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Written by JJ Barnes
I interviewed podcaster Eric Chow about what inspired him to start his podcast, what he talks about, and the process that goes into making it.
Tell me a bit about who you are.
Absolutely! First of all JJ, thank you for this opportunity!
Everybody, my name is Eric Chow. I’m born and raised in Silicon Valley in California, which is where I continue to reside. I come from a middle class family, with two wonderful parents and a younger sister. Academically, I am continuing to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration MIS. I’m fortunate to be working as the Chief Consultant of the public relations firm Mashman Ventures, specializing in building an unrivaled personal brand for our clients and our team. Of course, I’m also hosting my podcast, The Eric Chow Empowers Podcast.
How and why did you start podcasting?
I started podcasting a little more than two years ago. I’ve been actively in the world of personal development for seven years, and at the time, I was looking for a space where I could share my stories, experiences, and lessons I was learning. While I had many friends and other social media, I felt I lacked the opportunity to express myself like I saw myself doing. I created the show so I could start conversations about self development, passions, human connection, overcoming challenges in life, and more. After some experimentation, I landed on podcasting.
What is your current podcast called, and how did you come up with the name?
My current podcast is The Eric Chow Empowers Podcast. While there have been other shows along the way, this was actually the first show I launched and the only one I’ve continued to keep up. The most important word in the title is “Empowers.”
I wanted to create a culture of empowerment, starting with me, to the guests, to the audience. If I hadn’t started my podcast, nobody would have heard my stories or thought process or anything I’ve learned. I’ve been able to share a lot of personal stories simply because I have my show, that I wouldn’t have otherwise. So it started with me, empowering myself to share.
Many of my listeners wouldn’t have heard the stories of many of my guests if it weren’t for my show. There have been many guests who never had the opportunity to share their story like they were able to do on my podcast. Talking with me was their opportunity.
In hearing all the stories and conversations on my show, my hope is that some listener somewhere in the world will feel empowered, encouraged, inspired to do something themselves. Whatever it is they need to do for their journey, and their growth, I hope they find a reason to do it.
What platforms can we find The Eric Chow Empowers Podcast on?
Most of my listeners listen to my podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, but the podcast is available on more than a dozen platforms, so wherever you listen to podcasts, you can probably find it.
What is The Eric Chow Empowers Podcast about?
The Eric Chow Empowers Podcast is a storytelling show focused on personal growth and empowerment. We have conversations about self improvement, various passions people have, human connection, stories of overcoming challenges in life, having a positive outlook on life, and more. Basically, find someone or some story you relate to, and let it inspire you. The rest can be entertainment, an opportunity to learn about something new, stories that can allow you to relate to someone else that may come along in your life, and perhaps it can just give you hope that you can go through and succeed in whatever you’ve got going on.
Do you host The Eric Chow Empowers Podcast alone, or have guest hosts/partners?
I host my podcast alone, although I sometimes have fellow podcasters on my show. That dynamic is always fun.
Do you edit The Eric Chow Empowers Podcast or have someone who does it for you?
I edit my own podcast, although it’s very minimal editing.
Do you script The Eric Chow Empowers Podcast, or just chat as you go?
I have scripted a few monologues, but other than that, everything has been totally natural as we go.
How has The Eric Chow Empowers Podcast changed or developed since you began?
I used to do a lot more monologues and solo episodes in the beginning, but now the show is primarily conversations. I am only now starting to bring back monologues to my show.
Another change has been how I bring on guests. I used to be more open to who I accept because I believe that everyone has an interesting story and insights to share, but due to having more going on in my life and my show having grown, I’m no longer able to do that. While I still hold that belief, I no longer record and release everything, and I no longer accept everyone. The only “criteria” for accepting a guest is thinking about the message or stories I want to share with my audience.
What are your biggest challenges with The Eric Chow Empowers Podcast?
Probably finding the next story or message I wish to share with my audience. While there are many stories, there are only a handful of principles that I share, themes that can be seen if you look at every episode. Finding new ways to share those ideas can sometimes be a challenge, but it’s also one of the most fun parts of it.
What are your favourite podcasts to listen to?
There are so many incredible podcasts out there. Jay Shetty’s “On Purpose” and Tom Bilyeu’s “Impact Theory” inspired me when I was getting started. Today, “Chase the Vision with Isaac Mashman” and “Tea with Mike” are some of my favorite shows and I’m personally honored to have been on those shows in the past, and to call Isaac & Mike personal friends.
How and where do you promote The Eric Chow Empowers Podcast?
Whenever I release an episode, I share it on all my social media and tag my guests, who often reshare it. I will often share particular thoughts from the episode in little clips or text and refer people to the episode for more.
When networking with people I’ll talk about my podcast and recommend some of the latest episodes. I also talk about new episodes in my weekly email newsletter. Finally, I’m always looking to get my show on more platforms to make it more accessible, particularly to international audiences. My promotion story is very organic.
Do you earn money from The Eric Chow Empowers Podcast, or is it a hobby?
I have earned a fairly miniscule amount from podcasting, but it’s a hobby. I may look to monetize and earn more in the future, but I don’t expect that in the near future.
What’s something you never expected about podcasting? What have you learned that surprised you?
I never expected the level of conversation it would allow me to have. When I got started, inviting my friends onto my show gave us a reason to have a much deeper and more personal discussion than we probably ever would’ve had. We talked about topics we probably never would have touched on.
As I started hosting strangers and people I didn’t know very well, we were able to get into topics very naturally and easily. My ability as a host and conversationalist definitely improved with all the experience, and being able to say I’m a podcast host has given me a lot of opportunities to meet different people and have conversations with them.
What is the first piece of advice you would give to anyone inspired to start podcasting?
Don’t make it complicated. When I was thinking about getting started I had all the questions and doubts you can think of, from “will people listen” to “does what I have to say even matter.”
All you need: a simple podcast logo, a name for your show, and a description of what your podcast is going to be about. If you can record a simple introduction episode sharing that, you’re good to go. It’s probably a good idea to also figure out if you’re doing monologues, dialogues, a conversation with multiple people, etc. But don’t make it complicated. If you’ve got a name, a logo, a description, and a general idea of why you’re making your show, then just start.
And, finally, are you proud of what you’re accomplishing with your podcast? Is it worth the effort?
I am definitely proud. I’m proud to have been able to share so much more of myself than I probably would have otherwise in the past few years. I’m proud to have created the opportunity to have, host, and share so many conversations with people. Being able to tell someone that we’re doing a podcast episode somehow allows us to go deeper than the normal, casual conversation we would have otherwise had. Sharing those conversations, and giving people the chance to share, has been an amazing opportunity. I can’t say this is the end of my ambition. This is only the beginning.
Pop all your work, website and social media links here so the readers can find you:
You can find me on all the main social media platforms @ericchowreal
Eric Chow (@ericchowreal) • Instagram
Eric Chow (@ericchowreal) / Twitter
Or you can just use my website link to see everything: http://ericchowreal.com
Thank you again!
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