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The World Needs You To Be A Leader! 
Since December 2006, I’ve personally helped hundreds of individuals launch successful podcasts through my one-on-one consulting and coaching.  I have found one common thread among all podcasters who have achieved great success.  They each understood their role, as a leader and they each took that role seriously.

Being a leader is not about holding a certain “position” in an organization.  Having a degree from an institution does not make you a leader!

Leadership is more about how you have chosen to live your life.  Leadership is more about how you think, how you act, how you talk, the tone in your voice, etc.  Leadership means that you understand that you are influencing someone and that you don’t take that responsibility lightly.

One of the reasons that I love working with podcasters so much is due to the fact that they are influencing someone every single time they produce a podcast episode.  The world needs great leaders!  I believe that podcasters who take their leadership position seriously can make a positive difference in the lives of others.

The world needs you and your message!  They need you to be a leader!

Many people ask me how to grow the audience of their podcast.  I believe that one of the best things you can do is to BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!  To take yourself seriously!  To consider yourself to be a professional!  

If someone were to ask, “Why should I listen to your podcast?” you should be able to immediately give a thirty second response, with confidence, as to why they should never miss an episode.  I add more subscribers to all my shows by this one method alone!  It’s why I try to accept as many invitations as possible to be a guest on other podcasts.

Are you willing to invest in your future success?
Are you willing to be the greatest leader you can be?
Are you wiling to commit to your personal and professional growth?

If so, please consider The Podcast Mastermind…
 
 
What Is A Mastermind?
The concept of the mastermind group was formally introduced by Napoleon Hill in his book, “Think and Grow Rich.”

In the video below, Hill defines the mastermind by saying that “A group that consists of two or more people, who work in perfect harmony for the attainment of a definite purpose.”

Please watch this video, and then I’ll highlight a few key points below.

Key points from the video above:

• The mastermind is the principle through which you may borrow and use the education, the experience, the influence and perhaps the capital of other people in carrying out your own plans in life.

 

• The mastermind is the principle through which you can accomplish more, in one year, than you could accomplish without it in a lifetime, if you relied entirely on your own efforts for success.

 

• When you form a true mastermind alliance with others, and work with them in a spirit of perfect harmony, you can draw freely upon the spiritual forces within you in carrying out your plans and desires.

 

• The mastermind principle can give you absolute protection against failure, provided always that your purpose, in using this principle, is beneficial to all whom you influence.

 

• Control your mental attitude and make yourself friendly and agreeable with everyone whom you are closely associated if you expect friendly cooperation in return.

 

• A negative mental attitude can bring you nothing but failure.

 

• Remember always, you are where you are and what you are because of your mental attitude in which you relate yourself to other people.

 

• Your mental attitude is the one and the only thing over which you have complete control.

 

• Success in the higher brackets of achievement is something that can be had only by taking others along with you.

 

• The best definition of success is this: “Success is the knowledge with which to get whatever you want from life without violating the rights of others and by helping others to acquire it.”

 

• Your only real limitation is the one you accept and set up in your own mind.

I have studied the work of Napoleon Hill for several years now with a spirit of discernment. While I don’t always agree with the “higher power” with whom Hill attributes many of the truths he teaches, I have come to experience that every statement made above is undeniably true.

One of my favorite verses from the Bible is Proverbs 15:22 that says: “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”

Nearly every great achievement that I’ve made personally and professionally can be tied to the reality of the mastermind principle at work in my life.

Napoleon Hill said that there is no such thing as something for nothing. Everything, including your personal success, has a price that must be paid. He suggested that if you want to move forward on a path toward success, he suggested that you do three things:

1) Decide definitely where you wish to be and what you wish to be doing during the next three years.

2) Decide how much money you desire to be making and what you are going to do to earn it.

3) Involve yourself in a mastermind group.

I’ll be the first to tell you that you that you can do all of the above without any financial cost to you whatsoever. However, if you are a podcaster and you want to take your personal and professional life to a level you never dreamed possible, I encourage you to consider joining The Podcast Mastermind.
 
