Episode 110: The Numbers That Aren't the Point

Last week, I talked about community and why having the right people around you can make the difficult parts of the journey a little easier. This week, I'm pulling back the curtain even more and talking about something that can make those difficult parts feel a lot worse: the numbers.

Whether you're writing books, running a podcast, building a business, posting online, or trying to turn something you enjoy into something bigger, there is always another number you can check. Downloads. Sales. Revenue. Followers. Views. Rankings. The numbers don't necessarily lie, but they also don't tell the entire story.

When I recorded this episode, the previous episode had seven downloads after being out for six days. From June through August, this podcast had 73 downloads even though I barely released anything during that period. Those aren't massive numbers, and I'm not going to pretend they are. But there are still real people behind them, and that matters more to me than trying to make this podcast look bigger than it is.

The same thing has been happening with my writing. I had been averaging around $10 to $13 a day in book revenue, which would put me somewhere around $300 to $390 a month if that pace continued. Then I suddenly had several slower days back to back, including a day where I made less than two dollars. When you've finally started seeing some progress, watching those numbers fall can mess with your head quickly.

It becomes easy to start asking what you should change. Maybe I should run ads. Maybe I should only write whatever genre is popular right now. Maybe I should research what other podcasts are doing and start talking about the same things. There will always be something you can change in an attempt to make the numbers go up, but eventually you have to ask whether you're still creating what you actually want to create.

In this episode, I discuss:

Why constantly checking numbers and dashboards can become a trap

The actual download numbers behind The Books By Josh Audio Immersion

Why seven people listening still means something to me

How easy it is to compare your numbers to creators who appear more successful

Why I don't want podcast numbers deciding what I talk about

The temptation to chase whatever book genres or topics are currently popular

Why creating only for money can eventually pull you away from what you enjoy

My recent book revenue averaging around $10 to $13 a day

What it felt like when that suddenly dropped to less than two dollars on one day

Why I'm continuing to focus on organic growth before deciding whether to run ads

What years of working in sales and retention taught me about good days and bad days

Why several bad days don't automatically mean everything you've built has stopped working

The problem with turning today's numbers into a prediction about tomorrow

Why the value of something isn't always visible on a dashboard

I've been creating content for more than a decade and writing for almost two decades. I've had projects that went nowhere, things that made money, things that didn't, and plenty of times where the numbers made me question whether continuing made sense. The internet makes it easy to believe everyone else figured out some shortcut that you somehow missed, especially when you're constantly seeing videos telling you how easy it is to make money online.

The reality is that some people will make money and some won't. Some days will be great and others will be terrible. I've seen the same thing throughout my years working in sales and retention. You can have days where everything seems to work and then have another day where almost nothing does. You still have to come back the next day and try again.

Numbers are useful. I'm not saying to ignore them. They can show you what's working, what's changing, and where you might need to adjust. The problem starts when the number becomes the entire reason you're doing something or when one bad day convinces you that everything you've been working toward suddenly doesn't matter.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. How much attention do you pay to the numbers behind what you're working toward, and have you ever caught yourself letting a bad day convince you that you were failing?

The Books By Josh Audio Immersion is a reflective podcast focused on perspective, growth, and the quiet lessons we often overlook. Each episode is an invitation to slow down, think differently, and explore ideas that don't always fit into neat categories.

Episode 109: Community

Last week, I talked about imposter syndrome and what happens when success finally starts showing up but you still question whether you deserve it. This week, I'm looking at something that can make that journey a little easier: community.

A few weeks ago, I attended Port Chester's Unity Day, an event that's been bringing people together for longer than I've been alive. Being there made me start thinking about the different communities I've had throughout my life and the one I've slowly built through my books, this podcast, and BooksByJosh.com.

I may only know a small percentage of the people who follow my work personally, but every listener, reader, review, comment, and email reminds me that I'm not creating completely alone. This podcast and my website don't directly make me money, and that's never really been the point. I've always wanted them to be places where I could share whatever knowledge, experience, or perspective I have with people who might find value in it.

Community also goes beyond an audience. It's your friends, family, mentors, coworkers, business connections, gym partners, and the people you choose to surround yourself with. The right people can motivate you, teach you something you didn't know, give you somewhere to vent, or simply remind you to keep moving when progress feels slow.

