ProloguePrologue

The Mystery Podcaster

I just did a great interview with a guy who helped to start Disney's record label, Lyric Street, and we discussed what makes somebody a "superstar."

Something I mentioned, which I heard from a friend who worked for ZZ Top, was that their manager, Bill Ham, refused MTV's request to do an "Unplugged" special and album.

Why?

He believed in "mystery." Which is why the guys from ZZ Top weren't even the main characters in their music videos.

I believe in mystery too. This is one of the reasons I suggest you never put your photo on your podcast artwork. And it's one of many reasons I advise podcasters to focus on audio rather than video – "theater of the mind" is powerful.

I'm going to be blunt.

We've all had a friend in a relationship with a person who didn't exist. In other words, the friend loved the thing he wanted that person to be, not who the person actually was.

I've been there myself.

That's the downside of "theater of the mind." It can keep you in a fantasy world that isn't good for you.

But the upside is powerful and good.

ZZ Top had mystery. Radio hosts like Wolfman Jack has mystery. It makes them more exciting than they actually are. And that's fine when it's just entertainment – it can even be helpful.

Consider this when producing your podcast episodes and being on social media this week. Leave in some mystery. You don't have to tell everybody everything.

David @ Big Podcast

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