EP87: How & When To Start Your Podcast with Shoebox Moses

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Where visionaries, entrepreneurs and artists dream, transform and create. You are listening to the Miracle Moment podcast where your breakthrough is a moment away. I'm your host, Ray Ireland. All right, everyone, welcome to another episode. Today we have probably one of the most special guests I have ever, ever brought onto this show because I am bringing on my partner in crime, my Boo Thang, my baby daddy, Samuel John Taggett, AKA Sammy, AKA Shoebox Moses. He has many names, so I wasn't sure how to introduce him, but here he is. Thanks for being on the show.

Hi Boo.

So what I wanted to bring Sammy on to talk about today is he is an incredible leader, creative. He is a world renowned dj. He plays and performs for some of the most incredible life transforming events and productions all across the world. So that's how we got to get to know each other was through the beautiful world of music and also personal development and coaching and. And he also has a podcast production company which totally crushes it evolved podcasting. And his podcasting company helps brilliant thought leaders get into the top 100 list on their podcast and really make a bigger impact through sharing their stories, sharing wisdom. And so I thought it would be amazing to have Sammy on here. Of course, there's so many different things we can talk about, but to have him come on here and share about how to start your podcast and also when you should start your podcast to use it to amplify the impact that you're creating as a leader. Before we get into that, I want to share and have Sammy share a little bit more about his backstory, where he came from and how he's gotten into this space of business and leadership and sharing his art. So how did that sound, Sammy?

There's a lot to unpack there, but thanks for having me.

We're going to pack it into 15 minutes.

Pack it in a short one. Oh, yes. Well, thanks honey for having me on. Ray. The Miracle Moment is a amazing show, which I think why podcasts are so great is because they capture the miracle moment for people over and over. Right? So I think it's a really Fitting time to actually talk about podcasting to your audience. Because if they don't have a podcast right now, the best time to start just to answer that one right off the bat is right now. Because it's an ever growing field that is just ripe with opportunity. And when I say opportunity, it does seem like there's a lot of podcasts popping up right now. But for example, there's over a hundred million YouTube channels. A hundred million. That's a ton.

A lot.

And there's only a million. Almost a million podcast channels or podcast shows.

Wow.

With in that ecosystem, there's only about 60% of those that actually make over a hundred episodes. So you're looking at a very small amount of shows that actually still exist. Right. That's almost 40%. That's 44,000 shows as opposed to 100 million YouTube channels. So it's a huge future. So if you haven't started one now and you're. You're thinking about it, this is the time. Absolutely. So that is my first thing just to let everybody know. And then a little bit on my backstory. You did share some really beautiful things about where I've been and how I got here. I think a beautiful part of that for the miracle moment part of your show, I love being able to share this. Part of my story is that I am an adopted Filipino and.

I was abandoned as a child, left in a shoebox, and found by the grace of God and whatever deity you you hold true. I think that that is a really interesting place to start, but it also has helped me stay so grounded in gratitude, because gratitude was me. To all the places that I've got to play, perform, and for lack of a better term, meet you. Right. So is how I was able to find these amazing groups of entrepreneurs and world game changers, where I started out as just the DJ for a bit. And that turned into me really learning that these folks had something to share and they wanted to share their big moment. Right. And what better way to do that than with a podcast? And so what would happen is I would play these events and people love the way that I'd soundtrack the event and then they would ask if I knew where I could get good music for a podcast. And there's so many good places for it. There's sound stripe epidemic sounds YouTube, you know, commercial free, all these little places that I had. And then I would listen to their show. I was like, oh cool, you have a show, Let me hear it. And they were garbage. Like, the audio was bad. Everything was bad. Like, right now, the audio's in our little room, I think sounds pretty good because we know how to have a compressor and a cloud lifter and an H6 and things like that, which are all part of the music ecosystem that you and I know. And so they didn't know that. So I started lending help to JJ Virgin and. And Carl Kramenacker and Mike Koenigs, who are really big people in my space, right. So they're healthy leaders and their. Their personal development leaders. And so they started to hear what I was doing, and they asked if I could start producing the podcast. And then that turned in us producing four more podcasts, and we started producing for Drew Canoli, who was just an amazing thought leader. And, well, he's one of my favorite kind of eccentric thought leaders, but, you know, just huge names in the space, you know, so it was really fun. We started producing for. Marisa Pierce is one of my favorite hypnotherapists or rapid transformational therapists. I've been kind of counseling Vishen Lakhiani from Mindvalley. And it just goes to show that everybody has these miracle moments that they want to share, but one way for people to hear that better and for them to really get engaged with it is be able to hear it so it sounds nice, nice and clean in their ear, and for them to be able to listen to it when they're not doing other, you know, when they're just on a walk or if they're on the drive and do that. And so the power of podcasting became the absolute medium, because a lot of people don't sit down, watch YouTube. They just don't have time to totally.

