[Transcript starts at 1:04]
Hello, hello, hello, my podcast people. And thank you for joining me for yet another episode of Maestro on the Mic. If you are watching, if you are listening, if you're tuning in on a day that it drops, it is Monday, November 18th. The month is flying, especially because I am literally recording this 30 seconds after the last one that I recorded, uh, which was last Monday's episode.
That's episode six, six 31. Who's your biggest fan? I really had a fun time recording that. So if you haven't listened to it, go back and listen to it. But all that to say no life updates. We're gonna jump right on into the episode today. So I want to, today I want to talk about something that I got asked on a podcast I was recently on, one that is going to release.
I don't know, maybe like in December. I was a guest, a repeat guest on Claire Palatro's podcast. So hold on, let me look at this thing. Just changing that. Okay. Uh, if you're watching this, if you're watching YouTube, I just touch the screen cause the little red square was not on my face and I was like, is it, is it focused?
I don't know. Uh, but hopefully it's focused now. Uh, it looked focused, but. It was not definitely not my face. So, uh, I have been asked this question before a bunch and I actually, I typically turn it around and I speak about how not to run out of ideas for content. But today I'm just going to straight up talk about the question I get asked, which is what do I do when I run out of content ideas for content?
And I'm like, you know, that's very making an assumption there that I actually run out. Um, but. Here's what I do. So first off, I am always going to do my best to absolutely just keep putting out more content. That is, that is at the default for me. Like momentum for me beats motivation every single time. Uh, and we all know once you stop, it's like really hard as fuck to get back.
Started going again, so I'd rather just not stop. Full transparency with this though, I, as like, as of today, I haven't been posting as much as I usually do. Um, mainly because of life, and by life I mean the election and just like all of my thoughts in my head and me working through them and you know.
Dealing with all of them, uh, so that I can then have a better headspace and be able to create content. But you know, all the podcast episodes come out. It's just what has fallen to the wayside is, is making reels and posts, but I still have done some, um, but not as much as I normally do. So by the time this comes out though, it's going to be the 18th and I will be back on full posting.
So maybe ignore that a little bit, but also just wanted the transparency there. But like I was saying, I try my best to just. Keep going, which is why actually I will go back to what I was saying. I'm still putting stuff out, like it's just not as much as I normally do, but I will still do my best because momentum beats motivation.
So I spoke about this really regarding the podcast, this idea of running out of deals for content and needing to take a break. Um, I spoke about this with a, with a client recently and he asked straight up how often I need to just take a break from content, namely the podcast. And I said, never. Um, but I followed it up with, I also don't have kids.
And he went on to say that his wife had actually just gone away for a few days and he was, you know, solo parenting. And, uh, he was taking a lot of time to do something that, and lean into something that he hadn't leaned into for the past 18 months, which was simply being present and not just being nose to the grindstone.
And I was like, yeah, that's a great fucking reason to stop. Like. Absolutely. Uh, so that little part right there, that's my way of throwing in there that I am fully aware that I have more time to make content, objectively, I have more time than, than many people. And that is intentional. I have created and curated my life as such.
Um, I don't want kids. I never have wanted kids. I want time for me and I want time to do the things that I want to do. And I feel no kind of way about saying that. I feel no kind of way about that. AKA I don't feel bad. AKA I feel very good about it. Um, but to get into the tactical side of things, of what I do when I'm not super inspired.
Number one, I think I got six points here. Number one, I pull from a running list. I stay talking about this. So if you've ever heard me speaking about content creation, you already know this. I use the notes folder, the notes app in my, my iPhone, and I organize all those notes into different folders. And I have a folder for every different part of my business and the different types of content that I have to make.
Anytime I have an idea, I drop it in there and then I have a running list and I can pull from that running list. When I'm not feeling super inspired, right? And obviously I check things off when I, when I actually post that content or create that type of content. Um, y'all know that I am not a planner when it comes to content and that then a content calendar would absolutely not be helpful for me.
Like the thought of one, I'm just like, I would throw it in the trash. Like, I don't even want to fucking make one, nevermind, stick to one. But if that would help you by all means, lean all the fuck the way there, right, all, all the way in. Uh, number two thing that I do, uh, poll people. All right. If I'm running out, I don't have anything, any ideas for content, poll people.
Um, I will suggest, or I will say, do not rely on this though, because people don't always have something to say. They don't know sometimes what they want to see, uh, until they see it. Uh, It can take time for people to get back to you. So if you like put up a story in your, in your Instagram, it can take time for them to message back and then, or answer it.
