A few days ago I passed the one month mark since my podcast launched. I'm not podcasting as a primary source of income, rather I'm podcasting as a way to connect with others who deal with the same thoughts and challenges as I do, figuring out how to live this journey as a faith based Entrepreneur in the most authentic and honoringway to God.It's been pretty fun so far and I never thought my download stats would place me in the top 25% of Podcasts in the U.S. so hey, it's been a blessing on many levels. But if you're thinking about starting something for you or your brand, here's the 3 biggest things I've learned in month 1.

1. Plan and Structure Early to Speed the Process.

Creativity is hard. Thinking about and coming up with topics has been surprisingly difficult at times, I'm sure some of this is self made because my show, unlike most others ISN'T based around interviews which means I can't rely on their experience and story to shape the episodes and questioning.Plan early and structure an arc if you can, so your episodes flow each week and you have a clear plan for the entire season.

2. The Podcast Community is Amazing.

Whatever your topic, whatever your story, there's a community of podcasters out there that you need to connect with . Podcast Movement are an awesome group of folks (and they just happen to office out of my WorkLodge Dallas location!). PodfestExpo is another great resource not to mention the many, many Facebook groups to get you going.Connect, chat through social, meetup for coffee, however you can, talk to others and get to know them. Not just to 'extract' information from them but to become a part of that community too. No matter where you are in your process, you'll be able to share knowledge and 'be generous' towards others soon enough, so enjoy the mentoring and relationships wherever you can.

3. Get Help.

Although many podcasters record at home / on the road / anywhere they can, if you want to stand out you're going to need to think about stepping up your game. With hundreds of new shows launching daily you need to create something polished, professional and worth listening to. Make the investment where you can, seek help from other, more experienced folks on the production / technical side and don't skimp, thinking people won't notice.If you simply can't do that then invest the time and energy into learning the technical side (and tools) as fast as you can, to an intermediate level.Whatever you're working on and whenever you launch, I'd love to hear from you and listen to what you're producing so connect with me on social and let's chat!Enjoy the latest episode here with a special guest in the studio: The Mike Thakur Show