When Less is Actually More: Our 2026 Show Rebuild

Aloha Flow Riders,

We used to think a professional show needed ALL the graphics, transitions, and bells and whistles. We were wrong. So we're hitting the reset button.

This week, we pulled back the curtain on our complete show rebuild. Live, in real-time, with all the messy decision-making included.

The biggest revelation? The best shows let YOU shine, not your 47 animated backgrounds.

The Salt and Steak Philosophy

Doc said something that made us completely rethink our approach:

A diamond solitaire. The little black dress. A perfectly cooked steak.

Elegance doesn't need extras.

Same goes for your show. Those 47 animated backgrounds and glowing borders? They might be working against you.

Why Simplification Saves Your Show
(And Your Sanity)

We learned this the hard way at a live event when Marshall (our incredible designer) created gorgeous profiles with video backgrounds and animated effects. They looked AMAZING.

They were also 20 gigabytes.

The profiles nearly crashed our fully-loaded M4 Mac Mini during the show.

Here's Why: Every extra element you add is three more things your computer has to handle: rendering, recording, and encoding.

What This Means for Your Show:

• Transparent pixels are still pixels - Even if you can't see them, your computer is working to process them. Crop your graphics properly.
• Video backgrounds = heavy lifting - Convert to WebM format to dramatically reduce file size (we're talking WAY smaller).
• More scenes ≠ better production - We're cutting unnecessary scenes. If you have 95 scenes, you're doing too much.

🎬 WATCH THE FULL EPISODE

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This newsletter only scratches the surface. In the full episode, we also cover:

• Dual Mode strategy: How to simultaneously create perfect vertical AND horizontal recordings without extra work
• The comment overlay debate: When bigger is better (and when it's not)
• Keyboard shortcuts that save hours: Doc's muscle-memory tricks for faster scene building
• The TV Test: Why you should ALWAYS check your show on multiple screens before going live
• Our upcoming Zoom workshop: Join us February 6th for live show-building together (we will send an email out to everyone for a reminder)

📬 SEND US YOUR MAILBAG QUESTIONS

We're kicking off our monthly mailbag format, and we want to feature YOU!

Record a horizontal video on your phone (please, for the love of Beyoncé 🙏) introducing yourself, your show, and your question. Any podcast or live streaming question works, we want to hear from you AND promote your show.

Our New Framework: Monthly Themes
+ 4-Week Structure

Starting in February, we're implementing a format that keeps us focused and our audience engaged:

Week 1: Deep dive into the monthly topic
​Week 2: Expert guest conversation
​Week 3: Workshop - we do the work together, live
​Week 4: Mailbag - your questions answered

(Note: In February, we're flipping weeks 2 and 3—guest interview comes week 3, workshop comes week 2.)

February's Theme: Community Building Through Podcasting

We're not talking about building an audience. We're talking about building a community. People who show up, engage, and stick around because they feel connected.

🏆 JOIN THE FLOW RIDERS LEADERBOARD

Want to win an epic prize at the end of 2026?

Everyone on our email list at flow.ecamm.com is eligible to enter to win.

Boost your chances by:

• Sending us video questions (scroll up and submit a mailbag question)
• Showing up to live episodes
• Taking action on what you learn (and click the button to tell us you did it)
• And a few more surprises along the way.

Plus: We're planning surprise pop-up giveaways throughout the year because that's just how we roll.

Mahalo,
​Doc Rock & Katie
​The Flow