A Podcast's Power To Change People... And The Podcaster

Do you see your podcast as an instrument of change directed at your listeners? Even if you didn’t design it that way, it’s happening. And whether you know it or not, your podcast is changing you too.

February 2, 2021

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Whether we know it or not, our podcasts and the episodes we produce change our listeners. And if they listen to the episodes of our podcasts long enough, that change can become permanent.

Oftentimes, this happens like erosion, where small pieces get chipped away or re-shaped gradually, eventually resulting in a different mindset. Other times, it’s much faster, with landslide-like speed as a listener goes through a rapid transformation.

Many podcasters aren’t consciously aware that their show is affecting change on their listeners. Producers of a comedy show may not intentionally set out to change listeners… or do they? All those endorphins released from laughter is a good thing. Even shows that are irreverent in nature and seem to have no point other than to poke fun are likely encouraging their listeners to not take life so seriously. Makers of podcast fiction, who really just want to share a great story, may not set out to change minds. But as an avid reader of fiction, I assure you that happens. Frequently.

Some podcasters are not only aware of their impact, but overt and explicit in their designs. Take Danny van Leeuwen’s podcast, Health Hats. His tagline is “Learn with people on the journey toward best health”, which clearly sets his intention to effect positive change on the health of his listeners.

With Podcasting, Change Flows Both Ways

I'm not sure most of us podcasters—and until recently I was in this camp—realize that we too experience permanent change as we produce our episodes. Especially if we’re highly niche, presenting similar ideas and thoughts to our audience on a regular basis. As we engage in the act of podcasting, some of the change we’re putting out into the world flows back on us.

For some podcasters, that’s 100% intentional. Neil Hedley uses his podcast, The Snooze Button, to actively seek out solutions to his ongoing struggles against insomnia. He brings on guests, both expert and experienced, so that he and his audience can learn together.

But for the majority of podcasters, change is just something that happens to them as they progress through the podcasting process. It’s possible that the changes are too subtle for them to notice on an episode-by-episode scale. But if you zoom out, and really examine your thoughts and ideas a year ago or five years ago, you’ll likely realize that you too have been changed by your podcasting efforts. Your journey, as my nomadic friends have told me for years, changes who you are.

Put Down The Drum Circle And Back Away Slowly

As a rule, I’m not a consumer of self-help content. I don’t go in for the books and videos that talk about transformative change at your fingertips if you’ll only fork over $19.99. My skeptical nature often skews cynical, and I’ve seen too many earnest people peddling easy answers to an all-too-eager audience for my taste. So please don’t ascribe deeper meanings like “be the change you want to be in your own life” to my words. I’ve no interest in being saddled with the “guru” mantle.

I’m a firm believer that people really are pretty much the people they really are deep down inside. I don’t think people change who they are at their core. Instead, changes visible to the outside world are evidence of us revealing our true selves. Some of us really are the scorpion.

But can we at least present a more frog-like nature to the world? We’re in control of our actions and engagements with the outside world. We’re thinking beings, often with an abundance of free will. With that, we can accept and direct the subtle shifts our podcasts make on our listeners and ourselves to create permanent change. Hopefully in a responsible and positive manner. But YMMV.

Speaking of changes, I've added a new section to the bottom of PodcastPontifications.com. It highlights the podcasters and those in the podcasting industry who support my efforts. That’s just one of the perks they get. You can get on that list and gain access to other nifty perks by signing up for an ongoing membership at BuyMeACoffee.com/evoterra.

I hope this episode sparks a conversation between you and your friends who also have a podcast. Let them know you heard/read about it on Podcast Pontifications and, if you would be so kind, ask them to give it a listen. This show only grows by word of mouth to a small group of podcasters who also care about the future of podcasting, and I appreciate your efforts in helping me reach more of them.

Think about how your podcast is changing you as much as your listeners. And in the meantime, I shall be back tomorrow with yet another Podcast Pontifications.

Cheers!

