Our podcast process, storytelling stockpile, mantra for making

We've both been a little sick the past week with colds, so we're taking it easy and trying to get back on our feet.

We DID celebrate a huge milestone though last week—our 200th podcast episode! 😱🎂🎉

If you've been listening from the beginning, or if you just found the show, we hope you know how grateful we are that you continue to subscribe and listen.

- Jason and Caroline

PREDICTABLE 🔄

Processes that have helped us publish 200 podcast episodes

👨🏻‍🦲 👋: Last week we published the 200th episode of our podcast! 🍾🥳 We’ll be totally honest with you though, recording the first 100+ episodes was a bit of a hot mess 😂. There was no process, we had no repeatable systems, and we’d be lying if we said we weren’t uploading the day before or day of way too often.

BUT! All of that changed around 2020 once we started using Notion to run our biz and started prioritizing systems. Now, we have a very predictable 😉 process in place that helps us stay one week ahead of our publishing schedule and makes us feel way more in control of our podcast.

Here's how we do it:

1 - We record on the same day, at the same time. This sounds so simple, but it was a game-changer. We have a recurring task on our Google Calendars and we stick to this recording time every week. (Tuesdays at 10:30am, a week and half before the episode goes live.)

2 - We have four separate templates to make production much easier…

• GarageBand Template: Super simple to record in and edit with.

• Notion Page Template: A place to write our weekly recording notes.

• Apple Notes Template: Where we write our show notes.

• Figma Template: For individual episode cover art.

3 - Dashboard for our transcriptionist. Yes, we could have AI do our podcast transcript, but it’s never correct and always requires editing. We have a transcriptionist we’ve been working with for 70+ episodes and we know the transcripts end up being perfect!

If you record a podcast, we’d highly recommend creating a system and set of templates that can help you produce more efficiently and predictably. It takes maybe a day of work, but once down, it’ll save you tons of time and make your podcast production schedule feel way more manageable.

​- Jason 👨🏻‍🦲​

PROFITABLE 🤑

Build a "storytelling stockpile" for a stronger brand and better conversions

👩🏻‍🦰 👋: The other day, I was reminded of the iconic story of Steve Jobs insisting that even the circuit boards inside Macintosh computers should be aesthetically pleasing, despite objections from engineers who felt that the interior layout wouldn’t matter to users.

As I heard the story, I found myself siding with the engineers, thinking—Sure, NOW this anecdote makes for a great story and all, but practically speaking was this really a good use of resources? 🤔

And that’s when the magic word hit me: Ah yes... STORY.

This story, even years and years later, is STILL being told as a demonstration of Apple’s commitment to craftsmanship, quality and design. Whether the initial move was efficient in the context of building the machines matters way less than the fact that this decision became a story vehicle to reinforce Apple’s brand perception.

That is what makes storytelling so powerful—it's lives on way longer than the moment alone.

In other words, stories STICK.

In fact, some studies suggest that people are up to 22 times more likely to remember a fact when it has been wrapped in a story.

Whether it’s communicating your value proposition, building brand awareness, designing a website, writing sales emails, or teaching a training workshop, storytelling can be your secret weapon for cutting through the noise to reach your customer.

Here are some practical ways you can build your “storytelling stockpile” and make a deeper impact with your customer:

How to bring more storytelling to your business:

1. Write down 5 personal stories that demonstrate your brand values or attributes

For example, if a pillar of Wandering Aimfully’s brand is about work-life balance, we could tell a story about our year spent traveling full-time to embrace life first alongside our work.

2. Write down 5 stories that explain a key educational concept about your niche.

This is actually a core component of our Un-Boring Coaching Sessions. When we explain a concept—let's say, content marketing—we attach a metaphor or story to make the core idea stick more, like our Content Salad metaphor.

3. Write down the story of your ideal customer’s transformation.

Picture your ideal customer. Really imagine where they are in their journey, what they’re struggling with, and what they’re seeking. Now enter stage right: your business! How does the discovery of your business fill a need they have? And how does it aid in helping guide them through a transformation to a desired outcome?

BONUS: Once you write down your customer transformation story, then write 5 stories of REAL customers who have undergone the transformation your business promises.

👉👉 Use #1 in your social media content to reinforce your brand values.

👉👉 Use #2 in your blog posts and workshops to provide educational content that sticks.

👉👉 Use #3 in your sales page and sales emails for your offer to up your sales conversions.

Your stories are a direct bridge to your customer’s mind and heart. So here’s to telling them well!

​- Caroline 👩🏻‍🦰​

PEACEFUL 🧘

A mantra for moving past creative blocks: "Just get clay on the table"

👩🏻‍🦰 👋: I want to chat about something I’ve been grappling with lately—creative resistance.

Right now, we are gearing up to create social media content for Teachery and WAIM. Part of that involves filming short-form videos. I know this is a strategic and necessary move in order to become visible to new potential customers who've never heard of Teachery, yet I find myself dragging my feet.

I’ve been asking myself why this is.

Well, of course there’s the fact that it’s been two blissful years of not posting business content on social media, and I’m not in a rush to get back to that chaotic world. But also, if I’m being honest, it’s because I feel like I’ve been out of the social content creation game.

I haven’t created a short-form video since basically late 2021, and boy do I feel ruuuuuuusty. 😬👵🏻

I think I’ve been putting off the creation process because I’ve been building up unrealistic expectations for myself. I want to create something "good" right out of the gate, but logically I know that’s just impossible when I’m going back to being a beginner.

Can you relate? Is there a move you want to make in your business that you know would be beneficial, but you’re feeling blocked because of your own high expectations?

That’s where my helpful mantra comes in: “Just get clay on the table.”

It’s a reminder that you can’t sculpt a masterpiece without starting with a big, awkward lump of clay.

Your first draft—whether it’s a blog post, a YouTube video, or even a business—is bound to be imperfect. And that’s okay.

The key is to start somewhere, even if it’s messy and “bad” according to your own high standards. Because it’s through that process of creation and iteration that we refine our craft and turn something bad into something better.

So, my goal for this week is simple: dive in and get clay on the table. Embrace the messiness, knowing that it’s all part of the journey toward creating something great.

Now, I want to challenge you: what aspect of your business have you been holding back on because you’re afraid it won’t be perfect? This week, let’s make a pact to just get clay on the table.

Let’s embrace imperfection and trust in the process of growth and improvement.

​- Caroline 👩🏻‍🦰​