Monetize This! Where Podcasting Best Practices Come to Die

<p>Podcasting advice usually follows a predictable script:</p><p>* Grow your audience.</p><p>* Monetize the audience.</p><p>* Sell a course teaching other people how to monetize their audience.</p><p>But today’s guest accidentally breaks that formula.</p><p><strong>Alex Sanfilippo</strong>, founder of PodMatch and host of <em>Podcasting Made Simple</em>, builds tools for podcasters, teaches podcasting, and works with thousands of hosts… yet he argues something that sounds almost heretical:</p><p><strong>Stop focusing on growing your audience.</strong></p><p>Instead, focus on the listeners you already have.</p><p>In this episode of <strong>Monetize This!</strong>, we dig into the strange economics and mythology of podcasting — from inflated rankings to fear-based platform advice — and why your listeners might be your best marketing team.</p><p>Along the way we talk about:</p><p>* The surprising origin story of PodMatch</p><p>* Why “Top 1% Podcast” probably doesn’t mean what you think</p><p>* The moment a YouTube executive predicted podcasts would become irrelevant</p><p>* Why niche podcasts outperform “shows about everything”</p><p>* The myth that every podcast needs social media</p><p>* The rise of obvious AI-generated podcast episodes</p><p>* Why <strong>100 listeners might be far more valuable than 100,000</strong></p><p>If you’ve ever felt like podcasting advice sounds suspiciously like internet marketing advice… this episode might be for you.</p><p>Links</p><p>• <a target="_blank" href="http://podmatch.com">PodMatch</a>• <a target="_blank" href="https://podmatch.com/episodes">Podcasting Made Simple</a></p><p>About <em>Monetize This!</em></p><p><strong>Monetize This!</strong> is the podcast that looks at podcasting advice with a skeptical eye.Because if every guru strategy worked, every podcast would already be rich.</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://monetizethispodcast.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_1">monetizethispodcast.substack.com</a>

<p>It feels slightly off for this show to be talking about ethics.</p><p>But here we are.</p><p>This episode digs into a tension at the heart of modern podcasting:</p><p>* Be vulnerable. Tell your story. Go deeper.</p><p>* Ship fast. Don’t overthink it. Repurpose everything. Scale the system.</p><p>Those two philosophies don’t peacefully coexist.</p><p>Tonya just launched a deeply personal storytelling podcast built on radical empathy. Real stories. Messy communication. No heroes. No villains. No tidy “lessons learned.”</p><p>And when you’re asking people to tell stories that cost them something, the usual advice starts to break down.</p><p>This episode is slightly more thoughtful than usual. Don’t panic. We still question the guru economy.</p><p>But underneath the snark is a real metric worth considering. Listen to the end to find out.</p><p><strong>Guest:</strong> Tonya PieskeWebsite: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.howtotellsomeone.com">https://www.howtotellsomeone.com</a>Podcasts: <em>How to Tell Someone</em></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://monetizethispodcast.substack.com/"><strong>Monetize This!</strong></a> — the podcast about podcasting and the strange economy we’ve all decided to participate in.</p><p>If this episode resonated, follow the show wherever you’re listening.</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://monetizethispodcast.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_1">monetizethispodcast.substack.com</a>

