39: How to Maintain Authenticity and Diversity in Podcasting with Dylan Schmidt

Diving into the heart of podcasting, authenticity and diversity are two facets that significantly make this platform more special.

In a world echoing with voices, what sets yours apart? Is it the courage to be yourself? Is it by allowing your unique stories and perspectives to colour your narratives?

According to Dylan Schmidt, the man behind Podcast Academy, the uniqueness lies in embracing your individuality and nurturing diverse conversations. His journey is a testament that standing tall in your truth and giving a platform to a variety of experiences and perspectives truly brings out the beauty of podcasting.

Join Dylan and I as we explore what it means to stay true to our own voice and bring new, different perspectives into the world of podcasting. As we navigate this space, we're shaping our own unique narratives in tune with who we truly are.

Here are the key takeaways from this episode:

03:57 - Dylan talks about what his expertise and who he helps

09:40 - What is the Podcast Academy?

12:36 - You gotta leave room for something beautiful to happen

20:25 - How Dylan’s “Content Secrets” helps podcast hosts determine what to talk about

28:23 - Taking care of mental health and well-being while giving value to your community

33:29 - Surrendering to the flow of life is a skill

37:36 - Journaling is a really powerful way for self-communication

42:20 - The current stereotype on white male podcasters

50:31 - You can’t fake authenticity in podcasting

About the Guest

Dylan Schmidt, the founder of Digital Podcaster, has dedicated his life to amplifying voices from all backgrounds. Guided by adversity and an innate drive to make an impact, Dylan took the daring leap to fully commit to his dream - a decision which ultimately led him to the formation of Digital Podcaster. Despite facing hurdles such as impostor syndrome and industry stereotypes, Dylan has been unwavering in his commitment to diversify the podcasting space.

With his ventures, Content Clips and Podcast Academy, Dylan continues to aid others in sharing their unique narratives. A family man based in L

Resources:

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If you enjoy this episode, please SHARE, RATE and REVIEW the show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

About Me:

I help you lead with fearless authenticity by smashing the self-imposed heteronormative stereotypes that keep you playing small through emotional healing inner child and inherited intergenerational trauma.

Create a purposeful life of your unique design by disrupting societal norms and expectations of who you should be.

Explore mindfulness, music, fearless curiosity and loving kindness through the lens of Human Design to thrive as the person you are born to be.

Learn more about my coaching method and join my emotional healing, mindfulness, and music community at melissaindot.com.

Transcript

[00:00:00] Dylan: I'm always trying to decipher, am I pushing the pedal too hard or should I be doing this or should I be doing that? Am I feeling a nervousness about making something because it's a good nervousness or is this a nervousness like I should be taking a nap. Is there something else my body is just needing? Cause I'm good at pushing through and then I'm also good at turning off and sometimes it's all or nothing. So finding that balance while still being in the flow is, feels just like a constant adventure, but one I wouldn't want any other way. Having lived the other way of ignoring the flow.

[00:00:40] Melissa: Hey there. Welcome to the Fearlessly Curious Podcast, your safe space. Listen, lean in and learn the diversity of human experiences through the lens of fearless curiosity. When we learn more about each other, we also learn more about ourselves. How? Because when we listen to each other's curiosities and experiences, we relate to that which is in common, and that which sets us apart, gives us something to reflect on. We learn through and with each other. I'm grateful to you, the global community, for your curious questions. The Fearlessly Curious Podcast cannot exist without you.

[00:01:27] Melissa: The Fearlessly Curious Podcast is super excited to have none other than the digital podcaster himself. Dylan Schmidt, Dylan. Ah. Round of Applause. Resounding global applause. And I feel really proud to be here and to have Dylan with us today because Dylan had a very important role in my journey to creating this podcast.

[00:01:58] Melissa: And I'm feeling quite emotional about it actually, cuz you helped me so much on this journey. You helped me find clarity. You were so generous with your time and. Just your whole presence, Dylan, you are so grounded and encouraging and you just make everything seamless and easy, and I really, really appreciate you.

[00:02:19] Melissa: So I'm proud just to be here, to be able to just sort of declare my gratitude for how you've helped me and how excited I am by the way that you're helping other people in all the different. Expressions of what you're passionate about. So there's a podcast that you had to read, there's content clips, there's a podcast workshop.

[00:02:37] Melissa: I'm gonna stop there because I really want to hear it from you, Dylan. So welcome to the Fearlessly Curious Podcast. How you doing today? 

[00:02:44] Dylan: I'm doing fantastic. I'm happy to be here and I don't know whether to cry now or later, but maybe both. I'm just happy to be here and, uh, I'm such a supporter of you and it's, it's cool to be.

[00:02:58] Dylan: Chatting with you today. Thank 

[00:02:59] Melissa: you. And I'm jealous. I'm just gonna say I'm juggling. Put it out there for all of you who are not subscribe to the video podcast yet. Cause once you do that, you're gonna see how beautiful Dylan's video quality is. 

[00:03:13] Dylan: Sometimes too beautiful. If I haven't got enough sleep, then it shows a little, it shows a little bit too HD sometimes.

[00:03:21] Dylan: Not having HD is a, is a good point. But isn't that what sunglasses are for? That's true. That's a good point. I've not got to that confidence level, but I need to get furiously curious enough to that level where I could wear sunglasses indoors. I know if anyone could help me get to that level, it would be you.

[00:03:38] Dylan: So Okay. 

[00:03:40] Melissa: Maybe we'll have another episode all about getting comfortable wearing sunglasses indoors. It's a thing. Yeah. Rocking it. But before we get there, I'd love for you to share with our listeners what you do. I mean, I kind of share that already, but I think more why you do what you do. 

[00:03:57] Dylan: Yeah. So like you said, I help people with podcasts and, and short form content. The long, the short, which is really just everything. And my goal, my real mission is just to help other people express themselves to help share whatever it is that they feel called upon to share. And a large part of that is because I didn't really know how to do that for so many years.

[00:04:23] Dylan: So I found the easiest way to do that was helping other people and. Kind of like working behind the scenes for many years, and that was great, but I kept hearing other people say, why don't you do for yourself what you do for other people? I never knew what that looked like because nothing came to mind.

[00:04:44] Dylan: It's not like I wanted to necessarily make content myself and do all this stuff. I just kept hearing it. People were like, you would do great at this. And I'm like, I don't know what that looks like. And then randomly, I just had an idea in 2021 about. Helping people with podcasts. I'm like, this is what I do behind the scenes.

