Author Archives

    Jake

    Posted on

    Dreams Come a Size Too Big – An excerpt from my Free eBook – 13 Life Lessons

    This post is an excerpt from my free eBook. You can get the rest of the book by clicking here.

    Quote #9 (1)

    I have three little kids (my oldest is 8) and they are growing up too fast. It is almost a daily occurrence that one of them needs new pants or a new coat and of course new shoes. They grow so quickly and grow out of the clothes often, that I started buying clothes a size big to give the kids a chance to grow into them.

    Similarly, I have been playing ice hockey for many years. I am a decent player; I have fun and can control the puck but am not an all-star. A few years back I played for a team full of beginners and I was clearly the strongest skater on the team. I had fun and made some friends; we won a few games and lost a few. More recently I joined a team with some very skilled players.  I had to up my game and skate extra hard to keep up and contribute. By the end of the season I was skating with this team and scoring a lot of goals. My skill significantly improved. I realized during my time with the beginning team my skills atrophied. I needed to step into a higher, more demanding league to improve my game.

    Life and success are the same way. When you put yourself out there and set the bar just a little higher, push yourself a little bit more, success will come. Thinking small benefits no one, especially you. Stretch your dream, even a little beyond your comfort zone, play harder and get better.

    Question: What dream do you have? What are you doing now to reach your goal? Leave your comments below or by clicking here

    To read the rest of this free eBook click here or enter your email in the box above. If you like this post please share with your friends.

    Posted on

    Growing Through Evaluation

    Do you like to be critiqued? Who does right? But it is through evaluation that we have the opportunity to learn and grow.Evaluation - FrameAngel

    A year ago I joined Toastmasters. Toastmasters is an organization designed to give members opportunities to work on their public speaking skills. There are all sorts of different clubs that vary in size and skill, focus and affiliation. But even with all their differences certain things are universal. The program is designed to give you chances to write, practice and deliver speeches and be evaluated.

    As if standing in front of a group isn’t bad enough, Toastmasters has compounded the issue by having peer evaluations on how you did. I make it sound worse than it is. I have really enjoyed the experience and find that most of the participants are eager to assist in your growth process.

    Toastmasters isn’t the only organization out there challenging people to get better through the process of evaluation. Schools and most education are set up to test progress and performance. If you hire a personal trainer the first thing they will do is an initial evaluation and track your progress adjusting your workout to maximize your progress over time. Even at work you are evaluated; whether it be the 360 degree evaluation or a manger face to face. And if you work for yourself, you don’t escape evaluation from clients and even yourself.

    The reality is we are constantly being evaluated. Right now you are evaluating me on my writing ability, topic selection, font style and color scheme. But that is not a bad thing. It is through evaluation that we grow and become better.

    For example, I hate hearing the sound of my recorded voice almost as much as I hate seeing a video of me doing just about anything. I am self conscious that way. But I love to talk and I love to tell stories. I am eagerly anticipating the upcoming release of the Family Before Fortune podcast in a couple of weeks.

    Recently I sat in a recording booth where you watch a brief snippet of prerecorded NHL hockey game and listen to the play by play announcer. Then, like karaoke, you can follow along with the announcer and record your own voice announcing the action. Of course I had to try it and…. I sounded awful. Ok maybe it wasn’t awful but ESPN wasn’t shoving a contract in my face. The one thing about the experience that was beneficial, besides being fun, is that I got immediate feedback on where I excelled and where I struggled. The next time I can improve and be stronger.

    Microphone - Tungphoto

    Just like most things, through repetition and adjustment we get better. But how can we get better if we are unaware of what needs work? Swallowing the bitter pill of critique (constructive) or evaluation should be something we eagerly accept. Here are 3 steps to make sure you get the best positive results out of your evaluations.

    1- Carefully select your evaluators– you are always being evaluated but that doesn’t mean you have to listen to every evaluation. Listen to those who have your best interest at heart. Those that want you to excel and grow. The others, those who criticize for criticism sake (haters) – in one ear and out the other. Don’t let those who don’t matter…matter.

    2- Focus on incremental improvement– when receiving suggestions focus on what you can improve first and don’t become paralyzed by what may appear as overwhelming information. Pick one or two suggestions and work on those first. Rome wasn’t built in a night and even you must learn to walk before you run. Baby steps and consistency mean work on improving 1 area and then taking on the next challenge.

