WEBVTT 00:00:00.480 --> 00:00:03.279 5 reasons to get a podcast PO box. 00:00:09.519 --> 00:00:12.240 Thank you for joining me for The Audacity to Podcast. 00:00:12.240 --> 00:00:13.199 I'm Daniel J. Lewis. 00:00:13.304 --> 00:00:17.385 Post office boxes or PO boxes or maybe called something else in 00:00:17.385 --> 00:00:20.824 other countries, whatever they're called, wherever you are, they 00:00:20.824 --> 00:00:24.425 require an investment, especially increasing the last few years 00:00:24.425 --> 00:00:28.449 in The United States. But they could be worth it for you. 00:00:28.690 --> 00:00:33.489 So I have 5 reasons that I think you should get a PO box or 00:00:33.489 --> 00:00:35.009 whatever it's called wherever you are. 00:00:35.009 --> 00:00:38.814 Just if I say PO box, just interpret that to whatever it is where 00:00:38.814 --> 00:00:39.375 you are. 00:00:39.375 --> 00:00:42.255 And you can get these kinds of PO boxes from your local post 00:00:42.255 --> 00:00:46.174 office in The United States or even other providers like UPS, 00:00:46.335 --> 00:00:49.295 maybe FedEx, and some other kind of delivery service like that. 00:00:49.295 --> 00:00:54.100 There are even places that all they do is just have things like 00:00:54.100 --> 00:00:58.259 PO boxes for people to be able to rent at varying prices and 00:00:58.259 --> 00:00:59.780 varying sizes as well. 00:00:59.859 --> 00:01:04.340 So I have for you 5 reasons that I think you should get 1 for 00:01:04.340 --> 00:01:07.454 your podcast. Number 1, privacy. 00:01:07.534 --> 00:01:11.454 Obviously, this is the thing that most people think of whenever 00:01:11.454 --> 00:01:14.655 they think of why should I get a PO box. 00:01:14.734 --> 00:01:16.974 They think, well, I wanna protect my privacy. 00:01:16.974 --> 00:01:21.150 And that is certainly the obvious number 1 answer. 00:01:21.150 --> 00:01:25.709 And in fact, all of these reasons tie back to the central idea of 00:01:25.709 --> 00:01:29.469 privacy. But privacy alone isn't good enough. 00:01:29.469 --> 00:01:33.385 Simply having the PO box doesn't give you instant privacy. 00:01:33.465 --> 00:01:36.665 You have to use the PO box in the right way. 00:01:36.905 --> 00:01:40.505 So that's what the remaining 4 points I'm going to share with you 00:01:40.505 --> 00:01:41.145 will be. 00:01:41.145 --> 00:01:43.545 And by the way, if you want to follow along in the notes for this 00:01:43.545 --> 00:01:46.609 episode, they are a simple tap or swipe away, look at the 00:01:46.609 --> 00:01:51.890 chapters, or go to the audacitytopodcast.com/pobox. 00:01:51.890 --> 00:01:56.530 Moving on then to number 2, use your PO box for public records. 00:01:56.965 --> 00:01:59.364 This could be, first of all, for your domain. 00:01:59.364 --> 00:02:02.644 This is not so much of a concern these days because a lot of 00:02:02.644 --> 00:02:06.885 domain registrars now provide at no extra charge what they call 00:02:06.885 --> 00:02:08.724 Who is privacy protection. 00:02:08.805 --> 00:02:11.289 And there's this other thing that's taking over for Who is 00:02:11.289 --> 00:02:14.489 information, and that's RDAP, r d a p. 00:02:14.489 --> 00:02:18.489 But it is when you look up the domain on a website, you might be 00:02:18.489 --> 00:02:21.770 able to find information about who owns that domain. 00:02:22.009 --> 00:02:27.425 This is how I got in trouble with the mom of a little boy who 00:02:27.425 --> 00:02:31.105 owned danieljlewis.com many, many years ago. 00:02:31.185 --> 00:02:35.104 I simply looked up the Who is information on that domain, saw a 00:02:35.104 --> 00:02:37.745 phone number listed, saw that it was a residential phone number, 00:02:37.745 --> 00:02:40.145 and there was a real name associated with the domain. 