Start Your Podcast Mama!

Have you been dreaming  of starting your own podcast, but feel like you're too busy juggling mom life? Fear not, ambitious mamas, because I'm here to provide you with some valuable tips and strategies to help guide you down the path to your very own podcast - even with a hectic schedule. 

In this episode, we'll explore the various skills you'll develop as a podcaster, such as time management, public speaking, and marketing, and discuss how these skills can complement your existing abilities as a parent. I'll also share my top tips for staying organized and maximizing your time, including the importance of creating a content calendar, outsourcing tasks, and embracing your own goals. So, grab a cup of coffee and let's turn your podcasting dreams into reality together!

Mentioned In This Episode:
Get My Podcasting Checklist Here
Mama Podcasters Facebook Group
Lavalier Lapel Microphone for Smart Phone
Record With Riverside FM

Next Week on Mama's Cup of Ambition...
Tune in next week for a conversation with Brooke Greening of Building Momentum. Brooke is a certified StoryBrand guide with over 15 years of sales and coaching experience. We have a candid conversation about selling without feeling 'salesy'.

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May your dreams be ambitious and may your coffee be strong! xoxo -Rachel Mae

Transcript

Rachel Mae: 0:01

Hey, I'm Rachel Mae, Country Singer, songwriter and host of Mamas Cup of Ambition, the podcast for ambitious mamas with big dreams and little kids. Or maybe your kids aren't so little anymore, but your dreams are still just as big as ever. Wherever you find yourself in your motherhood journey, if you've got ambitious goals that you're longing to achieve and you're looking to spark inspiration, cultivate motivation and develop community with like-minded mamas, you're in the right place. As a new mama myself, i created this show as a place for honest and empowering conversations about motherhood, entrepreneurship and dream chasing. So grab a notebook, top off that cup of coffee and let's turn our goals into action plans and our dreams into reality together. Now let's jump into today's episode. Hello, hello and welcome to another episode of Mamas Cup of Ambition. So I know that you enjoy listening to podcasts because you're here with me right now, but have you ever dreamt of starting your own podcast? Well, if so, then this episode is for you, because I'm here today with an episode all about starting a podcast, specifically as a busy mama, and because I'm recording this right now while my husband is downstairs trying to make dinner while simultaneously wrangling my two little kiddos. You might hear them screaming, laughing, banging around in the background, so be prepared for that. My apologies if it happens, but hey, this is how mama podcasters make things happen, right, so let's get into it.

Rachel Mae: 1:31

Podcasting is something that I get asked about all the time, and I spend a lot of time in my DMs every week with mamas sharing tips and strategies for podcasting, so I'm not really sure why it's taken me so long to touch on this topic here, but better late than never. Right Now, I definitely don't claim to be a podcasting expert, but I have been in the podcasting space since 2018, and this is actually the third podcast that I've produced. I talked about that more in episode 58, if you're curious about those other two shows, but over the years, i've definitely amassed some knowledge on the topic of podcasting and, as a mama who's found a way to make podcasting a part of my life and my business, while juggling all of the other responsibilities that come along with motherhood, i definitely have some perspective on producing a show with little kids at home, and I'm not going to try to convince you that. Producing a weekly podcast with two tiny humans who are basically hanging off of me at all times demanding snacks I'm not going to try to convince you that that's easy, because the reality is sometimes it's hard as hell And it takes a lot of planning and preparation and strategy to publish consistently, week after week. But the payoff for me has been massive And although I'm no podcasting guru, i am always learning and growing and tweaking my own process, and it through a lot of trial and error. I've managed to find some strategies and workflows that have been super helpful along my own podcasting journey. So if you're considering starting a show of your own, particularly if you're considering starting one with little kids in tow, i might be able to offer some guidance as you begin your trek into the wild, wild world of podcasting with littles. So in this episode, we'll discuss why podcasting is a worthwhile endeavor for mommas like us, and I'll offer up some tips and strategies for getting started, even if you feel like you don't have a lot of time to dedicate to the process. So, with all of that said, let's jump in and start dreaming up your brand new podcast, shall we So, first up, why start a podcast?