 
Description And Benefits of The Podcast Mastermind

Key Benefit #1 – The Mastermind Group:
The initial goal of The Podcast Mastermind is to grow to 100 podcasters, where each member has committed to being a part of a smaller mastermind group of no more than ten individuals. Each mastermind group will have two 90 minute meetings per month.

Within these mastermind groups, each individual is invested in the personal and professional growth of every member within the group!

The greatest benefits of The Podcast Mastermind include the synergy created by the accountability that comes from working on your goals in collaboration with others, the ability to use the experience and knowledge of others in your mastermind group and the invaluable feedback and support of other podcasters.

What Does This Mean To You?

- Dramatic improvements in both your personal and your professional life.

- You will have more focus and greater confidence in yourself and your abilities.

- You will have more clarity about what to do next.

- You’ll have the momentum and energy that you need to sustain you through those rough spots.

- You will experience less false starts and spend less time learning through trial and error.

- You will have a deeper understanding of how you are perceived by others.

- You will sharpen your leadership and communication skills.

- You will be giving and receiving support in a warm and friendly environment.

- You are going to achieve your goals faster than you ever thought possible.

Key Benefit #2 – The Podcast Mastermind Success Seminars
There will be a minimum of one Podcast Mastermind Success Seminar each month. These seminars will be led by hand-picked experts who are going to share with you top tips and information that you will need to ensure your personal, professional, and podcasting success.

These seminars will be held via GoToWebinar or a telephone conference calling service depending on the guest expert and content being delivered.

Unlike the two monthly mastermind group calls, you are NOT REQUIRED to attend these Podcast Mastermind Success Seminars as they are presented live. Each of these seminars will be recorded in high quality audio for the teleseminars or in HD video for the webinar sessions.

The entire catalog of the Podcast Mastermind Success Seminars, including all Podcast Answer Man digital training products, are available as a global benefit to all members of the Podcast Mastermind.

Key Benefit #3 – The Podcast Mastermind Online Member Portal

The most important function of the exclusive Podcast Mastermind Online Member Portal is its ability to allow members to stay in touch with other members of their mastermind group between the two monthly scheduled meetings.

One of the dangers of not staying in constant contact with other podcasters is that you may find something that works for you and stick with it. This may sound great. However, this approach will ultimately cause you to fall behind the curve and miss out on amazing opportunities to grow your brand and improve your productivity and effectiveness.

Every Podcast Mastermind member will post and describe a minimum of one valuable resource that they have found each month. These resources can be anything such as a web or mobile application, a WordPress plugin, an online service, a piece of specialized software, a book, etc.

The Podcast Mastermind Online Member Portal will also be the place where members will access all the recorded content mentioned in Key Benefit #2.

Key Benefit #4 – Amazing Promotion of Your Online Efforts to Others!
Over the years, I’ve developed a rather significant and extremely loyal online community around the shows that I produce. As I get to know each individual of The Podcast Mastermind more closely, I will come to understand their goals, hopes and dreams.

There is no doubt that as I create content for my various shows, I’ll be looking for natural ways to promote the online efforts of those within The Podcast Mastermind.

Also, as I have continued interactions with others through my one-on-one consulting/coaching and other various business pursuits, I know that I’ll be confronted with those “divine appointments” where I will be able to make a connection to folks that would have never happened had I not been so closely connected to those within The Podcast Mastermind.

The best part about this is that every member of The Podcast Mastermind is also a podcaster. This means that each and every member comes with an online community of people that they influence as well. I am sure that you can understand how the close connections and synergy with the other members of The Podcast Mastermind can take the promotion of your online efforts to a whole new level.

The Podcast Mastermind Is An Exclusive Organization!
Not everyone who applies for membership in The Podcast Mastermind is accepted. We are looking for very specific characteristics in those whom we consider for membership. Please look over the list below to see if you exhibit the main qualities we are looking for.

