10 Lessons I Learned about Podcasting

…based on 120 recorded episodes

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[Updated: 22 December 2021]

Lesson #1: Ask for help and never try something without support.

Last year, I was adamant against the idea. Andy Hibel, a colleague and friend, said I should host my own leadership podcast show. I argued, “That’s too much work!” Three months later, I’m brainstorming with Andy about the show's name.

Lesson #2: To build an audience, you need guests and not necessarily famous ones. Any will bring a small audience, and some may continue to listen.

At the beginning of January, I decided to try publishing three episodes per week for one year (last month, I cut back to two per week due to client work). At the end of the year, I would decide if I would cut back, continue, or end the series. Because the show would be a volunteer service with no budget, I knew that unpaid marketing would reach only a fraction of potential listeners and would take time.

Lesson #3: Live is less time-consuming than recorded sessions with editing.