Rachel Mae: 3:36

I think it's worth chatting a bit about why starting a podcast as a mama might be for you. Now, obviously I'm biased here, but it's my opinion that, as a mama, you have a very unique perspective and a voice that can offer tremendous value to an audience, and sharing your stories and experiences through a platform like a podcast It can help you connect with others. It can help you to build your business, your brand, your network, i mean. It can even help you to establish yourself as an expert in your field And, with podcasting growing in popularity, there's never been a better time to start. You might be hearing people say that a lot, but there's a reason. It's true. Seriously, now I know you may look around and feel like the market is so saturated and maybe you're saying to yourself there are a million podcasters Like what do I have to say, what do I have to offer, and who's even going to listen? But I'm here to tell you you absolutely have something to say and to offer, and not only that, but there are folks waiting to hear what you have to say. Yes, there are a lot of podcasts popping up right now, but there are also a lot of people tuning into podcasts regularly, and that audience is growing larger every day. So it really is a great time to let your voice be heard And, as a bonus side effect of producing a podcast, you're also naturally going to start to cultivate and develop a bunch of additional skills and abilities that are going to serve you so well in every facet of your life Everything from the tech side of things to refinement of your message.

Rachel Mae: 5:03

So I wrote up a list here of some of the things that I think podcasting can really draw out and cultivate in your life. So one of the things is content creation. As a podcaster, you're going to learn how to brainstorm and research and develop engaging topics and content for your podcast episodes, and that involves finding interesting angles, structuring your episodes and creating compelling narratives. So content creation is a huge piece of publishing a podcast, and that's something that I feel has really been beneficial for me. It's sharpened my skills in that arena.

Rachel Mae: 5:36

Number two is script writing. Now, not everybody scripts out their shows. Some people choose to just write like a general outline, have some notes to go off of. It really just depends on what your personal preference is, but writing scripts or outlines for your podcast episodes it's really going to help you to organize your thoughts and maintain a coherent flow to deliver the information effectively, and part of that process involves crafting engaging introductions, segues and outros to keep your audience with you and hooked into your show. So, again, that's another skill that you're going to be developing as a podcaster that you can use in other areas in your life. Okay So, number three interviewing.

Rachel Mae: 6:16

If your podcast involves guest interviews, you're going to develop interview skills like active listening, asking relevant questions, asking follow up questions and creating a comfortable and engaging environment for your guests. And I cannot tell you how nervous I was when I first started taking guests on my podcasts back in 2018. Like, it was so nerve wracking, but over the years, it has become one of my favorite things to do And I've become so much more confident and capable of hosting guests and conducting interviews. So it's another great benefit of podcasting, especially if you're going to be hosting guests. Number four audio recording and editing. Now you're naturally going to gain proficiency in recording clear, high quality, professional recordings. They may not start out that way, and that's okay. You're going to grow and evolve over time as you produce your podcast, but learning how to use the recording equipment itself and learning how to edit audio and do things like remove background noise and enhance your audio quality, these are all skills that you're going to acquire as a podcaster as well, and don't worry if this part really freaks you out. Let me just tell you there are so many ways to stay to simplify this, and there are some amazing tools that can do a lot of this for you with some easy like plug and play setup. So Don't be scared away by the tech. There's definitely easy ways to master all of that. So I just wanna put that out there.

Rachel Mae: 7:41

Number five time management. Now, producing a podcast whether weekly, monthly, bi-weekly, whatever it all requires discipline and effective time management skills. So you're gonna learn effective ways to plan your schedule, set deadlines and balance your podcasting responsibilities with all your other commitments to consistently deliver your episodes on time. I don't know about you, but as mamas, i feel like we already have to tap in to time management in such a big way, and it will serve you very well when you get into podcasting. So this will just sharpen those skills even more and you'll be able to play off of some strengths that you likely already have.

Rachel Mae: 8:19

Number six oh, this is a big one public speaking and presentation. So podcasting obviously involves speaking, and speaking confidently and clearly so that you can engage your audience. I know this is something that trips a lot of people up. Some people don't like the sound of their voice, or some people just get really in their head about it and they overthink it. You name it. There's probably somebody else who feels the same way, but the thing is that the more you podcast, the more confident you become in public speaking and presenting. It makes it easier for you to go on and be a guest on other people's podcasts or even to open yourself up to speaking opportunities. Ultimately, it's just a really great fringe benefit to podcasting Kind of goes hand in hand with what I talked about before, with the interviewing skills. It's just gonna make you better overall at speaking.

