October 15, 2025 • 42 mins
Join us for a conversation that will inspire you to approach your podcasting efforts with renewed focus and enthusiasm. In this episode, Julie sits down with Alesia Galati, a podcasting strategist and production agency owner, to explore the transformative power of sharing our stories through audio.
We dive deep into the strategic side of podcasting, discussing how to align your show with your business goals and the importance of being intentional with your content. Alesia shares her four-pillar approach to podcast strategy, focusing on conversion, impact, growth, and engagement. To hear Alesia speak, join us at the Women's Podcaster Party Networking Events.
Key Insights from Our Conversation:
- How to set realistic expectations for your podcast's growth and impact
- Strategies for integrating your business offerings naturally into your content
- Innovative ways to engage with your audience and gather content ideas
Whether you're a seasoned podcaster looking to refine your strategy or a curious entrepreneur considering dipping your toes into the audio world, this episode provides valuable insights to help you navigate your podcasting journey with purpose and clarity. Remember, your voice matters, and there's someone out there who needs to hear your story.
Episode Highlights:
00:03:45 - Alesia's unexpected path to podcasting
00:15:20 - The power of podcasts in processing grief and building community
00:28:10 - Four key goals for podcast strategy
00:39:55 - Balancing authenticity with business objectives in podcasting
00:52:30 - Practical steps for aspiring podcasters
Alesia Galati is a podcast strategist and the founder of Galati Media, a full-service podcast management agency. Driven by her passion for audio storytelling, Alesia has helped numerous coaches, thought leaders, and businesses launch and grow their podcasts. She believes everyone has a story to tell and is dedicated to empowering others to share their voices with the world. Check out her podcast Podcasting Unlocked & follow her on Instagram.
Connect with your host, Dr. Julie Marty-Pearson –
Website - Instagram - Facebook - LinkedIn - Subscribe to my YouTube Channel
Contact your host via Email: julie@podcastyourstorynow.com
Are you a Podcast Host or Guest or want to become one? Join my new membership Podcast Your Story Community
Come network with other podcast hosts, guests, & speakers at the free monthly events in the Women's Podcaster Party Networking Community.
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Listen to The Story of My Pet Podcast- Website - Instagram - YouTube
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:04):
Are you getting ready to launch your brand new
podcast?
Do you have a podcast and you'relooking to grow it?
Are you trying to find new waysto monetize your podcast?
If you said yes to any of thosequestions, then you found the
right episode to listen to.
Hi, I'm Dr.
(00:25):
Julie Marty Pearson, and welcometo Podcast Your Story.
This podcast is all aboutsupporting more women and
non-binary people to share theirstory through podcasting as
awesome guests and as hosts oftheir own shows.
This episode, we're going totalk a lot about setting goals
(00:47):
as a podcaster.
And my guest, Alicia Galati, isgoing to share some of her
insights as she works withpodcasters every day as a
podcast production agency ownerand a podcaster herself with two
podcasts that she isconsistently sharing with the
world.
If you're ready to get somegreat tips and really dig into
(01:10):
how best to set goals for you asa podcaster and learn how best
to set up yourself for successin your podcast, here is my
interview with Alicia.
I know you're gonna enjoy it.
Hello, my friend.
Welcome back to a brand newepisode of Podcast Your Story.
(01:32):
I'm your host, Julie MartyPearson, and I am very excited
to welcome a new guest andfriend of the podcast, Alicia
Galati.
Welcome.
SPEAKER_01 (01:43):
Thank you.
I'm so excited to be on here.
And anytime that I get a chanceto talk podcasting, I am there.
So thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_00 (01:52):
I always say you get two podcasters in a Zoom room,
and you know, we could go forhours.
And you never know where itmight take us.
So true.
We realized before we hit recordthat we are both Virgos.
So I have a feeling why we'reboth in podcasting and do what
we do in podcasting.
So Alicia, you are a podcastingstrategist and have a production
(02:14):
agency.
So we will get into all of that,but I always like to start my
guests off so the listeners canget to know you a little bit
better.
Tell us how you got intopodcasting to begin with.
SPEAKER_01 (02:25):
Oh man.
Okay.
So I started listening topodcasts in 2015, and I was
driving back and forth, droppingmy kid off with a family friend,
and it was maybe an hour betweentaking him to the babysitter and
then driving to work.
(02:46):
And I realized the radio keptplaying the same three songs,
which was really annoying.
And I didn't realize it so muchbefore because before my commute
was maybe 15 minutes, if that.
So it was a very quick commute.
But now that I was going out ofmy way, I was in the car a lot
longer.
And this is back when Google hadits own Google Play music and it
(03:11):
had some podcasts on there.
And the very first podcast Ilistened to was Stuff You Should
Know.
And I worked in manufacturingand supply chain.
I got to work and meaning liketons of guys, like 150 guys to
five women, and was like, oh mygoodness, I discovered podcasts.
I'm learning so much.
(03:32):
And I'm a lifelong learner.
Like I just I love learning.
And so I found podcasts as suchan incredible way to learn on
the go instead of having to hearthe same three songs.
Fast forward to 2016, 17, and Istarted thinking about okay, I'm
capped with my career on what Iactually can make for my family.
(03:53):
And I come from a single parenthome where my mom did not have
her high school diploma.
She got her GED at 29 and thenwent on to become a registered
nurse.
But for most of my life, when Iwas living in the house, she did
not have a steady means ofincome.
So I started doing the sidehustle thing, which it's really
(04:16):
strange that it's been so longthat I've been doing that.
So 2016-ish.
And I was doing discussionsaround postpartum depression
because I struggled really badafter having my first kid and
guested on a few podcasts,sharing my story, sharing some
resources that were working forme.
(04:37):
And then as that was going on, Iwas also getting my degree in
marketing.
It was like, actually, I think Icould do marketing as my side
hustle.
Did some podcast guesting aboutmarketing.
And then in 2018, it was like,look, I'm gonna see if I can
launch my own podcast because Ifeel like it can't be that hard.
(04:58):
It was hard, okay?
Especially when you think likenow we have so many resources to
help us launch and manage andproduce podcasts.
We did not in 2018 at all.
And so launched my firstpodcast.
It was called The Honest ProductBench, where I talked to small
(05:19):
e-commerce businesses abouttheir marketing, about their
inventory, realized very quicklythat I did not like talking
about what I did in my day jobas like for funsies.
And so podfaded that.
And then in 2019, the end of2019, I launched a podcast with
(05:40):
my sister called Two Sisters anda Cult.
And we created that podcast as away to process the grief of
losing our mom, which she passedaway in early 2019.
Process that and asking thequestion of why did we grow up
in a cult?
Because we did.
(06:00):
So, like trying to understandthat.
And I think that podcast was theturning point for me where I
realized the community that youcan create with a podcast.
And we would get DMs from peoplewho were like, Oh my goodness,
me too.
I grew up in a cult as well, orI was in a very cult-like
(06:22):
situation, and I can't thank youso much for sharing your story.
And I feel so less alone becauseyou shared your story, and like
I'm I've got children.
Like just thinking back to themessages that we got, it was
just so incredible.
And was like, this is what it'sabout.
This right here.
2020 happened.
(06:43):
We don't need to go into that.
Everybody was there.
I don't know.
I happened.
Upside down world.
Yes.
I got let go from my job, and atthe beginning of that year, I'd
already said, you know what?
I think I could produce podcastsfor other people.
I want to see if I could dothis.
Well, that was kind of theuniverse, being like, nudge,
right off the ledge.
You can fly, you're fine.
(07:04):
And I'm the sole financialprovider for my family.
I have two boys.
My husband is a stay-at-home dadand he homeschools our kids.
And so it was important that Imake money while also trying to
not get sick because I haveasthma, and I knew that if I got
COVID, it would be a lot worseand just didn't want to have to
deal with it.
(07:25):
Reached out to the network thatI had amassed over the course of
my time in the online space andsaid, Here's what happened.
Is there anybody who wants tolaunch a podcast that is has
been thinking about it?
Here's the price.
This is what I'm what I'mthinking I can do for you.
The person who said yes to thatoffer is still with me today.
(07:49):
We are working on episode 274this week, which goes live next
week.
But yeah, so that's a bit aboutmy podcasting journey.
At this point, I have launchedand produced over 50 shows, five
being my own.
So I currently have two activeshows, podcasting unlocked, very
(08:13):
similar to yours, wherepodcasters talking about
podcasting, which is so fun.
And we read Smut as a very funhobby podcast because I like to
read Smut, but also going deeperthan just, oh, it's smut.
Let's talk about representationin here.
Let's talk about consent.
(08:33):
Let's talk about all of thesedifferent things within what we
can find in romance, and thenhighlighting some authors that
are diverse that I really,really enjoy reading.
So that is me.
SPEAKER_00 (08:46):
I love that because what I love about it shows all
the different ways people can beinvolved in podcasting, like
within your own journey.
And that's, you know, I alwaystell people, it's like I hear a
lot of people say there's toomany podcasts.
So why would anyone listen tomine?
It's like, well, that's thepoint.
You figure out what there isn'tand what you're passionate about
and what you could talk aboutwithout any notes at any time.
(09:09):
And those are the things youdive into, and that's how I felt
with my pet podcast.
Like, yeah, tell when we talkabout pets, where and when.
Just tell me.
I can do this.
