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Goals, Announcements, Appreciation, and Song
78 Plays11 months ago
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Introduction and Audience Insights
00:00:00
Speaker
Hey everybody, it's your best buddy Adam here from role players. Surprise, I'm doing a quick little announcement slash kind of update thing before the end of the year. I know everybody's going to be doing their New Year's resolutions or. You know, I bet you somebody out there is doing a resolution. Let's face it, anybody has Riz, it's this guy. I'm just kidding. Or am I? I don't really use the word Riz don't.
00:00:23
Speaker
No, I might edit that out anyway. So I kind of want to just say thank you to everybody who's been listening. I've been going over our analytics and I found a very pleasant surprise that a huge majority of our listeners are in Ireland.
00:00:40
Speaker
We had 1,400 downloads alone in a month from Ireland, 1,200 of which are in Dublin. So hey, you guys fucking rule out there. Thank you
Podcast Growth and Team Evolution
00:00:51
Speaker
so much. Whether it's, I don't know if it's one person downloading 1,400 times, if it's a bunch of y'all, but
00:00:57
Speaker
from the states to Ireland, we appreciate you all, and especially those of you, and you see we have listeners in England, we have listeners in New Zealand, we have listeners in Germany, of course, we have listeners in Argentina, where else? Gosh, I was just looking, we have a few in Iceland, but we're just getting listeners, we have a couple out in the Middle East, so hey, thank you. Of course, we have folks here in the US who are listening, several hundred of you,
00:01:26
Speaker
And we really appreciate it.
00:01:28
Speaker
And I want to give you guys some fun updates or at least some realizations that I've had. You know, because sometimes when you're in the creative world, the entertainment business, so to speak, I guess you could call it a business for us. Sometimes you just, even when you look at the analytics, they can either be depressing or they can be motivating. Sometimes you're afraid to look at those numbers because you want to believe that you're doing better than you are. And other times you just don't believe you're doing well at all.
00:01:59
Speaker
Enroll players has been going for. Gosh, I think we started.
00:02:08
Speaker
We kind of putzed around with it like in late 2020, I think, but it really didn't find its feet until 2021. Then we kind of had like a down period for a while when like I didn't know if the podcast was going to continue. But really,
Creative Process and Analytics
00:02:20
Speaker
like once we found our feet and then picked up Adrian and we picked up Cass and we kind of found our new voice, things have been going really well. Not that it wasn't before, but it's really turned around.
00:02:31
Speaker
And the reason I want to bring that up was because I was looking at our numbers from previous years to now and within the past 13 months we have. We have more than tripled our original first year and a half.
00:02:52
Speaker
year and a half and some change, uh, numbers. So we had 5,000, I think it was 5,200 downloads. When we first started role players, this was like a thing to fuck around and we did try to promote it here and there. But once we kind of got our feet and it was me, Justin Cass and Adrian, and we all started really finding our feet with phony express and the monster of the week extended universe and forkers guys, we have hit 17,000 downloads over the past 13 months.
00:03:22
Speaker
which doesn't sound like a shit ton in the grand scheme of things but considering it took us a year and a half to get five thousand downloads in our first year and a half that's fucking crazy I mean I'm like so touched by that and what you know what I don't even care if it's one person downloading our podcast 17,000 times in a year
00:03:43
Speaker
It's just it's so cool to know that even one person or a group of people out there Like our show that much to listen to it up to that many times whether it's one person or just a fuck ton of you guys, but It really means a lot You know, and I don't really know how to run an online business. So I'm kind of in the gray area about What next steps should look like?
Engagement and Feedback Goals
00:04:06
Speaker
However, that's kind of what I wanted to make this a
00:04:10
Speaker
this little recording for was to kind of lay out to the audience things that I would like participation in and some things that I would like to do. And hopefully I can hear back from you guys about what your resolutions and goals are. So some of these are kind of off the cuff, but I'm looking for something that's measurable because we've all heard of smart goals, right? And they're important and I believe in them. However, I think probably the most
00:04:40
Speaker
To me, the most important letter in that acronym, SMART, is the M, something that is measurable. I think that is a thing that we often lose. Because time is important, something that's time-sensitive. That's the T in SMART goals. And I think the reasonable part, too.