Rachel Mae: 9:08

Okay, so, number seven marketing and promotion. If this is something that feels like out of your wheelhouse, it's something that, as you continue to podcast and put your show out there, you are gonna become more confident and more capable in this arena, because promoting your podcast is a necessity. You have to do that in order to reach a wider audience. So it's a skill that you're constantly gonna be working on developing as a podcaster, coming up with marketing strategies and leveraging your social media platforms and engaging with listeners, collaborating with other podcasters or influencers to just expand your reach. So there's really so much potential to what you stand to learn through marketing your podcast.

Rachel Mae: 9:48

So, number eight research and fact checking. This one might seem kind of weird, but it's very editorial. Producing informative content requires you to thoroughly research and fact check things. So, depending on the type of podcast you're creating, you may very well learn how to find reliable sources, verify information and present accurate details to ensure the credibility of your show. Okay, so number nine audience engagement and communication. Now, this kind of ties back to the public speaking and guest interviewing that we talked about previously, but interacting with your audience is crucial for building a loyal listener base, and you'll acquire skills for engaging with listeners through platforms like social media and email or potentially guesting on other podcasts, responding to feedback and creating a sense of community around your show. So, again, it just comes back to as a podcaster, you're gonna be building your confidence and capability in the realm of communication.

Rachel Mae: 10:45

Okay, number 10, adaptability and problem solving, which, let's be honest, as mamas, this is yet another skill that we already likely have in our tool belt, because, as mamas, we are constantly being called to be adaptable and to problem solve right. But in podcasting, just like in parenting, there are gonna be unexpected challenges that are going to arise from time to time in your podcast production. Things like technical issues, guest cancellations, changing trends or sometimes even just securing childcare so that you can record can be problematic, but through experience you're gonna develop and hone those skills to be adaptable and to think through a lens of problem solving, to overcome whatever obstacles are thrown your way on your podcasting journey so that things continue to run smoothly. So these are all skills that are developed over time and through practice and consistency. But as you gain more experience and refine your podcasting process, you're naturally gonna become more proficient in these areas which, like I said, will totally benefit so many other aspects of your life.

Rachel Mae: 11:50

Right, and another incredible benefit that I've experienced personally from podcasting are the relationships. I've made so many incredible friends through this process and those connections. They're really life-giving for me and they've made my experience of motherhood a lot less lonely. Plus, i get to have adult conversations on a regular basis and I get to flex my creative muscles consistently, and podcasting for me has just really proven to be extremely rewarding and it absolutely fills my cup with so much joy. So by now you can probably see there are dozens of reasons why starting a podcast is a desirable thing, but let's talk about one of the biggest hurdles that mama's tell me they face when it comes to starting a show time. And Lord have mercy. Can I relate? Because, as busy mamas I know, i know that finding time to start a podcast may seem impossible. However, with some time saving strategies and a bit of creativity, it can absolutely be done, and I'm about to share some of my tips and tricks with you for maximizing your time so that you can get started. You ready, okay, here we go.

Rachel Mae: 13:02

So, number one plan and batch your episodes. I seriously can't stress this one enough. Planning and batching your episodes is the ticket to podcast consistency. In my opinion. If you can plan out dedicated, specific blocks of time to plan and record multiple episodes in one sitting, man does it just change the game. So by batching your work, you can really minimize the amount of time spent transitioning between tasks and you're able to maintain focus, which just makes a world of difference. This approach really allows you to have a backlog of episodes ready to release, so that you can reduce the pressure of the like content treadmill trying to produce content on a weekly basis, because, trust me, you don't want to be doing that. I've been there, i've done that. It is not sustainable and it is hard as hell, but the difference is night and day when you start planning and batching your episodes.

