This is EXACTLY what I was afraid of

And why I waited ~2 years before I finally did what I said I was gonna do!  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Issue #56 | September 19th, 2023 Hi, it's Pat! That picture—WOW. That was taken in 2008 in my childhood bedroom, and seeing it makes me cry a little. I was 25 years old and had just moved back home with my parents after being let go from my dream job a month prior. Scrambling to figure out what to do with my life, I had the idea to start a podcast. So, I bought all the equipment, signed up for all the necessary software programs, and… I was too afraid. I never even hit record. I just let the equipment collect dust and eventually unsubscribed from the services I was paying for. As you probably know, I eventually returned and started The Smart Passive Income Podcast. But my first episode came out in July of 2010, nearly two years after I planned to create it. If you’ve ever wanted to take action, but something keeps getting in the way, this newsletter is for you. Let’s get unstuck… QUOTE OF THE WEEK “Do the thing you fear to do and keep on doing it… that is the quickest and surest way ever yet discovered to conquer fear.” – Dale Carnegie THE STORY Podcasting has absolutely changed my life. It has allowed me to extend my reach and profoundly impact millions of individuals. Podcasting has allowed me to develop long-lasting relationships with people who were once guests on my show. As a result, it has enabled me to become a better communicator and storyteller. There are literally zero downsides that I can even think of, which makes me wonder why I was so afraid to start a podcast in the first place. This isn’t difficult to answer because I still remember exactly what was going through my mind… #1. I was afraid of failing Failing was my #1 fear. If I didn’t start, then there was no way to fail, right? The excuses and procrastination were all part of this fear. But looking back, true failure would have been not giving it a shot at all, letting my fear get in the way of what was possible. Here are two questions I now ask myself whenever I’m hit with fear as a creator: - What’s the worst thing that could happen? When I think about the reality of what I’m trying to do, the worst is never as bad as I initially imagined in my head. Why do we do that to ourselves? - What’s the best thing that could happen? Truthfully, the opportunities are limitless, and the upside usually far outweighs the downside. Sometimes, that alone is all I need to know. #2. I was afraid of what people would think about me Yes, I worry about this. In fact, I’ve worried about this my whole life. From elementary school to buying a podcasting microphone I never used. I worried about what people would think about my voice. I worried about how people would respond to my thoughts and opinions. I worried people would say my show wasn’t worth listening to at all. So many times in my life, I’ve let other people’s opinions (that aren’t even real) dictate my actions. Here’s the thing—I can’t help but think about how people will feel about what I create, but I can change how I imagine they might respond. Instead of “This show isn’t worth listening to,” I imagine comments from people like, “I listen to this show every single week because every episode is super valuable!” Instead of “Who even is this guy? He has terrible opinions,” I think “I love the discussions he’s having on his show. Although I don’t always agree with his opinions, the episodes are interesting and help me out.” And as far as the sound of my voice, I still don’t like it. But that doesn’t matter. It took me a good 20 episodes to figure this out, but no one cares about the sound of your voice, especially if the audience can tell you’re there to help them. A few of my podcasting students have been self-conscious about their thick foreign accents. And yet, they’ve built audiences of thousands of listeners who appreciate their voice and see it as a great, unique quality about them! Instead of avoiding the question of what people will think, embrace it. Use it to your advantage. Get excited about what people will think when you offer something of value to them—your take, your experiences, your expertise, and your personality. #3. I was afraid of wasting my time Maybe you can relate to this one the most. I was worried I was putting my time and effort into the wrong objective. Here’s the thing… Every opportunity is kind of like a bet. You never really know how it’s going to pan out. The trick to placing this “bet” is to stack as much in your favor as possible. The podcasting opportunity had always been in front of me. Finally, after waiting a year and a half because I was too afraid, I began to