Podcast Envy: Podcasting Mindset, Voice, Impact Beyond Starting, Launching, Monetizing

Episode 055. “Something that I’ve noticed with milestones... is that there’s a feeling of never enough-- never enough downloads; there are never enough episodes; there’s never enough content. And, at times, it can feel like a hamster wheel. And I think there’s a lot of pressure to continue producing content every week.” ~Melissa Guller, Everything is Teachable & Book Smart Happy end of the year, end of the decade, podcast listeners! As the days wind down, I thought this the perfect time to discuss milestone episodes. To be totally honest with you, I hadn’t given the topic much thought until the incredible Sarah Buino, host of Conversations With A Wounded Healer (and one of my clients) asked if I had any suggestions for marking her 100th episode. Ok then! Time to commence thinking about milestones! But where to start?  Listen, hitting publish on your first episode is just as much a milestone as posting your hundredth so don’t let numbers put you off. I chatted with several podcasters whose interpretations

Episode 054. “They sold you this microphone saying that it had 'everything you needed inside the box to get started,' and they gave you that crappy little microphone stand.” ~Your Podcast Boss Black Friday, Cyber Monday…  you are probably super busy tooling around the internet looking for the best deals on podcasting gear… I know you have heard me say so many times in the past that it's not about the microphone -- the success of your show, the quality of your show is so not about the microphone. And I'm going to kind of take that back a little bit.  Gear is important.  You are doing something that requires gear, that requires equipment, that requires a tool to get your message your thought leadership, your ideas, your insights, your wisdom, your incredibly amazing conversations with other people out into the earbuds of listeners everywhere. I have used a lot of different audio gear of different levels and different qualities over the years of podcasting. I have helped many, many podcasters to get their

Episode 053. “Just to have any amount of validation and that well received-ness, that makes you try the next thing with a little less fear that I think it’s really cool and wonderful.” ~Karolyn Blake Twenty (or so) minutes. Seven guests. One question: What has podcasting done for you?  I asked because there are many conversations about what we get from listening to podcasts. But what are the benefits of creating a podcast? Sitting on this side of the mic and talking to our virtual audience?  In answering, my guests and I shared lots of laughs, served up dozens of great quotes, and unanimously agreed on a single truth: What you get out of podcasting is greater than what you put in to it.  Don’t believe me? Well, I’ve got back up. This episode was recorded live at the 2019 Southgate Media Group Podcast Marathon and features insight and advice from: Ansel Burch & Karolyn Blake, two members of the Starlight Radio Dreams network; Angela DeMarco and Jamie Black from the Icky Lousy Junky Life Showdown is a podc

Episode 052. Happy Halloween -- one of my favorite times of year! I love haunted houses and spooky decorations and hot Apple cider. Also, being a former theater kid, I love. Costumes, stage, makeup, playing a role, pretending to be someone or something you are not. It's an opportunity to do things outside of the norm for you to behave in a different way. Heck, maybe even to use a different voice when you speak You may be thinking, what do tarot cards have to do with Halloween? And more importantly, what do they have to do with podcasting? One of my favorite childhood Halloween costumes was that of fortune teller -- I've always been fascinated by the possibility of one being able to see the future or at least be able to see things that most people cannot. Of course, tarot cards may not actually be about telling the future, but I do like to use the cards as a tool for contemplation -- to help me see what I otherwise might not have about a certain situation. So at some point I had the idea to do this in relation

Episode 051. “I think it’s like improv. You’ve given us prompts and we play and it’s a lot of “yes, and…” in terms of our conversation.” ~Andrea Fellows Walters Andrea Fellows Walters and Brandon Neal, co-hosts* and co-creators of Key Change, a podcast from the Santa Fe Opera, are two of my favorite people to work with. They’re as funny and engaging as you’d expect. Now that I think about it, you probably weren’t expecting that from opera podcasters…  Before you switch off, this episode is not about opera per se. It’s about how an opera podcast found its voice. There are, at the very least, two takeaways in it for you: Takeaway #1 - If you’re thinking about building a podcast for your organization, brand, or community, Key Change offers a brilliant example of how to craft and maintain a compelling voice within the confines of and in step with a larger institution. Takeaway #2 - If you’re considering working with a producer or you have no idea what a producer does (and, therefore, unclear as to why you’d need

