**This is an excerpt from a book project I have in the works that bears the name of my production business, Podcast Artistry. I also recorded a podcast with Sana awhile back that I've republished on my new Gone Newclear podcast feed. The link is available at the bottom of this email.

What hill are you willing to die on? You've probably heard that phrase used in various ways. And it means something that is so important to you, so vital to you that well, quite frankly, you are willing to, as the founding fathers of America said, sacrifice your life, your fortune and your sacred honor for this principle or for this ideal, for this thing that you believe wholeheartedly.

The hill you're willing to die on should be the core theme of your show.

It should be the core theme of the message of your show. It should guide every element, every part of the show, every decision that you make. Every guest that you bring onto your podcast, should you choose to have a podcast that has guests, must revolve around this hill that you're willing to die on.

I’ve heard this  phrase used in the context of, “Are you willing to die on that hill?” Meaning, is it really worth the risk inherent in doing such a thing? Oftentimes most of the time  the answer to that question is no, I want to live to fight another day as they say. If you take a step back, you realize  it's really not that big of a deal.

But when you are the host of a podcast, there has to be a hill that you are willing to die on. Something that means so much to you personally, so intimately connected with your inner being, that you're willing to risk everything, maybe not your life, but at least  the discomfort of pressing record on your software, hitting the export button and then the “publish” button on your podcast host.

That's terrifying. Trust me. It was terrifying for me to even write out the outline for this lesson of the course, because this is unfamiliar territory for me. But it's important to me. I'm willing to die on this hill. I'm willing to  risk my reputation. I'm willing to sacrifice my time and effort and the knowledge that I've gained over years in this business so that I can share it with you.

I'm willing to stick my neck out and have people say either to my face, or behind my back (which do you think is more common?), words to the effect of, “What he just said is ridiculous. That is absurd. James Newcomb is a total hack!” I’m willing to expose myself to that type of  criticism. 

So now that we have a bit of a working definition of the hill that you're willing to die on. I want to take a couple of minutes to talk about how you can discover or you can  find within you, the hill that you're willing to die on. 

In all certainty, it's going to be different from the person or the group of people that have inspired you to take the risk and start your own podcast. Perhaps it’s someone who's really successful with a podcast, they havea really large following, a really solid message. They seem to have a solid set of principles that guide them in their business, in their podcast, everything they do.

That's wonderful that you have someone who inspires you in that way, that you want to follow in their footsteps and throw your hat in the ring and start your own show. But you have to keep in mind that the thing that really drives you, the thing that really motivates you, and is going to continue to motivate you long after the initial excitement of doing a podcast has worn off (and I promise it will war wear off.) You're going  to have something that's going to keep you motivated to endure those times that seems like it's drudgery to do a podcast.

It’s all part of the experience of doing a podcast, and that compelling message that compels you to do the show will make all the difference between whether you quit or not. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when you get burned out - and that's why it's so important to take the time in this session and really throughout this 60 day creation process, take the time to really search your soul. 

I really mean this sincerely, because the thing that really lights your fire is going to be different from somebody else. That superstar influencer that  inspired you to do a podcast doesn’t have the same values. They don't have the same upbringing. They don't have the same background. They don't have the same interests. They don't view the world the same as you do. 

Only you view the world the way that you do, and that’s likely a big reason why you felt compelled to do a podcast in the first place!

SPEAK YOUR MIND

I have come to realize that a lot of people put themselves in a bit of a box when it comes to what they feel comfortable saying. They feel like, “There's this one thing that I really want to say, but nobody else is saying it, so should I really say it?” 

The answer is, “YES!” You absolutely should say it. In fact, the fact that no one else is saying it could very well be the sign that you need to say it!

I’m referring to an ideal, or a cause of some sort that is the hill you’re willing to die on. The thing you’re convinced this has to be said, and so you have to say it, because chances are there are other people out there who are hungry for what you have to say. They're thinking the same thing and are saying, “I wish someone was out there saying this.”

 If you take the risk and you are out there sticking your neck out, saying that thing, guess what? You have established yourself as a leader in your field, and people follow leaders. We'll get into this in more detail in future sessions, but just remember that people follow leaders. If you lead, people will follow.

I have a podcast that I call Trumpet Dynamics and it's been in existence for seven years. It doesn't make me any money at the moment, and that's fine because I do it mainly so that I can teach others how to do certain things, so that I can lead by example with what I’m teaching others to do. 

Now it seems on the surface that a podcast about trumpet seems like it's a really narrow niche, right? It seems like a fun thing to do, to just talk about something that other people are interested in. And it is fun to a certain degree. I try to set up my show so that it’s fun to listen to, that I don’t take either myself nor the subject too seriously. Everything is in it’s proper place.

But how many people are willing to die on trumpet? Not very many. Even the most ardent die hard trumpet fan out there will passively admit that if trumpet were to go away tomorrow, the world would survive. Planet Earth would continue to spin and we'd get along fine. 

But what about something like artistic integrity? What if the show focused on how culture is becoming dumbed-down to the point that artistic integrity is a point of mockery for the unenlightened masses who are addicted to Facebook and Twitter? That is a hill that is worth dying on. No one really cares about trumpet scales and etudes, or which is the best mouthpiece. So why would I focus on those things? 

Well, while scales and etudes may seem boring to 99.99% of the population, the truth is many people really do care quite passionately about scales and etudes. Many trumpet players and musicians in general see an abandonment of the fundamentals such as scales and etudes in colleges as a major problem endemic to an overall dumbing down of society. College professors won’t say such things publicly; to do so would be career suicide. But as a trumpeter myself who is concerned with such things, it’s something I can use my platform to say (with wisdom and tact obviously.)

This is an example of a seemingly benign topic that can potentially make for very interesting radio! It has a moral element to it. You can take it to the bank that I the podcast host taking a stand on one side or the other is going to be divisive, polarizing. It's going to get people to either love or hate you. 

And that's what you want with a podcast with a clearly defined niche and laser-focused message centered around that hill you’re willing to die on. 

And that is the secret sauce of success with a podcast is getting people riled up, getting them  involved with you for better or for worse. If you can get people angry, or if you can get people to have any kind of emotional reaction to what you're saying, you have won, because Public Enemy No.1  when it comes to any kind of content creation is indifference. There are so many options for people to choose from, be it Netflix, Facebook, Amazon, what have you.  

And who are you? Unless you have a hill you’re willing to die on as the focal point of your show, you’re just some dude with a podcast. I'm sorry to use such blunt language, but you're nobody. 

If you go through all of the work to begin a podcast and you pay an editor or a producer or you pay for a training like this. If you go through all that trouble, just so you can say something that everybody else is saying, or you're playing it safe because you don't want to offend people, why are you even doing it? 

But if you have that hill you're willing to die on, then you are going to get a reaction. And if you say it with clarity and confidence, it will ruffle feathers and get the attention of some very important people in your industry, which is never a bad thing.

**To listen to the podcast, click this link: https://jamesdnewcomb.com/captivate-podcast/what-hill-are-you-willing-to-die-on/