00:02:40.145 --> 00:02:43.639 So I picked up the phone and called the number that was listed 00:02:43.639 --> 00:02:46.439 publicly there on the Internet like any stalker would do. 00:02:46.439 --> 00:02:50.680 And the mom was really angry at me, and I tried to explain, your 00:02:50.680 --> 00:02:54.360 phone number is publicly visible here on the information about 00:02:54.360 --> 00:02:55.000 the domain. 00:02:55.000 --> 00:02:57.435 So I'm not stalking you or your son or anything like that. 00:02:57.435 --> 00:03:00.235 I just wanted to call and talk about seeing if you want this 00:03:00.235 --> 00:03:01.754 domain anymore and buying it from you. 00:03:01.754 --> 00:03:04.955 Well, I have that domain now, but it's not because of anything 00:03:04.955 --> 00:03:07.435 that happened with that mom finally changing her mind. 00:03:07.435 --> 00:03:09.594 It's just the domain expired, and I got it. 00:03:09.594 --> 00:03:14.300 But nonetheless, your domain could be revealing your personal 00:03:14.300 --> 00:03:15.020 information. 00:03:15.020 --> 00:03:18.540 Potentially, though, a lot of these domain registrars now will 00:03:18.540 --> 00:03:21.340 protect your information for free. 00:03:21.340 --> 00:03:23.740 Some places still charge extra for that. 00:03:23.944 --> 00:03:28.105 Easiest thing to do is go look up the Who is or RDAP information 00:03:28.105 --> 00:03:30.665 for your own domain, and I'll have a couple of links in the notes 00:03:30.665 --> 00:03:34.425 for this episode so you can check that out for your own domain to 00:03:34.425 --> 00:03:38.985 see if it shows your name and your personal home address. 00:03:39.305 --> 00:03:43.699 But the great thing is if you have a PO box, you don't have to 00:03:43.699 --> 00:03:44.340 worry about it. 00:03:44.340 --> 00:03:47.939 You could associate your domains and any other kinds of public 00:03:47.939 --> 00:03:51.659 records or almost any, I would say, public records with your PO 00:03:51.659 --> 00:03:55.145 box instead of your home address or your business address, or 00:03:55.145 --> 00:03:58.504 your PO box could be your business address. 00:03:58.824 --> 00:04:03.305 Number 3, encourage your audience to send things to your PO box. 00:04:03.544 --> 00:04:09.069 This is the most fun thing, and I have received some really fun 00:04:09.069 --> 00:04:11.150 things to my PO box over the years. 00:04:11.150 --> 00:04:15.550 And, yes, I still have the same PO box for forever that I've had. 00:04:15.550 --> 00:04:19.629 It's PO box 739 Burlington, Kentucky 41005. 00:04:19.834 --> 00:04:23.115 You can send fun things to me. Send me podcast swag if you want. 00:04:23.115 --> 00:04:25.675 Send large donations. Send blocks of gold. 00:04:25.675 --> 00:04:28.555 Send blocks of Bitcoin if you want or anything like that. 00:04:28.555 --> 00:04:30.714 That's fun. Chocolates, cream sodas. 00:04:30.714 --> 00:04:34.074 But you can encourage your audience to send things to you too. 00:04:34.540 --> 00:04:38.459 The most exciting thing I've ever received was for my clean 00:04:38.459 --> 00:04:40.300 comedy podcast that I used to host. 00:04:40.379 --> 00:04:43.819 Someone wrote a story that they wanted to share on the podcast, 00:04:43.980 --> 00:04:47.180 and they wrote it on a big inflatable ball. 00:04:47.495 --> 00:04:50.295 I don't mean like basketball size, although that would be pretty 00:04:50.295 --> 00:04:53.495 fun. This is even bigger than a beach ball. 00:04:53.654 --> 00:04:55.895 A big inflatable ball. 00:04:55.895 --> 00:04:58.455 They wrote their story and even their return address. 