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 Newsletter https://mypodcaststory.com/join Connect with Magic Barclay Podcast: A Magical Life: Health, Wealth and Weight Loss Website: https://wholisticnaturalhealth.com.au Chapters 00:00 “I’m Not Good Enough to Be a Podcaster” 00:18 Welcome to My Podcast Story 00:38 Meet Magic Barclay 00:49 What A Magical Life Is About 01:19 Starting the Podcast During COVID 01:39 Why Magic Chose Podcasting 02:13 The Biggest Challenge in the Early Days 02:23 Finding the First Podcast Guests 03:04 Using Facebook to Find Guests 03:31 How PodMatch Changed Guest Sourcing 03:42 Recording 12 Months of Episodes in Two Months 04:16 How She Built a Full Year of Podcast Content 05:48 How Podcast Guest Discovery Has Changed 05:56 Taking a Break Without Stopping the Podcast 06:19 Why Magic Always Keeps Episodes in Reserve 07:05 Preparing Episodes Months in Advance 08:12 From Struggling to Find Guests to Struggling to Find Topics 08:37 Turning Everyday Conversations Into Episode Ideas 09:13 Magic’s Podcast Production Workflow 09:33 Planning Episodes With Colored Post-it Notes 10:22 Sending Episodes to Her Editor 11:29 How Magic Found Her Podcast Editor 12:13 What Professional Podcast Editing Costs Her 13:09 Why She Changed From Weekly to Monthly Episodes 13:28 Building a Podcast Schedule Around Your Life 14:12 Defining Consistency for Yourself 14:23 Why Your Podcast Still Has to Fit Your Lifestyle 14:36 Who Handles Publishing and Distribution 15:01 Using Buzzsprout and Promotional Sound Bites 15:19 The Team Behind A Magical Life 15:59 Running the Podcast With a Remote Team 16:27 Why Sustainability Matters More Than Frequency 17:02 How Magic Thinks About Serving Her Listeners 17:50 How She Approaches Podcast Growth 18:29 The Listener Message Magic Never Forgot 19:10 When an Episode Makes Someone Feel Less Alone 19:44 Why Sharing Personal Experiences Matters 20:09 Why You May Never Know Who Your Podcast Is Helping 20:40 Saving Both Positive and Negative Listener Feedback 21:22 When Magic Finally Felt Like a “Real Podcaster” 21:37 What Happened on Episode 100 22:00 Learning How to Lead Better Interviews 23:49 The Milestones That Made Podcasting Feel Real 24:14 How Podcasting Changed Magic Personally 24:24 Becoming a Better Communicator Through Podcasting 25:08 Becoming Less Afraid of Technology 25:33 Buying Podcast Equipment Three Years Before Using It 26:18 Why the Microphone Stayed in Its Suitcase 26:42 “I’m Not Good Enough. I Can’t Do This.” 27:29 Discovering Podcasting Wasn’t as Scary as It Looked 27:54 How the Podcast Supports Magic’s Business 28:03 Using the Podcast to Build Trust With Clients 29:07 Why Magic Calls Her Podcast a Living Business Card 29:22 Authenticity as a Podcasting Strategy 30:42 How Magic Knows Clients Found Her Through Podcasting 31:12 What Magic Wants to Try Next 31:30 Her Goal of Recording a Live Podcast 31:56 What Has to Be in Place Before Going Live 33:42 Future Content and Recording Projects 34:53 Why Magic Calls Her Team the Dream Team 35:19 Advice to the Woman Who Waited Three Years to Start 35:36 “Just Do Stuff” 36:09 Why There Will Always Be Another Episode 37:00 Where to Find A Magical Life 37:32 Connect With Magic Barclay 38:25 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 Newsletter Get real podcasting stories, lessons, ideas, and behind-the-scenes insights from hosts building shows across different industries. https://mypodcaststory.com/join Connect with Steven Arita Website: https://aritacapital.com LinkedIn: Steven Arita Podcast: Path to Passive Real Estate Investing for Tech Professionals Chapters 00:00 You Already Have What You Need to Start 00:38 Meet Steven Arita 01:03 Building a Podcast for Tech Professionals 01:47 Why Steven Decided