I was born in Akron, Ohio. I lived in Cleveland, Ohio for 8 years and now moved back to Akron. So when LeBron James join the Cleveland Cavaliers we were all excited. Last year we came close, but we lost (there is a long history of Cleveland Sports teams coming "this close" to winning only to lose). This year our team was down three games to one. No team had ever come back from that deficit. We were up against the team that had the most winningest season. Again, we all started think about coming "this close," and we started thinking about what we could improve and try again next year. There was one person who didn't that way. His name is LeBron James and that's what I want to talk about today. Because there is a part of podcasting that is mental. When asked what he did when he was down 3-1 and how he maintained, LeBron couldn't answer specifically, but he talked about previous championship he had been in as a High School Player, and it all came back to preparation, and looking for ways to improve. So he watch film from the gems where his team lost. He looked for things he could do better. One of my montra's is "Constant Improvement." Maybe it is the teacher in me, but I always feel there is room for improvement. He listened to the right people. While his Instagram would show he didn't 100% tune out social media, during the playoffs he turned off sports radio, TV, newspapers, and anyone else that had an opinion. The opinion he was interested in was his coaches. So if you get a negative comment, or someone shoots you a negative email, put it aside. Get a group of people to be your focus group. Ask them how you're doing. Get a Facebook group going. He gets his team involved, in some cases telling them what to do. So if you want people to contact you, give them options (email, voicemail, speakpipe) and then tell them. In some cases, show them. He didn't quit. There was a time in the game when it was tied. The other team got the ball and was running down the court. It was two player against one, this was going to be some easy points. Except for one thing. LeBron James didn't quit. He had been  running down the court with one of the players as hard he he could. He had one goal, and that was to block the shot. If you see the replay you will see where the other player started to take it easy as he went to lay the ball into the hoop. This again, was going to be two easy points. Instead as one player left off the gas Lebron leaped into the air and blocked it. Many feel this was a turning point. He didn't quit. Have you ever had something you thought was hard, but you pushed through? If you want to watch your audience get smaller, quit. That is guaranteed. My favorite quote of Lebron's from his press conference was "The games always gives back to those who are true to the game." To me, I'd like to tweak that to say, "You audience always gives back to those who are giving value to the audience." Notice I got specific. It's not just giving; it is giving value. What Happens When You Don't Know Your Audience Sometimes we think we are giving value but we are missing the mark. When I was married I used to do things for my wife. I thought these were wonderful, romantic, and would be sure to score me points. I found out later in therapy, that they accomplished none of my goal. Instead I found a other items that WOULD. How? By talking with my wife. You need to find out what your audience needs (Facebook groups, email lists, surveys) and give them what they want. What would you do if your boss said you had to do a presentation in 14 different countries? If you didn't learn the language, it wouldn't make sense If you didn't' learn about their culture you could offend someone without even knowing it. What if instead of rushing in you took the time to know the language and customs? In this instance your podcast is your boss, and the 14 countries are different social media outlets. Pick a platform, learn it. Learn the type of information that works o