Mike Murphy Unplugged is a podcast for one-man bands and content creators who want to move forward in business and in life. Learn how to use AI, how to create online content for a living, and how to create the life you want.
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Episode Summary: A very special 10-year anniversary episode reflecting on a decade of content creation, the story behind 155 consecutive podcast episodes, and Mike's pivot into AI. From Adobe tutorials to RAG systems, hear how he evolved from Tech Handyman to RAG Handyman — and what's next for the Mike Murphy Content Factory. What You'll Learn Why Mike put Mike Murphy Unplugged on the shelf after…
Episode Summary: A Happy New Year check-in — a walk down memory lane through Mike's path from a one-man band in Naples, Florida to nearly a decade of content creation, plus a look ahead at 2024 goals. What You'll Learn Mike's background: English degree, a law school master's he's never used, and a decade of Adobe/creative tech deep-diving Why he put his name in the podcast title against…
Episode Summary: A behind-the-scenes look at creating Mike's first online class, Introduction to Adobe Audition, with the creative-education platform Domestika — from the first pitch email to filming in their New York City studios. What You'll Learn What Domestika is and how it works as an online creative-education platform What Mike's Introduction to Adobe Audition course covers and who it's for…
Episode Summary: An early, playful experiment: the entire script for this episode was written by ChatGPT, and Mike read it word for word to teach the basics of AI and how podcasters could put it to use back in 2023. What You'll Learn The entire script for this episode was written by ChatGPT and read word for word — an early experiment in AI-generated content The difference between narrow AI,…
Episode Summary: Marking the 7-year anniversary of Mike Murphy Unplugged, this episode tells the story of walking the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage across France and Spain in the fall of 2021. What You'll Learn What the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage is and where the Camino Frances route runs What a pilgrim's passport is and why it matters for staying in albergues The day-by-day timeline of Mike's…
Episode Summary: A quick life and business update after a long gap between episodes — moving out of a beloved beach cottage, losing a full-time job the same week, and walking 650 miles across the Camino de Santiago. What You'll Learn Why Mike moved studios and left his full-time job at Simplecast/SiriusXM in the same week The lesson from Eckhart Tolle he leaned on during a rough stretch of…
Episode Summary: A simple, practical 60-item checklist for creating positive change, read from the book What to Say When You Talk to Yourself by Shad Helmstetter — all about rewiring your brain with positive thoughts and self-talk. What You'll Learn A 60-item checklist for creating positive change, from the book What to Say When You Talk to Yourself The core idea: what you feed your mind is what…
Episode Summary: On the 4th anniversary of Mike Murphy Unplugged, a walk down memory lane revisiting the Top 10 takeaways from year one — and an honest look at how each one holds up three years later. What You'll Learn Revisiting the Top 10 lessons from year one of podcasting, three years later Why "podcasting is a big commitment" held true from 2016 all the way to 2019 Why "done is better than…
Episode Summary: A breakdown of how to move a podcast from one hosting company to another without losing subscribers — covering podcast hosts, directories, RSS feeds, and 301 redirects. What You'll Learn What a podcast host actually does: audio storage, RSS feed generation, and directory syndication What a podcast directory is and why you only submit your RSS feed once What an RSS feed is and why…
Episode Summary: A behind-the-scenes look at a simple, practical financial freedom plan — the two books that inspired it, the "pay yourself first" method, and the specific tools used to put it on autopilot. What You'll Learn The motivation behind building a simple, practical financial plan at 50 Key lessons from I Will Teach You To Be Rich and The Latte Factor The "pay yourself first" method and…
Episode Summary: A holiday update episode looking back at putting Mike Murphy Unplugged on hiatus, landing a new role at Simplecast, and looking ahead to 2019 goals across YouTube, writing, and Murphy Concierge. What You'll Learn Why Mike put the podcast on hiatus and how 2018's minimalism push made that decision easier How the podcast hiatus opened the door to a new role at Simplecast 2019 goals:…
Episode Summary: Marking the 3rd anniversary of Mike Murphy Unplugged with an update on change, development, and creating the life you want — including news of a new role with podcast hosting company Simplecast. What You'll Learn Why Mike started Mike Murphy Unplugged and what podcasting was really for him The value of showing up daily even when it feels like nobody's listening How a personal loss…