stack things in my favor: - I invested in a program that taught me step-by-step how to build and launch my show. - I asked a fellow podcaster to mentor me because I knew I needed someone to hold me accountable and keep pushing me through the start. - I set a deadline. I had to commit to myself to get it done. In July 2010, the first episode of the SPI podcast was live. It was rough around the edges, but with every new episode, things got smoother. Today, the show is approaching 800 total episodes. Like I said, it changed my life. Looking back, the biggest waste of time was sitting in limbo and indecision. I invite YOU to go for it too—to place that bet while stacking things in your favor. Whether it’s a podcast or something else, you already know what you want to achieve. The resources, the help, and the people are all there for you. It’s up to you to stop wasting time wondering and start investing your time doing. Even if it doesn’t work out, you’ll get the answers you need faster. Have you thought about starting a podcast? If you have then your timing is amazing! SPI’s #1 most popular course, Power-Up Podcasting 3.0, has been freshly updated with the latest podcasting information and strategies, including a brand new video podcasting module! What’s also new and exciting with this updated course is that it’s not just sold on its own. Power-Up Podcasting 3.0 is exclusively available in the SPI All-Access Pass Community. The best way to get results is with the help of our team and the support of entrepreneurs like yourself. Our next All-Access-Pass Accelerator—an instructor-led class—begins next week on September 28th. That means you’ll get guidance through the Power-Up Podcasting 3.0 course material along with the support and accountability that I wish I had from the start. Community-powered courses are the new way to learn online business, and we at SPI are taking the lead. ​[Click here to learn more and join the Power-Up Podcasting 3.0 Accelerator!](​ SPONSORED BY THE CREATOR NETWORK Grow Your Newsletter Faster Without Working Harder Are you tired of spending hours on social media or relying on algorithms to grow your newsletter audience? Look no further than The Creator Network - the ultimate solution for scaling your growth without all the busy work. At ConvertKit’s Creator Network, we believe that creators should support each other in their growth journeys. That’s why we offer a collaborative approach to newsletter growth, where you can recommend and be recommended by fellow creators in our community. As you work together to attract new subscribers, you’ll see your newsletter audience grow like never before. And the best part? When your fellow creators gain new subscribers, you gain them too! It’s a win-win for everyone. Join The Creator Network today and start growing your newsletter audience the easy and collaborative way! [Grow Your Newsletter]() SPI NEWS AND EVENTS We work hard at SPI to remain unstuck and consistently provide you with the best ways to support your business. Check it out: Unlock the full potential of your podcast content! Join us tomorrow, September 20th at 12:00 PM PT, for a workshop available exclusively in the All-Access Pass. Discover how to repurpose your episodes for social media, blogs, YouTube, and more, amplifying your reach and engagement. [Sign up for the All-Access Pass TODAY!](=)​ Let’s get inspired! In this episode of the Smart Passive Income podcast, Pat Flynn and special guest Julie DeLucca-Collins discuss how to align your core values with your goals, embrace failure as a stepping stone to success, and gain the courage to swing for the fences. [Tune in now]( for a perspective-shifting conversation that will fuel your entrepreneurial spirit. Take your interviews from standard to exceptional! These are our top ten tips for conducting a successful interview for your podcast, website, or blog. Discover the secrets to interviews that will captivate your audience, make every conversation memorable, and keep listeners and readers coming back for more. Ready to dive deeper? [Read the complete list here.]()​ DAD JOKE OF THE WEEK My friends started a podcast where they argue about their cheese opinions… It's called "k… so?" Did a cool person forward you this email? [Sign up here for free](. Want to reach over 125,000 entrepreneurs? [Become a sponsor](. [Link to SPI's Website](=) [Link to SPI's Twitter Account]( [Link to SPI's LinkedIn Account]( [Link to Pat Flynn's YouTube Account]() You are receiving this because you signed up for Pat Flynn’s newsletter at [smartpassiveincome.com](=). If you'd like to adjust which emails you receive or update your name and email address, click here: . 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