Imma gonna kick you out of that nest

A recent conversation with a new podcast production client led me to this video showing a mother and father eagle teaching its baby how to fly.

I had always heard about how eagles will push their babies out of the nest so they’re forced to teach themselves how to fly. What I didn’t understand until I saw this video is how Momma eagle is so involved during that first flying lesson.

If you watch the video (the baby eagle appears at the 00:18 mark) you see the baby flapping furiously, scared out of its mind. But there’s mom, right there alongside it, just gracefully coasting along. It’s as though she’s teaching by example how to do it, to just trust the equipment (wings and feathers) to do its job. If you watch closely, there’s even a spot where it looks like the baby tries to land on the mom in mid-flight, but mom won’t allow it. It’s as though the momma eagle instinctively knows that if that baby doesn’t learn to fly in this moment, they’ll never do it. They’ll get the jitters and will never want to fly again. So the momma not allowing the baby any slack – but right there to give that security – is actually saving her baby’s life. Teaching it to fend for itself in the rather cruel world of nature.

There are all kinds of lessons to glean from this, but in the context of my conversation this past weekend, my friend and new client was having some jitters after making the commitment to get a new podcast off the ground. I essentially kicked her out of her comfort nest and said words to the effect of, “If you don’t do this now, you’ll forever procrastinate and will never get this thing going.” And guess what? She’s going to get going 😉

I’ve had more people tell me they are “100% in!” on launching a podcast, only to fizzle out as fast as they say it. It’s forced me to become like that momma eagle when folks hesitate. I don’t allow prospects to “take a couple of weeks to think it over.” I’ve done that, and to no one’s surprise they either never call back or are evasive when I try to follow up. If someone is calling me wanting to launch a podcast, they’re either in or out. I just don’t have time for people who aren’t “in” so I more or less “squeeze” them to commit on the spot. Commit to doing it, or commit to not doing it. And if you choose the latter, either call me when you’re ready to commit, or don’t call at all.

This isn’t kosher with the modern push to coddle and validate everyone’s feelings, but hard experience teaches this method is in everyone’s best interest to do it this way.

So I do push those baby podcasters out of their nest, but I’m right there with the steady hand and calm demeanor, showing them how to do it by example, assuring them everything is going to be okay. Soon enough, those folks are coasting on their own strength and confidence, even showing me how to do certain things with the craft.

Funny how things just work out that way.

If you’d like to learn more about our podcast production services, here’s the link to do so: podcastartistry.com.