On this day

May 20th

Engagement with Vince Quinn

12 Days Ago

What does it really mean to be an effective podcast host?

Good podcasts succeed by focusing on engagement, not biography.

[…] everybody loves podcasting and talks about their podcast constantly, and yet never talks about hosting— how can I be a better host?

~ Vince Quinn (2:00)

This conversation with Vince Quinn focuses on the role of hosting in podcasting, emphasizing that many podcasters neglect to develop hosting as a craft. The discussion contrasts how people obsess over gear or downloads but rarely consider how to become better hosts. A strong host is seen as fundamental to a good show—someone who prepares, guides the conversation, and stays aware of pacing, clarity, and energy. The act of listening back to one’s own show is framed as a vital method of improving, not just through passive review but through strategic reflection on structure, tone, and listener engagement.

Vince and Craig also discuss common pet peeves in podcasting, such as hosts who aren’t prepared or who rely on generic question lists. They stress that shows should begin with engaging topics, not guest biographies, and that silence and space are useful tools for dynamic audio. Another significant topic is the use of LinkedIn and other platforms not just for promotion but for building real, reciprocal connections. The conversation closes with reflections on using podcasts as core drivers of content strategy for small businesses, suggesting that most podcasters follow flawed blueprints and should instead focus on clarity of purpose and realistic goals.

Takeaways

Hosting as the core skill — Hosting is the defining feature of a podcast and is rarely given the attention it deserves.

Listening back with purpose — Reviewing episodes is essential for improvement, especially when done with detachment and intention.

Preparation makes a difference — Being prepared with guest-specific context creates a better experience for both guest and audience.

Avoiding biography overload — Starting episodes with long guest bios wastes listener attention and can be a major turnoff.

Letting guests lead — Asking neutral, open-ended questions enables guests to share authentic experiences without emotional projection.

Using space intentionally — Strategic use of silence can enhance tension, rhythm, and storytelling in audio.

Engaging social media mindfully — LinkedIn and other platforms can be used effectively to build strategic business relationships.

Avoiding generic questions — Personalized, thoughtful prompts are more engaging than standard interview scripts.

Choosing the right content blueprint — Most podcasters imitate high-profile shows without realistic alignment to their own goals.

Using podcasting for business — Podcasts can drive content strategy, relationship-building, and lead generation for service-based businesses.

Maximizing limited resources — Bootstrapped creators can use a podcast to generate multi-purpose content across platforms efficiently.

Clarity of purpose — Defining success and setting short-term goals are crucial for keeping podcast production focused and meaningful.

Resources

SBX Productions — Vince Quinn’s business providing podcast production services.

Vince’s free 30-minute consultations — To help creators improve their shows.

Vince on LinkedIn

It’s Not “Just Talking” — Vince’s podcast

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

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Technical debt

May 20, 2024

Everything goes in cycles, right? Back in the 90s, we became excited about “4th generation” programming languages. In short, programming is very difficult and so people write programs, and they write tools to help them write programs. Eventually, those tools are really just new programming languages… and the rising tide (lifting all the boats) has gone up a generation.

Today, with a few commands and a couple of lines of code, we can prototype almost any idea. All the tools that we now have available make it easier than ever to start something new. But the upfront cost that these frameworks may save in initial delivery eventually comes due as upgrading and maintaining them becomes a part of our technical debt.

~ Ste Grainer from, The Wax and the Wane of the Web

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Keep in mind that the rising tide does not move the foundation layers at the beginning/bottom. There’s ever-increasing distance between the hardware at the bottom, and the “surface” of the rising tide at the top. Yes, sure, we refer to the increasing complexity of keeping all the stuff (from foundation to surface) maintained and working as technical debt.

The part that bends my mind is this: There’s more and more room (from the foundations to the surface) for an increasing number of people to find things (places in the layers, particular technologies) that they love. Yes, the technical debt increases… Yes, non-human intelligence is coming… But there’s more—every day—space in those layers for so many people (and non-humans) to find their passion and craft and art!