to Start Podcasting 02:58 Learning Directly From Experienced Investors 03:38 Creating a Cycle of Learning and Teaching 04:43 When the Podcast Actually Launched 05:09 Planning the Show Before Starting 05:40 Writing 100 Podcast Ideas Before Episode One 06:44 The Reality of Producing the First Episodes 06:58 Why One Episode Took Nearly 10 Hours 07:30 Getting Out of His Own Head 09:00 Learning to Publish Consistently 09:44 How the Production Process Became Faster 10:49 Why Iteration Beats Perfection 11:20 Turning Real Investor Questions Into Episodes 12:24 What Podcasting Taught Steven About Himself 13:16 When Being Analytical Becomes a Disadvantage 14:11 “Who Am I to Ask Them to Be on My Podcast?” 14:30 Why You’re Never Completely Ready 15:24 Inside Steven’s Podcast Production System 15:41 Using Loom to Capture Episode Ideas 16:30 Turning Voice Notes Into Content 17:48 Building Episodes With a Custom GPT 18:07 How Steven Customized AI Around His Workflow 19:45 Teaching AI About His Audience and Business 20:51 From Raw Idea to Structured Podcast Episode 21:11 The Role of Steven’s Full-Time Assistant 21:25 How His Team Researches Podcast Guests 22:48 Combining AI, Systems and Delegation 23:45 What It Costs to Produce the Podcast 24:44 How Steven Has Grown the Show 25:23 Consistency, Newsletters and Outreach 26:45 Finding Listeners Where They Already Spend Time 28:11 Why Consistency Beats Sprinting 28:40 Turning Listeners Into a Community 29:36 How the Podcast Makes Money 29:50 Why Steven Doesn't Depend on Podcast Ads 31:07 Turning Podcast Attention Into Investor Conversations 31:31 Why LinkedIn Matters to His Podcast Strategy 32:30 Using Lead Magnets to Continue the Relationship 33:31 Steven’s Next Stage of Podcast Growth 33:40 Growing the Podcast on YouTube 34:00 Turning Long-Form Episodes Into Short-Form Content 34:30 Planning a Half-Day Investing Summit 35:38 Turning Podcast Guests Into Event Speakers 36:19 Building an Email List Around the Show 36:51 Creating a Free Course for Listeners 37:34 Bringing Bigger Guests Onto the Podcast 38:06 Expanding Into New Investment Topics 38:40 Why Steven Wants to Solve One Problem First 39:43 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 Newsletter Get real podcasting stories, lessons, ideas, and behind-the-scenes insights from hosts building shows across different industries. https://mypodcaststory.com/join Connect with Jorie Houlihan Podcast: ADHD and... with Jorie Houlihan Podcast Website: https://adhdandpodcast.com Website: https://joriehoulihan.com YouTube: Search Jorie Houlihan or ADHD and... Chapters 00:00 Why Your First Podcast Episodes Don’t Need to Be Perfect 00:18 Welcome to My Podcast Story 00:37 Meet Jorie Houlihan 00:52 What ADHD and... Is About 01:29 Launching the Podcast Less Than Two Weeks Ago 02:04 Why People Kept Telling Jorie to Start a Podcast 02:12 Realizing Her Personality Was Part of the Differentiation 03:19 Finally Deciding to Start 03:44 Resisting the Urge to Launch Overnight 04:09 Following a Proven Podcast Launch Process 04:56 Choosing Between Solo Episodes and Interviews 05:08 Finding the First Podcast Guests 05:30 Defining a Clear Audience for the Show 06:19 The Meaning Behind ADHD and... 06:52 The First 11 Days After Launch 07:06 Early Listener Feedback 07:46 Approaching 300 Downloads in Under Two Weeks 08:27 Building Every Episode Around “ADHD and…” 09:09 Breaking Overwhelming Tasks Into Smaller Steps 09:54 Good Enough Move On 10:30 Why Interview Episodes Run Longer 11:15 Producing the Entire Podcast Herself 11:58 Publishing One Episode Every Week 12:11 Building a Podcast Backlog 13:00 How Jorie Batches Her Recording 13:10 Being Proud of Actually Following Through 14:24 Accepting That You’ll Be Bad Before You Get Better 14:51 Learning