Tag: independent podcasting

That Podcaster IS NOT Your Friend

In this episode, we discuss the psychology of podcasting and why the format can feel especially personal and intimate. We explore parasocial relationships, how repeated listening and familiar voices can make creators feel like part of a listener’s social world, and how the microphone can shape what we emphasize and…

Continuous Partial Attention

In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy explores the concept of Continuous Partial Attention, a term coined by Linda Stone to describe the modern habit of constantly dividing attention across multiple devices, notifications, conversations, and streams of information. He reflects on how smartphones, social media, email, and the expectation of…

We’re Not as Broken as We Think—But We’re Looking in the Wrong Place

In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy reflects on a powerful 60 Minutes segment featuring Scott Pelley interviewing former university president and senator Ben Sasse about community, relationships, and the growing isolation present in modern culture. The discussion centers on a terminally ill professor’s perspective on what ultimately matters in…

Education Spending vs Student Performance: What the Data Shows

In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy examines public education funding in West Virginia and asks whether the state is seeing meaningful academic results from its educational spending. Using publicly available statistics and national assessment data, he compares West Virginia’s per-student spending against national averages while also looking at student…

Remarkable?

In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy reflects on the meaning of the word “remarkable” and why it has been occupying his thoughts lately. Inspired by comments from podcasting educator Dave Jackson about creating remarkable content, Randy examines how the word is often automatically associated with praise and success even…

School Choice in the Mountain State – The Hope Scholarship Debate

In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy Black takes a thoughtful, even-handed look at the growing school choice movement in West Virginia, with a particular focus on the Hope Scholarship Program. As the program expands toward universal eligibility, it has sparked intense debate among parents, educators, policymakers, and taxpayers. This…

The Top Ten Podcasting Myths Debunked

In this episode of Randy Unscripted, we explore the top ten myths about podcasting that can hold creators back before they even hit record. From the pressure to include video, to fears about gear, downloads, and consistency, we examine the most common misconceptions and why they aren’t always true. This…

Still Showing Up – NaPodPoMo 2025 #30

Reflection and Challenges Randy Black reflects on the month of NAPODPOMO 2025, highlighting how the journey tested his discipline and creativity. The month was particularly challenging due to a personal loss when his father-in-law passed away on day 24. Despite this setback, Randy realized that the routine and focus cultivated…

Committed to the Process – NaPodPoMo 2025 #29

Reflection on NaPodPoMo 2025 Experience: Randy Black reflects on the challenges and lessons learned from completing 30 podcast episodes in 30 days. Initially expecting the endeavor to be incredibly difficult, Randy faced worries about creativity, inspiration, and burnout. However, he discovered that commitment to the process led to personal growth…

Behind the Mic – NaPodPoMo 2025 #17

In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy Black takes listeners behind the scenes of the podcasting process to share how Randy Unscripted is actually created, produced, edited, and published during the intense pace of NaPodPoMo. From recording and editing to chapter markers, publishing workflows, and content organization, Randy offers an…

Why I’m Using PodChapters – NaPodPoMo 2025 #10

In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy discusses PodChapters, a browser-based podcasting tool created by Daniel J. Lewis that helps podcasters generate chapter markers, transcripts, and structured episode navigation. As part of the NAPODPOMO series, Randy explains how the tool has improved his workflow and made it easier to organize…

The Road to PodIndy – NaPodPoMo 2025 #7

In this episode of Randy Unscripted, Randy shares his excitement about attending Pod Indy during his ongoing NAPODPOMO 2025 challenge. He explains the origins and mission of the independent creator event, highlights its focus on collaboration and education for podcasters and content creators, and discusses why gatherings like this are…