00:04:58.455 --> 00:05:02.615 They put the postage on that ball and they mailed that to us. 00:05:02.810 --> 00:05:03.850 That was awesome. 00:05:03.850 --> 00:05:07.529 Other people have sent us fun things like stickers, magnets, 00:05:07.529 --> 00:05:12.009 signs, posters, money, really fun stuff. 00:05:12.009 --> 00:05:14.650 You can encourage your audience to do that same thing. 00:05:14.730 --> 00:05:17.529 And most likely, the thing that's holding you back from doing 00:05:17.529 --> 00:05:20.935 that is you're probably thinking, I don't want my audience to 00:05:20.935 --> 00:05:24.855 know where I live. And that is a very legitimate concern. 00:05:24.935 --> 00:05:28.134 That's why the biggest benefit of a PO box is privacy. 00:05:28.134 --> 00:05:31.610 But this is 1 of the benefits that if you get a PO box, then 00:05:31.610 --> 00:05:35.050 privacy is not only no longer a concern, but now you have this 00:05:35.050 --> 00:05:38.970 added advantage of you're providing your audience with a way that 00:05:38.970 --> 00:05:42.169 they can further engage with you and send you things back. 00:05:42.250 --> 00:05:46.014 I frequently talk about the Podcast Profit Paradigm, p r o f I t. 00:05:46.014 --> 00:05:48.814 It's what you and your audience can gain from your podcast. 00:05:48.894 --> 00:05:51.935 Popularity, relationships, opportunity, fun, income, and 00:05:51.935 --> 00:05:57.294 tangibles. That tangibles is perfect for the PO box. 00:05:57.294 --> 00:06:01.250 Your audience can send you all kinds of things to your PO box. 00:06:01.329 --> 00:06:04.529 Some things may or may not be legal in the state that you live 00:06:04.529 --> 00:06:08.689 in, but still you can receive things from your audience and 00:06:08.689 --> 00:06:11.889 encourage your audience to do so when you get a PO box. 00:06:12.125 --> 00:06:16.205 Number 4, use your PO box as a secure delivery address for 00:06:16.205 --> 00:06:17.005 retailers. 00:06:17.085 --> 00:06:20.725 This may not be available everywhere and for every kind of PO 00:06:20.725 --> 00:06:24.045 box, but it's something I've taken advantage of several times 00:06:24.060 --> 00:06:28.860 where I can provide a retailer with my PO box for receiving 00:06:28.860 --> 00:06:33.019 packages. Some places say, we don't ship to PO boxes. Okay. Yeah. 00:06:33.019 --> 00:06:35.259 That's true. Well, here's a cool little trick. 00:06:35.419 --> 00:06:38.905 Some post offices, at least here in The United States, will let 00:06:38.905 --> 00:06:43.785 you send to your PO box by using the street address of the post 00:06:43.785 --> 00:06:47.465 office. If you have a PO box, ask them if they can do this. 00:06:47.465 --> 00:06:52.504 Usually, it involves adding something like simply Box 739, in my 00:06:52.504 --> 00:06:57.199 case, to the address, or you say Suite 739 or Office 739, 00:06:57.199 --> 00:07:01.199 something like that that has your number very obviously as part 00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:02.159 of that address. 00:07:02.159 --> 00:07:06.240 But it is the street address, and many places that say we don't 00:07:06.240 --> 00:07:10.095 ship to PO boxes we'll ship to a street address like that. 00:07:10.175 --> 00:07:14.495 As long as maybe their database system does not make addresses 00:07:14.495 --> 00:07:18.414 completely unique where only 1 person can be associated with an 00:07:18.414 --> 00:07:23.214 address per account or per site wide, that's something that I 00:07:22.610 --> 00:07:25.889 think you would only have to be concerned about in the realm of 00:07:25.889 --> 00:07:26.930 mail in rebates. 