redhourglassIn a recent Google plus group, a man stated “I've only gotten 1,500 over the past 3 months not very many and not the type of reach that I planned.”  According to Valerie Geller of the book Beyond Powerful Radio: A Communicator's Guide to the Internet Age – News, Talk, Information & Personality for Broadcasting, Podcasting, Internet, Radio, it takes THREE YEARS to build an audience on the radio. It's been three months and your complaining that you're not… you're not what? Making a living?

Let me tell you some stories:

SEVEN YEARS A Small band forms in 1959. They played crapping clubs for three years building their craft. They changed their name a few times. They decided all would contribute vocally They were UNIQUE,  and stood out, yet were passed by almost every record label. In their third year they had single hit the charts that made it to #17. Four years after having all four members in place the band had their first number single with Please Please Me. The band? The Beatles

FOUR YEARS A TV Show launches in 1989 The show aired, and the network NBC offered it to Fox who turned it down. The show's schedule was interrupted in 1991 due to the Golf War The original pilot was not picked up as a series and was burned off in a summer slot on July 5, 1989 NBC executives remained high on the show and tried again with four episodes in the summer of 1990 The low-rated series then left the air for another couple months and returned in April of 1991 It didn't reach number until SEASON 6 The show? Seinfeld.

THIRTEEN YEARS A comedian starts doing stand up at the age of 20. He gets not respect. He quits. Eventually changes his name, and his act and comes back 20 years later. He performs for 7 years barely making it. He gets a big break in 1967 and gets on the Ed Sullivan. Was that his peak? No. His peak was 13 YEARS later in the 1980 when a little movie called Caddyshack came out. The comedian? Rodney Dangerfield.

But What About Radio People?

Howard Stern (one of the most famous radio personalities in the US) started in 1981, but wasn't syndicated until 1986 – FIVE YEARS

Rush Limbough started in radio when he was a teenager. He played music for a few years and quit radio. He came back to radio in 1984. He wasn't syndicated until 1988 – FOUR YEARS

Podcast Success Comes From Building A Relationship

When you provide life changing content, people will talk about your show. When you do it on a consistent basis, people will come back for more. When you do it over time, this grows your audience. There are no short cuts There is no giant switch It takes time It takes hard work If you want to quit your day job in six months, I'm here to say it is possible, but highly, highly improbable. I love podcasting. Bring your passion, and bring your patience.