Mike Murphy Unplugged

Ep158: The PilgrimageThis episode marks the 7-year anniversary of Mike Murphy Unplugged.  In this episode, I share the story of my pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago in France & Spain.About:My name is Mike Murphy and I started Mike Murphy Unplugged in September 2015 to teach and document my journey of building an online business and brand creating content. The goal of the podcast has always been to share what I am learning and doing to create the life I want to inspire others to create the life they want. The Pilgrimage:A Pilgrim or Peregrino is defined as a person who journeys to a sacred place often for religious or spiritual reasons.The Camino de Santiago (or, the Way of St. James) is a pilgrimage that can be traced back to medieval times. There are several different routes, but all lead to the tomb of the Apostle Saint James, in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The most popular route and the one documented in the movie The Way starring Martin Sheen is called the Camino Frances and it starts in St. Jean Pied de Port, France, and goes up and over the Pyrenees Mountains into Spain for 500+ miles to Santiago de Compostela, in the Galician Region of Spain.The scallop shell is the official symbol of the Camino de Santiago and most pilgrims have a scallop shell attached to their backpackAlbergues are hostels where pilgrims can stay for usually less than $15 and they often provide a communal meal (and wine, of course)All pilgrims must have a 'pilgrim's passport' in order to stay in alberguesPilgrims must get their passports stamped at least once per day at albergues, coffee shops, churches, places of interest, etc in order to get a Compostela (certificate) in Santiago.Over 300,000 pilgrims arrive in Santiago each yearMy Walk:August 26, 2021Started walking from St. Jean Pied de Port, FranceSept 28, 2021Arrived in Santiago de Compostela, SpainOctober 3, 2021Arrived in Finisterre, Spain ('The End of the World')October 4, 2021Arrived in Muxia, SpainStats:Total # of Walking Days……….   39 daysTotal Number of Steps……….   1,462,154 stepsTotal Distance Walked (km)……….  1052.6 kilometersTotal Distance Walked (mi)………  654.3 milesAverage Number of Steps……….  37,491 steps per dayAverage Distance Walked (km)……….  27 km per dayAverage Distance Walked (mi)………  16.8 mi per dayBuen Camino, Mike---------------------------------------------------------------➜Episode Notes:  https://mikemurphy.co/158➜Gear & Resources I Use:: https://mikemurphy.co/resources--------------------------------------------------------------- Support the show

Ep157: The 2022 Life Update ShowAs Eleanor Roosevelt famously said, Absence makes the heart grow fonder, so today I simply want to say hello, reconnect and bring you up to speed on what I've been up to and what I have planned for 2022.Episode Summary:Hello and welcome to episode 157: The 2022 Life Update Show. It's been a minute since I published an episode and I simply wanted to touch base and provide a quick life and business update. So, let's go.Life Updates 2022:In early January of 2022, I had to move out of my little old beach cottage that I have been happily renting for over 11 years because it was sold (big bummer)I lost my full-time job of 3+ years at Simplecast/SiriusXM on the exact same day (also a bummer because of the bad timing)The good news is I found an awesome place for rent right across the alley from my old cottage and I love the new digs/studio.The other good news is that I can focus on Mike Murphy Co and making a living as a tutorial maker and content creator (which is my North Star)Quote: “Some changes look negative on the surface but you will soon realize that space is being created in your life for something new to emerge.”    - Eckhart Tolle Life Updates 2021:The pandemic life was not fun, but Florida ignored it and my day-to-day routines did not change all that muchI  remained healthy throughout and never tested positive, but who knowsThe podcasting industry blew up during the pandemic which was a good thing, but I also started to burn out a littleI took a 7-week leave of absence in August of 2021  to recharge my mind and bodyTrip of A LifetimeI walked from St. Jean Pied de Port, France (starting on Aug 26, 2021)I walked 15-20 miles per day for 40+ days over the Pyrenees and across all of SpainI ended up in Muxia, Spain  in early October and walked a total of 650 milesThe Camino life was simple and incredible The mantra I lived by was 'One thing to do and all day to do it (walk from Village A to Village B)'The to-do list was Walk, Eat, Drink, Sleep, Repeat.Resources Mentioned in Episode:Movie: The Way starring Martin SheenIf you have any thoughts about going, do it! It's beyond words how amazing the experience was.  Book: The Courage To Be Disliked  by Ichiro KishimiIt's a book about how to find happiness and I really enjoyed it. It was recommended by a great YouTuber named Ali Abdaal.  Mike Murphy Co in 2022:My main focus is on growing the Mike Murphy Co YouTube channel  and increasing revenue streamsWeekly LivestreamsCreating a digital product (class)Writing on MediumFreelance & Consulting Gigs (helping people figure things out)Mike Murphy Unplugged Podcast:No set schedule or pressure on me to publish, but there will be new episodesI see it evolving into more of a personal audio journal to connect with you and the communityThe podcast will be my outlet to share life and business updates.Amazon Associates Disclosure:Mike Murphy is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.comEpisode Notes: https://mikemurphy.co/ep157

EP156: The Change ShowIn Today’s episode, I am going to read a simple, but practical checklist from a book that I recently finished to help or inspire you to create a positive change in your lifeSummary:The checklist I am going to share with you today is from the book, What to Say When You Talk To Yourself by Shad Helmstetter which is all about rewiring your brain with positive thoughts and self-talk.Buy Book on Amazon: (affiliate link)What to Say When You Talk to Your Selfby Shad Helmstetter Ph.Dhttps://amzn.to/3bGMbkjTIPIf you have an Amazon Alexa device, you can buy Kindle books on Amazon usually for $3.99 or less and use the Alexa app on our iOS Device and listen to your Kindle books like an audiobook. The voice of Alexa is a little robotic and not nearly as high of a production value as an Audible book, but it’s been a great discovery for me and I’m finding myself consuming a lot more books listening like I do podcasts at a fraction of the cost of Audible books.Quote From Book:Whatever you put into your mind in one way or another, is what you will get back out, in one way or anotherWhat does your self-talk sound like?Are you kind and positive and encouraging when you talk to yourself?Do you beat yourself up over all the things on your to-do list that you can’t seem to get done or the projects that you never seem to have time for or the failed attempts at getting in shape, or the inability to get ahead financially, etc.Ways to Create Positive ChangeBelieve In YourselfKeep Your Priorities StraightTake Responsibility For YourselfCreate Your Own FutureMeditate DailyPractice MindfulnessFocus On What You WantAttract What You DesireLearn To Visualize The Outcome Of Your GoalsNever Let Anyone Control Your Destiny For YouBe CreativeThink BigControl StressBe Aggressive And AssertiveThink PositivelyChart Your Own CourseSet Specific Goals And Review Them OftenSpend Some Time Each Day Improving Your MindReview Your Results And Readjust As NecessaryBe TolerantDo Everything With LoveDon’t HateHave CourageRecognize That Most Of What We Believe About Life Is An IllusionBe HonestWork HardBelieve Money Is Good And It Will Come To YouHave FaithIf You Agree To Do It, Enjoy ItBe StrongShow AffectionManage Your TimeDress RightLearn To Sell YourselfTake Time OffBelieve In A “Higher Self”Eat RightLive PrudentlySeek The Aid Of Others Who Are In Sympathy With Your GoalsGive Assistance To OthersKeep MotivatedBe OptimisticTrust Others And Be Worthy Of TrustRecognize That Success Is More Than MoneyBe KindSee The “Big Picture”Take Care Of The DetailsGet OrganizedDon’t ProcrastinateStay In ControlKeep FitSee Problems As “Opportunities”Learn Everything You Can About Your JobDon’t Be Afraid Of SuccessBe Generous To OthersBelieve In GodReach A Little Higher Than You Thought You CouldSet Your SightsTake ActionNever Give UpGandhi said it best:_Be the Change You Wish to See in The World.Buy Book on Amazon:What to Say When You Talk to Your Selfby Shad Helmstetter Ph.DAmazon Affiliate Link:https://amzn.to/3bGMbkjAmazon Associates Disclosure:Mike Murphy is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.comEpisode Notes: https://mikemurphy.co/ep156Contact Me:Email: mike@mikemurphy.coInstagram: @mikeunpluggedTwitter: @mikeunplugged