[00:04:59] Dylan: I've got too much experience that I can't really psych myself out for too long thinking I'm not qualified to do it. Cause I've been in this kind of realm for so many years. So I started making some posts. Then it started getting some traction and I was like, wait, this is exactly what I've been waiting for for years.

[00:05:17] Dylan: So I didn't abandon helping everybody else. If anything, it just gave me like a platform to kind of like, hey, a little bit of like a lighthouse of like, or Beacon, like this is how I can help other people. And that's been really exciting and it feels like I started driving a car ever since that first Instagram post and the car has not stopped.

[00:05:38] Dylan: In a good way. Mm-hmm. And it's just been a, like, I get it when people are like, it's been a journey ever since because it really does feel like it's been a journey ever since. And it's been really cool. And of course we are thinking back about it, but meeting beautiful, wonderful people like yourself. Like what?

[00:05:54] Dylan: And crossing paths, feeling effortlessly in a lot of ways. It just lights me up. It makes me excited to wake up in the morning. I've never been like, oh, I don't, you know, this never felt like a job. The things I've done. Mm-hmm. Like mowing the lawn years ago felt like a job doing and helping people with podcasts and content type stuff has never felt like a job.

[00:06:14] Dylan: So my why behind it is helping other people, helping myself. And it just feels like a cool community. 

[00:06:22] Melissa: Thank you. I love that statement you said there and that you needed to take your time to kind of understand what that looks and feels like. And I've got it in front of me. You people were telling you do what I do for others, for myself.

[00:06:37] Melissa: It's a bit of a conundrum actually. And even when I say it out loud, it kind of feels funny. And I think you and I quite aligned on that. Just correct me if I'm wrong, right. I hyper focus on how I can help people. So I'm not really thinking about myself, but where I often fall short in that is I'm, I'm constantly thinking what is the right thing for me to do for other people?

[00:07:00] Melissa: But in my own personal growth journey, once I started to turn inward and ask, what do I need? Why don't I just do more of that, what I need and what I love? And then the people who are aligned to me are the people that I'm already serving. So it's almost like I. Be the person that you need.

[00:07:19] Dylan: A hundred percent. And I know for years I tried like little things here and there that I thought might have been an expression of what that looked like, but it really wasn't. It was like playing small in some ways. Like I would make an account that was the goal was to be inspiring, but didn't really have like much momentum behind it.

[00:07:36] Dylan: And then when it was, oh, podcasting voice, sharing a message, it was all the things that I needed to hear. But also sharing those with others. And then what was helpful about it, at least for me, was positioning wise, it was, this is exactly what I needed to hear. This is exactly what I needed to hear too.

[00:07:54] Dylan: It wasn't like from a place of ego, do this with this, do this with that. It was more just, this is what maybe if whoever comes across it resonates with it. Cool. Cause I need it too. My goal isn't to preach, my goal is just to share something. Cause I could go back and be like, oh yeah, that's a great reminder. I love that. Which is such a different thing than do this.

[00:08:13] Melissa: It is such a different thing. Well, I can't remember now how we met. I can't remember. It was through an entrepreneurs group or do you remember where we met? Was it the future? It was The Futur Pro group. Okay, so that's where I met you. And then when I kind of connected with you and I got into the podcast academy, which I'm gonna ask you to share a little bit more about, well, even though you've just shared it, but this whole structure behind it, you immediately put me at ease, the way that you deliver the information around how to start a podcast and being a beginner and being maybe very shy, perhaps even, I'm gonna use the word introverted about it, right? More than anything, you made me feel very safe to be me and to do it my way, and that didn't have to be loud, nor did it have to be fast, nor did it have to be linear. There is a kindness and a vulnerability and a tenderness in the way that you deliver the teaching.

[00:09:11] Melissa: I'm gonna say it is teaching, but like you said, it's in the way that you share it and it's kind of like, this is how I did it. You could do it this way, or you could not. And that's okay too. This is all about figuring out what's right by you, so it's not like, oh, this is my template. Do this template. The energy was totally different. The intention was completely different, and I really appreciate that about the way that you bring this forward. Could you tell everybody a little bit about the Podcasting Academy and what that looks like? 

[00:09:40] Dylan: Yeah. It's so nice to hear everything you just said because that's how I structured it. When I was making the very first version of Podcast Academy, I was like, I don't wanna box someone in to make this boring podcast that they don't do.

[00:09:56] Dylan: But also I need to give someone enough structure that they actually know what steps to follow, and I want to make it abstract enough so that it could apply to different backgrounds and people that wanna talk about anything. And I need to give enough structure so that there's no matter what you're gonna talk about, you still kind of know, kind of like a paint by colours idea.

[00:10:18] Dylan: There's maybe like a watercolour thing, but then once you do that, you're like, oh, actually, maybe I don't even need the instructions on how to plug in the numbers of which each colour might be. So that was like, that's been the goal of Podcast Academy. And it's always trying to refine it slowly enough. Not that it overhauls everything, but make slow improvements.

[00:10:41] Dylan: Also adding a bunch of things in, so I structure it in a specific way. That even people who maybe feel like they're procrastinating around their podcast, they can know where they are. Maybe on the procrastination spectrum of like, I've recorded, but uh, what do I do next? So I set it up into like five pillars where the planning, recording and then the publishing and kind of launching, and then the marketing and growing, and then the monetization and each of those, you can follow 'em like one through five and that you can go back from the beginning of each time. And then within each of those pillars, home pillars, there's tools and resources to use, whether it's prompts of what to talk about or how to title your episodes or ways to grow your podcast. I dunno if it's selfish. Agenda is, but I wanna make it. I'm in the process of slowly building it up to be this thing where people go in and they don't feel overwhelmed in the sense that there's so much information they feel like they'll never consume it. Cause I also wanna make it consumable. Yeah. But it's, they go in and they feel empowered and then they also can go back to it and be like, you don't need absolutely everything in it right at once. So I try to give the minimum amount of information.

