Six years ago, Larry Roberts got sober.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was a hardcore alcoholic, and almost checked out. I was on a multiple-day bender when I managed to think, \u2018If I don\u2019t make a phone call now asking for help, I\u2019m dead,\u2019\u201d <\/span><\/i>Larry recalled.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

He ended up in rehab, and has been sober ever since.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Comedy always being his first love, Larry puts it best\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026 it was a very sobering experience.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

One year later, Larry decided his voiceover work\u2014recording other people\u2019s words\u2014was no longer cutting it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He wanted to be more creative.<\/span><\/p>\n

Starting a podcast at that time made perfect sense. So, Larry found a comedy co-host, and a podcast it was.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Eager to jump in, Larry admits his first episode wasn\u2019t fantastic. (So, take heart, those of you with a podcast idea! Jump in, and don\u2019t worry if the first one isn\u2019t the best. We all need to start somewhere!)<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe took to the concept of being free and saying what we want,\u201d <\/span><\/i>Larry shared.<\/span> \u201cWe may have gone a little too far with it! We did not publish that first recorded episode.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

That episode was the first in Larry\u2019s first podcast, <\/span>Accidentally The Whole Tip,<\/span><\/i> which ran for about two years. With 150 episodes, it even ended up live on stage! By many perspectives, it was a very successful endeavor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a blast,\u201d Larry said, \u201cbut it was very difficult to monetize, just because it was so blue.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/h3>\n

Even more importantly, Larry realized his need to mix a good time with contributing to society\u2014to have a creative outlet as well as a way to help people. And so began his <\/span>Readily Random<\/span><\/i> podcast.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Featuring a variety of guests who talk about success and achievement and share stories of strength, <\/span>Readily Random<\/span><\/i> \u201cREADILY reminds each listener, through stories of success, inspiration, and functional business techniques, that you too can be larger than life!\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

I was curious about how Larry felt about podcasting as a career.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I first started,\u201d he said, \u201cI thought monetization meant sponsorship, meant Patreon. The more I got into it, the more I saw how that isn\u2019t going to work for most people.<\/span><\/i> If you are looking to make a career out of podcasting, that\u2019s not the path you take.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

And I agree. So, what is the path?\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

A podcast is a great platform to launch yourself into other arenas, where you can monetize the credibility you have gained by launching courses, writing books, speaking on stage, and coaching other people.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt opens so many doors. It provides you an opportunity. You have to change that mindset of attaining millions of downloads to hundreds or thousands of downloads, as that\u2019s really where you are going to be,\u201d Larry explained.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

In his eyes, when podcasters strive for those high-end podcasts with massive downloads, they often lose their authenticity and their credibility, and are not even happy doing the show!<\/span><\/p>\n

With average download numbers for more than 50% of podcasts hovering around 170 per episode, it can be a challenge to make it work\u2014both creatively and in regard to it helping keep the lights on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Larry faced three main challenges: first, finding a niche. With a podcast name like <\/span>Readily Random,<\/span><\/i> it was initially hard for Larry to find his focus.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI just threw it out there and hope it stuck!\u201d <\/span><\/i>he laughed.<\/span><\/h3>\n

With time, it evolved into an entrepreneurial podcast.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The second challenge Larry faced was battling Imposter syndrome.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is huge. I fight it every day. I\u2019m fighting it right now, talking to you!\u00a0I know the success you\u2019ve achieved and what you\u2019re involved in. You\u2019ve done TEDx! But you have to confront it, and you have to overcome it.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Finally, Larry struggled with having a solid plan.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI jumped in and bought everything. I have mics I don\u2019t use. I\u2019ve re-done my studio about five times. I literally have gear in boxes still that I have never even opened! You have to know where you\u2019re going,\u201d <\/span><\/i>Larry said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

His advice? Do your due diligence when making a financial investment. Make sure you are putting your money to work for you in the right way.<\/span><\/p>\n

When I asked Larry what has surprised him the most since starting podcasting, he was very quick to say, <\/span>\u201cThe support of the podcast community.\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Podcasting is such a creative outlet. It allows anyone to jump onto a platform and get his or her message out\u2026 or even just his\/her topics of interest.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But don\u2019t be fooled\u2014it does take a commitment\u2014not just financially, but emotionally and physically.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So how do you know if podcasting is right for you?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In Larry\u2019s wise words\u2026\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone needs a podcast\u2026 IF you love it!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Six years ago, Larry Roberts got sober.\u00a0 \u201cI was a hardcore alcoholic, and almost checked out. I was on a multiple-day bender when I managed to think, \u2018If I don\u2019t make a phone call now asking for help, I\u2019m dead,\u2019\u201d Larry recalled.\u00a0 He ended up in rehab, and has been sober ever since.\u00a0 Comedy always being his first love, Larry puts it best\u2026 \u201c\u2026 it was a very sobering experience.\u201d One year later, Larry decided his voiceover work\u2014recording other people\u2019s words\u2014was no longer cutting it.\u00a0 He wanted to be more creative. Starting a podcast at that time made perfect sense.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":9235,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[546,462,547,545],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n