00:07:26.930 --> 00:07:30.050 And do people do that anymore besides things like Menards and 00:07:30.050 --> 00:07:33.730 their 11%, which I've been a big customer of lately? 00:07:33.730 --> 00:07:35.970 A whole episode is coming about some of the stuff that I've done 00:07:35.970 --> 00:07:38.645 recently in my house and how it relates to podcasting, but that's 00:07:38.645 --> 00:07:39.444 coming up soon. 00:07:39.444 --> 00:07:42.965 So you could use your PO box as that secure delivery address. 00:07:43.045 --> 00:07:46.485 And I say secure because this means you could receive a package 00:07:46.564 --> 00:07:49.045 and it's delivered to the post office. 00:07:49.125 --> 00:07:52.004 They can sign for it if it's delivered during business hours. 00:07:52.470 --> 00:07:55.509 They can store it securely for you, so you don't have to worry 00:07:55.509 --> 00:07:56.710 about porch thieves. 00:07:56.790 --> 00:07:59.910 This can also be great, not just simply for what happens during 00:07:59.910 --> 00:08:03.029 the day while you might be at work, and then you get home at the 00:08:03.029 --> 00:08:05.910 evening to discover that someone stole your package from the 00:08:05.910 --> 00:08:09.185 front step. This could even be for if you're on a trip. 00:08:09.264 --> 00:08:12.865 I've done this multiple times where I've ordered something while 00:08:12.865 --> 00:08:16.625 I've been on vacation, and I've known that this is going to 00:08:16.625 --> 00:08:20.865 arrive while I'm gone, so I'll send it to my PO box or the street 00:08:20.865 --> 00:08:22.225 address of my PO box. 00:08:22.600 --> 00:08:25.720 And I've received it there securely so I didn't have to worry 00:08:25.720 --> 00:08:29.399 about it sitting on my front porch for days at a time where 00:08:29.399 --> 00:08:32.840 someone could take it or it could be exposed to the elements and 00:08:32.840 --> 00:08:34.120 the weather and damaged. 00:08:34.200 --> 00:08:37.000 So you could use your PO box for that secure delivery address. 00:08:37.000 --> 00:08:40.225 But before you do that, before you start using the street address 00:08:40.225 --> 00:08:43.585 of your post office or whatever kind of provider you're using, 00:08:43.585 --> 00:08:45.585 make sure you check with them. 00:08:45.585 --> 00:08:47.904 Some places may charge extra for this. 00:08:47.985 --> 00:08:50.065 Some places may not allow it at all. 00:08:50.065 --> 00:08:52.304 But do look into that as an option. 00:08:52.465 --> 00:08:56.730 And then number 5, you can boost your reputation with a hint of 00:08:56.730 --> 00:08:57.769 professionalism. 00:08:58.009 --> 00:09:02.810 It is really cool to say, you can send stuff to my PO box. 00:09:02.809 --> 00:09:06.009 Well, not just like that, but to just give that as your address. 00:09:06.394 --> 00:09:11.434 Yeah. I'm reachable at PO box 739 Burlington, Kentucky 41005. 00:09:11.514 --> 00:09:12.634 And that's your address. 00:09:12.634 --> 00:09:14.955 That's your business address, your podcast address. 