- You are a success-minded individual with a positive mental attitude! If you consistently see the glass half empty, you need not apply.

- You are a highly motivated individual. You have dreams and a determination to see those dreams become reality.

- You have a desire to gain more focus and clarity in your life and/or your brand.

- You have a willingness to commit several hours per month to your own personal and professional self improvement.

- You have a commitment to your own personal success as well as the success of every individual in your mastermind group (up to 9 other people within your group).

- You are unwilling to settle for an “ordinary” life. You are eager to pursue a life that fulfills you on new levels.

- You are passionate about your life and the work you do.

- You acknowledge that you have fears about the uncertainty of the future, but you are committed to moving forward, in spite of your fears, to progress through the plans you have set out to achieve your goals.

- You have a willingness to operate outside of your comfort zone when the need arises.

- You have the ability to graciously receive help, advice, criticism ,support and encouragement.

- You have the ability to graciously give help, advice, criticism, support and encouragement.

- You are willing to be held accountable to the goals you set for yourself.

- You are an active listener who seeks to first understand the real issue before offering advice.

- You take responsibility for your own success, and you refuse to place blame elsewhere for any failures you encounter.

- You are willing to invest time, money, emotion, willpower and energy into taking better care of yourself and creating the life you want.

- You are willing to give as much as you receive from the Podcast Mastermind Group.

- While circumstances may change, you have a very good idea of what you wish to be doing during the next three years.

- You are willing to make a make a minimum of a one-year commitment to The Podcast Mastermind should your application be accepted.

- You are willing to commit to the required attendance of the two 90-minute monthly mastermind group calls.

Are You Ready For The Podcast Mastermind?
If you struggle with several of the statements above, you may not yet be ready for The Podcast Mastermind. There are many people who are not yet ready to pursue success in their lives.

Prior to September 2007, I was not willing to take myself seriously. It sounds crazy, but I was actually afraid that I might succeed! While it was so easy for others to see the potential within me, I struggled to understand my value and my need to become the leader that I was designed to be.

Just like Henry Ford, my wife was among the first of ten individuals within my first personal mastermind. Through their encouragement, I overcame my fear of both failure and success and left my career in insurance behind. If you have not heard my full story, I encourage you to watch the entire video found at the bottom of my ABOUT PAGE.

When I took the bold step to leave my career in insurance and pursue my calling in life, did I find immediate success? Absolutely not! I failed hard and failed often. In 2008, my first year in business for myself, I had experienced more all-consuming fear, anxiety and doubt than I’d ever experienced in my life, combined, up until that point.

I recently released THIS PODCAST EPISODE where I shared, publicly to the whole world for the first time ever, the most scathing, negative and critical piece of feedback that I had ever received in all my podcasting history. If you LISTEN TO IT, you’ll hear that it is only due to the mastermind concept that I made it through those challenging times and pushed through to where I am today.

Are you ready for The Podcast Mastermind?
The ability to apply for charter membership to The Podcast Mastermind is currently available by invitation only. More details about the application process will be posted when we are ready to expand the group beyond the charter members.

If you have been one of my one-on-one consulting clients, Podcasting A to Z students, or a long-time member of the Podcast Answer Man community and you feel that you should be on the Charter Member Invitee List, please email me at Cliff@PodcastAnswerMan.com.

Subscribe To The Podcast Answer Man Podcast:

Please consider ReTweeting the following update to share this episode…

Details about The Podcast Mastermind are included in Podcast Answer Man episode 246. Link-> PodcastAnswerMan.com/mastermind

— Cliff Ravenscraft (@GSPN) January 27, 2012

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download

How Do I Get Rid of This Hiss Sound?
Tom called in and told us that he had a hiss sound when he talks into his microphone. While I didn’t have enough information to diagnose his problem, I did share how I typically go about troubleshooting such issues. The key is going through, step by step, to rule out problems within each item within the equipment setup.

