Did you hear I have a podcast now? It's true. You can visit http://www.torontomike.com/podcast/ to catch up on the four episodes you've missed. I would have recorded more on Tuesday night, but I took my kids to the Jays game instead. I'll be back in the recording studio next Tuesday.
I've never worked in radio. Recording that first episode was the first time I had done anything like this. After each episode, I listen to the show and take notes on what I thought worked and what I thought didn't work. Then, I try to make each show better than the one before. I like to think episode 4 is a great deal better than episode 1.
I also seek feedback from actual professionals. I'm lucky enough to know people who work on radio and television, including producers, and their feedback is always super detailed and interesting. The problem I now have is that I have too much feedback, and a great deal of it goes directly against my instincts. And to be honest, I'm enjoying the fact I'm driving this bus on pure instinct.
For example, I've been told I'd benefit from something called an "intro cart" that would start each show. "And now, host of Toronto Mike'd... Toronto Mike!" I dislike this idea.
I'm in a pretty cool spot here. I'm not podcasting to get rich. In fact, I'd have the same show and have the same fun if there were only a dozen listeners. There happens to be more, but I honestly don't care. I'll consider the Toronto Mike'd podcast a failure when it feels like work and there's no cash coming my way. So long as it's fun, it can't fail.
That ability to ignore the numbers allows me to do things a little differently. I like to start with the theme song iLLvibe was nice enough to create for me, then say hi to Rosie and Wix before stamping the episode as #2, #3 or whatever. Then, I have a short list of topics I want to chat with my buddies about, and all that matters to me is that it remain organic. Nothing is forced, nothing is rehearsed, nothing is faked... and if new topics naturally evolve from what's written in front of me, so be it. I'm the program director. I'm the boss.
This ramble is to say I read all the feedback I get, and a great deal of it I take to heart, but some of it I throw in the "contrived typical radio" bin. I can afford to do things differently. I can afford to fail.
