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Welcome to Creator Columns, where we bring expert HubSpot Creator voices to the Blogs that inspire and help you grow better.
Sometimes people start podcasts out of curiosity, the need to flex a creative muscle, or the drive to tell their story. But what happens after that initial experiment can be powerful: podcasting can create transformative business growth and consistent profit.
When people refer to podcasts as a ‘hobby’, they’re missing so much about what they can do for the entrepreneur, creative, side-hustler, storyteller, and ideator. In fact, podcasts generated over $2 billion in ad revenue in 2023 alone.
The power of podcasting is certainly not lost on me. What started with a nudge and a microphone from my older brother became an outlet for me during a very lonely season of entrepreneurship. It has also turned into the #1 thing I’m known for, The Goal Digger Podcast.
I pressed that ‘record’ button from the front seat of my car in my garage (so no one could hear the dogs barking in the house) and published my first few episodes. I felt like I was throwing a silly idea into the ether and hoping at least one person would listen to it. I didn’t even consider the ways it would help grow and support my business.
110+ million downloads over 800+ episodes later, I’ve witnessed just what consistent podcasting can really do.
Let’s dive into the journey of what it looks like to go from that initial spark of curiosity and the publishing of your first few episodes to building a 7-figure business with podcasting.
A quick spoiler here: This won’t require burnout. It also doesn’t mean you’ll have to shift who you are, what you do, or become a totally different human to see success.
Even though I was in the thick of running my photography business while getting my digital marketing business off the ground, I was apprehensive about starting a podcast. I joked about how no one wanted to hear my voice or learn from me!
But I couldn’t shake my curiosity. Then my brother gave me his old microphone and I felt like all my excuses had finally run out. What did I have to lose? So, I started scared.
I wouldn’t consider myself tech-savvy, so in those first few episodes, I ditched the pro microphone and used my iPhone headphones and my reliable Midwest phone voice, following a light outline I’d jotted down for myself with about six different rewrites. I was worried I would run out of things to say.
Even after I finished recording, I couldn’t bring myself to listen to it. I promised myself I would try. I didn’t want myself to get in the way of that.
From there, I started recording in my coat closet (a nice step up from the car), learning my own flow and comfort behind the microphone. I challenged myself to start asking for audience questions on my Instagram and inviting them to come subscribe to the show with growing confidence.
I sought out podcast guests and stayed consistent with my posting schedule. Eventually, I found a rhythm, building my show into what Goal Digger is today.
It can be hard to know where you start with your own podcast. I felt a little lost in all the details when I first started too. I stressed about nailing the right intro and sign-off for longer than I’d like to admit.
Instead of copying anyone else’s exact approach, what will help your podcast be something you like doing for 100 or 1000 episodes is to make sure it aligns with you. And remember, you can change everything as you learn and grow. You’ll evolve (I sure did), so don’t pressure yourself to get it right on episode one.
One thing that has stayed fairly unchanged from the beginning for me was who I wanted to be as a podcaster. I was determined to be me. I didn’t want fluff or a show that felt like a time-waster. And I wanted my listeners to always know they were getting a genuine reflection of my personality and values. I have never shied away from the real talk.
I have loved online learning for a long time, so I envisioned every episode of my podcast as an opportunity for my listeners to learn. Charting out my episode outlines was a lot like planning a free masterclass every week. I wanted the experts on my show to shine and be seen for who they really are, too.
Eventually, I realized I wanted to share my own thoughts and insights, so I launched solo shows. I have expanded from sharing primarily about digital marketing and business to opening up about other aspects of my life, like seasons of navigating burnout, pivoting the business, motherhood, and loss.
I wanted to have a better connection with my listeners (since a podcast can feel one-sided almost always.) So, I launched a Facebook group for my podcast listeners called Goal Digger Insiders. That group is nearly 65,000 listeners strong.
My community comes together to not only talk about what they’re learning through the podcast, but they’re also a huge resource for each other. Through years of feedback and the usual internet playground of friends and critics, I learned how to find a balance between listening to what my audience wanted more of and staying true to my voice and vision.
As a busy entrepreneur, I knew I didn’t want podcasting to become a tangled, logistical mess. I craved a creative outlet, not a dreaded commitment every week.
Creating a process that fit into the flow of my week and worked well with my energy and schedule became a quick priority. I knew that juggling recording, scheduling guests, publishing episodes, social posting, and everything else could quickly burn me out.
While my podcast started with just me, I eventually added one team member. This helped me keep the system I built running, evolving, and feeling like a fun challenge for us through the seasons.
It’s only ever been just two people running it: me and my podcast producer who’s literally managing the entire show. It’s never been a big crew or a complicated production. I get to show up, talk into a mic, meet amazing people, and we get to share those episodes with the world. That was and still is the goal and that’s why I created a simple system for us to follow.
While my core vision for Goal Digger hasn’t changed over time, almost everything else has. From our posting frequency to the kind of people I seek out as show guests to our branding, intro and outro, and the topics we cover!
