podcasting

What is a Creative Indie Podcaster?

When I first started podcast consulting, I was convinced I could provide help to almost anyone in their podcasting journey. But over the years, I've realized that the clients I enjoy working with the most and who tend to seek me out most frequently are Creative Independent Podcasters.

And many of them don't even know they fall into that category — which makes sense, considering when most people hear, "I'm a podcaster," perhaps the idea of a tech bro talking head is the first image that comes to mind.

And while that unfortunate stereotype isn't far off from what some podcasters aspire to be, that didn't seem to be my client base or who I was writing about podcasting for.

Last year I sat down and decided to get really, truly clear on who I was writing and curating my blog and newsletter for and I listed all the adjectives I could to describe how I pictured my readers to embody. The ones that stood out the most and what I felt directly called to my purpose in podcasting was Creative & Independent.

Pick My Brain: Getting Started in Podcast Consulting

I got an email recently from someone looking for advice about getting started as a podcast consultant. Because of a recent death in the family, my email has become quite a mess. So I apologize to anyone waiting on a reply from me. I’ve been slowly chipping away at my inbox and, even though I tend not to spend too long on email responses, I found myself enjoying writing this particular reply.

So I’m sharing it here in case any podcasters want to think about adding Podcast Consultant to their resume.

A Reminder That You CAN Take A Break From Your Podcast

I don’t know who needs to hear/read this, but you CAN take breaks from your podcast.

Sometimes you may need to take a break because your personal or professional life is going through a transition and you need to put some of your creative work to the side to focus on something big like a move or health concern. For parents like me, you may find you want to take some time off before school starts to make sure you can focus on getting everyone ready.

,

Podcast Interview Mistakes to Avoid

,

Whenever podcasters ask me how to become better at interviews, the No. 1 piece of advice I offer is to practice, practice, practice!

If you listen to any interview podcast, most likely you’ll hear a difference in the interviewer’s comfort level when you compare an earlier episode to a more recent one.

But when you’re first starting to podcast and not yet in that interviewing groove, here are some mistakes to be aware of:

Instagram Story Ideas for Podcasters

Lots of podcasters love Instagram because it adds a visual element to their podcast, plus it gives them an opportunity to connect with their listeners outside of the show. Instagram is also a great platform to get discovered organically, especially if you’re using hashtags related to your show and the topics you cover.

But many folks struggle when it comes to engaging their audience. I’ve seen numerous podcasters sign up for a social media account for their podcast, but all they do is promote new episodes. It doesn’t really give the audience much to interact with, and if you’re familiar with how algorithms work, you already know that engagement on a post can lead to Instagram pushing your post in front of more people, leading to more engagement and more views, etc.

3 Things for New Podcasters to Consider Before Starting That Podcast

Thinking of starting a podcast in 2022? Here are 3 things I tell new podcasters to consider before pressing that record button:

1️⃣ What do you want to talk about?

So many podcasters think podcasting works like this: they get a mic and start talking about everything and anything, and boom! Ka-ching 🤑🤑🤑

Here's the reality: 50% of podcasts stop producing by episode 7. (This is called Podfade 😉) Why? Because they didn't plan topics and ran out of things to talk about. Or they failed to realize how much time and effort it takes to podcast and it's not just about getting on the mic and talking, and they give up.

Podcasters’ Gift Guide 2018

Podcasters’ Gift Guide 2018

In case you didn’t know, podcasters can be a tad obsessed with gear sometimes. Even if we have everything we could possibly need, Shiny Object Syndrome is no stranger to us when it comes to new tools in podcasting.

Those who love us may ask what we want for the holidays and sometimes it’s just easier to say “socks,” rather than explain what the difference is between a Zoom H5, a Zoom H6, and Zoom.us. But now you can just share this post with them, instead!

How RSS Feeds Work and Why Podcast Hosting Companies Are Important

How RSS Feeds Work and Why Podcast Hosting Companies Are Important

Confused about how an RSS feed works? Wondering why you need a hosting company for your podcast? Confused about submitting to Apple Podcasts?

I have a video of a water experiment that will hopefully clear things up. (Plus, I've always wanted to be a Zoom kid, but this is probably the closest I'll get.)

Finding an Amazing Podcast Editor for Your Show

Finding an Amazing Podcast Editor for Your Show

Your show is like your baby. You wouldn't just grab anyone off the street to babysit, right? As you can imagine, one of the first things people ask when they are looking for an editor is "how much"?

While that's a valid question, there are some things to take into consideration, instead of just looking for the cheapest deals.

"You Can't Do That on a Podcast!" (yes you can)

"You Can't Do That on a Podcast!" (yes you can)

A line you might see in articles that seem to come out every few months is the idea that podcasts are "the wild west of media." While I don't necessarily agree with the idea that podcasts are new (shameless plug for my podcast The Story Behind Podcasts), I love the idea that new podcasts are being created and new formats are being experimented on all the time, and it's wonderful.

I get disheartened when I see emerging podcasters lose steam when they see a podcast that's similar to what they are producing or, maybe even worse, not seeing any podcast that sounds like the one they want to produce.

But that's the great thing about podcasting. Could anyone have predicted that following a true crime investigation of a single case for 12 episodes would be a huge breakout hit? Or that a guy in his garage would get to interview the president of the United States? Or that indie shows like a show with the premise of ghost tours for the theater of the mind would surpass 2 million episodes and thrive on being entirely listener-supported? Or that a stack of found letters between two girls and their landlord would become a cult phenomenon?