Rachel Mae: 13:56

So number two set realistic goals. You really want to get clear on what your podcasting goals are, not what everybody else is doing, getting caught up in like the biggest shows that you hear being produced and how they're doing it, like that's great And that can be something that you are maybe working towards or that sort of motivates and encourages you and gives you some inspiration for your podcast. But please get clear on what your goals and expectations for podcasting are. Don't compare your brand new show to the biggest and brightest podcasts that you're listening to who, let's be honest, they have a team of people helping them produce those shows. So it's just not fair to compare your goals to their goals. Like, let's start where you're at and make ourselves a plan to grow and scale to where you want to be. But let's just look at where you're starting and be realistic about the goals that we're setting around that starting point. So you're going to want to determine how often you want to release episodes, taking into consideration your available time and resources.

Rachel Mae: 15:04

Now listen, i'm going to get on a soapbox for a minute because I think this is worth saying. Weekly podcasts are awesome. I love a weekly podcast. I produce a weekly podcast. They are great.

Rachel Mae: 15:16

However, if you are listening to this right now and you have been dreaming of creating a podcast, but you're not putting your show out into the world right now because you can't commit to that level of content creation in this season of your life, for whatever reason, let's just talk about getting out of our own way and reducing the friction. It is perfectly fine to start with a more manageable schedule when you're beginning. If you are only able to find pockets of time to produce a bi-weekly or a monthly podcast, that is okay too. If that's what it's going to take to get you started, then let's start there and again, work towards building up to where you ultimately want to be, and there are no hard and fast rules here. Like, you can totally start with a bi-weekly or monthly podcast if you need to, and have a plan to gradually increase the frequency as you're able and as you desire to do so, and something that I keep hearing one of my mentors, Stu McLaren, say is you don't have to get it right. You just have to get it going, and I wholeheartedly agree with Stu here, because I'm here to tell you the show you come out the gate with is naturally going to change and evolve over time as you grow and change over time as a podcaster, and the only way that you're going to gain clarity and proficiency with your show is if you allow yourself to get into action. You have to start creating the podcast for it to evolve to the thing that you ultimately want it to be. So we just have to find a way to get things going, and the way to do that is to find the path that works for you, without caring about what everybody else is doing. Let's focus on what works for you and set some ambitious goals for where you want things to go, but start where you're at and bloom where you're planted, so to speak. Okay, stepping down from the soapbox I know I have a soapbox moment in just about every episode. Maybe that was it.

Rachel Mae: 17:18

Number three create a content calendar. This is one I love. I really think that utilizing a content calendar to outline your episode topics and your guest interviews and important dates, this is really going to help you to stay organized and it ensures that you always have a plan in place. And using a content calendar allows you to schedule dedicated time that you can use to do any research that you need to do for your podcast, outline anything you need to outline, record, edit. If you're going to be editing yourself, it really just allows you to optimize your efficiency. So I'm a big fan of content calendars and it really also just helps you to prioritize the tasks that need to be done based on your podcast and your structure. So, huge fan of the content calendar and I think it can really help to keep you organized, because the last thing you want is to feel like you have a million different plates spinning and you can't keep track of everything.

Rachel Mae: 18:12

Okay, number four outsource and delegate tasks when you can. Now, i recognize that in the beginning, if you're just starting out and you're trying to kind of boot strap things, you can't always outsource things. However, it's great to kind of know and have a plan in your mind of what you would want to take off of your plate and hand off to someone else when you are able to do it, because if you know what you want to do, chances are eventually you will figure out how to do it. So I think it's really great to just have in mind what tasks within your podcast production you would like to outsource or delegate when the time for that comes. That to say, it's totally possible to produce a podcast without a whole team of people working alongside you. It really just comes down to getting yourself organized and creating repeatable workflows. But when you're ready to outsource, there are some things you can do, like hiring an editor to handle your audio editing, or you can get a virtual assistant to help you with administrative tasks like scheduling, handling your social media or guest coordination, and this really just allows you to focus on the content creation and reduces your overall workload, which who doesn't want that? So number five ties in really well to this, and that's leverage automation tools.

