Navigating the Complexities of Modern Podcasting: Insights from Gray Hair Dave
This podcast delves into the multifaceted world of podcasting, highlighting the significance of adaptability and innovation within the industry. I recently launched my new editing website, Gray Hair Productions, which serves as a platform for individuals seeking assistance with their podcasting endeavors. During our discussion, I emphasize the inevitability of embracing various formats, such as YouTube podcasting, to sustain business viability in a competitive landscape. As I navigate personal challenges, including recovery from a foot injury, I reflect on the broader societal issues of polarization and the necessity for open dialogue among differing perspectives. Ultimately, I encourage our listeners to foster kindness and understanding in their interactions, underscoring the importance of community in an increasingly divided world.
The discourse presented by Gray Hair Dave encapsulates a multitude of themes pertinent to the contemporary podcasting landscape. Primarily, the speaker reflects on recent developments in his professional journey, notably the launch of his website, Gray Hair Productions, which serves as a platform for potential clients to engage his editing services for podcasts. This initiative is underpinned by an acknowledgment of the evolving nature of podcasting, particularly the integration of video content into what traditionally constituted audio podcasts. Dave articulates his strategic inclination to adapt to this paradigm shift, positing that versatility is paramount for survival in the industry. He emphasizes the necessity of embracing diverse formats and methodologies to enhance business opportunities, thereby illustrating a pragmatic approach to entrepreneurship in the digital age.
Moreover, the episode delves into Dave's personal health journey, offering insights into his recovery process from a foot ailment that required medical intervention and therapy. His candid reflection on the physical challenges he faces, intertwined with the broader narrative of his professional aspirations, humanizes the speaker and fosters a connection with the audience. He articulates his preference for a gradual return to work, emphasizing the importance of health and well-being over immediate productivity. This personal anecdote serves as a poignant reminder of the balance between professional responsibilities and personal health, a theme that resonates with many in today's fast-paced society.
The latter portion of the episode shifts focus towards a critical examination of contemporary political discourse. Dave expresses concern over the polarization observed in political arenas, particularly during public addresses that evoke starkly divergent reactions from opposing factions. He critiques the lack of bipartisan engagement and the tendency for individuals to retreat into ideological silos, thereby neglecting the essential discourse that underpins a healthy democracy. His call for open-mindedness and dialogue reflects a deeper societal concern that transcends mere political commentary, advocating for a return to civility and mutual understanding in public discourse. Thus, the episode encapsulates a rich tapestry of themes, from personal health and professional evolution to the imperative of political engagement, all articulated through the lens of Gray Hair Dave's unique perspective.
Takeaways:
- The podcast emphasizes the importance of adapting to the evolving landscape of podcasting, particularly with the rise of YouTube.
- Gray Hair Dave has launched a new website for Gray Hair Productions that showcases his editing services for podcasts.
- Dave discusses his recent recovery from foot surgery, highlighting the challenges and progress in his physical therapy journey.
- A new microphone setup has been implemented to enhance audio quality, showcasing Dave's commitment to professional sound.
- The podcast touches upon the current political climate, urging listeners to engage in meaningful discussions across differing viewpoints.
- Listeners are encouraged to reach out and ask questions, as Dave aims to provide support and guidance in the podcasting world.
Links referenced in this episode:
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Gray Hair Productions
- Boomer Podcasters
- Riverside
- Squadcast
- Ecamm
- SM7B
- Cloudlifter
Transcript
Welcome to five Minutes with Gray Hair Dave.
Speaker A:He has gray hair.
Speaker A:He has a gray beard.
Speaker A:He wears glasses like the guy in the artwork.
Speaker A:Oh, and the guy in the artwork is better looking.
Speaker A:Now here is Gray Hair Dave.
Speaker B:Well, folks, I'm back.
Speaker B:Thank you for waiting.
Speaker B:Been an interesting week.
Speaker B:Sorry, I'm about a week late.
Speaker B:A lot of things going on.
Speaker B:Working on my website for Gray Hair Productions, which is now live and new.
Speaker B:You should go look it out.
Speaker B:It looks really, really good.
Speaker B:It's at Gray Hair Productions, G R E Y Hair Productions dot com.
Speaker B:It's going to be my editing site where people are going to go to, to find me and do and book me for, to talk with about editing their podcasts, whether that's audio only or video.
Speaker B:Also, because we all know and may not like it, but YouTube podcasting is here to stay.
Speaker B:I'm sorry.
Speaker B:Some of my friends who are podcasters and are die hard.
Speaker B:It ain't a podcast.
Speaker B:If it's not, an RSS feed will hate me.
Speaker B:But I hope they understand that because I'm trying to attract business.
