Ladies and gentlemen, August is outta here! September is here and ready for you to produce your great podcast... Now. Last month, I set co-work days for Wednesdays at 11am CST. I'm not sure if that is a good time or should we revisit? What days and times work best for you? Please vote and let's see which co-working day will win, starting the week of September 6th (Sunday). All times are CENTRAL TIME ZONE.

Lighthouse Lab family, a successful livestream begins long before anyone presses the “Go Live” button. As I prepare to produce another episode of The Pull Up Podcast Show, I’m thinking about everything that must happen behind the scenes before a guest enters the StreamYard studio. One lesson was recently reinforced for me: whenever possible, complete your technical check a full day before your broadcast. There are three areas I always want to test: 1. THE LINK AND DEVICE Can the guest open the StreamYard link and enter the studio successfully? Find out which device they plan to use—a computer, tablet or cellphone. Make sure they understand how to give StreamYard permission to access their microphone and camera. You don’t want your guest opening the link for the first time five minutes before the broadcast. That is not the kind of suspense we need! 😂 2. THE AUDIO AND VIDEO Can you clearly hear your guest? Is the correct microphone selected? Is their sound muted somewhere outside of StreamYard? Is the camera working? Are they properly positioned, and is there enough light on their face? A guest can enter the studio and still have no sound because of one small setting on a cellphone or computer. That tiny setting can delay an entire show. Ask the guest to use headphones when appropriate, silence notifications, close unnecessary programs and test the exact equipment they plan to use during the broadcast. 3. THE INTERNET AND PLATFORM COMPATIBILITY Is the internet connection strong enough to support a livestream? Does the guest’s equipment work properly with the streaming platform and the technology available at their location? This became especially important during my recent production at Tennessee State University. I arrived on Sunday evening so we could test everything before Monday’s live broadcast. During that preparation, we discovered that my PC laptop worked better with TSU’s core technology setup than my MacBook—even though I use my MacBook for practically everything.

I’ve been experimenting with different ways to create digital ads for podcast episodes, and I want the Lighthouse Lab to weigh in! I’m sharing two different promotional graphics for the same episode of The Interludes Podcast. Image #1 was designed primarily in Canva. Image #2 was reimagined using AI. Both graphics are promoting the same episode, featuring a conversation about why Sade, Lauryn Hill, and Mariah Carey belong in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. But here's what I really want to know: When you're scrolling through social media, what kind of podcast ad is most likely to make you STOP and actually want to listen? Look at both graphics before voting. Don't overthink it—give me your first reaction.

Great day all! 🤓 Please introduce yourself and what you do in your field of expertise. Also, if you have YouTube Channel, podcast link or website, please share below! Let's go!