My Podcast Story

Magic Barclay had the microphone.She had the equipment.She even had a special suitcase to keep everything protected.Then, for roughly three years, she walked past that suitcase telling herself the same things: I’m not good enough. I’m not a podcaster. I don’t know what I’m doing.Eventually, she started.In this episode of My Podcast Story, Magic shares what finally helped her move beyond the fear of starting, how she found her first guests through Facebook, and how PodMatch eventually transformed guest sourcing to the point where she once recorded an entire year of weekly podcast episodes in roughly two months.Join the My Podcast Story Newsletterhttps://mypodcaststory.com/joinConnect with Magic BarclayPodcast: A Magical Life: Health, Wealth and Weight LossWebsite: https://wholisticnaturalhealth.com.auChapters00:00 “I’m Not Good Enough to Be a Podcaster”00:18 Welcome to My Podcast Story00:38 Meet Magic Barclay00:49 What A Magical Life Is About01:19 Starting the Podcast During COVID01:39 Why Magic Chose Podcasting02:13 The Biggest Challenge in the Early Days02:23 Finding the First Podcast Guests03:04 Using Facebook to Find Guests03:31 How PodMatch Changed Guest Sourcing03:42 Recording 12 Months of Episodes in Two Months04:16 How She Built a Full Year of Podcast Content05:48 How Podcast Guest Discovery Has Changed05:56 Taking a Break Without Stopping the Podcast06:19 Why Magic Always Keeps Episodes in Reserve07:05 Preparing Episodes Months in Advance08:12 From Struggling to Find Guests to Struggling to Find Topics08:37 Turning Everyday Conversations Into Episode Ideas09:13 Magic’s Podcast Production Workflow09:33 Planning Episodes With Colored Post-it Notes10:22 Sending Episodes to Her Editor11:29 How Magic Found Her Podcast Editor12:13 What Professional Podcast Editing Costs Her13:09 Why She Changed From Weekly to Monthly Episodes13:28 Building a Podcast Schedule Around Your Life14:12 Defining Consistency for Yourself14:23 Why Your Podcast Still Has to Fit Your Lifestyle14:36 Who Handles Publishing and Distribution15:01 Using Buzzsprout and Promotional Sound Bites15:19 The Team Behind A Magical Life15:59 Running the Podcast With a Remote Team16:27 Why Sustainability Matters More Than Frequency17:02 How Magic Thinks About Serving Her Listeners17:50 How She Approaches Podcast Growth18:29 The Listener Message Magic Never Forgot19:10 When an Episode Makes Someone Feel Less Alone19:44 Why Sharing Personal Experiences Matters20:09 Why You May Never Know Who Your Podcast Is Helping20:40 Saving Both Positive and Negative Listener Feedback21:22 When Magic Finally Felt Like a “Real Podcaster”21:37 What Happened on Episode 10022:00 Learning How to Lead Better Interviews23:49 The Milestones That Made Podcasting Feel Real24:14 How Podcasting Changed Magic Personally24:24 Becoming a Better Communicator Through Podcasting25:08 Becoming Less Afraid of Technology25:33 Buying Podcast Equipment Three Years Before Using It26:18 Why the Microphone Stayed in Its Suitcase26:42 “I’m Not Good Enough. I Can’t Do This.”27:29 Discovering Podcasting Wasn’t as Scary as It Looked27:54 How the Podcast Supports Magic’s Business28:03 Using the Podcast to Build Trust With Clients29:07 Why Magic Calls Her Podcast a Living Business Card29:22 Authenticity as a Podcasting Strategy30:42 How Magic Knows Clients Found Her Through Podcasting31:12 What Magic Wants to Try Next31:30 Her Goal of Recording a Live Podcast31:56 What Has to Be in Place Before Going Live33:42 Future Content and Recording Projects34:53 Why Magic Calls Her Team the Dream Team35:19 Advice to the Woman Who Waited Three Years to Start35:36 “Just Do Stuff”36:09 Why There Will Always Be Another Episode37:00 Where to Find A Magical Life37:32 Connect With Magic Barclay38:25 The Story Behind the Name “Magic”

Steven Arita didn’t start his podcast simply because he wanted another piece of content to publish.He wanted to learn from experienced investors, educate other tech professionals, build relationships, and create a platform that could support the larger business he was building around passive real estate investing.That became Path to Passive Real Estate Investing for Tech Professionals.In this episode of My Podcast Story, Steven breaks down what it has taken to build the show over the past two years—from spending nearly 10 hours producing some of his earliest episodes to developing a much more repeatable production system.Join the My Podcast Story NewsletterGet real podcasting stories, lessons, ideas, and