Let's go.
And I feel like I could do thatwith podcasting.
Sure, let's talk podcasting.
Where do I need to be?
And what I find is we all end upin podcasting for some big
reason.
Some things happen in our lives,some things change.
(09:31):
Like you mentioned, the passingof your mom and how you and your
sister were processing it.
And for me in 2018, my dadpassed away, and then other
things happened that at 2020, Ihad no job, I was out of work, I
had just come off of disabilityfrom a surgery, and then COVID
hit, and it's like I couldn'tget a job.
What the heck am I gonna do withmy life?
And so, even though a lot of us,I think around COVID it
(09:52):
happened, there had already beena loss or a change in our lives.
And the thing about podcastingis it draws you in because of
that connection, thatconnectedness to other people.
Oh, other people have gonethrough this, like you said with
your one about cults.
Like that's transformational forsomeone who has been traumatized
(10:12):
and lived through whatever theylived through as a child, and
then they hear someone like youand your sister talking about
it, and it's like, oh, I'm notcrazy.
This was bad and it's okay andall these things, right?
That must have been reallypowerful for you.
SPEAKER_01 (10:28):
Yeah, honestly, it was absolutely incredible.
And I always like to share thatstory because I think that it
really showcases the power ofwhat we can do as podcasters and
the impact that we can make,even if it is just one person
(10:49):
saying, I feel less alone.
Like that is powerful.
SPEAKER_00 (10:54):
Yep.
And I I always say with women Iwork with, is like, there's
someone that needs to hear yourstory.
There's someone struggling,there's someone about to go
through someone that needs tohear it.
And I've found those stories inmyself that I probably some of
the stories I've shared, I neverwould have thought I'd ever talk
about them publicly, let alonesomewhere where anyone could
listen to it at any time, right?
Especially as Virgos, we like tobe perfect.
SPEAKER_01 (11:16):
Yep.
Yeah, I have to say that was aninteresting effect as well of
people who were there at thecult as well, but as adults, and
it's since dissolved, right?
It's not there anymore.
And so they might have followedme on Facebook or something like
(11:39):
that, and that's how we stayedconnected-ish.
And they would see that I hadthis new podcast, and I had a
few of them reach out and say, Ihad no idea it was like that for
you kids.
Because our experience,especially as children, in a
place where your voice doesn'tmatter, what you have like your
(12:02):
opinion doesn't matter, privacydoesn't matter, like none of
these things matter, andeverything is a sin.
Right.
Like that is how it was and howwe grew up.
And so to have other people say,instead of saying like what you
went through isn't valid, thatwasn't my experience, right?
(12:24):
It was more like I had no ideait was like that for you.
I'm so sorry that I was part ofthe problem for that, which I
thought was really beautiful tohave that reconnection in that
way.
SPEAKER_00 (12:37):
That's powerful too.
I think that is something wegosh, our world lacks a lot of
empathy.
We are very quick to criticize,very, very slow to give grace or
empathy to people.
I think that sometimes we haveto realize is we're all
experiencing things fromdifferent points of view.
And even sometimes my ownfamily, my sister will say
something, and I'm like, whatare you talking about?
(12:58):
And like we have very differentmemories of certain experiences,
but because we're two verydifferent people.
Yes, we grew up in the samehouse and have the same parents,
but we are very differentpersonality-wise, all the
things.
And sometimes we have to stepback and realize well, even
though if that's how I felt,maybe someone else felt
different.
And a lot of us get told ourfeelings are invalid, our
(13:21):
stories aren't true.
Then podcasting is a verypowerful tool for that.
So it sounds like you felt itand then realized you can help
other people do the same thing.
SPEAKER_01 (13:31):
Yeah, and that was really the goal with my
production agency.
And being a strategist is like,okay, how can I?
One, I don't want to be the faceof like big movements, not
interested, no thank you.
What I instead wanted to do waskind of be the platform, be the
jumping off point, be the personholding the other person up so
(13:56):
that they could get theirmessage out, so that they could
get their voice out.
And I found that one, it'sextremely fulfilling and is a
great reminder of why I do whatI do.
Our tagline is messages thatmake a difference.
And that is just the drivingforce is okay, how can we use
(14:17):
our voices to make a differencein the world, make a positive
impact, and really goes back tomaking people feel less alone
through their experiences.
And I think think that a lot ofour podcasts have been ones that
are really trying to make adifference in the world or bring
some peace to people.
SPEAKER_00 (14:39):
And I think that is what a lot of us are searching
for and we find in podcasting,and we're able to find it in 10
different ways with 10 differentshows.
Like I have my pop culture one,I have my true crime ones, I
have my like how to podcastones, how to market ones, but
they're all giving us somethingdifferent.
And sometimes I stop myself andthink, I should be being more,
(15:00):
this is what I do, and this ishow I help you.
But I really love the storybehind it, behind people's
journey, behind people'sbusiness, why they're
podcasting, because that reallyis the connection, right?
Is yeah, someone sharing theirexperience and you pulling
something from it that you feelconnected to.
It's such a powerful tool.
But we also want to, for themost part, make some money at
(15:25):
podcasting too, right?
So there's this balance that ishard, I find.
Because I could talk to peoplelike this all the time, but what
am I actually doing to help mybusiness, right?
So, as a strategist, when youhave someone come to you that
wants to do a podcast, likewhere do you start with them
before you even get into thetechnical part of it?
SPEAKER_01 (15:45):
Yeah.
So the first thing I do is whydo you want to launch a podcast?
And I think the getting that askwhy four times.
Well, why?
Okay, why that part?
Okay, why that?
Getting to the bottom of what isthe purpose of your show?
What are you trying to reallycreate with it?
And that allows us to have abetter understanding of does
this need to be a limitedseries?
(16:06):
Does this need to be 52episodes, like a year-long show?
What's the does it need to beseasonal?
What does your life look like?
What does your capacity looklike?
Right?
Like kind of putting all thepuzzle pieces together to create
a plan that actually makes sensefor this person.
But one thing I actually, whenI'm working with like business
owners specifically, and evenpeople who are just trying to
(16:29):
make a difference in the world,if this is a new concept or a
new idea, I tell them to goguest on podcasts first so that
they can get clear on theirmessage before they launch their
podcast.
And like I've had people who arelike, here, take my credit card.
I'm ready to launch my podcastwith you.
And I'm like, I actually don'tthink that it's the right thing
(16:52):
to do for you.
I think that this I you can'tclearly articulate to me what it
is that you're trying to achieveor what it is that you do.
And maybe what you do might be alittle esoteric, which is okay.
Like there's nothing wrong withit.
But you have to get clearer ofwhat that message is in order to
have a podcast that's going toachieve whatever you want it to
(17:14):
achieve.
SPEAKER_00 (17:15):
And I have to say, yes, I always say I am not gonna
push a podcast on anyone becauseI want to get to know you and
your business and say, okay,maybe that's not right for you.
Maybe it's not right now, maybeit's not ever gonna be right for
you, right?
And so a lot for me as a coachis helping people I work with
figure out where they should bein podcasting and where they
should start if they haven't.
(17:35):
And oh my God, please, everyonelistening, don't start a podcast
if you've never been a guest,because you gotta guess to see
if you even like what podcastingis.
Because I know people that havedone it say, I hate it.
I'm like, great, don't do it.
If you don't enjoy doing it andyou feel like it's a job, you're
never gonna get anywhere withit.
People have to be guesting andhave to be active in some way
(17:57):
before they can put all of theirtime and effort and money into
an area of a business that theydon't even know what they're
doing with.
SPEAKER_01 (18:06):
Yeah, and that's where it goes next, right?
Is what are you doing with it?
What is the goal of the show?
I found that over the course ofjust working with the amount of
people that I have, that theretends to be four goals.
I have them on my wall.
So the first is conversion, andthat is increasing the revenue
of your business.
The next one is impact, which isabout creating brand visibility.
(18:29):
The third one is growth, meaningyou want to increase your
downloads.
And then the fourth one isengagement, meaning you want to
build a community around yourpodcast.
Now you might think, okay, well,I want all of them.
Cool.
That's great.
Pick one to focus on for sixmonths.
And by having that focus, itallows us to create a better
(18:52):
strategy and actually get theresults that you want with your
show.
And so that result might be Iwant to increase my downloads.
Cool.
What are your current downloads?
None, because we haven'tlaunched yet.
Okay.
Here's what a realistic increaseof downloads will look like with
someone in your with yourcurrent subscribers, with your
(19:15):
current social media following,and with a specific strategy in
place to promote the episode,right?
One, be realistic.
But then deciding on that reallyhelps us get clear.
Like, here are the strategiesthat we're going to focus on.
If your goal is to increase yournumber of downloads, then do we
(19:39):
really care so much if you aremaking money from your podcast?
Maybe that's your goal for thenext six months afterwards.
And so you can cycle throughthem however you want, and you
might achieve little bits ofwins in each of the other goals
as you're going, because that'sjust the nature of it.
But when you have one to focuson, it'll allow you to get those
results a lot better and a lotquicker.
SPEAKER_00 (20:01):
Oh, I love that.
Because in my head, I'm like,that's why I'm all scattered,
because I'm not focusing on onelane.
And I hear this so much.
No, you don't have to have allyour ducks in a row, but you
also can't do all of it all atonce.
You have to pick your startingpoint.