    3- Take evaluations as suggestions– we are in a pretty cynical and critical society. Everybody has an opinion and a burning desire to share it. Even most compliments are followed by a “but”. Know that you will never be able to please everybody and sometimes people are critical out of jealousy. It doesn’t mean the suggestion is a good one or should be considered. At Toastmaster’s, every time I give a speech I am told that I need to “use the stage more”, meaning walk out into the audience. Sounds reasonable….but it’s not my style and I do not think forcing a style that is not “me” would ultimately be good for my speaking persona. That said, whenever I hear the stage thing I smile and nod and move on to suggestions on improving areas I think more impactful.

    Evaluation is a good thing. It is only through recognizing deficiencies and opportunities for growth that we can become better, more powerful and more impactful. So, the next time someone tells you “you should…” run it through the 3 step filter and if it passes… work on implementation.

     I’d love to hear from you. Do you have an evaluation filter you run suggestions through before implementing? Leave your comments below or by clicking here.

    Images courtesy of FrameAngel & Tungphoto/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net
    Posted on

    You Are Somebody…Do Something – An excerpt from my Free eBook – 13 Life Lessons

    This post is an excerpt from my free eBook. You can get the rest of the book by clicking here.

    Quote 5 (3)

    I Always Wondered Why Somebody Didn’t Do Something About That, Then I Realized I Was Somebody.

    There are too many people that sit back and provide observations on the world. They watch television acting as arm chair commentators on the news, the state of society and politics. They take to newspaper op eds, comment on blogs or stand on their Facebook or Twitter soapbox to give their opinion of how things should be. Very few do more than comment and complain.

    But occasionally there are those who recognize they are “somebody” and they can do something. Like Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus who is credited with creating the microfinance loan revolution. His idea, give smaller low interest loans to groups of individuals in the poorest places in the world, was the beginning of the rise in emerging nations. He gave people the small boost they needed to start ventures and escape the struggles poverty.

    Muhammad Yunus is just one person, with an idea, that changed the world. You have that ability. You can be somebody with an idea that makes a difference. You can do something.

    Question: What project or goal are you working on right now? Leave your comments below or by clicking here

    To read the rest of this free eBook click here or enter your email in the box above. If you like this post please share with your friends.

    Posted on

    Why Are Families Important?

    Man Reading to Kids

    Here on Family Before Fortune I cover a lot of topics ranging from starting a business or a side endeavor to which Weber grill accessories to use. The central theme is to build a life worth living, a home you are excited to return to at the end of the day and a work-life that is fulfilling and exciting. It is not based around how many zeros are at the end of your paycheck or how many square feet your house is.

    Though I do think money is important.

    I enjoy the things that money can provide for me, including good schools for my kids, recreation and travel. I also enjoy, and in many many ways, prefer the things that money cannot buy, the dinner table chats, the daddy-daughter/son dates, the experience of the park or ballgame.

    These are the values of a Family Before Fortune life.

    Money is a tool and a resource to make family time more accessible but isn’t an end in itself. Have you ever heard a deathbed confessional exclaim they wished they spent more time in the office or closed one more big deal? No, often you hear, with regret, they wished they had valued the time when their kids were young and in the home.

    I have three kids that are pretty young. My oldest is 9 and my youngest 3. They are growing and changing on a daily basis. My goal is to be home as many nights as I can to enjoy dinner with them. It doesn’t always happen but often does. Even with that nightly experience, I still look at them and say “when did you…[fill in most recent previously unnoticed change]”. It really is an exciting time in their lives and mine.

    I know the day is coming fast when they will all be off with their own families and not have time for their “old man”. And that is ok. I went through that stage and now have my own family and I am sure that my parents wish they had a few extra minutes to talk and visit with me. I have a lot of years left to focus on my business and growing my income and assets but I do not have a lot of time left to grow with my kids.

    So what are some of the things that I am doing to put my family first?

    1-      Hanging my work stresses on a hook– When I arrive home from the office and my head is filled with concerns and anxiety over the day and upcoming demands, the first thing I do is take those anxieties and hang them on an invisible hook just outside my front door. I imagine myself holding all those anxieties in my hand and then leaving them outside. I have important family decisions and interactions and I need my full attention on my family, not my work issues.

    No Cell phone

    2-      Cell phones banned– we have a rule in the home that cell phones are banned at the dinner table. Now this is somewhat easy as my kids are still young and phones haven’t become “a thing” but it can be challenging for us parents as we are drawn to each little ping. Cell phones are a huge part of our lives and if we are not careful they can overrun and squeeze out the special moments with the family.