Rather than big, sweeping changes, we adapt in small ways as we go. I don’t want to get stuck in a rut for so long that we fear change, so instead, we make it a habit to check in and make constant little tweaks to keep ourselves agile. On top of that, the small changes keep the work we’re doing feeling fresh and exciting!
Stay open to feedback, whether that’s internally with your team, from your listenership, or even your gut telling you something isn’t quite right. The way your show needs to evolve might not always be obvious or come from the latest podcasting stats. Your show might need to change in ways that are wholly unique to you. Maybe you’ll be the first person ever to do what you do in your podcast!
That’s exciting, but you won’t learn what that is if you don’t listen.
And in that process, don’t be afraid to try that new thing. Podcasting is and will always be primarily experimental. Trying new things is central to the kind of art form that podcasting is. If that new thing doesn’t work, I would still count that as a success for trying, learning, and pivoting.
Most of the 800+ episodes of Goal Digger were recorded in my messy closet. I didn’t hit episode 100 and invest in a studio or pressure myself to change just because ‘that’s what success looks like.’ I felt the success of my podcast through the data and impact on my listeners.
I didn’t want to waste energy trying to make my show look successful when I’d rather funnel it into the episodes and conversations themselves. My energy is a valuable resource and I want to spend it where it really counts.
While I love my podcast, it is still just one facet of my business as a whole, so it truly cannot take up all of my time. That’s why creating a system is so important.
I set boundaries around how and when I would record my show. I prioritized rest while carving out focused time to batch-record our episodes. I look at one month at a time and lean into what feels exciting for me in that month so that our content feels fresh, alive, and relevant to the time the episodes are being aired.
Protecting my energy means I get to sit down and be in the right headspace every single time I hit the ‘record’ button. I feel present for my show guests and our conversations get to be genuine rather than rushed or jumbled. I am able to be mentally on track for my solo shows, which keeps me engaged. The more engaged I can be, the more confident I feel about every episode that goes live.
My passion for podcasting can be protected and fostered by good boundaries around my time and energy. I get to show up, pour out, and walk away knowing we’re creating something we’re proud of every time.
We’re not burdened or pressured by trying to do all the things, which is actually what has allowed me to turn my podcasting idea into a major, profit-driving branch of my business. Boundaries are what make room for success.
It’s easy to assume that sponsorships are the main way podcasts can profit, especially since as listeners, we’re used to hearing a barrage of ads (depending on the podcast.)
Sponsors are important and effective but don’t have to be the only way a podcast can monetize. I’ve tested and tried several dozen ways of bringing in income through the podcast, and a handful have risen to the top as my trusted monetization strategies.
You can leverage your podcast into a multitude of profit-generating channels.
Talk about your own business offers (paid or free) to turn your listeners into buyers, or at least email subscribers you can sell to later.
You can use affiliate links and codes to generate income by talking about products and services you’ve tested and love.
You can launch a membership or Patreon community where you share unique content that your listeners and fans can’t get anywhere else.
When it comes to monetizing, I recommend weaving two or more of these methods together so that the effort that goes into every episode has a multi-level payoff for you in the long run.
As you build long-term consistency with your show, you’re not just keeping your listeners happy, but you’re establishing credibility, too. When other opportunities come knocking, you’ll have your podcast to help show what you’re really about.
Your expertise can literally speak for itself when you’ve been leveraging it for hundreds of episodes over multiple years.
Every time I sit down at my desk on a podcast recording day, I smile thinking about how I almost didn’t start this show. I laugh because I can’t believe I get to do this as a job. I’m relieved that this not only turned out to be a creative outlet for so many years but that it also became a chart-topping show.
It wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t publish episode 1. And then 2. And then 3. And it would’ve fizzled out long before I saw success if I hadn’t chosen to stay true to myself and my vision the whole way through!
While the road may look long, I can say that all these years of podcasting felt far too quick. I often feel like I blink and we’re another 100 episodes along, celebrating yet another milestone.
If you’re at the starting line (or merely in the curious phase) of your own podcast, remember to keep celebrating your own milestones. That might mean buying your first microphone, finishing your first episode, getting your first review, or having your first podcast guest.
Building your show to a 7-figure success or whatever ‘success’ authentically looks like for you takes time. It takes doing it scared sometimes. It takes commitment to the consistency. It takes protecting your boundaries, time, and energy so that you can keep moving forward.
It means being intentional with who you work with, how you plan your ‘system’ for podcasting, and how you evolve. And it takes getting smart with how you layer your monetization so that your podcast can fuel your business … or become your business.
Can I help you turn your podcasting curiosity or existing show into podcast success (with your own definition of success leading the way?)
Check out my free podcasting masterclass, Podcasting 101: How to Start, Record, and Profit from Your Show. In this free masterclass, I’ll show you how to start, grow, and monetize your show — no fancy tech or massive audience needed — so you can turn your passion into a powerful platform!
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