The Podcaster's Guide to a Visible Voice

What sort of podcasting traps do you fall into? When’s the last time you were scrambling as an episode date drew near? Maybe a rambling recording took hours to review, the next one was still sitting in that batch-edit stack, or you hadn’t even settled on a topic 24 hours before the scheduled drop. Podcasting is a lot of work—that’s no secret—but the right mindset can keep you feeling excited for your show, not stressed and resentful, and keep it from fading out. Drawing from her own podcast missteps and numerous client experiences, Mary walks you through three concepts to ponder when you need a boost to keep creating. The world, or at least your audience, deserves to hear your voice and perspective. Don’t let perfectionism, a murky distinction between urgent and important, or a distaste for marketing turn your passionate idea into a hard drive of unedited recordings that never see the light of day. Take inventory and meet yourself where you’re at to build a show that sticks: How to build a note-taking habit that makes your episode ideas always accessible; Time-blocking approaches that prevent putting off your production to-dos; Reframing your take on where promotion falls on the important/urgent scale; Why embracing imperfection might be the secret to a wonderful, long-lived podcast. Links worth mentioning from the episode: Episode 27, Sustainable Podcasting: https://www.organizedsound.ca/sustainable-podcasting-summer-break-episode-27/ Episode 9, Starting a Perfectly Imperfect Podcast: https://www.organizedsound.ca/starting-a-perfectly-imperfect-podcast-episode-9/ Episode 108, Pause, Plan, Publish: A Podcaster’s Blueprint for Slowing Down: https://www.organizedsound.ca/pause-plan-publish-a-podcasters-blueprint-for-slowing-down-episode-108/ Support the Show! Love what you're hearing? Support the show by donating to the tip jar! http://visiblevoicepodcast.com/support Connect with Mary! Leave a voice note with your feedback at https://www.speakpipe.com/VisibleVoice or email [email protected] Get the full transcript of the episode at http://www.visiblevoicepodcast.com Read up on more secrets with the Visible Voice Insights Newsletter https://www.organizedsound.ca/newsletter To learn more or work with Mary, check out https://www.organizedsound.ca Link up on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/marychan-organizedsound Engage on Instagram @OrganizedSoundProductions https://www.instagram.com/organizedsoundproductions Show Credits: Podcast audio design, engineering, and editing by Mary Chan of Organized Sound Productions Show notes written by Shannon Kirk of Right Words Studio Post-production support by Kristalee Forre of Forre You VA Podcast cover art by Emily Johnston of Artio Design Co

What if a bit of help could take your show from pipe dream to passion project? When you think about your reason for podcasting, maybe your mind jumps straight to listener and download numbers, guest appearances, and episodes in the bank. But even more is the “why” of creating your show in the first place. For Paul Rosenblum, the host of “The (Not Boring) Boring Small Business Bookkeeping and Accounting Podcast”, the foundational reason is a desire to keep teaching the younger generation of business owners about accounting and all the other essential financial details that are so hard to find. When his initial podcasting assistant fell through in 2022, just 10 episodes in, Paul had to decide whether to shutter his fledgling show or keep pushing through. When he stumbled upon Stephanie Fuccio, a friend, former guest of the pod, and fellow podcast producer, it felt like kismet. Backed by Paul’s innate ability to keep listeners engaged and Stephanie’s ongoing insights and assistance, the show has celebrated 100 episodes and gives no sign of slowing down. Some day, Paul won’t be a bookkeeper and podcast host anymore, but his lighthearted and informational teachings will persist as the helpful legacy he envisioned from the start. Take a deeper look at your own podcasting why and how: The impetus that takes you from vague idea to pressing record; How an outside perspective can take a show from dull to delightful; Why your “why” could be the tipping point when you get in a rut; A crash course in teaching tricks that make any subject matter utterly engaging. Links worth mentioning from the episode: Find out more about Paul: https://bookkeepermensch.com Listen to The (Not Boring) Boring Small Business Bookkeeping and Accounting Podcast: https://bookkeepermensch.com/podcast-latest-episodes Connect with Stephanie Fuccio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dstephfuccio Read Steph's Substack "Get more listeners with older episodes": https://podcaststeph.substack.com Read Frank Racioppi’s article about Paul’s podcast “Why An Indie Accounting/Bookkeeping Podcast is Not Boring!”: https://medium.com/ear-worthy/why-an-indie-accounting-bookkeeping-podcast-is-not-boring-54af22479005 Listen to episode 104, “The Perks of Being (or Having) a Co-Host with Darren Dukes and Jamie Weiss”: https://www.organizedsound.ca/the-perks-of-being-or-having-a-co-host-with-darren-dukes-and-jamie-weiss-episode-104 Listen to Steph’s episode on the pod, episode 51, “Honing Your Podcast Voice Through Second Language Learning”: https://www.organizedsound.ca/honing-your-podcast-voice-through-second-language-learning-with-stephanie-fuccio-episode-51 Listen to Mary's previous podcast "the Homestay Kitchen": http://homestaykitchen.com Support the Show! Love what you're hearing? Support the show by donating to the tip jar! http://visiblevoicepodcast.com/support Connect with Mary! Leave a voice note with your feedback at https://www.speakpipe.com/VisibleVoice or email [email protected] Get the full transcript of the episode at http://www.visiblevoicepodcast.com Read up on more secrets with the Visible Voice Insights Newsletter https://www.organizedsound.ca/newsletter To learn more or work with Mary, check out https://www.organizedsound.ca Link up on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/marychan-organizedsound Engage on Instagram @OrganizedSoundProductions https://www.instagram.com/organizedsoundproductions Show Credits: Podcast audio design, engineering, and editing by Mary Chan of Organized Sound Productions Show notes written by Shannon Kirk of Right Words Studio Post-production support by Kristalee Forre of Forre You VA Podcast cover art by Emily Johnston of Artio Design Co

