On this week’s edition of Podcast Recappers we look at another episode of Xero Hour with Bob Knopp and Saul Colt. In this seventh instalment of the show Colt interviews radio and podcast personality Jesse Thorn about how his broadcasting success could inspire anyone in business.
Thorn is the host of NRP’s Bullseye podcast, which examines pop culture trends, and the owner of MaximumFun.org. He offered deep insight into what it takes to follow your dreams, and why it’s important to stick to your guns until you finally reach that crucial breakthrough leading to success.
Before diving into the interview portion of the show, Knopp set the tone when he said, “I’ve been doing the Beancast for seven years, going into eight years of production, and sometimes I feel like hitting my head against the wall and asking why am I still doing this? Why am I still involved? But if you just stick to it the business starts to emerge and you get to see what the fruit of your labour is, but you have to put the time in.”
Colt agreed, saying, “That’s what it’s like for every business. How many people have thought about giving up so many times until they finally get that break, or get that opportunity, and finally turn that corner?”
The interview started with Thorn giving some background on how he started his long career in public radio. It was surprising to hear that he didn’t make any money for the first 10 years, even though he was really passionate about it. To pay the bills, he worked at a non-profit organization.
One of the key takeaways Thorn had to share was that you don’t always have to do what you love as a full-time career. It can be better to do something else to pay the bills while still pursuing your passion in your own time. One day, after enough hard work, that passion may provide enough income to give up your day job, Thorn noted.
“If you’re prioritizing bringing the thing you want to bring into the world, into the world, then it is entire reasonable for you to just keep your eyes open to where the money opportunities are,” Thorn said.
He also talked about how his successful NPR podcast developed over time. It started as a comedy show, but after certain staff left his team he had to reimagine the show, he decided to focus on doing interviews instead. If you ever have pivoted your company to take it in a new direction, the new position shouldn’t only be based on what you want, but also what your customers will respond to the most.
“Ultimately, I’m looking for something that reflects the values of our organization,” he said. “In the case of MaximumFun.org it’s intelligent, funny, and social relevant. If they fit that category then is it something that has the potential to connect with people enough that it will support its own creation?”
In closing, Thorn reminded us to keep our heads up and keep pushing forward. It can be tough, but it will be worth it in the end.
“Don’t screw around because you don’t have the luxury of screwing around. You have to keep at it because you never know when the pivotal moment will come,” he said.