Episode 050. “I said I would never do a live event... doing it live -- I would never do another podcast at home in my jammies if I didn't have to. THIS is everything! I love the give and take. I love seeing people's reactions. There's nothing to me that compares to having that interaction.” ~Martha Southgate, Southgate Media Group   Question: What happens at a live podcasting event?  1) You experience performing your show in front of an audience. 2) You make connections with other podcasters. 3) You meet existing fans and make new ones. 4) You learn something new about your show or your audience. 5) You have FUN! 6) You make money... maybe.   Martha and Rob Southgate are the co-founders of Southgate Media Group, which started with a vision to make podcasts that are interesting, entertaining and informative for the whole family. In this highly entertaining interview, recorded LIVE of course at the first ever Women in Podcasting Festival in Chicago 2018, Martha and Rob shared with us about their passion for li

Episode 049. "It’s a lot easier than I expected to get people to talk to you for a podcast… I majored in journalism as an undergrad and I remember trying to get people to let me interview them for a story. For some reason, people are way more responsive for this [podcasting] medium." ~Stacy Massey, host of How's Business? from the Institute for Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship Question: What do podcasting, non-profit work, and local entrepreneurship have in common?  Pick One: a) They exist despite time & budget constraintsb) They require mad organizational skills & scrappinessc) They’re fulfilling endeavors, not get-rich-quick schemed) All of the above Answer: Yeah, it’s all of the above.  Stacy Massey, formerly of the Institute for Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship (aka IJ Clinic), joined me in the Podcast Envy studio (live! exciting!) for a dive into the d) end. Our all of the above conversation is packed with tips from Stacy and lessons she learned at the helm of How’s Business?, IJ Clin

Episode 048. "We must create content that matters so much to the people who are listening that they will pay for what they can get for free." Laura Walker, former CEO WNYC Studios @ Podcast Movement The morning after Podcast Movement 2019 in Orlando, Florida, I had an idea for what I hope will be an ongoing wonderful series of behind-the-scenes podcasts specifically for VIP Circle members -- a little more unpolished, a little bit more raw -- which makes me so nervous to say that because I really pride myself on having very professional sounding, very polished episodes. So I recorded, sitting on the balcony outside of my Airbnb room, all of my deepest insights and some questions that came up for me about the craft and culture of podcasting. So this is a preview of episode 001 of what I am calling Craft & Culture BTS with Podcast Envy, exclusively for my Patreon supporters of $5 (or more) per month. On episode 47 of Podcast Envy, my advice for how to win at podcast conferences was to choose one t

"Making pod-friends is super important because as you may or may not yet know, podcasting can sometimes start to feel like this very solitary thing. It's not like performing on stage where you have an immediate feedback loop, an immediate direct interaction with your audience. It is something that likely you are doing in a room by yourself." ~Andrea Klunder, Episode 047. *** If you are listening to this very close to the time that it is released, I'm at Podcast Movement in Orlando, Florida podcast movement 2019. Are you here? Have we met yet?  I am here to teach you how to WIN at podcast conferences.   You didn't know that this was a game, did you?  The reason I wanted to share this with you is because I hear and see so often in the podcasting  community a couple of themes: People are nervous about attending. Podcasters are notoriously often introverted and the idea of talking to strangers in person like face to face instead of over the interwebs audio-only is nerve-racking. People are overwhelmed. Especiall

“My clients think I’m a wizard. I don’t think they know entirely what I do. They just know that I do it…. What I actually do is polish people’s podcasts interviews to save everybody time.” ~Carrie Caulfield Arick, YaYa Podcasting Four podcast editors walk into a bar… Nah, that’s not what happened at all. We got together where you’d expect us to - on a podcast, of course!  Wait! Before you go all “Meh. I’m not an editor so why should I listen?” on this episode, hear me out. You will become a better client and a better podcaster after listening to Carrie Caulfield Arick of YaYa Podcasting, Jennifer Longworth of Bourbon Barrel Podcasting, and Podcasting For Coaches’ Britany Felix. There’s room for everyone at this podcast editors roundtable!  My guests agree that it’s difficult to make family and friends - let alone clients - understand what an editor does. Other aspects of their work are more familiar: consulting, producing, networking, teaching… there’s more; my guests are busy!  But it’s the role of edi