And then you're like, I'm sitting here waiting. So if you're going to do that, do that early on. Uh, and sometimes you may just not like what people have as suggestions. You're like, I don't want to make content about that. So don't rely on it. But definitely if people do write back, number one, thank them.
And then number two, add all of that, all of those suggestions to your notes, because there may come a time where you're like, actually, like, I am feeling like, Making that piece of content. Third suggestion, bring back an old piece of content, right, or bring back an old topic. So this is definitely easier if you have way more content to pull from and you've been doing this for a bit.
You could do it verbatim. Like my Thursday throwbacks is literally I just pulled an episode. I will, you know, change the intro, but it's the same exact episode. You can repurpose an idea or you can You know, you get to choose, you can, how you want to do it. Even this episode right now, like, this is something that came up, but I was also like, I've done an episode about this before, but I'm repurposing this, um, and the idea for this came from the conversations I've had, but like, yes, I already have this content out there.
Uh, I do want to use this to mention And speak about where you are in your content creation journey and how that plays a role. So if you're just in the beginning, then I'm going to say, force it. Don't bring back new content, old content, rather just like make, force someone to make something new. Like I know I stay saying nothing good ever came from anything forced, but let's maybe use a different word and say, uh, push through it, right?
If you're in the beginning, part of the reason that you don't have anything that you feel like you don't have anything to talk about is that you're Like you're trying to get over yourself and you're just trying to build a habit. You haven't built that habit yet, right? You haven't gotten over your shit yet.
Quantity can absolutely be get quality and it will help you get over your shit, get past yourself. And because you're usually in the beginning, you're kind of like, Oh, it's not gonna be that good. Someone else has said it. And you don't realize the value of saying something that someone else has already said, the value of saying something that's something that you've already said, the value of somebody saying the things that you want to say.
You have to get past that. Right. So I will say push, if you're in the beginning, push through as opposed to repeating content. If you're seasoned, then yeah, listen to this. Like, Hey, I'm feeling I'm not super inspired to listen to this. And, and don't be afraid to pull the old stuff or just do it. Take a straight up break, which is not point number four.
Take a straight up break. This is not something that I lean into often, but I want to offer it up as a suggestion. I don't say that until I be like, I'm better than you. I literally, I said in the very beginning, it's just the momentum is just way easier for me. Um, so this is something that I want to offer up as a suggestion because.
Literally, no one's going to die if you stop the podcast for a week or you stop the newsletter for a week. Like, the world is going to continue on, uh, but I try to always keep something going. Um, when I say something, I mean like I have so many different types of content that I'm creating and I'm pretty sure, and also just keep it going in some way, shape or form.
So I'm pretty sure that in the beginning when I did my podcast was I took a, I took it down to one episode a week during the summer instead of taking like a summer break. Right. I believe this was like, it's been, I've been doing this shit for many, many years now, you know, since 2014. But, um, you know, even now, like I have the Thursday episodes that I'm doing is reruns instead of me just not doing anything there.
Um, but regarding those straight up breaks, if you need these constantly, like I constantly need to take a break. I would be asking myself if the frequency is simply too much, the volume is too much. Ask yourself what's more sustainable and what allows for more consistency and that works. For you and then lean into that.
But again, breaks are not bad by any means. If you do have to keep taking them, I would question if the volume is too much and that's fine if it is, let's just look to change it. Uh, I I'm, I'm not against like, Working hard and grinding. Like I almost said, they're like, Oh, this isn't about grind culture, but like you want outcomes, you got to fucking work, like there's no like way around it, I'm not trying to be all like soft with the messaging here, putting in the time and the effort and the volume and the reps, it is helpful.
And Annie and I just talked about this on her, on her, the interview I did with her, like, there's something incredibly valuable about. putting your nose down, putting your head down and like getting those things out there and creating that content. But it has to be on a, uh, at a cadence that's sustainable for you, right?
Like, yeah, it'd be great if you could just like fucking go sprint, but like, if you can't sustain that and you keep walking and stopping, like maybe just go slower so you can just keep going. So all that to say with that, like. There is value and the person that posts daily will likely get to their goals faster than the person who is posting once every never, if the daily posting is sustainable for that person.
All right. Okay. On to the next one. Number five. Uh, if you, if I run out of ideas for content, reconfigure the way that you create content or reconfigure how you content, reconfigure how you create content. Uh, this is especially for my seasoned folks. The translation here is maybe it's time for change. All right, I'm kind of feeling this way about the podcast, um, I'm feeling like I said everything I want to say.
