Your Chakra Coach

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Claimed

► Tell us about you and your podcast

I've been in the fitness and wellness space for the better part of two decades, and about 5 years ago I started to really tap into the idea that the biggest reason people weren't reaching their physical wellness goals was that they weren't healthy emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Which sounds counterintuitive to some, but energetically, most people aren't in a place where they make the kinds of healthy decisions that allow them to become healthy! So I set out to change that, incorporating this work into my fitness classes and personal training sessions.

In 2020, I wanted to take this message to a broader audience, specifically in a medium where we could take the visual emphasis off of wellness. My listeners are (primarily) women who want to change their lives, physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually using the ancient wisdom found in the chakra system.
 

► Why & how did you start this podcast? 

I love podcasts - I listen to them all the time. I'd rather listen to a podcast than watch TV! The medium itself fascintates me since it's so intimate and personal. You really feel like you're getting to know a podcaster. I was also looking for a way to communicate with the world that would take the focus off of what we *look* like in wellness, and put it more on what we *feel* like in wellness.

When I started the podcast, my only goal was to put the information out into the world in an easily accessible, easily understandable format. I mulled the idea over for more than a year before actually getting started. I had lots of excuses - no time, no tech skills, no equipment, no audience - but really I was just afraid. Afraid that I might fail, whatever that looked like. In December of 2019, I recorded a few episodes directly into my phone. And in January of 2020, I released them.
 

► How'd you find the time and funding to do this podcast?

I release an episode every week. I think I've missed two weeks in two years - one because it was Christmas and I didn't think anyone would be listening anyway, and one because I was feeling that despair I think all new podcasters feel. That no one is listening, that it isn't worth the time and effort. But a few days after an episode would usually have been released, I got a few messages from people - strangers! - asking if there would be a new show and that they'd missed it. It was literally about 3 messages, but it meant the world. So I've been diligent ever since, even when I wasn't feeling like it.

I have a full time job that takes 45-60 hours a week, but I've developed pretty strong time management skills over the years. And discipline. When it's time to sit down and work on the show, I put my head down and work on it. It helps that my episodes are short and that I do it all myself, so I don't have coordinate with other schedules. My usual process is to think about what I want to say for a few days, then sit down to write my script, which takes about 60-90 minutes. Recording takes 20-30 minutes because I usually do the whole thing in one take. My editing process is minimal at best.

I fund this project myself, and spend very, very little. I host on Anchor, which is free, and while I know it has drawbacks, I've found it to be sufficient for me. I keep thinking I'll switch, but I don't.
 

► What do you gain from podcasting?        

I have ads on the show through the Spotify Ad Network, and have done host-read ads for Anchor. Between those and my Patreon, I make a few hundred dollars each month. I'm open to sponsorships, but I haven't really explored it. I get about 15,000 downloads per month now.
I also have coaching services available, but I don't promote them heavily. Maybe 2022 will be my year to really start monetizing!
 

► How does your podcasting process look like? 

Most of my episodes are solocasts, but I do occassionally have guests. When I do, it's usually because I've been approached through social media or PodMatch. I don't actively seek out guests and only do interviews when it's a topic that I'm personally interested in and know my audience will be as well.
 

► How do you market your show?

The bulk of my listeners are on Apple Podcasts, although more and more are coming from Spotify. I post on Facebook and Instagram, sometimes Goodpods. I am an admin of a very lage Facebook group that focuses on my podcast topic, so I also post in there. Listeners tend to find my podcast by searching for podcasts on my topic - that sounds obvious, but when I ask them they say they were interested in learning more about the chakra system and when they google "chakra podcast," mine is the first that shows up!

My first year I did significantly more marketing. I would be curious to see what would happen if I ramped up my marketing again!
 

► What advice would you share with aspiring (new) podcasters?

My best advice is to just start. We get so caught up in why we can't do something that we just never do it. You don't have to know everything to start. You'll learn something new each week and a little knowledge adds up over time in a way that being overwhelmed and trying to learn everything upfront just doesn't.

I've found the podcast Grow the Show to be very helpful, as well as the associated Facebook groups. Also, the host-specific groups (Anchor, Buzzsprout, etc.) are filled with people who love to help each other.
 

► Where can we learn more about you & your podcasts?

www.yourchakracoach.com
www.patreon.com/yourchakracoach
Your Chakra Coach on Instagram and Facebook
www.paypal.me/coachsarahbright