Today we’d like to introduce you to Latrell Carter
Hi Latrell, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I got into podcasting because I used to have deep and insightful conversations with a friend almost on a daily basis when we worked together and we both felt like more of our peers should also have a better understanding of the topics we were speaking on. That lead to us starting the podcast together a couple of weeks afterwards. Due to personal reasons, my co-host eventually decided he no longer wanted to be apart of the podcast so I decided to continue doing the podcast on my own because I truly believe the information I speak on can help young adults as they they start to find their footing in life.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Diving into content creation is like stepping into uncharted territory; there’s a whole world of challenges waiting for you, some of them being ones you ever even thought about.
Being a solo act in my podcasting venture brought its own set of hurdles. Picture this: a week dedicated solely to just learning how to get around in editing software, dealing with my previous studio’s inability to have the set ready on time, and facing mishaps like being double booked. It’s been a rollercoaster of problem-solving at every corner.
One instance that stands out is when I was editing an interview, and the color among the three cameras were drastically different. As soon as I uploaded the clips into premiere pro, I felt discouraged but I knew deep down that it was yet another challenge that I would overcome and learn from. Instead of only using the wide angle shot, I made the tough decision to release the audio first, holding off on the video. Juggling a full-time job and school, I dedicated two weeks to unraveling the intricacies of color correction, determined to make that video the best possible product I could. One I go the color match as close as I could, I eventually uploaded the video. That situation was a huge lesson on making sure cameras are setup correctly before recording rather than trying to fix everything in post.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
For work, I am an Electrical Engineer and enjoy every minute of it. Specifically I design, develop, and troubleshoot programs so I am problem solving on a daily basis. This skill alone has be very beneficial when it came to starting the podcast because it was nothing but a sea of problems. By taking what I learned in my professional career and applying the methodologies every time a hurdle arrives while podcasting, I have been able to get through them very efficiently.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Before you even start, make sure you have a burning desire and a passion behind whatever it is you want to start. Understand it wont be easy, road blocks will show up, and there will be times when you just don’t feel like working on your project, but that burning desire should keep you going no matter how you may feel. It may beneficial to start with low investment and see if it is something you really want to do if that is possible. In the case of a podcast, that would look like using your phone as a microphone and camera or buying a cheap microphone to record on then start editing and posting videos. Go through the whole process of preparing, recording, editing, and posting content for a little while and see if it is something you really want to do or not. This way you don’t invest too much into something you are not passionate about while still getting the full experience of trying it out before fully committing to it.
When starting, I wish I knew that is does require a lot of intentionality when it come the getting better in front of the camera. If you truly want to improve, it requires you to watch and critique your videos so you can know how to be better for the next recording. I didn’t like listening back to the my voice like most people. So after editing them, I just would’t go back and actually critique the final product. Your skills as a communicator will drastically improve the more you study your current habits and start to fix them rather than just getting in front of the camera every day or week.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brothernextdoor/episodes/5-types-of-Consumers-e2nc7qe
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brothernextdoorpodcast/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBrotherNextDoorPodcast?app=desktop
Image Credits
Paula Wofford
