The Ask Mike Show

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 livestream show, from committing to a time to marketing it
• The specific hardware and software Mike used to go live in 2018

The Backstory

Mike started Mike Murphy Unplugged in September 2015 to give himself a platform to teach, find his voice, and document the journey of starting an online business. Sharing knowledge and tools as he learned them helped him just as much as it helped anyone listening — and teaching what you know is one of the fastest ways to get genuinely good at it. Committing to a weekly podcast built a rhythm that shaped his teaching voice and helped establish authority in the podcasting and content-creator space.

Mike launched Mike Murphy Unplugged on Friday, September 25, 2015 with zero audience. The following Monday, on a whim, he started a live Q&A show on Blab.im (#ripblab) to build exposure and help people figure things out live.

What Is Ask Mike Murphy Live?

A version 2 of “Open Mike Night,” which Mike ran every Monday night for over a year starting in 2015. Ask Mike Murphy went live every Monday at 9pm Eastern, answering questions and helping people with tech issues or feedback on designs, videos, or websites — starting on Facebook, with YouTube and Twitch planned as future experiments.

Goals for Starting a Live Q&A Show

Mike loves the Q&A format — few things are as satisfying as solving a real problem for someone or giving gear/tech advice that genuinely helps. The ultimate goal: reach more people, build community, and keep doing what he loves — helping people figure things out.

Steps to Create a Livestream Show

1. Commit and pick a time. The hardest part was committing to a consistent slot — Monday nights at 9pm — and mentally showing up for it every week, the same discipline as the podcast itself.
2. Create graphics and artwork for the livestream across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Recommended sizes: 1920×1080 (wide, for video overlays), 1080×1080 (square, for Instagram), and 1080×1920 (vertical, for Instagram Stories). Tools: Adobe Photoshop, Canva (free templates), and Unsplash (free photos).
3. Make optional promo videos or animations using any video tool — Adobe After Effects, Premiere Pro, Photoshop, ScreenFlow, or Camtasia.
4. Market it. Post graphics or short animations announcing the livestream and build some buzz, even without knowing whether anyone will show up. Don’t get discouraged if nobody does the first few times — do the show anyway, since people can always watch the replay.

Tools Used to Go Live

• Software: ECamm Live ($39, with a free trial)
• Webcam: Logitech C920
• Microphone: Shure SM7B
• Mixer: Allen & Heath ZED10
• Lights: iKan IFD576 LED
• Alternatives to ECamm Live: BeLive.TV (web-based, a great option), OBS Studio (free and open-source), or Wirecast by Telestream ($500+)

Conclusion

Ask Mike Murphy is a live Q&A show covering podcasting, video, design, web, online business, and everything in between — office hours on Monday nights, 9:00-10:00pm Eastern, starting on Facebook with YouTube Live and Twitch planned for future shows.