to Interview Without Needing Perfection 16:00 Listening to Your Own Podcast Like a Listener 16:27 Editing Differently for Audio and Video 17:10 Celebrating Your Progress 17:54 Why People With ADHD Need to Celebrate Small Wins 19:05 Looking Back at Your Past Self Differently 19:33 Turning Difficult Experiences Into Something Useful 21:34 Building Confidence From Evidence 22:00 Why Perfectionism Stops People From Starting 22:36 Getting Better Through Repetition 22:48 Jorie’s Podcast Production Workflow 23:18 Recording With Riverside and an iPhone 24:19 Using CapCut for Audio Leveling 24:47 Publishing Through RSS.com and YouTube 26:06 Why Jorie Chose RSS.com for Podcast Hosting 27:17 Dynamic Ads and Future Monetization 28:49 Why She Chose Paid Hosting Over a Free Option 30:36 Why Podcasting Tools Keep Getting Better 30:45 Discovering PodMatch 31:05 Booking Six Podcast Guest Appearances in One Week 31:13 Finding Guests for ADHD and... 32:14 How Jorie Uses PodMatch Regularly 33:37 What Makes Her a Highly Active PodMatch User 36:20 The Tools Behind Jorie’s Website and Membership 36:31 Using Course Creator 360 38:12 What Jorie Wants to Build Next 38:39 Upcoming Topics for ADHD and... 39:41 The ADHD Planner Graveyard 40:40 Jorie’s Organic Podcast Growth Strategy 41:00 Growing From a 30,000-Member Facebook Community 41:45 Using the SWEEP Marketing Method 42:41 Getting Guests to Help Promote Episodes 43:36 Creating Promotional Assets for Podcast Guests 44:28 Using LinkedIn and Instagram Collaborations 44:47 What the Podcast Could Look Like Six Months From Now 45:23 Why Podcasting Feels Like a Natural Fit 45:57 The Goal of Eventually Hiring an Editor 46:31 Realizing How Much She Has Already Accomplished 46:53 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 Newsletter Get real podcasting stories, lessons, ideas, and behind-the-scenes insights from hosts building shows across different industries. https://mypodcaststory.com/join Connect with Corwin Johnson Podcast: The CJ Moneyways Show Website: https://cjmoneyway.com Chapters 00:00 Consistency Is the Biggest Podcast Growth Strategy 01:58 Welcome to My Podcast Story 02:17 Meet Corwin Johnson 02:38 Starting a Podcast on His 50th Birthday 03:01 What The CJ Moneyways Show Is About 03:58 Building a Platform Around Resilience and Real Stories 04:38 Why Corwin Wanted to Give Everyday People a Voice 05:27 From Writing Books to Starting a Podcast 05:46 The Earliest Struggle Behind the Show 06:00 When Everyone Else Dropped Out 07:09 Building the Podcast Alone 07:29 What Running an Independent Podcast Really Takes 09:23 The Hidden Work Behind Every Episode 09:52 How PodMatch Helped Corwin Keep Going 10:28 Joining Believe Network 11:19 When the Podcast Network Opportunity Arrived 11:44 What Joining a Network Changed 12:13 Reaching 1.4 Million Downloads Through the Network 12:26 How the Podcast Created New Connections 13:16 What the Show Looked Like Before Joining the Network 13:20 Turning Down Eight Sponsorship Opportunities 13:58 Why Money Isn't the Only Reason to Podcast 14:30 What Actually Grew The CJ Moneyways Show 15:12 Why Corwin Says Consistency Is Everything 15:51 Discovering the Podcast Was Ranking Globally 16:58 Building a Podcast Without a Team 17:20 Getting 1% Better Every Day 17:48 Why You Shouldn't Get Caught Up in Views 18:15 When Listeners and Guests Start Finding You 19:30 How Podcasting Changed Corwin Personally 20:15 Interviewing CEOs, Doctors, and Accomplished Guests 20:26 Learning Not to Be Intimidated 21:01 Bringing Your Own Energy Into an Interview 21:37 Know Your Lane as a Podcast Host 22:00 Staying Authentic Behind the Microphone 23:03 Why Great Podcast Hosts Have to Listen 23:18 Going Beyond the Guest's Book or Business 24:39 Listening Closely Enough