In this episode, I discuss:

Growing up in a large family and why community has always been part of my life

How attending Port Chester's Unity Day made me think differently about my own community

Building a community through my books, podcast, website, readers, and listeners

Why I continue creating free content even though my podcast and website don't directly make money

The importance of mentorship, networking, and learning from people ahead of you

Why the people you surround yourself with can influence your habits and direction

The importance of bringing value to a community instead of only taking from it

Having people who can motivate you, teach you, or simply give you somewhere to vent

Why friendships and communities naturally change as we move through different stages of life

The difficulty of building something when success can take years to finally appear

How AI has helped my creative workflow while also making an already crowded creator market even more competitive

Why having people around you matters when the difficult parts of the journey eventually arrive

I've been writing for almost two decades, podcasting for nearly a decade, and running my website for around a decade. A lot of the results I'm beginning to see now didn't happen quickly. When you're working toward something for that long, having people around you—even if they're simply listening, reading, encouraging you, or sharing the journey—can make a bigger difference than you realize.

Communities won't always stay the same. People leave, friendships change, and sometimes you eventually move on from a group that once meant everything to you. The important thing is continuing to find people you can learn from, contribute to, and lean on when the inevitable storms show up.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Who makes up your community today, and how have the people around you changed as you've grown?

The Books By Josh Audio Immersion is a reflective podcast focused on perspective, growth, and the quiet lessons we often overlook. Each episode is an invitation to slow down, think differently, and explore ideas that don't always fit into neat categories.

Episode 108: Am I an Imposter?

Last week, I talked about whether we should follow the money. This week, I'm reflecting on something that can show up even when things are finally starting to go right: imposter syndrome.

As my books continue to reach more readers, generate consistent sales, and receive encouraging reviews, I find myself asking a question I never expected to ask: Do I actually deserve this? Instead of simply appreciating the progress, I catch myself refreshing rankings, checking reviews, and wondering if it's only a matter of time before everything slows down.

Success doesn't automatically silence self-doubt. In many ways, it can make those doubts even louder. Whether you're a writer, entrepreneur, or someone who's recently reached a personal or professional milestone, you've probably questioned whether you truly belong where you are.

In this episode, I share my own experience with imposter syndrome, why it's been affecting me as an independent author, and how I'm learning to separate honest self-improvement from constant self-doubt.

In this episode, I discuss:

What imposter syndrome is and why it can affect anyone

Why success doesn't always feel as satisfying as we imagine

The habit of constantly checking reviews, rankings, and sales

Growing as an independent author without paid advertising or a large social media following

Choosing to write the stories I enjoy instead of only chasing my most profitable genre

Why asking readers to support my work still feels uncomfortable

Using AI tools as part of my creative workflow while remaining accountable for the finished product

Learning to appreciate progress without letting fear define it

Sometimes the biggest obstacle isn't reaching a goal—it's believing you've earned the opportunity to stand where you are. Growth often comes with uncertainty, and learning to trust your own work can be just as important as creating it.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Have you ever experienced imposter syndrome after achieving something you worked hard for? How did you work through it?

The Books By Josh Audio Immersion is a reflective podcast focused on perspective, growth, and the quiet lessons we often overlook. Each episode is an invitation to slow down, think differently, and explore ideas that don't always fit into neat categories.

Episode 107: Follow the Money?

Last week, I talked about what happens after reaching a goal you’ve been chasing for a long time. This week, I’m looking at a different question: should we follow the money, or should we follow something deeper?

Money matters. It pays bills, creates stability, and can give us the room to build the life we want. But money can also pull us into jobs, businesses, trends, and choices that don’t align with who we are.

In this episode, I reflect on moments from my own life where I had to decide whether the money was worth the cost. From sales and security work to side hustles, writing, and creative decisions, I talk about the difference between using money as a tool and letting money become the thing that controls your direction.

