Start a podcast Archives

podcast studio with two mics, camera, and tv screen. two women speaking into the mics. — This is me recording at a podcast studio – Pod Media Lab

How long have you been putting off starting your podcast? In one of the Facebook podcast groups I’m in, the admin asked how long people put off starting their podcasts and everyone answered YEARS! Some said 2, 3, and even 5 years! But one person wrote this – “I thought about it for a few years, but once I got serious about it, the smartest thing I did was hire someone to help me launch my podcast. They kept me accountable, and I got it launched in a month!”

That is exactly how I want to help you! I will keep you accountable so you don’t give up and coach you every step of the way. You can ask questions whenever they arrive and I will help with any challenges that may arise. And trust me, challenges do happen.

When I launched my podcast I did it all on my own and it was overwhelming. I wish I had someone to talk to when I had doubts, or to share my concerns with, or even just to check up on me to see how I was progressing, but I didn’t have any of that – so because I know how those feelings of doubt creep up, I want to be there for you throughout this whole process!

Here is what we will cover in the 6 weeks of the podcast course.

Week One

In week one we will discuss three things:

What is your why?
What is your niche or topic?
Who is your target audience?

Discovering your why is the first step to launching a podcast because it will be your drive. Your why will help you stay focused, establish goals, vision, and mission, and will keep you going when challenges arise. So when those moments of doubts come up during a roadblock you’ll go back to why and keep going.

You need to know what is your topic and who you are talking to because your podcast isn’t for everyone. And you don’t want it to be for everyone!

Week Two

In week two we will piggyback from week one to help choose a title for your podcast. This comes with knowing your topic and your audience. Then you will choose if you want to do solo episodes, have guests, or a mixture of both. If you want to have seasons, if so, how many episodes per season, or if you want to just continue recording?

I will help you create a cover art for your podcast and select a launch date. This will help map out a plan for your recording schedule and publishing schedule.

Week Three

Now it’s time to research which is the best hosting host for the podcast. Different hosting sites offer different features and some are free and others have paid plans. Once a hosting site has been established it’s time to write the description of the show.

During this week you’ll get your recording equipment, if you don’t already have it. When I started my podcast I started recording on my phone and slowly invested in other equipment, but I don’t want people to not start because they don’t have professional equipment.
Here are the links for the equipment I use for my podcast:

Mic for Zoom interviews

Camera for Zoom interviews

Headphones

Macbook

Camera for in-person interviews

Mic for in-person interviews

(This site contains product affiliate links. I may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links).

The last thing we will work on this week is planning the trailer episode – which is a preview of what the show is about and what’s to come.

Week Four

This week you will record your trailer episode! You’ll have a few friends listen to it and get feedback. We will plan your first six episodes, plan how you’re going to market your show, to then start marketing it that week. And in this week I’ll go over editing and where you can pick royalty-free music.

Week Five

Almost towards the end here – you’re going to upload your trailer episode to your hosting site! Start marketing your trailer episode and get the momentum going! And from here you’ll select five friends to be on your podcast-launching team. More recording will be done this week, you’ll record the intro and outro that you’ll use for each episode, and this week you’ll record your first three episodes.

Week Six

We’ve come to the end of our time together! This week will be a week of reflection on how far you’ve come! You have a podcast – you did it! YOU’VE LAUNCHED A PODCAST!

This week I want to take time to truly celebrate what an accomplishment this is! We will celebrate all the successful podcast launches!

You’ll have your launch team promote your podcast, you’ll schedule your first three episodes, and record your next three since you’ve already planned them!

Let’s Launch Your Podcast!

So are you ready to launch your podcast? If so, let’s set up a call and get you signed up for the course.

P.S. Payment plans are available!

With Love, Heidy

Are you interested in a little bit of a personal development newsletter? With a little bit of poetry? A little of opinion pieces? And some faith-based encouragement? Sign up for my Substack newsletter, “Into My Thoughts.”

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A podcast studio, there are two chairs, two women sitting in each chair. One is interviewing the other, and there are microphones and lights. — Me interviewing a guest for my podcast. Photo by 1L2L Productions

Have you thought about starting a podcast? If so, why haven’t you started? Is the feeling of not knowing where to start holding you back? Is getting the equipment to start holding you back? Maybe, it’s because you think that no one will listen? Or maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed because podcasting is something you’d like to do but you’re unfamiliar with the industry.

Well, if you resonate with any of those questions then fear and doubt is holding you back and I want to help you overcome that. So, here are three reasons why you should start a podcast.

Build a Community with Your Podcast

Regardless of the topic you want to speak about there is an audience for it and the beautiful thing about podcasting is that you can build a community. When I started my podcast in 2022 I had no idea that it would be listened to globally. Currently, people in over 90 countries have listened to my show so think about the potential that yours will have.

You have a unique voice, viewpoint, opinions, and experience – sharing them will attract like-minded listeners, which will create a sense of community around your podcast. With this community that you are creating you can build relationships, network, and even collaborate with some of your listeners. The possibilities are endless.

Let me give you one example of how my podcast led to a collaboration and then a leadership opportunity. I had the pleasure of being a guest on Life With Francy Podcast. Francy is from Puerto Rico but currently lives in Kansas. After being on her show I asked her to be on mine to talk about her immigration journey, so this turned into a collaboration.

From there she was invited to lead a monthly podcast networking event for Women in Podcasting Facebook Group. And she requested for me to be a co-leader with her! So for a few months at the beginning of the year, I was co-leading a podcast networking event. I got to meet other great podcasters and expert guests.

Multiple Sources of Income

Did you know that you can make money from podcasting? According to Forbes Advisors, there are eight ways to make money from your podcast.

Affiliate Codes or Links
Consulting or Coaching
Sponsored Ads or Episodes
Promoting your services or products
Subscriptions or Memberships
Advertising Networks
Selling Merchandise
Donations

Depending on which hosting platform you choose you can make money from ads with them. For example, Spotify has an advertising program where if you achieve 100 new followers every month they will pay you per listen.
Lastly, according to The Verge podcasting will be a $4 Billion industry by 2024! So there is plenty of money to be made.

Expand Your Skills

Podcasting requires a variety of different skills like recording (content creation), audio editing, video editing, public speaking, marketing, writing (descriptions and show notes), planning, organization, and more. As you dive into podcasting, you will develop and polish these skills, which can lead to more opportunities but also personal and professional growth.

Also, you can discover skills you didn’t even know you had with podcasting. For example, I didn’t know I was good at interviewing people until I started podcasting. I’ve gotten compliments before from my guests saying how I asked good questions and dove deep into subjects, but also I made them feel comfortable to be open and share details.

I Want to Help You Launch Your Podcast

If you’ve gotten this far and you’re still not convinced or feeling overwhelmed about starting, I want to help you! I am hosting a live 6-weeks podcast course where I will walk you step by step on how to launch a successful podcast. The course will cover everything from discovering your why, what’s your niche, choosing a format, creating the cover art, editing, equipment, scheduling, hosting sites, and more.

Class will start on Tuesday, September 5th at 7 pm EST via Zoom and we will meet weekly for an hour, for six weeks. At the end of the course you’ll be fully equipt to launch, with a plan, schedule, and knowledge on how to run a smooth podcast operation.

If you are interested in signing up – you can do so here.

Podcasting is for everyone, whether you’re a writer, business owner, content creator, author, photographer, or you want to do it as a hobby – still do it! As I said above, the possibilities are endless. Hope to see you in class!

With Love, Heidy

Make a one-time donation

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$100.00

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Your contribution is appreciated.

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