Let me back up a bit.

There are several ways to build a business. For example,

• You can buy something that already exists,
• You can buy a concept through a franchise,
• You buy part of a concept with a licensing agreement,
• You can farm out all the sales, marketing, and admin services in exchange for simply doing the work part you love (I call that the Amazon model),
• You can become associated or tied with a group and become part of their selling arm (real estate and multi-level marketing groups work this way), and
• You can also start from ground zero and do everything yourself.

There is no one perfect way to build a business. Although, starting from ground zero is probably the most difficult.

And so it goes

with the making and launching of a podcast, writing a book, launching a new product, or creating anything newish. Like a business, it takes a while to gain traction (the beginning sweet spot is generally somewhere around the 20^th to 30^th episode), and like a business, the first year is pretty barren.

Like a business, it does not pay to focus on any metrics because none of them begin to mean anything until the second and subsequent years. And while visions of sugar plum trees (okay, money falling into our coffers) do dance in our hearts and minds, truthfully, very few of us make any money from podcasting until we have a certain amount of followers, a certain level of street cred and a certain amount of luck.

So, we have two options. We give it a reasonable amount of time and then fold it in. Or we stick it out for the long term and find ways to make it pay.

Fortunately for me, I already figured out a few ways of making money in the second year from my first foray into podcasting, AND I also learned a great deal from a professional podcast agency client I had last year.

The real question is … do we have enough internal strength, fortitude and resilience to deliver a consistent product on a consistent timetable to the right audience? And right there, those three things are the fundamental blocks of building a successful business, a successful podcast, a successful product launch, a successful book, a successful anything.

The worst part about building from scratch is the loneliness. That loneliness and the lack of feedback or support is really tough. And to be honest, finding and showcasing (primarily) positive things is more difficult than I originally thought.

As you know, Exploring Compassionate Capitalism is my small way to help right the many wrongs in the world. There are some things I have a fair amount of experience with. Most things, however, I don’t. So finding people with the expertise and ability to communicate clearly is what I focus on.

Because I see the podcast about all of us.

We all have a vested interest in parts of what I report. And we are all moving (granted at different speeds) towards a world where the highest good trumps the will of the highest individual.

The truth is that our world has reached a place much darker than it has ever been. And people are beginning to rebel. I don’t want to dwell on the dark, I much prefer to dwell on the goodness. So there is a very fine balance to walk. And my emotions can be up or down each day depending on what I see or read.

However, the good old-fashioned human thing that has helped me to keep on keeping on is reaching out and connecting. This is the part where I finally get around to telling you what I originally set out to.

Over a period of two weeks, I had four people reach out and point me to award-winning broadcasts on very well-known stations and say, Char, have you heard of these? Because you are just as good!

Seriously, NOBODY ever expects that kind of praise. Plus, for people to take the time to write and say, damn, you are doing some good stuff there – well, that doesn’t happen very often. And I am still relishing it.

So, if you are in the middle of launching a new product, service, podcast, book, business or anything that tickles your brain cells, don’t give up. Keep going because it does get better.

And if you KNOW someone in the middle of launching a new product, service, podcast, book, business or anything that tickles their brain cells, acknowledge them.

Because whatever little positive thing you share will generate massive dividends for that person.

And you will never be able to imagine the impact you made in helping them change their own thinking for the better.