Touching Base
Using loss to start something new.
Nothing will ever be the same
A few weeks ago, one of my favorite podcasts suffered an abrupt ending. People often forget that content creation is a huge business that is driven by revenue growth and when that money doesn’t come in content creators are often the first to get the proverbial ax.
Touching Base was never my first choice in podcasts. I tried getting into it last year and it just came off to me as a bunch of frat guys making idiotic jokes about nothing. That’s harsh, but for some reason, I couldn’t understand what the appeal was in a world where podcasts tend to have a narrative structure. It took me listening to The Ross Bolen Podcast (subscribe #Gang³) to clearly see how content could be structured around a person and their own life experiences. I quickly became a Toucher (it’s more of a lifestyle, really) and would listen to all of these guys discuss random shit that would get me through long rungs and tough times when I needed a distraction from life.
What really hit me since the show was canceled is how I have come to depend on those familiar voices for not just entertainment but a weird friendship not unlike those with my friends scattered around the globe. Unlike your favorite Netflix shows, creator-based content gives you this freedom of being an active participant in the creation process that builds not only a fan base but a really powerful engagement platform. Even though I have never met Micah, Will, Dave, or Dillon, losing the ability to hear from them on a regular basis feels similar to losing the ability to talk with some of my best friends.
When I started blogging and publishing content it wasn’t with the intention to build an audience or try to fight in the convoluted space of thought leadership — I started because I needed a creative outlet that would let me practice writing outside of the *soul-crushing practice that is writing emails and scope of work proposals (*this will become its own piece soon). However, I made a critical mistake that many creators fall for; I forgot that once published the content is no longer mine, but yours, the audience.
It took one of my favorite podcasts dying to realize how much of a relationship you can form with someone that is providing consistent content and I’m sorry that I abandoned my tiny but loyal readership base. Thankfully, all of you are friends of mine and have been very vocal about not just telling me how some of my articles have helped you with your own challenges but also get on my ass demanding more content and providing suggestions on what you’d like to read from me. I’ve heard you and I’m thankful for you sticking around — I promise to get better at this.
Moving forward, I will be posting new content every Monday morning. For now, I will keep things simple and focus on written content only as I’m hoping this is a more realistic schedule that will allow me to focus on higher quality. My long-term goal is to develop a process to publish a podcast using Monday’s piece as a conversation starter and maybe some video content as well. There’s also an exciting side project I am reviving from the litterbox that some of you already know about — stay tuned for that.
To Dave and Dillon, thank you for being a part of my life and letting me be a part of yours via Touching Base. I can’t wait to be a part of your next adventure.