I Hate… No LOATH Asking For Money.

The goal

I want to create powerful content to encourage, inspire and change the world. I feel very fortunate to have turned an idea, for Dreamers Podcast, on an airplane into what is just the beginning of my newest legacy.

To me it was never about making a ton of money with a podcast, but rather building three things.

• Legacy doing what I love, which is helping people and holding people up for their amazingness.
• Build a network of amazing people and connecting them together from all around the world.
• Platform to help others make their dreams reality.

Reality

As much as I hate reality and the harshness that it can bring to the table it is what it is. Since leaving my family’s business to build my own future, I have come up with a bunch of ideas and directions to go in. In part, Dreamers Podcast has helped me connect with people to make these dreams closer to reality.

Few obstacles in my path are still in my way to completing my goal of being independent.

• Time is the most precious resource we have. This saying never really meant anything to me growing up, and only started to take form in my mind at 19 years old. Though even with that in mind, I still didn’t and couldn’t treat life as the adventure that everyday provides me with. Editing, especially when I was doing Dreamers Podcast five days a week was a challenge to keep up with the workload. Even through family vacations, I muscled my way through it and coming up with new processes to tackle the task at hand. Now, at five days a week there is still a ton of work to do and it reduces the time I can dedicate to other projects that I have going on.
• Money is the thing that I hate most about this whole independent process. Many people know, or at least think that money is the root of all evil. Sadly, it isn’t, it is food. You can survive without money, but not without food.

How Do You Get Money?

There is two ways to obtain money through podcasting.

1. Sponsorships

I personally feel a deep dedication to my fans and have been careful not to incorporate any advertising to date. This is partly because I don’t want to shill for someone else’s products or services, especially if I have not or do not use the product or service.

People’s dreams are important, and I want to make sure that if and when I do bring sponsorship to the table that it is:

• A good fit for my audience.
• I trust and use the product or service.

So, to me trying to make a quick buck on someone else’s dreams is not ok.

2. Donations

I have avoided this method until now because I am weird about asking for donations. What do I mean by weird? Well, I would donate my own money for fund raising before I go and ask others for money. I feel that something should be exchanged to make it worth the donator’s trust, time and money.

I feel this way because in part I know there are people in the world that need it more than I do. I’d rather see those people helped. With that said, I created a Patreon.com account many months ago, and sat on it. There are a few reasons why I did that.

• Desperate is a look that I didn’t want to come off looking as.
• Success to me is a must, and I don’t like to leave failure out there for everyone to see. I guess that’s a pride thing.
• Worthiness is what I look at my show, and it is something I believe my show has, but I have doubt telling me that my show isn’t old enough, or has a big enough following yet. Do I put my show out often enough to warrant people donating?
• Who am I? Asking for money to fund a product that many would see as a hobby.
• Why don’t people ask me where they can donate, if they really wanted to?
• Offering rewards are not big enough of an incentive for people to want to donate.

These are very real to me, and what I have had to overcome to put myself out there asking for money.

Overcoming

Many friends and fans of Dreamers Podcast have asked about supporting the show, and how they can get involved. To me it has been very encouraging that maybe I should put up some way for people to donate and get rewards. Especially, when I see other shows bringing in money through donations.

Even still having my own doubts about asking for money to help continue make the show possible at three days a week. I feel I have come up with a way to help make the process of receiving money a pleasant one for my donators. I decided to put my own spin on it, and opted to not go the Patreon.com route. Instead I setup my own PayPal donation page where donators can receive rewards for their generosity.

Adding to the rewards, I included some extra paid rewards as well as other ways people can help support the show. This includes an amazon affiliate link for people to use, which only gives a small percentage of money but only requires a click of a link and a purchase within 24 hours. Also there is two links that you can click to tweet or Facebook status about their love for the show. Instructions to rate and review Dreamers Podcast on iTunes, as well as subscribe which can help with exposure of the show. And of course how to leave feedback for the show right on the page.

Included Rewards For Donating

• Invite to Monthly Google+ Hangouts
• Early Access To Episodes
• Hand Written Thank You Letter (mailed)
• Voice Mail Recording
• Shout Out On An Upcoming Episode
• Invite To Private Supporter Facebook Group
• Name And Website Listed On HowToDream.co

Extra Paid Rewards for Donating

• Ellie Badge ($1) (mailed)
• Signed Disney DJ Mash up CD [Adventurtorium.com] ($5) (mailed)
• Piece Of Artwork Inspired By You! ($10) (mailed)

I feel I am offering enough value and incentive to warrant asking for money and yet, still have my own doubts and fears of being judged.

Transparency

Transparency is very important to me, and I feel it would and should be for anyone who decides to donate to my cause. What I opted to do for the support page was to add the number of donators that have contributed and a total of how much money has been collected.

Even Still

With all of that said I still feel leery about asking for money. I don’t know if I will ever be able to conquer this phobia of mine. I know the money helps fund this project as well as future projects that I have in the works so it is a necessity especially since sponsorships are something I’d like to be selective about.

Idealist

I know that I can be an idealist and that everyone needs money to survive and that self-doubt is only defeating the person with it. I am also aware that my idealist views on sponsorship are far from the norm (not that everyone is grabbing at the money at first sight), but my show is important for dreamers and I don’t want to be a sell out to those who believe their dreams are as important as I do.

Let’s Wrap It Up Already!!!

How do you feel about donations? Are you currently accepting donations for your podcast, vlog or blog? Are you donating to any and if you are, why? Do you think I am being ridiculous be asking for money? Or maybe I am being ridiculous with all of my fears of asking for money? I am really curious to hear your input on this topic in the comments.

Thank you for reading.