Have you ever wondered how to turn feedback into a powerful tool for growth? Hi, I’m Jamie Kennedy, the Executive Podcast Producer of Brave Moon Podcasts. In this episode, I explore the crucial role feedback plays in personal and professional development. Sharing my personal experiences, I highlight how embracing feedback has been a lifelong journey for me and discuss how to separate negative feedback from personal rejection to leverage constructive criticism for growth. I'll offer practical tips on how to ask for and handle feedback effectively.
I emphasize the tools and resources available for starting a podcast from home, showcasing that quality podcasting can be achieved on a budget. Whether you are a health and fitness coach or a small business owner, understanding the value of feedback and implementing key strategies can help you build a successful podcast that resonates with your audience.
In this episode, we talk about…
The personal journey of learning to accept and process feedback without feeling rejected.
Practical steps and tips for asking for and handling feedback constructively.
Essential tools and resources for starting a podcast from home on a budget.
Transcribed Podcast Episode
Did you know that I listen to every single suggestion and nugget of feedback I receive about this podcast? No matter how negative, or positive, it is, I take the time to digest it, comprehend it and then take action on it. This is not an easy feat. For years growing up, I looked at all forms of negative feedback as rejection. The worst feeling would just wash over me to the point where I wanted to bury my head in the ground.
So being open to hearing every single piece of feedback has been a feat in its own. It’s been a lifelong journey to be able to get to this point - and frankly, I’m still working through it.
So I’m here today to talk to you about feedback. About being open to feedback. And being able to separate negative feedback from actual rejection. And being able to look at even positive feedback objectively and to understand that no form of feedback has any direct reflection on you as the special, unique human you are. If you can do this, if you can open yourself up to feedback, you will quickly find a road to growth and building your podcast for the better.
But first… you should know a little about what I do at Brave Moon Podcasts. I am a podcast expert and producer, and I help busy creators, small business owners and wellness ‘preneurs launch and build successful podcasts from home. And home is exactly where I am right now, in the little bedroom turned office tucked into the back corner of the apartment I share with my husband and my rescue dog Riggs. Podcasting from home is 100% achievable. For example, the equipment I’m using today cost me less than $400 and the programs and software I use to create, record, edit and publish my podcast costs me less than $30 a month. Everything you’re hearing today is an accumulation of all of the equipment, recording and editing programs and software I recommend to you to get started podcasting from home. The promotional tools, the graphic design tools, all of these are what I recommend to you. I basically take all the guesswork and research out of it, and set you up for success when starting your own podcast. To learn more about what I do, you can jump on my website AND be sure to download my free Start-a-Podcast guide, which houses my comprehensive start-a-podcast checklist plus my top recommendations for audio equipment, podcast host and recording platforms. In order to download, you’ll sign up for my emails where I send you fast, fun, free updates on the best podcast news and tips in the industry - which you can unsubscribe to at any time. In every episode, I provide a pretty impressive amount of information about products and software programs I recommend using. You will find all of these links to these helpful items in my show notes. So even if I breeze by it in the episode and don’t mention I’ll include the link in my show notes, there is a 99% chance you’ll find the link there! So visit the show notes for the information you’re looking for!
If you’re brand new to the podcast and stumbled on this episode first, welcome! I am so excited you’re here. And if you’re a returning listener, thank you for being here. If you haven’t already, be sure to leave a 5-star review so other creators and small business owners can find the podcast too.
Ok, it’s time to get really vulnerable here. Being open to feedback and rejection. This one is so friggin’ hard for me. Is it hard for you, too?!
That said, the older I get, the more I realize just how paralyzing it is to receive feedback and take it as rejection to the point that we give up on our dreams.
To be honest, rejection and negative feedback has stopped me in my tracks multiple times, particularly in my career. I’d argue that it was when I started my own business that I started letting other people’s opinions affect my next action, whether it was to give up or pivot or what have you. But I’d be lying because frankly, I know this about myself. Probably from a very young age, I equated negative feedback to rejection. Feeling I somehow wasn’t good enough or that I wasn’t perfect. It paralyzed me, sending me deep into the darkest corners of my mind, wondering if I was capable of well, anything.
I’m not going to say this is fixed in me completely now but, what I’ve discovered with awareness of this tendency, I can now distance myself from it. I can see the negative feedback train coming and I can choose to get on it and wallow in self-pity and feelings of rejection, or I can wave to it as it passes by and say to myself, “I recognize that their feedback is not about me, but rather about something I’ve produced, and that’s ok and there is something for me to learn here.” I think a lot of people forget that our growth and our ability to better ourselves is a lifelong process. I don’t just wake up one day and say, “Yep, healed. Your words can’t hurt me!” But instead, I can become aware of my triggers and consciously make the choice to adjust my thinking toward the feedback.
