Returning After a Long Break: What Happens?


Can podcast awards really boost your reputation, and what happens when you return to podcasting after years away? David Hooper shares stories, listener letters, and hard-won insights in this episode of Big Podcast Playbook ...

Big Ideas in This Episode

  • Game podcast awards for envy-inducing credibility
  • Micro-fame: win an award with only 50 votes
  • Awards hype: open doors, but hollow inside
  • Quit for years? Return with even more power
  • Feel like a beginner again ... and win
  • Old podcast kings return: threatened or inspired?
  • Your fans crave glory too ... give it to them

Why You Should Listen

Episode Timestamps

  • [00:01:47] How winning podcast awards is actually more about community building than personal achievement (and how few votes it really takes to win!)
  • [00:02:10] The untold story of how a niche Renaissance Festival band topped the global charts thanks to a “Lord of the Rings” tune (and what it reveals about gaming online popularity)
  • [00:04:46] The eye-opening truth: It might only take five votes to become an award-winning podcaster ... and how one “crappy” album cover won five times!
  • [00:07:00] The secret behind accepting an award in an empty arena—how one podcaster created viral excitement by live streaming his own victory.
  • [00:08:52] The Christopher Cross “curse” ... why the Best New Artist Grammy went from a shrine to a closet, and what it teaches you about chasing external validation.
  • [00:13:00] How coming back to podcasting after years away makes you a different (and potentially better) creator, and why embracing that transformation is your secret edge.
  • [00:20:18] The real reason podcasters get stuck after a break: feeling like a beginner again, and David Hooper's battle plan for getting your groove (and confidence) back faster than you think.

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