[00:11:58] Dylan: In the beginning in a way, and then it's how far deep down the rabbit hole do you wanna go? Not everybody needs a newsletter for their podcast, but if you want one that's a little section in there, or if you wanna make video clips for social media, not everyone needs to do that, but if you want do that, there's a section in there and it doesn't all have to be related. You don't have to watch that video to understand the part about planning. It's been interesting cause I build it with people like yourself and mind that I don't even know how I would literally think, all right Melissa, this is what you need to do. Step one, step two. I could do that, but you gotta leave room for magic. You gotta leave room for something beautiful to happen, or the finished product is gonna be maybe a little stale. 

[00:12:44] Melissa: Oh my gosh, what you just said there. Leaving room for magic. That individuality, that fearlesst feel, authenticity of that individual to show up in a way that we can't plan. Right. Having that space for all that information to integrate and so it, we get out of our heads of seeing, oh, these are the steps and then we start to flow in it.

[00:13:06] Melissa: That is absolutely the magic. Dylan. Thank you. And you are so right about, we don't wanna celebrate the way that you structured the academy. Like you said, I know for me, so many of these programs that I sign up for people are so. Eager and committed to deliver high quality, high value people just like you, right?

[00:13:26] Melissa: But what can often fall short is delivering it all at once, and it is overwhelming. It's happened to me many, many, many times, right? I've signed up. I'm so eager, I'm enthusiastic, and I am just flooded with all this value and content. But then I have to pull out because it's just too much and I can't move.

[00:13:45] Melissa: I'm completely overwhelmed. In the end, I actually don't know what I need to do next, even though the steps are right in front of me. Right. My brain can only take so much, and my body definitely can't embody all that information at one time. Yeah. So the way that you structured it, it's awesome.

[00:14:01] Dylan: Yeah. That's like my biggest goal. I've worked with creative individuals like yourself that. It's leaving room for something to happen is kind of, I'm sure you can relate with this and, and people listening, like if you leave room for something to happen, something magical. On one hand it's like scary as the teacher, the facilitator, because people are then, well, no, I want, if they sign up and they were expecting something different, and if I'm just make something amazing and they're like, well, just tell me what to say. And I'm like, well, that's not really what this is. I'll give you maybe some prompts, some guidance, but I'm always thinking of ways, if you're feeling lost.

[00:14:37] Dylan: I've been there, like I've paid a lot of money. I've signed up for a lot of courses and programs and I'm always wanting to add stuff to Podcast Academy, but at the end of the day, I'm always, does this need to be in there? Is this gonna move? Like I'd rather optimise something that's currently in there than add something in there to then potentially confuse somebody.

[00:14:54] Dylan: But I've really learned, I feel like, as my years go on is that less really is so much more, and sometimes I think someone might want or need is not what they actually want or need or even asking for. So I'm trying to also remind myself to not fulfil things that just aren't, that was like never an issue.

[00:15:15] Dylan: It almost just causes more confusion, like overloading, what if I just put all this in one spot? And so yeah, I have a bunch of ideas and this year has already started out really creative and it's already, oh, okay. Well I need to start organising things on myself.

[00:15:31] Melissa: I can relate. I can relate. I think you have an incredible system and, and for someone who wants to do this, who even thought about doing a podcast and maybe wants to massage that idea out a bit more without even committing to doing it, I still feel joining your community, like getting into the podcasting academy.

[00:15:48] Melissa: You can't lose cuz you'll just get more clarity from there, whether you start the podcast or not. But even if you have the idea, I highly recommend you get into the podcast academy with Dylan and it's just a beautiful community and space to be and you won't lose cuz you'll come out of there. Just having learned so much about podcasting, about messaging, about actually being an entrepreneur as well. And Dylan, can you tell us a little bit, cuz I know what's new for 2023 at least, is the podcast workshop, did I get that right or is it podcaster workshop?

[00:16:18] Dylan: Yeah. Yeah, podcast workshop. It's something I don't know what is in my water. Electrolytes actually is in my water, but I don't know what supplement that has gotten into me creating some cool tools right away. I'm getting downloads over here. It's probably because I've been watching your ah, getting some downloads. So my brain is also always thinking of like, how can I provide free value that is not like marketing, like, I'm gonna funnel you into this thing. Because the people that I talk with, we don't talk like funnels and ways of strategies of people like their leads and things like that. It's just these are human beings. So, My thought was it's kind of all came together, but basically it's called Podcast Workshop. I got the domain podcastworkshop.com, so I had to do something with it. And the first week of every month, this year, I'm doing a free virtual workshop that's prerecorded and then usually has like a free accompanying tool with it.

[00:17:17] Dylan: So what that looks like for this month as we're recording it, I made a workshop about building your audience and it's just like how Podcast Academy is, you know where you're at. As far as each step of the way, the same with building an audience. What do you need to know? What are the tangible steps you, the tactical, real steps you need to take?

[00:17:37] Dylan: And then I made the whole workbook that asked questions to uncover that stuff, so I made that for free. It's just structured in a way that's teaching exactly how I would in Podcast Academy. And because we live an age of over information. I try to at least value a little bit of the scarcity mindset of, if you know something's gonna be leaving and you want it for free, you pretty much have to act on it.

[00:18:01] Dylan: So what I do is I just leave it up for the first week of each month, the the new workshop, and then after that it gets moved and stored in Podcast Academy mostly. So it just doesn't become another YouTube video because, There's already enough of those. And if it just was uploaded as that, I could, I could upload it as that and I could put a Google Drive link in the description, but I want people to actually like use it and treat it differently.

[00:18:25] Dylan: So that was my thought behind that. And then I start adding these layers into it. So then well. Let's make it one step more, and every time someone signs up for Podcast Academy that does the workshop, let's start making, like picking a charity and then donating a charity from the enrollment and wow, those are really cool.

[00:18:41] Dylan: To be able to do that is just a new feeling for me and also unlocked a new mission. I'm like, whoa, it's something so much bigger. So, Incorporating the charity aspect has been cool. And then I created another tool called Content Secrets. Okay. 

[00:18:56] Melissa: Pause one second, Dylan. Yes. Okay, I will get to that. I just wanna sum up that podcast workshop, right, so people can access that. It's no charge for that.

[00:19:06] Dylan: No, no charge, no. Yeah. Always free during the window that it's, Basically the first week of every month, the new workshop is free.

[00:19:14] Melissa: And  but at the same time, there is a limit to its availability, public availability. And you mentioned the word scarcity. I wanna flip that and say it's actually, because what I understand is because you want people to value the content.

