podcasts – Improvement Dave

Hello! Thank you for reading, and I am sorry I have been a stranger. If you follow any of my social media feeds, you might have seen that I launched a Podcast last Friday. The launch was a success and included more than just a Podcast. I would like to share my experience starting a Podcast with a Newsletter and Marketing plan.

WELCOME TO PLAY

Do No Skip Analysis

Let’s be honest. There are a lot of podcasts out there, and the competition has just raised the bar. Instead of competing against my neighbor like I would have in 2004, I am competing with celebrity superstars from Conan O’Brien to Monica Lewinsky. This has been a slow progression, but the landscape has really changed over the last couple years.

This is why it is so important to really think out what you want your show to be about. It needs to be something you love, but it also needs to be niche and novel. The only way to pull listeners’ attention away from TV actors discussing what it was like to make their sitcom is to discuss something you really know or really like.

Which “Host” Platform?

Where you host your Podcast is not all that important to your listeners because you can link all the episodes as sound files via RSS to other platforms. That being said, each platform will offer you a unique experience around price, analytics, and storage.

My main criterion was unlimited storage for free. I don’t mind paying a bit to make the show, but I don’t want to pay forever to have it hosted because eventually I would probably end up stopping paying, not to mention I just do not want to spend that much money.

At the end, I had it narrowed down to Red Circle or Spotify. I love Red Circle as a host, and I really think I want to have another show on there soon, but Spotify recently acquired Anchor, and that brand has so much weight to it. At a certain point, I realized I was using my decision on which platform to choose to put off the launch of my show. So I just went with Spotify because it is HUGE, Free, and has unlimited storage. The last piece was that the analytics from Spotify are certified, so it would be easier to accept sponsors if that ever happens… You never know!

How Do I Record?

I started out using Adobe Podcast, and I really like that platform for recording podcasts. The interface is beautiful and intuitive. Unfortunately, the app crashed a lot, and I even lost some of my recordings. Also, the AI voice enhancer sometimes made me sound like I was someone else, and some of my editors even thought I had a third person on my show. I was shocked that Adobe did not perform, and that really is a first for me. I have grown to respect the Adobe brand, and I love it. Photoshop, Premiere, and Adobe Audition are all environment staples. I even use Adobe Audition to craft the more complex audio for the GAMELAYER show itself. I feel like Adobe Podcast has potential but it has yet to realize it.

I ended up going with Riverside.fm, and I absolutely love it. I am on the lowest paid tier, and the only thing I wish I had was downloadable transcripts (something I definitely want to have), but I think I have some other ideas on how to get those.

Marketing

This is a topic that I wanted to streamline on the cheap. I ended up using a free Buffer account, which lets me connect to up to 3 Social Channels. That’s not a lot, but I am thinking about where I want to be anyway. So far, I am at a branded channel at Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. However, I am not that jazzed about being on Facebook, and I might just post links on the top of that page and abandon it for Blue Sky. If you are interested, I would recommend following the Instagram because I am mostly going to produce REELS from the show. (In addition to the Podcast of course, which I share in the next section.)

INSTAGRAM! https://www.instagram.com/gamelayer.fm/
LINKED IN! https://linkedin.com/company/gamelayerfm
YOUTUBE https://www.youtube.com/@GAMELAYERfm
FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/gamelayer.fm/

(The most recent reels appear at the bottom of this post.)

Another thing I have done that I need to build out more is look into SubStack. I was going to park all of my transcripts there, but I have found it can do so much more, like generate a newsletter, build a community, and even have paywalls for monetized content. I have hosted that at www.gamelayer.fm

Links to the Show

Last but not least, I would like to share the apps that I have chosen to include in the show so far. Please reach out to me on LinkedIn if you want to see this on another app or if you want to be on GAMELAYER!. In this section, I will paste unique versions of how I can share my Podcast using this WordPress web page.

Pocket Cast

Pocket Cast is quickly becoming my favorite Podcast APP, second only to Apple Podcasts.

Apple Podcast

You can never overlook the app that started it all, Apple Podcasts!
(I have not found a way to embed the player on WordPress, but I did get a QR code.)

