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I want to tell you something that no one in the podcasting world wants to say out loud.
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The microphone does not matter yet.
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I know.
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You've probably been researching microphones for several days.
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You might have a comparison spreadsheet.
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You've probably watched some YouTube videos about audio equipment, and you now have opinions about condenser versus dynamic microphones.
00:00:21.600 --> 00:00:25.760
But none of that matters until you've done the work that we were going to talk about today.
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Because you cannot edit your way out of a bad strategy.
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You cannot buy equipment that fixes a fuzzy show concept, and you cannot grow an audience around a podcast that does not know what it's for.
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In this episode, we're going to be building your foundation, three pillars that determine whether your show grows or quietly disappears six months from now.
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This is the work that happens before you even open your recording software, and it's the most important work that you will do in this entire series.
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Let's get into it.
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So here is the most common thing I see with new podcasters.
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They get excited about the idea of having a show.
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They buy their gear, they pick a name, they record a few episodes, hit publish, and then three months later they're wondering why nothing is happening.
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And when I take a look at these shows, the problem is almost never the audio quality.
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It's also almost never the production value.
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It's almost always that they skipped the strategy entirely.
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They did not get clear on who the show was for.
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They did not get specific about what problem it solves.
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They did not connect it to their business goals.
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And so the show is just there.
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It's nice to have, but it's not really doing anything for them.
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A podcast with a clear strategy and decent audio will always outperform a podcast with beautiful audio and absolutely no strategy.
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Every single time.
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So before we talk about anything else, we're going to build yours using a framework that I like to call the NVP framework.
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So MVP stands for message and mission, viable format and framework, and promotion and profitability.
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All three have to work together for your show to actually function as a business asset, not just a passion project, not just content, a real lead generation tool that serves your business.
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So let's go through each one, starting with M.
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So the M is for message and mission.
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The tagline that I use for this pillar is this clarify your purpose, connect with your audience, and create a podcast that aligns with your business.
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And this is where everything starts, because your podcast needs to have a reason to exist beyond just you wanting to have a show.
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And that reason needs to be specific enough that the right listener can find it and immediately know that it was made for them.
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There are five things you need to nail inside this pillar.
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The first is your podcast's purpose.
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What is the core message of your show?
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How does it connect to your brand and your business?
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If your podcast and your business are not pointing at the same thing, then you're creating a content hamster wheel with no exit ramp.
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The second thing is your ideal listener.
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Who are they?
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What problems are they dealing with?
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And what transformation does your podcast give them?
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Not in a generic sense, but specifically.
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The more clearly you can describe that person who needs your show, the easier everything else gets.
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Your episode topics, your titles, your promotion, and your offers.
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The third thing is your content plan.
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So this does not need to be complicated.
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Map out five to ten episode ideas based on what your ideal listener needs and what naturally connects to your offers.
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If your episode ideas have nothing to do with what you sell, then you have a content hobby, not a podcast funnel.
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The fourth thing is your naming and branding.
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Your podcast name, tagline, and visual branding need to clearly communicate your message, not just sound cool or feel fun.
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Communicate who this is for and what they get from listening.
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We're going to dig into naming in episode three, but I want you to start thinking about it now.
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And then fifth, we have your podcast funnel.
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This is the piece most new podcasters completely miss.
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Your podcast should strategically lead listeners towards your offers and your services.
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Every episode is an on-ramp.
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Every call to action is a next step.
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Your podcast is not separate from your marketing.
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It is your marketing.
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So when you're building out your message and mission, you're not just thinking about what episodes that you want to make.
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You are thinking about how this show serves your business, how it brings in leads, and how it builds trust with people who are going to become buyers.
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Next is M.
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So then we have the mission statement.
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So here is the practical piece.
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I want you to write a show mission statement.
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Just one sentence.
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It does not need to be perfect, it just has to be specific.
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So I want you to use this formula.
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My podcast helps blank do blank so that they can blank.
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Specific person, specific outcome, bigger transformation.
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So for example, my podcast helps new mom entrepreneurs launch their first podcast so that they can start building an audience and generating leads without adding more hours to their week.
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That sentence tells me exactly who the show is for, what they get from listening, and why it matters to them.
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Someone could read that and immediately know whether the show is for them or not.
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Your mission statement is not your tagline.
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It is your internal compass.
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The thing that you come back to when you're deciding whether an episode idea fits, or when you're wondering if you're talking to the right person.
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Write it down now or at least start drafting it while you listen.
