September 1, 2025 • 9 mins
Feeling like quitting your podcast? You’re not alone. In this episode of Soul Podcasting, I get real about those moments when podcasting feels more like a burden than a joy. Together, we’ll unpack the deeper reasons behind that urge to give up, explore how to bring creativity and fun back into the process, and talk about what it looks like to stay consistent with grace instead of burnout. If you’ve ever wondered whether to pause, pivot, or press on, this conversation will help you find clarity — and maybe even fall in love with podcasting all over again.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Hi, my friends, and welcome back to Soul Podcasting. This
is the place where soulful strategy meets creative execution, and
where your voice isn't just heard, it is felt. I'm
your host, Dmitria Zinga, founder of the Soul Podcasting Collective,
where we help CEOs, coaches, and creatives launch podcasts that
build brand authority, deepen your audience connection, and support sustainable
(00:38):
business growth. I'm super happy to be your host and
happy to share this information and my love for podcasting
with you all. We're just going to start the show
with some heartfelt questions. I want to paint a picture
for you, and I want you to see if you
fall in this camp. You ever sit down in front
of your mic, stare at it for a minute and
think do I even want to keep doing this? I
(01:01):
have more times than I'd like to admit, And there
was a week when I had my episode planned out,
my notes ready, and I just couldn't. I opened my laptop,
pulled up the script, and nothing came out. It wasn't
that I didn't love podcasting anymore. It was really just
that I was exhausted. Life was heavy, and the podcast
felt like one more weight Instead of a joy and
(01:23):
maybe that's you right now. Maybe you've been showing up
week after week, but deep down you're wondering if it's
even worth it. The downloads don't even look like you
thought they would and the work feels endless. Or maybe
you're just plain burned out. If you've ever felt that way,
I want you to hear this. You are not alone,
and quitting doesn't make you a failure. But before you
(01:45):
make that call, there are some questions and some shifts
and some truths that we can explore together. Let's start here,
because the surface level answer isn't usually the real one.
When I felt like quitting, I thought it was because
nobody was listening. But when I slowed down, I realized
what I was actually frustrated about was the time that
(02:06):
it was taking me to create these shows. I was
trying to edit like a perfectionist, promote like a full
time marketing team, and record like a machine. And that
just is not sustainable. If you've ever tried that, then
you know that that is the recipe for burnout super fast.
So I want you to ask yourself, am I tired
of podcasting? Or am I just tired? In general? There's
(02:28):
a huge difference between the two. Then ask yourself, am
I frustrated with the podcast or with the unrealistic expectations
that I put on it? Am I discouraged because of
my numbers or because I'm comparing myself to other podcasters.
I want you to take a moment and really think
about that, maybe even jot it down, take some notes,
because often this I want to quit mentality is actually
(02:53):
just I need a break, or I need support, or
I need to do this differently. So we're gonna talk
about reframing the story so that you're you're not on
that fast road to burn out. And here's something that
I've learned. The questions that we ask ourselves shape the
answers that we find. So if all you've ever asked
yourself is should I quit? Your brain will find a
(03:15):
hundred reasons to say yes. But if you shift the question,
you shift the outcome. So try asking what would this
look like if it was fun all over again? And
what's one thing I've already gained from podcasting that I
wouldn't trade for anything? Or what of success wasn't about
downloads or charts, but about one person being impacted by
(03:37):
what I said? Would that be enough for me? Ask
yourself those questions and see how you respond. I'll tell
you what. When I reframed my own story, I realized
that podcasting had already given me confidence, clarity, and a voice.
Even if I never became a top charting show, that
alone made it worth it. So maybe the story isn't
(03:59):
I'm failing. Maybe it's I'm evolving. Sometimes when you feel
like quitting, it's not because you're done. It's because you're bored.
So the next thing that I want you to consider
is how to bring joy and creativity back into your podcasting.
I had a stretch where every episode felt the same
for me, same format, same energy, same style, and I
(04:21):
started resenting it. So I gave myself permission to experiment,
and one week I recorded an unedited, raw conversation. Another
week I switched to a shorter, bite sized episode. Another
time I brought in a guest just because I thought
the conversation would be fun and not because I thought
it would perform well. And you know what, doing all
(04:43):
these different things and experimenting a bit that changed everything.
