Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Channing McNeal. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Channing, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
The only goal we had when starting The BLT Podcast, was to just hang out with our friends and have real conversations. We truly had no idea what form that would take or how to even make that happen. None of us had any prior knowledge of audio editing, hosting, or entertainment. Because of this, the podcast has been through several different iterations. When we first started, we had one microphone and 7 people. This was great for getting everyone in the room, but not great for sound quality. Through trial and error (mostly error) we have gotten to a place where we are extremely proud of the product we put out every week. Even during those times when the audio quality wasn’t great or the questions weren’t the best, what powered us through is the simple enjoyment we got from recording the podcast. It sounds very cliché, but the biggest reason the podcast has gotten better is the time spent tweaking and trying different things. All four of us come to the table with new ideas (some work and some don’t) but at the end of the day, it’s always a learning experience and we always have a good time because we are doing it with each other. To me, that is the one thing about “learning your craft” that we want to share with other people. Whatever your craft is, make sure it is something you enjoy, independent of any feedback or accolades you get. There will be times when you try things and they do not work, but all that means is that you are one step closer to something that does. There is no timeline or schedule for learning, so be patient with yourself. Just remember to keep asking yourself, “Am I having fun doing this?”
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
The BLT (Black Lunch Table) Podcast is what happens when you take the conversations from people just sitting around the lunch table and broadcast them to everyone. We take questions (both from table members and listeners) and try to give people the real answers they’re looking for. None of us are experts on anything (and none of us pretend to be), but we try to keep our conversations fun and will answer basically anything. From dating, to work to food; think of it as stepping into our group chat for one hour every week. You may not agree with our answers, but you’ll have a good time. So, if you ever want four honest opinions on a situation/question, you’re in the right place!
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding part about creating is hearing about the positive impact the podcast has on people. The podcast already has a positive effect on us, we love doing it and get to hang out once a week. But to hear that is has made someone else laugh or that one of the questions helped someone else in their relationship is more than we could ever ask four. We try our best to be as real on the podcast as we can, so it is always great to hear that people recognize that realness and appreciate it. Even something as small as hearing that someone sent the podcast to someone else puts a smile on each of our faces. It’s just awesome to know that something you’re doing is having a positive impact on someone’s life.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
The main thing driving our creative journey is simply the desire to keep doing it. The four of us are very close, but as we get older and more “life” happens, the podcast has become a set time that we all come together and just talk. Any type of monetary success or recognition that comes to the podcast is always great, but that’s just a bonus. The goal remains, as it always has, to keep having real conversations. 
Contact Info:
- Website: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-blt/id1453904793?ign-itscg=30440&ign-itsct=catchall_p1
- Instagram: @thebltpod
- Twitter: @thebltpod