Y!TMJ showcases conversations with creatives about the passions that drive them

I am a self proclaimed multi-hyphenate with tremendous delusions of grandeur. Former podcast host of the BFFs! OMG! LOL! Good Ass Podcast. Musician, DJ, writer, all around good guy. The Y!TMJ podcast is my chance to sit down with creative types (primarily musicians at the moment, but open to anyone in the creative space) to talk about their art and the passions that have consumed their lives. Our listeners are a hardcore legion of music fans and those that really dig originality and pouring over and taking a deep dive into sparks of creativity. Oh, and my friends and family that I have guilted into listening to me blabber for an hour every other week.
 

I had been looking to get back into the podcasting space, but couldn't decide on what exactly I wanted that return to look like. Then, a global pandemic that you may have heard of shut down the entire world. As I was performing live streams musically and watching friends and other creatives use streaming and Zoom to entertain a world stuck at home, I saw my opportunity. It was a moment like, "Oh, okay. Everyone now knows how to use Zoom, so what if this show is an interview format." And with all of my fellow musicians trying to sustain some sort of income, I wanted to spotlight the creatives I thought deserved some attention. At the same time, I had this website where I just talked shamelessly about pop music and things that I love, and I thought, "Hey, let's merge the interview show in with this brand and run with it." Boom. The podcast was born. Did a summer of preplanning and guest booking and then launched in August of 2020.
 

How'd I find the time and funding to do this podcast? I don't know that I have hahaha. I self fund this endeavor as it is what people affectionately call a "labor of love." I have a Clark Kent day job, and then at night, I cape up and work on the show. Episodes release every other week, unless I'm inspired by something to want to release an episode in the off weeks. So like, if an idol passes away (like just happened recently with Michael Nesmith), I may drop a tribute episode. I usually spend all day Sunday producing each episode, and then of course do marketing throughout the week when ever I can steal some time. I'd rather not say how much I spend on the podcast, as that number would probably scare me out of continuing on.
 

My gains from this show right now a purely quantified in enjoyment and adoration. I do have Anchor.fm as a sponsor, and there is *technically* a revenue there, but it is more of the "Oh neat, I can get a coffee at Dunkin on my way to work" variety than the "check out the new Bentley purchased solely from that sweet, sweet podcast income." But I'm not much in it for the money. I'm well fed on the amazing conversations I have been able to have with peers and creatives who have inspired me.
 

My process is pretty straight forward. I line up a guest, do some research, and revisit their work. Then I sit down with them over Zoom and record a conversation. Give it a listen to see what can be trimmed to clean it up. Write and record intros and outros and any other form of banter I want on the episode. Edit everything in Garage Band. Build out some Cover Images for the episode in Adobe Creative Cloud Express (*shout out to my fellow Insiders!). Upload it to Anchor and that's it.
 

48% of our listeners find the show through Apple Podcasts. I do a lot of promotion on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and through my own website. Looking at the data, I would say that Facebook is the most successful way people are engaging with the marketing, be it organic or sponsored content.
 

Find your voice. And remember that no matter what your podcast is, value yourself, because you are one of the main draws to you show. And reach out to other podcasters. They have valuable advise. Resources, 100% you should read and retain all of Eric Nuzum's Make Noise: A Creator's Guide to Podcasting and Great Audio Storytelling. Every thing you need to know is in that book. And check out Kevin Chemidlin's Grow the Show podcast. And join the community.
 

You can subscribe to Yo! That’s My Jawn: The Podcast where ever you get your podcasts from. And if you want to be one of the cool kids and earn yourself Super Awesome Jawn Scout Merit Badge for Citizenship of the World, you can do so just by rating and reviewing us. Don’t forget to visit www.yothatsmyjawn.com for articles and merchandise! Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/YoThatsMyJawn for updates and live streams. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @YoThatsMyJawn and search Yo! That’s My Jawn on YouTube to find the Yo! That’s My Jawn YouTube channel. And while you’re there, why don’t you just go ahead and like and subscribe the heck out of that ish. We want to hear from you! Reach out, reach out and touch some Jawn.
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