Episode 867 - Don't Just Listen to The How To Podcast Series, Participate! Help Shape This Podcast

Your Feedback Shapes The How To Podcast Series

Dave invites listeners of The How To Podcast Series to complete the show survey and help guide the podcast into 2027. He explains that listener feedback gives the show direction, reveals gaps in coverage, and turns anonymous download numbers into real people with real podcasting challenges. The survey link appears in the show notes and on howtopodcast.ca.

Why Dave Wants Your Input

Dave produces daily episodes across three podcasts during National Podcast Post Month, alongside his full-time work, home renovations, studio rebuild, and time with his grandchildren. He keeps creating because he wants to help as many current and future podcasters as possible. Still, he cannot know what listeners need unless they tell him.

The survey asks what topics listeners want covered, what podcasting problems they face, and what would make the show more useful. Dave wants to know whether listeners are new to podcasting or experienced creators, whether they record audio or video, and what goals they hope to achieve with their shows.

What Podcast Stats Miss

Download numbers show that someone pressed play. They do not reveal a listener’s experience level, biggest frustrations, preferred topics, or hopes for their podcast. Dave sees survey responses as a way to put real people behind the numbers and create episodes with a clearer purpose.

He also wants feedback that challenges his assumptions. A suggestion may become an upcoming episode topic, introduce a subject he had never considered, or help another podcaster facing the same obstacle. Listeners do not need to appear on the show to influence it. Their questions, experiences, and constructive criticism can shape the conversation.

Building the Show Together

Dave frames podcasting as a shared project. He creates the episodes, while listeners bring perspectives, questions, and ideas that make the show stronger. He welcomes disagreement and different viewpoints because they lead to better conversations and better content.

He acknowledges that he cannot act on every request, but every response helps him decide where to focus his creative energy. He specifically wants honest answers, including criticism of the survey itself, episode length, topics, and anything that is not working.

How to Participate

Visit howtopodcast.ca and select the survey link, or use the link in the show notes. The survey takes only a few minutes, costs nothing, and sends responses directly into a Google Sheet where Dave can review and organize them.

Listeners can also connect through SpeakPipe, Buy Me a Coffee, calendar bookings, comments, and messages. Dave encourages specific, honest feedback rather than general praise. He wants to know what resonates, what frustrates listeners, and what would make The How To Podcast Series more valuable.

Your feedback gives a podcast direction. Take a few minutes to complete the survey, share what you need, and help shape episodes that serve real podcasters rather than assumptions.

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Helping Podcasters Everyday!

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We would love to hear from you - here is our listener survey!

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Episode 866 - Feed Drop - Outrage Science Bites with David Beckemeyer #NaPodPoMo

Outrage Science Bites Explores Election Reform

Dave shares a feed drop from Outrage Science Bites, a podcast hosted by David Beckemeyer and his wife as part of National Podcast Post Month. Their series examines American election reform through short, conversational episodes. This installment continues a four-part discussion about the Electoral College, the national popular vote, swing states, and public opinion.

The Case for a Popular Vote

David and his wife explain that public support for choosing the president by national popular vote has remained strong for decades. Gallup polling cited in the episode shows 63 percent support for a popular vote, compared with 35 percent opposition. Support differs by party, with 80 percent of Democrats and 42 percent of Republicans favouring the change, a pattern shaped partly by reactions to recent election results.

They argue that neither party holds a permanent advantage under a popular vote system. Instead, short-term political outcomes can shape how people view the rules. The conversation also highlights how swing states currently receive outsized attention, while voters in heavily partisan states can feel politically powerless.

How the Electoral College Works

The hosts unpack the role of electors and state laws in presidential elections. In most states, electors follow the statewide popular vote result, although the rules can vary. David explains that states hold significant authority over how they allocate electoral votes, which creates room for different approaches across the country.

The discussion challenges the idea that the Electoral College gives every state an equal voice. It was designed partly to prevent large states from dominating smaller ones, yet David argues that the balance has shifted. Today, a small number of competitive states can determine the outcome, while millions of voters in reliably partisan states may feel ignored.

