Build A Presentation Muscle : Showcase Your Expertise Through Content Creation

Content creators can be really self-conscious about repeating themselves.

They'll say things like, "But I told people about this back in February 2018. I can't post it again."

You can —and should— repeat yourself.

But even more than that, you need to work smarter. And part of that involves creating a content library.

Hi, I'm John Lacey and this is Build A Presentation Muscle, the podcast about demonstrating your expertise through content creation.

I'd love to hear more about your content creation workflows. If you would like to tell me about them, head over to JohnLacey.com and leave me a message via SpeakPipe or follow the social media links.

Keep on creating!

I saw a tweet during the week where someone was lamenting feeling like they should be on video, but not having "the skin" to do it yet. So I wanted to talk about that.

Hi, I'm John Lacey, and this is Build A Presentation Muscle, the podcast about showcasing your expertise through content creation.

Do you, as a content creator generally or an audio podcaster specifically, need to be on video?

You might've heard me say this before, but unless you've signed a contract or have a boss or a sponsor telling you that you have to do something, you can (mostly) do what you like.

Follow laws and platform terms and conditions, and the rest is pretty much up to you.

But I think a lot of anxiety about this comes from a sense that what we're doing isn't reaching enough people, and, maybe, just maybe, video might actually help.

And, frankly, it might. But it might not. Opportunities are everywhere, but opportunity cost is real. No one can guarantee your results.

If you're not interested in doing video, you don't have to do video. You have my blessing. Don't feel bad. Work on what you want to work on.

But here's the thing...

I want you to be ready to take opportunities when they present themselves.

Some of those opportunities might require you to be in front of a camera.

I don't want you to turn down a huge opportunity because you don't have enough camera experience to not feel nervous.

I have a prescription for you. Try it and let me know how you get on.

For more information about today's show, head over to JohnLacey.com

I've been on a fly on the proverbial wall of seemingly a million discussions about whether video is better than audio, whether YouTube podcasts are even podcasts and the like.

My hot take, if you will, is that you should create whatever you want to create. Video is awesome. Audio podcasts are awesome. They all have the opportunity to build awareness, spread a message, educate and entertain.

But while I've been in a lot of these conversations I'm really struck by this feeling that really the important thing is not the format, it is the message itself. It is something more primal than the technology. It's really about you developing your ideas and expertise and working on ways to express these.

The truth is so much of the content we create is very ephemeral. It is here today, gone tomorrow. But the constant is you.

Sure you're creating a podcast or a video or a blog post. Perhaps you're building a content library of evergreen content. Again, all of this is amazing and wonderful. But you're also developing yourself. You're refining your message. You're establishing your own values. You are articulating your own ideas. You're helping people. You're building your own confidence.

But even this is a serious undertaking. It won't always be easy and it won't always be fun. Sometimes you will pour your heart and soul into something and get no feedback whatsoever.

And when you're starting, you won't have an audience. And in those moments the things you tell yourself will ultimately determine whether you're able to stick around long enough to build any kind of traction.

Personally, every time I go live, or record, or post, I tell myself I am building a presentation muscle.

Every time I speak, I get better at speaking. Every time I write, my writing improves. Sometimes there's no substitute for practice.

Hi, I'm John Lacey, and in Build A Presentation Muscle, I want to talk about:

• finding your voice
• refining and sharing your message
• using tools and technology to share that message, and
• looking after yourself as a creator

It's been a long time since I've had an audio podcast so I hope you'll bear with me as I find my footing and as we unpack some of these ideas together.

I'd love it if you could subscribe wherever you're listening to this.

And remember for more information about today's topic head over to JohnLacey.com

https://johnlacey.com/build-a-presentation-muscle/building-a-presentation-muscle/

We all start somewhere, and it can be painful to be a beginner, personal growth can be very (ahem) "character building."

And I don't tell you this to scare you. In fact I tell you this to reassure you.

No matter how you feel about where you are right now, if you apply yourself and practice you will improve over time.

Hi, I'm John Lacey and this is Build A Presentation Muscle, the podcast about showcasing your expertise through content creation.

https://johnlacey.com/build-a-presentation-muscle/we-all-start-somewhere/

Generative AI is gross to me.

I have a visceral reaction to it. It makes my skin crawl. It causes my blood pressure to rise.

Some days I wish I could “agree to disagree” about it, but, honestly, it feels like a real moral challenge of our age.

I don’t necessarily see AI becoming sentient and taking over. What I do see is a lot of people using it for deeply cynical purposes.

You can head over to JohnLacey.com for more information about today’s show.