    3-      Night for family– we try to set aside 1 night during the week that we can do something as a family. Whether it be board games (super fun with a 3 year old), drop by Yogurtland, have the kids show off a new dance routine, gymnastics demonstration or a play they have written (adapted from the most current Disney movie), all of which they love to do. We bounce around on day of the week because we, like you, have a busy family and seem to be going in 50 directions at all times.

    4-      Daddy Date Night– a mentor of mine, ever since his daughter was very young, took her out one night during the year, just the two of them, to do whatever she wanted (within reason). As he was explaining this he casually mentioned that he was flying to Shanghai in a few days to visit with his daughter (who was in graduate school abroad) and take her on her annual daddy-daughter date. He would be in Shanghai a total of 1 night and then back. I was impressed by his commitment to his daughter and the special night they had enjoyed together for over 25 years. I have committed to taking each of my kids out annually on their special night. I do one in May, one in July and one in September. I have enjoyed these experiences so much and the kids talk about them for the rest of the year.

    5-      Popcorn and a Movie/limit television– this is something that has really worked for my family but may not be for everyone, give it a try. A few years back we cancelled our television subscriptions and have never hooked up the antennae. What this means is we have zero live tv. I know… it sounded insane to me too. We have no prime time, no news and (the horror) no sports. We do have a television and we subscribe to Netflix so the kids can get their dose of cartoons but it made us more intentional in what we watch. We cannot just flip the tv on and have it stream show after show after show. And we do not have to worry about the materialism influence and other “non-kid friendly” advertising. We have become parents that select a show or a movie, pop popcorn and sit down knowing what we are exposing the family to. We have no desire to ever return to the standard cable package.

    No-TV5

    As an aside- I love sports and initially this was the biggest drawback to our decision, but what I have found is that many of the “big games” stream online, like the Masters, March Madness and college football. Some are just not accessible so I enjoy the game at a local pizza dive. In the 4 years we have been “unplugged” I have not missed it AT ALL. I am currently listening to my favorite college football team via radio….retro right? Go Cougs.

    6-      Steal a few moments together– every chance that I get I sneak a few minutes with my kids. Since birth, my wife and I have read to/with each of them individually for around 30 minutes a night. With 3 kids it can be a long bed time process but they love it and so do we. The experience is precious explaining why a character is doing this or asking the kids their interpretation of the plot (sometimes their interpretation is better than mine).

    I also try to take 1 or all of the kids with me whenever I have to run an errand. Yes they complain initially and it can double the errand time hauling young ones around but we have fun, laugh, tell stories, hold hands and then eventually end up at 7-11 buying Slurpies (yes I’m the treat dad). We also have our nightly ritual of picking up the clothes and toys before bed. We go as a family room-to-room and try to put everything away. This gives my wife peace of mind and all of us a final chance to work together each day.

    Of course we do a lot of other things (like ride our bikes to the donut shop on Saturdays and go out occasionally to dinner) and yes it does take a commitment of time but it has been so valuable. Last night I said to my 6 year old “you know I love you right” and she said “yes dad you tell me all the time”. I do not want them to ever grow up- but they are and they will. I am just grateful for the time we have together now.

    Question: What family experiences or traditions do you have? Leave your comments below or by clicking here.

    I’d love to get the word out about this blog and the other things I’m doing at Family Before Fortune. If you like what you have seen please share with your friends or connect with me on twitter. You can also sign up for free updates by clicking here.

    Posted on

    Word Press Plugins That I use

    My Favorite WordPress Plugins:

    Blubrry PowerPress – Adds podcasting support to your blog. Features include: media player, 3rd party statistics, iTunes integration, Blubrry Services (Media Statistics and Hosting) integration and a lot more.

    Simple 301 Redirects – Create a list of URLs that you would like to 301 redirect to another page or site.

    Google XML Sitemaps – This plugin will generate a special XML sitemap which will help search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing and Ask.com to better index your blog.

    Broken Link Checker – Checks your blog for broken links and missing images and notifies you on the dashboard if any are found.

    Contact Form 7 – Just another contact form plugin. Simple but flexible.

    Disqus Comment System– The Disqus comment system replaces your WordPress comment system with your comments hosted and powered by Disqus

    Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress – Displays Google Analytics Reports and Real-Time Statistics in your Dashboard. Automatically inserts the tracking code in every page of your website.

    Leadpages Connector – LeadPages connector plugin (must have a Leadpages Account)

    Smart Podcast Player – The WordPress media player for the future—specializing on podcasts using Soundcloud, Libsyn, and any other podcast feed that works in iTunes.