Rachel Mae: 19:31

I am a huge fan of automating my workflows so that I'm not having to do the same work over and over again. As a podcaster and a mama, you're really going to benefit from taking advantage of automation tools to streamline certain parts of your podcast production, and there are so many awesome tools out there that make this super easy to do So. For example, you can use scheduling tools to automatically publish episodes at specific times. I use a scheduling tool called Calendly to book guests on my podcast. There's social media management tools that allow you to schedule promotional posts well in advance And there are all kinds of email automations out there to help you out. Like I'm telling you, i swear by all of my automated workflows And if you're able to just dedicate some time upfront to set everything up to work for you, you will be amazed how much time you can save yourself by setting up automation.

Rachel Mae: 20:25

Number six embrace mobile recording. Now, this is something I have totally done myself. I invested I think it was like what $15, $14.99, something in that ballpark for a little lav mic, which is basically just a little portable microphone that plugs right into my smartphone And it allows me to record audio on the go, And I've used it for podcasting but also for social media. For example, if you're trying to record audio for real or something and you're outside and it's noisy, this little lav mic can totally help give you high quality audio. So it allows you to record episodes on the go so that you can utilize little pockets of free time when you find them. So I highly recommend you get yourself a little lav mic. It's one of the best little purchases I've made, so I'll find the link for the mic that I use for my phone and I'll put it in the show description for you so you can check them out and see what I'm talking about.

Rachel Mae: 21:18

Okay, number seven, one of my favorites in the list seek support and collaboration. Please don't try to go it alone. Connect with other podcasters and like-minded people who are going to not only understand your unique challenges, but also that are going to be there to celebrate your wins with you. It's such an important piece of the puzzle and you really are going to want to have support around you as you start your podcasting journey. You can join podcasting communities or Facebook groups and local meetups, and they give you the opportunity to exchange ideas and get advice and collaborate on projects Like. I really just believe it's so important to get in proximity of the folks who are doing the things that you want to be doing. So find yourself some support on your podcasting journey. It's going to give you so many valuable insights and it can really help you also to troubleshoot when things don't go as planned, because, let's be honest, we all know things don't always go as planned.

Rachel Mae: 22:12

So, bottom line, yes, podcasting requires a commitment of time, but you can absolutely adapt your workflow to fit your schedule and your specific needs, and I'm here to tell you that there are always ways to make the process easier. So don't let your busy schedule hold you back from pursuing your dream of starting a podcast. With a little bit of determination and some time management, i know you can totally start sharing your voice and perspective with the world. There's no denying that it takes a lot of work on the back end of a show to keep things going, but it's also a lot of fun and a really enjoyable process if you allow it to be So. I hope that this encouraged you to take the first step in starting your own podcast and that the tips and strategies that I shared today give you the confidence to just get started.

Rachel Mae: 23:04

And if you're ready to take the leap and start your own podcast and you want some support that community that I talked about I can help. So first of all, i want to invite you to join my free, private Facebook group for podcasting moms. It's where you can connect with like-minded mamas and ask questions and get support as you embark on this journey of podcasting, and when you join, i'll send you a free, downloadable podcast checklist that I created to help you get organized and started on the process. This checklist is really going to guide you through the steps that you need to take to start your podcast and ensure that you don't miss out on any important details along the way. So I've linked to the group in the show description for you.

Rachel Mae: 23:42

So what are you waiting for? Come join our community, download that checklist and let's get you podcasting. Mama, let's do this. I will totally be your first listener. I'm here to support and encourage you along this process, and I'm here recording this episode right now because I believe in amplifying the voices of mamas in our community, and that includes you. So that's it for today, but I'd really love to hear from you.

Rachel Mae: 24:08

Did this inspire you to start your own podcast? Are you still on the fence? I really want to know, and you can either come and tell me in the Facebook group or you can find me over on Instagram at mama's cup of ambition, and tune in next week for an awesome conversation with Brooke Greening of building momentum. Brooke helps small business owners to sell without feeling salesy And she's a certified story brand guide, and let me just tell you if you don't already know what that is. You're not going to want to miss next week's episode because the story brand framework is seriously one of my favorite things And it was such a blast chatting with Brooke about it, so be sure to come back next week for that. Okay, my friend. So until next time, may your dreams be ambitious, may your coffee be strong and maybe all find the confidence, courage and time to let our voices be heard through podcasting. I'll talk to you soon.