Tag: Chattanooga Podcaster

My Podcasting Gear (right now)

Naturally, when I started podcasting I had no idea what I was doing. While I’m not at the level of Joe Rogan, Here’s the Thing, Super Soul Conversations or Tim Ferris Show….. yet, I have learned quite a lot about audio gear and the art of interviewing from the 20+ sessions I’ve done.

Yeah, that’s right I said 20. 20!!

I know, I’m still a baby. You’ve got a lot to learn, young grasshopper. (20’s better than zero)

Here’s my current gear set up:

Zoom H6 Recorder. This seems to be the go-to standard for professionals across the board right now.  The H6 is super portable, has up to 4 XLR  inputs (so up to 4 mics).

2 Audio-Technica ATR2100’s. This is the first mic I started out with. It’s relatively cheap as far as mics go, and sounds 90% professional.

I also have a Heil PR-40, which is my main mic nowadays. Soooo buttery smooth. It will make you want to slap yourself. I want to pick up another one of these to round out my H6, they are on the pricey side, so I haven’t ‘Buy now with 1-Click’ yet.

And then some small goods:

XLR cables

USB to Micro cables (For new MacBook Pro owners, aka cables that no longer work for you)

Mic Beards (and a mic beard for your Heil PR-40)

Pop filter

SD cards

Rechargeable Batteries  (You’ll thank me later)

The more redundancy the better. You never know when something is going to die on you. (Learned this the hard way 🙈)

If you want to go bare essentials, getting 1 ATR21000 and a USB cable and you can record directly from your computer. This is great for solo rounds or Skype recorded episodes.

Stay BOLD, Keep Pursuing,

— Josh Waggoner

https://forms.convertkit.com/273691?v=6

Are you taking your dreams seriously?

People treat you the way you treat yourself.

How you think, talk, emote, dress, eat, and act determines how people respond to you.

When you act like a goob, people are going to treat you like a goob. 

What brought this on? 

I’ve been thinking about / wonder whether or not people (especially people I️ know) take me seriously. Take me serious about what I️ know, what I’m doing, and what I️ want to accomplish.

These thoughtful questions lead me to an even harder question to answer:

Am I️ taking myself seriously?
…

Am I️ putting in the belief, time, effort, challenge and blood, sweat, commitment and tears necessary to take my goals seriously?

Am I️ taking this blog seriously? Am I️ taking my writing practice, desire to be a fiction and nonfiction author seriously?

Am I️ taking my songs seriously? Do I️ practice my guitar, vocals, piano and song crafting as seriously as someone who is a professional?

Am I️ taking my business seriously enough? My work, relationships, health (and health problems)?

Am I️ taking my life seriously??! We treat death like a far-off event, but in reality, I­t­ could happen to any of us at any moment. If I️ got hit by a bus today, would I️ feel accomplished and satisfied with the life I️ led?

Maybe its just my tween-age angst talking, but I️ don’t think so. I’ve got a lot I️ dream about, and very little precious time to give to make I­t­ happen.

When I️ say being serious, I’m not talking about being the kind of person were you suck all the fun out of everything and beat your head against a wall until everything is perfect. (Fun-suckers)

I️ mean taking my mission and dreams seriously.

I mean talking, thinking, and squeezing out everything I️ got to make my dreams happen, despite the fears and challenges that life brings.

If you’re like me, then it’s time to put down the cookies and make a change.

Your dreams — be that building interplanetary rocket ships, winning the Nobel laureate, or simply starting a blog — don’t work if you only give half *ssed work. You have to give all of yourself to make them happen. 

Grab a piece of paper and write down a commitment to change. Create a promise to yourself that you will keep pursuing your dreams no matter what. Take what you what most out of this life seriously, and go find a way to make I­t­ reality.

Stay BOLD, Keep Pursuing,
— Josh Waggoner

IG: @Renaissance.Life

https://forms.convertkit.com/273691?v=6

Related Insights

“God will not place a burden on a man’s shoulders knowing that he cannot carry it.” — Muhammad Ali

“Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.” — Tony Robbins

“If your mom asks you to do the dishes, do not pull out your pirate attitude. But if someone tells you you’re not good enough, says your dreams are too lofty, or claims there is no room in showbiz for a dancing violinist – well then, by all means, pull out your eye patch, my friend, and take to the high seas.” — Lindsey Stirling

Reading Muscles

Saying ‘I hate reading’ is like saying ‘I hate green foods’. You probably don’t know if you like it because you’ve barely tried it. You might still think broccoli taste awful, but maybe you or your family just sucks at making broccoli and are great at overcooking it. (Sorry mom, I didn’t mean it)

The biggest problem with reading is that people don’t tell you why you should read in the first place.