So, okay, let's backtrack a bit. You just shared so much, and so I want to go back into your origin story because it's really fascinating, and I'm sure a lot of listeners are like, okay, wait, you just shared your adopted from the Philippines. You're found in a shoebox. And then you're like, fast forward now I'm, like, hanging out with these thought leaders, and they're asking me to create a podcast.

So.

So.

Like, pause, pause, pause. What happened in between? Like, how. I mean, I know your story, but I think, can you share a little bit more about that transition? How did you get into even being in the spaces with these thought leaders? How did you become, you know, that go to DJ for those types of people to be calling you up for their events? Because I think that's a big piece around how you shared your Story and then inspired them to share their story via their own podcast. So can you tell us a little bit more about your story? Because it's fascinating.

Oh, thanks, honey. Okay, so one thing that started me down, this whole journey, this whole connecting and staying aligned with thought leaders that I just thought were completely out of my league. I bought my very first personal development course from Tony Robbins back in the late 90s. I'm a lot older. We go into that in another show, I'm sure. But I got my first personal development course, which set me into this really beautiful habit of writing down my visions and my goals and writing them over and over until I saw those things come true. I got to experience as performers. You know, one of the most iconic places to play is Red Rocks. And I did this practice where I just wrote down in like four. Four pages of my journal that I would play the main stage at Red Rocks and that I would. I would become that person that plays on that stage. I would walk like I was walking on the stage, and it was what I was doing. I was pre. Framing myself to get ready for this event. And I say that to you because what would happen as I would go through life from that point. I wasn't a DJ this whole time, but I had some massive, massive setbacks where I was stuck working in a bathroom in a nightclub. This was after a failed relationship coming, moving back to Colorado. I had nothing to my name at all. And what had happened is I just needed a job. I ended up having a candle burning in my friend's basement, and it burned his house down. I was just desperate. I needed. I didn't need a miracle moment. I just needed God. I needed whatever would get us. Get me out of it. So I made this. I made this Hail Mary phone call, and I put a. Like a message out on MySpace or Facebook or. I forgot what it was. It might have even been MySpace at this time. I was like, I need a job. And I was calling some of my friends and my friend Patrick, who was in a band, he was. He was about to go on tour, and he's. He called me up right away. He's like, I got the best opportunity for you, bro. You can go work at Alley Cats for me. I've got a shift open, and I thought he was. It was a bartending shift or even a bar back shift. And so I got to Alley Cats, which was actually an adult. It was above a strip club in Denver, but it was like the premier nightclub in Denver at the time. And I remember getting there And I walked into my spot and I found the manager, and he's like, oh, yeah, you're filling in for Patrick. And I go, yeah, totally. Where do you need me? And he handed me a duffel bag. And I was rummaging through the duffel bag, and there's mints and gum, hairspray and, like, really crappy cologne and Drakkar. I remember that. I was like, what is this? It smelled like. What is that? It smelled like jet fuel. But it was like the cologne at the time. And I'm looking at this stuff, Ray, and I go, what is this? Just like, you. You're like, what is that? He's like, what do you mean? That's what you need in the bathroom? And he goes, oh, wait, you need this too. And he grabs a bowl, he goes, you're gonna want that for your tips as well. So. So I was the bathroom attendant in this nightclub. And so if you can think of a time when you're really low and you're like, I don't know if this is gonna get any better. I don't think it can get any worse. Well, when you're looking at yourself in the mirror and you're setting up things in the bathroom to make tips, and then the staff starts coming in and going and using the bathroom. So now you're listening to people going to the bathroom, you're looking at yourself in the mirror, and you're like, I guess it does get worse than this. I was at that rock bottom moment. And so, hey, you know, I just. I didn't know what to expect. But what happened? As soon as about the time the nightclub was about to open, I heard this music just outside the door. And I was like, oh, my God, what is that? And it was really the first real time that I had the chance to listen to a dj. And the DJ was just outside of the bathroom, and I could see this line to the dj. And so that was the moment I started being like, oh. I went back to the stuff. I'd been practicing the Tony Robbins things, and my reticular activating system kicked in. Like, what is going on in my uncle? Conscious mind was saying, you know what? You are not this position. This is not who you are. This is a temporary thing. But my unconscious mind was focused on being able to perform. And so I was like, how do I do this? How do I get from here to that DJ booth? And over the course of a few weeks, I realized that the DJs love to take shots, and they love girls. And so What I figured out how to do was save money by working in the bathroom, which I got really good at, by the way, of course.

