Sean Szeps has been branded the funniest dad in Australia (at least that’s what his mum thinks if you ask Sean), but his 150K+ Instagram followers tend to agree.
Originally from America, Sean moved to Australia with his husband Josh Szeps and twins Stella and Cooper, now six, picking up work hosting parenting podcasts such as Spotify’s The Dad Kit and Mamamia’s The Baby Bubble.
His accolades since then have been plenty with the self-confessed “internet clown” launching the country’s first coming out podcast, Come Out Wherever You Are, and more recently writing his hilarious and tender memoir Not Like Other Dads.
An affirmed “Officeworks SuperFan”, Sean shares his secrets for people with aspirations of starting a podcast, penning a book and becoming a social media influencer, as well as his creative must-haves.
Sean Szeps’s Home and Business Essentials
An Extensive Pen Collection
“I have a very large collection of pens that are off limits to my kids and the Staedtler Triplus Fineliners are my absolute favourite. I've been using them for years as my go-to doodling pens. Sure, you just could buy a six-pack. But if you're into pens like me, then you might as well take my word for it that they are epic, commit and get the 40-pack. They have a triangular grip which prevents hand fatigue and the ink is water-based dry safe. In short: they are super pens.
“I have also always been obsessed with the BIC 4 Colour Retractable Ballpoint Pen. And when I say always, I mean it. My dad would put them in my Christmas stocking. I used them in high school and in college to colour-code my notes and I've just never stopped loving them. They take boring notes and journal entries to the next level, which is why I own about six and keep one in every room in my house.”
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Drawers for Organisation
“One of my favourite – and most colourful – purchases since becoming a father was this Really Useful Box 8 Drawer Storage. We've had ours for three years now! Besides being ridiculously durable and mobile (it comes with wheels), it has a 7L capacity across eight different drawers and it's rainbow so it adds a playful pop of colour to whatever room you wheel it into.”
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Essentials for Family Craft Projects
“I'm lucky to live very close to an Officeworks, so I take our twins at least once a month. I give them free rein of the kids’ craft aisles and we always come home with a project or two. Officeworks has an amazing assortment of craft kits that are grab-and-go but, when in doubt, you really can't go wrong with our two favourites: washable paint and super clay!
“We also have a Born Art Caddy in every room in our house, perfect for storing arts and crafts supplies and moving them around easily when you're working on a craft project outside or in another room. But they're also great for storing and playing with small toys or even tools. I started with just one and now we have five!”
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Post-It Note
“I'm a big Post-It Note fan. I will find just about any reason to use a Post-It Note, so it shouldn't be a shock that I have two different Post-It Note dispensers around the house.”
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Journals
“I’m a massive fan of journalling – it’s been the key to my mental health journey. I invest in quality journals and end each day with a series of prompts to clear my head.”
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Sean Szep’s Top 3 Tips for Starting a Podcast
- Pitch your podcast: “I'm a firm believer in going straight to the podcast networks and pitching your big idea to them. It's absolutely possible to start a podcast on your own. There are endless tutorials and platforms to help you get started, but working with industry experts to bring your vision to life is the fastest way to launch a show and turn it into a profitable project.”
- Unique ideas win: “Make sure you have an idea that is genuinely original. These podcast networks get pitched ideas every single day, so ask yourself if your idea is fresh and needed in a very crowded landscape. Then, once you have a solid understanding of your show (title, format, length, target audience and potential guests), build a beautiful Powerpoint presentation.”
- Secure contacts: “Find email addresses to pitch your ideas to all the biggest podcast networks. Most of the big networks in Australia (LiSTNR, ABC, NOVA, iHeartPodcast) have that information available on their website, and the only thing stopping you from pitching a podcast is, well, you.”
SEE ALSO: Alyce Tran: My Creative Business Essentials
Sean Szeps’s Top 3 Tips for Writing a Book
- Read while you write: “Whenever people ask me for writing tips, I always say to keep reading. This is where the very best motivation and inspiration will come from. And don't just read in the genre you're currently writing, but push yourself to explore writers and categories you don't always read. Some of the best ideas will come from the places you least expect it.”
- Pick an end date: “So that you have a goal to work towards. Then, pick an ideal word count (80,000 is standard) and determine how many words you'd need to write a week to help you accomplish the goal. There are apps like Scrivener that will then allow you track your daily (or weekly) writing against your goal. For me, having these smaller micro-goals to work towards (2000 words per week) was much less daunting and allowed me to tackle the larger goal in a more manageable manner.”
- Write first, edit later: “Many writers will tell you to ‘write first, edit later’ – and they aren't wrong. It's a popular writing principle for a reason. Some of the best work comes from when you're ‘in the flow’; when you're lost in the world of your characters, you're typing so fast and the ideas come to you. When you're in that ‘flow’ you're not worried about the perfect words or even spelling or grammar. Instead, you're just getting ideas onto the paper, which you can always tighten up later. When you edit as you go, you pause that flow and disrupt the natural storytelling cadence that comes from telling a story to a friend.”
Sean Szeps’s bonus writing tip: “Experiment with recording yourself and using a translating app after the fact to bring your spoken word to the written page. You'll be shocked at how much time you save and what emotions come through. So I guess my fourth tip is ‘record first, write second, edit later’!”
Sean Szeps’s Top 3 Tips To Become A Social Influencer
- Put yourself out there: “If you want to be a full-time influencer and get paid to partner with popular brands, then you need to start showing the world – yourself included – that you're capable of creating branded content long before you have the big audience and opportunity to do so.”
- Be genuine: “It will feel strange at first, but talking about your favourite products in an authentic manner to a camera alone in your house is a strange skill that you'll need to practise and master. It's a muscle that needs to be exercised. Brands won't just give you the chance if they can't see that you're capable of creating branded content. But how do you do that before they are paying you? You do it for free.”
- Act like you're already popular: “Create the content and page today that you'll want to have in the future. Even if you only have 200 followers, you need to act like you have 200,000 today. The right brands (and followers) will notice with time and you'll get to iron out the kinks while you wait for them to see what a star you are.”