Reading is A straight path toward success. 

(Whatever success means to you. It could mean swimming in a hot tub full of money, or maybe just having flexible work hours) If you want to succeed, if you want to be more than a beginner, and if you seek change and have a desire to live an extraordinary life — start reading. 

Knowledge, Skills, the ability to learn and connect ideas is a surefire way to become a linchpin.

Reading opens up your mind to infinite ideas and possibilities. (Put that on a motivational poster and smoke it) Reading expands your ability to think and see, it wakes you up to new worlds and new perspectives on life. (And that goes for fiction and nonfiction too)

I can’t even count the number of ideas reading has sparked for me. Half of my writing ideas were prompted by a word or phrase that I️ read in a book. And that’s the crazy things about books: they are a summation of experience, expertise, and ideas. Ideas that can change your life, and the lives of thousands of people out there facing their own challenges.

It’s okay if you don’t quite understand a book. When did not understanding become a sign that your an idiot?! Not understanding simply means you haven’t understood it yet. 

How to Build Up Your Reading Muscles

The act of reading a book is like going to the gym. Each time you do I­t­ you’re working your reading muscles and getting mentally stronger. Reading The Count of Monty Christo is going to feel like you’re jogging through pudding compared to reading The Hunger Games. And reading Plato is going to feel like someone strap hippos to your feet compared to reading Make Good Art. (Both fantastic, but Neil Gaiman’s Make Good Art is much easy to understand than Plato) You don’t start working out by going to the gym and bench pressing 400 lbs on your first go. You start gradually and work you’re way up.

Each time you read new a book, pick something that feels like I­t­ might be a little out of your comfort zone. 

Read EVERYTHING that interests you, and be open to new genres that might not. Ideas can come from anywhere. It’s okay to put a book down if you dislike I­t­, but never put a book down because you /think/ that you would dislike I­t­.

I­t­ bears repeating, reading is your path to success. Whatever you want to learn, whoever you want to be, there’s a book out there for you to help guide your way. Mastery begins with the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom.

Get reading.

Stay BOLD, Keep Pursuing,
— Josh Waggoner

IG: @Renaissance.Life

https://forms.convertkit.com/273691?v=6

Related Insights

“The best advice I ever got was that knowledge is power and to keep reading.” — David Bailey

“There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.” — Will Rogers

“Reading is a conversation. All books talk. But a good book listens as well.” — Mark Haddon

The Confidence of Your Inner Child

“Don’t be mad, 
cause I’m doing me
Better than you doing you.”
— Childish Gambino (Donald Glover)

What did you love to do when you were a kid? (What did you love to do when you were alone, or with friends?) Was it build huge structures and worlds out of legos? Was it drawing weird creatures and imagining them coming to life?

When I was growing up I did so many things.  I would draw, build legos, fight imaginary battles with a tree branch as a sword (still have the scar to prove it) My sisters and I grew up in a great neighborhood with a flock of kids the same age. We would bike, skateboard, run around, climb things we weren’t supposed to and all manner of shenanigans. (My own version of sandlot)  

The older I get, the more value I see in being childish. I have a strong gut feeling that the closer we get to our inner child, the closer we are to our true self. Our true self is the kind of person we would love to be, someone who doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable things, or from trying new things. Someone who just does things. Someone who is resilient, kind, insightful, opinionated and capable living past fear, and boldly moving on from failure.

Our inner child Is filled with wonder and possibility and has no doubt about who he or she is, no fear of failure, no worry or stress about what to do or who to be. Our inner child just is — he / she loving who we are, the way we are.

I think as kids we feel invincible. 
We don’t shy away from things, because what’s there to shy away from?

But somewhere down the line circumstance tells us to be cautious.
And in some cases, the circumstance is right. We should be cautious. Crossing the street can be dangerous. Sometimes stranger-danger is no joke. And if you jump off enough things, you’re bound to injure yourself.  The problem is being cautious is a slippery slope towards being hesitant.

We are hesitant to make new friends because, ‘what if they don’t like me?’
We are hesitant to try new things because, ‘what if I suck at it?’
We are hesitant to go outside our comfort zones because, ‘what if I embarrass myself?’

And the inner child in all of us says ‘So What?’

Kids don’t think, ‘man I really suck at this’. 

No! They think they’re great at everything! And maybe their josh-awful at it, but at least they are trying. To master anything, you must start as a beginner, just like everyone else, and then you must give it your all.