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The V is viable format and framework.
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So the tagline here is set up a simple, sustainable structure so your podcast fits into your busy life.
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Viable is the keyword here.
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Not impressive, not ambitious, but viable.
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This pillar is about figuring out the format and structure that you can actually maintain week after week given your real life and your real schedule.
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Because consistency is what builds a podcast audience.
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And consistency requires a format that works for your life, not someone else's.
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So inside this pillar, there are five things to figure out.
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First is your format.
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Do you want to do solo, interview, or hybrid?
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Each one has different time requirements, different production complexity, and different strengths when it comes to growth.
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There is no universally right answer.
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There is only the right answer for you.
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Episode three will go deeper on this, so I won't spoil it now.
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Then the second is your episode structure.
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You want an outline that you can plug content into every single time without reinventing the wheel.
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A simple, repeatable structure like hook, main content, call to action means that you are never staring at a blank page wondering how to organize your thoughts.
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The third thing is your batching and workflow strategy.
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If you're a mom running a business in limited hours, batching is not optional.
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It is survival.
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How are you going to record multiple episodes in one sitting?
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What does your production workflow look like so it does not eat your whole week?
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Fourth, your recording and editing setup.
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And here is my hot take.
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Simple beats perfect.
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A decent USB microphone and a free recording platform will serve you better than fancy equipment you can now figure out how to use.
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We will go through tech recommendations in a later episode, but your rule of thumb is low barrier, high consistency.
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And fifth is your podcast host and publishing setup.
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You need to choose a hosting platform and get your feed live.
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And this sounds a little bit more technical than it actually is, and it's a one-time setup.
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So after that, it's just a regular part of your workflow.
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The goal of the viable format pillar is to make your podcast something that fits into your life rather than taking over your life.
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Because a show you've been sustained for two years is infinitely more valuable than a show that burned you out in three short months.
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Then we have promotion and profitability.
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The tagline here is get your podcast in front of the right people and start making money without burnout.
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This is a pillar that most new podcasters forget to plan for entirely.
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They spend all their energy on production and zero energy thinking about how anyone is going to find the show.
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Then they're shocked when their downloads are low.
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Growth does not happen by accident, it happens by design.
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So there are five things inside this pillar.
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First, we have organic podcast growth.
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This includes SEO, which yes, it does apply to podcasts.
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It also includes strategic collaborations and repurposing your episodes across multiple platforms.
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Your podcast episode should not live and die on your podcast feed.
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It should fuel your social content, your email, your blog, etc.
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One episode should have multiple touch points.
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The second is self-sponsored ads and monetization.
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Here is a mindset shift I want you to make right now.
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You do not have to wait to monetize your podcast.
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You can monetize from episode one by using self-sponsored ads.
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Basically, treating your own show like a sponsor and talking about your own offers the way a sponsor would.
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Your services, your digital products, your courses are all baked right into the episode as it makes sense.
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Then the third thing is leveraging guests for growth.
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So this is a strategy not everyone needs to do, but guests at but guest episodes can be impactful.
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Guest episodes are not just about the content, they're about cross-promotion.
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So when you have the right guests on your show, you get in front of their audiences.
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And when they share the episode, your show can grow.
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Guest strategy is a great growth strategy, but it's not for everyone.
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Then we have the fourth thing, which is podcast visibility and positioning.
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Your podcast builds your expert positioning.
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It creates social proof, it gives you something to pitch when you want to get on other shows or speak on stages.
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Your podcast is a visibility tool that compounds over time.
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And fifth, consistent promotion without burnout.
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And this is where systems come in.
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You need a simple marketing plan for your podcast that does not require you to think from scratch every single week.
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Episode goes live, here's the checklist, here's the content, done, plug and play.
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And the promotion and profitability pillar is what separates podcasters who are just creating content from podcasters who are building a business asset.
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And that distinction matters a lot when you're working in limited hours.
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So before you commit to a show concept, I want you to sit with this question.
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If this show never made me any money, would I still want to make it?
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And I know that sounds counter of and I know that sounds counterintuitive coming from someone who is literally teaching you how to use your podcast as a business asset, but hear me out.
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The podcasters who build something real are the ones who genuinely love their topic, who would want to talk about it at a dinner party, who get excited when they think of new episode ideas, who find research enjoyable even when it takes them time.
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Because there will be a period, and I want to prepare you for this, where the downloads are slow, the growth feels invisible, and you're putting in effort that does not seem to be paying off quite yet.
