The Much Love Podcast is now on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and more!

Happy Holidays from N8 Ventures!

I hope this holiday season has been restorative! As I spent the final two weeks savoring time with loved ones, I also made space to reflect on what the year meant for me. 2023 was a year of massive change! Rather than dive into all areas of change, I want to focus on my greatest creative joy…The Much Love Podcast.

In 2022, I finally took action on a long-time dream…starting a podcast. Occupied by other ventures, I made time where I could find it. By year’s end, I published my first six episodes. Many of these performed quite well! As I reflected on the process, I learned I had a lot of room for improvement.

Heading into 2023, my goal was simple…double my creative output. Commit to publishing at least 12 episodes. As of today, there are 20 full episodes on my YouTube channel (plus a handful of live-stream events)! I’ve experimented with cover graphics, guests, topics, episode length, and other details. This is what I found to be most important:

1. Consistency: People who enjoyed the content want it to be available regularly.

2. Authenticity: The conversations I get the most feedback on featured a guest who felt comfortable being vulnerable.

3. Shareability: Many people found my podcast after it was shared via social, email, or even text message.

How will I improve in 2024?

1. Study the craft: In December, I have been taking Danny Miranda’s “The Art of Interviewing” course. He has massively increased my focus, and I will be sharing a full course review in January.

2. Focus on the audience: I love my guests, but I need to care even more about the listeners. What actionable insights can I help bring out with the guest that will give the audience a reason to share 30-60 minutes of their lives with us?

3. Implement a process: I am treating the podcast just like any other business. I’ve built a funnel to track the entire process:
   outreach → scheduling → recording → editing → publication
   This structure makes the activity scalable and repeatable.

4. Become more accessible: The biggest complaint I’ve received is having the show only on YouTube. I started in one place to build the habit. Most podcasts quit after 3 episodes. Now that I have two years of commitment, it is time to be more readily available.

Episode 20: Isa Watson x Squad for Sports

In this episode, I engage in a conversation with Isa Watson, a sports tech entrepreneur, exploring topics such as the growing instances of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, the intricate nature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the significance of fostering constructive dialogues. Isa candidly shares her encounters with speaking out against anti-Semitism and the subsequent challenges she faced. She underscores the importance of embracing diverse perspectives and refraining from labeling individuals based on their viewpoints. The discussion also touches on the surge in Islamophobia, shedding light on the difficulties encountered by both Jewish and Muslim communities and the broader implications of racism in different contexts.

Isa delves into her role as the founder and CEO of Squad, a sports fan engagement platform, emphasizing the platform's mission to strengthen societal bonds through sports. The conversation extends to Isa Watson's personal experiences with segregation and integration in the United States, highlighting the persistent systemic racism and inequality even after integration efforts. Affirmative action's purpose and common misconceptions are also addressed in the discussion, exploring issues related to structural inequality and double standards, particularly within hiring practices.

What else can I improve?

If you’ve watched an episode, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

• What did you like?

• What made you turn it off?

• How can I do better?

• Who would you love to see on the show?

Reply to this message, or send me an email at [email protected].

Wishing you a happy, healthy new year!

Much Love,
N8