    WordPress SEO by Yoast – The first true all-in-one SEO solution for WordPress, including on-page content analysis, XML sitemaps and much more

    Posted on

    George Strait, Jack Nicklaus and Warren Buffett- How They Do It

    George_Strait_2014_1JackNicklaus2Warren_Buffett_KU_Visit

    Now, there are three names that you do not normally see together. When I sat down to write this post I wanted to talk about a group of people that were very different but also successful. It is easy to see the differences in this group, a country singer, a professional golfer and a business titan, but if we take a closer look, all three did the same things to reach the pinnacle of their success. They focused. Or as Rich Dad, Poor Dad’s Robert Kiyosaki teaches Follow One Course Until Success. Let’s take a look at each of our examples.

    George Strait– known as “the King of Country”. George has 60 number-one hits, giving him more number one songs than any other artist. He is also one of the best selling artist of all time with over 100 Million records sold.  George is the only artist in history to have a top ten hit every year for 30 years. In the music industry there are very few artists that can compare to the popularity and success of George Strait. But he was not an overnight success. He entered the music scene in high school when he started a rock and roll garage band playing Beatles covers. He spent 4 years in the United States Army and performed in a US Army sponsored band. After his 4 year tour with the army he entered college and received a degree in agriculture. During his college years he played in honky-tonks and bars at night while managing his family’s Texas based cattle ranch during the day. It wasn’t until 10 years after enrolling in the US Army that he signed his first recording contract and released his first single. What does it take to amass the records and awards he has received? He consistently worked to improve his skill in a steady manner. He focused.

    Jack Nicklaus– Jack is often referred to as the most accomplished golfer of all time. In his 25 year career he won a total of 18 major championships. He also finished second or third place another 27 times. What that equates to is 45% of the time during his career he finished in the top three. What a tremendous record. How did he do it? He focused on major championships (The Master’s Tournament, the US Open, The Open Championship and the PGA Championship). He prepared himself to win majors and was selective in his participation in non-major events. He was busy working with coaches and hitting countless balls at the range. He consistently worked to improve his skill in a steady manner. He focused.

    Warren Buffett– Warren is widely considered the most successful investor of the 20th century, starting his own investment fund in 1956. In less than six years he became a millionaire and would later hold the title of “World’s Richest Man”. His investment style has not changed in over 60 years of practice. He is a value investor, buying securities that appear significantly undervalued based on an analysis of their fundamentals. He has been consistent in his strategy even when he faced criticism for missing opportunities that many considered easy decisions. The most famous example is Warren’s decision not to participate in technology investments because he did not understand the underlying company (i.e. though being personal friends with Bill Gates, Warren missed Microsoft’s major market move in the late 90’s). Today he is the world’s third wealthiest Billionaire because he consistently worked to improve his skill in a steady manner. He focused.

    The one trait that these 3 very successful industry leaders have is they focus. They found their niche and passion and they worked tirelessly to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to set them apart and give them a competitive edge. Have you found your passion? Are you working without distraction towards completion? If you consistently work to improve your skill in a steady manner, in other words “focus”, you can achieve high level success in your industry.

    Question: Do you have an example of following one course until success (focus)? Leave your comments below or by clicking here.

    If you enjoyed reading this post please share with your friends. You can read more, including my newest eBook “13 Life Lessons” by signing up here.

    Posted on

    Road Trip…..with Kids? 9 “Musts”

    We recently returned from a week vacation in Southern California and it was great. We ended the trip with a 7 hour car ride through the traffic of Los Angeles (how do they handle it?) It was nice to get home with time to unpack and rest before the school week starts.

    Roadtrip

    You might be surprised to learn that a 9 year old, 6 year old and 3 year old made it 7 hours in the car with only 1 stop for lunch and no portable DVD player. They were awesome and made me think that I could probably do this again sometime…..in the future.

    As I drove I listened to a few of my favorite motivational podcasters Pat Flynn, Cliff Ravenscraft and Michael Stelzner and got some great ideas for moving forward with my platform. I also thought about the many trips we have taken over the years… some great… some good and … some could have been better. For me, if you are going to road trip with kids here are some considerations:

    1- Individual water bottles- we like to give the kids plenty to drink but not so much we have to stop every 45 minutes. We can regulate their water intake by giving them individual water bottles that are smaller and then refill as necessary

    2- GPS- Most of the trips we take are to places we have been many times. I am pretty good with roads and directions and after a time or 2 I can make it without the assistance of a GPS device- but we still turn it on. It gives the kids a reference point and no need to ask how much longer we have. (Quick safety suggestion- do not put your home address into your gps, pick someplace near your home. This way if your car is stolen the thief cannot go directly to your house. Also, though this isn’t a trip safety article, when away from your hotel during the day take off your hotel parking tags. If you are at the mall or at a restaurant you do not want a passersby to immediately know you are from out of town.)

