Your #Vanlife Companion

I'm Jeff Wagg, curator of the College of Curiosity. The podcast is "Built to Go" because that's what we are! We're meant to be explorers, and some of us choose to do that exploring in vans or other vehicles that we've built into homes. That's why it's a #vanlife podcast. Our listeners are folks interested in all aspects of living on the road, from how to build a rig to how to deal with showers, heat, security as well as places to visit, tales from the road and a bit of news now and then.

As I was building my own van, I wanted something to listen to, something to keep me company through the process. I couldn't find anyone else doing this, so I decided to take it on. The first episode was in January of 2020, and we've released one every week since. The goal was to make a podcast that would a companion, like a glossy magazine next to a fire on a cold winter's day. Except in this case, you'll be gluing fabric to the walls of your van or driving across the desert.

I've made this show a priority, so everything else bends to allow me to get the episodes out on time. It's not alway easy and there have been late nights and early mornings, but it's essential to keeping the project going. The project is self-funded, but we do get a little bit of help from affiliate sales and as the audience grows, we may consider sponsorships. It's a niche market, which means a smaller audience, but also a highly targeted one, and one that needs to buy things.

Monthly expenses are limited to hosting costs and my time, and larger expenses such as for research and trips are augmented by my travel business.

We have yet to take a sponsorship, but would consider it if we believed in the product. Currently, our reward is in the satisfaction of having a growing show and the people we interact with because of it. It's also a great way for me to indulge my hobby, and learn things so I can share them with others.

I use Evernote to keep track of notes and an outline, and then I record into Hindenburg Journalist. As yet, we don't have guests, but may in the future. I typically spend a few hours researching, and hour recording and a couple hours editing each week.

We don't do much marketing other than posts on social media. Most (60%) of our users find us in the iTunes library, while others find us in their favorite app. We're also seeing growth from smart speakers like Amazon Echo and Google Nest, which is fun.

The most important thing is to not break the chain. Get that episode out every week/day/month, every time. Consistency is more important than anything else. Then focus on quality and "good enough" sound. It's easy to get enamored by equipment and software, but the threshold for acceptable audio for a spoken word podcast is low enough that you don't need to spend hundreds of dollars to succeed. Remember that many people are going to be listening in their cars or on a train, etc. If your new, get a copy of Audacity and learn how to do the basic stuff. It's incredibly powerful software at a great price (free!). I use Hindenburg now because it simplifies my process.

You can learn more about the show at builttogo.com and more about the College of Curiosity is collegeofcuriosity.com. We also have a Facebook group called "Built to GO! A Facebook Group." I can be reached at jeff@builttogo.com.