Today is the 4th Anniversary of Mike Murphy Unplugged and I take a walk down memory lane and look at the takeaways from year 1 and see how they hold up today…a few years later !In this Episode 155:A big thank you to all of you who have been with me since the beginning of this journey! Cheers!In this episode, I look at my Top 10 Takeaways from Year One and see how they stack up today. Year 1 Mike vs. 2019 MikeEpisode Notes: https://mikemurphy.co/ep155The Top 10 List is from 2016 (Listen for 2019 Comparison)Podcasting is a big commitment and hard work:I am proud to be a one-man bandPodcasting has made me a better teacher, thinker, writer…Podcasting has me be more confident in my abilitiesPodcasting can be fun and creativeWriting scripts is not fun (but are rewarding)Done is definitely better than perfectHaving templates and systems are EssentialI stink at self-promotion & marketingDo it for yourself and everything will always be worth it. (2019)Quotes from 2016:Karen Lamb: “A year from now you will wish you had started today”.Wayne Gretzky: “You miss 100% of the shots you never take”.Patience is the key to most things in life. Everything takes time, but you have to take initiativeStart creating and doing and taking chances Launching the podcast was my first big shot on goal towards creating the life I wanted. If I can do it, so can you. Happy 4th Anniversary and Thank You!Thank you for joining me today and I hope you join my one man band and together we can Learn. Create & Move Forward. Cheers, Mike.Episode Notes: https://mikemurphy.co/ep155Contact Me:Email: mike@mikemurphy.coInstagram: @mikeunpluggedTwitter: @mikeunplugged

This episode breaks down the process of how to move your show (podcast) from one podcast hosting company to another without losing any subscribers. Topics covered in this episode: What is a podcast host? What is a podcast directory? What is an RSS Feed? What is a 301 Redirect? How do you move your show without losing subscribers? What is a podcast host? When you start podcast, one of the major decisions you will make is where to host your show. There are many podcast hosts available but some of the more popular ones include: Simplecast. Where I work full-time on the product support and content team. Others hosting companies include: Libsyn Blubrry Podbean BuzzSprout Spreaker Soundcloud Anchor What do podcast hosting platforms do? Overview of Podcast Hosts: 1. Audio File Storage & Delivery 2. Generate your RSS Feed 3. Publishing & Syndication to directories. Audio File Storage & Delivery To store your audio files and serve them to listener devices when someone clicks play or download from a podcast app or an embed player or anywhere your podcast episodes can be accessed. Generate your RSS Feed which is the link between your show and subscribers and to all of the podcast apps and directories. Every podcast has one unique RSS Feed and that usually only changes when you change podcast hosts. Note: Your RSS Feed is not always generated at the location where you store your audio files. When moving a show, you will do so wherever your RSS Feed is located and not necessarily where your audio files are stored. My original set up was using the Powerpress plugin by Blubrry on my Wordpress website and I hosted my audio files for download only on the podcast host, Libsyn. If your RSS Feed was generated by Powerpress, then that is the location where you would redirect your feed. Ask if you are not certain. Publishing and Syndication To Directories. Podcast hosts make it possible for you to create and publish new episodes much like creating a blog post on a website. When you publish new episodes or make edits to already published episodes, your podcast hosting platform connects your RSS feed to the podcast directories such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora so your show will always be updated automatically. This process of publishing and then updating everywhere automagically is possible because of the RSS Feed and this process is called syndication. Additional roles of podcast hosts: Analytics, websites, sharing tools, embed players, and some even have world-class support! What is a Podcast Directory? A podcast directory is simply a library or catalog of podcasts where one can browse, listen, and subscribe to new shows. Major Podcast Directories: Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts Google Play Pandora iHeart Radio TuneIn Stitcher When you start a new show, you submit your RSS feed to as many of these directories as possible to get your show listed. You only have to submit your show one time and when you publish new episodes they all get updated as we learned earlier because of your RSS Feed and the power of syndication. Tip: Create an Apple Note or Text document and copy the URL for each directory listing for your own show. What is an RSS Feed?: RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. (Wikipedia) When you set up a new podcast you will get a unique RSS Feeds for your show. This is usually done by the podcast host. If you set up your show on your Wordpress website and use the Powerpress plugin or maybe you are podcasting through a Squarespace website, your RSS Feed will be generated and managed at your website. Wherever you publish new episodes and manage the details about your show such as titles, descriptions, show art etc, is typically where your RSS feed is located. An RSS Feed looks like any other hyperlink or URL, but it is actually a text document filled with code. If you click on it, it will not take you to your podcast, but will only show you a bunch of code. The code is full of all the information about your podcast along with special metadata tags that can be read by podcast apps such as Apple Podcasts or Overcast. The RSS Feed is what you submit to the podcast directories, but it is not the link you share to post on websites or social media channels. Once you submit your show to the directories, it generally works behind the scenes. Podcast directories mirror everything that is in the RSS Feed. When you make a change at your podcast host or wherever your RSS Feed originated, your RSS Feed updates as soon as you press Save or publish. When your RSS Feed changes, the podcast directories will see the changes the next time they refresh and the changes get updated wherever your podcast has been submitted. Every podcast has one RSS Feed and it will not typically change unless you move your show to another hosting company. Tip: Copy your RSS Feed URL to an Apple Note or text document so you always have it handy if you discover a new directory to submit to or for reference when you are ready to move your show to a new hosting platform. What is a 301 Redirect? A redirect is a way to send both users and devices to a different URL from the one they originally requested. A 301 Redirect is one of the most common types of redirects and a 301 is permanent. When you create a 301 Redirect for your podcast RSS feed when a listener device or app looks for your old RSS Feed, they get forwarded or redirected to your new RSS Feed and because it is permanent, they will never look for the old RSS feed again (in theory). The 301 Redirect is how you can move your show without losing subscribers. The 301 Redirect should also update many of the apps and directories, but you should check each directory and manually update the directories if they are still referencing your old RSS Feed. Warning: The 301 Redirect is also how you will lose all of your hard-earned subscribers if you do not take your time and do it right. Ask if you need help or not sure how to do it. Creating a 301 Redirect is easy, but if you do not do it correctly, it is possible you could lose all of your subscribers and they would have no idea. How To Move Your Show (Step-by-Step) Tip: Always subscribe to your own show in Apple Podcasts and other mobile apps as you want to know exactly what your subscribers are experiencing and new episodes and changes to your show always happen much faster for subscribers, so it is the best way to monitor your show Tip: Export your analytics data and copy any information you want for your records from your old podcast host. You will not be able to import your old analytics data to your new hosting company. Every podcast host is a little different, but here is a typical scenario. I will use Simplecast as a guide since I know the process best for importing a new show: Import RSS Feed to Podcast Host: Setup a trial account on your new hosting platform. Paste your original RSS Feed to import your show. (This will only make a copy of your show and will not affect your podcast in the directories and it is not linked to your original host). Enter Billing Information (credit card) Select the subscription plan you want to be on at the end of the trial period. New RSS Feed. Once your show has been imported and billing setup, you will have access to a new RSS Feed. 301 Redirect. When you have tested your new podcast host and are ready to ‘officially migrate’ your show from your old host to your new host, it is time to set up the 301 Redirect. This is the final step as once you do the 301 Redirect, you will no longer be publishing on your old host and will start publishing new episodes on your new host. All clear? Where do you do the 301 Redirect? The 301 Redirect will always take place at the source of your original or old RSS Feed. You will paste in your new RSS Feed in the 301 Redirect field of your old host. The 301 Redirect will permanently forward your old RSS Feed to your new RSS Feed and this process takes effect immediately. Keep your old account open for up to 4 weeks just to be sure the Redirect has had enough time, but you will notice the redirect happening right away. Your old RSS Feed is no longer active once you create the 301 Redirect. How you know if the 301 Redirect is working? Open a web browser. Paste your old RSS Feed into the address bar. If the redirect is working properly, your new RSS Feed should open in the browser. 5.Update The Directories Apple Podcasts and the other major directories and apps should update automatically once they look for your old RSS Feed, but to expedite the process and to make sure all of the directories are looking at your new feed, it is a good idea to manually update as many directories as possible. Some directories may require you to fill out an RSS Update form, but many directories such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher have portals where you can update your RSS Feed manually. Apple Podcasts is your priority as so many little directories pull the RSS Feed from Apple Podcasts. One thing you can do if you are hesitant or not sure if you want to manually enter your new RSS Feed is to log into Apple Podcasts Connect and click ’Refresh Feed’ and it should change to your new feed in about 20–30 minutes. Log back in to Apple Podcasts Connect and make sure you see your new RSS Feed in the URL field. If you do not, paste in your new RSS Feed and save. 6 . Update Web Players (some cases) If you have a website with embed players from your old host, you will need to replace the embed codes with your new host embed player codes. 7 .Publish New Episodes! Once you set the 301 Redirect and have updated the directories, it’s time to start publishing new episodes on your new host. You have officially moved your show and did not lose any subscribers. For the first few episodes, just keep an eye on all of the directories and make sure new episodes are showing up. Tip: Always subscribe to your own show in your mobile podcast apps. Directories can take a few hours to update when you publish new episodes or make changes, but subscribers will often get the updates in near real-time. Force quit your Apple Podcasts app and re-open if you are not seeing updates after some time and starting to get impatient.