<p>Most advice about podcast guesting assumes you want to sell a course.This episode assumes you want to get invited back.</p><p>Russell Van Brocklen doesn’t host a podcast. He doesn’t want one. He ignores most guesting “best practices” — and somehow keeps landing interviews, speaking slots, and follow-ups anyway.</p><p>In this short case file, we look at what actually breaks when guru advice meets real hosts, real shows, and real audiences.</p><p><strong>In this episode:</strong></p><p>* Why most podcast guesting advice fails outside the guru economy</p><p>* How guest appearances can lead to real credibility, not just exposure</p><p>* Using podcasts and speaking as a path to becoming an Amazon bestselling author</p><p>* What preparing for a TEDx talk reveals about authority and expertise</p><p>* Why usefulness beats funnels, hacks, and “personal brand” strategies</p><p><strong>About the guest:</strong>Russell Van Brocklen is <em>The Dyslexia Professor</em>. He translates structured-literacy methods proven most effective for struggling readers into bite-size actions parents can use immediately.</p><p>Learn more and download his free guide at <strong>dyslexiaclasses.com</strong></p><p><strong>About the show:</strong><em>Monetize This!</em> is not a podcast about podcast advice.It’s about the advice industry surrounding podcasting, speaking, and creator work — and what survives contact with reality.</p><p>Short episodes. Long skepticism. Completely serious podcast.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://monetizethispodcast.substack.com/">monetizethispodcast.com</a></p><p><strong>Links & Resources</strong></p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://dyslexiaclasses.com">dyslexiaclasses.com</a></p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://monetizethispodcast.substack.com/">Monetize This!</a></p><p>An email to [email protected] might or might not get you a t-shirt.</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://monetizethispodcast.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_1">monetizethispodcast.substack.com</a>

<p>First of all… apologies.</p><p>This episode contains actual advice… sort of.</p><p>A listener asked us to talk about microphones — the most over-Googled, over-YouTubed, over-affiliate-linked topic in podcasting. So today we’re doing something radical:</p><p>We’re simplifying it.</p><p>Instead of a Top 10 list.Instead of a comparison chart.Instead of a 47-minute deep dive into capsule patterns.</p><p>We’re answering the question:</p><p><strong>Do you even need a microphone to start a podcast?</strong></p><p>And if you insist on buying one… we give you exactly one recommendation.</p><p>No affiliate link.No drama.No endless options.</p><p>You’re welcome.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://samsontech.com/products/microphones/usb-microphones/q2u/">Samson Q2U</a> USB/XLR Dynamic Microphone $99.99 US</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us/catalog/products/microphones/xs-lav/xs-lav-usb-c-509261?srsltid=AfmBOopuT-mPnb9NNn03WzK_Khp-tohwv1jD3JqDdByky1dnwCbI7UWc">Sennheiser XS Lav</a> Omnidirectional clip-on lavalier microphone $69.00 US</p><p>For Real, Structured Podcasting Advice</p><p>If you’re new and want a step-by-step roadmap, check out Dave Campbell’s <strong>How To Podcast Series</strong>.</p><p>He recently released a 24-episode series covering what he calls the 24 Steps from Beginner to Pro, starting at Episode 574.</p><p>Find it at:howtopodcast.ca</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://monetizethispodcast.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_1">monetizethispodcast.substack.com</a>

<p>Podcasting advice loves certainty.Rules. Checklists. Launch plans. Guarantees.</p><p>This episode is for the people who already know that most of that… doesn’t really matter.</p><p>We hear from Julie Marty-Pearson, a podcast coach and host of multiple shows, about why podcasting has become overcomplicated, how guru culture sells confidence instead of interesting audio, and what happens when you stop treating your podcast like a funnel.</p><p>They talk about:</p><p>* The “launch” that never actually happens</p><p>* Why checklists don’t make podcasts better</p><p>* Breaking every rule and still finding an audience</p><p>* The difference between podcasts as businesses and podcasts as joy</p><p>* Why not everything needs to be optimized, monetized, or taken seriously</p><p>This isn’t an episode about how to podcast.It’s about why making the show might be enough.</p><p><strong>Guest:</strong> Julie Marty-PearsonWebsite: <a target="_blank" href="https://juliemartypearson.com">https://juliemartypearson.com</a>Podcasts: <em>The Story of My Pet, Podcast Your Story, Still Becoming Women Unmuted</em></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://monetizethispodcast.substack.com/"><strong>Monetize This!</strong></a> is a short, contrarian podcast about podcasting advice, guru culture, and the quiet relief of ignoring most of it.</p><p>If this episode resonated, follow the show wherever you’re listening.</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://monetizethispodcast.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_1">monetizethispodcast.substack.com</a>