Why I Publish "Bad" Episodes
Notes on creation, confidence, and our faulty perceptions of self
People don’t release their creations because their ego gets in the way.
“This isn’t a good representation of me.” Maybe it’s not. But it’s a part of you nonetheless. So release it to the world. You took the time to make it.
Let’s make it more practical.
I recorded an episode with Reebok founder Joe Foster. I was extremely excited about the interview before we pressed record.
But three things happened during the conversation:
I didn’t read his book before recording (chose instead to listen to a lot of interviews with him)
There was a slight lag between us via the Internet connection
I asked a few basic questions I wasn’t proud of
So for months and months, I sat on this episode with the hopes of potentially rerecording in person when I was better prepared.
But that day never happened.
And I asked myself, why am I not publishing this “bad” episode? Because of my ego. Because I’m scared of what people will think when they realize I didn’t read his book. That I asked “bad” questions. That I didn’t get everything out of him that I wanted.
About two weeks ago, I made the decision to publish it. I figured it would be an artifact for future me of where I was at this point in the journey.
But before I published it, I rewatched the episode back. What I found was that…
The episode was actually really good. It flowed well. There was good chemistry between us. It was filled with exciting stories and lessons. You can judge for yourself here.
I was shocked. My perception of the interview was so far away from what it actually was like — at least upon looking at it again with time and space.
So here’s my challenge: show your “bad side.” You’ll see that nothing happens — so long as you act with good intent and kindness.
And besides, it’s probably not as bad as you think.