[00:19:27] Melissa: Yes. And in a world, like you said, where it's doom scrolling, it's like we've got hundreds of thousands of pieces of content on the same topic, or I should say millions. You basically want to magnetise the people who are aligned to the way you deliver the message and value it. Take action on it, right?

[00:19:44] Melissa: Yeah. And so that's why you limit the time. And I, for one, was at the first workshop, I'm part of the podcasting academy. I could have waited until Dylan shifted it across, but I'm like, no, I wanna be there. I wanna be there before it even gets into the academy. And then I did notice here this month, then right now, as we are recording this, it's February this month, Dylan mentioned about adding that piece about contributing to communities through a charity. And I love that. And this is what I love about everything that you do, Dylan. It is so highly intentional and it comes from the heart. So we've got Podcasting Academy, we've now got Podcast Workshop, and now tell us about Content Secrets.

[00:20:24] Dylan: Content secrets. So the struggle I have and a struggle other people. Speak with have. This is, I guess you can already tell how it goes back. I didn't know what to talk about for years. I maybe wanted to share something publicly, but I didn't know what to say. It's this idea maybe of blank page syndrome of, I wanna say something, but I don't know what to say.

[00:20:43] Dylan: So. What I made, and this is crazy cuz it just came to me, I think this was like a week ago, and it all came together. Basically, if you were a solo person, you could be by yourself and there's, again, like a step-by-step process of identifying what it is that you can talk about. And then I made a chat bot for it so that it, it would ask you questions, but it works better as a form.

[00:21:07] Dylan: So it might evolve back into a chat bot. But currently it's a form that you fill out. That asks you questions in a specific way that draws the content out of you without you even trying. So it's like an effortless way to answer your audience's questions. It's primarily, I think, at the moment, most useful for coaches, consultants, creatives, but the whole idea is it's almost like being on an interview and the podcast host is asking you all the questions that your audience would wanna know the answers to, right? Not necessarily the podcast host audience, and right now is version one. And so you fill out the form after you kind of become initiated on like how it works, and then it sends you back all of your responses via email.

[00:21:53] Dylan: So then all you have to do is copy and paste and share it with your community. And it doesn't feel like. Oh, I gotta become a content creator or something like that. It's just a natural extension of wanting to help people, wanting to share your message and to draw out of the people without them even know that I'm drawing it out of them.

[00:22:12] Dylan: So it doesn't feel like making this thing that, I don't know, it's like, what should we, uh, create content around. Don't even think about content, just think about the question that I'm asking. 

[00:22:24] Melissa: And then next thing you know, you have content. I imagine this is a great tool. So for imposter syndrome. Yeah. Sometimes when you think like, oh, why would anybody wanna listen to me? Or What do I know about this? And you mentioned this right in the beginning, where you're like, I'm not even gonna think about everything that I know. Because intrinsically that might lead to, what about all the stuff I don't know.

[00:22:41] Melissa: That I don't know yet. And then that could be what stops you from doing stuff. Cuz I know for the longest time, that's what stopped me from taking the step to launch, create birth, my podcast, it was like, well actually, what do I have to say actually? Why would anyone wanna listen to me? And there I was hyper focusing on other people when really I knew that the stuff that I had to share, I knew in my heart had value.

[00:23:06] Melissa: Because it impacted my life. And I know that when I listen to other people's stories, it, first of all, it makes me, reminds me that I'm not alone. Right? And I think that's the most important thing in life. As humans. We wanna connect. And that's another reason why I also love the Digital Podcast Academy.

[00:23:22] Melissa: It's connection. Not only are you helping people connect with themselves, their voice, their message, their purpose, their authenticity, but within that community than the podcasting community is, I'm only just the beginner in it. We're discovering each other on a deeper level. So Content Secrets, is that out already?

[00:23:42] Dylan: Yeah, it's out. I feel this way, like sometimes I have so many things I wanna help people with. It's hard to zero in on it. It's hard to just, I could talk about anything. I could talk about everything, and I'm like, I wanna solve. All of the world's problems. Yeah. In one thing. And the goal is, yeah, it, for it to just narrow your focus into one specific question, and then that question then goes on and on and on and on to an idea that could ripple out.

[00:24:10] Dylan: But yeah, that's happening now. There's another version of it I'm working on now that you can also do a video version. So it's me in a video chat bot that's like, Hey, Melissa. So we have your first thing that you listed here. Say it's about creativity, or let's just say mindfulness. We have the first thing you mentioned about mindfulness here.

[00:24:31] Dylan: What is the biggest misconception people have about mindfulness? And then it automatically just goes to you and it starts recording. And then it's like me interviewing you essentially without me being there. And then you end up with these finished. Oh my God. Is that coming? Yeah, that's like real soon.

[00:24:48] Dylan: Yeah. But not everybody wants to be on camera, so that's, I'm trying to make it two options. One is just written and then one will be a video. Like you could do either one. Mm-hmm. Do both. You could just do the video. But I meet a good amount of people that just don't wanna be. On camera, so I don't wanna only have that option.

[00:25:05] Melissa: So many options there. And the fact that you're providing tools for this, I mean, I say so many, it's two options, right? On video or not on video. And the fact that you are providing tools for both, I believe it's invaluable. I'm really excited to consume that or learn from that or take that on board too.

[00:25:21] Melissa: And, and I'll be honest with you, I'm still new in this game and like I said, super proud to have you on here. And I decided to make a big investment by having a podcast management team. So I have my own podcast manager now and I have a team who edits my audio, cleans it up. I'm still doing my video editing and I'm learning how to use de Script, but I do have a team that helps me, even with pushing content out and repurposing stuff.

[00:25:45] Melissa: But that doesn't change the fact that I'm still in the Podcast Academy and I wanna let people know that people listening, because at least for me, it's really important for me to understand the process because more than anything, it's not because I wanna check up on my team or I wanna micromanage them, but more than anything, I have a deeper appreciation for the work that they're doing, not for me.

[00:26:06] Melissa: With me. So when I understand the entire process, even though I'm not taking each step, I value each member of my team, and as I refine my role, right, my responsibilities, and I can be accountable for myself, then I get to make the whole machinery, the whole production, it becomes more well oiled. Does that make sense?

[00:26:28] Dylan: Makes total sense. Yeah, and I think that seems like such a valuable way to approach it because too, like if a team member were to leave or you had to replace somebody for whatever reason, you're not left in the dark of like, I don't even know. How this car drives, like where does the gas go or how do I plug it in if it's electric vehicle?