How do you weigh conference pros and cons when there are so many options? Industry events are happening constantly in this age of global connection, and podcasting is certainly no exception. But when budget, travel, and work and family responsibilities all factor into our available time, how do we narrow down which conferences are worth it? Live events are exciting. Meeting in real life the people you’ve heard in your ears for so long is invigorating and comforting—so how do you possibly narrow it down? To help you curb the FOMO, Mary walks you through her process for selecting yearly events: where, who, and how much are all essential considerations. From weighing the data to confirming the details, this episode provides a checklist to help you pare down the possibilities, so you get the most out of the educational and networking opportunities, without draining your bank account or your energy. Start planning your podcast conference experience: Why location drives so much of the decision-making; Figure out what you want to get out of your excursions; Why it’s important to double-check the details for events you’re excited about; The benefits of attending an online event. Links worth mentioning from the episode: Discover conferences in your area and ballpark: https://podnews.net/events Get notified when One Stone Creative’s 2026 State of Business Podcasting Report drops: https://onestonecreative.net/Report Check out Calgary’s PodSummit: https://www.podsummit.com Attend the Podcast Show in London: https://www.thepodcastshowlondon.com Explore the Asia Podcast Festival: https://www.asiapodcastfestival.com Learn about Radiodays Asia: https://radiodaysasia.com/ Listen to episode 99, “Canadian Identity in the Indie Podcasting Ecosystem with Kattie Laur”: https://www.organizedsound.ca/canadian-identity-in-the-indie-podcasting-ecosystem-with-kattie-laur-episode-99 Support the Show! Love what you're hearing? Support the show by donating to the tip jar! http://visiblevoicepodcast.com/support Connect with Mary! Leave a voice note with your feedback at https://www.speakpipe.com/VisibleVoice or email [email protected] Get the full transcript of the episode at http://www.visiblevoicepodcast.com Read up on more secrets with the Visible Voice Insights Newsletter https://www.organizedsound.ca/newsletter To learn more or work with Mary, check out https://www.organizedsound.ca Link up on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/marychan-organizedsound Engage on Instagram @OrganizedSoundProductions https://www.instagram.com/organizedsoundproductions Show Credits: Podcast audio design, engineering, and editing by Mary Chan of Organized Sound Productions Show notes written by Shannon Kirk of Right Words Studio Post-production support by Kristalee Forre of Forre You VA Podcast cover art by Emily Johnston of Artio Design Co.

