For creative entrepreneurs, there’s always a tension between the creative projects we want to undertake, and the need to make it easy for people to understand the niche we fit into. 

It doesn’t make sense for us to be everything to everyone, but niching down is challenging because it feels like we’re giving up our creative fulfillment. 

Can we niche down and still have room for creativity? How do we know we’re on the right track when it comes to finding the right niche? 

In this episode, I’m joined by business and mindset coach, and the founder and CEO of The Ambitious Introvert, Emma-Louise Parkes. She shares how to shift the way we present ourselves in the market, and why it’s such a valuable exercise. 

3 Things You’ll Learn From Emma-Louise Parkes;

• Why we have to accept pivoting and changing niches without self-judgment 
• The struggle creatives have with niching down 
• Why she deletes work-related apps off her phone every night

Guest Bio

Emma Louise-Parkes is a business and mindset coach, and the founder and CEO of The Ambitious Introvert. She helps high-level introverts, empaths and HSPs create the strategy & mindset for massive success. Emma-Louise is an 86% introverted INFJ-A who is passionate about helping ambitious introverts, empaths & HSPs build successful, sustainable businesses they love. 

Listen to Emma-Louise’s podcast, The Ambitious Introvert here and join The Ambitious Introvert Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/introvertnetwork/.

Joe Rogan is the exception that proves the rule.

For every 3 hour episode of Joe Rogan, there's a podcast that is shortening up their average episode.

And rightfully so, I think.

We're going on 10+ years of long-form interview podcasts, and the format itself is no longer rare and valuable.

So either your topic must be incredibly rare and valuable, or it's time to shorten your average episode to deal with shrinking attention spans.

Here are my 3 best tips to shorten your average episode, starting with Guest episodes.

1. Set Expectations before hitting Record.

I let my guests know that my goal is to have a fun, fast-paced 30 minute chat that covers a few compelling topics. 

We spend enough time before hitting Record that I know roughly what topics we'll start with, so I can tease those for the audience right away.

Then as I spot juicier, more interesting topics, we might go off on a tangent. But I try not to cram too many topics in, that's where you get into 45 minute-plus conversations.

I remember being on a podcast as a guest a couple years ago.

We were recording within 5 minutes of jumping on the Zoom session. As a guest, it feels super weird and you have no idea where you stand. Am I taking too long to answer each question? Should this be relaxed and slow-paced, or should this be rapid fire? Am I giving the host what the audience will want?

It was like flying blind, and you never want to make your guests feel like that.

So set good expectations, and most guests will try to give you exactly what you ask for.

2. Open Strong. 

One thing that keeps your average episode long is asking the guest about their background too soon.

This invitation to share their background slows down the pace and tends to start at the very beginning of their story. We've all heard it.

"Well, it started on a dark and stormy night at the hospital in 1957. I was a strapping 11 lb 4 oz baby boy, and I took my time coming. "

No one wants that. 

Think of a Bond movie like Casino Royale or Spectre. 

You want to start with an action scene.

Then you reset and slow down, go back to the beginning.

Depending on what kind of podcast you're running, you can start strong in different ways.

If you run a business podcast where people expect actionable tips and tactics, start with that. Invite the guest to share something actionable as soon as possible.

If you run a podcast more focused on inspiring stories, start with a question about one specific anecdote from their life. Something that hooks the audience's attention, builds the guest's credibility and sets up the audience to be interested in hearing the rest of their story.

Managing the guest's expectations and helping them start strong will go a long way toward producing fast-paced guest episodes that hold your audience's attention.

That brings us to the last way to shorten up your average episode...

3. Publish solo episodes. Just you talking directly to your audience.

I'm a big advocate of solo episodes, at one point this podcast was ALL solo episodes, nothing but me teaching and sharing.

I'm mixing it up more now, but I encourage all my clients to include at least one or more solo episodes per month. That's part of my Weekly Podcast Formula. 

Especially if you're in coaching or consulting, you are selling YOU.

In order to sell access and proximity to you, your audience has to trust you and come around to the way you see the world.

They can...

As introverts, it often feels like other people can’t relate to our inner experience. We feel awkward in social situations, and work really hard not to convey that awkwardness to others. Our extrovert counterparts can perceive our behavior as stuck up and antisocial, and advice to just “be ourselves” feels rich coming from naturally gregarious people. 

But what if more people share this experience than we believe, and what if there was a way to change our mindset and create the motivation to put ourselves out there? 

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Monica Parkin, the author of "Overcoming Awkward, an Introvert's Guide to Networking, Marketing and Sales." She shares why putting ourselves out there as introverts is a lot easier than we think.

Things You’ll Learn from Monica Parkin; 

• The surprising feedback she got from extroverts about the book 
• How to take part in speaking engagements without taxing yourself 
• The introvert super power we don’t tap into enough 
• The interesting science-backed distinction between introverts and extroverts 

Guest Bio

Monica Parkin is an international speaker, podcast host, mortgage broker and author of "Overcoming Awkward, an Introvert's Guide to Networking, Marketing and Sales." The book is written to free introverts from the crippling social constraints that come with launching and growing their businesses and careers. For more information and to buy the book, head over to https://www.monicaparkin.ca/.