Behind the scenes of my simple and practical new financial freedom plan to help me create the life I want. Today is about taking action and control of your finances so you can create the life you want. The motivation or my why for taking action on my finances. The two books that helped me build the framework and key takeaways from each. My new plan along with the tools I am using to put my financial plan on auto-pilot. Part 1: Why am I taking action on my finances? I turn 50 in November Reduce stress and self-doubt Financial Freedom Peace of Mind Control & Clarity Always Moving Forward Opportunity to Advance Part 2: The 2 Books that led me to action I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi (Buy on Amazon) The Latte Factor by David Bach (Buy on Amazon)   I Will Teach You To Be Rich  By Ramit Sethi 1st Edition: My biggest takeaway from the 1st edition was setting up online banks for automating your finances. Set it and forget it. Deposit your paycheck in a checking account and have set amounts go to bills, savings, and investments automatically. 2st Edition: I ordered the audiobook from Audible immediately and listened to it non-stop for 2 days. This book is a crash course in the fundamentals of investing and also very tactical in that he gives step by step advice along with specific recommendations for investments and online banks. I Will Teach You To Be Rich caused me to take action 10 years ago and it had the same effect on me the 2nd time around because the message throughout the book is taking the time to do this now will help you create the life you want. This book will teach you exactly what to invest in, how to set up online banking so your savings and investing are automatic, and what it means to live a rich life. It’s not about the money, it’s about intentional living and purpose. The Latte Factor by David Bach Podcast Mentioned: The James Altucher Show I also listened to The Latte Factor on Audible from start to finish. The Latte Factor is story about a girl named Zoey who is a twenty-something working and living the dream in NYC and is buried under student loans, debt, and living paycheck to paycheck just trying to make ends meet. Not an unfamiliar story for many. The thought of savings and investing are the furthest thing from her mind as she can barely afford rent. This is a story many of us have experienced and it can be a vicious cycle of financial stress and worry working hard just to pay debts and eek by without being able to put any money aside for travel or savings or retirement. Zoey meets a wise old man who changes her perspective and teaches her many valuable money and life lessons such as the power of compounding interest and one of the the most important lessons of this book and my biggest takeaway from the book is Pay yourself first. **Pay Yourself First: ** You take the first hour of every working day and put that in your savings or investment account. Example: You work 8 hours per day You take your hourly rate for 1 hour out of the 8 hours You put the first hour of payin your savings or investment account. You can multiply this 1 hour by the number of days you work or multiply by 7 for a full week. Bonus Math Tip: To get the hourly rate from any annual salary: Divide the salary by 2 and that is the hourly rate. If you make 50,000 per year. 50,000/2 is 25,000 $25/hour If you make 75,000 per year. 75,000/2 is 37,500 $37.50/hour If you make 100,000 per year. 100,000/2 is 50,000 $50.00/hour Pay Yourself First Example (First Hour) You make $50,000 per year which is $25/hour pre-taxes. Save 1 hour per working day that is $25 x 5 days = $125 $125 week x 4 weeks = $450 per month by paying yourself the 1st hour of every day. Use this as a benchmark. Takeways: Pay yourself first Treat savings like an expense each month and you will be paying your self first. Prioritize. Part 3: The Plan & Tools I figured out my savings goal by using The Latte Factors pay yourself first. I took my salary and divided it by 2 to get my hourly rate and then I multiplied that by 7 and rounded up to get my the total I wanted to save each month. This total will fund my 401k, Roth, and my multiple savings buckets that I want to save for. Here are the specifics of my plan: Vanguard Funds (highly recommend) I moved my existing mutual fund and Roth IRA to Vanguard Funds Tip: Look up expense ratios. They matter. A lot. Ally Bank (highly recommend) I set up a new online banking account at Ally Bank and added multiple savings accounts that included a regular savings fund, Vacation Fund & Emergency Fund and connected my checking account so I could make recurring deposits automatically as soon as my paychecks get deposited. Auto-pilot. Personal Capital is a money manager like Mint. You add every financial account you have including credit cards, Paypal, checking, savings, 401K, Roths etc and it magically organizes and gives you a real-time snapshot of everything. YNAB (You Need a Budget) is a popular budgeting tool that I am trying to adopt in my system. It is $80/year. It has steep learning curve. Pay myself first I connected my checking account to my Roth IRA and set up a recurring deposit of $100 per month as soon as my paycheck is deposited. Here is my plan in action: I get a paycheck Money is automatically deposited in my 401K. The rest of my paycheck goes to my checking account. My checking account sends money to Vanguard that contributes to my Roth IRA. My checking account sends money to Ally Bank with multiple savings accounts and emergency fund, etc. Personal Capital is an iOS and web app that organizes all of my accounts YNAB (You need a budget) makes sure I am prioritize and track my spending. Pay myself first and then I pay my rent and bills and whatever is left is mine to enjoy life with. And if you work multiple side hustles like myself, pump as much as you can into your system and let it grow.

Today is an update episode and I simply wanted to say hey wish you all a very happy Holiday Season. Episode Summary: So welcome to this holiday episode 152. In this episode I wanted to bring you up to speed on my journey and plans for 2019, but more importantly I really just wanted to make sure I took the time to wish each and every one of you a very merry holiday season and to wish you the best as we approach a new year. The Update: A couple of months ago I told you I was taking a hiatus from Mike Murphy Unplugged for a variety of reasons. This was not an easy decision to make and it saddened me a little to give up a piece of something that I worked extremely hard every single week for 3 years. I was and still am very proud of the consistency and hard work I put into this podcast and all of the content I make surrounding it, but I listened to my heart and took a step back. It was the right decision at the right time. I needed to get the weight off my shoulders as it was introducing negativity into my world and becoming a burden instead of something that inspired me to make. Consistency: I get asked all the time on social media how on Earth I am able to create tutorials and content on such a consistent basis. The answer is easy. I love it. I love to learn and teach. Making tutorials and quick tips is not easy in some ways, yet it’s all I want to do, so I just do it. Podcasting Break I also still very much podcasting and will publish a podcast regularly again, but as soon as the process of podcasting became something that I no longer looked forward to, the problem solver in me clicked in. I do not like when things are broken and I have the ability to fix it. It drives me nuts actually when I see people who suffer and make no attempt to right the ship. That is why I stopped. I shifted and tweaked my process of podcasting until I decided the best course of action was to put it on the shelf and re-adjust. Minimalism Do you know what really made this easy? My push to simplify and get rid of physical, digital and mental clutter. 2018 was the year of minimalism for me and that meant letting things go that caused stress or were not contributing to my happiness or well-being. To be as candid as possible, the first half of 2018, my podcast was a thorn in my side. I was pulling topics out of thin air and I was making them simply because of self-discipline. Again, problem solver Mike knew that this was a problem, and I solved it. I did not give up or quit, I gave myself permission to free up some space and figure out what needed to be done. Opportunity Knocks As soon as I put my podcast on hiatus, a door opened up for me out of the blue. And that was an opportunity to work for the podcasting technology company, Simplecast. Was this a coincidence? In my mind, no way. I manifested this opportunity by showing up every day making and publishing content. When I started I really had no idea what I wanted or what I was good at, so I just started exploring and making things and I started really wide and over time I just started narrowing down and finding my style and groove. Simplecast hired me to do exactly what I am best at and what I like to do. My job is in support and my role is to help solve problems for podcasters and create educational content in the form of tutorials and articles and to teach through webinars and eventually at conferences and workshops. If you have listened to this podcast for any length of time, you will probably realize that my role in Simplecast is exactly what I talk about all the time. If you find yourself in a position of self-doubt or uncertainty, but you know you want to improve your career or what you have going on in life, I cannot stress enough that you have to get started today and just do something. You do not need the answers to life to start. Move in the direction of something that has been a positive thing in your life. For me, I have always been drawn to creative things like photography, video, music, art, writing, tech and travel. So I just started taking more photos and learning how to make videos and started writing on Medium and shared tech tips that seemed interesting to me. I started and know that I could do some iteration of this forever. But you need money to live. I was running out of money in my tech and creative exploration. I was getting freelance gigs, but not enough. I went through all of my savings and cashed in mutual funds that I started years ago. I never panicked. I trusted myself and I knew I was headed in the right direction. Doing My Thing The Simplecast opportunity came at the perfect time. Putting my podcast on hiatus left a void and I filled it by taking a role serving podcasters. Things happen for a reason. Simplecast has been an amazing experience and I have learned a ton in the past four months about podcasting and start-up life and myself. I am busier than ever as I work full-time 5 days/week and at nights and early morning I make tutorials and my 2 days off I do my Murphy Concierge work which is helping people in my local area with tech stuff. I am making a living helping, creating, and teaching. Exactly what I set out to do when I launched this podcast. And I’m just getting started. What’s to come in 2019: Simplecast is about to launch a new 2.0 platform that we are all excited about and with the new product I will be making a ton of content and helping people figure out how to use the new product and it’s going to be fun and exciting. Taking the job with Simplecast was an easy decision because it aligned with everything I have been working for and I am very happy with how it is working out. I have the best of both worlds. There was a little internal conflict when thinking about taking a job versus making it on my own, but then I realized, I am still as independent as I have ever been and being part of a growing and innovative company that is all about working with creatives and podcasters is a dream come true. I am happy and I am proud of myself for going full steam ahead even when things were getting a little financially thin and quite honestly, I was working myself really hard. I’ll say it again. If you are unhappy or if you have a goal to make it on your own or build a brand or business online, you have to stop thinking about it and get going on something. If you own a business and it’s not working, fix it. Get rid of the weight that is holding you down and something better will fill the space. YouTube or Bust I will do a 2019 Roadmap episode, but in addition to Simplecast, my mindset is doubling down my efforts on YouTube and ramping up my writing on Medium. I love making tutorials and answering questions for people. It’s all I want to do. I am doing that now, but I want to take it up a notch and YouTube is where I can best do that. So I will. I am closing in on 2500 subscribers and just passed the Million views mark. That’s right. Over 1,000, 000 views on my YouTube channel. How cool is that? I’m not big on numbers, but I put out a goal of reaching 10,000 subscribers by the end of 2019 as a milestone I could put in front of me. I think it is doable and that is where my 2019 focus is currently at. As for writing. I will continue publishing my tutorials as written content on Medium, but I plan to write a few more beefy articles that have some girth. I am learning and growing and I simply want to put it all out there and to continue to build my brand as someone with useful knowledge to share. The long-term goal is to make it as a content creator doing what I love to do. Do Your Thing I am living proof that you can create the life you want. It is extremely hard to do and you have to make tough decisions and sacrifices, but it all comes down to how you want to live. For me, I want to live happy and simply. For the person who asked me how I am able to show up so consistently, it is because I am creating the life I want and that comes with putting in the hard work and pushing myself to get better everyday. I think it’s worth it and I hope you do too. I know today was a lot about me, but I wanted to give you an update and let you know that life is good because I refuse to have it any other way. I have no plans yet to publish a podcast on a regular schedule, but it is on my mind. Happy Everything But the most important reason I wanted to make this episode today was to wish you a very merry and happy holiday season and new year. I appreciate you and as always, if there is anything I can ever do for you, you can email me anytime at mike@mikemurphy.co or reach out on social media. If you are stuck and need a push, let me know. You have one shot to live the life you want. Make it happen. Cheers I Thank you for joining me today and I wish you a Merry Everything and happy and healthy 2019. I hope you join my one man band and together we can Learn. Create & Move Forward. Cheers, Mike. Cheers, Mike I Thank you for joining me on this milestone and turning point episode and for joining my one man band and together we can Learn. Create & Move Forward. Cheers, Mike. Questions, Comments, Feedback? mike@mikemurphy.co Complete Show Notes: https://mikemurphy.co/ep151 My Gear List: https://kit.com/mikemurphyco My Amazon Store: https://www.amazon.com/shop/mikemurphyco My YouTube Channel: https://mikemurphy.co/youtube Instagram: https://instagram.com/mikeunplugged Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mikemurphyco Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeunplugged

