How to Follow, Rate & Review Podcasts in Apple Podcast App

Producing one podcast for The Impact of Leadership takes about 5 hours (at a minimum).   Booking the interview, researching guests, creating an outline, doing the interview, recording the intro/outro, editing audio (Nico does this), editing headshots, uploading to WordPress...it all adds up. Then there’s the audiograms/social media kit.   We’ve published over 130 podcasts since January of 2019. That’s a lot of hours put in.   Patrick and I launched the IOL Community in September of 2021 to bring more value to more leaders.   All these efforts have been fueled by a passion to equip, connect and grow leaders while having fun.   And that is still the case.   But I need a break.     Unplug, Untangle In episode 114, Dr. Michalea O’Donnell told us we can’t do it all. She speaks directly to symptoms of burnout and uses an analogy of traveling with her kids.   “When we’re in the car, and my kids are trying to watch a show on their tablets, often their headphone cord gets all twisted up. And there’s not really a good way to sort it out unless you unplug and then untangle it. It’s the same with leaders.”   “First, you unplug. Then you untangle.”   Since recording her episode, that phrase has stuck with me over the last few months.   All of the mental space I had for creativity and brainstorming was occupied by thoughts of the next steps.   Plus, I have a full-time job with CCB Technology, where I lead a team of thirteen.   IOL is a startup with only two employees—me and Patrick. It’s not that easy to leave and get coverage.   So, what do you do? Keep running until you either have more help or die. For me, there was a third option.   Prep, Step Back, Rejoin Patrick saw it coming and said, “I’d rather have you take a break now and come back than burn out and walk away.”   Good leadership.     But how? I do everything for the podcast, minus editing. Every other week I publish a blog. Emails daily come in about guests for the podcast and new members.   “It FEELS like this thing we’ve built will come to a screeching halt if I step back.”   Not true. The house won’t fall if I go for a walk.     There’s a lot of prep work to take a step back, though. Here’s what we did. ·         We met multiple times about “who’s doing what and when.” ·         Dates were established for my break ·         I outlined every step for producing a podcast in case Patrick wants to jump in o   Roughly twenty steps, eight follow-along videos, and seven email attachments ·         All the necessary re-releases are uploaded and scheduled for publishing   Those four bullet points were about 20-25 hours of work. And the regular stuff still had to be completed.   It’s been worth it. Patrick has what he needs, and he knows I’m not disappearing.     The prep has been done. The step-back part is next. So that I can rejoin with renewed vision and energy.     You Can’t Give What You Don’t Have My encouragement to you as a leader is to step back and get some oxygen if you feel the fire shrinking.   You might have to get creative and also put in 2x the hours upfront to pause.   Not doing it will have worse ramifications than powering through.   If you have thoughts or questions about this blog, hit me up. I’m easy to find on LinkedIn.   I’d be happy to expand on my mental state, goals, things I was beginning to slip on...etc.   It might take a few weeks for me to get back to you, though 😊   NEED MORE?  Hire us to speak at your next event Check out our library of 125+ podcasts aid in your growth as a leader! Go to our YouTube and LinkedIn pages for more encouraging content.  

My wife and I have been attending a six-week parenting class at our church. Even though we’ve been parents for over eleven years, we’ve got a lot to learn.   We have three boys and one girl; ages range from eleven to five.   It’s a lot. It’s wonderful. It’s challenging. And time slips away like water in your hand.   Being a parent is more important than anything you do at the office.   To keep that idea going, the following are a few inexpensive ideas to help us in our parenting.   Presence I had the greatest interruption of my adult life on a recent Friday afternoon. One of my best friends showed up at my door unannounced. He lives in Washington D.C. I live in WI.   The 40 minutes together were so sweet. We smashed as much as we could in that conversation.   Why did it feel like I’d not talk to Troy for another year? I could text or call him anytime.   And why was it such an enriching moment in my day? (Outside of not expecting it)   He was here. We were together. My very good friend was at my house. We were focused on the conversation. The only distraction was the limited time we had.   As parents, our presence can not be understated. Much like the difference between a text exchange and a friend at your door, our kids need us WITH them.   Ideas: Put your phone away Weekly alone time, just you and the child A surprise visit to your kid’s school Take them out a few hours early?   Here’s a quote Troy dropped on me during our time together. “The essence of parenting is presence.” -Kevin Vanhooser   Fun Kids must see their parents laugh, be silly and enjoy simple games. One of the main reasons I believe this is that fun aids in building relationships.   It communicates something words sometimes can’t. Fun knits conversations together and becomes a pattern of interaction.   As parents, we know it’s not all fun and games. It’s a ton of correction, guidance, and discipline.   Relationship precedes effective discipline.   Ideas: Dinner time, play the question card game Or Pieface BirthDATE = special night Monthly The date is of the child’s birthDAY Stay up later, eat something sweet, watch a movie, play a game Mini “Yes Day” I am not advocating for an all out yes day like the movie...that’s cra cra Dollar amount, timeframe, parameters Family movie night! Weekly/monthly Rotate who gets to pick   Structure The creativity of your child will not be damaged by you setting boundaries.   Mary Shelly--words and ideas to produce Frankenstein. Jackson Pollak--paint and a canvas to produce paintings. Stevie Wonder-- notes, time signatures, and instruments to produce music. Christopher Nolan--180 minutes or less to convey an epic story.   I’m oversimplifying to make a point. These creators all have restrictions. The rules of their craft don’t dampen their creativity.   The rules of your family don’t have to damage your child's creativity. One functional way to look at boundaries for our kids is to establish routines.   Routines give comfort to children because they know what to expect. And they know what’s expected of them. I’m not saying routines will spark creativity. My point is that structure/boundaries/restrictions/routines don’t have to result in impeding creativity.   Ideas:  “Books before breakfast.” My buddy Ryan does this with his kids No TV, video games, or toys before breakfast It doesn't mean they MUST read before breakfast Bedtime Starts at *enter specific time* Read, sing a song, ask one animal question, say a prayer...etc. Celebrating Saturday Doughnuts, chocolate chip pancakes, or some other goodness Mom gets to sleep in; coffee and breakfast brought to her by the kids Pajamas all-day   Take what you like, leave what you don’t.   Soak up the kid years; they’ll be gone before the work years are. NEED MORE?  Hire us to speak at your next event Check out our library of 100+ podcasts aid in your growth as a leader! Go to our YouTube and LinkedIn pages for more encouraging content.