00:05:01
Speaker
But if we don't have a way to chip away at what we're doing, sometimes we don't know if we're making any progress, and then we just stop. We start that gym membership. I want to lose weight. OK. How much weight do you want to lose? Start with the number. How much do you want to lose? And then make the how. How are you going to get there? What's your support system going to look like? You can tackle all the other letters in the acronym, but I think the measurable part is so important.
00:05:29
Speaker
You know, put a number to it. Time is important too, but there's gotta be, there's gotta be something you can measure it by. Like, I wanna lose 15 pounds. All right, that's a good start. Then you can go to the time at the end. I wanna lose 15 pounds in, you know, by the end of February. Okay, cool. I think that's doable, that's reasonable, measurable, time sensitive. Like, that's a good goal. You have steps you can take and a way to track it. Let's see, what else?
00:06:00
Speaker
I want to maybe quit smoking. That's great. But what does that look like? Maybe you smoke two packs a day. You know what? I want to get down to smoking two packs a month, right? See how you do there. Sounds like it'd be really hard if you're used to smoking two packs a day, right? But it kind of, you know,
00:06:20
Speaker
figure out a way that you can measure it. Now, I'm no perfect beacon of getting goals. I've had a gym membership for several months now, and one month I didn't go at all. But I did go back. I was like, all right, Adam, you got to go at least once a week for the next four weeks. Otherwise, you're canceling the fucking thing. So got to get my ass out there again this week because my week is up. So I got to go do it again. And I always find that when I'm there, I love it. It's just getting off my lazy ass and going and doing it. So anyway, I digest.
00:06:48
Speaker
The point of all of it is, is I want to find something measurable for role players that kind of lets me know what listeners are ready to participate and what listeners are ready to or are able to feel that call to action. Because, you know, I realize that sometimes I just forget to say things. I don't know if you all notice in recent episodes that I'm like, hey, review the show, send us a message. And there's a few of you who do. Shout out to our friend Dixon, who sends the most of them. So thanks, my friend.
00:07:17
Speaker
But so kind of here's a measurable goal that I would like to see. So if you're listening, if you're in a safe place, or maybe just pause it and come back to it, please write down the website. It's called PodChaser.
00:07:34
Speaker
Now Podchaser is a website that is kind of like its own little review system, but you can kind of leave written reviews and you can make your favorite playlists and podcasts that you like that you can recommend to other people. It's a great way to share like a group of shows that you like versus just finding the Spotify link or something. And they actually have a pretty big hold in the podcasting community and a lot of people go there to find recommendations. So if you wouldn't mind,
00:08:02
Speaker
please go to podchaser.com slash role players, or just go to Podchaser and search role players. You'll find us, we're on there. You can review individual episodes or you can just review the show as a whole. If you wouldn't mind giving us a star rating or writing a review, if you already haven't, it would mean the world to me. And so my goal for that is right now, I'm looking at it, we have 14 reviews on Podchaser, which is wonderful, I love that.
00:08:44
Speaker
you know, clicking a link is pretty inconvenient. So it'll mean a lot to me to see if at least six more people will go to that website and leave us a review. And now I'm looking at our reviews on Spotify. We're at 4.3 and we have 12 reviews on there.
00:08:49
Speaker
I would like to
00:09:02
Speaker
So I'm hoping to get that up to 20 as well before the end of January. Yeah, we have 12 reviews, 4.3 stars. And you know what? Actually, I like that we don't have five stars. It makes us look a little bit more real. Nothing's perfect. And we are by far, by no means, perfect. So I'd love if you wouldn't mind going to our Spotify, if you listen on Spotify, or going to
00:09:32
Speaker
Podchaser, I would love to see both of them hit 20, but I know not everybody listens to things on Spotify. And honestly, I haven't checked our Apple reviews in a while. I should probably do that.