[00:26:48] Melissa: Yeah, and it also means that as a leader I can be more aware and more in tune with maybe where my team members may be struggling and maybe don't feel comfortable to tell me. I'll be able to take notice of if something isn't running smoothly and I can ask the question, is everything okay? Because I understand the process, and so the reason why I'm saying this again, is for anybody who's listening, who maybe already has their podcast team or still new, but is looking to get a podcast team.

[00:27:16] Melissa: The Podcast Academy, I still feel is a very important community and learning platform to be a part of. And I'll be very honest, I don't have any affiliate going running with Dylan.

[00:27:28] Dylan: Yeah, yeah. I'm like, I should set up one after this.

[00:27:32] Melissa: No, I do it cause I genuinely am learning so much from it and love the work that Dylan is doing, the service that Dylan is providing.

[00:27:38] Melissa: I gotta ask you something. Yeah. Okay. Two things, so I wanna make sure I don't forget. The first thing is I want to talk about mental health and emotional wellbeing because when you start s podcast, right, there's a lot of boxes to tick. And you've covered that. You've got the five pillars that you mentioned in Podcast Academy. But I look at how much you are doing now with Podcast Workshop and then Content Secrets and then we haven't even touched on Content Clips yet, right?

[00:28:04] Dylan: Yeah. Or podcast newsletter or the baby I had.

[00:28:07] Melissa: Oh yeah, I  wanted to talk about fatherhood. Cause that's like the biggest, how does he do it? How do you navigate that? Maintaining, taking care of your mental health and emotional wellbeing when you are providing so much value and service to your community? 

[00:28:23] Dylan: Yeah. It's funny to me because it's those things sometimes that I struggle with of sharing that it's obvious to me, but not obvious to others about managing certain things over the years.

[00:28:33] Dylan: Cause I didn't have, at one point, that's the only way I could mm-hmm. Have it now is really good boundaries with tech and practice, like a high amount of discipline with electronics. Really. Okay. And I try to be mindful of how I'm doing. What are like the key kind of mechanisms of action? Like what do I need to do each day to make sure that my own cup is like filled up?

[00:28:57] Dylan: Yeah, cuz it's really easy for that just to go dry and I try to structure things in a way that just like work for me. And some of that, it doesn't look the same probably for me as it would everybody else, but it requires, like I have pretty, pretty good boundaries I would say. I don't spend as much time on social media as people Probably think for someone that like has a bunch of accounts.

[00:29:18] Dylan: And sometimes there's many times where I'll post every day or something. And yeah, my media consumption, I'm pretty mindful of it all, but I meditated for years and years and years. Like I had a streak going for like 1200 days in a row. Wow. And then I journal every day I exercise. So those are like the things that I gotta do.

[00:29:38] Dylan: So, In order to not feel like I'm gonna fall apart or my eyes are gonna fall outta my head, 

[00:29:44] Melissa: That would be ugly. For everybody. Painful. 

[00:29:47] Dylan: It'd be hard to keep the business going. But yeah, I feel like it's practice. And then also just the self-help in general. I'm a big fan of things that you talk about and the type of content you make that's nourishing.

[00:29:58] Dylan: Talking about marketing tools and, and ai like that's, Sometimes a little junk food. Mm-hmm. But like actual real nourishment of the mind, body, and soul is, I try my best to consume more of that than anything else. Does that make sense?

[00:30:14] Melissa: Yeah, it does. Of course. It makes total sense. I mean, you have a high value put towards discipline and boundaries, the self-care for one of a different expression.

[00:30:25] Dylan: Yeah. And the presence too. Like if I'm with you, I wanna be with you. If I am on Instagram, I'm on Instagram. If I am with my wife, I'm with my wife. And to me, it's never gone wrong when I'm just present with what's in front of me. Mm-hmm. So I just keep doing that.

[00:30:44] Melissa: I love that. Not into multitasking. I would agree with you on that. I think there's conflicting messaging out there in the world. There's been a very high regard for people who can multitask, but often, at least I know for me, when I multitask, I end up with 10 tasks that are unfinished, which again, it's not a. Good or bad thing. As long as I'm okay with that and I have, and I meet my deadline so to speak, because oh my gosh, I could go into a whole rabbit hole conversation with you about the ADHD type brain because that actually works for an ADHD type brain.

[00:31:16] Melissa: The pressure of needing to complete something in one sitting for an ADHD type brain is not healthy. But back to the point is, I think self-awareness, like knowing what works. For you. And yeah, in a way what's more important is knowing what doesn't work for you and either doing less of what doesn't work or none of it is how we take care of our mental health and our emotional health as well.

[00:31:43] Dylan: Yeah. And I find myself falling into extremes where if I start something, I wanna finish it. But I've tried to get better at balancing things or leaving things undone. Like I am definitely someone who, once they start something, I just wanna keep doing it. Like Julia Cameron has the book, the Artist's Way Familiar with it, and she has a thing called the Morning Pages where you stream of consciousness, write three pages every morning.

[00:32:08] Dylan: And I was the type of person if my day was like ruined, if I didn't write that day. And I've really tried to work on getting better at like, well, what does it look like if I don't do it every single day? Mm. What happens then, and especially in the last couple months, particularly in Yeah, the last two months, just like life circumstance, I've had to be less active.

[00:32:28] Dylan: Whether it's making certain things for me, it looks like less active. For other people, they're like the I output is really high still for me, it looks less active. But the response has been higher. It's like the busier I get and the less I can do of certain things, the even busier I get, I guess. Yes. If that makes sense.

[00:32:44] Dylan: Like it does. Yeah. Right after my wife and I had our daughter a couple days after, I was like, well, I'm just gonna take a break from making videos. And then I had an idea and the shower, I was like, yo, I'm gonna make a video about this. I was like, Hey, I'm just gonna make this video real quick. Even though I was probably just gonna not make one. I just really make this and it gets all this new business, a hundred thousand views, and I was just, wow. Of course, now that I'm busy, I have very little capacity. I'm getting a bunch of dms. And I'm getting a bunch of people signing up and all this stuff happening, and I'm like, it's the universe.

[00:33:16] Dylan: It's so, such a sense of humour right now that like if I tried to create this about three months ago, what are the odds that that would happen? Probably, well, I tried to do that and then now that I'm like, I barely have time to make this video. 