00:09:15.034 --> 00:09:17.914 If you do anything with business, then certainly you can also 00:09:17.914 --> 00:09:20.074 deduct the expense of your PO box. 00:09:20.075 --> 00:09:22.715 Make sure you check with your accountant though for sure, but 00:09:22.289 --> 00:09:25.169 that's the way I do it and my accountants never had a problem 00:09:25.169 --> 00:09:25.809 with that. 00:09:25.889 --> 00:09:30.690 And this can then be a good investment for you to boost that 00:09:30.690 --> 00:09:34.929 professionalism for you and your podcast, and then all of these 00:09:34.929 --> 00:09:35.970 other benefits. 00:09:35.970 --> 00:09:39.945 But especially the most exciting 1 is being able to receive 00:09:39.945 --> 00:09:41.545 things from your audience. 00:09:41.625 --> 00:09:46.425 So if for no other reason, except for the basic privacy that a PO 00:09:46.425 --> 00:09:50.985 box provides, I think the top benefit for you of having a PO box 00:09:50.985 --> 00:09:55.639 is then being able to get stuff from your audience, and that can 00:09:55.639 --> 00:09:56.200 be exciting. 00:09:56.200 --> 00:09:59.559 And if you ever need to send stuff to your audience, you could 00:09:59.559 --> 00:10:02.759 use your PO box as the return address instead of your home 00:10:02.759 --> 00:10:05.720 address. So think about that for protecting your privacy too. 00:10:05.720 --> 00:10:09.524 So you could more easily send things out to your audience without 00:10:09.524 --> 00:10:13.044 giving away where you live so that you don't get stalked or no 1 00:10:13.044 --> 00:10:15.845 comes knocking on your door wanting to record a podcast with you. 00:10:16.004 --> 00:10:18.804 So check out the notes for a couple of these resources I 00:10:18.804 --> 00:10:23.365 mentioned over at the audacitytopodcast.com/pobox. 00:10:23.709 --> 00:10:27.470 I, a couple of episodes ago, asked you to share your thoughts 00:10:27.470 --> 00:10:30.350 about The Audacity to Podcast, and I would love to remind you 00:10:30.350 --> 00:10:30.830 about this. 00:10:30.830 --> 00:10:33.389 I've gotten some great feedback already, and I'm going to have an 00:10:33.389 --> 00:10:35.709 episode coming up soon to discuss some of these things. 00:10:36.144 --> 00:10:40.704 And I have tested something in this very episode, and I have a 00:10:40.704 --> 00:10:41.664 few theories. 00:10:41.904 --> 00:10:44.945 And so I'm looking for feedback, very general feedback. 00:10:44.945 --> 00:10:48.384 And I'm looking to see how many people notice what I'm looking 00:10:48.384 --> 00:10:52.940 for and how much of my theory can be proven true or false based 00:10:52.940 --> 00:10:55.259 on the feedback I get. So it's really simple. 00:10:55.259 --> 00:10:59.180 What I want is the answer to 3 open ended questions. 00:10:59.420 --> 00:11:03.399 Number 1, what would you like more of from me or The Audacity to 00:11:03.399 --> 00:11:03.660 Podcast? 00:11:03.884 --> 00:11:07.464 Number 2, what would you like less of from me or The Audacity to 00:11:07.464 --> 00:11:07.804 Podcast? 00:11:07.804 --> 00:11:10.924 And number 3, what else do you want to tell me that's been on 00:11:10.924 --> 00:11:11.565 your mind? 00:11:11.565 --> 00:11:13.004 You can send that feedback to me at 00:11:13.004 --> 00:11:17.769 feedback@theaudacitytopodcast.com or send a written or voice mail 00:11:17.769 --> 00:11:21.529 through podcast feedback dot com slash audacity. 00:11:21.769 --> 00:11:24.169 And now that I've given you some of the guts and taught you some 00:11:24.169 --> 00:11:27.850 of the tools, it's time for you to go start and grow your own 00:11:27.850 --> 00:11:32.315 podcast and get a PO box for it for passion and profit. 00:11:32.315 --> 00:11:35.915 I'm Daniel J. Lewis from theaudacitytopodcast.com. 00:11:35.995 --> 00:11:36.795 Thanks for listening.