So maybe you need to loosen the rules that you've
built around your podcast and try something that feels light
and playful, even a bit silly. Do an episode that
makes you laugh. Sometimes the cure for burnout really is joy.
And let me say this very clearly before you walk away.
(05:04):
Quitting is not the only option, and pushing through with
no rest isn't the only option either. There's a middle
ground to podcasting, and it's called taking a pause, Take
a break, call it a season, let yourself breathe. Ask yourself,
have I really tried everything to make this sustainable? Have
I given myself permission to do less? Have I been
(05:26):
honest with my audience about needing that rest? Because often
the only thing that stands between burnout and breakthrough is permission,
and you need permission to pause. I've noticed the podcasters
who last the longest are not the ones who necessarily
post every single week without fail, but they're the ones
who allow their podcasts to grow with them. Your life
(05:48):
will change, your work is going to change, your energy
will change, and your podcast should be allowed to evolve to.
Flexibility doesn't mean you don't care. It just means that
you're wise enough to adapt so you can keep going.
So that's where flexibility equals longevity. And then don't forget
that you need support and connection, the two of them,
(06:10):
because here's something else that might be fueling your desire
to quit, and that is loneliness. Podcasting can feel really isolating.
Sometimes you're sitting in a room talking into a microphone
and hoping someone's on the other side. But let me
tell you, you don't have to do this alone. You
can find a podcasting community. I've spoken with guests on
(06:31):
this show who have their own podcast communities, and before
long I may be starting my own as well. So
join a community, join a mastermind, reach out to a
fellow podcaster and say, hey, want to check in once
a month with each other. And every time I've felt
like quitting, the thing that pulled me back wasn't strategy,
it was community. Knowing that I wasn't the only one
(06:52):
struggling made all the difference. So let's talk about consistency,
because it's a word that gets thrown around a lot
in podcasting, yet it does matter. Consistency matters, but it
doesn't mean perfection, okay. Consistency means showing up in a
way that's real and sustainable for you. If you need
to take a slower pace, you take it. If you
(07:12):
need to shift from weekly to bi weekly, you do that,
if you need to hit pause and explain it to
your audience, trust me, they will understand. What your listeners
want most is you, your honesty, your humanity. You know,
just be yourself. Consistency with grace is more powerful than
perfection with burnout. So if you're sitting in that I
(07:34):
want to quit place right now, don't rush, Just breathe, reflect,
ask yourself better questions, experiment, rest, And if after all
of that you know in your spirit that it's time
to end your podcast, that's not failure, that's growth, it's
honoring your season. But if there's still a flicker of
(07:55):
excitement when you picture hitting record, if there's still something
inside you that wants to speak, then maybe it's not
time to quit. Maybe it's time to rediscover your rhythm
and fall in love with podcasting on your own terms.
So if you're unsure which way to go, keep pushing, pivot, pause,
or quit. I'd love to help you get clarity. And
(08:16):
that's why I created the podcast Audit. It's a one
on one process where I look at your show, your goals,
your process and help you to see what's working, what's
draining you and where you could reignite some joy. If
you've been thinking I don't know if this is worth it,
then this podcast audit will give you that clarity and
(08:37):
you can grab yours at soulpodcasting dot com, slash podcast
dash audit link is in the show notes. Remember your
voice matters, and sometimes all it takes is a little
shift to remember why you started your podcast in the
first place. Thanks for listening to today's episode. I can't
wait to hear from you. Reach out to me at
(08:58):
soul Podcasting on it, Instagram, visit us at soul podcasting
dot com, and I'll talk to you next time. Happy Podcasting,
Hi, my friends, and welcome back to Soul Podcasting. This
is the place where soulful strategy meets creative execution, and
where your voice isn't just heard, it is felt. I'm
your host, Dmitria Zinga, founder of the Soul Podcasting Collective,
where we help CEOs, coaches, and creatives launch podcasts that
build brand authority, deepen your audience connection, and support sustainable
(00:38):
business growth. I'm super happy to be your host and
happy to share this information and my love for podcasting
with you all. We're just going to start the show
with some heartfelt questions. I want to paint a picture
for you, and I want you to see if you
fall in this camp. You ever sit down in front
of your mic, stare at it for a minute and
think do I even want to keep doing this? I
(01:01):
have more times than I'd like to admit, And there
was a week when I had my episode planned out,
my notes ready, and I just couldn't. I opened my laptop,
pulled up the script, and nothing came out. It wasn't
that I didn't love podcasting anymore. It was really just
that I was exhausted. Life was heavy, and the podcast
felt like one more weight Instead of a joy and
(01:23):
maybe that's you right now. Maybe you've been showing up
week after week, but deep down you're wondering if it's
even worth it. The downloads don't even look like you
thought they would and the work feels endless. Or maybe
you're just plain burned out. If you've ever felt that way,
I want you to hear this. You are not alone,
and quitting doesn't make you a failure. But before you
(01:45):
make that call, there are some questions and some shifts
and some truths that we can explore together. Let's start here,
because the surface level answer isn't usually the real one.
