“Start a podcast!” they said. “It’s easy!” they said.

Well, they were wrong.

Even after working in radio for nearly 20 years and holding down other jobs that required me to be tech-savvy, just attempting to set up an RSS feed felt overwhelming when I decided to record my first podcast years ago. There were tears. And that was just the first of many stumbling blocks.

Content ideation, guest scheduling, outlines, show notes, promotional social media content and interaction, plus buying recording equipment and learning editing software – being a showrunner is a full-time job.

The good news if you’re just getting started is that there are a lot of resources online to help walk you through the process of getting set up, affordable equipment recommendations, and free software to help with audio editing that doesn’t require weeks to learn the basics. Don’t get bogged down in the “I don’t knows” or the “what-ifs” and start releasing content! Learning a bit about how each part works and getting comfortable with hearing yourself talk will serve you well as you grow as a host. Just lean in and get started.

With any luck, at some point, your show will start to outgrow you. Your community increases which means you’re spending more time interacting with them and creating content for them outside of the show. Perhaps you’ve been offered a book deal or your downloads are reaching a level that you’re ready to monetize. Congratulations! It’s time to offload so you can excel at the unique giftings and knowledge that has led to your success. Chances are those are not your abilities to edit your show or book guests, even if those are things you’re quite good at.

At this level, for a conversational show to excel, I find it’s best to have at least a team of 3 – the host (obviously), an editor, and a virtual assistant. How you will divide your work among the team will vary for the team’s skill set, but each plays an important role in making sure the show’s community is consistently getting high-quality spoken, written, and visual content that can enrich their lives.

If you’ve reached the point that you’re ready to hand over some of your responsibilities or have more questions on getting started, I’m always happy to help. You can contact me, request a quote, or find some free resources on my FAQ page.