I recently had a chat with Martine Ellis from (martineellis.com) about how she puts WorkFlowy to work behind the scenes with her podcasting. To follow, there’s also a link to a podcast interview she did with me a couple of days ago.
A few things I’ve gleaned about Martine:
- Martine is from Guernsey, an island in the English Channel.
- She works part-time in further education, supporting teachers using technology for learning… The rest of the week she spends writing, podcasting and working with clients (freelance writing, editorial support and creative services).
- Martine started podcasting in 2010 with a creative lifestyle podcast called iMake. She now produces and hosts the Creative Me podcast. It’s a short-format weekly show about creativity, business and technology.
- She has a Cavachon (King Charles Cavalier and Bichon Frise cross) called Penny who has her own Instagram feed.
A quick Q&A
FRANK: Martine, wasn’t it scary to launch out into podcasting? How did you get comfortable with sharing your voice with the world?
MARTINE: When I started podcasting in 2010 (the iMake podcast), the whole process was completely new to me. I had plenty of public speaking experience and, as a teacher, was used to explaining things clearly. But there is something terrifying about talking to a microphone, on your own, and then sharing the results with the world (ahem… well, probably more like three people for my first ever episode).
To accommodate my nerves, I scripted entire episodes, word-for-word. If I listen back to those early shows, it’s pretty obvious. They sound dull and quite unnatural. As my confidence grew and as I started getting to know other podcasters and their processes, I scripted less and episodes improved.
FRANK: Any words of wisdom for those just getting started with podcasting and want everything to sound polished?
MARTINE: Podcasts are typically produced and hosted by enthusiastic amateurs – the odd “umm” or “err” is not a problem. Something relatively unscripted sounds for more human and is much more engaging than someone reading words from a page.
A bit of “polish” is important, though. My number one top tip for new podcasters is to have a large glass of water before recording. Nerves can cause a dry mouth and that’s pretty gross to listen to.
FRANK: How has your approach changed over the years? What tools do you use behind the scenes to pull everything together?
MARTINE: As well as sounding more natural on the microphone, my approach to planning episodes has definitely improved over the years. These days I use Workflowy for outlining, and I keep it simple. When I record, I have the Workflowy app open on my iPad and Garageband running on my Mac to record and edit the audio.
Here are some examples of podcast outlines from this year. I kept my first episode of Creative Me really simple (When I started podcasting back in 2010 there is no way I’d have been able to record an episode from so few notes):
Here’s what the 4th episode outline looked like:
FRANK: And when it’s not showtime, how else does WorkFlowy come in handy?
MARTINE: Using Workflowy for podcast outlining is not only great for the show I’m working on at the time, but it is also really handy to be able to look back at previous episodes to ensure I don’t repeat content too much. Also, if I have ideas for future shows, I just add them to Workflowy. My Workflowy podcast episode outline forms the basis of the episode’s show notes too.
Martine’s interview with me
A couple of days back, Martine invited me to do my first ever (podcast) interview. About WorkFlowy and my WorkFlowy book. She turned it into a very non-traumatic event. Martine’s top Frank quote: “I live for italic!”
Martine’s free ebook
Martine’s a productivity geek through and through. And also, she’s a geek geek. You’ll love her writing style (and content) in this free PDF download of her book, “The Quick and Dirty Guide to Getting Stuff Done.” You’ll love her cheeky sense of humor (British word) … and the fact that she throws WorkFlowy right there into the thick of her productivity toolbox.
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Frank, you weren’t long winded like you warned me. There was some great background information given that gives me an even greater appreciation for your eBook and WorkFlowy. I look forward to the 2nd edition. I googled the channel islands and Guernsey. Made me think of the British TV series Foyles War that ran on PBS in US.
Yep… we spoke about copyright stuff, The Noun Project icons, using the Montserrat font family as a “fake” Gotham, Markdown, Italic…. and WorkFlowy 🙂
I feel like I have made it as a productivity geek now! I’m on the Workflowy blog! Best. Day. Ever. Thank you Frank 🙂
Well, you clearly know your stuff… and doing a podcast with a pro made me not dread the prospect of it forever. Interestingly, the podcast interview with you gave my confidence a little boost – and so neither am I dreading the upcoming WorkFlowy video tutorials I’m about to start creating.