506 - The Feedback That Could Keep a Creator Going for Six Months

There may be a podcast you’ve listened to for years—someone who has taught you, encouraged you, entertained you, or helped you make decisions that changed your life.

But have you ever actually told them?

I’ve been listening to podcasts since the summer of 2005. Over those twenty years, I’ve listened to thousands of episodes from countless creators. Yet when I honestly thought about how often I’ve personally reached out to tell one of those creators about the impact they’ve had on my life, the number was surprisingly small.

This episode was inspired by something I heard while listening to Matthew McLean interview Sarah Golding on his Audio Indies podcast.

Sarah talked about how little direct feedback creators sometimes receive—even when the download numbers tell them that hundreds or thousands of people are listening. She shared that one meaningful piece of feedback can sometimes provide enough encouragement to fuel a creator for another six months.

That really stayed with me.

As listeners, we often assume established creators hear appreciation all the time.

The reality is that they often don’t.

People listen silently.

They learn silently.

They appreciate silently.

Sometimes they even make significant changes in their lives because of something they heard—and the person behind the microphone never knows.