behind-the-scenes insights from hosts building shows across different industries.https://mypodcaststory.com/joinConnect with Steven AritaWebsite: https://aritacapital.comLinkedIn: Steven AritaPodcast: Path to Passive Real Estate Investing for Tech ProfessionalsChapters00:00 You Already Have What You Need to Start00:38 Meet Steven Arita01:03 Building a Podcast for Tech Professionals01:47 Why Steven Decided to Start Podcasting02:58 Learning Directly From Experienced Investors03:38 Creating a Cycle of Learning and Teaching04:43 When the Podcast Actually Launched05:09 Planning the Show Before Starting05:40 Writing 100 Podcast Ideas Before Episode One06:44 The Reality of Producing the First Episodes06:58 Why One Episode Took Nearly 10 Hours07:30 Getting Out of His Own Head09:00 Learning to Publish Consistently09:44 How the Production Process Became Faster10:49 Why Iteration Beats Perfection11:20 Turning Real Investor Questions Into Episodes12:24 What Podcasting Taught Steven About Himself13:16 When Being Analytical Becomes a Disadvantage14:11 “Who Am I to Ask Them to Be on My Podcast?”14:30 Why You’re Never Completely Ready15:24 Inside Steven’s Podcast Production System15:41 Using Loom to Capture Episode Ideas16:30 Turning Voice Notes Into Content17:48 Building Episodes With a Custom GPT18:07 How Steven Customized AI Around His Workflow19:45 Teaching AI About His Audience and Business20:51 From Raw Idea to Structured Podcast Episode21:11 The Role of Steven’s Full-Time Assistant21:25 How His Team Researches Podcast Guests22:48 Combining AI, Systems and Delegation23:45 What It Costs to Produce the Podcast24:44 How Steven Has Grown the Show25:23 Consistency, Newsletters and Outreach26:45 Finding Listeners Where They Already Spend Time28:11 Why Consistency Beats Sprinting28:40 Turning Listeners Into a Community29:36 How the Podcast Makes Money29:50 Why Steven Doesn't Depend on Podcast Ads31:07 Turning Podcast Attention Into Investor Conversations31:31 Why LinkedIn Matters to His Podcast Strategy32:30 Using Lead Magnets to Continue the Relationship33:31 Steven’s Next Stage of Podcast Growth33:40 Growing the Podcast on YouTube34:00 Turning Long-Form Episodes Into Short-Form Content34:30 Planning a Half-Day Investing Summit35:38 Turning Podcast Guests Into Event Speakers36:19 Building an Email List Around the Show36:51 Creating a Free Course for Listeners37:34 Bringing Bigger Guests Onto the Podcast38:06 Expanding Into New Investment Topics38:40 Why Steven Wants to Solve One Problem First39:43 Where to Find Steven Arita

For years, people kept telling Jorie Houlihan the same thing: you should start a podcast.She kept resisting.Eventually, she decided to do it anyway.In this episode of My Podcast Story, Jorie shares how she launched ADHD and..., a podcast primarily created for women diagnosed with ADHD later in life, and what she learned from going from “I should start a podcast” to actually publishing one.Join the My Podcast Story NewsletterGet real podcasting stories, lessons, ideas, and behind-the-scenes insights from hosts building shows across different industries.https://mypodcaststory.com/joinConnect with Jorie HoulihanPodcast: ADHD and... with Jorie HoulihanPodcast Website: https://adhdandpodcast.comWebsite: https://joriehoulihan.comYouTube: Search Jorie Houlihan or ADHD and...Chapters00:00 Why Your First Podcast Episodes Don’t Need to Be Perfect00:18 Welcome to My Podcast Story00:37 Meet Jorie Houlihan00:52 What ADHD and... Is About01:29 Launching the Podcast Less Than Two Weeks Ago02:04 Why People Kept Telling Jorie to Start a Podcast02:12 Realizing Her Personality Was Part of the Differentiation03:19 Finally Deciding to Start03:44 Resisting the Urge to Launch Overnight04:09 Following a Proven Podcast Launch Process04:56 Choosing Between Solo Episodes and Interviews05:08 Finding the First Podcast Guests05:30 Defining a Clear Audience for the Show06:19 The Meaning Behind ADHD and...06:52 The First 11 Days After Launch07:06 Early Listener Feedback07:46 Approaching 300 Downloads in Under Two Weeks08:27 Building Every Episode Around “ADHD and…”09:09 Breaking Overwhelming Tasks Into Smaller Steps09:54 Good Enough Move On10:30 Why Interview Episodes Run Longer11:15 Producing the Entire Podcast Herself11:58 Publishing One Episode Every Week12:11 Building a Podcast Backlog13:00 How Jorie Batches Her Recording13:10 Being Proud of Actually Following Through14:24 Accepting That You’ll Be Bad Before You Get Better14:51 Learning to Interview Without Needing Perfection16:00 