    3- Snacks- This could be a no brainer for any of you who have travelled with kids. They eat continuously, mostly because they are bored. We have purchased individual bento boxes that they fill up in the morning with their favorite snacks and they can eat at their own pace. We have one child that finishes hers before we get out of the parking lot and another who will bring a nearly full box home.

    4- Treats- Different from snacks- treats are candies and ice cream. We try to limit the number of stops and time our potty breaks with gas needs as much as possible. I also like to grab the kids a treat at the stop to reward their patience and semi-quiet travel skills.

    5- Presents- (we do not do this but have some friends that swear by it.) They wrap 3 gifts per child (little things like coloring books and goldfish crackers) and then at predetermined times give the kids a chance to open the new gift and enjoy the surprise for the next little while.

    6- Early to Rise- The same friends that swear by the presents also turned me onto the early departure road trip. This is one that I do use and love. When possible we get to bed early and then leave around 2am with the kids still asleep. I can usually get 4+ hours of silent driving before the kids start to wake up and want breakfast. As an added benefit, not many drivers are on the road between 2am and 6am. Caution: get to bed early the night before and never drive drowsy.

    7- Alternate Drivers- If this is possible on your road trips have any and all adults over 21 drive a portion of the trip. The variety helps everyone calm down. It is also safer to give each tired driver a chance to rest.

    8- Stretch Breaks- At every stop along our trip the whole crew needs to get out and stretch. I am often tempted to skip this step as it entails finding socks and shoes and unbuckling etc. but I am always glad when we get that stretch and when everyone jumps back in we travel smoother and more in control

    9- Podcasts- this is personal. I love podcasts and always look for any excuse to put one on. It gets me in the zone and the trip flies by. I move the speaker balance to front left (or right) so only I get the full volume and not disrupt the whole car.

    I have to admit that I have had some bad trips over the years but this most recent one was not on that list. The kids were great, the traffic fairly light and we made it home uneventfully (the way we like it). And because of that…we might just road trip it again in the next couple of months.

    Question: What road trip with kids strategy do you use? Leave your comments below or by clicking here.

    If you enjoyed reading this post please share with your friends. You can read more, including my newest eBook “13 Life Lessons” by signing up here.

    Posted on

    The Time is Now

    This is the second time in as many weeks that I have been inspired by a Jimmy Buffett song. I am a huge fan of his lyrics and, while listening, I philosophically analyze them. Today the song is “Breathe in. Breathe Out. Move on”.

     Breath InBreathe Out (3)

    It appeared on his 2006 album “Take the Weather With You.” The song was written by Buffett for the victims of Hurricane Katrina that hit the gulf coast and most notably New Orleans. The lyrics are powerful and apply not just to those recovering from a hurricane but for all of us in life that encounter obstacles and challenges.

    That’s all of us right?

    The relevant lyrics are: “I bought a cheap watch from the crazy man floating down canal. It doesn’t use numbers or moving hands it always just say “now.” Now you may be thinking that I was had, but this watch is never wrong. And if I have trouble the warranty said “breathe in, breathe out, move on.”

    I want to get a “Now” watch to remind me that my time is now. No matter the obstacles and challenges that I face there will never be a better time than now to begin, to continue, to persevere and to triumph.

    Have you ever found yourself playing the “when….then” game? This is where you have a great idea or a goal or passion that you want to pursue but you rationalize a start date later in the future because the time just isn’t right….now. You find yourself thinking I will write that book this summer when we finish the remodel or I will file my articles of incorporation after the holidays. This is how New Year’s resolutions got so popular, folks wanted a starting point for changes in their life but wanted to wait until the holidays were over so they could focus.

    Why are New Year’s resolutions forgotten so quickly after the New Year? The timing is never right. We get busy, distracted and fall into complacency. It is almost as if we need a New Year’s day every 2 weeks to keep us focused.

    You will always be able to find excuses for why “now” isn’t the time to start your big endeavor, why tomorrow would be better to quit smoking, start your business or start saving for college/retirement. That is why I want to buy a “Now” watch for that daily reminder, the time is NOW.