Apple Podcasts link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gamelayer/id1804386590
QR link to Apple Player:

Spotify Podcast (Formerly Anchor

Next up, we have Spotify, which now owns Anchor and seems to be the largest host for the moment. All the stars are posting their shows there, which really lends itself to longevity. Some features are missing for the small fish like me, but to be honest, I just don’t care.

This last one is just fun. It is an RSS feed developed right in WordPress, so that’s neat! It is not a stand-alone Podcast player, so it only works here on this web page, but I like it because it showcases how easy it is to just paste your RSS feed somewhere and create a Podcast player! So fun!

130 ALIVE | The Power of Customization in Learning Experiences | Vaughn O'Leary – GAMELAYER

SummaryIn this conversation, David Kolmer speaks with Vaughan O'Leary from KPMG about the role of gamification in learning and engagement. They discuss how player reactions during testing can indicate successful design, the importance of customization in learning experiences, and the benefits of community involvement through tournaments. Vaughan shares insights on how to implement gamification strategies effectively, even without digital solutions, to enhance team engagement and learning outcomes.TakeawaysEngagement can be measured through player reactions during testing.Customization allows learners to take ownership of their experience.Community involvement enhances the learning process.Tournaments can be run manually without digital tools.Align activities with company values for better engagement.Using photos and videos can foster team spirit.Gamification can lead to increased participation and motivation.Simple activities can resonate well with participants.Points and prizes can incentivize desired behaviors.Understanding player dynamics can improve future designs.Sound bites"Letting the learner take their own path.""You've got their captured attention.""You can collect points and that sort of thing."Chapters00:00 Introduction to Gamification in Learning02:48 Engagement Through Customization and Personalization03:48 Building Community and Team Involvement through TournamentsKeywordsgamification, learning, engagement, tournaments, customization, team building, KPMG, education, player experience, communityGAMELAYER Alive: Gameified Podcast Creation. Recorded live on site at GAMICON 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. This is a mini-series that highlights experts in the field of game learning, simple practitioners, and even those who are just curious, who happen to be at the conference. These high signal micro-episodes will be released daily, January 2026.This miniseries itself is organized through a card game that promotes conversations through self-hugging. Self-hugging is the aspect or tendency of a designer to create learning environments or artifacts that they themselves would enjoy consuming. This is seen as a negative practice in the game-learning industry. However, for a discussion, self-hugging is actually pretty useful. In this game, practitioners will identify with one of five cards. The cards are laid out on a spectrum of potential personas. Starting with the scientist on one and the Mystic on the other, after selecting their persona card, the speaker will be guided to choose one of three topic cards. The topic of building, the topic of measuring out outcomes, or the topic of the future of the L&D industry.CREDITSGAMELAYER RADIO is found wherever you get your podcasts. Transcripts and swag at Gamelayer.fmTheme Music by Caleb Willitz. calebwillitz.com/ calebwillitz.bandcamp.com/musicPODCAST APP LINKS♥️ Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gamelayer/id1804386590♣️ Pocket Casts https://pca.st/ch0fdeon♦️ Spotify https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/gamelayer♠️ Amazon Music https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/2a617d81-2f96-43a3-9938-7f0b2ad7e49d/gamelayer🎱 YOUTUBE Podcast http://www.youtube.com/@GAMELAYERPODSOCIAL MEDIAINSTAGRAM! https://www.instagram.com/gamelayer.fm/LINKED IN! https://linkedin.com/company/gamelayerfmFACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/gamelayer.fm/YOUTUBE https://www.youtube.com/@GAMELAYERfm#GAMICON, #GAMELAYER, #Game, #Gamified, #Kolmer, #DAVIDKOLMER, #GAMIFICATION, #GAMELEARNING, #IMPROVEMENTDAVE

Recent Instagram Reels

I would like to close out by saying thanks for reading and post a widget that claims it will continuously update with the most recent Instagram Reels. So if you trust Good Ole’ Improvement Dave more than Social Media (Which I think you should.) you can bookmark this page and come back to it weekly to see what I’m up to. Or, of course, you could go to GAMELAYER.FM, but I am not thinking the Reels will live there at this point.