Listening to Your Own Podcast Like a Listener16:27 Editing Differently for Audio and Video17:10 Celebrating Your Progress17:54 Why People With ADHD Need to Celebrate Small Wins19:05 Looking Back at Your Past Self Differently19:33 Turning Difficult Experiences Into Something Useful21:34 Building Confidence From Evidence22:00 Why Perfectionism Stops People From Starting22:36 Getting Better Through Repetition22:48 Jorie’s Podcast Production Workflow23:18 Recording With Riverside and an iPhone24:19 Using CapCut for Audio Leveling24:47 Publishing Through RSS.com and YouTube26:06 Why Jorie Chose RSS.com for Podcast Hosting27:17 Dynamic Ads and Future Monetization28:49 Why She Chose Paid Hosting Over a Free Option30:36 Why Podcasting Tools Keep Getting Better30:45 Discovering PodMatch31:05 Booking Six Podcast Guest Appearances in One Week31:13 Finding Guests for ADHD and...32:14 How Jorie Uses PodMatch Regularly33:37 What Makes Her a Highly Active PodMatch User36:20 The Tools Behind Jorie’s Website and Membership36:31 Using Course Creator 36038:12 What Jorie Wants to Build Next38:39 Upcoming Topics for ADHD and...39:41 The ADHD Planner Graveyard40:40 Jorie’s Organic Podcast Growth Strategy41:00 Growing From a 30,000-Member Facebook Community41:45 Using the SWEEP Marketing Method42:41 Getting Guests to Help Promote Episodes43:36 Creating Promotional Assets for Podcast Guests44:28 Using LinkedIn and Instagram Collaborations44:47 What the Podcast Could Look Like Six Months From Now45:23 Why Podcasting Feels Like a Natural Fit45:57 The Goal of Eventually Hiring an Editor46:31 Realizing How Much She Has Already Accomplished46:53 Where to Find Jorie Houlihan and ADHD and...

Corwin Johnson gave himself an unusual present for his 50th birthday: he started a podcast.The original plan was to build it alongside a group of friends. But when it was finally time to start, the others dropped off and Corwin had to decide whether the vision was important enough to pursue alone.He kept going.We also talk about learning how to interview people without being intimidated by their credentials, becoming a better listener, bringing your own personality and energy into every conversation, and using podcasting as a way to build relationships rather than simply collect episodes.Corwin also opens up about the sacrifices behind building a show while working a full-time job and raising a family, the importance of having support at home, and why pursuing a vision also means learning how to balance the people who matter most.Join the My Podcast Story NewsletterGet real podcasting stories, lessons, ideas, and behind-the-scenes insights from hosts building shows across different industries.https://mypodcaststory.com/joinConnect with Corwin JohnsonPodcast: The CJ Moneyways ShowWebsite: https://cjmoneyway.comChapters00:00 Consistency Is the Biggest Podcast Growth Strategy01:58 Welcome to My Podcast Story02:17 Meet Corwin Johnson02:38 Starting a Podcast on His 50th Birthday03:01 What The CJ Moneyways Show Is About03:58 Building a Platform Around Resilience and Real Stories04:38 Why Corwin Wanted to Give Everyday People a Voice05:27 From Writing Books to Starting a Podcast05:46 The Earliest Struggle Behind the Show06:00 When Everyone Else Dropped Out07:09 Building the Podcast Alone07:29 What Running an Independent Podcast Really Takes09:23 The Hidden Work Behind Every Episode09:52 How PodMatch Helped Corwin Keep Going10:28 Joining Believe Network11:19 When the Podcast Network Opportunity Arrived11:44 What Joining a Network Changed12:13 Reaching 1.4 Million Downloads Through the Network12:26 How the Podcast Created New Connections13:16 What the Show Looked Like Before Joining the Network13:20 Turning Down Eight Sponsorship Opportunities13:58 Why Money Isn't the Only Reason to Podcast14:30 What Actually Grew The CJ Moneyways Show15:12 Why Corwin Says Consistency Is Everything15:51 Discovering the Podcast Was Ranking Globally16:58 Building a Podcast Without a Team17:20 Getting 1% Better Every Day17:48 Why You Shouldn't Get Caught Up in Views18:15 When Listeners and Guests Start Finding You19:30 How Podcasting Changed Corwin Personally20:15 Interviewing CEOs, Doctors, and Accomplished Guests20:26 Learning Not to Be Intimidated21:01 Bringing Your Own Energy Into an Interview21:37 Know Your Lane as a Podcast Host22:00 Staying Authentic Behind the Microphone23:03 Why Great Podcast Hosts Have to Listen23:18 Going Beyond the Guest's Book or Business24:39 Listening Closely Enough to Connect the Story25:26 How