Insider Events - Pivoted Success Podcast

Pivoted Success
Date: First one was released June 27, 2021
City, Country: Ottawa
Host Venue: All Podcast platforms and Youtube

Organizing Team:

 

• Jarrod Goldsmith, eSAX
• Sean Cochrane, President, TTC Canada
• JP Davidson, Founding Producer, Pop Up Podcasting

Target Audience:
Entrepreneurs, particularly small businesses who are looking for inspiration and encouragement during Covid19.

Main Objective:
To share stories, wisdom and inspiration of entrepreneurs and community leaders who have successfully adapted to Covid. It is important to show people the need to pivot in order to overcome obstacles during such difficult times.



Unique aspects of the project:
I already have an eSAX podcast series with ~ 100 episodes interviewing entrepreneurs and community leaders about networking, but the Pivoted Success podcast is specific to helping people adjust and provide inspiration during the pandemic. Everyone has been affected, especially event planning professionals in the hospitality industry….and musicians in particular.

A good contact of mine (Sean Cochrane of TCC Canada) approached me and said “…all we hear these days are stories of doom and gloom, with businesses closing and small business being disproportionally affected. There ARE people and organizations who have successfully pivoted, so let’s showcase them to act as inspiration and knowledge for others”.

The rest is history!

Obstacles:
I don’t tend to treat barriers or obstacles as such. Being an entrepreneur, by definition means seeing multiple ways of doing something. Rather than see situations some would consider roadblocks, I don’t get upset or frustrated… I just see the next most effective solution to overcome it. If that doesn’t work, try something else.

I do not have much experience editing audio content, and even less with behind the scene details of podcast hosting. This podcast would not have been possible without the close collaboration of Cochrane. He has a contact (JP Davidson) who specializes in Podcast hosting that was willing to partner with us. Once a segment is recorded, Davidson adds an intro then posts it to all the Podcast channels. This is a win-win for everyone involved so we can each focus on our specialties.

Triumphs:
My biggest triumph with the Pivoted Success Podcast is the enthusiasm people have when asked to participate and share their stories. People are more than happy to give time to be interviewed. They see the value in this podcast on how their experiences can help other people adapt, pivot and thrive during Covid. The uptick is very positive!

New and innovative:
Pivoted success is an entirely new initiative that was originally specific to the Ottawa community, but since we started we’ve had guests from all over the world and our reach is global. I already have the virtual event platform that is perfectly suited for interviews, and we’ve partnered with someone who specializes in creating and managing podcasts. My whole career is about collaboration, so I’m very pleased to work with others to bring this podcast to life.

Challenges:
Time. Business and community leaders are often very busy, but we are flexible and accommodate everyone’s schedules.

Last Words:
Event industry professionals waiting for the world to go back to normal will be disappointed. If you don’t pivot your thinking and adjust to the world situation today, you may never be happy and will always have stress. Now is the best time to consider doing what you’ve always wanted to do. If it’s launching a new business in the hospitality field that’s great. If the industry is not something you are 100% passionate about, perhaps it may be time to reconsider your options. I hope the Pivoted Success podcast helps to ignite your passion!

Resources:

• Podcast Episodes - eSAX networking for small business entrepreneurs
• Pivoted Success Podcast - YouTube
• eSAX YouTube channel (>700 videos on entrepreneurship & networking)

Article edited by Cynthia Beaudin, Canada Foundation for Innovation