The Daily Dave - Podcasting Tips - Odd Things Promoted Via Podcasting - Are You Falling Victim To Bad Podcast Advice Ok, this is getting a bit ridiculous! I had a client reach out to me and ask if they should become a "Certified Podcaster" I asked them a few questions, certified by whom? Is this a real thing? Sounds strange to me?! I know and respect many podcasters that have been podcasting from the dawn of time, they aren't certified! I am not certified! Certification is a fancy term for gatekeeping. Certified is a way to separate people into groups, those with certification, those without! I can go to my local office supply store, buy some highlighters, paper clips, paper, pens and a bunch of business cards and ta da! Dave is a coach! Then, I can create a funnel/certification in Canva in a few minutes, slap a $2000 fee to it and sell it to well-meaning, hard working podcasters as the next must have in podcasting. The problem? There isn't a need for it, and, the person offering this certification is just creating something out of nothing and then convincing unsuspecting podcasters to buy the thing that we haven't needed, ever! Would you respect me more if I was certified? Well I am not going to spend thousands of dollars to buy a meaningless title that the podcast industry does not need. Going to an accredited source, trusted, proven and certified to certify others is one thing - creating a certification in Canva is something quite the opposite! Please do not, I repeat, do not spend money on something that really is not a real thing - like being a "Certified Podcaster or Podcast Coach" Snake Oil Salespeople exist - buyer beware, results vary, research everything before you spend any amount of money with anyone, on anything in podcasting. If you are not sure about someone's offer, let's chat before you hit "Add to Cart" on the next psudeo, disingenuous and made up thing created to sell to you - buyer beware! _____ https://howtopodcast.ca/