Changing the System

Changing the Electoral College through a constitutional amendment remains difficult because the system is embedded in the Constitution. The episode notes that proposals to reform or eliminate it have appeared throughout American history, though none has produced the required constitutional amendment.

The hosts then introduce an alternative path: the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. They tease that approach as the focus of the next episode, setting up a discussion about whether states can change the practical impact of presidential elections without amending the Constitution.

Why This Feed Drop Matters

Dave frames the episode as an example of thoughtful political conversation. Rather than simply arguing, David and his wife explain complex ideas, question assumptions, and invite listeners to understand the system more clearly. Dave also encourages podcasters to join National Podcast Post Month, pointing to the challenge of publishing 31 episodes in 30 days and the value of building a consistent publishing habit.

The Electoral College shapes which voters receive attention during presidential elections. Understanding its history, public support for reform, and possible alternatives helps listeners engage with election debates more clearly.Outrage Science BitesI’m publishing one podcast episode per day again in the month of November 2026 as part of a challenge called NaPodPoMo. It stands for National Podcast Post Month. November is National Podcast Post Month, and the goal of the challenge is 30 podcast episodes in 30 days.

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Helping Podcasters Everyday!

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We would love to hear from you - here is our listener survey!

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Episode 865 - Tell Your Face!! Why Your Facial Expressions Matter When Podcasting

Tell Your Face: Bring Energy to Your Podcast Delivery

Dave explains why facial expressions matter when podcasting, even for an audio-only show. A listener cannot see your face, yet they can hear the difference between a flat, scripted read and a host who genuinely feels the words. When your face goes blank, your voice often follows. When you smile, raise your eyebrows, or react naturally, your delivery becomes warmer, clearer, and more engaging.

Script Reading Kills Connection

Dave responds to a podcaster who feels lifeless while reading from a script. He encourages them to stop treating the microphone like a task and start treating the episode as a conversation. Podcasters are companions in a listener’s day, so the goal is communication, not word-perfect recitation.

Reading a script without emotion can make even useful content sound monotonous. Dave urges hosts to deliver the words. Be curious when asking a question. Let excitement rise during an announcement. Slow down and soften your voice for a meaningful story. Reconnect with the feeling behind the story rather than simply reciting it.

Try the Expression Test

Record the same sentence three times: once with a smile, once with a frown, and once with a neutral expression. Listen back. The words stay the same, but the tone changes dramatically.

A smile can make your voice sound brighter and more inviting. A frown can make it heavier and more serious. Raised eyebrows can add curiosity. Relaxed, expressionless features can flatten your delivery and leave the listener with nothing to hold onto.

Use Your Body on Audio

Audio podcasting does not mean emotion-free podcasting. Dave records while sitting upright, moving his hands, projecting his voice, and playing with tone. Those physical choices shape the sound the microphone captures.

He compares this to a voice actor recording an animated character. The actor may move, gesture, and become physically animated even though the audience will only see a cartoon. Podcasters can borrow that energy. You do not need to perform or become someone else. You simply need to bring a little more of yourself into the recording.

Make Video Work for You

For video podcasters, facial expression becomes part of the content itself. Look into the camera with confidence. React when a guest shares something serious, surprising, or funny. Use your eyebrows, smile when appropriate, and let your face show that you are listening.

Dave suggests imagining one person sitting across from you at a coffee shop rather than broadcasting to a crowd. That mindset helps you stay present, make eye contact, and respond like a real person rather than a cardboard cutout.

Let Stories Breathe

Good storytelling needs variation. Show surprise when something unexpected happens. Pause after a funny moment so listeners have room to react. Use silence, inflection, and changing facial expressions to help the audience experience the story instead of merely hearing a summary of it.

Dave reminds podcasters that personality adds value. Professional does not have to mean expressionless. If your show feels robotic, summarize the script instead of reading it word for word. Give yourself permission to be a little more animated, imperfect, and real.

Tell your face. Your expressions shape your voice, and your voice shapes how connected listeners feel. Bring energy, emotion, and presence to every episode, whether they can see you or only hear you.

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Helping Podcasters Everyday!

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We would love to hear from you - here is our listener survey!

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