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Failure also

May 20, 2023

Pass on what you have learned. Strength, mastery… but weakness… folly… failure also. Yes, failure most of all. The greatest teacher failure is. Luke, we are what they grow beyond. That is the true burden of all masters.

~ “Yoda”

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This is not amusing

May 20, 2022

I grew up with maps showing how cities would be obliterated by a nuke. They’re back.

~ Clive Thompson from, The Return of 1980s-Era Nuclear-Strike Maps

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As did I. And, The Day After, for those who don’t know what that is, … well to be candid, I’m not sure how to describe it. Absolutely, scientifically and viscerally real. I know what it looks like when civilization collapses; and it’s not some kitschy zombie scenario. Disease disables, maims and kills. But nuclear war would return us to Medieval times. I would have been 12 or so when The Day After aired on TV, and I’m confident we watched it. I know I’ve also seen it several times on VHS, (and possibly on Beta as we had one of those for a while too.) There’s an interesting, unresolved question about why don’t we see signs of other intelligent beings… and one legit thought is that, quite possibly, all but vanishingly few races obliterate themselves in a sort of technology limiting event.

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Forget all that

May 20, 2021

I get it. This might all seem like a bit much. I was intimidated by journaling too. And people, I find, tend to intimidate themselves about it: What’s the best way to do it? What’s the best journal? What time? How much?

Man, forget all that. There’s no right way to do it.

~ Ryan Holiday from, This Is The Most Important Thing You Can Do Each Morning

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We all try to share things with others—hey look! Blogging. We share stories, books, images, music, songs, and suggestions, (where to go, what to do, etc.,) hoping, if I can be so generous, that what we share will provide some guidance, enjoyment, hope, or what else we know not. Whether or not the things we share land… whether they stick, have the desired affect, or any positive affect at all… we’ve no way to know that.

But what might happen if we tried to share things with our future selves?

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Andy Keller & Austin Weiss | Woodland Warrior Training

May 20, 2020

On Castbox.fm — Andy Keller & Austin Weiss | Woodland Warrior Training

How can physical play and immersive storytelling be used to engage participants in movement and teamwork in natural environments?

Movement through the forest becomes part of the lesson, with wet logs, roots, and pinecones reshaping familiar skills.

I think the point is, oftentimes people are afraid to put effort towards something if they don’t have a reason— if they don’t have the motivation to work hard. A story can create that motivation.

~ Andy Keller (9:48)

The conversation explores the immersive play and physical activity sessions held during the Parkour leadership and education retreat. A notable focus is on the integration of fantasy storytelling with movement, allowing participants to roleplay in woodland environments. This engagement highlights how physical skills adapt when transitioning from urban to forest settings, such as dealing with unstable ground and environmental obstacles.

A major theme discussed is the adaptability required by coaches when managing participant energy levels and responding to the dynamic needs of the group. The importance of familiar narratives and storytelling to create motivation and encourage deeper involvement is emphasized, illustrating how blending imagination with physical challenges enhances engagement.

Takeaways

Storytelling in Coaching — Using familiar narratives can motivate participants to engage more deeply in physical activities.

Adaptability — Coaches must adjust the intensity of sessions based on participant energy levels to maintain engagement.

Environmental Awareness — Moving through natural environments presents different challenges compared to urban settings, reinforcing diverse movement skills.

Role Reversal — Allowing participants to experience both sides of a game or challenge enhances understanding and empathy.

Physical Collaboration — Tasks requiring teamwork, such as fort-building, highlight the importance of group effort in problem-solving scenarios.

Resources

Andy Keller Parkour — Andy Keller’s personal website, providing contact information and event details.

Austin Weiss @aweiss2fr

Art of Retreat — The primary website for information on the Art of Retreat events.

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

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Nobody cares

May 20, 2019

22. Nobody cares. Do it for yourself.

Everybody is too busy with their own lives to give a damn about your book, painting, screenplay etc, especially if you haven’t sold it yet. And the ones that aren’t, you don’t want in your life anyway.

