you a more productive podcaster. We recorded this a few months ago, but the tools and tips we share are timeless. Enjoy.

***

Do you ever go blank or start rambling when someone puts you on the spot?

I created a free Conversation Cheat Sheet with simple formulas you can use so you can respond with clarity, whether you’re in a meeting or just talking with friends.

Download it at sarahmikutel.com/blanknomore and start feeling more confident in your conversations today.

Podcast Mindset: "Let Future You Take Care of It" May 28, 2020

Show notes

Are you overthinking something right now and can’t seem to move forward? Today, I have a simple yet very powerful mindset mantra that will get you moving in the right direction.

I had a mind-blown experience this week. One of my online business mentors, Elizabeth Goddard, said, "Let Future You take care of it."

Whoah! So simple yet such a powerful mindset shift.

Here's what Elizabeth means: Have faith that Future You will have the experience and the context to make the right decisions.

So often we tie ourselves in knots about whether we should try this or that. Should I start a podcast? Should I move to Paris?

But Present You can't know the answers because you don't have the experience of trying yet.

The job of Present You is to try, experiment, and play. To take action on something now and let Future You decide if it's working, if you love it, or if you want to try something else.

Future You has more information and, therefore, more answers. Yes, Present You will help out Future You by putting in effort and doing the work. But save your worries and ‘what ifs’ for Future You to figure out.

The job for Present You is to make a decision and take the next step.

***

Do you ever go blank or start rambling when someone puts you on the spot?

I created a free Conversation Cheat Sheet with simple formulas you can use so you can respond with clarity, whether you’re in a meeting or just talking with friends.

Download it at sarahmikutel.com/blanknomore and start feeling more confident in your conversations today.

How to Start a High Income Online Business You Can Promote With Your Podcast May 23, 2020

Show notes

How do I make money with my podcast? That’s always a hot topic amongst podcasters.

A few episodes ago we talked about affiliate marketing, which is a good way to get started. But if you want to make real money, you need to sell your own products and services.

Today I’m speaking with Crystal Davis, the Borderless Coach and founder of High Income Digital Nomad. Crystal’s mission is to help people build thriving and enjoyable businesses that let them travel and work remotely.

We get into the nuts and bolts of how to get up and running with a profitable online business right now. We discuss:

why conventional wisdom regarding online business keeps people in a long slog, and what you should do instead to earn the income you want;
what kind of offer you should create;
how to find clients;
who you should sell to and who you shouldn’t target;
the three daily activities you need to do to make money; and more.

This isn’t the usual business advice you hear, and I think you’re going to love Crystal’s fresh, and effective, perspective.

I’m such a fan of Crystal’s work that I joined her group program, High Income Digital Nomad, and I’d like to invite you to a free three-day training she’s doing starting on Monday on how to sell without feeling totally cringe-y and awkward. It’s called the 24 Hour Secret Sellout Launch.

Let’s face it, if you’re going to have your own business, you need to master selling. You can join the training via my partner link at sarahmikutel.com/highincome

It is a live training, so you need to sign up this weekend, and then I’ll see you in the Facebook Group!

***

Do you ever go blank or start rambling when someone puts you on the spot?

I created a free Conversation Cheat Sheet with simple formulas you can use so you can respond with clarity, whether you’re in a meeting or just talking with friends.

Download it at sarahmikutel.com/blanknomore and start feeling more confident in your conversations today.

Vulnerability and the Deeper Life May 16, 2020

Show notes

You’ve heard me ask: ‘What do you stand for? And what is the conversation you want to have with the world?’

On today’s episode, we’re talking about how this conversation can change and evolve.

Joining me again is Alexis Teichmiller, Affiliate Manager at ConvertKit and host of the Deeper Life, a podcast about vulnerability, connecting with others, and showing up unapologetically in the world.

I love featuring podcasters focusing on the deeper aspects of life and that is Alexis in a very literal sense.

We discuss vulnerability, forgiveness, getting in alignment with our values, working with our feelings instead of against them, how to increase our self-awareness, and more.

It’s so easy to get stuck in a routine and lose track of what we believe in, and to not give ourselves space to reflect on whether our beliefs still ring true.

Consider this episode your opportunity to reflect on what matters to you, and whether you are becoming the person you want to be.

***

Do you ever go blank or start rambling when someone puts you on the spot?

I created a free Conversation Cheat Sheet with simple formulas you can use so you can respond with clarity, whether you’re in a meeting or just talking with friends.

Download it at sarahmikutel.com/blanknomore and start feeling more confident in your conversations today.

Affiliate Marketing for Podcasters: The #1 Mistake and the 7 Strategies You Should Use May 08, 2020

Show notes

Let’s talk about money. Specifically, making money with your podcast.

In previous episodes of Podcasting Step by Step, I’ve talked about how the traditional podcast sponsorship model — where you get paid per 1,000 downloads per episode — is a pretty bad deal for most podcasters. You’re much better off negotiating your own sponsorship with a brand that’s perfect for your audience.

Or, you can try becoming an affiliate for the products and services that you love. As an affiliate, you’re sort of an advertiser / brand ambassador.

Alexis Teichmiller, the Affiliate Manager at ConvertKit, joins me on Podcasting Step by Step to talk about how podcasters like you can get started with affiliate marketing.

We answer your burning question, including:

What is affiliate marketing and how does it work?
Where do you find products that have affiliate programs?
What are the top mistakes affiliate marketers make?
What strategies are the most successful affiliates using?
And more.