In this episode, I discuss:

Why chasing money alone can lead you away from your values

The importance of integrity in work, sales, and business

Knowing when a higher-paying opportunity is not the right opportunity

How burnout can happen when money becomes the only reason you stay

The difference between using a job as a stepping stone and letting it trap you

Why side hustles and trends are not always as simple as they appear

The danger of copying someone else’s path just because it looks profitable

Building a financial foundation without losing sight of the life you actually want

Sometimes following the money makes sense for a season. But the goal should be knowing what you’re building toward, so the money serves your life instead of becoming your life.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Have you ever taken a job, opportunity, or side hustle just for the money? Was it worth it?

The Books By Josh Audio Immersion is a reflective podcast focused on perspective, growth, and the quiet lessons we often overlook. Each episode is an invitation to slow down, think differently, and explore ideas that don’t always fit into neat categories.

# Episode 106: Hit My Goals, Now What?

Last week, I talked about finally seeing meaningful progress from my writing after years of effort. This week, I find myself facing a different question: what happens when you actually reach a goal you've been chasing for a long time?

After earning as much from my writing in the first week of June as I did during the entire previous month, I started reflecting on the strange feeling that comes after achieving something you've worked toward for years. It's not life-changing money, but it's enough progress to make me stop and think about what's next.

In this episode, I discuss:

- The unexpected emotions that can follow reaching a long-term goal

- Why achieving a milestone doesn't always bring the fulfillment we expect

- The difference between creating what sells and creating what you're passionate about

- How goals evolve as we grow and change

- The importance of having a strong reason behind your ambitions

- Lessons from fitness, finances, travel, and creative work

- Why success often creates new questions instead of final answers

- Building a creative life that can eventually support greater freedom and flexibility

Sometimes the hardest question isn't how to reach a goal—it's deciding where to go after you've arrived.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. What do you do after you hit a major goal?

The Books By Josh Audio Immersion is a reflective podcast focused on perspective, growth, and the quiet lessons we often overlook. Each episode is an invitation to slow down, think differently, and explore ideas that don’t always fit into neat categories.

🎙️ Books By Josh Audio Immersion — Episode 105
The Moment Effort Becomes Evidence

There is a strange feeling that comes when something you’ve spent years building finally begins to show signs of life. Not overnight success. Not a viral moment. Just tangible evidence that the work you’ve been doing all along actually matters.

In this episode, I talk about what it feels like to finally see progress after years of writing, podcasting, and creating. Recently, some of my books started gaining traction, readers began discovering my work, and for the first time in a long while, I could point to real results instead of simply believing they might come someday. It is a conversation about persistence, patience, and the emotional reality of pursuing creative goals when there are no guarantees.

The truth is that most meaningful things take longer than we expect. Whether it is building a career, growing investments, learning a skill, or creating something you hope will outlast you, there are often years where the effort feels invisible. This episode is about those years and the importance of continuing anyway.

What We Talk About

• Seeing the first meaningful signs of progress after years of creative work
• Publishing books in new genres and experimenting with different ideas
• The emotional challenge of tracking sales, reads, and results
• Why patience is harder than most people admit
• The similarities between investing and building a creative career
• The books and authors that inspired my own journey as a writer
• Why creating something meaningful matters even if success comes slowly
• The importance of continuing when progress feels invisible

Why This Episode Matters

We live in a world that celebrates quick wins and overnight success stories, but most accomplishments are built quietly over long periods of time. The difficult part is staying committed when the results haven’t arrived yet.

This episode is a reminder that effort often compounds beneath the surface. Sometimes the progress is happening long before we can measure it. The challenge is trusting the process long enough to reach the point where the evidence finally appears.

Final Thoughts

Not every month will be better than the last. Not every project will succeed. But if there is one lesson I’ve learned, it’s that showing up consistently matters more than most people realize.

Keep putting in the work. Keep building. Keep creating. The progress may be small, and it may arrive later than you hoped, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t coming.

About the Show

The Books By Josh Audio Immersion explores ideas about growth, creativity, mindset, personal finance, writing, and the experiences that shape who we become. Each episode is a chance to slow down, reflect, and look at life from a different perspective.

The Books By Josh Audio Immersion is a reflective podcast focused on perspective, growth, and the quiet lessons we often overlook. Each episode is an invitation to slow down, think differently, and explore ideas that don’t always fit into neat categories.