Today is the 3rd anniversary of Mike Murphy Unplugged and this an update episode about change, development and creating the life you want. I have some exciting news to share with you. Episode Summary:I started this show on Friday 9/25/2015. Thank you to all of you who have supported me over the past 3 years. The podcast is still on hiatus, but I created this episode:1) To acknowledge you and the anniversary2) Share some updates since Episode 1503) Let you know about my new position with podcast hosting company Simplecast What is a Milestone?: A milestone is an action or event marking a significant change or stage in development. Change is to make or become different. Development is state of growth or advancement. So Why Did I Start Mike Murphy Unplugged Reason 1: To connect, teach and help people figure things out, Reason 2: To figure out how to make a living as an online educator and content creator. My solution: Starting a podcast was the perfect medium for me: Why Podcasting?:-I have been an avid podcast listener since the iPod 1.0-I love audio and gear-I could share my voice to the world from my bedroom-I knew it was an emerging medium. Timeline:I gave myself 30 days to learn how to start a podcast, how to record and edit audio, create the artwork and branding, and set up social media profiles and figure out what it was about. I did not overthink starting a podcast and I was determined to stay genuine and authentic to me and do it my way. Everyone told me I had to niche down and narrow my topic, but that is not who I am. I have a wide range of interest and skills and I wear many hats (I’m the guy who has watched over 11,000 Lynda videos remember). I used to think of this as my weakness, but it is my super-power. My long-term goal was to make a living as a content creator and teacher. Mike Murphy Unplugged was to document my journey and share all of the tools and resources and steps I was taking to move myself forward towards a very general goal of making a living in creativity and teaching tech tips and tricks. Step #1: in the journey was starting a podcast so I dedicated the first several months of Mike Murphy Unplugged to being a podcast about podcasting. I shared everything I knew about setting up and producing a podcast as that was my main focus at the time and I knew it was an emerging and important medium for businesses in the future. And guess what, the more you talk about and share knowledge about a topic the more of an expert and authority you become. I knew what I was talking about and was confident in my abilities from the start. The main principle I want to share today on this anniversary is showing up day after day even when it seems like nobody is listening or you are not getting many downloads or views or likes, etc. I created at least one piece of content 7 days a week 365 days in row for almost 3 years because I knew that if I just kept showing up I would either figure it out or an opportunity that would present itself. I started this podcast and online venture without a roadmap or plan, but I started and I just kept at it. My priority was to get really good at everything related to teaching and creating content and to be consistent and patient and to work as hard as I possibly could. It was not always fun or enjoyable, but I was not going to stop because I knew it would take time and require resilience and patience. In Episode 150 I announced that I was taking a break and putting the podcast on hiatus. Was I podfading? Not quite, but I was needing a break. It started as a tool to help me and it was starting to feel more like a burden that I was holding onto just to keep streak intact of never missing a Friday episode. I’m a problem solver and I knew I had to fix this negative force in my content machine. 2018 has been the year of simplicity and I created my version of minimalism. I spent the first half of 2018 actively de-cluttering and reducing most of what I owned to the bare essentials. I gave away, threw away or sold everything I did not use or need and did the same cleaning on my digital assets. I simplified my diet and exercise and it felt incredible and everything feels clean and light and simple. My head-space and physical space has never been clearer or more laser-focused. Less is indeed more for me. Death. Early in the summer, I lost someone that I cared a lot about right before a summer trip I had planned and it was almost instantly that I gave myself permission to take a break from the podcast. It often takes Death or tragedy really brings the word priority in focus as you really start to understand what is most important in life and I knew that if I gave myself a break from the podcast for a couple of months, things would be okay. You would understand and I can pick back up at anytime. De-cluttering and simplifying was very a deliberate and conscious choice of mine to take a deep breath and to really go back to the basics. Get off the hamster wheel and put as much positive and happy energy into to world as I could muster up because I knew that I was making progress and that my efforts would work out and that I would be okay. I had everything I needed in life. I was running out of money, but I was not in debt and I was healthy and happy. I had enough and I was getting really good at all of the things I want to do for the rest of my life. Getting rid of stuff made me relax and put things in perspective. I felt really happy and relieved and I was still cranking out content, but I was not stressed about anything. I just trusted that I would be okay because my intentions were consistent and good all along. Opportunity Knocked I was offered a position with the podcast hosting company Simplecast and I happily accepted. I start Monday 9/24 and my official title is podcast support specialist. My job duty sounds a lot like how I describe my why for starting this podcast. Helping people figure things out and creating educational content. I could not be more excited or proud and everything about it just feels like a perfect fit. Maybe I got lucky or maybe it was a coincidence or the right place at the right time. Or maybe on this 3 year milestone, the change and development that is happening right now in my life and career is the manifestation of me taking the first step into the unknown and putting in the hard work and showing up day after day because I trusted myself and knew that if I could remain patient and true to myself, that things would work out. Creating the life you want is not fast or easy and there is no clear path, but you have to start somewhere and take the first step no matter how big or small. Show up for yourself and nobody else. You are not competing against anyone but yourself. Keep going. You do not need to have all the answers and your original plan is going to change multiple times, but you have to make the effort and take a chance on yourself and do not give up or give into your own self-doubt or the doubt of those around you. There is no better time than now to do whatever you want in this world and there is no excuse not to give it all you have to try and create a life that makes you happy and successful whatever that may mean for you. Happy 3rd anniversary to Mike Murphy Unplugged and a big thanks to you. If there is anything I can ever do for you, you can always reach out to me at mike@mikemurphy.co or look me up at Simplecast.com Note:  The podcast is still in hiatus mode, so bear with me as I figure out the next version, but I will keep you in the loop.   Thank you for joining me on this milestone and turning point episode and for joining my one man band and together we can Learn. Create & Move Forward. Cheers, Mike.