Speaker B:I have to be open to everything, right?
Speaker B:I mean, you can't just be open to one thing.
Speaker B:You got to be ready for more or you'll die in this business.
Speaker B:I would, I would imagine.
Speaker B:No, I'm not positive of that.
Speaker B:But why take the chance?
Speaker B:And why turn down the ability to make a little bit more money?
Speaker B:With that said, let's move on to the next subject.
Speaker B:How have you been?
Speaker B:I hope that you're doing fine.
Speaker B:I just got back from the doctor a little bit ago about my, my wonderful foot, which is healing rather well.
Speaker B:She says I start physical therapy tomorrow.
Speaker B:So that's why I'm doing this today.
Speaker B:I have, have a feeling that when I get done with physical therapy tomorrow, I want to go home and just want to curl up in a ball.
Speaker B:With medication.
Speaker B:I don't know.
Speaker B:Maybe not.
Speaker B:I don't know.
Speaker B:I'm just saying.
Speaker B:But there is good news.
Speaker B:Today.
Speaker B:I am no longer using my knee scooter, which I was getting around on.
Speaker B:So I don't have to use that to go places unless it's long distances.
Speaker B:So I'm able to walk freely in the boot.
Speaker B:And this boot is, is.
Speaker B:Is cushioned and it keeps it straight and it keeps me and where they want it to be.
Speaker B:But additionally, they want to, they want to transition me into a brace and then, you know, nothing where I'm back to wearing shoes and going back to work.
Speaker B:So at least another three weeks without work here, which is okay with me.
Speaker B:To be honest with you, until I know what's going on with therapy and what I can and can't do, I prefer not to work.
Speaker B:And I think that that work will feel the same way.
Speaker B:I would have to go on to light duty again anyways.
Speaker B:So that's what's going on with the foot.
Speaker B:I have to admit there's been a little less pain, but it's also a lot of the medication that was in the foot from anesthesia and whatever she did has begun to wear off.
Speaker B:So I'm feeling different things that I wasn't really wanting to feel, but I'm feeling.
Speaker B:Anyways, that's enough about the foot.
Speaker B:So excuse me as I take a little drinky poo here.
Speaker B:It's Diet Coke.
Speaker B:It's early in the day.
Speaker B:Okay, on to podcasting things real quickly.
Speaker B:This subject I have I have to tell you that I am now I'm using a new microphone.
Speaker B:It's an SM7B.
Speaker B:I ordered this online.
Speaker B:It came in and I realized that I wasn't getting enough gain out of it kind of boost.
Speaker B:I wasn't.
Speaker B:I had to almost yell into the the microphone to get anything to come out to where it would record.
Speaker B:So I went out and I got a preamp cloud lifter which activates the boost and the gain on the on the microphone to where it's now legible.
Speaker B:And, and I.
Speaker B:You can hear it and I can hear it and yada da da, off we go.
Speaker B:Which is the way it's supposed to be.
Speaker B:And I'm hoping you notice a difference.
Speaker B:I'm going to do a little different things with the editing, but I'm instead of it being just a regular dynamic microphone, which it is.
Speaker B:It's a dynamic.
Speaker B:It's also a condenser.
Speaker B:It's a.
Speaker B:The one I got is an XLR input or an output.
Speaker B:So not using my in ear monitors with it being hooked up to the microphone like I was on a Samsung Q2U.
Speaker B:I'm now going through my digital interface and what that basically is.
Speaker B:And we've talked about some of these things in other other episodes and I've talked about it a lot more on Boomer podcasters.
Speaker B:The the microphone goes to with an XLR cable which is a three pin XLR goes now into the cloudlifter, the cloud lifter, into the audio interface to where I have all kinds of ability to play with with gain with the lows, the mids, the highs right there.
Speaker B:I can also introduce phantom power and you know, all kinds of Weird things.
Speaker B:And it's.
Speaker B:It's really kind of nice.
Speaker B:And I can monitor it and I can have more than one person on here with me because I can plug in two microphones into this, which is nice if I wanted to record somebody, you know, sitting here talking instead of going online to a program like Riverside or Squadcast or.
Speaker B:Or ecamm, something to that effect.
Speaker B:So that's a plus.
Speaker B:Now I am going to tell you that there's more cables involved here.
Speaker B:It was just one microphone, one cable out of the back of the microphone, right into the computer.
Speaker B:Now you've got to go another way, and it's okay.
Speaker B:You can buy.
Speaker B:You can get a good interface relatively inexpensively and it just don't go overboard if that's something you're looking to do.
Speaker B:What I have found, though, is that this SM7B is quite heavy.
Speaker B:And I've already broken one brand new, which I think they're going to get back.