~ Jason Korman

The last person to leave

May 20, 2018

I want to be the person that is the first person there and the last person to leave. That’s who I want to be, because I think the road to success is through commitment, and through the strength to drive through that commitment when it gets hard. And it is going to get hard and you’re going to want to quit sometimes, but it’ll be colored by who you are, and more who you want to be.

~ Will Smith

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Back in the saddle

May 20, 2016

(Part 31 of 36 in series, 10,000 Reps Project)

woo-HOO, it feels great to be back in the saddle!

I did this week’s workouts as planned. I’ve 80 bar precisions to squeeze in on Saturday. It’s a busy day, but it won’t be a problem. Monday and Wednesday I did the 80 pullups in sets of 3, WITH an assistance band. Today I did ten sets of 5 with the band, then 10 sets of 3 without any band. I think next week I should be good to go without any assistance band on the pullups.

This week I added 240 to the odometers. That’s WAY too slow to make the 10k-in-a-year goal. I’d have to rack up 500 per week to make it. I’m not ruling out some crazy miraculous rabbit-out-of-hat finish… but I expect I’m going to run over the one-year date.

Next week, I’m going to repeat the same plan (80 reps on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). Just to make Saturday and Sunday completely free (from this stuff, I do other things ;) I’ll do all the bar precisions on Tuesday and Thursday. 6 sets of 20 is a nice workout. Next week I’ll be just shy of 6,000 reps of everything, so maybe I’ll squeeze in a few extra sets to ring that bell too.

Spreadsheet snapshot as usual. This week filled in. “Planned workouts” in yellow cells:

Screen Shot 2016-05-20 at 4.38.56 PM

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Less interrupting please

May 20, 2015

I have seen this happen more times than the number of yaks I’ve shaved. At nearly every job I’ve had, I’ve walked this fine line. I’ve had performance reviews where I’ve been called pushy, aggressive, assertive, abrasive, or bitchy simply for speaking up in a similar manner to that of my male colleagues, and on the other side of things, I’ve been interrupted and spoken over more times than I can count. I’ve worked at places where I was the only one being interrupted (backstory: I’ve been the only woman in a lot of engineering departments), which has bothered me. But I’ve also worked at places where everyone interrupts each other all the time. For a while, I thought that was better. “At least I’m not being spoken over because I’m the only woman; the guys get interrupted too,” I thought to myself. But everyone interrupting everyone else really isn’t that much better.

~ Katherine Daniels from, «http://beero.ps/2015/01/13/on-interrupting-interrupt-culture/»

For, let’s say, the first half of my life, I was always the one doing the interrupting. As I’ve begun to listen, I now realize how much everyone interrupts everyone else. When I’m relaxed and on my game, I try to have a meta-listening happening so I can tell when to stop talking to keep the conversation working. As best I can manage, when I’m interrupted, I simply stop talking.

But sometimes, just for fun, I like to toss this in quietly while the interrupter is still speaking…

Oh! I’m sorry, did the middle of my sentence interrupt the beginning of yours?

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Something we need to watch out for

May 20, 2013

Imagine a puddle waking up one morning and thinking, “This is an interesting world I find myself in — an interesting hole I find myself in — fits me rather neatly, doesn’t it? In fact it fits me staggeringly well, must have been made to have me in it!” This is such a powerful idea that as the sun rises in the sky and the air heats up and as, gradually, the puddle gets smaller and smaller, it’s still frantically hanging on to the notion that everything’s going to be alright, because this world was meant to have him in it, was built to have him in it; so the moment he disappears catches him rather by surprise. I think this may be something we need to be on the watch out for. We all know that at some point in the future the Universe will come to an end and at some other point, considerably in advance from that but still not immediately pressing, the sun will explode. We feel there’s plenty of time to worry about that, but on the other hand that’s a very dangerous thing to say.

~ Douglas Adams

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