42: 8 Lessons Learned From Creating A Weekly Podcast

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If the idea of creating your podcast show has been nagging you for a long time, try it so you don’t live on regrets.

As I’m wrapping up the first season of my podcast show, today I’m going through the lessons I learned from creating this podcast.

The end of a month or a quarter end is an excellent opportunity to review your most important projects.

When I created the introduction episode of the show, which is episode 0, I asked myself what was the worst that could happen. A year later, I’m happy to report that publishing an episode every week was quite a ride, but this adventure only had a few lows compared to all the highs it created.

The lows happened when I doubted what I was doing or wondered if it made sense to continue an activity that was taking so much time and energy.

Luckily, thanks to you, I could go through those times quickly when they occurred. Having an audience and receiving supportive messages was always uplifting and helped me see the episodes were useful.

Here are height of the many lessons I learned since I started the podcast.

It’s not about you

A major lesson that will help you break through your inner critic is that the show is not about you.

Focus your attention on your audience, your guests and the value that each episode could bring to your listeners.

When I started the show, I was worried about my accent, and I was frustrated that my English was not perfect. I got over it, and now I am fine with how I sound as long as my guests and my audience understand my questions and comments.

The primary goal of each episode I publish is to provide value and to inspire people to take action toward implementing projects that matter to them.

Test a different content type

If you are not comfortable with writing articles or creating videos, hosting a podcast show is a good alternative creating a blog or a video channel to communicate with your audience.

You can always repurpose your audio content and create different content later such as creating a blog post that would dig deeper into a topic you discussed in your podcast.

Start with a small investment

You don’t need an expensive investment to host your podcast show.

I’m sure you have the minimal equipment to record an audio file.

I would still recommend investing a little bit in a decent microphone to improve the quality of your sound.

There is one thing that I have done that I would not advise you to do: I created a site for my podcast show that is separated from my business website.

I like that I can brand those two sites differently but it has a cost: it takes more time to manage two sites. Some tools require a different license for each website, so it’s also more expensive to maintain both sites.

Learn and grow with consistent work

What I like with podcasting is that consistency matters as it helps your audience know when they should hear from you.

My show is published every Tuesday to motivate entrepreneurs to take action on a particular topic during the week.

Having that consistent deadline and virtual one on one discussion with my listeners holds me accountable to keep producing the episodes regularly.

It’s hard work, mainly at the beginning, but you learn to improve the process.

You also don’t have the time to wonder if you should create an episode. You just do it.

Besides what I gained from interviewing my guests, each episode also helped me learn something about managing a podcast or creating content.

Hosting your own show is an interactive way to grow as a person and as a show host.

Improve your interview skills

I interview my guests as if I have a natural conversation with them at a coffee shop.

I don’t use the same questions for all the guests as I prefer having personalized discussions with them.

It’s an intense and good exercise that teaches me how to get better at interviewing people and let the chat flow with what they want to talk about within the topic I choose for the interview.

All guests have exciting stories to tell and can provide a new viewpoint on an issue you want to discuss. Be curious about learning from them, and you will be surprised at what you can learn from a topic you already discussed multiple times.

Find your topics

The more episodes you create, the more you know about the themes you like to talk about and what your audience wants to learn.

Pay attention to the people you like to discuss or connect with. It can help you discover your mission and your tribe.

If you take the time to review and to assess your work periodically, producing your podcast is also a good way to get to know yourself better.

Deepen and widen your network

One of my favorite benefits of doing podcast interviews is that it creates deeper connections with the guests. I’m still exchanging news with some of them on a regular basis.

I also receive comments from my audience via social media or directly by email.

I love getting to know people at a deeper level, so I feel grateful that you add me to your world every Tuesday, but also that I get to hear from you too.

Don’t create a podcast show just for the sake of doing it or because it’s a trend; you have to care about people.

That makes the experience so rewarding.

Since I mentioned my podcast on different social media platforms, it also helped me connect with other podcasters, which also widened my network. I discovered what others were doing on various topics

Not as scary as you think

Once you publish your first episodes, you will see it’s not as scary or complicated to create than you think.

Don’t compare yourself with what exists when you get started, mainly with professional podcasters with an entire team dedicated to producing each episode.

Focus on your audience and on the message you want to share with them.

We all started from zero and we can only progress.

It’s sometimes tempting to stop. Don’t give up after only a few episodes.

It takes time to build an audience and to find your voice.

However, you should at least know why you want to host a podcast otherwise it will be difficult to stay motivated.

If you have been dreaming about creating your podcast show, do it. It’s a great experience.

Preparing season two

Today’s episode marks the end of the first season of my podcast show, but I plan to continue and create a season two.

Stay tuned and don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes.

There is no homework for you today apart from reminding you to doing more of what you love.

I would also like to hear from you and know what you are up to, even if it’s just to say hi.

If you have a couple of minutes, I would be grateful if you could help me improve the show by providing me with some feedback about this podcast.

Until the show returns later this summer, I wish you a restful and happy time.

And as always, keep moving forward toward creating the changes you want in your life.

Show Notes

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