Podcast Conversations Can Uncover Buried Stories26:33 The Sacrifices Behind Building a Podcast27:21 Balancing Podcasting, Marriage, Family, and Work28:47 Making Space for the People Supporting Your Vision30:39 When Your Family Starts Seeing What You're Building31:29 Building a Podcast While Working a Full-Time Job33:06 Teaching Your Children Through Your Work Ethic35:05 The Feedback and Opportunities Corwin Gets From Guests37:29 What's Next for Corwin Johnson37:49 Writing Locked In and Mic'd Up38:29 Keeping Different Ideas in Different “Pockets”39:30 Expanding Into CJ Moneyway Entertainment39:58 Networking Through Every Podcast Conversation40:27 Putting More Tools in the Toolbox40:50 Where to Find The CJ Moneyways Show

Loren Richmond Jr. started Future Christian Podcast during the pandemic as a way to explore questions about the future, health, and vitality of churches across North America.Five years later, the podcast has become much more than a place to have conversations.It has connected Loren with authors, pastors, academics, researchers, and thinkers he may never have met otherwise. The experience he gained producing the show also became the foundation for Resonate Media, his podcast production business, and has helped him build credibility for his work as a church and nonprofit consultant.Loren also shares how podcasting helped him build friendships, find a co-host, create a business, land speaking opportunities, and develop expertise through more than 200 conversations with people working at the intersection of church, leadership, research, and culture.Join the My Podcast Story NewsletterGet real podcasting stories, lessons, ideas, and behind-the-scenes insights from hosts building shows across different industries.https://mypodcaststory.com/joinConnect with Loren Richmond Jr.Podcast: Future Christian PodcastWebsite: https://resonatepurpose.orgInstagram: Future ChristianFacebook: Future ChristianChapters00:00 Why Podcasting Has to Be Sustainable00:39 Meet Loren Richmond Jr.01:11 What Future Christian Podcast Is About01:34 Why Loren Focuses on the Future of the Church02:18 Starting the Podcast During COVID02:53 How the Podcast Evolved After the Church Closed03:53 The Mission Behind Future Christian Podcast04:38 What a Typical Episode Looks Like05:21 Healthy Churches Aren’t Always the Biggest Churches05:21 Behind the Scenes of Loren’s Podcast Workflow05:39 Why Loren Interviews So Many Authors06:00 Reading the Book Before Interviewing the Author07:01 What Happens After an Episode Goes Live07:09 Why Marketing Isn’t Loren’s Favorite Part of Podcasting08:03 The Biggest Challenge in the Early Years08:14 Paying for a Podcast Long Term09:00 Starting Resonate Media to Help Fund the Podcast09:26 How Podcasting Became the Foundation of a Business10:15 Turning Podcasting Experience Into Expertise11:05 How Loren Found His First Client11:12 The Pricing Mistake He Made Starting Out12:20 Building a Business With Contractors12:46 Why Loren Doesn't Want to Do Everything Himself13:29 Making Time for Strategic Thinking14:28 Building Systems Instead of Drowning in Details14:48 The Listener Feedback That Keeps Him Going15:31 Does Future Christian Podcast Make Money?15:45 Why Loren Turned Off Generic Podcast Ads16:22 Using Sponsorships and Business Revenue to Support the Show16:45 How the Podcast Fits Into His Larger Work16:54 Turning 200+ Conversations Into Consulting Expertise18:40 Speaking Opportunities That Came From Podcasting18:48 Why Expertise Comes From Staying With Something19:38 Podcasting Is a Long Game20:01 What Loren Wants to Do Next20:09 Why He Wants More In-Person Podcast Interviews21:17 Meeting His Co-Host In Person for the First Time21:59 How a Podcast Guest Became His Co-Host23:23 Who Handles the Podcast Production23:57 Making In-Person Interviews Affordable24:39 Combining Conferences, Travel, and Podcast Interviews25:57 Meeting Future Guests Through Events26:03 Why Podcasting Opens Doors to People You'd Never Meet Otherwise27:29 Relationships Built Through Podcasting27:46 Turning Podcast Connections Into Friendships and Collaborations28:28 Producing Crossover Episodes With Other Podcasters28:55 How Loren Uses AI in His Podcast Workflow29:24 Using Headliner and AI for Show Notes30:56 Why AI Can Help Level the Playing Field31:16 Advice for Podcasters Struggling With Consistency31:35 Don't Spend Thousands on a Studio Before You Need One32:32 Build a Sustainable Podcast From the Ground Up32:45 Where to Find Loren Richmond Jr. and Future Christian Podcast