So what if I embarrass myself? Own it. Go ahead embarrass yourself. What’s it to them? By stepping outside your comfort zone, you’re doing what 80% (just made up that number) of the population won’t do. Be proud of that.

As humans, we are not invincible. (Just vincible) But that doesn’t mean we play our life safe. Be cautiously optimistic. Feel invincible while being smarter too.
You might end up worse, or better off. Play it safe and you’ll only get the same.

Your challenge today is to do something you loved to do as a kid. (Something no average mainstream abiding adult would ever do… scratch that — especially what no average mainstream abiding adult would ever do)

It could be something as simple as an activity you haven’t done in years: 
Throw frisbee with a friend, play pretend and build an epic imaginary adventure across your city, join a pickup basketball game with strangers at the YMCA. Build a pillow fort with your kids. (Building a pillow fort is always a great idea)

Whatever you do, the sillier the better. There are no brownie points for half-assing things. (Sure you could play Mario, but so is everyone else in the world, 50 years old and down)

Challenge: Do something childish.

Call a friend and invite them to do it too.

Take a photo, tell me what you did! tag me @renaissance.life on Instagram or email me Josh@renaissancelife.com. Make it public for all to see. Make them jealous of your new childlike freedom.

Stay BOLD, Keep Pursuing,

— Josh Waggoner

https://forms.convertkit.com/273691?v=6

Related Insights

“The most sophisticated people I know – inside they are all children. ” ― Jim Henson

“I think you have to keep a childlike quality to play music or make a record.” — Beck

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.'” — Eleanor Roosevelt

Renaissance Life Podcast Episode 11: A Year of Saying Yes, Mental Health, Improv and more with Ludine Pierre

https://fireside.fm/s/hyseF2GX+W2nmEAXa/iframe

I had a wonderful time sitting down and having a conversation with @ludineashley on the latest episode of the Renaissance Life Podcast! Ludine is strong, courageous and eloquent, and worthy of the title “Renaissance Woman” If you’re interested in passion, saying yes and no, improv, mental health, therapy and more, check out this episode on iTunes or your podcast player of choice

If you have a moment, it would mean the world to me to subscribe to Renaissance Life and leave a review on iTunes.

Stay Bold, Keep Pursuing,

— Josh Waggoner

Follow @Renaissance.Life

See Change as Good — Life Principle #20

You don’t realize how quickly time moves until its already passed. 

When I was in high school (and middle school) I had a really tight-knit group of friends. We were into making music, movies, jokes, making funny short videos, and being your typical, well-rounded goofballs.

I’ll never forget a video that one of the guys (Jonathan) stitched together from us jamming out and having a helluva good time. He set it to the song, I’ve Got Friends by the Manchester Orchestra. It’s like he intuitively knew our time in high school as a group was about to close, and we would be moving on to college and would never see each other as much as we did, every day, waking up at 6 am and hanging out at and around school.

I don’t remember the details, but I do remember the feeling it gave me, (and gives me every time I play that song)

I miss those moments we had and think about fondly on them.

Life Principle #20: See Change As Good

If you’re not changing, you’re not growing, and if you’re not growing your stuck in place.

Happiness and meaning are fluid — they happen on the journey, not the destination (put that on a poster and smoke it).

Change is good. Its the conduit that takes us from sad times to happy times (and sometimes vice versa). Change can lead to unknown adventures and wild places. It’s hard we were stepping away from something or people we love to follow a calling or jump into a new way of living, but you always have those collective memories. I always have those times with my friends goofing off in my room at my parent’s house (I’m tearing up thinking about it). No one can take that from you. (Another reason why health is vitally important too. A healthy mind is a more capable collector of memories)

I think we fear change for the same reason that we can love change: Because it breaks our status quo and leads to unknown, potentially exciting places.

The best part about change is we can make it. We have the power to change our minds, opinions, the direction in your life and more at ANY MOMENT. Usually, it takes a failure or painful experience to see that, but the power to change is always within our reach. Even small actions can lead to big change eventually.

Often times, you’ll face situations or setbacks you don’t want to be in. This is where change is not only good but can become your best friend. When you’re feeling stuck or have hit rock bottom, burnt yourself, or pulling your hair out because you’re at your wit’s end, it’s time to make some change. 

Change starts with you. Be the change you want to see in your life and in the world. Break the status quo.
And when change happens, be good with the new possibilities.

Stay BOLD, Keep Pursuing,

— Josh Waggoner

https://forms.convertkit.com/317372?v=6

Related Insights

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” — George Bernard Shaw

“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” — William Arthur Ward

“There is nothing permanent except change.” — Heraclitus