I'm like, I've already said that. It's 600 something plus episodes. Um, I wouldn't stop the podcast because I love this medium. I love talking. Um, but, um, I would likely just start a different one with a different focus. More that's like just directly about building and living your best life. I already know that like Instagram and social media and online business would come up in it though.
So I, I don't know, I'm sitting with it. We'll see what the new year brings, but all that to say, it's okay to put that out into the ether that maybe the thing that you've been doing for a really long time has run its course and that's why you're like, I don't really have ideas that I'm excited about.
Again, this is for my seasoned people, right? Maybe you're feeling constrained by the niche and it's time to switch. Time to switch the niche. Um, I say this cautiously and again, I'm largely saying this to my seasoned folks, though life is too short to be doing shit that you hate. So if you're not seasoned and you're hating what you're doing, please change it.
Just understand that it means that you're starting from the beginning. If you're seasoned, you're not necessarily starting from scratch or from the beginning, especially if the niche is tangential to your current niche. Um, like my move from online business, excuse me, my move into online business from all my, you know, teaching of movement and stuff like that, because now I teach movement professionals, so it's, you know, same demographic there.
But, um, you know, even if the move you make isn't, Tangential. You'll still have some people, especially if they trust you, but probably less. So just something to consider that maybe the thing has run its course. And this is me just literally putting it into the ether because sometimes that just needs to happen.
It needs to be said. It needs to be put out there that like this thing has run its course. I don't know. Uh, and lastly, accept that sometimes content creation will be slow, having ideas will be slow or difficult, and you just push through. So, this is tying into point number three, but I wanted to make it its own point because There's value in it, right?
So this year, my word of the year is write, W R I T E. So even when I'm not super inspired, I push myself to figure something out, especially, you know, for my, for my newsletter. I will also say though, that I am, it is easier for me to figure out something to write than it is for the podcast. I think it's somewhat easier, um, maybe because for my newsletter, it's more about life than it is like specifically about online business, whereas the podcast is like specifically about online business or more specifically about online business, and I'm like, I've already said it.
Um, so this is also what has me thinking, like maybe it's time to evolve the podcast, but we'll see. But also I'd love to hear your feedback on that. Um, but. In terms of action items to help you push through and just be like, I'm going to create, uh, for me, movement always helps. So I spoke about this a ton.
I will write while I lift. I'll write outlines of things. I'll write outlines of like presentations I'm giving while I lift. I have a big whiteboard down there. I can do it on my phone, whatever is easiest, depends on my mood. Um, I will talk while I walk. So if I'm out on a walk, I will just use the voice note, uh, not voice note, the talk to text.
Um, I don't usually like using the, the voice note, but I'll use talk to text. Um, or I'll just write the outline for things while I'm on my walk. Walking pad. So I'm actually on it right now. I'm not obviously, I'm not walking on it, but I'm standing on it right now. And sometimes while I'm, you know, looking to do the outline for the, for the podcast, it comes easier if I am moving.
So I will 100 percent lean into that. The advice I have for, uh, This is advice I have for anyone, irrespective of where you are at in your content journey, though, like I said, in point three, this is definitely, definitely, definitely something that I will emphasize for folks that are earlier on in their content creation journey.
They're more than newbies and they haven't just, they just haven't built that muscle yet. Like this is just like going to the gym. It can take some time to want to go to the gym and be excited about going to the gym. And even after that, you will have days when you're like, I'm not excited to go. But by then you can lean on just discipline because you've built that, that muscle, that quote unquote for real, for real muscle, if you will.
Right. Cause you'd build the muscle. It's. You can lean on discipline. You can lean on, it's part of your identity now and you just go. So there you have it. Six things that I do when I run out of ideas for content. Number one, pull from a running list. Number two, poll people. Number three, bring back an old topic.
Number four, take a straight up break. Number five, reconfigure how I create content. Maybe it's time for a change. That's a big one. Rachel Strickland. That one was for you, uh, and number six, accept that sometimes we'll be slower or more difficult with content creation and just, just push through. All right, that's all I got for you for today.
That's it. Would love to hear from you if the spirit moved you. If not, Well, then that's okay too. But that's number two, which is pull the people. Anything you want to hear, any topics you want, um, or if you have thoughts about making a new podcast, I do have an idea around that and I might, I don't know, we'll see, uh, but as always, endlessly appreciative for you listening to my rambles until next time, friends maestro.
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