Worrying about growth, new tech, and other podcasting distractions can cause you to forget that your audience is your audience, not a nameless pool you have to fight for week after week. Lean into them.I'm not a big fan of the word _authentic_. It’s become overused and often used incorrectly. 

But there’s one place where I’ve no issue with hearing the word, and that’s when talking about your authentic self. 

I’m incapable of being anything other than my authentic self for more than a dozen minutes. 

But that may not be you. Either by choice or by forced circumstances. Regardless of how much you can let your authentic self shine through during your waking hours, I hope you are able to be your authentic self on your podcast. 

While listening to a conversation between Cameron Esposito and Jessica Kupferman at ShePodcasts LIVE over the weekend, I jotted down this note:

Your audience is your audience. It's okay to talk about things that only your audience cares about. The masses don't matter. 

Now, I think that's an incredibly grounded perspective for any podcaster to take and reflect on from time to time. 

Your audience is _your_ audience. 

Those five words can work as a re-centering mantra when you need it. Saying them out loud can, when needed, help you reconnect with your show, which in turn will help you reconnect with your audience. Again, when you need to.

It's very easy to get caught up in the desire to grow your podcast. And yes, I think that growing a show is important. To some degree, growth is at least somewhat important to most podcasters. How important is debatable, obviously. 

But if your quest to grow your show drives you too far away from the content your authentic self cares about, then you may see the opposite of growth.

To thine own self be true. That's why your audience is listening to you and your podcast in the first place. 

I have a bit more to say on this topic in today's article and episode of @PodPont, which you'll find at https://podcastpontifications.com/episode/authentic-podcasting-is-the-best-self-care 

You’ll find more thoughts on this topic and other questions every working podcaster should be asking themselves athttps://podcastpontifications.com/ ( PodcastPontifications.com).