Hello and welcome to About Progress, a podcast devoted to ordinary people who are striving to make

realistic improvements in their lives and reach their goals, however big or small.

We are building a community of men and women who love to push themselves to overcome obstacles

and make something special of their lives, all by maintaining a healthy balance. In short,

people who know life is about progress, not perfection. What you just heard was the old jingle

and introduction I used for the first few years of About Progress. With us officially

crossing our eight-year anniversary, I thought it was time to do a state of the podcast address,

where I give you the lay of the land on how the podcast is doing. First, though, I want to go back.

With it being such an angsty year for the show, more on that later, a sort of will she

or won't she hear, the origins of the podcast have been on my mind a lot.

And those reflections were encouraged in me earlier this year, thanks to,

what do-somethingless item I had, to get out and get cultured.

One of the ways I intended to do that was to attend an event with Ira Glass.

If you don't know him, he's the host of This American Life, which was the first podcast I actually ever listened to at the recommendation of my friend Whitney, who always do the best things at the best times.

Earlier this year, Ira Glass came to Salt Lake City as part of a giant tour where he gives a speech.

I know he's continuing to do this tour

and goes into and out of it, so I would definitely recommend it. In this speech, he shares seven

things he's learned. And I loved it because it wasn't just any speech. He uses audio clips and

music and video as part of the top that was clearly both so carefully planned but not perfectly scripted.

And that's Glass's style to the tea.

Of the sudden lessons, one is that we have to stink at something for a really, really, really long time before we get good at it.

And he used his podcast as a way to illustrate that.

...