Two and a half days. Twenty-five pages of notes. More knowledge than I can possibly share here. The Podcast Movement conference was honestly the best conference I have ever been to. Not simply because of the attention to detail and how smoothly everything went, but because of the incredible sessions and the connections with other podcasters and speakers. I can say now that Aisha Tyler, who is laugh-out-loud funny, also possesses the ability to make me cry.

Why so incredible? Podcasting is not new and yet it still has an aura of freshness. A palpable sense of excitement buzzed through the Omni in Fort Worth. Coming straight from a blogging conference, the difference in atmosphere was staggering. Everyone I talked to had an excitement about their podcast, whether they are on their 50th episodes or just gearing up to launch.

I met Taylor Bradford from Pink Heels Pink Truck and the Boss Girl Creative podcast. She and I had been friends online but never actually me, so it was great to have another person I could hang around with and share notes and observations.

Inspiration: I feel like this was a ten-way tie. Hearing Sarah Koenig from Serial was incredible. It was like EXPERIENCING an episode of Serial. I got to meet John Lee Dumas before his keynote and was so impressed with how kind and generous and real he was. I'm a huge fan of Pat Flynn, so getting to hear him talk (and beat box) put a giant smile on my face. He had some really neat stories (that I mention in this episode) and shared his vulnerabilities and fears with us.

What impressed me most about the speakers across the board was how incredibly willing they were to connect. They took time to talk to EVERYONE. They did not put on airs. Katie Kimitsos, who led a session on community, talked with me and Taylor at the end of the conference about some of the things she is working on and her goals.

I really loved getting to meet Cliff Ravenscraft, aka The Podcast Answerman. He had a meet up I attended before things officially started and I got to actually talk in person about my podcast. When I had a few questions after the conference, he dived into the comment thread to answer. THAT is the kind of connection I felt as a theme of the conference and was very much what Cliff talked about in his session. He had so many great things to say, many of which impacted this episode.

Can I tell you about this episode? It's a little weird. 

There's no music, first of all. Just me. While I LOVE the music that my friend Josh of Unbroken Light put together for me when I called in a favor when I started the podcast, I want to shift a few things and I think shifting the music is a must. When listening to a session on email newsletters, Maritza Parra challenged us to think about niche and to be even MORE niche than we already are. What could be more niche than a podcast for writers and creatives dealing with the passion and practice behind making good art?

PLENTY.

The more I thought about it, the more I saw this podcast as a place for the worn out. The burned out. The tapped out. The down and out. I feel like this podcast provides inspiration and tools for writers and other creatives who find themselves in that boat. The vision isn't wholly different than the one I came in with, but it is more specific and I think better helps me think about my goals.

Which brings me to my biggest two goals after Podcast Movement: 

1. Sound. (Thanks, Meron!!!)

2. Connection.

I want to connect better with my guests. To have amazing interviews, not just GOOD interviews.