I'm speaking at several events in the coming months: Phoenix Startup Week, Podfest Expo, and Podcast Movement, with more coming. Plus some new workshops/seminars I'll soon be announcing right here in Phoenix. 

And that's got me to thinking about ways to convince your employer to send you to a podcasting conference. 

As you'll hear in this short episode, I have a love/hate relationship with conferences. I love my time on stage, plus all the time that goes into making sure I create an entertaining and engaging experience for the audience in attendance. 

But there's a lot I hate, like networking and dealing with pushy trade-floor vendors.

I don't say this often: Don't be like me.

You'll get (and hopefully bring back) valuable, first-hand information at conferences like these. You'll meet great people that can spark collaborations. And you'll learn what the future has in store, not just for your show, but for podcasting as a whole. 

I give some actionable tips in the episode. And deal with my own anxiety. Thanks for suffering through. And again, don't be like me. (In this very specific case, as least.)

Mentioned in this episode:

Support For Abortion Rights

While Americans overwhelmingly support the right of an individual to make their own decisions about abortion, unfortunately, that right is no longer protected everywhere in the U.S. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade on June 24th.

Abortion is a basic healthcare need for the millions of people who can become pregnant. Everyone should have the freedom to decide what’s best for themselves and their families, including when it comes to ending a pregnancy. This decision has dire consequences for individual health and safety, and could have harsh repercussions for other landmark decisions.

Restricting access to comprehensive reproductive care, including abortion, threatens the health and independence of all Americans. Even if you live in a state where abortion rights are upheld, access to safe medical procedures shouldn’t be determined by location, and it shouldn't be the privilege of a small few.

You can help by donating to local abortion funds. To find out where to donate for each state, visit donations4abortion.com.

If you or someone you know needs help, or if you want to get more involved, here are 5 resources:

1. ShoutYourAbortion.com is a campaign to normalize abortion.

2. DontBanEquality.com is a campaign for companies to take a stand against abortion restrictions.

3. Abortion.cafe has information about where to find clinics.

4. PlanCPills.org provides early at-home abortion pills that you can keep in your medicine cabinet.

5. Choice.CRD.co has a collection of these resources and more.

We encourage you to speak up! And spread the word.

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy