Who Says Podcasting is a Waste of Time?
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I’ve produced several podcasts off and on since 2006 and currently host and produce two. I also appear as a co-host on two other shows. So you can tell I love podcasting.
Anyway, sometimes I get the impression that people think podcasting — mainly producing podcasts that don’t earn Joe Rogan numbers — is a waste of time. Reflexively, I say it is not a waste of time — even with my relatively modest listenership, there is value.
However…honestly?
Sometimes I feel that it may not be worth it. For example, in 2021, between my two shows I scheduled, researched, recorded, edited, produced, and promoted more than one hundred episodes. I took on too much and came very close to burning out. Honestly — it was a grind. Even though I met some beautiful, kind, knowledgeable people, it just wasn’t as much fun when I knew I had hours and hours of work ahead of me (in addition to my day job).
PR After Hours
PR After Hours, one of the shows, is my laid-back take on small business tips, specifically public relations, management, and marketing — but we break the mold every now and then and have some stuff out of left field. It’s a fun show designed to establish my cred in PR and help drum up business.
It has performed okay in downloads, though the problem I have encountered with business guests is that things can get pretty stale quickly. Many of my guests had made the rounds with canned stuff that was undoubtedly good info, but listeners had often heard it before from them or another guest peddling the same wares.
So, I adjusted the show format. What was once a twice-a-week show, lasting anywhere from 25 to 45 minutes, went to 15–25 minutes, once a week. Also, I try to offer shows without guests — just me offering quick tips or opinions. I also got a little pickier about guests. I declined pitches to host people from business sectors that had a track record of poor listenership (real estate, finance, coaching, poorly disguised get-rich-quick type schemes, the umpteenth SEO guy, etc.).