[00:33:29] Melissa: Gotta love it when we're doing it also from the state of flow, right? Not like, I think I should do this, or I think this is what people need, but hey, there's an idea. I've got the energy to see it through. And then like you said, the en universe is like, oh, here's a bunch more stuff. Right? Totally. That surrendering to the flow of life is indeed a skill, I believe. And it sounds like you've pretty much nailed it.

[00:33:52] Dylan: I mean, I  try, but it feels like constantly like, ah, you know, I don't know. I don't know if you feel that way. 

[00:33:57] Melissa: Oh my God. All the time. All the time. I don't know. And the thing is, do we ever know? We don't really always know everything. Right? Even what I think I know. I'm sure there's something within the, what I know, I don't know. So, We really will never know. We never try or we never act on that impulse and that impulse looks and feels different for everybody. I mean, I know for me, it's like my gut. If I don't listen to my gut or my gut instinct or my gut response and I talk myself out or into something that my gut has already said no or yes to, so I do the opposite. 10 times out of 10, I end up regretting the decision my mind made. When I allowed it to override what I knew I felt in my body. Is that something that you can relate to? 

[00:34:46] Dylan: Yeah, and I'm always trying to decipher, like I have trouble still sometimes of am I over? Like am I pushing the pedal too hard or am I, should I be doing this or should I be doing that? Should I be doing, you know, cuz sometimes when I've been like, Ooh, am I feeling a nervousness about making something because it's a good nervousness or is this a nervousness like I should be. Taking a nap. And I'm like, usually during that time I guess it's like, did I eat? Is there something else my body is just needing?

[00:35:17] Dylan: And yeah. Cause I'm good at like pushing through and then I'm also good at turning off and I'm like, sometimes it's all or nothing. So finding that balance while still like being in the flow is, feels just like a constant adventure. Adventure. But one I wouldn't want any other way having lived the other way of ignoring the flow. Yeah. 

[00:35:38] Melissa: Yeah. And the key I think that you've shared is really these is the curiosity. I mean, here we are fearlessly curious. Yeah. Spending those moments to pause and just check in like, is this what I should be doing now and then, or is this what I can choose to do now? Because is that word should that so many of us write have been conditioned to use.

[00:36:00] Melissa: I've discovered in my life every time I use the word should, that's like a red flag for me now. It's a red flag of how I may be abandoning what I need to do in order to do what my mind is trying to control, as opposed to being in the flow of the moment. The mind is trying to control it. Mm, I should be. It's like taking me away from where I am. The present moment. And you mentioned that just now, right? It's about being present. 

[00:36:27] Dylan: Yeah. I don't know if things have kind of shifted too in general, but I just feel like there's this common theme with people that if they start a new adventure, that that has to be the adventure they stay on and that they can't switch tracks or they can't be flexible in how they do things. And this is probably stemming from my own, like just how I shared, like if I start something, I'll kind of want to keep doing it. Finding that balance. And like I speak with people that, and I see it because I haven't had it in myself of when they start like a podcast or just some new adventure, that they constantly feel the need that they like, I do it this way, so this is how I'm gonna do it for the rest of the days rather than give themselves the flexibility of staying open and fearlessly curious, but just continue like that's such a great title and name because putting it in my own kind of lens here for a moment, but if you like actually live that way, it doesn't look the same as it did on day one. You know, like day 300 will hopefully look different than it did on day one if I'm really staying fearlessly curious Uhhuh. So, yeah, it's a great mantra. 

[00:37:36] Melissa: Mm, thank you, Dylan. And you mentioned earlier about one of the practices that you have to help you support your mental health is, Journaling and you mentioned morning pages and journaling every day, and I definitely resonate with that.

[00:37:51] Melissa: That is a really powerful way to keep your lines of communication within yourself open, so it's like a space holder for curiosity without needing to ask. The question cuz every day you just allow that stream of consciousness to happen. Whether you have prompts or not really doesn't matter cuz you're just allowing in a way, a free flow, a brain dump.

[00:38:14] Melissa: And when you observe what it is that you are writing, there is so much wisdom and truth in that. I believe so much in journaling and honestly, I dropped off journaling for two years. I was starting to feel something was missing in my life and in order to help me become more accountable, cuz it was so hard for me to start again, I created something called the Dirty Daily.

[00:38:35] Melissa: Mm, which is in, uh, my online community. And it's a journaling space for whoever wants to contribute. And the, the most hilarious thing happened. So I started it. I put day one on the date, and I've given some prompts. And honestly, Dylan, day two, I didn't show up. So it was almost like, I failed. And you spoke about this earlier, right?

[00:38:56] Melissa: Yeah. So, you know when things don't happen, it's like, do I beat myself up about it or do I just explore where it goes? So on day three, I showed up and I was like, I can't believe it. I wrote in, in the space. I can't believe it. I launched this and guess who didn't show up on day two? But you know what, I'm here on day three, and so let's continue.

[00:39:15] Melissa: And that permission slip to be perfectly imperfect is more about honouring the seasons and cycles of life, right? What are your thoughts around that? 

[00:39:26] Dylan: It's so inspiring, I guess because running a business and then also putting myself out there more and more, I love the authenticity around like starting something and then not having it be perfect and not like even trying to force it through to be this thing.

[00:39:41] Dylan: It's just like so inspiring to me because I know for myself, that's one of the fears I have like. If I start this, it's gotta look perfect. I gotta do it at a big level. It's gotta be this thing. It's gotta really change people. And then sometimes, maybe it's the most thing that I didn't even think would be the thing that people like, and they're like, oh, this one thing.

[00:39:59] Dylan: I'm like, oh, that's what you like. That was all I had to do. I would've saved a lot of time. But yeah, I love that. And yeah, I take breaks with journaling as well. Right now I've been doing for like, actually I, here I am saying moderation and and breaks, but I've been doing like this at least one line a day.

[00:40:15] Dylan: Mm-hmm. On this. Journal and I'm, I started in 2021 and I fill out at least one to three sentences every day, and it's fun to look back at like what I was doing a year ago today. Wow. There's some themes that seem to be reoccurring, but yeah, I think journaling has made a big impact in the way for myself, because I am good at numbing out. And it just helps me like, or to confront myself that it's uncomfortable maybe sometimes to be like, how am I really feeling? So that journaling just kind of draws it out.

