The Successful(ish) podcast started with HoneyMAP. I was beginning to speak more regularly about how I started HoneyMAP, and what I had learned about being a business owner. As I wrestled through imposter syndrome and the many challenges that every new business owner faces, a friend had commented on how successful I was.
I of course didn’t feel successful. HoneyMAP was making $500/mo with one consistent client and the rare one-off workshop, and I felt like a failure. But as they listed off all of my accomplishments, I thought, ‘maybe I am kind of successful(ish).
I shared this idea in a small HoneyMAP workshop as a one-off conversation with five women. Those five women blabbed, and next thing I knew, I was traveling all over the country to share this message with hundreds of business owners. The concept was resonating so strongly with each person I spoke to, I knew it needed a broader reach.
I reached out to a friend of mine and we decided to create a podcast geared towards helping business owners recognize their own success, while continually becoming more successful. We created the brand and recorded an entire season, before realizing, we needed to go back to the drawing board. We were getting tons of messages from people who didn’t own businesses who also wanted to be a part of Successful(ish). As we brainstormed, I realized, success cannot be limited to work. It’s all connected. I thought about the categories that I seek success in, and came up with: identity, culture, work, money, relationships, health, and fun.
When it came to branding, I wanted to redefine success. So I tasked my designer with creating a dictionary style definition for Successful(ish). I highlighted the (ish), because that felt like the important part. This led to the tagline ’embrace the (ish).’
The next challenge was defining successful(ish). Because how can you have a dictionary word with no definition? This took days of brainstorming different ideas, and trying to narrow down a simple definition. We landed on ‘living between successes’, and evolved that into ‘living comfortably uncomfortably between successes.’ This echoed the core message that being successful(ish) means we are always pushing for more, but also recognizing the amazing accomplishments behind us. Our designer created a dictionary style font and several bright highlighter colors that became our core visual brand.
The next step was to organize content. I started with our seven categories, and connected those with core values, a clear mission, and our audience. Unlike most podcasts, our audience is not neatly niched by demographics. It is however very specific to the psychographic of someone who wants to live their very best life, while also enjoying it. From here, I was able to visually create a Canva suite of graphics that I could easily update for each guest.
I had never podcasted before, and this was a silly off-the-cuff word I had blurted out. But I knew this was going to become a household name. So I decided to invest in trademarking the name before we ever launched. I also commissioned a rap artist to produce a unique intro rap for the podcast that defined Successful(ish). (Yes- I co-wrote a rap. And yes, I do feel like a badass. And yes, it does still get me pumped up every time I listen to it. You can hear it at the end of every episode.)
Rebelliously, I didn’t focus this podcast on metrics. Though traditional podcasting would suggest a niched market, high volume of listeners, and sponsorships out the wazoo, I felt strongly that I was advocating against conventional metrics of success, and I needed to stand by that promise. I needed to be brave and authentic in not going after all the dollars and all the celebrities. This brand is committed to quality over quantity, and regardless of how traditionally successful a guest is, guests are vetted rigorously to ensure the highest quality content and personnel.
You can take a look at the condensed HoneyMAP for Successful(ish), and then check it out online at successfulish.com, on social @embracetheish, or listen wherever you enjoy podcasts.
