The Job of an Independent Podcaster
So what actually is the job of an independent podcaster?
It’s now halfway through 2020 and I’m approaching the 1-year anniversary of the Mosaic of China podcast. So I thought I would have a go at writing my own job description.
1) Technical Production
Audio Equipment Set-Up
Web Hosting & Content Aggregators Set-Up
2) Artistic Production
Format & Content Design
Brand & Art Design
Sound & Music Design
Web & Social Media Design
3) Content Production
Series Content Production
Guest Outreach, Research & Coordination
Studio & Interview Production
Editing & Post-Production
4) Audience Outreach & Marketing
Copy Writing & Image Sourcing
Web & Social Media Community Management
Marketing & Audience Building
Most people think that recording interviews is the main part of my job, so it might be a surprise to see it tucked away in part 3c) of the list above. In fact, most of my time these days is spent in guest coordination, sound editing, and audience outreach.
I hope this helps to demystify the effort it takes to get a project of this kind up and running. My question for anyone else in the podcasting arena is, does this correlate with your experiences? What have I missed out?!
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Brand New Steps
If you’re coming out of (or making plans to come out of) self-quarantine, here’s some quick advice from two months in the future.
Going back to your old routines is GREAT, no doubt about it. But now is also the best time to create some new ones. For better or worse (mostly worse) you’ve been forced to step out of your normal daily life for a couple of months. When else will you be given this chance to reinvent yourself?*
I suffer occasionally from light depression, and it gets way worse when I’m not active. So quarantine wasn’t easy, and I’ve been in a bit of a funk ever since. But what’s really helped is setting a new goal of walking AT LEAST 10,000 steps per day. Going from three months of limited activity in February up to a daily average of 14,156 steps in June has been a lifesaver, and I hope I can build this into my daily routine going forward.
*And yes, the snarky answer to this question is: “during the second wave”. Beijing is going back into temporary lock-down as we speak. But as of now, we’re still hopeful that the same won’t happen here in Shanghai...
A Plethora of Platforms
I recently did an audit, and have discovered the Mosaic of China podcast listed on 53 different podcasting platforms. FIFTY THREE! This *does* include two platforms in China (喜马拉雅 and 微博) but it *doesn't* include those Android apps that I can't access from my Apple phone. So I'm assuming the total number would be even higher.
My questions to both podcasting fans and professionals are:
What did I miss in my audit? I believe I've curated the most comprehensive list, but tell me if I'm wrong. New podcasting platforms seem to be popping up on the daily.
Does anyone have a sense of when we can expect some consolidation in this space? Or is this confusing podcasting multiverse forever here to stay?
The Sage Kings of Karaoke
There’s a reason why karaoke is so popular in China and other East Asian societies with a Confucian heritage: it’s an important catalyst for group social harmony.
The Sage Kings of ancient China used the rites of music to help bond their subjects together. It’s no coincidence that the Chinese Communist Party emphasised the use of patriotic songs to instill doctrinal fervour. And today, many Chinese corporations still use company songs, alongside collective exercise routines, to inspire loyalty.
Today's compilation episode from Season 1 of Mosaic of China is all about the podcast guests’ favourite songs to sing at “KTV”, the Chinese version of karaoke. Out of all the questions asked to guests on the show, this one elicited the biggest array of emotions: from joy and pride, to embarrassment and… sheer terror.
It’s a shame that group social harmony doesn’t always guarantee group *vocal* harmony. But since no-one really cares about that… what would be *your* go-to song to sing at karaoke?
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A Symbol of Hope
On January 20th, I instagrammed a photo from the Shanghai Disney Resort. By January 24th, the park was closed, and it would remain so for over 100 days.
Today, it is the first Disneyland resort in the world to reopen, with reduced capacity and a slew of extra density control, screening and sanitation measures.
If ever the world needed an image that symbolises the hope of a scrupulously planned road to recovery, then the time is now and this is it.
The first episode of the Mosaic of China podcast was with Philippe Gas, who was the President and General Manager of the Shanghai Disney Resort. Despite my newbie technical errors, it’s still one of my favourite interviews of the season. Let’s hope Philippe’s philosophy of positivity and international cooperation will be another message of encouragement for the future.