Episode Summary: A mid-year check-in on content strategy and work-life balance ahead of a 2-week vacation to Nantucket — planning the second half of 2018 and reflecting on the value of taking a real break. What You'll Learn A mid-year review framework for evaluating your life and business roadmap Why podcasting didn't make the 2018 priority list, but stayed important anyway The 2018 mantra:…
Episode Summary: An announcement episode: after months of decluttering physical and digital life, Mike Murphy Unplugged goes on hiatus after Episode 150 — and why letting go isn't the same as giving up. What You'll Learn The announcement: Mike Murphy Unplugged was going on hiatus after Episode 150 How months of aggressive decluttering, physical and digital, led to this decision What "one man band"…
Episode Summary: A deep dive into IGTV (Instagram TV) shortly after its June 2018 launch — what it was, how it worked, and why Mike planned to use it for Mike Murphy Co. Note: IGTV was discontinued by Instagram in 2022; this episode is preserved as a historical snapshot, not current guidance. What You'll Learn What IGTV was and how it worked when it launched in 2018 The vertical-video specs and…
Episode Summary: After losing a friend, an episode about what really matters in life and business — priorities, urgency, a self-audit, and the recipe for success as a content creator. What You'll Learn How losing a friend reframed what actually matters in life and business A self-audit framework for how you'll be remembered Why the podcast episodes and videos that get the most personal feedback…
Episode Summary: A behind-the-scenes look at self-publishing a first eBook on Amazon — the tools used, the step-by-step process, and an honest read on how it went. What You'll Learn The main tools used to self-publish an eBook: Scrivener, Adobe Creative Cloud, and Vellum How Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) works and how eBook vs. paperback royalties compare The full step-by-step process from topic…
Episode Summary: A motivational episode and a bit of a reality check on what it actually takes to make it as a content creator — the honest time, effort, and patience behind every finished piece of content, and a challenge to stop looking for shortcuts that don't exist. What You'll Learn Why content creation is no longer optional for brands and businesses that want to stay relevant The real time…
Episode Summary: A chapter from Mike's eBook How To Podcast on Wordpress.com , sharing 14 reasons to consider WordPress.com as a combined podcast and website host. Note: plan names and pricing reflect 2018 and have since changed. What You'll Learn 14 reasons WordPress.com made sense as an all-in-one podcast and website host in 2018 The three WordPress.com plan tiers at the time and what each…
Episode Summary: What a podcast media host actually is, how the whole system works behind the scenes, what to look for when choosing one, and the two different hosting setups Mike ran in 2018. What You'll Learn What a podcast media host actually is and how it differs from a website host How podcast media hosting works end to end, from upload to listener download The 3 factors to weigh when…
Episode Summary: The story of how one unexpected email led to Mike's first eBook, How To Podcast on Wordpress.com — and a case study in what makes a cold email actually work. What You'll Learn The anatomy of a good cold email, illustrated by a real one Mike received How a 30-minute Skype call turned into 4 hours and changed Mike's mind about WordPress.com Why podcasting on WordPress.com was such…
Episode Summary: A breakdown of the Amazon Associates affiliate program — how it works, how commissions are structured, what can get an account banned, and good ways to actually use affiliate links. What You'll Learn How the Amazon Associates affiliate program works and how commissions are calculated What "Bounties" are and how they differ from standard commissions The rules that can get an…
Episode Summary: A start-to-finish overview of launching a podcast — the Podcast Roadmap, a free one-page cheat sheet distilling the whole process into 6 main steps plus an optional 7th. What You'll Learn The 6 main steps (plus 1 optional) to launching a podcast from scratch The main tasks inside each step, from planning through monetization Who the Podcast Roadmap is for, whether brand new or…
Episode Summary: A rarely-told, difficult personal story — finding a dead body while working a lawn-care job in New Hampshire, and the encounter with a grieving father that changed how Mike sees everything since. The message: you only have one life, and there's no better time than now to create the one you want. What You'll Learn A true, difficult story from Mike's lawn-care job days, and the…
Episode Summary: A behind-the-scenes, story-driven episode about Mike's journey to make a living as an online educator — and the moment, at 48, he first identified with the word "teacher." What You'll Learn A lifelong love of learning, traced back to childhood curiosity and college-town energy What Mike wants to teach, and to whom: content creation, for creatives and go-getters The concrete steps…