“Audio is a super flexible medium and I think that we have very much limited ourselves in the podcasting space by putting ourselves into two camps: solo hosted or co-hosted shows and interviews.” ~Andrea Klunder, Your Podcast Boss I'm rebutting a rebuttal of an article that I had wanted to rebut from the Podcast Business Journal, which is a daily online resource that's fairly new in the space and I think is trying to present controversial or conflicting points of views for the sake of discussion on social media, which seems to be working quite well because... here we are. Should I have an interview show or a solo show? Article 1: Stop The Interviews. Go Solo. by Robert Crandall Article 2: Most Hosts Shouldn't Go Solo by Richard Davies My opinion??? Read the rest of MY article and get resources and podcast links at:  http://www.thecreativeimpostor.com/podenvy045   Podcast Angel: She Podcasts LIVE! No matter where you are in your podcasting journey, community -- like real flesh and blood community -- is

“It’s a cultural instinct to wait to get picked. To seek out the permission and authority that comes from a publisher or talk show host or even a blogger saying, 'I pick you.'” ~Seth Godin You all — I’ve been bursting at the seams with this podcasting secret — my production team for Power Your Story made it to the TOP 24 FINALISTS of the Google Podcasts PRX Creator Program!!!! Yeah — we had an interview with them and we were inches away from one of those 6 slots for teams to be chosen for up to $40K in funding plus awesome mentoring opportunity and… we didn’t get it. I feel like a deflated balloon. Read the rest of the article at:  http://www.thecreativeimpostor.com/podenvy044   Win a free pass to She Podcasts LIVE! No matter where you are in your podcasting journey, community -- like real flesh and blood community -- is vital to your survival and success! And it's not easy to come by. This conference will be a catalyst for you for that. Get the details here!* You can get a free pass in this special "

“If you're in it for fame and fortune and money, you're in the wrong place. There are way easier ways to do that.” ~Your Podcast Boss No blinky lights, flashing signs, and pockets full of glittery fairy dust needed. There are some big moves being made by big players in the podcast industry at large. HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF $$$$$, in fact. My advice to you? Do what you do best. Focus on listeners. Focus on community. Focus on delivering outstanding content. You know that thing when you're in the ocean and there are massive waves out in the distance and by the time they reach where you are standing near the shore, they are gentle little salty swells around your ankles? Yeah, this is that.   Podcast Angel New to podcasting? Host your RSS feed with Libsyn!! They will take good care of you and they are awesome. Use Promo Code: envy for a a free month of outstanding service and they'll send me a wee little thank you check toward my own hosting with them.   Podcast Envy VIP CIRCLE is her

In Episode 034, I asked you, pleaded with you not to ghost your podcast listeners... and then this year, I disappeared for a while. Was I not following my own advice? Or did I have a legit reason?  HINT: Sometimes you have to prioritize things over your own podcast.    Show Notes: http://www.thecreativeimpostor.com/podenvy042   FEATURED PODCAST ANGEL:  Libsyn! for all your podcast hosting needs: http://www.libysn.com Get a free month with promo code: envy  Here are a few ways that I would love to connect with you: Join my Facebook Community where we create social support for content creators with inspiring prompts, opportunities for you to share your work, talk about money and more. If you are thinking of starting your own podcast, consider doing it together with me and a few friends in the Podcast Envy Launch Pod starting late April 2019. If you already HAVE a podcast and are ready to grow in a meaningful way and make connections, consider the VIP Circle.   Join me for Voice Training at Podfest in Orland

The end? The beginning? The New Year can be a time of excitement, anxiety, FOMO and more. For ME... I decided several years ago to skip the usual holiday hoopla and focus on creating rituals for myself that mean something. I'll share one of those rituals in this episode AND some voice gratitude from community members (both podcasters and listeners) but first... an announcement! Thank you for being a loyal listener of Podcast Envy — I LOVE making this show for you and when I started it last year, it was with the intention of growing my podcast production, consulting and coaching business, The Creative Impostor Studios, and that has happened! Wow!  I can barely keep up and that is while I’ll be dropping back to publishing episodes every other week, rather than weekly. However, there is ONE way you can still get weekly content from me and that is by becoming a Podcast Angel! Podcast Angels directly support this show and the content that I offer for FREE on this podcast and now YOU can become one, de

