When I started my podcast I don't think I knew what I was doing. Actually let me rephrase that. When I started my podcast I had no idea what I was doing. No clue at all. I knew I wanted to talk into a microphone. I wanted to make people laugh and smile. That's about all I knew I wanted.

As I was dreaming about this show I would throw ideas around for Aaron and one day he looked at me and said, “I don't think you should do the show you are talking about.” My mouth dropped and I admit I was a little mad. How was he going to rain on my parade like that?

What he meant was that I didn't have a vision for my show. I didn't have a purpose. I wanted to have fun. I wanted to make people smile, but my purpose was undetermined. After I got un-mad about him telling me that my idea was not the best one ever, I really began to think about what he had said.

What's the purpose for this show? I wasn't going to be making money (we'll talk about that later in the month), so it wasn't about that. I didn't know who would listen, so there was no listeners to think about . There were no downloads to compare. I had nothing, and so I needed to determine what was my purpose.

Why was I going to put hours of my life into a show? What was my WHY?

As you are starting your show one thing that you need to determine is your WHY. Why are you wanting to podcast? Why are you wanting to devote hours of your week to this? Why?

Now here's the real talk for you.

After the conversation with Aaron I still wasn't 100% sure about my purpose, but I started anyways. I had an idea of what I wanted, and so I started with it. I wanted to have fun. I wanted to encourage women. But as I started with my show I started to figure out what my purpose was.

My Purpose:

My purpose for THE HAPPY HOUR is to create an hour each week where women are encouraged, inspired, entertained, and God is glorified. I want to introduce my listeners to women doing great things around the world and right where they are. 

I want a show that not only makes you laugh, but also makes you think. I want a show that you want to listen to every word and share them with your girlfriends. I want a show that showcases women doing amazing things around the world, and right where they are. I want a show that glorifies God and all he is doing in people's lives.

Once I figured out my purpose I had a goal each week. I had something to strive for. Each show is a win if we accomplish the things listed in my purpose. Figuring that out gave me confidence to do the show that I wanted to make. Not a show that I thought would gain more listeners, or make more money, but a show that I would love to listen to. A show that I could be proud of.

Your why.

So, as you journey into your podcast world think about you WHY. Write it down. Say it out loud. If you are already podcasting it's not to late to nail this down. I didn't have this figured out 100% when I started this journey, and it's okay if you don't either.

*This post is a part  of a series entitled Podcasting 101 during #write31days in October 2015. If you are interested in learning more about podcasting, sign up for an email list that will let you know when the next class will be beginning. Podcasting101 with Jamie Ivey class.