By; Ken Boone Ok, I just finished a super busy week at my little production company. And a crazy one at that. It's Saturday morning and I'm thinking that I can look forward to a relaxing weekend. Or maybe not. I feel like something's missing. Yesterday, I recorded, edited, and published Celia's latest podcast episode in slightly over two hours. That's a record for me! All of this while creating a series of social media posts for a Facebook Live event sponsored by a client. And I did all of the above without my take-out pizza getting cold! Earlier in the week, I posted a couple of podcast episodes for a client who, because of the pandemic, was forced to radically change their business model. I'd suggested they record podcasts as a way to reach more people without driving all over the state for meetings. That was two years ago. Now they are taking credit for creating and producing their new show. As pissed off as I am, I'll leave it to karma to settle that score. There were also a number of agenda items that I didn't want to bore you with. Some were billable, some were done on gratis. And it looks like this will be my hectic life for the foreseeable future. However, I still feel like something's amiss. Sipping on my first cup of coffee, it dawned on me that next week will be the first one where I won't be posting an episode of my podcast, "From Grievance to Gratitude". I'm not counting the weeks that I didn't record or publish while I was recovering for my health situation. No one could have done this under those circumstances, so I'm cutting myself some slack. As I've said hundreds of times, I didn't set out to make the podcast a marvel of broadcasting. My goal wasn't to get thousands of downloads. Nor was it pick up a bunch of sponsors. It was a means for me to practice my craft while getting a bunch of crap off my chest. And in that regard, it was wildly successful. After 35 episodes ranging in quality from garbage to mediocre, two things happened. First, I was running out of grievances. I realized that I have a lot to be grateful for. Second, COVID-19 swept in to change life as we know it. Family, friends, and strangers alike were thrusts into unfamiliar territory. Forced to shelter in place, the lucky ones were able to work from home. Another group of them were able to collect unemployment, so they could at least cover some of their expenses. The third group were the independent workers who had no safety net. They are forced to scramble to find new means of support. That third group is the one I think I can use my skills to help. Since I've been a gig worker exclusively since I moved to the Charlotte area in 2009, I'm well positioned to speak to their issues. Since 1999, I worked a either a consultant or a contractor for a number of corporations, large and small. With over twenty years of independent employment, I know that I'm well-equipped to hear their stories and bring them to light! Here we go again. While starting this post to "grieve" the end of my little show, gratitude kicks in to show me a different perspective. Which brings me to the capstone events of my week. I pitched my idea of the new podcast, titled "Freelancer Survival Stories" to a few people I wish to record for upcoming episodes. They all agreed to take part in this endeavor! The format is still coming into focus. But one thing I know for sure - I won't be conducting any interviews. Not just believe the prospect of asking dumb questions terrifies me. It's also that I think it will be more powerful to hear my guests' stories, in their own words, without someone trying to herd them into certain responses. I'm instituting a "No Gotcha Questions" policy for this show! With God's grace, we will launch the podcast the week beginning June 1, 2020. I plan on creating episode up to and including a time when things have been restored to normal. But you never know. ABC's Nightline was suppose to run until the Iranians released the American hostages in 1980, and it's still going strong!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
About the AuthorAs owner of the Descant Music & Media Group, Ken is a creator and producer of several podcast shows. He is also a music producer, as well as a writer and an accountant for small businesses and nonprofits. Archives
June 2020
Categories |