Episode 104: The Internet Made Everything Feel Urgent

Why It’s Hard to Think Clearly Anymore

The internet changed everything. It changed how we communicate, how we learn, how we shop, how we work, and even how we think. In many ways, it made life easier. We can access information instantly, connect with people across the world, and create things that would have been impossible only a few decades ago. But somewhere along the way, convenience slowly became expectation, and expectation turned into urgency.

In this episode, I reflect on what it feels like to live in a world where everything competes for your attention at all times. From short-form videos and endless scrolling to social media comparison, productivity pressure, instant gratification, and AI-assisted workflows, modern life increasingly feels designed to keep us moving without ever slowing down long enough to think clearly.

This is not an episode about rejecting technology. It is about recognizing the psychological pressure that comes with constant access, constant stimulation, and constant comparison. The internet gave us incredible tools, but it also made patience feel unnatural.

What We Talk About

How short-form content changed attention spans

Doomscrolling and endless algorithm-driven feeds

Streaming culture and the loss of patience

Social media comparison and unrealistic expectations

Fake online success, influencers, and curated lifestyles

Productivity pressure in the age of AI and digital tools

Why convenience reshaped modern behavior

Instant gratification and the difficulty of waiting

The importance of delayed gratification and long-term growth

Sitting quietly with your own thoughts in a hyperconnected world

Why This Episode Matters

A lot of people feel mentally exhausted without fully understanding why. We live in a time where notifications never stop, entertainment is endless, and every platform is designed to keep our attention for as long as possible. Even moments of silence are now interrupted by alerts, recommendations, and constant updates.

The result is a culture where people feel pressured to always be productive, always informed, always entertained, and always moving. This episode explores how that pressure affects our ability to think clearly, stay patient, and appreciate slow progress.

Real growth still takes time. Real success still requires consistency. And sometimes the healthiest thing we can do is step back long enough to hear our own thoughts again.

Final Thoughts

The internet is one of the greatest tools humanity has ever created, but every tool changes the people who use it. Convenience is helpful, but when everything becomes instant, patience begins to disappear. And when patience disappears, so does our ability to slow down, reflect, and think clearly about what actually matters.

Maybe the answer is not disconnecting completely. Maybe it is simply learning how to exist without needing constant stimulation every second of the day.

About the Show

The Books By Josh Audio Immersion is a reflective podcast focused on perspective, growth, and the quiet lessons we often overlook. Each episode is an invitation to slow down, think differently, and explore ideas that don’t always fit into neat categories.

The Books By Josh Audio Immersion — Episode 103

Being Solo In All This

What It Really Costs to Build Everything Yourself

There’s a version of creative work that feels more structured than it actually is. From the outside, it can look like there’s a system behind everything—people handling different parts, processes keeping things moving, a kind of quiet support that makes it all feel manageable. But for a lot of creators, especially early on, that version doesn’t exist.

In this episode, I talk about what it really looks like to do all of this alone. No editor, no marketing team, no one to hand things off to. Just the work, the decisions, and the responsibility of figuring things out as I go. From recording and editing podcasts to writing books, testing covers, tracking metrics, and trying to build something that grows over time, every part of the process stays with me.

There’s a freedom in that, but there’s also a weight that comes with it. Not just in the amount of work, but in the constant shifting between roles, the lack of feedback, and the moments where the results don’t quite reflect the effort being put in. This episode is a reflection on that balance, and what it means to keep going anyway.

What We Talk About

What it means to build without a team or support system

The hidden workload behind podcasts, books, and content creation

Constant role-switching between creator, editor, and marketer

Learning through trial, error, and real-time feedback

The pressure of tracking metrics and questioning your work

Finding a rhythm when everything depends on you

Why This Episode Matters

There’s a side of building something on your own that doesn’t always get talked about. Not the highlights or the finished products, but everything that happens in between. The small decisions, the repeated adjustments, the quiet moments of doubt that show up when you’re responsible for all of it.

Doing everything yourself can slow things down, but it also gives you a clearer understanding of the process. You see what works, what doesn’t, and what actually matters over time. That kind of awareness doesn’t come from delegation—it comes from being in it, consistently.