And for a lot of people, it'swhere they already are.
Maybe they're already onYouTube, so they start with the
video version and then expand,or maybe someone doesn't have
(20:24):
that, so they start with thetraditional RSS feed.
I always say, people, you got tostart where you are.
There's no way that I can do apodcast, a video podcast, be on
Substack, be on LinkedIn, be onlike there, and that's why I'm
not always consistent becausesometimes like it's this
constant struggle.
But I really like the way youbroke those four down because
(20:44):
yes, I think every podcasterwants to do all four of them.
Right.
But we all know we can't do itall at once.
And if you focus on one, some ofthe other ones are just gonna
naturally happen.
So if I'm focusing on impact,that doesn't mean I'm not gonna
start to have growth orconversion or engagement.
But I know right now that's myfocus.
So that re- I love the way youexplain that.
SPEAKER_01 (21:07):
Yeah.
And I think that what you'resaying of like, well, I need to
be in all the places, I need todo all the things.
That's why agencies like mineexist, right?
And the services that you offer,where people are able to come to
us and say, I just want torecord and someone else do the
rest.
I don't want to just be anagency that says, all right,
(21:28):
hand me your work and then I'mgonna hand it back.
I want it to be strategic.
I want it to make the impactthat the person wants it to
make.
And so that's where likestrategy was a really important
part going into creating this oflike, how can I integrate both
so that way I feel like I'mmaking a positive impact with my
(21:49):
clients as well.
So all around.
Good impact.
SPEAKER_00 (21:53):
Yeah, no, I love that because you know, I've seen
and met people in differenttypes of podcast agencies, and
it's different depending on whatthe purpose of the podcast is.
Larger corporation or businessis gonna need something
different than a businessrunning by a person with a small
team and also what you do.
Is it a product base?
Is it service-based?
What type of service?
(22:13):
Like all of those things matter.
And what I've learned myself asa coach is I don't want to be
the person that does all theproduction for people.
I don't enjoy that side of it.
I will say, here, go to Aliciaand she will do that for you
because I can help people getstarted and learn how to do the
simple things themselves, but Idon't enjoy that side.
I enjoy the strategy and thecoaching and especially with
(22:34):
guesting, is helping peoplereally be thoughtful and
strategic because I think a lotof women, especially in
business, say yes.
They don't want to say no, evenif it's not the right place for
them.
So, do you run into thatsometimes with podcasting?
Do you feel like people arecreating it in a certain way or
want to because that's whatother people do, or they think
that's the right way to do it?
SPEAKER_01 (22:56):
Yeah.
So I want to say it was maybetwo summers ago.
A very big online guru, which,if you look into online gurus,
some of the businesses, onlinebusiness coaches and stuff,
course creators, it's very cultythe way that they behave.
So everyone be careful and beaware.
(23:16):
If anyone says, I know somethingyou don't know, run, please.
SPEAKER_00 (23:21):
Or if someone says this is the only way to do it,
yep, run very fast.
Oh.
SPEAKER_01 (23:28):
So there was a guru who was like, if you have a
business, you should have apodcast.
For like three months straight,I said, so and so said that if
you have a business, you shouldhave a podcast, and here's why I
disagree.
And I rode then because I waslike, No, I don't think that
just because this person saysthis, that everyone should do
(23:52):
it.
And I think that it'sdisingenuous for big leaders who
have full freaking teams, moneyto afford these teams, to tell
small business owners who aretrying to make money that they
need a podcast.
A podcast is not going to getyou rich, it is not going to
(24:14):
bring income in at least in thefirst three months.
It is highly unlikely that it isgoing to do that, unless you
already have an establishedaudience and they need more
content from you, ASAP.
Right.
I think that kind of settingthat expectation helps people be
like, oh, maybe I don't need apodcast.
Maybe I need to guest on somepodcasts and have some
(24:36):
conversations with people andmake some money first.
And then maybe I start a hobbypodcast and it's every other
week or once a month, and I seeif I like it and talk about a
topic that I could talk aboutliterally forever.
Maybe it's not my business.
Maybe I just blog instead or Ijust create social stuff.
But having conversations to makemoney in your business first.
(24:59):
Otherwise, it's a hobby.
I've been in the online spacefor so long that I'm so sick of
seeing women especiallyundervalue themselves, not make
money in their business.
Yes, one of my values is makingan impact in the world.
That's like third on my list.
My first is making a living wagefor myself and my family.
(25:24):
That is my value.
Number one, your values can befinancial.
My second, my team needs to bemaking a living wage.
Three, we make an impact in theworld.
Because if I'm not making themoney that I need to be able to
sustain my family, if my team'snot making the money they need
to make to sustain theirfamilies, we can't do the third
one.
And so I think that it's such animportant conversation around
(25:47):
podcasting.
It's like this is not gonna getyou rich quick.
95% of podcasters never see adime, or if they do, it's maybe
a dime.
And I see it.
Literal, this is the dime Imade.
Yes, the literal dime.
And so, yeah, I feel I haveclearly have very strong
feelings.
SPEAKER_00 (26:08):
But but it's so true.
And one I always say to peoplepodcasting is a marathon, not a
sprint.
Do not start it.
I mean, you said it earlier,realistic.
You have to have realisticexpectations in business,
period.
But when podcasting, people seepeople making money and they
don't see the 20 people workingbehind the scenes to get then
that.
Like, and I will say the firstpodcasting course I took back in
(26:31):
2020 was with one of those guruswho still exists.
And me and several other peopleI met through that big group
course were very disappointed inwhat we got for the value,
right?
Many of us started anyway, butwe ended up finding other
communities that truly supportedus.
And for me, I was careercoaching, and so I was told,
Well, you have a podcast aboutyour business, and it never went
(26:54):
anywhere because like getting upand talking about resumes every
day did not do it for me, didnot like inspire me.
And so that's why I did pets,which really is a side passion
project.
But now it's my evidence I knowhow to podcast and I know how to
keep it going and buildcommunity and impact.
Like you said, that really isthe purpose of that podcast.
(27:15):
But it's also taught me a lot bygetting in there and just doing
it and learning through theprocess and learning what I
like, what I don't like, andwhat I want my podcast to be.
And we talked about saying noearlier, and I've also learned
as a podcaster that I can say noto anyone just because they're a
great person and would be agreat guest.
If I don't feel they're rightfor my podcast or even right
(27:37):
now, it's okay to say no.
And this is your baby, this isyour business, this is your
podcast.
You get to own it and make thosedecisions.
SPEAKER_01 (27:46):
Yeah, I had that recently where I was gonna be a
guest on someone's show, andthey have a very big following.
They are talking to my idealpeople, but the language that
this individual was using rubbedme the wrong way.
And she did use words like, Iknow something about this that
(28:08):
you don't, tried to coach me onmy business model.
And I'm like, first of all, Ididn't consent to that at all.
So not cool, first of all.
If you had said, Hey, can I giveyou some advice?
I probably would have said yesbecause I say yes, right, and
we're already here and now it'sawkward because you're asking,
right?
But at least ask.
Ask, please.
Got to the end, and she waslike, Well, I'll talk to my
(28:30):
team.
And like, I was trying to guidethe conversation back to like,
hey, I'm trying to be a guest onyour show.
It was a prep call, right?
So it wasn't like the actualinterview.
And I left it feeling like, wow,that was really gross.
Is this worth it?
No, I'm gonna reach back out tothe team and say, I'm no longer
interested in being a guest onthe show.
(28:53):
And like it didn't feel good todo it because one, I don't want
to disappoint anyone, and Idon't want to close the door on
what could be opportunities,right?
And but I have to remember mebeing on this person's podcast
is not a good reflection of meand what my values are because
our values are clearly notaligned in how we approach
(29:16):
business.
And so by me being on thisperson's show, I don't know that
it would make sense for what Iwant to present to the world.
And so, okay, where are someother places that I can maybe
go?
Which is why in the communitywe're in, I was like, hey, I'm
looking for speakingopportunities because clearly
this one is a no-go, right?
(29:36):
And then like three landed in mylap, and I was like, okay, cool.
SPEAKER_00 (29:40):
Yeah, and sometimes the no experience gets us to the
right one.
Yes, and one of the things Ihave had to learn is I can say
no without explanation.
Yes, and I think that's hard,especially for women and in
business.
We're like, if we say no, we'regonna lose money, but if it's
not right, we're not actuallylosing money because we're gonna
go.
Go to the place that's gonnamake us the right money, but it
(30:03):
is this balance of you don'twant to say no and offend, and
then you have a bad reputationsomewhere in the world, but you
also have to like, yeah, I cansay no.
We only have this many hours ina day, I know only have this
amount of funds to support mybusiness.
I have to make the rightdecisions, and it can be hard,
but that's also an importantpower to hold on to as a woman
(30:24):
and as a business owner.
SPEAKER_01 (30:27):
Yeah, a hundred percent.
I could not agree more.
I think that it really is aninvaluable lesson.
And going back to the no, whydid you say no?
Right.
And I see this a lot with likegoing a little deeper when it's
a business owner who has apodcast and they're like, maybe
they have a group coachingprogram that they're trying to
(30:49):
sell out, and they maybe spendtwo weeks promoting it, and
they're like, Well, that was afailure.
I was in there.
Was it a failure, or did you notgive it enough effort because
you expected to fail?
SPEAKER_00 (31:07):
Oh, I just had this spot from my no one's gonna buy
it, but I'll put it out anyway.
SPEAKER_01 (31:12):
Yes, exactly.
And so with the opportunitiestoo, right?
Like, am I saying no because Idon't think I'm good enough?
Am I not putting my name in thehat for that because I don't
think that I deserve it?
SPEAKER_00 (31:26):
We're scared of what it means to put ourselves out
there for whatever reason.
SPEAKER_01 (31:30):
What if I scale too fast?
Then what am I gonna do?
I'm not gonna be able to f likeso many stories that we tell
ourselves that hold us back fromachieving the things we want to
achieve.
And that is one reason why whenwe're launching a podcast, we'd
spend two months launching itbecause I'm like, look, if we
(31:51):
launch it tomorrow, and thatmight be people's personality,
right?
I've interviewed people wherethey're like, I launched it in
24 hours to my email list, andthis is how it went.
Cool.
So glad that worked for you.
It's giving me hives, but I'veworked for you.
SPEAKER_00 (32:06):
And then the other spectrum is I have friends that
were in that community I was infive years ago and still haven't
launched.
So, you know, there's extremes,but you do want to be thoughtful
and strategic and really thinkabout it.
You don't want to sometimes Ithink in business we put stuff
out just to see what peoplerespond, and that's okay.
And that is a big lesson I'vehad to learn in business is it's
(32:28):
not necessarily success orfailure, it's learning.
And that was very hard for me.
But now I take the researchermind.
Well, I'm gonna put this out andsee what people think and then
tweak it and do it this way.
Like that's I've had to takethat perspective, but you still
have to put effort in and spendtime being thoughtful about it,
(32:49):
whatever you're doing, butespecially podcasting.
SPEAKER_01 (32:52):
Yeah, and then the amount of effort you put in is
that reflected in the resultthat you're getting again, going
back to what is that goal thatyou want to achieve?
If your goal is that you want tomake money from your podcast,
when was the last time you toldyour listeners how they could
spend money with you?
That's always my first question.
(33:13):
Is like, when is the last timeyou said, hey, this is how you
can work with me?
And it could be, all right,yeah, I've got my dynamic ad in
there, but like we said before,skippers be skipping before we
start recording.
And so the people might skipthrough.
But that's why it's important tonaturally integrate that into
the conversation of here's whatI do with our clients, here's an
(33:35):
example of what that looks like.
Here's a way that you can workwith me that's not an ad, right?
And so, like, when was the lasttime you did that?
Or if your goal is to turn yourguests into clients, cool.
What does that follow-up processlook like?
Let's talk about it.
There's so many different waysyou could go about it, but the
amount of effort that you'reputting into that strategy, your
result should be similar, butyou have to put in the effort
(33:59):
and you have to like not holdyourself back.
SPEAKER_00 (34:01):
Yeah, I can say I've put out these episodes and
nothing's happened, but what wasthe effort in putting them out?
Just saying my episodes outisn't an effort.
It's just saying, yeah, I thinkthat's so true.
And I think people think that ifthey talk and talk about their
business, it's just magic andpeople want to work with them.
But you have to sometimes bevery obvious.
(34:21):
Like, you know, my client hadthis issue, and this is how I
helped her, and I would love tohelp you with the same thing.
That is not salesy, that isliterally an easy way of saying,
This is what I do, this is how Ihelp.
Do you need this help?
SPEAKER_01 (34:33):
Yeah, that's something I've been having a lot
of discussions around lately.
And I think you and I talkedabout this on my show, where we
almost infantilize our potentialclients, like they can't make
decisions for themselves.
Like we're forcing them to dosomething.
And maybe that's what bromarketing does, right?
It makes them feel bad.
It makes them feel like allthese different things, and
(34:55):
they're like, Yes, I have to dothis, or I'm not going to be
this person.
But the vast majority of us,especially women, are not going
to approach sales that way.
And so why do we treat ourpotential clients like they
can't make a choice forthemselves?
All we have to do is say, here'san invitation.
It's an open door you can walkthrough or not.
(35:18):
And I wish you luck either way.
And people who are going toresonate with that are going to
be really excited to do workwith you if you're approaching
it that way.
Instead of just saying, Well,like I guess you can if you
want.
Open the door.
Here's how you can work with me.
This is what it looks like.
I want to help you as well.
SPEAKER_00 (35:37):
Yeah, I think we feel like we're being pushy, but
it's okay to be blunt.
Hi, this is my podcast about mybusiness.
This is what my business does.
What do you need help with that?
Yeah, it feels weird, maybe, butthat's like the point.
That's what we do.
That's what podcasting is for.
And there are also a lot ofother ways.
Like I've seen people who say,Hey, what are your questions?
DM me, and then they spend awhole episode answering people's
(35:59):
questions.
Or they ask somebody, if youhave an issue with this, you
want to come on and I'll coachyou and people can learn.
Like, I'm seeing podcasting hasevolved so much, even in just
the four years I've been doingit.
There's so many moreopportunities to engage in a way
that is still selling what youdo in your business.
Do you see that as a good thing,or do you see it like there's
(36:22):
too many options?
Or does it make it easier?
Because then you can make it fitto the person's business model
better.
SPEAKER_01 (36:28):
I think that it works really well, and I'm
excited to see, especially withall the tools that we're seeing,
all the tools, not AI, thatwe're seeing.
And not that I have anythingagainst AI, just to preface
that.
But like we have now wherepeople can send voice notes that
we can then integrate intoepisodes.
I did a whole 52 series on aseparate podcast that was like,
(36:51):
I want to test this out and seehow it works.
10 minutes or less answeringpodcasting questions and just
like really focusing on what arethe questions I'm getting.
And maybe some of them I'm justmaking up because I didn't get
questions that week.
But what it's allowed is peopleto by opening the door and
saying, send me a DM if you havequestions.
I get questions in my DMs.
It's not a lot, it's not often.
(37:14):
But when I do, one, I alwayssend a voice note back thanking
them because I find that voicenotes, especially if I can, like
if my kids are being loud in thebackground and I really need to
respond to this, then I won't.
But that initial one, I alwaystry to send a voice note.
Hey, thank you so much forsending me this question.
I'm so excited that you're onyour podcasting journey.
(37:35):
This is so incredible.
Here are some things that Iwould recommend you do based on
the information you've given me.
And I don't need to sell tothem.
I'm literally just answeringtheir question.
If it gets to be a little moreextensive, which it has not at
this point, people, I think, areat a point where we're like, all
right, we know how to berespectful in someone's DMs and
we're not trying to like get toomuch information.
(37:57):
No, you need to book astrategies call, please, and
thank you.
So we haven't had that.
But if it did get to that point,I would say, look, I've loved
being able to help you andsupport you.
I don't have the capacity toanswer more questions at this
time.
But if you want to book anhour-long session, we can chat
deeper, further.
I can look at more things on theback end of your podcast to give
(38:19):
you some better answers on how Ithink you should proceed with
whatever the question is.
And that's okay.
That's just setting up aboundary and saying, here's the
boundary, please don't cross it.
But we can still collaborate andI still want to work with you.
And you can still listen to thepodcast because I'm gonna be
answering questions anyway overthere.
So maybe your question will beanswered.
Yeah, there's so many ways to doit, and I'm finding that with
(38:42):
all the tools that areavailable, it makes it pretty
easy.
And as long as you are clear onwhere you want them to go, it
doesn't get too overwhelming.
SPEAKER_00 (38:52):
Right.
Well, I think we could probablytalk for another couple hours.
I know.
But we should probably wrap itup because we also know our
listeners' time span is only solong.
So in closing up our discussion,if someone out there is
listening, they've been thinkingabout a podcast, they know it
(39:14):
makes sense, but they're alsokind of a little confused as to
like what's the starting path,what would you say to them?
SPEAKER_01 (39:22):
First and foremost, I would say guest on some shows
and see if it's gonna be theright fit for you.
Next, if you enjoy it, thenwrite out a list of 10 episodes
that you could do.
What are 10 topics that youcould talk about that feel
really comfortable and reallygood?
Because even with 10 episodes,you could do a limited series,
right?
It does not have to be that youhave to podcast for years and
(39:44):
years.
Just create the plan.
And from there, what is yourgoal?
Is it con conversion, impact,growth, or engagement?
What are you trying to achievewith it?
And then that should set you upso for some pretty decent
success right out the gate byhaving that kind of outlined in
your brain or even on paper,that's gonna help set you up
(40:06):
well.
SPEAKER_00 (40:07):
Boom, mic drop.
There you go, guys.
No, I think I like how you keepthings simple and don't
overcomplicate it.
It's like starting points.
And I think we all love toovercomplicate things, yeah.
Especially when you throw in thetech and all the things.
And also, like you said, youknow, when I started four years
ago, it took me hours to editaudio.
(40:28):
Now I like put it into script,push a couple buttons, fix a
couple things, and like boom,I'm let's go.
So the evolution has also madeit, and that's why there's so
many more people in the space,because it is easier.
But if you're not strategic andstart with that, why the easy
doesn't matter because thenyou're just kind of wasting your
time and effort.
SPEAKER_01 (40:47):
Yeah, and I think that's why, yes, while there are
more podcasts, only 13% of themare active regularly because it
takes a lot of effort, it takesa lot of work, and people have
these expectations of podcastingthat are unrealistic, quite
frankly.
And they are like, wow, this isa lot of work and I'm not
(41:07):
getting any results.
Okay, bye.
SPEAKER_00 (41:09):
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (41:10):
But yeah, I think if you're just strategic about it,
keep it simple, then you'll beable to get some results, which
is what we all want, right?
With the content we're trying toproduce.
SPEAKER_00 (41:19):
Absolutely.
Thank you, Alicia, so much forcoming and sharing your wisdom.
I learned things, I took notes,and like, okay, let's go.
So I always love learning frommy guests, and I know the
listeners are gonna learn fromyou too.
And if you're listening to this,we always love to keep it
evergreen, but Alicia is comingto my women's podcaster party
(41:40):
networking community in October.
She's our featured speaker andis gonna help us with some of
that goal setting and thatthinking through the end of the
year and into the next forpodcasting and guesting.
So please come join us.
As always, the links are in theshow notes.
So thank you for your time andsharing your expertise with us.
I so appreciate it.
SPEAKER_01 (42:01):
Yeah, thank you for having me, Julie.
I appreciate you.
Are you getting ready to launch your brand new
podcast?
Do you have a podcast and you'relooking to grow it?
Are you trying to find new waysto monetize your podcast?
If you said yes to any of thosequestions, then you found the
right episode to listen to.
Hi, I'm Dr.
(00:25):
Julie Marty Pearson, and welcometo Podcast Your Story.
This podcast is all aboutsupporting more women and
non-binary people to share theirstory through podcasting as
awesome guests and as hosts oftheir own shows.
This episode, we're going totalk a lot about setting goals
(00:47):
as a podcaster.
And my guest, Alicia Galati, isgoing to share some of her
insights as she works withpodcasters every day as a
podcast production agency ownerand a podcaster herself with two
podcasts that she isconsistently sharing with the
world.
If you're ready to get somegreat tips and really dig into
(01:10):
how best to set goals for you asa podcaster and learn how best
to set up yourself for successin your podcast, here is my
interview with Alicia.
I know you're gonna enjoy it.
Hello, my friend.
Welcome back to a brand newepisode of Podcast Your Story.
(01:32):
I'm your host, Julie MartyPearson, and I am very excited
to welcome a new guest andfriend of the podcast, Alicia
Galati.
Welcome.
SPEAKER_01 (01:43):
Thank you.
I'm so excited to be on here.
And anytime that I get a chanceto talk podcasting, I am there.
So thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_00 (01:52):
I always say you get two podcasters in a Zoom room,
and you know, we could go forhours.
And you never know where itmight take us.
So true.
We realized before we hit recordthat we are both Virgos.
So I have a feeling why we'reboth in podcasting and do what
we do in podcasting.
So Alicia, you are a podcastingstrategist and have a production
(02:14):
agency.
So we will get into all of that,but I always like to start my
guests off so the listeners canget to know you a little bit
better.
Tell us how you got intopodcasting to begin with.
SPEAKER_01 (02:25):
Oh man.
Okay.
So I started listening topodcasts in 2015, and I was
driving back and forth, droppingmy kid off with a family friend,
and it was maybe an hour betweentaking him to the babysitter and
then driving to work.
(02:46):
And I realized the radio keptplaying the same three songs,
which was really annoying.
And I didn't realize it so muchbefore because before my commute
was maybe 15 minutes, if that.
So it was a very quick commute.
But now that I was going out ofmy way, I was in the car a lot
longer.
And this is back when Google hadits own Google Play music and it
(03:11):
had some podcasts on there.
And the very first podcast Ilistened to was Stuff You Should
Know.
And I worked in manufacturingand supply chain.
I got to work and meaning liketons of guys, like 150 guys to
five women, and was like, oh mygoodness, I discovered podcasts.
I'm learning so much.
(03:32):
And I'm a lifelong learner.
Like I just I love learning.
And so I found podcasts as suchan incredible way to learn on
the go instead of having to hearthe same three songs.
Fast forward to 2016, 17, and Istarted thinking about okay, I'm
capped with my career on what Iactually can make for my family.
(03:53):
And I come from a single parenthome where my mom did not have
her high school diploma.
She got her GED at 29 and thenwent on to become a registered
nurse.
But for most of my life, when Iwas living in the house, she did
not have a steady means ofincome.
So I started doing the sidehustle thing, which it's really
(04:16):
strange that it's been so longthat I've been doing that.
So 2016-ish.
And I was doing discussionsaround postpartum depression
because I struggled really badafter having my first kid and
guested on a few podcasts,sharing my story, sharing some
resources that were working forme.
(04:37):
And then as that was going on, Iwas also getting my degree in
marketing.
It was like, actually, I think Icould do marketing as my side
hustle.
Did some podcast guesting aboutmarketing.
And then in 2018, it was like,look, I'm gonna see if I can
launch my own podcast because Ifeel like it can't be that hard.
(04:58):
It was hard, okay?
Especially when you think likenow we have so many resources to
help us launch and manage andproduce podcasts.
We did not in 2018 at all.
And so launched my firstpodcast.
It was called The Honest ProductBench, where I talked to small
(05:19):
e-commerce businesses abouttheir marketing, about their
inventory, realized very quicklythat I did not like talking
about what I did in my day jobas like for funsies.
And so podfaded that.
And then in 2019, the end of2019, I launched a podcast with
(05:40):
my sister called Two Sisters anda Cult.
And we created that podcast as away to process the grief of
losing our mom, which she passedaway in early 2019.
Process that and asking thequestion of why did we grow up
in a cult?
Because we did.
(06:00):
So, like trying to understandthat.
And I think that podcast was theturning point for me where I
realized the community that youcan create with a podcast.
And we would get DMs from peoplewho were like, Oh my goodness,
me too.
I grew up in a cult as well, orI was in a very cult-like
(06:22):
situation, and I can't thank youso much for sharing your story.
And I feel so less alone becauseyou shared your story, and like
I'm I've got children.
Like just thinking back to themessages that we got, it was
just so incredible.
And was like, this is what it'sabout.
This right here.
2020 happened.
(06:43):
We don't need to go into that.
Everybody was there.
I don't know.
I happened.
Upside down world.
Yes.
I got let go from my job, and atthe beginning of that year, I'd
already said, you know what?
I think I could produce podcastsfor other people.
I want to see if I could dothis.
Well, that was kind of theuniverse, being like, nudge,
right off the ledge.
You can fly, you're fine.
(07:04):
And I'm the sole financialprovider for my family.
I have two boys.
My husband is a stay-at-home dadand he homeschools our kids.
And so it was important that Imake money while also trying to
not get sick because I haveasthma, and I knew that if I got
COVID, it would be a lot worseand just didn't want to have to
deal with it.
(07:25):
Reached out to the network thatI had amassed over the course of
my time in the online space andsaid, Here's what happened.
Is there anybody who wants tolaunch a podcast that is has
been thinking about it?
Here's the price.
This is what I'm what I'mthinking I can do for you.
The person who said yes to thatoffer is still with me today.
(07:49):
We are working on episode 274this week, which goes live next
week.
But yeah, so that's a bit aboutmy podcasting journey.
At this point, I have launchedand produced over 50 shows, five
being my own.
So I currently have two activeshows, podcasting unlocked, very
(08:13):
similar to yours, wherepodcasters talking about
podcasting, which is so fun.
And we read Smut as a very funhobby podcast because I like to
read Smut, but also going deeperthan just, oh, it's smut.
Let's talk about representationin here.
Let's talk about consent.
(08:33):
Let's talk about all of thesedifferent things within what we
can find in romance, and thenhighlighting some authors that
are diverse that I really,really enjoy reading.
So that is me.
SPEAKER_00 (08:46):
I love that because what I love about it shows all
the different ways people can beinvolved in podcasting, like
within your own journey.
And that's, you know, I alwaystell people, it's like I hear a
lot of people say there's toomany podcasts.
So why would anyone listen tomine?
It's like, well, that's thepoint.
You figure out what there isn'tand what you're passionate about
and what you could talk aboutwithout any notes at any time.
(09:09):
And those are the things youdive into, and that's how I felt
with my pet podcast.
Like, yeah, tell when we talkabout pets, where and when.
Just tell me.
I can do this.
Let's go.
And I feel like I could do thatwith podcasting.
Sure, let's talk podcasting.
Where do I need to be?
And what I find is we all end upin podcasting for some big
reason.
Some things happen in our lives,some things change.
(09:31):
Like you mentioned, the passingof your mom and how you and your
sister were processing it.
And for me in 2018, my dadpassed away, and then other
things happened that at 2020, Ihad no job, I was out of work, I
had just come off of disabilityfrom a surgery, and then COVID
hit, and it's like I couldn'tget a job.
What the heck am I gonna do withmy life?
And so, even though a lot of us,I think around COVID it
(09:52):
happened, there had already beena loss or a change in our lives.
And the thing about podcastingis it draws you in because of
that connection, thatconnectedness to other people.
Oh, other people have gonethrough this, like you said with
your one about cults.
Like that's transformational forsomeone who has been traumatized
(10:12):
and lived through whatever theylived through as a child, and
then they hear someone like youand your sister talking about
it, and it's like, oh, I'm notcrazy.
This was bad and it's okay andall these things, right?
That must have been reallypowerful for you.