Transcript

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Do you see your podcast as an instrument of change directed at your listeners? Even if you didn't intentionally design it that way, that's happening. And whether you know it or not, your podcast is changing you, too.
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Hello and welcome to another Podcast Pontifications with me, Evo Terra.
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Whether we know it or not, our podcasts, the episodes we produce, change our listeners. If our listeners listen to us long enough, that change actually becomes permanent. What a powerful thing. What an awesome responsibility.
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It's sort of like erosion, I think. Over time, small bits get chipped away and you are left with a permanent change of a rock face, or a coastline, or a riverbank, whatever. Of course, that can also happen more of landslide quick speed than it is the slow version.
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You see, we may not be consciously even aware that we're trying to affect change with our podcasts. But we probably are. I mean, even if you do, for example, a comedy show or podcasters that do comedy shows, right? What are they really trying to change? Well, maybe they're just trying to get somebody to have a good time for a bit and be a little bit more light. Irreverence shows that are, gosh, I hate to say the word, but almost in the line of offensiveness, right? But in a jokey way, are just trying to get you to lighten up. Maybe.
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Podcast fiction, not really designed to change, but listen, as an avid consumer of fiction, both in podcast form and written book form, I can promise you that read enough books, read the same author over and over again, and your mind perspectives will actually change.
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Now, some podcasters are overt about wanting this change to happen. Like Danny's podcast Health Hats. He's one of my supporters here on the program, the tagline to Danny's show is - I want to read it so I get it right - "Learn with people on the journey toward best health." Danny's definitely trying to take people on a journey and to change. That's quite obvious what's happening with Health Hats.
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But I'm not sure that all of us, because I'm not sure I, realize that we, too, experience permanent change as people keep listening to us, as we keep presenting these ideas and thoughts out there. Again, whether we're trying to change someone intentionally or not, some of that change flows back on us.
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Now sometimes we've planned to do that, right? Sometimes we've planned to do that. Neil Hedley is seeking out a solution to his insomnia problems with his podcast, The Snooze Button. He's bringing on people, he's talking about it. So he is effectively trying to change himself first, or at least as much as he is trying to change the listeners with him.
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But for the majority, and I think for the majority of us, being changed by the podcast we are creating is just something that's happening. Whether we're paying attention to do it or not, it's happening.
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If we look and we start to pay attention, and we think about how we were at the beginning of our podcasting journey or how we were on episode one of our current podcast or where we're at now on episode, what is this 386? Yeah. We affect change and we are also affected by change.
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Now really, I'm not much of a self-help person. There's a huge industry out there of self-help gurus and authors and other things. My problem with that is that the more cynical side of my skeptic says a lot of those things are just peddling easy answers. And they are. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but that's kind of kept me away from the self-help thing.
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So don't take my words that I've just said here as, oh, he's just one of these weirdo self-help things as you - "you are the power to change yourself ." It's not that. It's just what's happening. It's real. We're seeing that.
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Now, I also, one more caveat, I think we pretty much are who we are. Deep down inside. I've never been one to ascribe to the thing - let me change the way I say that. I think, I believe almost completely that people don't change we just start revealing our true selves inside. But that can be a change that the outside world actually sees. But I do think even though we don't really change, there are some relatively decent changes that can happen to us over time that we should just accept it.
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We can, we're thinking beings, we're not forced to do the things - we're not forced to do anything. We can do whatever we want. We have free will. And these subtle shifts that we're making with our podcasts affect the listeners, but as well as they affect us. And not just shifts, I mean, these can create, and oftentimes do create, downright permanent change.
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And importantly, it goes both ways. Be advised of that.
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Now, buymeacoffee.com/evoterra is where you can go support the show. Speaking of changes, I've added a new section to the bottom of PodcastPontifications.com where I'm highlighting and displaying the supporters that I have, the people who sign up for a membership. So if you want to be on there , there's other perks they get, but that's one of the perks I'm trying to roll out for members. Buymeacoffee.com/evoterra to do that.
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And finally, tell a friend about Podcast Pontifications. Tell a friend who maybe is skeptical about podcasting or is trying to make some changes about their lives and podcasting. How can they do better with their podcast to make their podcasts better? Share Podcast Pontifications with them. I would really appreciate it. It's really the only way that this show actually grows.
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Think about how your podcast is changing you as much as your listeners, and I shall be back tomorrow with yet another Podcast Pontifications.
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Cheers!

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