Taking a break Resting your mind is vital to your health and wellness, but that does not mean you stop your efforts to create the life you want The life I want is making a living as a content creator and online educator. My sights are on the long-term, so I’m in it for the marathon and not the sprint, so pace is important. Mid-Year Review: July 18th is the halfway mark of the year. The perfect time to evaluate your life and business roadmap for the year and set yourself up for a strong finish to 2018. Are you on the right track? Do you know where you are headed? Are you doing everything necessary to get there? Are you in control or are you in reaction mode? Summary of Episode: I share my content strategy and plan for the second half of 2018 as I get ready to refresh and head out for a 2-week vacation to Nantucket. I plan my summer vacation by planning my 3rd and 4th quarter content strategy and business goals. My version of work-life balance. The Podcast Hiatus I shared in Episode 149 The Freedom Show that I was going to take an indefinite hiatus from this podcast. I do not know when Episode 151 will be published or I may launch a brand new show. I am not putting pressure or making any grand promises as I do not know. I just know I am making the right decision because it is from my gut and heart. The 2018 Roadmap In Episode 122: The 2018 Roadmap Show, the priorities I listed were: Priority #1: Murphy Concierge (Generating Income) Priority #2: Tutorials & Classes: Priority #3: Writing Priority 4: Ask Mike Murphy Priority 5: YouTube Priority 6: Health & Wellness Mid-Year Reaction: Wow! I did a really good job with that Roadmap. Note: podcasting did not make the list of priorities, but it is of upmost importance to my content puzzle and should be for many brands and businesses. Audio & Podcasting are extremely important and effective as we move into a mobile-dominated world. I am not going anywhere. I just need to find the rhythm which will come from adjusting the format and possibly the entire topic or concept. It’s not firing on all cylinders and I know it. I am simply transitioning to a new phase. This is me taking one step back to move 2 steps forward. My homework: Brainstorm and add specific ideas and types of content for each of the priorities so I can control the ebb and flow of my life and business and not feel controlled or lost on what to do next. Mantra & Theme for 2018: Simplicity, Fundamentals, Storytelling. To maintain the lifestyle of simplicity and reducing physical & mental clutter and place more emphasis on fundamentals and storytelling in my content creation. Storytelling I am approaching this trip with storytelling on my mind. Creating content drawing from my own personal experiences that others can relate to and make a connection to me. I am looking to make content that strikes a nerve and hits home with others. I’m not concerned with how much content I create on this trip, but I am going to explore and experiment with my cameras and audio equipment and see what I can come up with. . Micro-storytelling is my goal. It’s how I teach. I take big concepts and break off pieces instead of trying to cover too much. This takes discipline and can be challenging as simple is not easy. This is how I want to approach storytelling. Snippets of the journey when pieced together tell a larger story. Storytelling Homework: In Nantucket will be to create some micro-content and just see what is working and what is not. If I find a groove then I will make a list of ideas to add to my document that I can make when I get back. My biggest goal in storytelling is to illustrate and share to the world the journey of starting and online business and trying to create a life of freedom and happiness and healthy living in a way that is educational and entertaining. People relate to stories. I relate to stories. Telling stories that teach and inspire is what I hope to achieve, but in my voice and style. Obviously. Examples of micro-content I want to make: The gear & tools I use. What my workspace looks like. Why do I do what I do? Who inspires me? What do I really want in life and business? How much money do I make? How much do I want? How do I pack for travel? Snippets of me. Not to promote me, but to let people into my journey and connect. This is the motivation I need to create stronger content. My biggest struggle is I create content I think will be helpful. I want to create content I know will be helpful because people tell me what they are struggling with. Priorities for Q3 & Q4 of 2018 [Murphy Concierge](https://murphyconcierge.com) is my local tech support business where I go to homes and businesses and fix and teach people how to use their tech devices. I love this role yet I spend the least time on it. Why? Fear of success. It may just work. Yes, that is a real struggle of mine. My homework: Create a membership subscription plan that is a win-win for my clients and me. An annual fee that gives clients 24/7 access to my help, with additional fees for in-person fixes. I have started on the model, but hope to fine tune it over the next 2 weeks. Tutorials & YouTube & Ask Mike Murphy I want to grow my YouTube channel significantly. If I could pay my bills making daily tutorials on YouTube, I would be happy. I want to make helpful videos. Adding to my YouTube push is adding a live-stream Ask Mike Murphy component. I have 1600 subscribers and do not know who they are. It’s time to meet them and engage more with them. I will do that on YouTube Live. My homework is to come up with a giant list of video ideas so I can get ahead with my content schedule and not feel like I’m drowning in work. It’s about balance and control. Writing: I think it is the backbone of content that will never go away. Audio & Video will thrive, but text ties it all together. I write a lot. I will write more and produce at least one more eBook this year. I also plan to double down on my Medium.com presence. My homework: Scour through 150 podcast episodes and try to come up with 50–100 article topics. Micro-content and build a library of articles for Medium & LinkedIN. Health & Wellness: This is really #1 priority. I am almost 48. I feel great. I want to feel amazing. No back pain for one. I am convinced that if you take care of your body, everything else falls in place. I’m determined to get in the best shape of my life because I know it will carry over to my business goals. Homework in Nantucket: Learn to jump-rope. I mean long enough to make it an exercise routine. I bought a jump-rope and I stink at it. AKA…I’m pooped after a few minutes of trying. I’ll get it. Bottom Line: My priorities and vision is still on point and in check. Taking a step back and taking a break does the body and mind good. My summer break may go on longer than my 2-weeks in Nantucket. That is okay if I need it. Just do not confuse taking a break with being lazy and unmotivated. Two different things. Creating the life you want and running a successful business is non-stop hard work, but it is vital you block out times to clear the board and think and refresh and re-evaluate. Checking in with yourself is essential. Plato said: “You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than you can in a year of conversation” What makes you tick? Are you doing enough of what brings you the most happiness? If not, set aside some time and give yourself a break. Contact Me Email: mike@mikemurphy.co Complete Show Notes: https://mikemurphy.co/ep150 My Gear List: https://kit.com/mikemurphyco My Amazon Store: https://www.amazon.com/shop/mikemurphyco My YouTube Channel: https://mikemurphy.co/youtube Instagram: https://instagram.com/mikeunplugged Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mikemurphyco Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeunplugged

