Eureka! I finally had a breakthrough in the podcast community. Hello Tech Pros, hosted by Chad Bostick, asked me to come on to the show to talk about the web and the technology I use every day. We also dived into a bit of the problems I have experienced in the past and the exciting tech that will premiere in the near future. This was my first podcast ever, so I had to get prepared.
I got some new toys!
To put my best foot forward, I decided to purchase some equipment for the show. I invested in a microphone, a stand and a pop filter; all of which was a good idea. I chose to use the Audio-Technica ATR2100 mic, the NEEWER Microphone Suspension Boom Stand, and a flexible pop filter by Dragonpod. I was definitely happy with my investment. The interview was conducted over Skype, and it went off without a single problem. It took me no longer than 10 minutes to get everything set up and ready to go. Once the start time rolled around, we got straight to business.
Things I learned
- Be prepared. Thankfully, Chad sent me some questions we might cover and I was smart enough to jot down some notes before we started. I didn’t read directly from them but they helped me stay focused on what I wanted to cover. One thing that definitely helped was a glass of water (keep a big one next to you, it will empty quicker than you think).
- Don’t Stress. Try not to psyche yourself out. I had to overcome my fear of making a fool out of myself. Once I realized Chad was just a person with a passion for tech, it took a lot of anxiety out of the situation. We obviously had things in common. Do your best to relax, take a few deep breaths, and simply have a conversation.
- Do some test runs. Before the interview, I recorded myself impersonating an podcast host. Start off with something simple, “Hello everyone, Grant Vinson here again with a special guest…”. Record it with Skype or some other app you are comfortable with and listen to yourself. I realized I needed to work on annunciation and slowing down my rhythm. After a few run-throughs, I had it down.
All in all, it was a very pleasant experience. It definitely encouraged me to finally get my own podcast up and running. It has always been something I want to do and now I have a bit more experience to get myself at a better jumping-off point. Until next time, this is Grant Vinson signing off.