SPEAKER_01 (10:28):
Yeah, honestly, it was absolutely incredible.
And I always like to share thatstory because I think that it
really showcases the power ofwhat we can do as podcasters and
the impact that we can make,even if it is just one person
(10:49):
saying, I feel less alone.
Like that is powerful.
SPEAKER_00 (10:54):
Yep.
And I I always say with women Iwork with, is like, there's
someone that needs to hear yourstory.
There's someone struggling,there's someone about to go
through someone that needs tohear it.
And I've found those stories inmyself that I probably some of
the stories I've shared, I neverwould have thought I'd ever talk
about them publicly, let alonesomewhere where anyone could
listen to it at any time, right?
Especially as Virgos, we like tobe perfect.
SPEAKER_01 (11:16):
Yep.
Yeah, I have to say that was aninteresting effect as well of
people who were there at thecult as well, but as adults, and
it's since dissolved, right?
It's not there anymore.
And so they might have followedme on Facebook or something like
(11:39):
that, and that's how we stayedconnected-ish.
And they would see that I hadthis new podcast, and I had a
few of them reach out and say, Ihad no idea it was like that for
you kids.
Because our experience,especially as children, in a
place where your voice doesn'tmatter, what you have like your
(12:02):
opinion doesn't matter, privacydoesn't matter, like none of
these things matter, andeverything is a sin.
Right.
Like that is how it was and howwe grew up.
And so to have other people say,instead of saying like what you
went through isn't valid, thatwasn't my experience, right?
(12:24):
It was more like I had no ideait was like that for you.
I'm so sorry that I was part ofthe problem for that, which I
thought was really beautiful tohave that reconnection in that
way.
SPEAKER_00 (12:37):
That's powerful too.
I think that is something wegosh, our world lacks a lot of
empathy.
We are very quick to criticize,very, very slow to give grace or
empathy to people.
I think that sometimes we haveto realize is we're all
experiencing things fromdifferent points of view.
And even sometimes my ownfamily, my sister will say
something, and I'm like, whatare you talking about?
(12:58):
And like we have very differentmemories of certain experiences,
but because we're two verydifferent people.
Yes, we grew up in the samehouse and have the same parents,
but we are very differentpersonality-wise, all the
things.
And sometimes we have to stepback and realize well, even
though if that's how I felt,maybe someone else felt
different.
And a lot of us get told ourfeelings are invalid, our
(13:21):
stories aren't true.
Then podcasting is a verypowerful tool for that.
So it sounds like you felt itand then realized you can help
other people do the same thing.
SPEAKER_01 (13:31):
Yeah, and that was really the goal with my
production agency.
And being a strategist is like,okay, how can I?
One, I don't want to be the faceof like big movements, not
interested, no thank you.
What I instead wanted to do waskind of be the platform, be the
jumping off point, be the personholding the other person up so
(13:56):
that they could get theirmessage out, so that they could
get their voice out.
And I found that one, it'sextremely fulfilling and is a
great reminder of why I do whatI do.
Our tagline is messages thatmake a difference.
And that is just the drivingforce is okay, how can we use
(14:17):
our voices to make a differencein the world, make a positive
impact, and really goes back tomaking people feel less alone
through their experiences.
And I think think that a lot ofour podcasts have been ones that
are really trying to make adifference in the world or bring
some peace to people.
SPEAKER_00 (14:39):
And I think that is what a lot of us are searching
for and we find in podcasting,and we're able to find it in 10
different ways with 10 differentshows.
Like I have my pop culture one,I have my true crime ones, I
have my like how to podcastones, how to market ones, but
they're all giving us somethingdifferent.
And sometimes I stop myself andthink, I should be being more,
(15:00):
this is what I do, and this ishow I help you.
But I really love the storybehind it, behind people's
journey, behind people'sbusiness, why they're
podcasting, because that reallyis the connection, right?
Is yeah, someone sharing theirexperience and you pulling
something from it that you feelconnected to.
It's such a powerful tool.
But we also want to, for themost part, make some money at
(15:25):
podcasting too, right?
So there's this balance that ishard, I find.
Because I could talk to peoplelike this all the time, but what
am I actually doing to help mybusiness, right?
So, as a strategist, when youhave someone come to you that
wants to do a podcast, likewhere do you start with them
before you even get into thetechnical part of it?
SPEAKER_01 (15:45):
Yeah.
So the first thing I do is whydo you want to launch a podcast?
And I think the getting that askwhy four times.
Well, why?
Okay, why that part?
Okay, why that?
Getting to the bottom of what isthe purpose of your show?
What are you trying to reallycreate with it?
And that allows us to have abetter understanding of does
this need to be a limitedseries?
(16:06):
Does this need to be 52episodes, like a year-long show?
What's the does it need to beseasonal?
What does your life look like?
What does your capacity looklike?
Right?
Like kind of putting all thepuzzle pieces together to create
a plan that actually makes sensefor this person.
But one thing I actually, whenI'm working with like business
owners specifically, and evenpeople who are just trying to
(16:29):
make a difference in the world,if this is a new concept or a
new idea, I tell them to goguest on podcasts first so that
they can get clear on theirmessage before they launch their
podcast.
And like I've had people who arelike, here, take my credit card.
I'm ready to launch my podcastwith you.
And I'm like, I actually don'tthink that it's the right thing
(16:52):
to do for you.
I think that this I you can'tclearly articulate to me what it
is that you're trying to achieveor what it is that you do.
And maybe what you do might be alittle esoteric, which is okay.
Like there's nothing wrong withit.
But you have to get clearer ofwhat that message is in order to
have a podcast that's going toachieve whatever you want it to
(17:14):
achieve.
SPEAKER_00 (17:15):
And I have to say, yes, I always say I am not gonna
push a podcast on anyone becauseI want to get to know you and
your business and say, okay,maybe that's not right for you.
Maybe it's not right now, maybeit's not ever gonna be right for
you, right?
And so a lot for me as a coachis helping people I work with
figure out where they should bein podcasting and where they
should start if they haven't.
(17:35):
And oh my God, please, everyonelistening, don't start a podcast
if you've never been a guest,because you gotta guess to see
if you even like what podcastingis.
Because I know people that havedone it say, I hate it.
I'm like, great, don't do it.
If you don't enjoy doing it andyou feel like it's a job, you're
never gonna get anywhere withit.
People have to be guesting andhave to be active in some way
(17:57):
before they can put all of theirtime and effort and money into
an area of a business that theydon't even know what they're
doing with.
SPEAKER_01 (18:06):
Yeah, and that's where it goes next, right?
Is what are you doing with it?
What is the goal of the show?
I found that over the course ofjust working with the amount of
people that I have, that theretends to be four goals.
I have them on my wall.
So the first is conversion, andthat is increasing the revenue
of your business.
The next one is impact, which isabout creating brand visibility.
(18:29):
The third one is growth, meaningyou want to increase your
downloads.
And then the fourth one isengagement, meaning you want to
build a community around yourpodcast.
Now you might think, okay, well,I want all of them.
Cool.
That's great.
Pick one to focus on for sixmonths.
And by having that focus, itallows us to create a better
(18:52):
strategy and actually get theresults that you want with your
show.
And so that result might be Iwant to increase my downloads.
Cool.
What are your current downloads?
None, because we haven'tlaunched yet.
Okay.
Here's what a realistic increaseof downloads will look like with
someone in your with yourcurrent subscribers, with your
(19:15):
current social media following,and with a specific strategy in
place to promote the episode,right?
One, be realistic.
But then deciding on that reallyhelps us get clear.
Like, here are the strategiesthat we're going to focus on.
If your goal is to increase yournumber of downloads, then do we
(19:39):
really care so much if you aremaking money from your podcast?
Maybe that's your goal for thenext six months afterwards.
And so you can cycle throughthem however you want, and you
might achieve little bits ofwins in each of the other goals
as you're going, because that'sjust the nature of it.
But when you have one to focuson, it'll allow you to get those
results a lot better and a lotquicker.
SPEAKER_00 (20:01):
Oh, I love that.
Because in my head, I'm like,that's why I'm all scattered,
because I'm not focusing on onelane.
And I hear this so much.
No, you don't have to have allyour ducks in a row, but you
also can't do all of it all atonce.
You have to pick your startingpoint.
And for a lot of people, it'swhere they already are.
Maybe they're already onYouTube, so they start with the
video version and then expand,or maybe someone doesn't have
(20:24):
that, so they start with thetraditional RSS feed.
I always say, people, you got tostart where you are.
There's no way that I can do apodcast, a video podcast, be on
Substack, be on LinkedIn, be onlike there, and that's why I'm
not always consistent becausesometimes like it's this
constant struggle.
But I really like the way youbroke those four down because
(20:44):
yes, I think every podcasterwants to do all four of them.
Right.
But we all know we can't do itall at once.
And if you focus on one, some ofthe other ones are just gonna
naturally happen.
So if I'm focusing on impact,that doesn't mean I'm not gonna
start to have growth orconversion or engagement.
But I know right now that's myfocus.
So that re- I love the way youexplain that.
SPEAKER_01 (21:07):
Yeah.
And I think that what you'resaying of like, well, I need to
be in all the places, I need todo all the things.
That's why agencies like mineexist, right?
And the services that you offer,where people are able to come to
us and say, I just want torecord and someone else do the
rest.