And I should also say now that I don’t necessarily even look at feedback as negative or positive anymore! The truth of the matter is that, we all come from different perspectives, different worlds built in the folds of our complex brains, and that means that any feedback you receive from an external source is about them, not you. This allows a special distancing for me that can help let go of the feeling like they rejected me. Because first and foremost, their feedback isn’t a rejection. That was my own connection I made in my brain, and has nothing to do with the feedback received. And yes, I mentioned positive feedback too because again, I don’t let positive feedback make me feel “approval”. Instead, I take it subjectively as well. How can this feedback help me produce something differently? Is this feedback the others might also provide to me, as well?
So when you approach feedback in the way, I think you’re ultimately setting yourself up for way more success. Because you’ve not attributed feedback toward the value of you as a human being or your place or status on earth. Instead, you’re able to hear the feedback objectively and ask yourself if it should affect change in an objective way?
So the reason I’m bringing this up is because I received some feedback on the first two episodes of my podcast. First and foremost, I asked for this feedback. 10 years ago, you would have never heard me asking for feedback from anyone. So that’s a sign of growth, eh? Besides the point, I asked for feedback and it really worked! People really showed up for me and gave me some great feedback. A couple things I heard were:
#1 The quote from episodes 1 and 2 were unnecessary and slightly painful even
#2 That I talked a lot. Like, a lot a lot. And there was too much information to process!
First step, I consciously separated the feedback from my own value as a human or the podcast I had created. After all, we only know what we know going in. We are allowed to change, we are allowed to grow, that’s part of being human, thank goodness!
So I had two actions I needed to take for each piece of feedback. The first action was to objectively research the findings. I analyzed each piece of feedback. I looked at the numbers, insights from my listener retention rate, I reached out to a couple more listeners I knew were tuning in. I also asked myself, “If I were a podcaster, what would I want to hear?”
From there, I had one more action to make for each piece of feedback. I had to decide where I would reject the feedback and action it by responding back to the feedbacker with gratitude and a solid explanation for why I would keep the podcast as is, or, accept it and action it by not only responding back to the feedbacker with a thanks but also actually doing the thing and changing the podcast!
And so, after review and contemplation, I ultimately decided that I would adjust my plan for this podcast accordingly!
So no more quotes as of episode 3 and on, and I am keeping my podcasts to 10-15 minutes maximum. This new length is still long enough to receive really valuable information about podcasting from home but also short enough to help you absorb the information without getting info overwhelm. And, the shortened length may even help me move this to a weekly podcast. Shh… you didn’t hear that. But of course I will let you know if that changes.
If you absolutely hated either of these decisions, then by all means be sure to DM me on Instagram and we can laugh about it.
So here’s my 5 direct hacks you can run away with today that will help to accept and take on feedback.
Hack #1
Ask for feedback and be prepared to receive feedback. The first step to accepting feedback is to ask for it. This shows that you are open to learning and growing. You can ask for feedback from your listeners directly, colleagues, clients, or even friends and family. And when you do ask for it, be sure to prepare. What is it that you want to get out of learning from their feedback? You can even prompt the feedback by saying, “What do you think of my outro? Should I include anything else?”
Hack #2
Listen actively. When you receive feedback, it is important to listen actively. This means paying attention to what the person is saying, asking clarifying questions, and avoiding interrupting. It is also important to be open to hearing both positive and negative feedback.
Hack #3
Take some time to process the feedback. Once you have received feedback, take some time to process it. This may mean thinking about it on your own, talking to a trusted friend or colleague, or journaling about it. It also means doing some market research to make sure that the feedback is valid for your business and podcast. Remember that everyone is coming from their own world perspective, so you don’t have to take on every piece of feedback as your truth.
Hack #4
Be open to change. Feedback is often an opportunity to learn and grow. Be open to making changes based on the feedback you receive. This may mean changing your work habits, your communication style, or even your way of thinking.
Hack #5
Thank the person for their feedback. Finally, be sure to thank the person for taking the time to give you feedback. This shows that you appreciate their input and that you are serious about using it to improve.
And this is a 2-way conversation fyi! If you do have any feedback, I would so love to hear from you! I’m available via DM on Instagram and I can’t wait to chat with you. Topics to cover: podcasting from home, the health and fitness industry, my dog Riggs or how great tacos are.
Thanks so much for tuning into this shorter episode of Start a Podcast from Home. See you back here every other Thursday.
Embracing Feedback and Rejection
Remember, feedback is a valuable resource for continuous development, and your willingness to embrace it will set you on the path to success in podcasting. Unleash Your Potential: 'The Fearless Podcaster’s ToolKit' - Your Toolkit for Navigating Feedback and Rejection with Confidence
For You, On Us
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Happy podcasting!