“The secret to happiness is freedom… And the secret to freedom is courage. ” –Thucydides, Philosopher Today is all about freedom, happiness and the power of letting go and Episode Summary: I have spent the past few months aggressively purging and de-cluttering my physical and digital environments and taking inventory of my business and life. Taking inventory means looking in the mirror and doing an honest self-audit. One of the difficult truths or realities I came to terms with in doing a self-audit is this podcast is holding me back and it is weighing me down. My stubbornness and determination could keep it going forever, but the reality is it has become a bit of a burden and I know that is not healthy. I have had to remind the self-critic in me that letting go is not the same as quitting or giving up. It simply means letting go to make room for something new. Announcement: Mike Murphy Unplugged is going on Summer Hiatus. I have decided to press the pause button on Mike Murphy Unplugged after episode 150. I am not done podcasting, just taking a break for now. I started Mike Murphy Unplugged in September of 2015 and I have published a new episode every Friday morning at 6:00 am without fail. I started this podcast to help me find my voice as a creative and to give myself a foundation and platform to teach. I am extremely proud of the body of work I have created and would not trade the experience for the world, but it’s time to start a new chapter. My Backstory of Things: I moved from Colorado to Montana to Portland to New Hampshire and back to Colorado and traveled everywhere in between often living out of my Subaru wagon or VW Van. The freedom and independence I had was largely due to not owning much stuff. Being debt-free and not wanting or requiring extraneous things allowed me to be swift and pick up and go when an opportunity to travel knocked. One Man Band You hear me say that I am a One Man Band a lot. This independence is what the term represents to me. The ability to move and do what I want on my terms. This comes from me having control and not being tied down to things. I can pick up and go whenever I want. I am putting in the hard work in my business to allow me to work from anywhere in the world. That is the life I want. For me, simplifying and de-cluttering and cutting back to only having the essentials is about having control over the things that matter most in life and doing eliminating things that are not helping me achieve my business goals. It’s easy to get stressed and overwhelmed and feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders and I think a lot of you may feel this way. I refuse to live a life filled with negativity and stress and conflict, and getting rid of excess is my remedy for peace of mind regaining control. The less I have the better I feel. My Minimalist Process For the past several months I have been actively cleaning house on my physical and digital spaces and I’ve turned it into a game almost to see how much stuff I can get rid of. I started thinning things out. Everything. Even things that are small or you think don’t take up much room. It’s amazing how getting rid of the small stuff makes such a difference. I went room by room, drawer by drawer and bag by bag. Any gear or tool or attachment big or small that I did not use or need on a regular basis went out to the pod shed to be given away or sold on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. I cleaned out every cupboard in my kitchen and got rid of excess silverware, gadgets, plates, glasses, mugs, spices, pots and pans. Condiments in the fridge. Cleaning supplies. All gone. The little things you never notice make a huge difference when you get rid of them. I took generic artwork off the walls and got rid of furniture that served no purpose. I cleaned out all junk drawers and only kept the essentials. I purged pencils and pens, envelopes and anything in drawers that I rarely used. In the bathroom, I cleaned everything under the sink and got rid of towels and supplies and kept only what I use and need. The theme to letting go. Keep the essentials and get rid of everything else. I am constantly going through my clothes and eliminating anything I do not wear on a regular basis. Shoes, sneakers, t-shirts, old sweatshirts, hats, old socks, underwear, etc. Etc. Blankets, sheets, pillows, books, cables, cords, chargers. I took the same mode of attack on my digital and online world. I once had 10 screens of iPhone apps and am now down to 2 1/2. I cleaned all of my hard drives and Google Drives and deleted anything I no longer needed and made sure everything was perfectly backed up and mirrored so I was in complete control of my data and workflow. Applications on my Mac that I no longer use got deleted. I have been ruthless at unsubscribing from emails and have even taken it a step farther to delete as many accounts as I can. Anything and everything I do not use, I delete as it is one less notification or distraction. What are the benefits of letting go and cleaning house? I feel lighter and cleaner and freer.Remember, the secret to happiness is freedom. Less stuff makes me feel swift and nimble. Reduced stress and overwhelm from knowing what you have. My mind is much more focused and clear. I feel way more motivated and productive. I’ve made a few hundred dollars so far selling things. I do not want to buy anything new because it feels so good having less so you save money naturally. Perhaps the biggest benefit is the process of simplifying your belongings carries over to everything you do. You really start to appreciate the little things again and prioritize what really matters in life and in my business. The trees through the forest. My Why Creating the life I want for me just means is that I am free to live life on my own terms and do what I want when I want. I have done this my whole life, the only difference now is that I am figuring out how to build a business that will support myself financially instead of relying on jobs and working for others. My why for Mike Murphy LLC and Murphy Concierge and working day in and day creating content and giving it my all building an online business and brand is freedom. Creative & Financial Freedom is my vision of success for my business. Freedom to travel and do things that inspire me and make me happy is my vision of success for life. I did not expect it to be easy and I knew that it would take a lot of trial and error and ups and downs and pivots and adjustments. I recognized an area of my content creation machine that was introducing negativity in my mindset and slowing down my progress. While I could fight through it week after week, it would be for the wrong reasons. I do not need to prove my work ethic and determination to anyone but myself and I need to do whatever it takes to make progress. Making the decision to press the pause button on Mike Murphy Unplugged was not an easy decision, but my heart of hearts knows it’s the right decision for now. I am not quitting or giving up, I am simply evolving and moving forward on my road to freedom and happiness.

All about Instagram TV.  Episode Summary: What is IGTV? How does it work? Why might you use it for your business & brand? How do I plan on using it for Mike Murphy Co? Follow me on Instagram & IGTV @mikeunplugged. What is IGTV? IGTV was launched in late June 2018 by Instagram. Instagram is owned by Facebook. There are now over 1 Billion users on Instagram. There are over 2 Billion users on Facebook. IGTV is a standalone app, separate from Instagram, but you can access IGTV from the main Instagram app. So what exactly is IGTV? Many are referring to it as TV for mobile devices, aka your phones. The channels on IGTV are you and me. Every content creator is their own channel and it is open to anyone and everyone. IGTV gives you a channel for you to create content that people browsing IGTV and can stop and watch and if they like what they can see, they can let you know by liking or commenting and following you, just like on Instagram. When you open IGTV, videos start playing automatically. Just like when you turn on your TV. Instagram gives you some options to browse including: For You, Explore, Following & Popular and you can search for creators. You cannot search for topics, but you can search for channels. Open the IGTV app and videos will start playing or if you are in the main Instagram app, just look in the upper right for the Orange TV icon and that will take you into IGTV. How Does IGTV Work? IGTV is all about vertical videos for your phone. The correct aspect ratio for IGTV is 9:16. The 9 is the width and the 16 is the height. This is the opposite of horizontal videos you would post on YouTube which have an aspect ration of 16:9. Just think vertical. Taller than it is wide. Tip: Do not place text or important elements or graphics close to the edges when making videos for IGTV or they may get caught off on certain phones. The most common size you will likely use for IGTV is 1080 px wide by 1920 pixels high. This is what your iPhone shoots and is the exact same aspect ratio and size for Instagram Stories. Videos you make for IGTV must be a minimum of 15 seconds long and a maximum of 10 minutes long. For accounts with over 10,000 followers & verified accounts can post videos up to 1-hour long, but for now, the average creator is limited to a maximum of 10-minutes per video. You can upload videos from your phone or in a web browser like Chrome or Safari which is pretty convenient. You can select a Custom Thumbnail or Cover Image. You can add a Title & Description And you have the option to Share to your Facebook Pages. If you do have over 10,000 followers and find you have the option to upload 1-hour videos, you will have to use a web browser. Uploading from a phone is not an option for the long videos. Viewers of your IGTV videos can leave comments that will show up in both IGTV and Instagram. They can also like and share to friends. IGTV also integrates with Instagram Stories in that you can create links in your Stories and viewers can simply swipe up and it will take them directly to any video you link to on your IGTV channel. So Why Should You Consider Using it for your business or brand? For starters, remember the stat about Instagram & Facebook having 3 Billion users, well that is one important reason. Instagram is massively popular and IGTV could be a really big deal for creators and brands to get exposure and market your business. IGTV is the first of its kind to focus on video made for phones (vertical) and mobile devices is how people are currently consuming the most content today, so the bottom line is IGTV is relevant and is adapting to the technology and the end user. You need to be where the eyeballs are, plain and simple and there is a lot of eyeballs on Instagram & Facebook. You cannot win if you do not play. You should consider using IGTV for your business and brand for many reasons, but here are a few: You can tell the story of your brand in long-form videos. You can market and advertise products and services. You can entertain or educate your followers and clients. You can network and collaborate with other brands and businesses. You can paint the picture of who you are and what you are trying to accomplish in your own creative way. Aside: Creating content is hard. Keeping up with the popular social media channel or buzz of the day is exhausting. One week you need to be doing Facebook Live and the next week it’s Instagram Live or Instagram Stories and now it’s IGTV. You can’t do everything and be everywhere at once, but you do need to be smart and be where people are and currently Instagram is wildly popular and influential, so you should not sleep on it. But here’s the secret, you need to get good at making content (writing, making videos, recording podcasts) because those are the core skills required to be relevant online today. Stop worrying about it and just figure out a method that you can get content out to the world that represents you and your business or brand. It does not have to be fancy or high-production, it just has to be uploaded so people can see it. Do not go on IGTV because everyone is doing it or it’s the latest thing. Go on IGTV because it is an opportunity to reach more people and showcase your skills or talents or products and services or whatever you are trying to achieve with your online presence. Maybe you want to grow your podcast audience. Maybe you want to send people to your YouTube channel. It doesn’t matter. It’s a a free and open stage for you to do anything. You just have to be innovative and put in the work. How Do I Plan on Using IGTV: I’m not overthinking and I am putting up content, but I see an open canvas and a real opportunity to showcase everything I am building in my own unique voice and style and to sharpen my skills and talents. I am looking at IGTV like a YouTube channel but with more opportunity to be creative and mix up the content. I plan on posting tutorials and quick tips made for vertical viewing. I plan on creating entertaining and fun animation style videos that range from promoting this podcast to promoting Murphy Concierge that may be marketing my business but also showing my skills as a creative and video creator. I also plan on doing behind the scenes and vlog style videos that are a little more cinematic and interesting. Not overly polished or dramatic, but visually interesting and storytelling in nature with voiceover narratives or music driving the video. I see IGTV as the almost perfect platform for creatives to let their freak flag fly and be unique by doing something nobody else has done before. IGTV is going to be my reality show for Mike Murphy Co and I can tell the story however I want and people will watch if it is entertaining, inspiring or they can make a connection with me. That will take trying new things and experimenting. I’m good with that and you should be too. In short for me, IGTV I am looking at as a story-telling platform for me and my brand. I plan to share who I am am what I am doing in my own version of a vlog. A creative infomercial And to be clear, the content I create may be promoting me or showcasing my skills, but everything I make is with the end user in mind. Will this piece of content teach something or be entertaining or will it inspire people to go create something for themselves. In conclusion: IGTV is a standalone app on iOS & Android Phones that plays vertical videos 24/7 and it and the channels on this TV are individual creators. Everyone is welcome to create content on IGTV. You cannot shoot live videos on Instagram TV. Videos can be uploaded from your Camera Roll on your phone or you can use a web browser on your computer, which is a nice feature. Videos must be at least 15 seconds long and up to 10 minutes maximum. If you have over 10,000 followers or are a verified account you can upload videos up to 1 hour long, but you must use a browser to upload the longer videos. The aspect ratio for IGTV videos is 9:16. The opposite of wide/horizontal videos you watch on YouTube. The size you will most like make for videos is 1080px wide by 1920 px high. Why you should consider using IGTV to promote your business and brand: Because Instagram & Facebook is big. There is a lot of positive momentum. There is endless opportunity for you whether it be to grow your podcast or sell your product or simply build a community. Do not feel compelled to create IGTV because you feel pressured. Do it because you understand that connecting with people and having your message and story be heard is the name of the game, and the easiest way to do so is to go where people are. IGTV may or may not be a big deal in a few months from now and it does not matter. What matters is the practice and exercise of telling your story and building relationships with people who want to be part of your journey. IGTV is giving you a really easy platform for you to do anything you want. You just have to do it. Me on IGTV? I will post tutorials, but I am also figuring out how to double down on sharing my story of building an online business around teaching people how to create content and inspiring people to create the life they want, by demonstrating how I am doing it. I make no bones about it that it is hard and can be frustrating at times and there is tons of self-doubt and uncertainty involved, but I know it will be worth it and I want to take others along the ride for fuel to keep creating and to make an impact. If you have questions about IGTV or anything, you can reach me anytime at mike@mikemurphy.co.