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The shows that survive that period are the ones where the host actually loves what they're talking about.
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So if your honest answer is no, I would not make the show if it did not make me any money.
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That is very important information.
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It doesn't mean you should not have a podcast, it might mean that you need a different topic, one that lights you up much more.
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Passion plus strategy, that is a combination that actually works.
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So here is your homework before episode three.
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I want you to write your show mission statement using this formula.
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My podcast helps blank, do blank so that they can blank.
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Fill in all three blanks and then read it out loud.
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If it sounds vague or generic, then tighten it.
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Then I want you to run it through the MVP lens.
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Does your mission connect to your message and purpose?
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Does the format you're imagining feel viable for your real life?
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And do you have even a rough idea of how you will promote it and what profitability looks like for your show?
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If all three feel solid, you are ready for episode three where we're getting into naming your show and choosing your format.
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Two decisions that will follow you for the life of your podcast.
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So we're gonna get them right.
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Your mission statement deserves better than a note on your phone that you'll never find again.
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In section three of the free workbook, there is the formula, the blanks, and the ideal listener questions that make it even easier to write.
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You can find it by going to podcastingformoms.co slash ready.
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And if you're doing this work and realizing you want more support than a podcast series can give you, the podcast launch lab walks you through the entire MVP framework with worksheets.
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So you leave module one with your foundation completely locked in, your mission, your ideal listener, your content plan, your format, and your monetization strategy all mapped out before you record a single word.
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The link to learn more is in the show notes.
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All right, that is episode two strategy before you even think about what tech you're gonna purchase.
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Always.
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I'll see you in episode three where we're getting into the fun stuff, which is your show name and format.
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And yes, I have strong opinions about both, and I'm not gonna apologize for it.
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I'll see you there.
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I want to tell you something that no one in the podcasting world wants to say out loud.
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The microphone does not matter yet.
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I know.
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You've probably been researching microphones for several days.
00:00:11.439 --> 00:00:13.679
You might have a comparison spreadsheet.
00:00:13.839 --> 00:00:21.359
You've probably watched some YouTube videos about audio equipment, and you now have opinions about condenser versus dynamic microphones.
00:00:21.600 --> 00:00:25.760
But none of that matters until you've done the work that we were going to talk about today.
00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:29.039
Because you cannot edit your way out of a bad strategy.
00:00:29.280 --> 00:00:36.000
You cannot buy equipment that fixes a fuzzy show concept, and you cannot grow an audience around a podcast that does not know what it's for.
00:00:36.240 --> 00:00:44.000
In this episode, we're going to be building your foundation, three pillars that determine whether your show grows or quietly disappears six months from now.
00:00:44.240 --> 00:00:50.479
This is the work that happens before you even open your recording software, and it's the most important work that you will do in this entire series.
00:00:50.719 --> 00:00:51.679
Let's get into it.
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So here is the most common thing I see with new podcasters.
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They get excited about the idea of having a show.
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They buy their gear, they pick a name, they record a few episodes, hit publish, and then three months later they're wondering why nothing is happening.
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And when I take a look at these shows, the problem is almost never the audio quality.
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It's also almost never the production value.
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It's almost always that they skipped the strategy entirely.
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They did not get clear on who the show was for.
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They did not get specific about what problem it solves.
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They did not connect it to their business goals.
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And so the show is just there.
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It's nice to have, but it's not really doing anything for them.
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A podcast with a clear strategy and decent audio will always outperform a podcast with beautiful audio and absolutely no strategy.
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Every single time.
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So before we talk about anything else, we're going to build yours using a framework that I like to call the NVP framework.
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So MVP stands for message and mission, viable format and framework, and promotion and profitability.
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All three have to work together for your show to actually function as a business asset, not just a passion project, not just content, a real lead generation tool that serves your business.
00:02:03.120 --> 00:02:05.680
So let's go through each one, starting with M.
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So the M is for message and mission.
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The tagline that I use for this pillar is this clarify your purpose, connect with your audience, and create a podcast that aligns with your business.
00:02:16.479 --> 00:02:22.560
And this is where everything starts, because your podcast needs to have a reason to exist beyond just you wanting to have a show.
00:02:22.639 --> 00:02:28.080
And that reason needs to be specific enough that the right listener can find it and immediately know that it was made for them.
00:02:28.319 --> 00:02:31.039
There are five things you need to nail inside this pillar.
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The first is your podcast's purpose.
