In this episode, Lisa Mustard shares the story of how she started her podcast and the importance of connecting with an audience through different channels. Tune in to hear her discuss educator certification, burnout, networking, and staying grounded as she expands the reach of her podcast.
Meet Lisa Mustard
Lisa is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in South Carolina. She is also a wife to Billy, mama to two daughters, puppy wrangler, lover of health, wellness, and fitness, and a personal development junkie.
Lisa started her podcast because she was bored with the traditional modes of continuing education and professional development. She yearned for convenient education that was fun, interesting, inspiring, helpful, and easily accessible anywhere, anytime. And she couldn’t find what she was looking for, so she created it. When Lisa is not podcasting or seeing clients, she is at the gym, on a run or walk, spending time with her family, or wrangling the lovable yet incorrigible Lulu, Australian Shepherd/Pitbull puppy.
Starting Your Podcasting Career
Educating mental health professionals through podcasting is powerful because it allows them to access information beyond a conference setting. At the beginning of her podcasting career, Lisa completed courses through The National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC). Although certification is also possible at the state level, the NBCC is a better option because it allows educators to maximize their impact by reaching a more comprehensive range of audiences.
Making Progress and Overcoming Obstacles
Do not expect your final product to be perfectly polished for the first few episodes of your podcast career. Instead, focus on interviewing people that you find interesting. Although you may hit a wall after 20 or so episodes, if you can push through and remember why you love what you do, the work comes more smoothly. You will learn a lot and improve your work by staying consistent and keeping up your energy.
The Value of Your Network
For Lisa, marketing and web design were significant concerns when she started her podcast because she worked with limited resources. Thankfully, her professional network was able to refer her to people who could help with SEO, websites, and other specialized help. Networking is valuable because it is rewarding to see like-minded individuals with similar goals empower their community by supporting each other’s professional endeavors. Finding a mentor to work alongside is also highly beneficial.
Supplementing Your Podcast by Engaging With Listeners Online
Once you are comfortable producing episodes, you will want to increase your engagement with your audience by diversifying your outreach methods. To build more meaningful engagement with your audience, consider establishing a quality website, maintaining an email list, and offering other avenues of communication. Offering one-on-one coaching and a quiz for listeners seeking individualized growth beyond the podcast makes Lisa’s brand especially engaging.
Protecting Your Priorities as a Podcaster
Instead of striving for a perfect work-life balance, aim to identify your priorities. For many in the field, work may encroach upon values such as health and family. To protect your wellness, come up with three non-negotiable items to incorporate into your lifestyle (such as movement or rest) daily to track your contribution to your priorities. Setting time to reconnect with family, putting down the phone, and remembering what truly matters will help keep everything in perspective.