to Connect the Story 25:26 How Podcast Conversations Can Uncover Buried Stories 26:33 The Sacrifices Behind Building a Podcast 27:21 Balancing Podcasting, Marriage, Family, and Work 28:47 Making Space for the People Supporting Your Vision 30:39 When Your Family Starts Seeing What You're Building 31:29 Building a Podcast While Working a Full-Time Job 33:06 Teaching Your Children Through Your Work Ethic 35:05 The Feedback and Opportunities Corwin Gets From Guests 37:29 What's Next for Corwin Johnson 37:49 Writing Locked In and Mic'd Up 38:29 Keeping Different Ideas in Different “Pockets” 39:30 Expanding Into CJ Moneyway Entertainment 39:58 Networking Through Every Podcast Conversation 40:27 Putting More Tools in the Toolbox 40:50 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 Newsletter Get real podcasting stories, lessons, ideas, and behind-the-scenes insights from hosts building shows across different industries. https://mypodcaststory.com/join Connect with Loren Richmond Jr. Podcast: Future Christian Podcast Website: https://resonatepurpose.org Instagram: Future Christian Facebook: Future Christian Chapters 00:00 Why Podcasting Has to Be Sustainable 00:39 Meet Loren Richmond Jr. 01:11 What Future Christian Podcast Is About 01:34 Why Loren Focuses on the Future of the Church 02:18 Starting the Podcast During COVID 02:53 How the Podcast Evolved After the Church Closed 03:53 The Mission Behind Future Christian Podcast 04:38 What a Typical Episode Looks Like 05:21 Healthy Churches Aren’t Always the Biggest Churches 05:21 Behind the Scenes of Loren’s Podcast Workflow 05:39 Why Loren Interviews So Many Authors 06:00 Reading the Book Before Interviewing the Author 07:01 What Happens After an Episode Goes Live 07:09 Why Marketing Isn’t Loren’s Favorite Part of Podcasting 08:03 The Biggest Challenge in the Early Years 08:14 Paying for a Podcast Long Term 09:00 Starting Resonate Media to Help Fund the Podcast 09:26 How Podcasting Became the Foundation of a Business 10:15 Turning Podcasting Experience Into Expertise 11:05 How Loren Found His First Client 11:12 The Pricing Mistake He Made Starting Out 12:20 Building a Business With Contractors 12:46 Why Loren Doesn't Want to Do Everything Himself 13:29 Making Time for Strategic Thinking 14:28 Building Systems Instead of Drowning in Details 14:48 The Listener Feedback That Keeps Him Going 15:31 Does Future Christian Podcast Make Money? 15:45 Why Loren Turned Off Generic Podcast Ads 16:22 Using Sponsorships and Business Revenue to Support the Show 16:45 How the Podcast Fits Into His Larger Work 16:54 Turning 200+ Conversations Into Consulting Expertise 18:40 Speaking Opportunities That Came From Podcasting 18:48 Why Expertise Comes From Staying With Something 19:38 Podcasting Is a Long Game 20:01 What Loren Wants to Do Next 20:09 Why He Wants More In-Person Podcast Interviews 21:17 Meeting His Co-Host In Person for the First Time 21:59 How a Podcast Guest Became His Co-Host 23:23 Who Handles the Podcast Production 23:57 Making In-Person Interviews Affordable 24:39 Combining Conferences, Travel, and Podcast Interviews 25:57 Meeting Future Guests Through Events 26:03 Why Podcasting Opens Doors to People You'd Never Meet Otherwise 27:29 Relationships Built Through Podcasting 27:46 Turning Podcast Connections Into Friendships and Collaborations 28:28 Producing Crossover Episodes With Other Podcasters 28:55 How Loren Uses AI in His Podcast Workflow 29:24 Using Headliner and AI for Show Notes 30:56 Why AI Can Help Level the Playing Field 31:16 Advice for Podcasters Struggling With Consistency 31:35 Don't Spend Thousands on a Studio Before You Need One 32:32 Build a Sustainable Podcast From the Ground Up 32:45 Where to Find Loren Richmond Jr. and Future Christian Podcast