[00:40:45] Melissa: Yeah. It's so easy to get busy. Right? And so hyperfocused on the to-do list, especially for those of us and those of you listening who are big on output and productivity, we hyper focus on something.

[00:40:58] Melissa: We get very excited and we just dive into things. In a way that's maybe without thinking how much of that is actually intentional and how much of that might be, we're just avoiding a feeling or a thought. And through that committed time journaling, we get to really access the deeper truth behind a lot of our actions and thoughts.

[00:41:19] Melissa: So thank you for sharing, Dylan, and this has been the most incredible experience just sitting here with you. I'm right in Malaysia right now, and I know you are in California and, uh, having who I, like I mentioned, considered to be a key player in getting me to start my podcast and now having you as my guest is just, it's totally and utterly surreal.

[00:41:40] Dylan: It's a big honour to like help in any which way and. I feel like I've used the word honour and emails to you like multiple times, but it really is like the way at which you help people. And I think I shared this with you before on, on a different zoom call we had, but it just, the work you're doing, like any which way that needs, we need more.

[00:41:57] Dylan: We need you everywhere, like less news and fear everywhere. More fearlessly curious. So it's a real honour for me to be here and I'm really excited as both a listener moving forward and to be like, “Hey, did you know I was on?”

[00:42:15] Melissa: Before we wrap this up, there is one more thing I'd like to ask you, which I feel is an important topic to cover cuz you mentioned something about, uh, quote unquote, I feel like there are plenty of white men already talking about podcasting and there seems to be a white male stereotype in podcasting, so I'm curious to know a little bit about that. And then ask you about women in podcasting and what your thoughts are around that. 

[00:42:40] Dylan: Yes. Okay. So first thing, disclaimer. Well, any of the points I make, I don't really have like talking points, right? I don't be like, oh, I know I'm gonna talk to this. I'm not that organised ahead of time. Maybe I should be. But I do notice trends and I do notice whether it's the universe showing me things, probably that's what it is. And then I just kind of go like, oh, I'm paying attention. I see kind of this happening. And one thing that sparked me to start digital podcaster was I kind of, I didn't research it very much, but the very little effort I put into researching podcast coach and coaches and consultants, there's this stereotype that's thirties men like mid twenties to like mid forties in podcasting, and I saw other men talking about podcasting and I just got a little bugged. I'm probably generalising them. I'm not doing much homework here as far as what I'm seeing. Yes, maybe I'm judging a little book by its cover a bit, but I just didn't see much and I'm like, well, I'm fit the Literative demographic of these people, so why am I doing this?

[00:43:47] Dylan: But then I'm like, I just wanna be helping people and if, if I'm helping people, then it's not about me. So my goal was really, and has been to empower people and who I started noticing, showing up was different than, like, I didn't really be like, I want this specific type of person to show up. I just wanted people that revived in with me. Right. And the people that have been showing up recently, and this is within the last couple months? Well, I did from the beginning. I haven't had people like myself show up. Like I don't have a lot of white male show up. I don't know what it is, but it just doesn't, there's very, that my demographic is very little lately in the last couple of months.

[00:44:28] Dylan: I don't know what this means. I don't know. I'm not even reading into it. That's why I'm saying I don't have talking points, but it's been like minority. Women who identify as women and lesbian and like, I don't know what, like I put out there. I don't know. Like it's over my, like head a little bit. I haven't journaled about it.

[00:44:46] Dylan: Not yet, but. Yeah, not yet tomorrow morning, but it's been really cool because that's been part of my mission, is empowering people. It's like we have enough white men taking up space. That's at its simplest date. It's like, that is probably threatening to white men. And it's, you know what, white men, it's not like they're going extinct tomorrow, like, but I want people who don't really feel safe to share sometimes feel safe to share. Cause I've been in rooms where a lot of people don't feel safe. And that's probably an introvert of me talking too. So I also like to threaten kind of established ideas, you know?

[00:45:22] Melissa: Ooh, now we're talking. 

[00:45:25] Dylan: Yeah. Fearlessly rebels. Yeah. So I like making people uncomfortable and like what I saw in podcasting was people that were white males that were comfortable. And as far as like the podcast industry, I haven't had much. Interaction and I don't really care. t's a bunch of people that look like you. I'm not worried about showing up. Yeah. And I say that like the men that I see because I see it. Since I'm kind of in this a lot, like I see middle aged or men like talking about these things and it's, what's that doing for like someone that's n been afraid to speak up and really maybe wants to speak up, but just want someone to encourage them. So it's been encouraging to me. To be able to see the people who are showing up, because I wouldn't like label myself as a woman who would identify as like a lesbian, and to see in my DMs, people that identify as that, it's just like cool to me. Also, I don't plan that. I'm not, I'm gonna make this piece of content that's gonna be, it's something that's put out in the universe. I don't know if that makes any sense. If I had talking points, it would've made sense.

[00:46:26] Melissa: No, it makes total sense. And I love that you had no talking points about it, because this is what this podcast is about. It's about me asking these questions about being curious, and for the record, if anybody listening for some reason has found any level of offence by the talking about. White men and stereotypes. Then I invite you to listen to this again and go a little deeper because we're all here. And the purpose of this podcast is for us to listen to each other because all we can do is share from our own personal lived experience. And this is Dylan's personal lived experience and it resonates with me a hundred percent, which is. Let's go beyond the cognitive, like what the mind understands. Okay, let's go bit quantum. Let's zoom out a little bit. We all see types because that's what the system has built and also we all wanna belong and in order to belong, we label. Right. But when we see silos happening or when we see certain types just serving the same type, that we begin to wonder where is our place and where is our purpose? And whatever type it is that you are magnetising right now. Dylan, to me, speaks to your heart. That you see diversity in your audience is speaking to your heart and not speaking to the visual type that we're seeing on the outside.

[00:47:44] Melissa: And that to me is everything. Heart-centred leadership and heart-centred service. And that's not to say the middle aged white man are not serving. Okay, let's be on, it's not saying that. Yeah, it's just saying, talking about actual stereotypes and having this level of awareness.

[00:48:02] Dylan: Like I see the people showing up in their audience, like in the comments on the guests that they're having, and to me, I just like, where's the diversity? This just feels like. Privileged. This feels like it just feels boring, I guess. It's like doing the same thing and it's like more of the same. Oh, this is new. This is, yeah. And it's been weird for me because part of me is okay, but like, yeah, I still fit into that box. And then there's other people that like me that maybe help with podcasts and I'm like, well, I don't wanna take any business away from them or anything.