Ep147: The Be Good Show Life Lessons for Content Creators Episode Summary: Today’s episode 147 is about understanding what matters in life and how to build a brand and create content that makes a positive impact on others. Today is about priorities and urgency. You have one chance at this game of life and Questions, Comments, Feedback? mike@mikemurphy.co Complete Show Notes: https://mikemurphy.co/ep147 Buy My New eBook: How To Podcast on Wordpress com: The Step-By-Step Guide https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D6DSVVM

Ep146: The Writing A Book Show Behind The Scenes of Writing & Self-Publishing a Book/p> Episode Summary: How did I write my new eBook: How To Podcast on Wordrpess.com? What tools and resources did I use? What was my process and workflow and my overall experience? Questions, Comments, Feedback? mike@mikemurphy.co Complete Show Notes: https://mikemurphy.co/ep146 Buy My New eBook: How To Podcast on Wordpress com: The Step-By-Step Guide https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D6DSVVM

Ep145: The Creator Show What does it really take to create online content and to create the life you want?/p> Episode Summary: What does it take to make it as a content creator? What does it take to succeed in business? What does it take to create the life you want? Questions, Comments, Feedback? mike@mikemurphy.co Complete Show Notes: https://mikemurphy.co/ep144 Buy My New eBook: How To Podcast on Wordpress com: The Step-By-Step Guide https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D6DSVVM

Ep144: The Wordpress.com Show In today’s episode, I share a chapter from my new eBook How To Podcast on Wordpress.com and share 14 reasons to consider using Wordpress.com to launch your podcast and website. Chapter 1 of my new eBook: Why Use Wordpress.com as a Podcast Media Host? Why should you consider using Wordpress.com if you are launching a new podcast and website? What are 14 benefits Wordpress.com brings to the table? Free PDF: https://howtopodcaston.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/why-wordpress-com-1.pdf Questions, Comments, Feedback? mike@mikemurphy.co Complete Show Notes: https://mikemurphy.co/ep144 Buy The eBook: How To Podcast on Wordpress com: The Step-By-Step Guide https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D6DSVVM

Ep143: The Podcast Hosting Show In today’s episode, you will learn what a podcast media host is, what to look for when choosing one and how much do they cost Episode Summary: What is a podcast media host? How Does Podcast Media Hosting Work? What should you look for when choosing a media host? What podcast hosts do I use? How much does podcast hosting cost? Questions, Comments, Feedback? mike@mikemurphy.co Complete Show Notes: https://mikemurphy.co/ep143 Buy The eBook: How To Podcast on Wordpress com https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D6DSVVM

Episode Summary: The story of Why I Wrote The How To Podcast on Wordpress.com:The Step by Step Guide. The Anatomy of a Good Email Is Wordpress.com a legitimate podcast host? What makes Wordpress.com a good option for some podcasters? What ultimately made me decide to write my first ebook on Podcasting on Wordpress.com? Comments, Questions & Feedback: mike@mikemurphy.co

Episode Summary: Today is all about The Amazon Associates Affiliate Program. What is the Amazon Associates program? How do you join the program? What are the pros and cons of the program? How much does Amazon pay in commissions? How do I use Amazon Associates? Comments, Questions & Feedback: mike@mikemurphy.co

Ep140: The Podcast Roadmap Show Episode Summary: Today I simplify the start to finish process for starting a podcast. This is the cheat sheet I wish I had when I started. In today’s show: What is The Podcast Roadmap? Who is it For? What are the main steps in the Roadmap for launching a podcast from start to finish? Comments, Questions & Feedback: mike@mikemurphy.co

Episode Summary: Episode 139 The One Life Show tells is life lessons and moving forward This story is to remind you that you have one life and there is no better time than now to create the life you want. Create the life you want Overcoming self-doubt and fear of trying One at bat Comments, Questions & Feedback: mike@mikemurphy.co

Episode Summary: Episode 138 The Teacher Show about my journey to become an online educator So the key points I will discuss today: What does a perfect world look like for Mike Murphy LLC? What and who do I want to teach? What steps am I taking to position myself as an online educator? Comments, Questions & Feedback: mike@mikemurphy.co

Episode Summary: Episode 137 is a look at my freelance client workflow for Murphy Concierge What is Murphy Concierge? Who are my clients and target demographic? How do I keep track of client information? How do I schedule and manage the calendar? How do I organize projects and jobs? How do I invoice and collect payment? Comments, Questions & Feedback: mike@mikemurphy.co

Episode Summary: Episode 136 is a behind the scenes of Ask Mike Murphy Live What is Ask Mike Murphy Live? What are my objectives for starting a live Q&A show? What steps did I take to create the live-stream show? What tools do I use to go live? Comments, Questions & Feedback: mike@mikemurphy.co

Episode Summary: Episosde 135 is all about Amazon Alexa What is Amazon Alexa and how does it work? What can Alexa do? What are Amazon Skills & Flash Briefings? How do you get your podcast on Alexa devices Comments, Questions & Feedback: mike@mikemurphy.co

Episode Summary: What is Instagram for Business, what are the benefits of having a business profile and how do you get started? What are the requirements to create a business profile on Instagram and how do you get started? What are the differences between a personal profile and business profile on Instagram? What are the advantages and tools are available for business accounts? What advertising and monetization tools are available to business accounts? Comments, Questions & Feedback: mike@mikemurphy.co

Episode Summary: Today in Episode 133 I am going to take you behind the scenes and share my current 2018 backup strategy and system for archiving my digital data to protect me against any digital emergencies such as a hard drive failing or maybe a lost or stolen computer while on the road. Today will start off with: Practical tips for you to get started take control of your digital data and develop a rock-solid backup plan. The tools I use for backup and organization. My current backup system and workflow for all of my devices. Comments, Questions & Feedback: mike@mikemurphy.co

Episode Summary: Today will start off with: An overview of what Apple iCloud is What is backed up and where is it stored? How does iCloud Photos really work? What is iCloud Drive and how can it help you in your overall backup strategy? Comments, Questions & Feedback: mike@mikemurphy.co

Episode 131 starts with a brief overview of ebooks and then jump right into my eBook challenge which you can find in its early stages at WritetheLife.com. Episode Summary: What is the Write The Life eBook Project? Why did I start the project? What is my vision and long-term goals for me and others like you? Comments, Questions & Feedback: mike@mikemurphy.co

Episode 130 is all about the very popular note-taking app, Evernote. Episode Summary: What is Evernote? How does it work and what can it do? Why has it taken me 10 years to finally start using it consistently? How do I use it? Comments, Questions & Feedback: mike@mikemurphy.co

Ep129 is about how to value your time and knowledge and create valuable content. Episode Summary: What is the definition of value? What is value based or perceived value? How do you figure out how much your time is worth? How do you make a good living creating impactful and valuable content and have raging fans and/or happy clients? Comments, Questions & Feedback: mike@mikemurphy.co