00:09:42
Speaker
But anyway, I would love to get at least one of those up to 20. Podchaser is probably the easiest one because it's kind of a neutral spot. So if you wouldn't mind going there, you can type something if you want
Future Aspirations
00:09:54
Speaker
or just leave the star reviews. I'd love to see that 14 turn into a 20 and maybe our iTunes and Spotify as well. That would be incredible.
00:10:03
Speaker
because just a few more bumps here and there really does help us get more traction. And if our numbers have shown us anything, we have grown significantly, and I would like to get the audience more involved. So it would mean a lot to me if you did that. I don't have any sort of reward to titillate you with. I probably should have thought of it before I recorded this, but if you have suggestions, you know, I'll come up with something, I'm sure.
00:10:30
Speaker
I don't know. Maybe we'll do like a Powerpuff Girls episode or something where everyone plays a Powerpuff Girl and I'll be Mojo Jojo or something. I don't know. I'll think of it. Don't worry about it. I'll figure it out. Yeah, I'm hoping to do another charity stream. I don't have any ideas for that yet, but that's that's a temporary potential goal, but not something I'm willing to double down on yet. But I figured just to kind of start small,
00:10:56
Speaker
Reviews from the audience for us and then for me I would love you know It took us about a year probably like 13 14 months to get that 17,000 download, which is fucking Incredible by the way, so I'm looking to double that shit by the end of the year 24,000 No, would that be that wouldn't be doubling what yeah two times? 17,000 now don't be 24 I'd be 34 34,000 in 12 months
00:11:27
Speaker
It's crazy. So let's do that. Let's at least make that number one more time before the 2025 comes. And I know that's a long ways away, but it'll creep up on us like it always fucking does. And finally, I would love to hear from you if you let us know what games you like to hear us play, what stories you love to hear us tell.
00:11:48
Speaker
You know, just kind of getting that feedback. I'd also love to get the website redone. Cass and I are going to be working on that hopefully pretty soon. But, you know, I'm not much of a podcast listener, so I'd love to hear your input and like, hey, we need this from the website or this doesn't make sense. So really, this is just a call for help for you guys. Like, let us know what we're doing right, what you don't like that we do.
00:12:12
Speaker
Because at the end of the day, I just want to make sure that you guys are having fun, that you guys are having a good time and that the show can grow and hopefully reach more people because I mean, at the end of the day, I would love for this to be able to pay some of the bills. I really would. I would love to pay people like Cass and Justin and Adrian back in a bigger way and, you know, show them that this is something that can be viable someday.
00:12:39
Speaker
My backup is maybe getting a radio DJ job, I don't know. I had a dream that maybe I could do it. Also, I kind of want to find a producer to pitch an idea to get forkers as a cartoon, maybe on Cartoon Network or something someday. Now, I don't have a smart goal for that yet. It's just kind of in the idea phase. But once I have a plan, you guys will be the first ones to know.
00:13:01
Speaker
Also, if you know anybody who's in like the producer voice acting, whatever realm that can maybe point me in the right direction, let me know because how cool would it be to see a forkers cartoon guys? Tell me that wouldn't be cool in something like Cartoon Network or Adult Swim, which is on Cartoon Network. Yeah. Anyway, you get it. But that's probably it for now.
00:13:25
Speaker
And, you know, thank you guys, as always, for being here, for listening. I'm absolutely floored that we have one hundred and seventy nine episodes of role players up on the server right now. And I'm super thrilled that we have Cass with us, who has been just a delight since she started. She was originally going to start off as a guest on the show. And then I just said, we're just going to adopt you. And then, you know, she said, hey, you know what? I'm going to leave my old show and I'm going to come out with you guys and
00:13:55
Speaker
You know, I feel like she was such a good ray of sunshine for us. And she is probably one of our biggest fans, which is what you love with someone that you work with who loves what you do. And I'm so grateful for Adrian, who I clicked with years ago during the pandemic. And somehow we've still been buds all these years later and staying in contact and meeting in person. And Cass and I also did that.