[00:48:33] Dylan: But then I'm like, I'm just doing what I feel called to do and I can collaborate and it's not like a competition or anything. But yeah, to me it's the coolest thing is to just help people and then the people that show up, oh, this is who I like wanted to help. And somehow something in my like personality just seems to repel the, the boring white males, cause they ain't showing up. And that's cool. But I dunno what it's, well, it's the platform, it's the visibility and I think.

[00:49:01] Melissa: I believe that you relate as being an introvert. Okay. Yeah, for sure. Yeah. And for most of, I may get the language wrong, and if I do, I get it wrong, but sort of groups that are seen as minority. So let's talk about people who don't have that level of visibility globally. And that would be anybody who's basically not white, let's face it. Mm-hmm. Either muting themselves or. Have been muted. And that's a big movement. That's a big thing to change. Right. And so that speaks to a level of introvertedness too. It speaks to a level of shyness. It speaks to a level of invisibility.

[00:49:43] Melissa: Yes. And I love that we didn't plan this. And when, for those of you listening, I started off this conversation by speaking about how you Dylan present information in the Podcasting Academy, especially with such tenderness. And fragility. This is my perception and that's what connected me immediately. I just felt safe.

[00:50:05] Melissa: And you used that word as well. I just felt safe to be present with you and to listen and learn from you. And I actually didn't see your colour. I didn't see your gender. Uh, hard not to see your blue eyes, especially with that really awesome mic cover that just accentuates it, just saying. But this is the difference between, as I mentioned, just to recap, serving and speaking from the heart and from a place of true, well spiritual service. 

[00:50:31] Dylan: Really? Yeah. To me, that's how I can sleep great at night, that I live in that way. Yeah. And that's why, to me, ever since just starting, it's been awesome cuz it feels just, there's just something real about it. When everything you just described, it's that you can't fake that. Especially with podcasting. If it's gonna be good, it's gotta be authentic and over a long enough period of time, we can know all this little mechanism. We know when someone's lying. We know when someone's not saying something. Maybe they wanna say, and with podcasts, because it's usually a longer form content you can pick up on it. And if it's not authentic, it's not good. And so, yeah, I just think like that safety is everything and it's something that I think is, should just be treated as sacred in a lot of ways. Yes. And if it means like cutting, you know, huge portions of audiences out or whatever, it's like whatever. Like that's part of how it has to happen.

[00:51:27] Melissa: Yeah, you can't serve everybody and well, you could serve everybody, but you don't want to abandon your own values for that. Yeah. And that's integrity right there. So I appreciate you Dylan, and I know that you have your own podcast. Yes. Yeah. The Digital Podcaster podcast. Yes. And so falling on from that conversation about diversity or how do you invite your guests onto the podcast? What are some of the criteria? Or do you have criteria? I'm gonna presume.

[00:51:57] Dylan: They have to be a woman. They have to be lesbian. No, just kidding. They're like, how do you attract these people? You only choose, well, these days I've just chose like my brain. When I think about it, I go, Ooh. These are three questions. So I've been doing this kind of new format. I'm always staying curious and I'm trying to stay curious. And part of that has been like experimenting with this new format where I ask three questions and it's really short and really quick, but when my mind kind of wraps around like, Ooh, I could ask three questions to this person, then I just send them a message and be like, I have three questions, like this is what I was thinking. Sometimes it pops in my head right away. Sometimes it's like the middle of the night. But that's my criteria is like basically if I have a download of three questions. Mm-hmm. Okay. And right now I actually haven't had too many downloads, so I've been like, well, I'm a little behind, but that's okay. I'm just trusting that things will happen. 

[00:52:51] Melissa: I love that. Okay. It comes more from a pace of where you are internally inspired, yes. To be curious about a specific person or personality, which I guess are people you know, through your network or people who inspire you or a broad spectrum instead of comes from a broad spectrum of people.

[00:53:08] Dylan: It might be like in a second, like I come across someone online and it's in a second, and other times like just kind of comes into my brain of like, oh, and then I'll write it down. Like it was so obvious, like, I, why don't I do like this? And so, yeah, that's my way of doing it at the moment. Mm-hmm. But yeah, I got so many crazy things I could share for another time. For the next time.

[00:53:30] Melissa: Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Okay, Dylan, thank you again for saying yes to being here on the Fearlessly Curious Podcast. It's been such a pleasure to learn more about you and what inspires you, your why, and all the different expressions of who you are beyond Podcasting Academy with Podcast Workshop, Content Secrets, and we didn't get to talk about Content Clips. Maybe we'll wrap up with just a little bit about what Content Clips are cuz I'm a big, I'm a big follower of that Content Clips. 

[00:54:03] Dylan: Yeah. Basically of a service that we turn, like podcast video or any video, any recorded video into clips for social media. There's a lot of companies out there that do that, but we really focus on like what's the mission that the individual person is making.It's not a cookie cutter approach. It's very ties back to like, what's the goal here branded. In the person's like really feels like a natural extension of them, and we've made like thousands of clips at this point and it's grown. Way bigger than I thought, than I even thought. And so yeah, that's contentclips.com.

[00:54:40] Melissa: Awesome. Thank you, Dylan, for all the ways that you support this community, creative community, the introvert community, the coaches and consultants community, and just the community of curious people who wanna find their voice and maybe experiment with getting their voices out there. It's been an absolute pleasure. Listeners, you wanna find where Dylan is and what he's doing, then you just need to simply head to the show notes. You know where to find that over on my website and Dylan to sign off. Is there anything you'd like to leave our listeners with? 

[00:55:11] Dylan: Only thing you'll say is we gotta stick together. If you're living fearlessly curious, we gotta stay close together cuz if you are listening to this podcast, listen to Melissa. You already know it's such a rare thing and you gotta stick with your people that support you and uplift you like Melissa does, and that community is everything. 

[00:55:29] Melissa: Thank you, Dylan. Until the next time, stay fearlessly curious.

[00:55:40] Melissa: If you want more, make sure to subscribe so you never miss a new episode every Friday. And please leave a review. If you enjoy this episode. Don't forget to send me your curious questions and experiences as inspiration for future episodes. Your anonymity will be respected if that's what you prefer. For more guidance and support, join my emotional healing, mindfulness and music community over at melissaindot.com. See you next week.