This episode matters because it speaks to that space. The part where things aren’t polished, where progress isn’t always obvious, but the work is still happening.

Final Thoughts

There isn’t a clean or easy way to do this without a team. Some days will feel focused, others will feel scattered. Some ideas will land, others won’t. And when everything depends on you, it’s easy to question whether you’re doing enough.

But this is part of the process. Building something on your own means carrying both the freedom and the weight of it. It means learning as you go, adjusting when things don’t work, and continuing even when the results take time to show up.

For now, you are the system. And that’s not something to rush past—it’s something to learn from.

About the Show

The Books By Josh Audio Immersion is a reflective podcast focused on perspective, growth, and the quiet lessons we often overlook. Each episode is an invitation to slow down, think differently, and explore ideas that don’t always fit into neat categories.

Episode 102: My Recent Books

Why I Don’t Stay in One Lane

There’s a version of creative work that people usually see—the finished piece, the story as it’s presented, the final result that feels complete. What doesn’t get seen as often is everything behind it. The ideas that didn’t fit anywhere at first, the shifts in direction, and the moments where something pulls you into a completely different lane than what you were just doing.

In this episode, I take some time to talk through the books I’ve recently written and released, not just in terms of what they are, but where they came from. Moving from a darker, more introspective project like Rehab of a Writer into mystery and suspense with Retirement Bloodbath, and then into romance with Beneath the Surface and Borrowed Time Together, the path isn’t linear—and it’s not meant to be.

What We Talk About

The idea behind Rehab of a Writer and exploring the unseen side of creativity

Returning to mystery and suspense with Retirement Bloodbath

Writing across genres, including romance with Beneath the Surface and Borrowed Time Together

Why not every project is meant for the same audience

The mindset of following ideas instead of staying in one defined lane

Why This Episode Matters

There’s a tendency to think that once you find something that works, you should stay there. But creative work doesn’t always move that way. Sometimes the next idea takes you somewhere completely different, and the value comes from exploring it rather than forcing it to fit what came before. This episode reflects on that process and what it means to keep creating without limiting the direction.

Final Thoughts

Not every project will land the same way, and not every idea will connect with the same number of people. But even the smaller projects can matter in ways that aren’t immediately visible. Sometimes it’s enough that the work exists, and that it reached the people it was meant to reach.

About the Show

The Books By Josh Audio Immersion is a reflective podcast focused on perspective, growth, and the quiet lessons we often overlook. Each episode is an invitation to slow down, think differently, and explore ideas that don’t always fit into neat categories.

Episode 101: What This Actually Looks Like Day to Day

There’s a version of consistency that sounds clean when people talk about it. Structured. Focused. Productive.

But living inside it doesn’t feel like that.

In this episode, I step away from the idea of consistency and walk through what it actually looks like in my day to day life. Not the polished version, but the real one—recording, writing, planning, switching between projects, and doing work that doesn’t always feel like progress while you’re in it.

Because most of the time, it isn’t one big effort. It’s a series of smaller things that repeat. Tasks that don’t feel important on their own, but still need to get done.

What We Talk About

What consistency looks like beyond the idea of motivation

Managing multiple podcasts and creative workflows

Turning audio into writing across different platforms

The difference between quick tasks and slower creative work

Writing when the output isn’t consistent

Using tools to support the process without replacing it

Balancing structured work with more open-ended projects

Building multiple things at once without a clear finish line

Why most of the work feels repetitive while you’re doing it

Why This Episode Matters

A lot of advice focuses on what to do—be consistent, stay disciplined, keep going.

But it rarely shows what that actually looks like in practice.

This episode is a look at the middle of the process. The part that doesn’t feel significant while you’re in it. The part that’s easy to underestimate because nothing about it feels like a breakthrough.

Final Thoughts

It’s easy to think progress should feel different.

More obvious. More defined. More rewarding.

But most of the time, it’s just this.

The routine. The repetition. The work that keeps moving, even when it doesn’t feel like much is happening.

About the Show

The Books By Josh Audio Immersion is a reflective podcast focused on perspective, growth, and the quiet lessons we often overlook. Each episode is an invitation to slow down, think differently, and explore ideas that don’t always fit into neat categories.