00:02:33.759 --> 00:02:35.919
What is the core message of your show?
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How does it connect to your brand and your business?
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If your podcast and your business are not pointing at the same thing, then you're creating a content hamster wheel with no exit ramp.
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The second thing is your ideal listener.
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Who are they?
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What problems are they dealing with?
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And what transformation does your podcast give them?
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Not in a generic sense, but specifically.
00:02:57.439 --> 00:03:02.319
The more clearly you can describe that person who needs your show, the easier everything else gets.
00:03:02.479 --> 00:03:06.240
Your episode topics, your titles, your promotion, and your offers.
00:03:06.479 --> 00:03:08.719
The third thing is your content plan.
00:03:08.960 --> 00:03:10.800
So this does not need to be complicated.
00:03:10.960 --> 00:03:16.800
Map out five to ten episode ideas based on what your ideal listener needs and what naturally connects to your offers.
00:03:17.039 --> 00:03:22.560
If your episode ideas have nothing to do with what you sell, then you have a content hobby, not a podcast funnel.
00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:25.280
The fourth thing is your naming and branding.
00:03:25.439 --> 00:03:32.800
Your podcast name, tagline, and visual branding need to clearly communicate your message, not just sound cool or feel fun.
00:03:33.120 --> 00:03:36.240
Communicate who this is for and what they get from listening.
00:03:36.479 --> 00:03:41.199
We're going to dig into naming in episode three, but I want you to start thinking about it now.
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And then fifth, we have your podcast funnel.
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This is the piece most new podcasters completely miss.
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Your podcast should strategically lead listeners towards your offers and your services.
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Every episode is an on-ramp.
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Every call to action is a next step.
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Your podcast is not separate from your marketing.
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It is your marketing.
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So when you're building out your message and mission, you're not just thinking about what episodes that you want to make.
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You are thinking about how this show serves your business, how it brings in leads, and how it builds trust with people who are going to become buyers.
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Next is M.
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So then we have the mission statement.
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So here is the practical piece.
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I want you to write a show mission statement.
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Just one sentence.
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It does not need to be perfect, it just has to be specific.
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So I want you to use this formula.
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My podcast helps blank do blank so that they can blank.
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Specific person, specific outcome, bigger transformation.
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So for example, my podcast helps new mom entrepreneurs launch their first podcast so that they can start building an audience and generating leads without adding more hours to their week.
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That sentence tells me exactly who the show is for, what they get from listening, and why it matters to them.
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Someone could read that and immediately know whether the show is for them or not.
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Your mission statement is not your tagline.
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It is your internal compass.
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The thing that you come back to when you're deciding whether an episode idea fits, or when you're wondering if you're talking to the right person.
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Write it down now or at least start drafting it while you listen.
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The V is viable format and framework.
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So the tagline here is set up a simple, sustainable structure so your podcast fits into your busy life.
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Viable is the keyword here.
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Not impressive, not ambitious, but viable.
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This pillar is about figuring out the format and structure that you can actually maintain week after week given your real life and your real schedule.
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Because consistency is what builds a podcast audience.
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And consistency requires a format that works for your life, not someone else's.
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So inside this pillar, there are five things to figure out.
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First is your format.
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Do you want to do solo, interview, or hybrid?
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Each one has different time requirements, different production complexity, and different strengths when it comes to growth.
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There is no universally right answer.
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There is only the right answer for you.
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Episode three will go deeper on this, so I won't spoil it now.
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Then the second is your episode structure.
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You want an outline that you can plug content into every single time without reinventing the wheel.
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A simple, repeatable structure like hook, main content, call to action means that you are never staring at a blank page wondering how to organize your thoughts.
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The third thing is your batching and workflow strategy.
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If you're a mom running a business in limited hours, batching is not optional.
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It is survival.
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How are you going to record multiple episodes in one sitting?
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What does your production workflow look like so it does not eat your whole week?
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Fourth, your recording and editing setup.
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And here is my hot take.
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Simple beats perfect.
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A decent USB microphone and a free recording platform will serve you better than fancy equipment you can now figure out how to use.
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We will go through tech recommendations in a later episode, but your rule of thumb is low barrier, high consistency.
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And fifth is your podcast host and publishing setup.
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You need to choose a hosting platform and get your feed live.
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And this sounds a little bit more technical than it actually is, and it's a one-time setup.
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So after that, it's just a regular part of your workflow.
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The goal of the viable format pillar is to make your podcast something that fits into your life rather than taking over your life.