    Remember, as Buffett continued, “this watch is never wrong.” But, “if you have trouble”, and you will, “breathe in, breathe out [and] move on”. Making change is not easy. Most worthwhile things come after dedicated and concerted effort. Do not quit or make excuses or shy away from your dream.

    According to my watch the time is now, the past is dead and gone… Recommit and refocus, your dream is worth fighting for. Thank you Jimmy.

    Question: Do you have a daily reminder to stay committed and keep your dream alive? Leave your comment below of click here.

    Stay in touch- sign up here to get weekly updates as I add new content to my site.

     

    Posted on

    Stop Asking Permission – An excerpt from my Free eBook – 13 Life Lessons

    This post is an excerpt from my free eBook. You can get the rest of the book by clicking here.

    Quote #4 (1)

    We have all heard the saying that “it is better to ask for forgiveness than permission”. To become great you have to take risks and do things others are unwilling to do. When Jeff Bezos started his online bookstore, Amazon, most told him he was crazy, “that will never work.” Walt Disney had similar experiences. Every great entrepreneur and leader has had to make decisions that were questioned. What made them successful was knowing when to adjust, adapt, expand and eliminate, blocking out the naysayers.

    When I first started my business, I shared my ideas with a few close friends. The typical response was “why”? I have a secure job that provides a nice life for my family. I take vacation time and can watch television or go out with friends. Starting a business took money and time and made it so that I wasn’t able to do as much. This is often the case when starting new endeavors. Your excitement causes those closest to you to reflect on their lives. They may feel threatened or jealous and subconsciously try to drag you down.

    When you feel something strongly and have committed yourself, you have the permission to go after it. To do something great you must follow your heart- give yourself permission to be great.

    Question: What project or goal are you working on right now? Leave your comments below or by clicking here

    To read the rest of this free eBook click here or enter your email in the box above. If you like this post please share with your friends.

    Posted on

    Podcast Equipment I use

    I am often asked what equipment I use to produce my podcasts. It really isn’t much and what I am currently using is portable to I can record just about anywhere- including my car. So here you go, the podcast equipment I use.

    Actual Equipment That I Have

    Microphone – Samson C01U Pak – Recording / Podcasting Pack – The microphone that I have is great for podcasting on the go. It comes in a hard case and can be set up in under a minute. It just runs off the USB line of any computer and includes the mic stand and cords. It is a condenser mic so it picks up every little sound so you need to be careful about recording in a quiet place.

     

    Computer – HP Pavilion g Series – Yes, believe it or not, I am running everything on a laptop computer. I don’t even have a desktop. And, the laptop I have isn’t very fancy, it’s pretty stock. Technology has come so far that even entry level models can handle most of the work that needs to be done. I do have my eyes set on a new system but the timing isn’t quite right.

     

    Headphones – Beats Solo 2.0 Wired On-Ear Headphones (Black)– I love these headphones. The sound is so crisp and clear and they double as noise canceling so I can work in quiet concentration.

     

    Digital Recorder – Roland R-05 Studio WAVE/MP3 Recorder – I recently picked up this piece of equipment and while I haven’t found a lot of use for it, I love it. I have used it to record interviews and the sound quality is great for a standalone piece. I am planning to get a lot more use our of it. It came highly recommended from some other podcasters that I follow. Eventually I want to get my mixer connected to it and record all of my podcasts directly to the recorder.

     

    Equipment That I am Planning to Purchase

    We all have wish lists right? Well my wish list includes a couple of items to take my podcasting and speaking to the next level. In the next year I’d like to pick up some (or all) of the following

    Microphone – Heil PR40 Microphone w/Carrying Bag, Microphone Clip, Windscreen, XLR Cable, and Pop Filter – The BMW of podcasting mics is on my wish list. I plan to podcast for a long long time. I love it and so I want to make sure the sound quality is the best it can be.

     

    Mixer – Mackie 402VLZ4, 4-channel Ultra Compact Mixer with High Quality Onyx Preamps – To improve the quality of my sound and filter out static from interviewees I would like to grab a new mixer. I haven’t decided if I want the 4 channel or 8 channel yet but like what I have heard about the Mackie.

    Lavalier – Audio-Technica PRO-501/L Pro Series 5 Frequency-Agil​e Diversity UHF Wireless Lavalier System – I’d like to get my own wireless lapel mic so that when I speak I can trust and rely that the equipment will be good and do what I need it to.

    Computer – iMac with Retina 5K display – why not?

    Am I missing anything you think I should be using?