It's entirely possible that I wouldn't be here, doing this, at least not in this specific way, if not for today's guest, Elsie Escobar. This episode is for you if you have ever wondered whether, why and how your show matters despite stats and downloads. Elsie has been immersed in the field of podcasting since 2006, when she first began with Elsie's Yoga Class, which has been downloaded over 4 million times. She currently co-hosts She Podcasts, both a podcast and the largest online community for women podcasters, as well as produces and co-hosts The Feed, Libsyn's official podcast (Libsyn = the podcasting host I always use and recommend.)  Most recently, Elsie created a mentoring program called the E-League for impact driven podcasters around the central question... HOW ARE WE OFFERING CONTENT THAT BUILDS A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF OUR WORLD? Elsie Escobar, The E-League I could not imagine a series on Podcasting & Social Impact without including Elsie's voice & expertise. This episode is JA

Today I have an incredible wisdom-packed episode for you and, no, that wisdom is not coming from me. That wisdom is coming from four dynamic, super smart, successful women leaders who have created podcasts in the niche of parenting and podcasts for moms. Now wait! If you are not a mom or you are not podcasting about parenting or being a mom that does not mean you should not listen to this episode. You should totally listen because I am not either of those two things and I learned so much from what these women have to share about marketing, niching around purpose, and positioning with their shows, and about something that they pretty much have to be masters of --TIME MANAGEMENT! This episode was inspired by my interview with Julie Neal of Mother's Quest podcast, episode 36, which you can find here. In the meantime, listen now to hear more from... Erica Blocker from Moms with Dreams Jen McLellan from Plus Mommy Debbie Reber from Tilt Parenting and Casey O'Roarty of Joyful Courage Parenting and pop over to http:

Whether you are building a business, a brand, and organization or a personal following, podcasting is a super popular trend amongst companies, nonprofits, and, well, people in general. It sounds so cool and on trend to say you have your own podcast, to imagine your voice being heard by thousands of people around the WORLD, and to know that you have a golden opportunity to influence those listeners through one of the most powerfully intimate forms of media that exists today. There’s definitely a wave to ride and you’re right on the edge, waiting to catch it! But how do you know whether you are ready? It seems easy enough -- you just record your voice and somehow publish it to the internet and voila! Right? I mean I KNOW you don’t think it’s quite that simple -- or you wouldn’t be here, listening to this right now. So I have created a checklist of 6 questions to ask yourself (or your organization) before you dive into your podcasting adventure. Listen in to hear more and pop over to http://bit.ly/podenvy038 to

Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's... oh my! They are here. As a self-employed entrepreneur, I have noticed that typically around this time of year, people drop off the face of the earth. Business gets really slow. Nobody's responding so much on social media. Everyone's running around all distracted. It's getting cold in the Midwest and sometimes snowy and I don't really like that kind of weather. I just want to hole up in my house and do nothing except... well... good thing I make podcasts because I can do that from here. In any case the question inevitably comes up for podcasters (usually accompanied by mild distress to pure panic): What do I do with my show over the holidays? Should I take a break? Should I publish old episodes? Am I going to lose listeners if I disappear for a few weeks? The answer is right here in this episode for you. Want to know what it is? Resources, recommendations, and more at bit.ly/podenvy037.   Holiday BONUS for Email Subscribers Don't get left out! Get on the list (and g

A "for purpose" venture to support mothers sparks a social solidarity movement. I met Julie Neale a couple years ago at Podcast Movement and we became instant friends. Julie pulled me on board for this ambitious heartfelt initiative she founded that year called Women Podcasters in Solidarity -- a collective of women podcasters who have made a pledge to build awareness and funds for social justice through their podcasting platforms. This is a twice-yearly, ongoing initiative with the first focus being on Anti-Racism and the Movement for Black Lives, and the second on Gun Safety with an Intersectional Lens (you can join now for the new season here). In this episode, we talk about social justice, gun violence, the origin story of Mother's Quest, how Julie produces her podcast, and finding joyful moments. A devoted mom on a mission to create a meaningful life for herself alongside and integrated with her role as mother, she supports other mom's to live what she calls an E.P.I.C. life. Find out what that s