Great sales guy.

Great sales guy. That's how I got you, babe. So I get this incredible skill set from saving tips, buying shots for the DJs and then taking them to the DJs. They would teach me how to play. And then one night, I got my opportunity to play for a DJ who couldn't play. And it was one of my Eminem moments. I seized it and brought the house down, so to say. And I met a couple. Met a couple promoters that took me to the next step. And from that next step, I kept my vision and my things in front of me. Until one day, I was performing for Vision Lock Makiani at A fest. And that is what was the tip of the spear. Once Vision got a hold of me and saw how special it was and my connection to people, he just took me under his wing. It took a few years, but, I mean, I've been playing with them now with the mindvalley group, for 10 years.

Wow.

Almost 11 years now. Wow, you're on the 11th show. Yeah, the 11th year with me.

And so, Jordan, just this last May.

Yeah, just this last.

Awesome. And really, everyone, the whole A Fest crew, you know, just running around being like, sammy's the best DJ ever.

You're the best.

You're the best. It was actually quite overwhelming, but really fun. But I love that. And so I love this piece around Vision that has been so locked in for you in your own experience, and it feels like that's connected to your personal miracle moment, you know, is being able to see that vision get manifested. So let's kind of tie this into the podcast world. For anyone that's listening, that is in that inquiry of like, do I start my podcast? How and when? And so how can they use this tool of visioning to really create that?

What a good question. I would say one of the best things you can do with your vision and learning how to cultivate sharing your vision is learn what just happened, is to. To follow some of your favorite storytellers. So one of the things you're so good at, even the things that you release on how to tell stories, if you can do that inside podcasting, that's going to really, really set yourself apart just out of the gates, right? So if you have some great stories, like, one of the best actions you can do from this show today is to write down five to seven, I would say, seven of your best stories about Your life. The time your child was born, the first time that you rode a bicycle, the first time you taught your son or your daughter how to ride a bicycle. The first time you saw something that took your breath away. And then tell that story. Because those are those miracle moments. It's not about how many breaths we take. Right. It's about the. The breasts that get taken away from us, Things that take our breath away.

Yes. I love that.

