Episode 34

full
Published on:

30th Nov 2022

5 Things I wish I knew before starting my podcast

In this week's episode, I talk about 5 things I wish I knew before I started podcasting!

I've been podcasting for about 18 months, and it's been a big learning curve!

  1. No one cares what you sound like! [1.09]
  2. You don't need expensive equipment [1.50]
  3. It doesn't matter if there's already a podcast that is about the same subject as you [4.22]
  4. You'll get better at talking to guests [6.48]
  5. Enjoy making your podcast! [09.37]

If you have any questions or would like some help with your podcast, book a podcast enquiry call.

Can I ask a favour?

If you enjoyed the episode, I'd love it if you could leave me a review.

You can leave one here

Thanks so much!

I'd love to connect with you on social!

You can find me on:

LinkedIn | Website

Want to start a podcast, but not sure where to start? Download my free Podcast Playbook Get clear on your ideas!

Need some extra support? Book a 90-minute Podcast Strategy Session

Struggling with your podcast promotion? Grab my Easy-Peasy Podcast Promotion Checklist here!

Transcript
Unknown:

Welcome to podcasting one on one with me your host

Unknown:

Rachel. This podcast is for female business owners and

Unknown:

solopreneurs that are looking to start a podcast that add to your

Unknown:

own already awesome offering. I'll give you helpful advice

Unknown:

that you can take away and use in your podcasting journey. I

Unknown:

hope to answer those tricky questions that just keep you

Unknown:

from starting. Once a month, I'll be joined by other female

Unknown:

podcasters. They'll share their journey with you and offer tips

Unknown:

and advice they discovered along the way. Let's get started. Hi,

Unknown:

and welcome to this week's episode. So I've been podcasting

Unknown:

for about 18 months now. And I just wanted to share five things

Unknown:

that I wish I knew more about. And that I didn't know when I

Unknown:

started. So first one, no one cares what you sound like. Now,

Unknown:

lots of people have trouble with this. And I worried a lot about

Unknown:

this. When I first started, I worried that my voice didn't

Unknown:

sound right, that it didn't sound the same. In my head as it

Unknown:

did when I listened to the recording, Did I sound

Unknown:

professional enough? I kind of had it in my head that

Unknown:

everything had to be perfect. And that's always a problem,

Unknown:

isn't it perfectionism. So I also felt like I needed to sound

Unknown:

like a proper quote unquote, broadcaster, you know, like, BBC

Unknown:

Radio and sound have that kind of quality. I mean, this kind of

Unknown:

leads into my second point about not needing really expensive

Unknown:

equipment to start your podcast. And I know it's really important

Unknown:

for the sound quality to be good. You don't I mean, nobody

Unknown:

wants to listen to a half an hour podcasts with like to with

Unknown:

somebody who you can't really hear what they're saying it's a

Unknown:

it's a background noises, it's a banging. You know, it makes it

Unknown:

really difficult to hear what you have to say, that's not

Unknown:

really good. But let's be honest, it doesn't need to be

Unknown:

perfect before we start. And I've said this before, you don't

Unknown:

need expensive equipment. I didn't go out and buy loads of

Unknown:

stuff. I was in the privileged position that my husband is a

Unknown:

sound engineer, and has been for many years. And he does have

Unknown:

quite a lot of equipment. So I was lucky enough that he had

Unknown:

some mics for me to use. I have kind of upgraded them since

Unknown:

then. I love my Behringer big mic that I'm using now. And I

Unknown:

think it sounds really good. But what I had to begin with was

Unknown:

good enough. And doing this simple things like you know,

Unknown:

making sure you've closed all the windows and making sure you

Unknown:

know you're in a place where you aren't going to be disturbed.

Unknown:

And all those kinds of things can make a lot of difference. I

Unknown:

then tried to move away from what I sounded like. Or if

Unknown:

you're doing a video podcast as well, what you look like whether

Unknown:

you turning up full face and makeup, as you can see today,

Unknown:

not for those of you that are listening on audio. But those of

Unknown:

you watching on YouTube, I'm not wearing any makeup today, I've

Unknown:

just got my hoodie on. And I think that it's it doesn't. What

Unknown:

I'm wearing has no bearing on the knowledge that I want to

Unknown:

share with everybody today. And that kind of thing can stop you

Unknown:

from showing up on video in general. So I'm kind of a big

Unknown:

believer of showing up as you are and as how I am most days

Unknown:

and this is how I am most days. I just try to focus on how I can

Unknown:

make my episodes better in terms of their content. Obviously, my

Unknown:

delivery, I have got easier talking to the microphone and

Unknown:

talking to the cameras since I've started doing this in the

Unknown:

last 18 months. But also making sure that my content is

Unknown:

relevant. And kind of going back to that point of what would my

Unknown:

audience want to listen to? What problem am I solving for them to

Unknown:

help them with their transformation with your

Unknown:

podcast? Not there. You're you listening out there? So the

Unknown:

third thing was, you know, this big, there are other people that

Unknown:

have a podcast like mine. So when I first started my virtual

Unknown:

assistant one I was like, How can I make a virtual assistant

Unknown:

podcast, a podcast aimed at virtual assistants that's not

Unknown:

like any other podcasts that I've listened to or when I

Unknown:

connected with rosemary calendar, who is also a podcast

Unknown:

manager and a podcast host and I really really love rosemary, and

Unknown:

I love what she's doing with her podcast, and her business. And

Unknown:

so when she started her tbz to podcast podcast, I was one

Unknown:

worried that if I started my own podcast about podcasting that it

Unknown:

would look like I'm either copying her or, you know, trying

Unknown:

to do the same thing. And I was really worried I didn't want to

Unknown:

be that person. But then it kind of, I then kind of got over

Unknown:

myself in a way that there are plenty of other podcasts out

Unknown:

there doing similar things to what I'm doing now and what

Unknown:

Rosen is doing. But the one thing that makes it different is

Unknown:

the fact that it's you that's doing it, you are showing up as

Unknown:

you and your vibe and your authenticity appeals to a

Unknown:

different audience in a specific way to other people's podcasts.

Unknown:

So, you know, somebody who enjoys my podcast, they just

Unknown:

might not saying they don't like other people's podcasts, but it

Unknown:

just makes, you're just being you. And that is what is the

Unknown:

most important thing to come across in your podcast, you're,

Unknown:

I'm talking about podcasting, and the way that I would deal

Unknown:

with it, and everyone else is talking about it in the way that

Unknown:

they would do it. So my biggest piece of advice here is just to

Unknown:

be you. I know that's easier said than done, because it is

Unknown:

hard. Showing up and showing up authentically and having that

Unknown:

big impostor syndrome, like I mentioned, for thinking about

Unknown:

your voice, and what do I look like, and am I gonna say

Unknown:

something has what I got to say important enough for people to

Unknown:

listen to. But those are things that just try and get over and

Unknown:

just and just start and start talking and planning and doing

Unknown:

those kinds of things. And just always keeping your ideal

Unknown:

listener in mind, so that you're staying on track. So number four

Unknown:

is being nervous about interviewing guests. The thing I

Unknown:

would tell myself or tell you is that you get better, you get

Unknown:

better each time you do it. If you don't practice, you won't

Unknown:

get better. If you don't start, you won't get better. It is

Unknown:

nerve racking. And I was quite nervous when I first started

Unknown:

interviewing guests. But I that was what I wanted to do for my

Unknown:

podcasts, that is what I decided to do. So I just in the end, you

Unknown:

just dive in and you just start. And that is the best thing that

Unknown:

you can do is to just start, you won't get any better. If you

Unknown:

don't start, there are some things that you could do. If

Unknown:

you're really nervous about interviewing people, then you

Unknown:

could rope in your friends, your family, business bestie, do some

Unknown:

mock interviews, record them and watch them back. And kind of

Unknown:

have a little bit of a learning exercise from those. I used to

Unknown:

clear up half an hour before my interviews, I sorted out now,

Unknown:

before I do an interview just talking getting the right kind

Unknown:

of a headspace I can have a coffee have a quiet moment, you

Unknown:

don't want to be rushing around doing work, why up until the

Unknown:

hill and then you're not prepared, you want to be able to

Unknown:

just log on a little bit earlier and whatever software you're

Unknown:

using, or however you're doing it, however you're recording so

Unknown:

that you can get your mic set up and you're all ready for them to

Unknown:

arrive. So those kinds of things can help with your nerves. And

Unknown:

yeah, I still do that kind of, you know, have that half an hour

Unknown:

downtime. Now. And I think the most important thing is to just

Unknown:

start because you will get better once you start. And it

Unknown:

becomes less of a big thing less nervous, the more times you do

Unknown:

it. I mean, I do get a little bit of a nervous anticipation.

Unknown:

Sometimes if you're having just one of those days, I've got to

Unknown:

psych myself up a little bit. But once I get into the swing of

Unknown:

it, once I've got into talking to my guests, you kind of get

Unknown:

sucked in not in a bad way into the conversation and you kind of

Unknown:

forget that you were nervous or forget that you were worried

Unknown:

about it. Oh, and also I would say, don't treat it like an

Unknown:

interview, quote unquote. Obviously, if you can't see me

Unknown:

you're not watching on YouTube, but an interview because that's

Unknown:

how I kind of thought about it when actually it's more of a

Unknown:

chance. Something that's a bit more laid back. You're not like

Unknown:

an investigative journalist. That's, I mean, if that's your

Unknown:

podcast, and yes, you would have to have those types of interview

Unknown:

skills that you're, you know, that type of interviewing that

Unknown:

you're doing. But I would say on a general term, like what I'm

Unknown:

doing and what I'm seeing a lot of my clients and other people

Unknown:

out there in the space doing is you're more having a chat with

Unknown:

somebody with your peers, with someone that's got something to

Unknown:

offer for your audience. It's not like a big, big interview

Unknown:

kind of thing. And the last one number five is I kind of knew it

Unknown:

was a big commitment. And but I possibly didn't realise how much

Unknown:

until I was really in the thick of it. I mean, for me, I

Unknown:

absolutely love podcasting. That's kind of what I live in

Unknown:

breathe at the moment. And I once I kind of caught a bug I

Unknown:

wanted to carry on podcasting. Because I just love the whole

Unknown:

process. I love recording the episodes, I love interviewing

Unknown:

them, I love helping my clients get their awesome podcasts out

Unknown:

there and increase their business and their audience, I

Unknown:

really enjoy all of that. But if you don't enjoy it, it can be it

Unknown:

become, it'll become a chore like anything else that you

Unknown:

don't like doing. Obviously, if you can afford to, and it's good

Unknown:

for you and your business, you can outsource some of the things

Unknown:

which can help with the commitment side of things and

Unknown:

the time. And you know, because it's not just recording the

Unknown:

episode and bang, you've got it. Because even if you don't want

Unknown:

to edit, you want to keep it as warm as possible, you still got

Unknown:

to upload it, you still want to make the most out of that piece

Unknown:

of content you've created for your social media, your

Unknown:

marketing strategy, you don't want to just leave that as one

Unknown:

podcast, you've got to be able to promote it. Pull out things

Unknown:

from the episode that are going to be really valuable to your

Unknown:

audience to let them know, all those kinds of things so that

Unknown:

there are a lot of moving pieces with the podcast. So one thing I

Unknown:

think it was Janet Marie that said to me, which I haven't

Unknown:

thought about before, so I learned a lot from Janet, she

Unknown:

was such a great conversation. And if you haven't listened to

Unknown:

the episode, I'd really recommend you go back and listen

Unknown:

to Janet's episode, I'll link it in the show notes to make it

Unknown:

easy. But is to do a season or series that can be as many

Unknown:

episodes as you like, you could even do just a series of four

Unknown:

episodes, you've got four very specific themes or topics, from

Unknown:

your business from what you want to talk about. And you can

Unknown:

really get to know whether you enjoy podcasting, whether you're

Unknown:

doing guest or solo however you're doing your episodes,

Unknown:

you'll get like the feel of all the whole process of recording,

Unknown:

talking to guests, if you have a guest on uploading, the

Unknown:

promotion side of things, all of that you'll get a good a really

Unknown:

good idea of how long it's going to take you as well and see

Unknown:

whether or not this is going to be viable for your business. Can

Unknown:

I carry this on? Or if I'm going to outsource it? Can I afford to

Unknown:

outsource it, what is reasonable can hire, outsource some of it,

Unknown:

all those kind of things. And it will really give you a really

Unknown:

great idea and into whether or not podcasting is going to be

Unknown:

great for you and your business. I hope you've got some value out

Unknown:

of me sharing my learns. If you're in the same position, if

Unknown:

you're just starting out in your podcasts, and this is how you're

Unknown:

feeling or you're in the middle of your podcasts. And you're not

Unknown:

sure whether you want to carry on. I'd love to chat. I'm always

Unknown:

happy to chat to anybody about their podcasts or their journey.

Unknown:

And I'll leave a link in the show notes. So you can book

Unknown:

straight into my calendar and we can get a chat in and just let

Unknown:

me know. And also if you have any questions also let me know.

Unknown:

I'd love to hear from you. Great. Well, thanks for

Unknown:

listening, and I'll catch you next time. Bye. Thanks so much

Unknown:

for listening. If you've enjoyed today's episode, please like

Unknown:

share and subscribe. Your support means so much to me. If

Unknown:

there's a question or topic you'd like covering then I'd

Unknown:

love to hear from you. Find the podcast on Instagram at Reggie

Unknown:

Botfield and drop me a DM till next time bye

Show artwork for Podcasting 101 with Rachael

About the Podcast

Podcasting 101 with Rachael
Insight, Tips and Advice to Launch your Podcast
This podcast is for female business owners and solopreneurs who are looking to start a podcast to add to your already awesome offering.

I’ll give you helpful advice that you can take away and use in your podcasting journey.

As well as sharing solo episodes that will give you the kick start you need, I’ll be joined by women who have a podcast for their business as well as experts who will offer insights, tips and advice to move your podcast forward.

About your host

Profile picture for Rachael Botfield

Rachael Botfield

Hi, I’m Rachael, a Podcast Manager from the UK.
I started my business in 2021 bringing skills like event management, Marketing and a degree in Media & Communications with me.
I help busy female business owners and entrepreneurs launch and manage their podcasts by doing all the things!