Let’s go back….way back to March or early April 2020. Yeah, that’s a time that most of us don’t want to remember. However, there are some good things that have come out of that time and those good things are still being realized today.
Setting the Stage…
In February of 2020, I attended SYNC. It’s a photography conference that is held in Destin, Florida each year. That particular year, the keynote speaker was Jeff Henderson. Jeff is also the author of “Know What You Are For”. I purchased the book ahead of time so that I could read it and feel more connected to the content that Jeff would deliver in his keynote speech. I even tested out some of his techniques on him (HA!) via social media on my way to SYNC. I really wanted to see if he walked his talk. Whether it was him or not, I don’t know, but someone on his team did. For all I know it was really Jeff that interacted with me on Instagram. It showed me that what he was talking about in his book really could work! Jeff’s keynote was amazing! It was heartfelt and impactful. He was very gracious to hang around in the tradeshow to sign books and have pictures taken with him. I left SYNC that year knowing that I was FOR my small business friends and community that I was creating and growing. Little did we all know what was in store for us in just a few weeks.
Feelings of uncertainty….
Leading up to that time in 2020, I had been doing a lot and I mean a lot of networking. I was probably attending 1 or 2 networking events each week. It’s not who you know, it’s who knows you. So, to stay relevant in people’s minds, I was networking like it was my job. Through these activities, I was creating friendships with people. When the lockdown in Pennsylvania happened on March 13th, 2020, I recall very vividly standing in our living room and explaining to my husband why I was so upset and crying. A 2-week shutdown. That’s all it was supposed to be, but somehow I knew it was going to be longer. A few weeks prior, I had just signed a lease on my very first studio space. Even though I was sharing the space with another business, I still had a monthly financial obligation. It was a scary time. It was a time of much uncertainty. Thank goodness we had personal savings, because that is how I was able to pay my rent for the following 5 months until I was able to work again, legally.
In the first few days of the lockdown, I can remember being physically upset about the situation, not only for myself but also for the people that had become my friends. I was worried about who would still be standing after the dust of this lockdown settled. At this time, I had no content for my own marketing purposes. I knew that I had to do something, but I didn’t want to create content just for the sake of creating something.
An Idea is Born….
During the lockdown, the TV tended to be on more as we were trying to keep updated on developments, etc. One evening, the TV was on, but no one was watching, it was just background noise. I got up from my desk to do something and took a moment to watch what was on TV. The show that was on the TV was an evening entertainment show and by this time, the lockdowns had also happened across the country in various cities and states. These shows and TV production had to pivot as well. The show that was on was a compilation of interviews from past episodes. I looked at the person doing the interview and thought to myself….” If this person can interview people, so can I.”. In that moment Ask The Expert was born. I don’t recall if I had the name for it at that time, but I do remember that I had an idea of how it would look.
Start Messy…
I knew that I just had to do it. What did I really have to lose? The idea was for me to interview…the Ask Part + my business friends….The Experts = Ask The Expert. While most of these people didn’t view themselves as true experts, I knew that they had more knowledge in their chosen field or profession that others. So why not elevate them to the expert level? I also knew this would be a way for me to have content on my page while giving the spotlight to others. I started messy! I asked myself what I needed to start this in a barebones kind of way. I needed people to interview, check, I needed a platform, which ended up being my business FB page, check, I needed a way to stream onto my FB page, I was able to get started by using the free version of a 3rd party streaming service, check. Let’s pick a date, get a first guest, and do this thing!
Evolution…
As the weeks passed by and the lockdown continued, I continued to grow Ask The Expert, which I then started referring to as a show on Facebook. My business mentors, Paul and Melissa, even used me as an example of a way to pivot and reboot a business during one of their challenges. I was really humbled when they used my idea as an example of something great to do. This gave me the confidence to keep going. Over time Ask the Expert has evolved. I created new workflows, my background became more professional, and I experimented with different mic options to help create a better sound.
Change is brewing…
Even though there were seasons and pauses of Ask The Expert, I didn’t give up. With each season I created a new level of experience for the expert. In 2023, I wanted to take Ask The Expert to the Podcasting world. I mean, I was already kind of doing that before it was cool right? Some of the best-laid plans don’t always work. Let’s say 2023 was a bit of a dumpster fire for me. I had to put podcasting on the back burner as I did not have the mental capacity for it. I was never so happy to see a year go by as I was 2023. With the start of a new year in 2024, there was a renewed sense of hope. I began to revisit ideas for Ask The Expert and knew that I wanted a different, a better platform. A new platform that had meaning, and community.
Go open those doors…
One of the key things that I have learned from being a business owner is that you have to go open the doors of opportunity. You can’t wait for them to be opened for you. As my business mentors, Paul and Melissa always say “Put yourself in the pond of people that you want to work with.” I did just that in February of 2024. My friends Kenny and Nell, Hosts of On The Road With Kenny and Nell on Sandcastle Radio were attending a radio festival in Pensacola, Radio Is not Dead (RIND). I have been listening to Kenny and Nell on their weekly radio show since the beginning, of Thanksgiving Day 2022. It became part of my week. Why? Kenny and Nell are small business owners and I love what they do. As a fellow small business owner and because of the impact that Jeff Henderson and his book and keynote made on me, they were a business that I was For. Plus they are also really nice people and I want to see them succeed. I also started listening to other shows on Sandcaste, started participating in the community chats. I felt like I was part of a community, yet I only knew 2 of these people in person. As the weeks went by and I would hear Kenny and Nell talk about going to Pensacola for the RIND festival, I felt this nudge, a nudge to go as well. I decided to act on this nudge and take action. I rearranged some already planned flights home from a photography conference and rerouted to Pensacola!
Starting Messy…Again….
Saying yes to a radio show meant starting messy again and I was ready for it! I was ready for this new season of Ask The Expert. I was ready to meet new people and give them the opportunity to share the value they bring to the world. I am having so much fun doing this. It really is a thrill to have a radio show and I am so grateful to have been given this chance by Debz and Pete.
What I have learned…
In the past few months, I have learned that there are no coincidences in life. I fully believe that there is a bigger power than we can realize that has a hand in each of our journeys. Being part of a community of creatives is amazing! Starting messy is the best way to begin something new. Last but not least…are you even living if you don’t experience a hot mic at least once in your life!?!?
Interested in being a guest on Ask The Expert…. Ask The Expert with Kelly Johnson
0 Comments