Episode Summary: A behind-the-scenes look at the workflow and tools behind Murphy Concierge, Mike's local freelance tech-handyman business — from client management to scheduling to invoicing. What You'll Learn What Murphy Concierge is and who its two client segments are How to run a client-facing business entirely from an iPhone using cloud tools The full client workflow: booking, scheduling,…
Episode Summary: Behind the scenes of launching Ask Mike Murphy Live, a weekly Q&A livestream — the goals behind it, the concrete steps to start one, and the exact gear Mike used to go live. What You'll Learn The backstory behind launching Mike Murphy Unplugged with zero audience in 2015 What Ask Mike Murphy Live is: a weekly Q&A livestream, and why Mike started it The concrete steps to launch a…
Episode Summary: A deep dive into Amazon Alexa — how the voice assistant works, what it can do, how Amazon Skills and Flash Briefings function, and how to get a podcast onto Alexa devices via TuneIn. What You'll Learn What Amazon Alexa is, how it works, and what the Echo and Echo Dot devices do The range of things Alexa could do in 2018: Q&A, streaming, smart home control, shopping What Amazon…
Episode Summary: A guide to setting up and using an Instagram business profile — the conversion process, the differences from a personal account, the Insights analytics available, and the ad formats businesses could use in 2018. What You'll Learn How to convert a personal Instagram account to a business profile The key differences and limitations between personal and business profiles What…
Episode Summary: A start-to-finish walkthrough of Mike's 2018 backup and digital organization system — the tools, the hardware, and the redundancy strategy behind protecting years of podcast episodes, videos, photos, and business documents. What You'll Learn 3 practical tips to take inventory and get control of scattered digital data The exact 2018 hardware and software backup system Mike used,…
Episode Summary: An iCloud 101 for Apple users — what actually gets backed up, how iCloud Photos syncing works, and how to use iCloud Drive as part of a real backup strategy. What You'll Learn What iCloud actually is and how it powers the whole Apple device ecosystem What gets backed up automatically, and how to check whether your backup is current How iCloud Photos syncing actually works,…
Episode Summary: A behind-the-scenes look at Mike's self-imposed writing challenge, the "Write the Life" project — publish a self-published eBook by April 15, 2018 — plus a quick overview of eBooks in general. What You'll Learn A quick overview of eBooks: what they are, where to buy them, and typical pricing The self-imposed "Write the Life" eBook challenge: publish by April 15, 2018 Why Mike…
Episode Summary: A deep dive into Evernote — what it is, why it took 10 years to finally click as a productivity tool, and the simple organization system that made it stick. What You'll Learn What Evernote is, what it costs, and how it compares to similar note-taking apps Why it took 10 years of on-and-off use before Evernote finally clicked The simple 3-notebook organization system that finally…
Episode Summary: How to figure out what your time and knowledge are worth, and how to create content, products, or services genuinely valuable to others — covering the definition of value, the 4 types of value, and a practical framework for pricing your own time. What You'll Learn Why value is never fixed, and how economic value differs from ethical/sentimental value The 4 types of value:…
Episode Summary: A recap of Podfest Multimedia Expo 2018 — why Mike keeps going back year after year, and the four biggest lessons he brought home this time. What You'll Learn What Podfest Multimedia Expo is and how Mike's reasons for attending evolved over 3 years Why in-person industry events matter, even for self-described introverts 4 key takeaways from Podfest 2018: collaboration, feedback,…
Episode Summary: The final part of a 3-part social media mini-series with livestreaming expert Ross Brand — this episode covers Facebook Live: what it is, how to use it, and content ideas for personal brands and small businesses. What You'll Learn What Facebook Live is and how to go live from both mobile and desktop The tools available for professional-grade Facebook Live production in 2018 A long…
Episode Summary: Part 2 of a 3-part social media mini-series with livestreaming expert Ross Brand — this episode covers Twitter fundamentals, key stats, and practical tips for content creators. What You'll Learn Twitter fundamentals: tweets, mentions, hashtags, likes, and retweets explained Twitter usage stats and the platform's biggest accounts as of 2018 Practical tips for using Twitter for…