00:14:23
Speaker
And just, I'm so delighted that I have a German brother from another mother who is just almost exactly 10 years younger than me and feels like the little brother I've always wanted. No, I have a little brother, but Adrian is a little brother that I wanted. And finally,
Appreciation and Personal Projects
00:14:41
Speaker
Justin, I don't even know if he'll listen to this, but this was mine and Justin's brainchild.
00:14:49
Speaker
This started originally because we used to play D&D with our friends years and years ago. And we had like six to eight of us at a time. And we played over like three or four years, different rotating DMs. And I was a big cheerleader for Justin when it was his turn. And he always felt self-conscious and always rushed through all this great dialogue and descriptors that he would write. And I'm like, wow, bro, quit fucking speeding through your hard work. Go back and reread that shit. We're interested. We're here.
00:15:17
Speaker
You know, and I was just always so happy when he was there. He's such a good role player. He's such a good improviser. He is just one of the most creative people that I know. And I don't think he gets to let that out in a lot of other ways.
00:15:32
Speaker
I don't know if role players will be his forever home or if he'll end up finding something else, but I'm so grateful that this many years later, despite the ups and downs that role players had a few years ago, that I still have my best friend on role players because there was a short stint where I didn't have him and I had to lure him back in with the Monster of the Week extended universe. I got him bit by the bug again. Yeah, it'll get you. Honestly, my heart swells thinking about it because
00:16:02
Speaker
He's not the type to be mushy, he's not the type to say a lot of sentimental things or he'll say it in kind of a sarcastic way. But we don't have a lot of talks like that but he's been my best bud for quite a while now and it's just nice to have him. So I'm just really happy with the people that we've met and the crew that we have.
00:16:32
Speaker
And you know, whether role players just continues to be the fun thing we look forward to every week or maybe it becomes a business that can be viable someday. I don't know because I don't know what I'm doing.
00:16:42
Speaker
But I'm happy with where we're at. It's fun to see there's people who are along for the ride. We've met a lot of really cool and creative people and we've had wonderful guests and we've found a new audience and some of you guys are really interactive and just so sweet. And it just truly makes me feel like I am much, much bigger than I am in a way. Like I don't know how to describe it, but I feel like
00:17:12
Speaker
The energy in my body cannot be contained by the body I have, if that makes any sense. So thank you all. Anybody who's listening, whether you've been a friend of the show, a friend of us who has been on the show, you know, I don't know where we're going sometimes. The truth is I'm making it up most of the time. And that goes for my stories. That goes for where the direction of the show is going to be.
00:17:42
Speaker
but right now I just kind of like driving off-road and seeing what happens.
00:17:48
Speaker
And I am just grateful for where we are and what we've accomplished. And I'm not going to wait until the end of the year to post this. I'm just going to post it today, Christmas Day. It's 11.45. It'll probably go up probably the day after Christmas. It's because of how long it'll take me to post it. But by the way, I'm grateful for you guys. And thank you if you made it this far. This is essentially a small episode of shares a lot.
00:18:13
Speaker
Before I forget, keep an eye out on Spotify and wherever else you get your music on December 31st. I have a new album that I made and I'm still learning. I'm still a new artist, but I have one album up already. If you search Random Adam on your music place of choice, you'll see a cartoon version of me pointing at you saying, I knew it. My first album is called I Knew It.
00:18:40
Speaker
I'm proud that it's there. There's a few things I wish I would have redone when I did it, but it's there. There's a song on there about Maverick from Phony Express. If you want to find that, save me as an artist on there.
Closing and Gratitude
00:18:52
Speaker
If you want to support me because I'm trying to do my own little music projects. On December 31st, if the producers do what they're supposed to do and there's no distributing issues because sometimes that happens.