Help! I have PDF documents in my iTunes Feed!
Kirk called in and said that he’s got an issue where iTunes is pulling in a PDF document that was linked to in the show notes of a recent podcast episode, but the .mp3 file would not come through. In the episode, I share how he can go about fixing this issue.

Are Facebook Fan Pages A Thing of The Past?
I am so happy to bring in my great friend, Erik J. Fisher, as our official gspn.tv Social Media Correspondent. This week, Erik brings us up to speed on an issue where Facebook fan pages are not getting as much exposure in the news feed as personal profile “subscriptions.” I encourage you to check out the full article that we discussed by clicking here.

Podcast Mastermind Group
I briefly mentioned that the Podcast Mastermind Group that I have been planning for the past few months is about to launch this weekend. If you would like become one of the charter members, please email me today at Cliff@PodcastAnswerMan.com.

Where Are They Now Interview
Jason Cabassi does a television show fan podcast called The Waking Dead Cast. The Waking Dead television show is based on one of the most successful and popular comic books of all time, written by Robert Kirkman.

The following description is from the show’s about page: “AMC’s The Walking Dead captures the ongoing human drama following a zombie apocalypse. The series follows a group of survivors, led by police officer Rick Grimes, who are traveling in search of a safe and secure home. However, instead of the zombies, it is the living who remain that truly become the walking dead.”

Jason and his co-host Karen were huge fans of the television series and they had already been enjoying lengthy conversations about the tv show before deciding to podcast about it.

In the early part of our interview, you hear that Jason actually launched his fan podcast several months before the television show actually started. As a result, he thought that he would have the first fan podcast devoted to the show. Jason was shocked, however, to learn that there were already two other Walking Dead podcasts that had already launched before him. I think this is valuable information because, as you hear later in the interview, the fact the he was not the first to market did not keep him from experiencing a tremendous amount of success in getting the actors on to his show, doing something that he’s not able to share due to a non-disclosure agreement, and the potential of actually being on the show in the next season.

I hope that this is a source of inspiration for those of you who became discouraged to learn that there were already a number of podcasts devoted to the niche topic that you wanted to focus on with your podcast. I was about the fifth or sixth LOST podcast out there and that single show led to my currently full-time career in podcasting. So don’t worry about the others in your niche field. Create your unique show and get your voice out there!

An interesting note about Jason is that he is a technical writer by day and he used to work for Apple. He actually wrote the owners manual for the first ever iPod and the iPhone. It was when Apple decided to incorporate podcasting into iTunes that he was first introduced to the world of Podcasting. At first, he was very skeptical of the idea of listening to content created by random people without professional broadcast training. However, it did not take him long at all to find a few shows that were created around topics for which he was passionate about to quickly turn him into a fan of audio podcasts.

I hope that you find the conversation with Jason inspiring to you in your own podcasting journey and that you’ll be able to use that inspiration to take your own show to the next level.

Blue Host Affiliate Signups
Special thanks to the folks behind http://88888ee.com for using my Blue Host affiliate link this past week to create their hosting account. As you know, I earn a commission each time someone clicks through my link to sign up with Blue Host. So thank you!

Random Plug of The Week
This week’s random plug of the week goes out to the How To Be Happy Podcast from Jared & Emily Akers. If you take some time to check out their podcast, please let them know that you heard about them from The Podcast Answer Man.

PODCAST CONSULTING: I’m available for one on one podcast consulting and coaching. Whether you want someone to get everything set up for you or you just need a little help along the way, I’d love to work with you. Please take a look at my consulting/coaching options.

PODCAST VIDEO TUTORIALS: I also have a growing list of video tutorials that I have created based up on the the top things my clients have hired me to help them with. See the full list of tutorials by clicking here.

Subscribe To The Podcast Answer Man Podcast:

Please consider ReTweeting the following update to share this episode…

Are Facebook Fan Pages A Thing of The Past? Details on this & so much more on episode 245 of Podcast Answer Man! podcastanswerman.com/245

— Cliff Ravenscraft (@GSPN) January 19, 2012

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