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Just Shut Up And Listen
In my decade as a headhunter and year as a podcaster, I estimate that I have had meetings with around 10,000 people. And if I had to hone down my 3 top tips for getting the most out of interviews, they would be simple:
Just shut up and let your guest speak;
Mirror the energy of your guest, don’t allow it to be the other way around; and
Listen deeply.
If you could condense your interview technique into just 3 top tips, what would they be?
For the LinkedIn version, see here.
Curiosity Killed The Sinophobe
There is an in-built problem with making English-language content about life in China.
On the one hand, it is hard to reach those outside China, who may prefer not to seek out stories about a country they view entirely with suspicion.
And on the other hand, it is hard to reach those inside China, who may see themselves as “China Experts” who are beyond learning from the experiences of others.
I have tried to break through this dichotomy by creating a podcast focused on two things: human stories and fanciful trivia. Blending the novel, the engaging, the informative and the entertaining, my hope is to appeal to anyone around the world who is both curious and open-minded.
This is one of the topics that I discuss with fellow podcaster Joshua Ogden-Davis in the special end-of-season episode of Mosaic of China. I don’t like being on the other side of the interview table, so please enjoy listening to me squirm!
The First Thirty Tiles
One podcast season. Thirty human stories. 一个播客节目。三十个人类故事。
Revealing China through the lens of journalism, fashion, technology, food, theatre, diplomacy, marketing, hospitality, art, invention, beauty, history, touring, luxury, music, diversity, playwriting, sport, entertainment, language, jewelry, comedy, business, wellbeing, broadcasting, addiction, dance, entrepreneurship, film, and... fish. 🐟
Each episode is around 25-minutes long, designed to be entertaining and informative without overstaying it’s welcome.
I want to say a big thank you to all 30 guests in the first season of Mosaic of China, to all the individuals and organisations who have supported the project, and of course to you for listening. It has been a pleasure to share these stories with you.
The COVID-19 TV Bingeing Guide
In the spirit of selfless civic duty, I have spent the last few years watching an unhealthy amount of TV, just so that one day I can offer you this menu of binge-watching, to be enjoyed while sitting at home in your fetid undergarments.
To qualify for my personal🥇GOLD LIST🥇, these series need to fulfill the following subjective criteria:
I’ve watched them fully,
In recent years,
And I recommend them from start to finish.
🔹 30 Rock
(2006-2014, 7 seasons. Lovable goofiness).
🔸 After Life
(2019-Present, 1 season. Am not a Gervais fan, but this is a sublime piece of work).
🔹 Arrested Development
(2003-2019, 5 seasons. Arch humour with great running gags).
🔸 Billy on the Street
(2011-2017, 5 seasons. Rudeness, elevated to an art form).
🔹 Bojack Horseman
(2014-2020, 6 seasons. Dark comedy about an amoral misanthrope way past his prime. Relatable).
🔸 Breaking Bad
(2008-2013, 5 seasons. Crime, cancer and an incredible character arc).
🔹 Broadchurch
(2013-2017, 3 seasons. High suspense plus Olivia Coleman equals brilliance).
🔸 Chernobyl
(2019, 1 season. Bleak and catastrophic masterpiece).
🔹 The Crown
(2016-Present, 3 seasons. The royalty, in a highly watchable historical soap opera).
🔸 Curb Your Enthusiasm
(2010-Present, 10 seasons. Cringeworthy farcical nothingness).
🔹 Dead To Me
(2019-Present, 1 season. Deftly-executed gallows humour).
🔸 Derry Girls
(2018-Present, 2 seasons. Irreverent Northern-Irish black comedy with a massive heart).
🔹 Downtown Abbey
(2010-2015, 6 seasons. Like watching 50 hours of Gosford Park).
🔸 Fleabag
(2016-2019, 2 seasons. If you haven’t watched it yet, just do it. That is all).
🔹 Game of Thrones
(2011-2019, 8 seasons. Epic storytelling. The first fantasy TV series I ever genuinely liked).
🔸 The Good Place
(2016-2020, 4 seasons. Starts as a high-concept comedy and turns into so much more).
🔹 Grace & Frankie
(2015-Present, 6 seasons. Light and frothy comedy, redeemed by its charm and honesty).
🔸 The Great British Bake-Off
(2010-Present, 10 seasons. Pure calorific escapism).
🔹 The Kominsky Method
(2018-Present, 2 seasons. Poignant and understated masterclass in comedy acting).