Episode Summary: Part 1 of a 3-part social media mini-series with livestreaming expert Ross Brand — this episode covers LinkedIn, why content creators should be using it, and where to focus first. What You'll Learn Why LinkedIn was becoming more of a content-creator platform in 2018 Key LinkedIn facts and demographics at the time Expert advice from livestreaming pioneer Ross Brand on where to…
Episode Summary: A behind-the-scenes look at the Mike Murphy 90-Day Health & Wellness Project — a content-marketing case study built around getting into shape at a local spin studio, told through personal goals, a client win-win, and the gear used to document it all. What You'll Learn Why Mike sees physical and mental health as foundational to business success The 90-day Health & Wellness Project…
Episode Summary: A personal-branding episode — Mike goes behind the scenes with his own origin story, from a childhood injury and discovering the Grateful Dead to the winding cross-country path that led to building Mike Murphy LLC. What You'll Learn Mike's origin story: childhood, a broken femur at 13, and discovering the Grateful Dead The core principles behind his in-progress book: learning,…
Episode Summary: Mike's annual roadmap episode — the mantra and theme for 2018 (fundamentals and storytelling), the 6 priorities for Mike Murphy LLC, and the content schedule he's committing to for the year. What You'll Learn Mike's mantra and theme for 2018: fundamentals and storytelling The 6-priority roadmap for Mike Murphy LLC, from Murphy Concierge to health and wellness The 2018 content…
Episode Summary: A year-end reflection on 2017 — Mike's 5 favorite episodes, a report card against the 2017 Roadmap he set back in Episode 70, and what actually got done vs. what didn't. What You'll Learn Mike's 5 favorite episodes of 2017 and why they stood out A report card on the 2017 Roadmap: simplicity in physical stuff, mindset, and business Content goals vs. actual output for the year,…
Episode Summary: A walkthrough of Apple Podcasts Connect — how to manage an existing podcast, validate and submit a brand-new show, and read the new Podcast Analytics dashboard Apple rolled out in December 2017. What You'll Learn What Apple Podcasts Connect is, and why Apple calls it three different names (iTunes Connect, Podcasts Connect, Apple iTunes Connect) The Manage, Resources, and Validate…
Episode Summary: Five reasons a business — especially a local, brick-and-mortar one — should consider launching a podcast in 2018, covering advertising, authority-building, client relationships, content marketing, and revenue. What You'll Learn 5 reasons a business should consider launching a podcast: advertising, authority, community, content marketing, revenue Why podcasting is intimate and…
Episode Summary: A behind-the-scenes look at how and why Mike makes Instagram Stories every day — one year after the feature's launch — covering process, mindset, topic ideas, and the tools used to make each story more interesting. What You'll Learn What Instagram Stories is and how it compares to Snapchat, one year after launch Mike's daily process and mindset for making Stories, morning through…
Episode Summary: A full blueprint of how Mike launched his side hustle, Murphy Concierge — a local tech-handyman service — covering the why, the exact tools and steps used to get it off the ground, and the revenue goals behind it. What You'll Learn What Murphy Concierge is and why Mike started it as a local tech-handyman side hustle The exact steps and tools used to launch the business: domain,…
Episode Summary: A mobile-recorded episode from Franklin, Tennessee — Black Friday deal roundups, a quick history lesson on Franklin and Nashville, and a behind-the-scenes look at the travel gear kit used to record on the road. What You'll Learn A behind-the-scenes look at Mike's mobile podcast recording gear and travel kit 10 pieces of Franklin & Nashville, Tennessee trivia Black Friday deal…
Episode Summary: A story-time episode — Mike's backstory on how he ended up making daily tutorials and teaching online, what nearly 800 straight days of content creation taught him, and what success actually looks like for Mike Murphy LLC. What You'll Learn The backstory behind Mike's move into daily tutorials and online teaching What 792 straight days of content and 381 straight days of video…
Episode Summary: A behind-the-scenes look at the 2017 Mike Murphy Holiday Gift & Gear Guide for Content Creators — why it exists, how it's produced across video, text, and audio, and where it all gets distributed. What You'll Learn Behind the scenes of the 2017 Mike Murphy Holiday Gift & Gear Guide for Content Creators Why Mike started the Gift Guide in 2016 by teaching himself After Effects the…
Episode Summary: A rundown of the Adobe Creative Cloud 2018 update — the new apps, the headline feature upgrades across Photoshop, Lightroom, and Premiere, and why staying current with creative tools matters even if you can't learn everything at once. What You'll Learn What Adobe Creative Cloud is and why it's the creative-industry standard The major October 2017 update highlights: Lightroom CC,…