Speaker B:Mic stand.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker B:I don't know what the heck happened here, but I tell you what, it won't tighten up and.
Speaker B:And hold it down.
Speaker B:I don't think it was designed for it.
Speaker B:So I might just have to eat that one.
Speaker B:You know, put it on a little.
Speaker B:Put on a little ketchup on it.
Speaker B:Maybe it'll be better.
Speaker B:Okay, now on to the next subject.
Speaker B:I was thinking the other day after watching last week's presidential address to Congress.
Speaker B:I think it was last week, may have been a week before, I don't know, just watching the amount of people go nuts online about this.
Speaker B:I watched it, and one party was clapping, you know, and honoring people and clapping four people when it came to who he was showing and talking about that were in the audience.
Speaker B:The young man who'd had brain cancer wasn't supposed to even be alive today, but yet he is and wants to be a police officer, and he made him an honorary Secret Service agent.
Speaker B:They just sat there.
Speaker B:They sat there.
Speaker B:The other side, the Democrats.
Speaker B:I'm sorry, I'm going to use your names.
Speaker B:You sat there.
Speaker B:Lake and Riley's mom and sister sat there.
Speaker B:She was brutally murdered by a illegal immigrant.
Speaker B:And you guys sat there, didn't clap nothing.
Speaker B:The only thing you clapped for was giving money to a country that wasn't the United States.
Speaker B:Foreign aid.
Speaker B:I don't know what's going on with you guys.
Speaker B:You need direction, at least a direction.
Speaker B:I don't see any direction with you guys at all.
Speaker B:What the heck's going on?
Speaker B:You used to be understanding.
Speaker B:Now it's Just, well, if Trump says that we can't stand it and be.
Speaker B:Bye bye, come on, you guys have got, got to be better than that.
Speaker B:You know what I'm saying?
Speaker B:You got to be better than that.
Speaker B:You're, you're an elected official of all the people in your, in your district, not just the few.
Speaker B:It's, it amazes me and I would like to go on about this for a while, but I've also thought that we need to look at things better as, as human beings look at people and we've become a polarized world.
Speaker B:And, and I want to get into that a little bit more next time, but it's, I'm sorry.
Speaker B:This belief that there's only one way to think is wrong.
Speaker B:There's more than one way to believe something could happen or that something is right.
Speaker B:And if you're unable to, to listen to the other side and at least acknowledge that there are other ways, I don't know what's wrong with you.
Speaker B:Have we become that obsessed with ourselves that if you don't agree with me, I have to hate you and don't want you to ever be seen again or heard?
Speaker B:It just, it, I give up on that when I see it.
Speaker B:I do two things now.
Speaker B:I walk away in disgust and I don't go back.
Speaker B:Now that's wrong too.
Speaker B:I should probably try and change things, but I don't see any back and forth.
Speaker B:I don't see any give and take.
Speaker B:I don't see anybody trying to have a conversation.
Speaker B:It's all about me, me, me.
Speaker B:Not us, us, us as a country, as a nation, as a, as a world, as a people, as God fearing people.
Speaker B:You know I love God and you can't tell me you, I hope you can't tell me that this is what God wants of us or expects of us or thinks we need to be doing.
Speaker B:Please don't tell me that that's the case because that I would be very, very unhappy about that.
Speaker B:And I think you should be too.
Speaker B:So on that happy note, I want to wish you all a wonderful, wonderful week.
Speaker B:You want to get a hold of me?
Speaker B:Leave me a comment.
Speaker B:You can get a hold of me at five minutes with gray hair dave dot com.
Speaker B:That's the number.
Speaker B:Five minutes with gray hair dave.com.
Speaker B:you can also get a hold of me at boomerpodcasting.com or gray hair productions.com that's the website for the business.
Speaker B:If you got questions on how to do things, I'm here to help you out.
Speaker B:There will soon be a Frequently Asked Questions page there, and hopefully I will answer some questions you might have.
Speaker B:So also, I wanted to remind you, if you know somebody who doesn't know what a podcast is, so know where to find one, what genres to listen to, how to follow, subscribe, anything.
Speaker B:Show them for me, will you?
Speaker B:Just help them out.
Speaker B:Oh, yeah, tell them to listen to me.
Speaker B:They might.
Speaker B:They might enjoy it.
Speaker B:Also, folks, don't forget, smile at somebody you don't know today.
Speaker B:I realize they may not think the way you do, but you'll make their day.
Speaker B:And, and that one turn, make your day.
Speaker B:Let's all be better people, be better human beings.
Speaker B:And on that note, Gray here, Dave here, saying, we'll talk to you soon.
Speaker B:Bye.