🔸 Mad Men
(2007-2015, 7 seasons. The high watermark of drama depicting 60s sex and cynicism).
🔹 The Marvelous Mrs Maisel
(2017-Present, 3 seasons. A perfect period piece portraying comedy chutzpah in the 50s).
🔸 Orange is the New Black
(2013-2019, 6 seasons. Prison comedy-drama which dips in the middle, but nails the ending).
🔹 Ozark
(2017-Present, 3 seasons. Surprisingly gripping redneck narco crime thriller).
🔸 Parks and Recreation
(2009-2015, 7 seasons. Smart sitcom silliness).
🔹 Queer Eye
(2018-Present, 5 seasons. I know my emotions are being manipulated, but I don’t care).
🔸 Rick & Morty
(2013-Present, 5 seasons. Original, creative, snarky, puerile genius).
🔹 Rupaul’s Drag Race
(2009-Present, 12 seasons. OTT reality show showcasing OTT talent).
🔸 Russian Doll
(2019-Present, 1 season. Dark, druggy, mysterious version of Groundhog Day).
🔹 Sex Education
(2019-Present, 2 seasons. Comedy, drama, teenage angst and Gillian Anderson).
🔸 Schitt’s Creek
(2015-2020, 6 seasons. Starts absurd. Turns endearing. Ends up “simply the best”).
🔹 Sherlock
(2010-2017, 4 seasons. What happens when quality writing, acting and production coincide).
🔸 Stranger Things
(2016-Present, 3 seasons. I don’t usually watch horror or sci-fi. So these guys must be doing something right).
🔹 Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
(2015-2019, 4 seasons. Odd. Hilarious).
🔸 Veep
(2012-2019, 7 seasons. An uncannily authentic portrayal of U.S. politics. Oh wait sorry it’s supposed to be a satirical comedy).
🔹 The West Wing
(1999-2006, 7 seasons. Brilliant, smart, moving, idealistic, political nirvana).
🔸 The Wire
(2002-2008, 5 seasons. A drama that takes its time to explore the intersection of politics, society and crime).
Please show me yours. (I mean your gold lists, not your undergarments).
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Getting Through the Traudom
I have coined a new phrase for our times. It’s “traudom”: a mixture of trauma and boredom.
Embracing a hobby is a great way to get through today’s traudom. Please take inspiration from the creative talent of Denny Newell, who has spent the last 26+ days creating a cocktail-themed alphabet book. Not only did this labour keep him happily distracted for hours each day, but the thought of sampling these cocktails together in the future has helped to keep smiles on our faces.
Stay Healthy and Stay Happy
A message to friends.
Thank you so much for your electronic support over the last 6 weeks. You have helped keep me sane, and keep me smiling. I will not forget it.
For many of you, the situation is now reversed, and you’re at the beginning of your surreal journey into the OCD Wonderland of self-isolation. I imagine I will be posting less from Shanghai and instead be trying to return the favour as much as possible.
Stay healthy and stay happy everyone, they’re both as important as eachother.
❤️🖤🧡💜💛💙💚🤎
The Epidemiologist, The Citizen, and The Privacy Advocate
The pandemic is going to be studied for many years to come. Not just by virologists, but by social scientists and technology ethicists.
The latest development in Shanghai has been the 随申办 (Suíshēnbàn) app. It’s a service you download onto your phone that runs a continuous contagion assessment on you. It’s not mandatory, but for the last two weeks it has been getting increasingly difficult to enter certain buildings without showing your colour code.
Green means you are clear to enter. Orange or red means you can’t enter, and you should consult medical experts as soon as possible. Maybe it knows you’re a confirmed COVID-19 patient. Maybe you’ve arrived from outside China and shouldn’t be out of quarantine yet. Maybe it tracked you to a metro car with someone who later tested positive for the virus.
It’s an epidemiologist’s dream. It’s a citizen’s electronic peace of mind. And it’s a privacy advocate’s dystopian nightmare.
For the LinkedIn version, see here.
Who is Your Audience?
“The starting point to writing is knowing who your audience is”. These words, spoken by Gigi Chang on the latest episode of Mosaic of China, inspired me to write this short piece.
LinkedIn: Your audience is in a professional mindset, so keep your writing concise. Storytelling can be used as a device to elicit interest, but shouldn’t be used in isolation.