And those are the miracle moments. And I think if you can learn how to really share with people and practice sharing with people, that would be great. The other thing I would do is before people get going, like, oh, my gosh, I need to really record a podcast. I would say do what you do really well is practice delivering some stuff online on a live feed or just recording yourself and listening to yourself. Not everybody's meant to be a podcaster, that's absolutely for sure. But it is a great place to. If you are a thought leader, if you are a. If you're somebody that has the vision and the. The momentum that you want to create, is to be a thought leader or a change maker, you need to have a show of sorts.

Yeah, absolutely.

Podcasting is, by far hands down in a way, one of the best ways to find your true audience, because they'll be so hooked to you once they get you for 35 minutes, or in our case, 15 to 20.

And it's so fun, too. Everyone that I know that podcast, we're like, this is amazing. Like, we just want to keep creating podcasts because we get to have these opportunities with people that are in our lives or even people that we want to be connecting with and having these beautiful, enriching conversations. And so one thing that I would share around the piece, to just practice before even maybe starting your first podcast, would be to just practice, start in having these types of conversations with the people around you and, you know, take that dinner time and turn it into something special and see, okay, what. What kind of points and themes can we land on? Get used to speaking. It's funny because I know you had mentioned, you know, talk and, or. Or share online and watch yourself, listen to yourself and see how it's going. For me, I actually never did that. And so I want to bring that perspective in as well, which is I just kind of go for it. And something that I've had to overcome as a. What do I want to say as a old perfectionist, slash, still working on my perfectionism stemming from the ballet school that I, you know, grew up in is I realized that when I would listen back or watch my. Watch myself, especially in the beginning, it was almost defeating. And so for me, what has been really helpful to actually keep my podcast going is to just allow myself to be me and to just share my stories. And the more that I share, the more refinement comes. Of course, there are times where you do want to look back and watch and get some tips and tools, but if you're starting out and if you're feeling like you're maybe lacking some confidence, just try doing it without criticizing yourself first or judging yourself. Because the podcasts that you listen to, the ones that you love, they have had practice. And so, you know, it's good to start as a beginner, but let yourself also be a beginner in those first stages.

Yeah. Be kind to yourself. Absolutely. Yeah. There's, there's, there is such a rabbit hole we could go down on, on self worth around crushing yourself on critiquing too much and things of that nature, which maybe that'll be another show, right?

But yes, and speaking of another show, we might. Sammy and I have been playing with this idea of possibly doing our own show and kind of sharing about the journey of falling in love very fast and then getting pregnant almost immediately and being on this journey of diving into parenthood and co creation and business and all the things that people don't actually talk about tell you. So if you want to hear more of that and kind of hear more of maybe a little bit more of the raw, juicy realness that's happening in our relationship dynamics and as two entrepreneurs and as two creatives that are stepping into a totally new journey of parenthood.

Oh my God.

Leave a comment. Let us know if this is something that you would want to be tuning into and we will take that into consideration.

Totally. We would love to. We share it with each other and we share with a lot of the folks that are in our circle. But I think it could be really resourceful. I mean, we, we do so much work with each other to learn to love each other the best that we can and to sometimes just tolerate each other. Yep.

Well, on that note, we will wrap up there. Use these takeaways that Sami presented. They are so powerful. I'm so grateful for my own podcast. I'm super grateful for Sammy's support in my podcast growing and expanding. If you are looking for support in your own podcast, you can always reach Sammy. And where would they find you?

They can go to shoeboxmosis.com so that would be a little bit about me, but there's a link to the podcast company there as well. Shoeboxmosis.com is my performance alias, and they can always find all the stuff there.

And on Instagram and Facebook.

All this. All the.

All the things.

Awesome.

Well, I think it's time to go make some dinner, so we will see you all soon.

Thanks, hon. Love you.

Love you. Thanks for checking out this video. Subscribe and ring the bell if you haven't yet so you can stay up to date for new episodes coming out soon. And remember to witness and acknowledge the miracles and magic in every moment. This is Rae Ireland, and I'll see you soon.