I don't want to just be anagency that says, all right,
(21:28):
hand me your work and then I'mgonna hand it back.
I want it to be strategic.
I want it to make the impactthat the person wants it to
make.
And so that's where likestrategy was a really important
part going into creating this oflike, how can I integrate both
so that way I feel like I'mmaking a positive impact with my
(21:49):
clients as well.
So all around.
Good impact.
SPEAKER_00 (21:53):
Yeah, no, I love that because you know, I've seen
and met people in differenttypes of podcast agencies, and
it's different depending on whatthe purpose of the podcast is.
Larger corporation or businessis gonna need something
different than a businessrunning by a person with a small
team and also what you do.
Is it a product base?
Is it service-based?
What type of service?
(22:13):
Like all of those things matter.
And what I've learned myself asa coach is I don't want to be
the person that does all theproduction for people.
I don't enjoy that side of it.
I will say, here, go to Aliciaand she will do that for you
because I can help people getstarted and learn how to do the
simple things themselves, but Idon't enjoy that side.
I enjoy the strategy and thecoaching and especially with
(22:34):
guesting, is helping peoplereally be thoughtful and
strategic because I think a lotof women, especially in
business, say yes.
They don't want to say no, evenif it's not the right place for
them.
So, do you run into thatsometimes with podcasting?
Do you feel like people arecreating it in a certain way or
want to because that's whatother people do, or they think
that's the right way to do it?
SPEAKER_01 (22:56):
Yeah.
So I want to say it was maybetwo summers ago.
A very big online guru, which,if you look into online gurus,
some of the businesses, onlinebusiness coaches and stuff,
course creators, it's very cultythe way that they behave.
So everyone be careful and beaware.
(23:16):
If anyone says, I know somethingyou don't know, run, please.
SPEAKER_00 (23:21):
Or if someone says this is the only way to do it,
yep, run very fast.
Oh.
SPEAKER_01 (23:28):
So there was a guru who was like, if you have a
business, you should have apodcast.
For like three months straight,I said, so and so said that if
you have a business, you shouldhave a podcast, and here's why I
disagree.
And I rode then because I waslike, No, I don't think that
just because this person saysthis, that everyone should do
(23:52):
it.
And I think that it'sdisingenuous for big leaders who
have full freaking teams, moneyto afford these teams, to tell
small business owners who aretrying to make money that they
need a podcast.
A podcast is not going to getyou rich, it is not going to
(24:14):
bring income in at least in thefirst three months.
It is highly unlikely that it isgoing to do that, unless you
already have an establishedaudience and they need more
content from you, ASAP.
Right.
I think that kind of settingthat expectation helps people be
like, oh, maybe I don't need apodcast.
Maybe I need to guest on somepodcasts and have some
(24:36):
conversations with people andmake some money first.
And then maybe I start a hobbypodcast and it's every other
week or once a month, and I seeif I like it and talk about a
topic that I could talk aboutliterally forever.
Maybe it's not my business.
Maybe I just blog instead or Ijust create social stuff.
But having conversations to makemoney in your business first.
(24:59):
Otherwise, it's a hobby.
I've been in the online spacefor so long that I'm so sick of
seeing women especiallyundervalue themselves, not make
money in their business.
Yes, one of my values is makingan impact in the world.
That's like third on my list.
My first is making a living wagefor myself and my family.
(25:24):
That is my value.
Number one, your values can befinancial.
My second, my team needs to bemaking a living wage.
Three, we make an impact in theworld.
Because if I'm not making themoney that I need to be able to
sustain my family, if my team'snot making the money they need
to make to sustain theirfamilies, we can't do the third
one.
And so I think that it's such animportant conversation around
(25:47):
podcasting.
It's like this is not gonna getyou rich quick.
95% of podcasters never see adime, or if they do, it's maybe
a dime.
And I see it.
Literal, this is the dime Imade.
Yes, the literal dime.
And so, yeah, I feel I haveclearly have very strong
feelings.
SPEAKER_00 (26:08):
But but it's so true.
And one I always say to peoplepodcasting is a marathon, not a
sprint.
Do not start it.
I mean, you said it earlier,realistic.
You have to have realisticexpectations in business,
period.
But when podcasting, people seepeople making money and they
don't see the 20 people workingbehind the scenes to get then
that.
Like, and I will say the firstpodcasting course I took back in
(26:31):
2020 was with one of those guruswho still exists.
And me and several other peopleI met through that big group
course were very disappointed inwhat we got for the value,
right?
Many of us started anyway, butwe ended up finding other
communities that truly supportedus.
And for me, I was careercoaching, and so I was told,
Well, you have a podcast aboutyour business, and it never went
(26:54):
anywhere because like getting upand talking about resumes every
day did not do it for me, didnot like inspire me.
And so that's why I did pets,which really is a side passion
project.
But now it's my evidence I knowhow to podcast and I know how to
keep it going and buildcommunity and impact.
Like you said, that really isthe purpose of that podcast.
(27:15):
But it's also taught me a lot bygetting in there and just doing
it and learning through theprocess and learning what I
like, what I don't like, andwhat I want my podcast to be.
And we talked about saying noearlier, and I've also learned
as a podcaster that I can say noto anyone just because they're a
great person and would be agreat guest.
If I don't feel they're rightfor my podcast or even right
(27:37):
now, it's okay to say no.
And this is your baby, this isyour business, this is your
podcast.
You get to own it and make thosedecisions.
SPEAKER_01 (27:46):
Yeah, I had that recently where I was gonna be a
guest on someone's show, andthey have a very big following.
They are talking to my idealpeople, but the language that
this individual was using rubbedme the wrong way.
And she did use words like, Iknow something about this that
(28:08):
you don't, tried to coach me onmy business model.
And I'm like, first of all, Ididn't consent to that at all.
So not cool, first of all.
If you had said, Hey, can I giveyou some advice?
I probably would have said yesbecause I say yes, right, and
we're already here and now it'sawkward because you're asking,
right?
But at least ask.
Ask, please.
Got to the end, and she waslike, Well, I'll talk to my
(28:30):
team.
And like, I was trying to guidethe conversation back to like,
hey, I'm trying to be a guest onyour show.
It was a prep call, right?
So it wasn't like the actualinterview.
And I left it feeling like, wow,that was really gross.
Is this worth it?
No, I'm gonna reach back out tothe team and say, I'm no longer
interested in being a guest onthe show.
(28:53):
And like it didn't feel good todo it because one, I don't want
to disappoint anyone, and Idon't want to close the door on
what could be opportunities,right?
And but I have to remember mebeing on this person's podcast
is not a good reflection of meand what my values are because
our values are clearly notaligned in how we approach
(29:16):
business.
And so by me being on thisperson's show, I don't know that
it would make sense for what Iwant to present to the world.
And so, okay, where are someother places that I can maybe
go?
Which is why in the communitywe're in, I was like, hey, I'm
looking for speakingopportunities because clearly
this one is a no-go, right?
(29:36):
And then like three landed in mylap, and I was like, okay, cool.
SPEAKER_00 (29:40):
Yeah, and sometimes the no experience gets us to the
right one.
Yes, and one of the things Ihave had to learn is I can say
no without explanation.
Yes, and I think that's hard,especially for women and in
business.
We're like, if we say no, we'regonna lose money, but if it's
not right, we're not actuallylosing money because we're gonna
go.
Go to the place that's gonnamake us the right money, but it
(30:03):
is this balance of you don'twant to say no and offend, and
then you have a bad reputationsomewhere in the world, but you
also have to like, yeah, I cansay no.
We only have this many hours ina day, I know only have this
amount of funds to support mybusiness.
I have to make the rightdecisions, and it can be hard,
but that's also an importantpower to hold on to as a woman
(30:24):
and as a business owner.
SPEAKER_01 (30:27):
Yeah, a hundred percent.
I could not agree more.
I think that it really is aninvaluable lesson.
And going back to the no, whydid you say no?
Right.
And I see this a lot with likegoing a little deeper when it's
a business owner who has apodcast and they're like, maybe
they have a group coachingprogram that they're trying to
(30:49):
sell out, and they maybe spendtwo weeks promoting it, and
they're like, Well, that was afailure.
I was in there.
Was it a failure, or did you notgive it enough effort because
you expected to fail?
SPEAKER_00 (31:07):
Oh, I just had this spot from my no one's gonna buy
it, but I'll put it out anyway.
SPEAKER_01 (31:12):
Yes, exactly.
And so with the opportunitiestoo, right?
Like, am I saying no because Idon't think I'm good enough?
Am I not putting my name in thehat for that because I don't
think that I deserve it?
SPEAKER_00 (31:26):
We're scared of what it means to put ourselves out
there for whatever reason.
SPEAKER_01 (31:30):
What if I scale too fast?
Then what am I gonna do?
I'm not gonna be able to f likeso many stories that we tell
ourselves that hold us back fromachieving the things we want to
achieve.
And that is one reason why whenwe're launching a podcast, we'd
spend two months launching itbecause I'm like, look, if we
(31:51):
launch it tomorrow, and thatmight be people's personality,
right?
I've interviewed people wherethey're like, I launched it in
24 hours to my email list, andthis is how it went.
Cool.
So glad that worked for you.
It's giving me hives, but I'veworked for you.
SPEAKER_00 (32:06):
And then the other spectrum is I have friends that
were in that community I was infive years ago and still haven't
launched.
