Why I’m Starting A Podcast

I’ve been talking about starting a podcast for probably a couple of months now, idly mentioning it in my newsletters and posting some polls in Instagram Stories. I've been thinking about it for even longer, knowing somewhere deep down it would be a great channel of content for me, but never quite plucking the guts to do it (more on this later).

However, my guts have been plucked and episode one of Grow With Soul goes live on Friday! Rather than just blab on about what the podcast is going to be like, I thought it would be more interesting to dig into my motivations for it, to lift the curtain on the behind the scenes of Simple & Season and let you in on my thought process for marketing my own business. But before we get stuck into that, there’s an important question to ask first…

Why haven’t I started a podcast before?

I’ve known for about a year that I should have a podcast (for the reasons I’ll go into below). But I’ve been putting it off and putting it off, even though I am sure it’s going to be one of the most impactful things I’ll be able to do for my business. Why? There’s a mixture: fear, know-how, and ‘what will people think’.

My excuse for a long time was that I didn’t know how to edit a podcast, and didn’t really have the time or inclination to learn. I wanted it to be really good quality, and, if I’m honest with myself, used that as an excuse for a long time. I’m outsourcing the editing to Alex at Sonics, and the fact that that was so easy is how I know this know-how thing was an excuse all along.There never seemed to be a good time to launch it because people I knew seemed to be bringing out podcasts and I was worried about adding something to an already busy market. I don’t believe that just because someone else is doing something that you can’t do it too (the example I always give is that nobody has ever said ‘don’t write a book, someone else already has’). But I was worried about how I’d do it in a different and valuable way. And I was worried about being judged.

As much as I have a ‘more the merrier’ attitude to these kind of things, I know not everyone does. I was afraid that people would quietly judge me, accuse me of copying in private messages to their friends, that people would think I was just jumping on the bandwagon now that everyone has a podcast. But there comes a point where you have to prioritise yourself and your business and decide that doing the thing is more important than the opinions of others.So I budgeted my money and time over three months and set about starting a goddamn podcast.

Now, let’s get into the why...

The best way to connect with my people

I’ve long known that a podcast will be the very best way to connect with my people. I know that you’re avid podcast listeners; I know that I am an avid podcast listener. When I was setting up my business I listened to hours upon hours of podcasts and it’s no real exaggeration to say they changed my life. It’s such an easy way to consume content, but it’s intimate too. I wanted to up the ante in my relationship with my audience – to be more whole and real, a voice in their ear buds. I also know that podcasts are the best way to connect with my people because I’ve seen such a huge impact from being a guest on other shows. Around a third of my income in Q1 came from people who heard me for the first time on podcasts, so I know it’s where my people feel at home.

Demonstrate my services

I think another reason my guest appearances on podcasts have been so successful is that it’s a great medium for showing off what I do. Through blogging I can establish my expertise and provide value, and I can show my face and talk on Stories, but neither of them can demonstrate what a coaching relationship with me will be like like a podcast can. I really wanted to create something that would demystify coaching for people, where they could hear me talking to others the way I’d talk to them, to help them make a decision that they’d like to coach with me (or not – and that’s fine too!).

Connect with influencers

The podcast is also an excellent excuse to connect with influencers and people that I’d never be brave enough to speak to without a reason. It’s a way for me to not only get on their radar, but have truly great conversations and provide them with some value by giving them a platform to tell their story and promote their businesses. It helps me too, by getting me in front of their audiences in a way that I can control.

Starting to move towards a one-to-many model

This was really the biggest factor in why I finally decided to go for it with the podcast. I have a pretty clear vision about where I want my business and life to go over the next couple of years, and how I want to best help people create and market their businesses in a soulful, sustainable way. I’m planning to shift from the predominantly one-to-one model I have now, to a predominantly one-to-many model.So that means I will take on fewer one-to-one coaching clients, but have more group coaching offerings, courses and events. Because that way I can impact more people, and also have more time and space in my own life at a time where I’ll be thinking about starting a family. This is all years away, but I wanted to start doing small things now that will move me into a better position to start that transition in the future. The podcast is one of those things, as if everything goes to plan, it will help me reach and build a wider audience.