Steve shares his journey from starting a podcast in 2007 to becoming a global leadership expert. We explore the true definition of leadership as influence and responsibility rather than just a title. The conversation dives deep into why clarity is more important than popularity and how to manage the weight of being a voice for the community without burning out.

Whether you are just starting your first show or you are an industry veteran, this discussion provides a roadmap for developing the skills needed to lead with integrity. We talk about the stakes of staying silent, the importance of going deep with your content, and why now is the time to answer the call to lead.

🚀 Chapters

0:00 The weight of leadership in our community

4:15 Introducing Steve Worthy and his journey

9:30 Podcasting as a leadership development tool

14:00 The responsibility of holding the microphone

19:15 Moving from creator to community leader

24:45 Defining leadership as influence

29:30 Lessons from the military on responsibility

35:20 The importance of approachability and confidence

40:10 Can leadership skills be learned

46:50 Identifying and avoiding bad leadership traits

52:15 Managing burnout and self care for leaders

58:30 Setting realistic expectations for teams

1:03:45 The power of clarity in your podcast brand

1:09:20 Why the industry needs your voice now

1:15:10 The danger of staying in your comfort zone

1:20:40 A final charge to the diaspora

1:23:56 Outro and how to connect

Join the movement and stay informed by subscribing to our newsletter at blkpodnews.com. If you found value in this conversation, please like, subscribe, and share this video with another creator.

#blackpodcasting #leadership #contentcreation #audionarrative #podcastingtips

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Ever wondered what it takes to leave a corporate tech career and build a media empire from scratch? Join Corey Gumbs in the debut episode of The Sound of Us as he sits down with the legendary Anna DeShawn to discuss the evolution of storytelling within the diaspora and the transition from corporate life to audio entrepreneurship.

In this deep dive, Anna shares her raw and honest journey of building E3 Radio and the innovative platform known as .

After 15 years in the industry, she provides invaluable insights into the challenges of tech startups, the necessity of pivoting when the original vision fails, and the importance of grounding oneself through mental health and community support.

We explore the critical need for marginalized voices to own their narratives and why Anna is now on a mission to build the largest database for black and brown podcasts to solve the industry’s discoverability problem.

Whether you are an aspiring podcaster or a seasoned creator, this conversation covers everything from funding and distribution deals to the philosophy of falling in love with the problem rather than the solution.

Anna explains how the new iteration of The Qube is removing barriers for creators by including both RSS feeds and YouTube URLs, ensuring that our cultural stories are preserved and easily found by the audiences that need them most.

Chapters

0:00 Welcome to the Sound of Us

2:45 Introducing the OG Anna DeShawn

7:15 The 15 year journey of E3 Radio

12:30 Transitioning from corporate tech to audio

18:00 Planning the leap of faith with family support

23:15 The birth and naming of The Qube

28:40 Lessons from the first iteration of the platform

34:10 Navigating funding and the VC landscape

39:50 Pivoting to production and distribution deals

45:20 Building community through the Podcast Salon tour

51:15 Grounding practices and mental health for founders

57:30 Embracing failure as a badge of honor

1:03:00 Falling in love with the problem

1:08:45 Solving discoverability for black and brown creators

1:14:10 Rebuilding the mission and launch strategy

1:19:30 How to add your podcast to the database

1:24:45 Why the Qube includes YouTube URLs

1:29:10 The future of deep search and visibility

1:33:50 Archiving and preserving our voices for the future

1:36:20 Final thoughts and how to support

If you believe in the power of our collective voices, please support the mission by adding your podcast to the database or joining the community on Substack. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share this episode to help amplify these stories.

👉🏽 👉🏽 Join and add your podcast to the Qube today - https://theqube.app/

#podcasting #blackcreators #mediaentrepreneur #audioindustry #storytelling

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The Sound of Us Live: Building the Largest Database of Black & Brown Podcasts with Anna DeShawn

Finding a podcast hosted by a Black or Brown creator should not require knowing the right people or hoping an algorithm gets it right. That gap is real and it has not been solved.

saw it. And she has spent years inside the problem, developing, failing, pivoting, and learning what it actually takes to build a solution worth building.

is a database and search engine built specifically for Black and Brown hosted podcasts. A dedicated space where creators get discovered and listeners find content that speaks to them.

Anna sits down to talk about all of it. The vision behind The Qube, what the road to get here actually looked like, and why she believes this is the moment it finally gets built the right way.

The Sound of Us, our new podcast, exists to archive the Diaspora's stories and narratives. Black and Brown creators have been producing content that matters for years. The infrastructure to find it has never caught up. Today Anna DeShawn is not just talking about it, she is building it.

Join us as we explore Anna's journey to build the largest database of Black and Brown podcasts.

Subscribe today and get notified when we go live on May 13 at 6:00 PM CT / 7:00 PM EST.

Subscribe now

🎉 Don’t want to miss a Black Podcasters Association Event?

Your go-to spot for everything happening at the Black Podcasters Association is right here — events, registration, all of it in one place.

Stay in the loop and grab your spot early, check out our calendar of events here:

luma.com/TheBlackPodcastersAssociation

🚨 Help the Qube App amplify Black and Brown podcasts - Submit your podcast today!

, founded by award-winning podcaster and community organizer Anna DeShawn, is looking to build the largest database of Black and Brown podcasts.

The Qube’s mission to create the world's first community-driven podcast discovery platform built to amplify Black and Brown voices.

Help us support The Qube get to their goal of 500+ podcasts by June 30th.

There are over 5800+ subscribers to BlkPodNews.com so we should be able to help by the end of today!

Don’t have a podcast? You can nominate your favorite Black or Brown podcast to the directory as well.

Register your podcast today… like right now!!! Click the link (https://theqube.app/) or the button below.

Register Your Podcast Here!

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You can submit your content, press releases, industry/breaking news, links, and podcast relevant information to our engaged audience. » Submit Here! «