So, you know, there's extremes,but you do want to be thoughtful
and strategic and really thinkabout it.
You don't want to sometimes Ithink in business we put stuff
out just to see what peoplerespond, and that's okay.
And that is a big lesson I'vehad to learn in business is it's
(32:28):
not necessarily success orfailure, it's learning.
And that was very hard for me.
But now I take the researchermind.
Well, I'm gonna put this out andsee what people think and then
tweak it and do it this way.
Like that's I've had to takethat perspective, but you still
have to put effort in and spendtime being thoughtful about it,
(32:49):
whatever you're doing, butespecially podcasting.
SPEAKER_01 (32:52):
Yeah, and then the amount of effort you put in is
that reflected in the resultthat you're getting again, going
back to what is that goal thatyou want to achieve?
If your goal is that you want tomake money from your podcast,
when was the last time you toldyour listeners how they could
spend money with you?
That's always my first question.
(33:13):
Is like, when is the last timeyou said, hey, this is how you
can work with me?
And it could be, all right,yeah, I've got my dynamic ad in
there, but like we said before,skippers be skipping before we
start recording.
And so the people might skipthrough.
But that's why it's important tonaturally integrate that into
the conversation of here's whatI do with our clients, here's an
(33:35):
example of what that looks like.
Here's a way that you can workwith me that's not an ad, right?
And so, like, when was the lasttime you did that?
Or if your goal is to turn yourguests into clients, cool.
What does that follow-up processlook like?
Let's talk about it.
There's so many different waysyou could go about it, but the
amount of effort that you'reputting into that strategy, your
result should be similar, butyou have to put in the effort
(33:59):
and you have to like not holdyourself back.
SPEAKER_00 (34:01):
Yeah, I can say I've put out these episodes and
nothing's happened, but what wasthe effort in putting them out?
Just saying my episodes outisn't an effort.
It's just saying, yeah, I thinkthat's so true.
And I think people think that ifthey talk and talk about their
business, it's just magic andpeople want to work with them.
But you have to sometimes bevery obvious.
(34:21):
Like, you know, my client hadthis issue, and this is how I
helped her, and I would love tohelp you with the same thing.
That is not salesy, that isliterally an easy way of saying,
This is what I do, this is how Ihelp.
Do you need this help?
SPEAKER_01 (34:33):
Yeah, that's something I've been having a lot
of discussions around lately.
And I think you and I talkedabout this on my show, where we
almost infantilize our potentialclients, like they can't make
decisions for themselves.
Like we're forcing them to dosomething.
And maybe that's what bromarketing does, right?
It makes them feel bad.
It makes them feel like allthese different things, and
(34:55):
they're like, Yes, I have to dothis, or I'm not going to be
this person.
But the vast majority of us,especially women, are not going
to approach sales that way.
And so why do we treat ourpotential clients like they
can't make a choice forthemselves?
All we have to do is say, here'san invitation.
It's an open door you can walkthrough or not.
(35:18):
And I wish you luck either way.
And people who are going toresonate with that are going to
be really excited to do workwith you if you're approaching
it that way.
Instead of just saying, Well,like I guess you can if you
want.
Open the door.
Here's how you can work with me.
This is what it looks like.
I want to help you as well.
SPEAKER_00 (35:37):
Yeah, I think we feel like we're being pushy, but
it's okay to be blunt.
Hi, this is my podcast about mybusiness.
This is what my business does.
What do you need help with that?
Yeah, it feels weird, maybe, butthat's like the point.
That's what we do.
That's what podcasting is for.
And there are also a lot ofother ways.
Like I've seen people who say,Hey, what are your questions?
DM me, and then they spend awhole episode answering people's
(35:59):
questions.
Or they ask somebody, if youhave an issue with this, you
want to come on and I'll coachyou and people can learn.
Like, I'm seeing podcasting hasevolved so much, even in just
the four years I've been doingit.
There's so many moreopportunities to engage in a way
that is still selling what youdo in your business.
Do you see that as a good thing,or do you see it like there's
(36:22):
too many options?
Or does it make it easier?
Because then you can make it fitto the person's business model
better.
SPEAKER_01 (36:28):
I think that it works really well, and I'm
excited to see, especially withall the tools that we're seeing,
all the tools, not AI, thatwe're seeing.
And not that I have anythingagainst AI, just to preface
that.
But like we have now wherepeople can send voice notes that
we can then integrate intoepisodes.
I did a whole 52 series on aseparate podcast that was like,
(36:51):
I want to test this out and seehow it works.
10 minutes or less answeringpodcasting questions and just
like really focusing on what arethe questions I'm getting.
And maybe some of them I'm justmaking up because I didn't get
questions that week.
But what it's allowed is peopleto by opening the door and
saying, send me a DM if you havequestions.
I get questions in my DMs.
It's not a lot, it's not often.
(37:14):
But when I do, one, I alwayssend a voice note back thanking
them because I find that voicenotes, especially if I can, like
if my kids are being loud in thebackground and I really need to
respond to this, then I won't.
But that initial one, I alwaystry to send a voice note.
Hey, thank you so much forsending me this question.
I'm so excited that you're onyour podcasting journey.
(37:35):
This is so incredible.
Here are some things that Iwould recommend you do based on
the information you've given me.
And I don't need to sell tothem.
I'm literally just answeringtheir question.
If it gets to be a little moreextensive, which it has not at
this point, people, I think, areat a point where we're like, all
right, we know how to berespectful in someone's DMs and
we're not trying to like get toomuch information.
(37:57):
No, you need to book astrategies call, please, and
thank you.
So we haven't had that.
But if it did get to that point,I would say, look, I've loved
being able to help you andsupport you.
I don't have the capacity toanswer more questions at this
time.
But if you want to book anhour-long session, we can chat
deeper, further.
I can look at more things on theback end of your podcast to give
(38:19):
you some better answers on how Ithink you should proceed with
whatever the question is.
And that's okay.
That's just setting up aboundary and saying, here's the
boundary, please don't cross it.
But we can still collaborate andI still want to work with you.
And you can still listen to thepodcast because I'm gonna be
answering questions anyway overthere.
So maybe your question will beanswered.
Yeah, there's so many ways to doit, and I'm finding that with
(38:42):
all the tools that areavailable, it makes it pretty
easy.
And as long as you are clear onwhere you want them to go, it
doesn't get too overwhelming.
SPEAKER_00 (38:52):
Right.
Well, I think we could probablytalk for another couple hours.
I know.
But we should probably wrap itup because we also know our
listeners' time span is only solong.
So in closing up our discussion,if someone out there is
listening, they've been thinkingabout a podcast, they know it
(39:14):
makes sense, but they're alsokind of a little confused as to
like what's the starting path,what would you say to them?
SPEAKER_01 (39:22):
First and foremost, I would say guest on some shows
and see if it's gonna be theright fit for you.
Next, if you enjoy it, thenwrite out a list of 10 episodes
that you could do.
What are 10 topics that youcould talk about that feel
really comfortable and reallygood?
Because even with 10 episodes,you could do a limited series,
right?
It does not have to be that youhave to podcast for years and
(39:44):
years.
Just create the plan.
And from there, what is yourgoal?
Is it con conversion, impact,growth, or engagement?
What are you trying to achievewith it?
And then that should set you upso for some pretty decent
success right out the gate byhaving that kind of outlined in
your brain or even on paper,that's gonna help set you up
(40:06):
well.
SPEAKER_00 (40:07):
Boom, mic drop.
There you go, guys.
No, I think I like how you keepthings simple and don't
overcomplicate it.
It's like starting points.
And I think we all love toovercomplicate things, yeah.
Especially when you throw in thetech and all the things.
And also, like you said, youknow, when I started four years
ago, it took me hours to editaudio.
(40:28):
Now I like put it into script,push a couple buttons, fix a
couple things, and like boom,I'm let's go.
So the evolution has also madeit, and that's why there's so
many more people in the space,because it is easier.
But if you're not strategic andstart with that, why the easy
doesn't matter because thenyou're just kind of wasting your
time and effort.
SPEAKER_01 (40:47):
Yeah, and I think that's why, yes, while there are
more podcasts, only 13% of themare active regularly because it
takes a lot of effort, it takesa lot of work, and people have
these expectations of podcastingthat are unrealistic, quite
frankly.
And they are like, wow, this isa lot of work and I'm not
(41:07):
getting any results.
Okay, bye.
SPEAKER_00 (41:09):
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (41:10):
But yeah, I think if you're just strategic about it,
keep it simple, then you'll beable to get some results, which
is what we all want, right?
With the content we're trying toproduce.
SPEAKER_00 (41:19):
Absolutely.
Thank you, Alicia, so much forcoming and sharing your wisdom.
I learned things, I took notes,and like, okay, let's go.
So I always love learning frommy guests, and I know the
listeners are gonna learn fromyou too.
And if you're listening to this,we always love to keep it
evergreen, but Alicia is comingto my women's podcaster party
(41:40):
networking community in October.
She's our featured speaker andis gonna help us with some of
that goal setting and thatthinking through the end of the
year and into the next forpodcasting and guesting.
So please come join us.
As always, the links are in theshow notes.
So thank you for your time andsharing your expertise with us.
I so appreciate it.
SPEAKER_01 (42:01):
Yeah, thank you for having me, Julie.
I appreciate you.
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