00:19:05
Speaker
I will have a new album called Emotional Smoothie, which I'm really excited about, that'll be coming out on that day. So hopefully if everything goes well, it'll be out sometime in the morning. Now, again, that's if everything goes the way it's supposed to. But either way, it's coming out, and if you want to get a preview of some of those songs, because not every of them, not every of them, what the fuck is every of them? Not every one of them.
00:19:32
Speaker
Not every one of them is up on SoundCloud, but some of them are. If you search fun installers on SoundCloud, you will find some of my music on there and some of the extended album cuts that I put up originally before I had a name for the album are on there. So it'll say like, I knew it extended or something like that. There's a really cool song I'm really proud of called Friendship. There's one about depression that I'm really proud of.
00:19:57
Speaker
There is what the fuck is the other one man? I have so many that I put up I came but oh I have one called blue Kiwi that I wrote in To honor a friend of mine named Azul who was from New Zealand and I wrote a song called what is life without Wi-Fi So there's a few up there that you can look forward to
00:20:15
Speaker
So, again, it's fun installers on SoundCloud if you want to listen to some of those now. And if you want to get them officially on iTunes and Spotify in your favorite places by the end of the year, look up Random Adam, which is my last name as an anagram, which is awesome. First and last name as an anagram, I should say, if I haven't said that already. It's late, leave me alone.
00:20:38
Speaker
That's about it. Sorry guys if I sound like kind of hyper but also kind of quiet. My roommate's sleeping but I just really wanted to make this before I went to sleep. Somebody's got to get up for work in the morning. That's me. Anyway, thank you guys so much. I appreciate the hell out of you. Gosh, I could just talk all day about how grateful I am. I guess I will do that because that's not interesting content and it's been 21 minutes.
00:21:04
Speaker
Anyway, if you made it as far, thank you so much. Thank you for being here. Thank you for continuing to trudge through this chaotic thing that we call our day-to-day lives. I know it's not always easy. I know it's not always fun. And hopefully, we can provide you with a little bit of escape from reality or something entertaining while you're at work, while you're on a drive, or just to help you feel a little less shitty in your day.
00:21:25
Speaker
Because really that's why we're here. That's why we're doing this so that we can You know to bring it all back around and Justin and I started this we always thought boy We should really record these because we have so many fond memories of playing but no like record of it and now we're here so that way we have record of all the goofy and stupid shit that we've done the only differences now we have fans who laugh and and Cackle at it with us and it means the world. So thank you a million times over
00:21:55
Speaker
Without further ado, I think I'm just gonna play myself out. I don't know what song I'm gonna put in. It's gonna go right here. There are too many songs about romantic love. But the ones that get you through life are often your buds.
00:22:22
Speaker
So I'm here to spread the joy To all the party people that I get to annoy This one goes out to every single person I love How about a little bridge first? That's nice, isn't it?
00:22:55
Speaker
I got a few I have not seen in years And when I think of you It brings me to tears But if you ever swing in a town You'll always have a place to sleep when you come around This one goes out to every single person I love
00:23:26
Speaker
There are too many friends who live so far away Yet they fill my heart when they send a message my way Oh the tapestries we weave When we're hopping online to play some make believe This one goes out to every single person I love
00:23:56
Speaker
Yeah, that means you. But this was neat to have here.
00:24:30
Speaker
There are too many friends I've lost to the cold hand of death And when I think of them I pause and take on one extra breath Regardless of the tenets you keep I can't always see you when I fade off to sleep This one goes out to every single person I love
00:25:02
Speaker
Yeah, I got a few that have seen me at my lowest of lows. And without you, what would have happened, nobody knows. And when I say I love you, there's nothing in this universe that's truer than true. This one goes out to every single person I love.
00:25:32
Speaker
That's right, every single one of you. Regardless of my efforts, I don't know if I'll ever be able to tell you all just how much I care. And I don't think that there are enough words and combinations in any language on planet Earth or any planets in this multiverse that I could piece together to tell you exactly how much you mean to me.
00:25:58
Speaker
So thanks for being here. Thanks for being around. Thanks for giving me your time. Yeah, just thank you. And have a good one.