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Because a show you've been sustained for two years is infinitely more valuable than a show that burned you out in three short months.
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Then we have promotion and profitability.
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The tagline here is get your podcast in front of the right people and start making money without burnout.
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This is a pillar that most new podcasters forget to plan for entirely.
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They spend all their energy on production and zero energy thinking about how anyone is going to find the show.
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Then they're shocked when their downloads are low.
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Growth does not happen by accident, it happens by design.
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So there are five things inside this pillar.
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First, we have organic podcast growth.
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This includes SEO, which yes, it does apply to podcasts.
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It also includes strategic collaborations and repurposing your episodes across multiple platforms.
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Your podcast episode should not live and die on your podcast feed.
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It should fuel your social content, your email, your blog, etc.
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One episode should have multiple touch points.
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The second is self-sponsored ads and monetization.
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Here is a mindset shift I want you to make right now.
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You do not have to wait to monetize your podcast.
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You can monetize from episode one by using self-sponsored ads.
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Basically, treating your own show like a sponsor and talking about your own offers the way a sponsor would.
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Your services, your digital products, your courses are all baked right into the episode as it makes sense.
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Then the third thing is leveraging guests for growth.
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So this is a strategy not everyone needs to do, but guests at but guest episodes can be impactful.
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Guest episodes are not just about the content, they're about cross-promotion.
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So when you have the right guests on your show, you get in front of their audiences.
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And when they share the episode, your show can grow.
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Guest strategy is a great growth strategy, but it's not for everyone.
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Then we have the fourth thing, which is podcast visibility and positioning.
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Your podcast builds your expert positioning.
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It creates social proof, it gives you something to pitch when you want to get on other shows or speak on stages.
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Your podcast is a visibility tool that compounds over time.
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And fifth, consistent promotion without burnout.
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And this is where systems come in.
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You need a simple marketing plan for your podcast that does not require you to think from scratch every single week.
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Episode goes live, here's the checklist, here's the content, done, plug and play.
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And the promotion and profitability pillar is what separates podcasters who are just creating content from podcasters who are building a business asset.
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And that distinction matters a lot when you're working in limited hours.
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So before you commit to a show concept, I want you to sit with this question.
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If this show never made me any money, would I still want to make it?
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And I know that sounds counter of and I know that sounds counterintuitive coming from someone who is literally teaching you how to use your podcast as a business asset, but hear me out.
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The podcasters who build something real are the ones who genuinely love their topic, who would want to talk about it at a dinner party, who get excited when they think of new episode ideas, who find research enjoyable even when it takes them time.
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Because there will be a period, and I want to prepare you for this, where the downloads are slow, the growth feels invisible, and you're putting in effort that does not seem to be paying off quite yet.
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The shows that survive that period are the ones where the host actually loves what they're talking about.
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So if your honest answer is no, I would not make the show if it did not make me any money.
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That is very important information.
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It doesn't mean you should not have a podcast, it might mean that you need a different topic, one that lights you up much more.
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Passion plus strategy, that is a combination that actually works.
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So here is your homework before episode three.
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I want you to write your show mission statement using this formula.
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My podcast helps blank, do blank so that they can blank.
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Fill in all three blanks and then read it out loud.
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If it sounds vague or generic, then tighten it.
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Then I want you to run it through the MVP lens.
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Does your mission connect to your message and purpose?
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Does the format you're imagining feel viable for your real life?
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And do you have even a rough idea of how you will promote it and what profitability looks like for your show?
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If all three feel solid, you are ready for episode three where we're getting into naming your show and choosing your format.
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Two decisions that will follow you for the life of your podcast.
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So we're gonna get them right.
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Your mission statement deserves better than a note on your phone that you'll never find again.
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In section three of the free workbook, there is the formula, the blanks, and the ideal listener questions that make it even easier to write.
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You can find it by going to podcastingformoms.co slash ready.
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And if you're doing this work and realizing you want more support than a podcast series can give you, the podcast launch lab walks you through the entire MVP framework with worksheets.
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So you leave module one with your foundation completely locked in, your mission, your ideal listener, your content plan, your format, and your monetization strategy all mapped out before you record a single word.
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The link to learn more is in the show notes.
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All right, that is episode two strategy before you even think about what tech you're gonna purchase.
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Always.
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I'll see you in episode three where we're getting into the fun stuff, which is your show name and format.
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And yes, I have strong opinions about both, and I'm not gonna apologize for it.
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I'll see you there.