Today’s episode is the overview and breakdown Podfest Multimedia Expo 2018 held at the Wyndham Resort in Orlando, Florida from Feb 8–10, 2018 Episode Includes: What is Podfest Multimedia Expo? Why did I attend for the third year in a row? What were my goals and expectations for attending Podfest 2018? What did I learn or takeaway from the event that I can apply to my podcast or business? What is Podfest MultiMedia Expo: Podfest an educational and training conference for independent podcasters created by Chris & Katie Krimitsos that originated in Tampa, but moved to Orlando to attract a more international audience. The Event: Podfest Multimedia Expo 2018 was February 8–10th, 2018 Early bird pricing was $249 Hotel Rates at Wyndham Resort in Orlando: $139/night The Schedule: The Podfest Schedule is jam-packed and tight, but everything starts and ends on time. There are sessions where everyone attends and then breakout sessions where you have options. 2018 introduced a YouTube track for video creators. Why Did I Go? 2018 was my 3rd year attending Podfest. Year 1: 2016 I went as a new podcaster looking for advice and ideas about podcasting in general and to get my name in front of a community of podcasters. Year 2: 2017 I went with more focus on Mike Murphy LLC and less to learn about podcasting. I wanted to be around people who were having success with their podcast and/or business and absorb and learn as much as I could and if I was in a position to help someone, then maybe I would generate new business opportunities. Year 3: 2018 It was all about the networking for me. I know the direction I want to take Mike Murphy LLC and I’ve been on the scene now for a few years creating consistent content, and my main goal for Podfest 2018 was to build new and stronger relationships in the content creation space that I know I’ll be in for a long time. Why I’ll go every year: Podfest attracts a really kind and friendly community of podcasters and creators and entrepreneurs that genuinely want to help each other out. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced at a conference and I know it has a lot to do with the organizer and a big reason why Podfest will be on my calendar year after year. Why You Should Go: I said this in last year’s recap of Podfest, but if you are on a similar journey as me trying to create the life you want, you can not do it all on your own and the secret to everything in life involves people connecting with people and making things happen. Introvert? Me, too. I struggle at conferences and events because it is difficult for me to go from conversation to conversation and I get tired of talking and being social. I love people but… Why do you think I resonate with the term One Man Band? I’d much rather sit in the back of the room and people watch and observe and learn as much as possible. But, suck it up and give it your all. No excuses. Go to industry events when you have the chance. I went to Podfest 2018 to be around podcasters, creators, creatives, personal brands and people who share similar interests and goals as me. Creative entrepreneurs who are working hard and learning from each other and trying to make a dent in the universe someway or somehow. There is power in numbers and when the numbers are filled with like-minded creators on a similar journey, well it is impossible not to learn and be inspired attending an event such as Podfest. My Takeaways: Besides a doozy of a cold, What did I learn or takeaway from Podfest 2018? There were tons of things but here are 4 that really stood out to me: Collaboration is key for my success Honest feedback needs to be a priority Being authentic is powerful Undervaluing my skills and talents is not an option Collaboration: Research and reach out to people and offer ways that I think I can help them to develop a working relationship and get attention to my content. This can be done simply by leaving helpful comments and Direct Messages in Instagram. Feedback: Feedback from your audience and from the right people are critical for your podcast and business. My takeaway from Podfest was to make it easier for people to leave me feedback in the show notes that show up in mobile devices. Also, my plan is to create more calls to action in my podcast and videos to get conversation started. Book Mentioned: Principles by Ray Dalio The author credits honest feedback as one of the main reasons he and his $150 billion company is successful. Being Authentic is Real: This is not a new concept and something I believe in wholeheartedly. A presenter was fumbling with their PowerPoint and threw his notes in the air and said I can’t teach this way, do you mind if I get rid of the slides and just be me? The whole room breathed a sigh of relief and we all realized how cool of a moment that was. He just wanted to be real and meant it. That’s all anybody wants of you. It was amazing and it was such a powerful moment in the conference for me because I realized that All people want is you and not all the packaging and fancy stuff we think is so important. You really do not much to make great podcasts, videos or write books and articles and make great products. Because the only thing people are buying into is you. Undervaluing: Are you charging what you are worth? Do you know how valuable your skills and talents are to others? Do you believe you are a premium service? This is my achilles heel and I struggle with this as do many of you. I have confidence in everything I do for people, yet I do not like charging people and I usually do way more than they paid for. This is how businesses fail and I know this but I am also honest in that I have this problem and I am working to overcome it. Well Podfest 2018 smacked me in the face in a good way thanks to a few people looking out for me and while it was again not anything new or surprising, I left with a whole new perspective and confidence in myself and an understanding that what I do is obvious to me, but it is not only amazing, but it is valuable to others. Lessons like these can be learned in books or on YouTube, but the power of a conference with real people all helping each other out is on a whole other level. Conclusion: Podfest is an annual event currently being held in sunny Orlando, Florida and one that I highly recommend for new and experienced podcasters and those of you creating an online business producing new media including YouTube videos. The event is getting bigger each year, but there is an intimate sense of community and people helping one another and that is a really big deal. Podfest and conferences in general can help you solve technical or business problems but can also create friendships and clients and business opportunities that you just cannot do on social media. I went to Podfest 2018 just excited to be around like-minded creative people and maybe learn a few new tricks, play with some new microphones or be inspired by some great people. I was not disappointed and I made some great new friends and connections. See you at Podfest 2019.

Today is Part 3 of 3 Social Media Mini-Series Special Guest: Ross Brand from LivestreamUniverse.com Episode Summary: What is Facebook Live? How do you use it? What type of Facebook Lives can you create if you are a personal brand, content creator or small business?

Today is Part 2 of 3 Social Media Mini-Series Special Guest: Ross Brand from LivestreamUniverse.com Episode Summary: Is Twitter still relevant for content creators and personal brands in 2018 and if so, why? Do you recommend sharing content from all other social media channels and is there any best practices to follow? Can you explain the etiquette of liking posts, retweeting and sharing tweets?

Today is Part 1 of 3 Social Media Mini-Series Special Guest: Ross Brand from LivestreamUniverse.com Episode Summary: What is LinkedIn? Why should content creators be on LinkedIn in 2018? Where do you start? What is most important? What type of content should you create? How often should you post on LinkedIn?

Today's episode is all about my 2018 Health & Wellness Project Episode Summary: What is the project? My personal goals at the start of the project My business goals for my client My content strategy and approach The tools and resources used to document the project

Today is all about me, Mike Murphy, The One Man Band. Episode Summary: Who I am and the paths I took to get here. The facts and the highlight reel. My history, profile and resume all rolled into one. Questions, Comments or Feedback?: mike@mikemurphy.co

In Episode 122, I share my 2018 Roadmap to keep me on track this year. Episode Summary: What is my mantra or theme for 2018? What are my priorities for Mike Murphy LLC in 2018? What type of content will l be creating and how often?

Happy New Years to all! Today is a reflection show as I look back at 2017. Episode Summary: My 5 Favorite episodes from 2017 and why. Overview and Goals of the 2017 Roadmap The results or report card for Mike Murphy LLC.

Ep120 is about the new Apple Podcasts Connect for podcasters to manage past and present shows Episode Summary: What is Podcasts Connect by Apple? What are Podcast Analytics all about? Podcast Resources & Educational Material

5 ways reasons why your business should consider launching a podcast in 2018. This episode is especially helpful for local and traditional brick and mortar small businesses that want to elevate their online presence and cater to a local client bases. Episode Summary: Advertising & Sales Authority Building Client Relations & Community Building Content Marketing Revenue Stream

Ep118: The Instagram Story Show How I use Instagram stories one year after it's launch in August 2016 and my process for creating daily stories. Refresher course on Instagram Stories Why do I use Instagram Stories? How do I come up with topics, what makes a good story? What tools or apps do I use to help me tell a more interesting story?

Ep.117: The Concierge Show What is Murphy Concierge? Why did I start it? What steps did I take to get started? What tools and resources did I use? What are my goals for Murphy Concierge?

Episode 116: The Franklin Show Today is a mobile podcast episode as I record this from a backseat of a Buick SUV. In this episode: Black Friday Deals Update History Lesson of Franklin, TN Behind the Scenes of Mobile Podcast Kit

Ep115: The Open Mike Show What has led me to want to teach people online? What the heck am I doing making daily content and tutorials and what is my game-plan? What does success look like for Mike Murphy LLC?

Ep114: The Holiday Gift & Gear Show What is the Mike Murphy Holiday Gift & Gear Guide for Content Creators? Why did I create the Holiday Guide? What are my goals? How do I make the content? Where do I distribute the content?

EP113: The Adobe CC 2018 Show Today's episode is a rundown of Adobe Creative Cloud 2018 and all of the new updates and applications that will benefit you as a content creator.