How do I figure out if my show is still working for me? Summer is a great time to take a break and reflect on your podcast so far. When that reflection leads to questioning whether it's time to stop producing your show or go on hiatus, a lot of tough queries and existential dread can surface. In the final episode of the season, Mary guides you in a thought exercise to help clarify this decision for you. Especially when you're working on a passion project—something that developed from a hobby or avocation—it can be difficult to balance the capacity and financial demand of prepping, recording, producing, and publishing with the rest of your life. By identifying stand-out episodes and any shifts in the deeper why behind your project since it launched, you can design a future that fits. Whether you decide to stop cold turkey, continue as usual, or take a more manageable, stripped-down approach, this episode is required listening for all podcasters wondering whether to shutter their show or stay the course. Reflect on these existential podcasting questions: Why it pays to look back at your favourite episode; The middle ground between the parts of production you love and the parts you don't; Identifying the legacy you want to leave behind; The reality of bankrolling a passion project. Links worth mentioning from the episode: Episode 117 - How Your Podcast Can Help Dismantle the "Minority" Narrative with Jerry Won: https://www.organizedsound.ca/how-your-podcast-can-help-dismantle-the-minority-narrative-with-jerry-won-episode-117/ Episode 100 - Finding Joy in the Serious Work of Podcasting: https://www.organizedsound.ca/finding-joy-in-the-serious-work-of-podcasting-episode-100/ Connect with Mary! Leave a voice note with your feedback at https://www.speakpipe.com/VisibleVoice or email [email protected] Get the full transcript of the episode at http://www.visiblevoicepodcast.com Read up on more secrets with the Visible Voice Insights Newsletter https://www.organizedsound.ca/newsletter To learn more or work with Mary, check out https://www.organizedsound.ca Link up on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/marychan-organizedsound/ Engage on Instagram @OrganizedSoundProductions https://www.instagram.com/organizedsoundproductions Show Credits: Podcast audio design, engineering, and editing by Mary Chan of Organized Sound Productions Show notes written by Shannon Kirk of Right Words Studio Post-production support by Kristalee Forre of Forre You VA Podcast cover art by Emily Johnston of Artio Design Co.

Why is it so important for Asian Americans to keep loudly sharing their stories? Jerry Won launched Dear Asian Americans, an interview-style podcast, in 2020. He used this growing permissions-free platform to highlight the often overlooked and "unmarketable" stories of Americans from a vast range of backgrounds. Jerry's deliberate volume-based approach—producing 100 episodes in the first year—aimed to get as close to "sufficient coverage" of Asian American experiences as possible and led to cross-country work as a speaker and presenter. It's impossible to tell every story, Jerry acknowledges in his conversation with Mary, since new ones are being created every day and everyone not featured on his show is just as worthy of sharing their life's account. His overarching goal reflects the significance many Asian cultures place on their ancestors, with a future-focused twist: by speaking up, he strives to be the kind of ancestor his kids will be proud to remember. Six years ago, Asian Americans faced backlash from the pandemic's supposed origins. Today, the tear down of DEI in the western world is another source of stifling. That's why Jerry encourages "minority" storytellers to get loud and not stop, "especially on days when the world is trying to silence you." Raise your voice to tell as many diverse stories as possible: How permission-based media built barriers against diverse storytelling; The math behind the miscalculation of Asian American audiences; How Jerry wound up live-interviewing Vice President Kamala Harris; Navigating traditional familial expectations on an untraditional job path. Links worth mentioning from the episode: Mary's interview on Dear Asian Americans: https://www.justlikemedia.com/show/dear-asian-americans/079-mary-chan-podcast-strategist-coach-and-host-organized-sound-productions-finding-her-voice/ Engage with Jerry: Listen to Dear Asian Americans: https://www.justlikemedia.com/show/dear-asian-americans/ Learn more about Jerry's work: https://www.jerrywon.com/ Connect with Jerry on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerrywon/ Connect with Mary! Leave a voice note with your feedback at https://www.speakpipe.com/VisibleVoice or email [email protected] Get the full transcript of the episode at http://www.visiblevoicepodcast.com Read up on more secrets with the Visible Voice Insights Newsletter https://www.organizedsound.ca/newsletter To learn more or work with Mary, check out https://www.organizedsound.ca Link up on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/marychan-organizedsound/ Engage on Instagram @OrganizedSoundProductions https://www.instagram.com/organizedsoundproductions Show Credits: Podcast audio design, engineering, and editing by Mary Chan of Organized Sound Productions Show notes written by Shannon Kirk of Right Words Studio Post-production support by Kristalee Forre of Forre You VA Podcast cover art by Emily Johnston of Artio Design Co.