Instagram: Your audience is in a happy mindset, so keep your writing positive. Release your inner frivolity and snark, but don’t overshare your negativity or vanity. Leave that for...
Twitter: Your audience is in an antagonistic mindset, so simply avoid. I love my friends there, but the platform brings out the worst in them. Please try and convince me otherwise, I promise to hear you out.
Facebook: Your audience is in a generous mindset, so write what you want. Assuming that you have carefully curated your friends there, write content from all three categories above, and be as personal as you feel comfortable.
WeChat: The same as Facebook, but in Chinese.
What have I missed out?
For the LinkedIn version, see here.
For the Instagram version, see here.
Taking Care in China
A phrase I’m hearing a lot from family and friends overseas is “Take care”. Well, we are taking this literally, and here’s the list:
Wearing gloves when outdoors.
Changing gloves after use, and washing them.
When in public, not touching our faces or eyes, even when they itch.
Wearing face masks when outdoors.
Limiting personal contact with others, including shaking hands or hugging.
Keeping at least one metre away from anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
Washing all towels twice a week, and ensuring none are ever left damp.
Limiting touching objects that could be handled by other people.
Not sharing food communally, and washing kitchenware between meals.
Opening windows every day to let the room air out.
Apart from “Take care”, the other phrase that has new meaning for me is “I’m being very OCD”. I’ve always avoided this throw-away expression, since it must enrage people who actually suffer from these anxiety afflictions. But for once I feel like I do have a small window into this exhausting life, one that could easily make you want to eschew society entirely. I’m grateful for this lesson in empathy towards those who live this as a perpetual reality.
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Confinement Versus Exile
Returning to Shanghai presents a messy choice. Confinement in China versus exile overseas. In the end, I’ve chosen Option A.
Thank you for all your private messages of concern. It has been quite an agonising decision to make, especially with the UK Government’s damagingly alarmist approach. But Shanghai is my home. So in the end my choice was easy.
And after all, self-quarantine won’t be very different from my normal #ManCaveLife.
For the LinkedIn version, see here.
Brexit Torture
So Brexit day has finally arrived. Bugger.
As the exotic torture of the last few years finally comes to an end, let’s not go into mourning. And let’s not wallow in victimhood. Because... maybe we Brits will all end up being happier.
Yes, as a nation, we’re now one step closer to terminal insignificance. You don’t need to live overseas to be aware of this, although it certainly helps. But here’s the thing: maybe we can fashion ourselves into the funny eccentric uncle of the world. The one who used to be something important, but now enjoys tinkering on the sidelines just trying to be liked. Hell, it works for me! Maybe this is the role that Britain was always destined to play.
So please allow this eccentric uncle to give you some friendly advice. It only works if you are truly resilient. You need to be all the more strong, as you face being undermined by your adversaries and secretly ridiculed by your friends. You can do this, but don’t expect your relationships to ever be the same again.
And while it’s tempting to enjoy life as an island, with no complicated encumbrances, you need to stay connected to others. Because sometimes it’s only the eccentric uncle who can break up the fights that flare up between feuding family members. And if there’s one other thing that Brexit has made more likely, it’s the return to an age of disunity and war.
So, cheer up, Britain! You’re a funny eccentric uncle now.
Halfway Through Season 1
With 15 episodes released, we have now reached the halfway point of Season 1 of Mosaic of China. It’s a podcast series of short interviews with interesting people, designed to be entertaining no matter how much you know (or don’t know!) about China.
Let me know your thoughts if you have the chance to listen. And big thanks to everyone who has helped with the project so far, including Milo de Prieto Desmond for editing support, Denny Newell for graphic design support, and Alston Gong for China technical support.
Career & Coffee
The two simplest pieces of advice I can give to anyone who feels stuck in their career today is:
Find a good career advisor you can trust. Not just someone who tells you what you want to hear. Not just someone who tells you about jobs in the market. But someone who truly listens.
Listen to the Career & Coffee Podcast. 16 episodes released over 8 weeks, specifically targeting people who are feeling stuck.
I don’t think I gave much practical advice in my episode, but I’m sure the other 15 will be amazing. Thank you for the fun interview, Ann Calman and Amelia Novakovic.
I Added One More Podcast To The Giant Podcast Bin
I’m excited to be launching the new Mosaic of China podcast.