If Podcasting Step by Step has helped you with your podcast, you can support the show by signing up for services you need — like email so you can connect to your listeners — through my recommended affiliate links, including signing up for a free trial of ConvertKit (yup, that’s an affiliate link!)

***

Do you ever go blank or start rambling when someone puts you on the spot?

I created a free Conversation Cheat Sheet with simple formulas you can use so you can respond with clarity, whether you’re in a meeting or just talking with friends.

Download it at sarahmikutel.com/blanknomore and start feeling more confident in your conversations today.

Are You Choosing Alive Time or Dead Time? Apr 30, 2020

Show notes

We’re living through a global pandemic. It's okay to have down days and to be upset about the way things are. None of us want to be locked up in our house or to lose our job.

But if we wallow in that negativity for too long, that doesn't mean we're going to get extra days in our life, right? We're not going to get bonus months at the end of our life because we survived lock down.

Author Ryan Holiday has a podcast called the Daily Stoic. Lately, he’s been talking about Alive Time versus Dead Time, something writer Robert Greene told him about.

According to him, we can spend our time in one of two ways, passively (Dead Time), where we’re just zoning out and letting life happen to us, and actively (Alive Time), where we’re learning, trying new things, and consciously choosing how to spend our time.

As the Stoics taught us, we can't control what's going on in the world, but we can control how we react to it. You’ll never get today again -- will you make it matter?

***

Do you ever go blank or start rambling when someone puts you on the spot?

I created a free Conversation Cheat Sheet with simple formulas you can use so you can respond with clarity, whether you’re in a meeting or just talking with friends.

Download it at sarahmikutel.com/blanknomore and start feeling more confident in your conversations today.

How to Find More Time to Podcast with Guest Laura Vanderkam Apr 23, 2020

Show notes

Do you often feel like you never have enough time to do what you want, including podcasting? It’s the worst!

You’re spending hours at your computer and yet nothing is getting done. What is going wrong? And where did the day go?

Imagine how great it would feel if you had all the time you needed to podcast. My guest today says it’s possible because time is more abundant than you think. We can actually stretch it.

Laura Vanderkam is the author of several time management and productivity books, including Juliet’s School of Possibilities, I Know How She Does It, and 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think.

She also speaks at conferences, including at TED; writes for publications like the New York Times; hosts the podcasts Before Breakfast and The New Corner Office, and co-hosts the podcast Best of Both Worlds.

She has five kids and blogs almost every day at Laura Vanderkam.com.

So if Laura can find time to do all that plus hang out with friends and get eight hours of sleep, then there is hope for us all.

***

Do you ever go blank or start rambling when someone puts you on the spot?

I created a free Conversation Cheat Sheet with simple formulas you can use so you can respond with clarity, whether you’re in a meeting or just talking with friends.

Download it at sarahmikutel.com/blanknomore and start feeling more confident in your conversations today.

How to Record In-Person Podcast Interviews Without Audio Bleed Apr 16, 2020

Show notes

On the last episode, I spoke with Idelle Erickson, producer of the Girl Talk podcast for the Girl Scouts. We talked about the mission of the show and about the role of a podcast producer, and Idelle mentioned that she and her colleagues and guests usually record their episodes in person.

Today Idelle explains the set up she creates in her basement to capture studio-like sound for her podcast. This information is incredibly valuable because most people do not record good audio when they’re in the same room with someone. I hear a lot of audio bleed and reverb on shows I’ve edited, but never on Idelle’s.

Of course, recording in person might not always be possible. Your guest could be 1,000 miles away or maybe the entire globe is on lock down due to a pandemic. But one day, when you do record an episode in person, you will be happy to have this knowledge.

Idelle and I recorded this remotely using Squadcast, which is how I usually record my interviews. If you’d like to support this show, you can do so by testing out Squadcast via my affiliate link. Go to sarahmikutel.com/squadcast to check it out.

***

Do you ever go blank or start rambling when someone puts you on the spot?

I created a free Conversation Cheat Sheet with simple formulas you can use so you can respond with clarity, whether you’re in a meeting or just talking with friends.

Download it at sarahmikutel.com/blanknomore and start feeling more confident in your conversations today.

How the Girl Scouts Tackle Tough Topics on The Girl Talk Podcast Apr 09, 2020

Show notes

Remember a few episodes ago when I was talking to podcast editing extraordinaire Steve Stewart? We chatted about how to create your podcast editing side hustle, and he talked about finding clients at conferences.

Well, today I’m speaking with a client of mine whom I met at Podcast Movement last year.

I’m speaking with Idelle Erickson, who works for the Girl Scouts and produces the Girl Talk podcast.

We talk about what a podcast producer does, and Idelle walks us through her process of creating a Girl Talk episode, plus shares how she engages Girl Talk listeners.

Idelle is so lovely and I’m happy to have her as a friend. I was actually crying before we recorded this episode because l can't stop thinking about all the children forced to be in lock down in abusive situations. I want to create a recovery program for abused kids that uses audio to help them feel comfortable speaking up and healing. Want to help me? Get in touch.

***

Do you ever go blank or start rambling when someone puts you on the spot?

I created a free Conversation Cheat Sheet with simple formulas you can use so you can respond with clarity, whether you’re in a meeting or just talking with friends.

Download it at sarahmikutel.com/blanknomore and start feeling more confident in your conversations today.