Recently, podcast guru Jordan Harbinger (formerly of The Art of Charm, now with The Jordan Harbinger Show) offered advice to anyone (especially business-focused people) thinking about starting a podcast. The title gives it away: Thinking of starting a podcast? Don’t.

Jordan’s reasons – it’s not an easy money maker, there’s too much noise, competing against big media – all seem legitimate. However, I’m a bit stubborn.

I decided to start a podcast as a passion project. Interviewing storytellers about their craft fascinates me. If I can learn a little something about becoming a better storyteller, while sharing it with others, then I feel like I leave the world a little bit better for the future.

January 1, 2018 brings the launch of The Storytellers Network. My goal is to interview storytellers across all media, of all genres and from all levels. I want to learn how storytellers work their craft, how they see the different ways to tell stories and the why behind their chosen path of storyteller.

This venture is not a money-maker. It actually costs me to produce each episode. Fortunately, I’ve found partners for my first year of seasons (12 shows per season) to help with the expenses. Podcast Pilot and Castrly are proving to be terrific partners even before the first episode is released.

Even my parents got in on the support early, covering costs for my first 4 episodes. I couldn’t do this without the support of these partners.

My mission with The Storytellers Network is to bring the art and craft of story to the masses. Whether you’re in marketing, you’re an entrepreneur or you’re developing your personal brand, telling your story effectively can make the difference between celebrating an anniversary and collecting unemployment.

I want to bring professional storytellers to you so you can learn from the best.

You can follow along in these places:

• iTunes

• Google Play

• Stitcher

• On the web

• Facebook

• Instagram

• Twitter

If you like what you hear, please leave a review on iTunes – it helps others find the show. Also, share some episodes when they truly move you. Word of mouth helps give credence to what The Storytellers Network is trying to do.

So that’s why I’ve launched a podcast. This is not for money, but for bringing the world of storytelling to the masses. I look forward to sitting down with amazing people and hearing their insights. I hope you do, too.

Here’s to telling more stories… and having stories to tell. Cheers.

[This article was originally published on The Inbound Evangelist January 1, 2018]