When I felt like quitting, I thought it was because
nobody was listening. But when I slowed down, I realized
what I was actually frustrated about was the time that
(02:06):
it was taking me to create these shows. I was
trying to edit like a perfectionist, promote like a full
time marketing team, and record like a machine. And that
just is not sustainable. If you've ever tried that, then
you know that that is the recipe for burnout super fast.
So I want you to ask yourself, am I tired
of podcasting? Or am I just tired? In general? There's
(02:28):
a huge difference between the two. Then ask yourself, am
I frustrated with the podcast or with the unrealistic expectations
that I put on it? Am I discouraged because of
my numbers or because I'm comparing myself to other podcasters.
I want you to take a moment and really think
about that, maybe even jot it down, take some notes,
because often this I want to quit mentality is actually
(02:53):
just I need a break, or I need support, or
I need to do this differently. So we're gonna talk
about reframing the story so that you're you're not on
that fast road to burn out. And here's something that
I've learned. The questions that we ask ourselves shape the
answers that we find. So if all you've ever asked
yourself is should I quit? Your brain will find a
(03:15):
hundred reasons to say yes. But if you shift the question,
you shift the outcome. So try asking what would this
look like if it was fun all over again? And
what's one thing I've already gained from podcasting that I
wouldn't trade for anything? Or what of success wasn't about
downloads or charts, but about one person being impacted by
(03:37):
what I said? Would that be enough for me? Ask
yourself those questions and see how you respond. I'll tell
you what. When I reframed my own story, I realized
that podcasting had already given me confidence, clarity, and a voice.
Even if I never became a top charting show, that
alone made it worth it. So maybe the story isn't
(03:59):
I'm failing. Maybe it's I'm evolving. Sometimes when you feel
like quitting, it's not because you're done. It's because you're bored.
So the next thing that I want you to consider
is how to bring joy and creativity back into your podcasting.
I had a stretch where every episode felt the same
for me, same format, same energy, same style, and I
(04:21):
started resenting it. So I gave myself permission to experiment,
and one week I recorded an unedited, raw conversation. Another
week I switched to a shorter, bite sized episode. Another
time I brought in a guest just because I thought
the conversation would be fun and not because I thought
it would perform well. And you know what, doing all
(04:43):
these different things and experimenting a bit that changed everything.
So maybe you need to loosen the rules that you've
built around your podcast and try something that feels light
and playful, even a bit silly. Do an episode that
makes you laugh. Sometimes the cure for burnout really is joy.
And let me say this very clearly before you walk away.
(05:04):
Quitting is not the only option, and pushing through with
no rest isn't the only option either. There's a middle
ground to podcasting, and it's called taking a pause, Take
a break, call it a season, let yourself breathe. Ask yourself,
have I really tried everything to make this sustainable? Have
I given myself permission to do less? Have I been
(05:26):
honest with my audience about needing that rest? Because often
the only thing that stands between burnout and breakthrough is permission,
and you need permission to pause. I've noticed the podcasters
who last the longest are not the ones who necessarily
post every single week without fail, but they're the ones
who allow their podcasts to grow with them. Your life
(05:48):
will change, your work is going to change, your energy
will change, and your podcast should be allowed to evolve to.
Flexibility doesn't mean you don't care. It just means that
you're wise enough to adapt so you can keep going.
So that's where flexibility equals longevity. And then don't forget
that you need support and connection, the two of them,
(06:10):
because here's something else that might be fueling your desire
to quit, and that is loneliness. Podcasting can feel really isolating.
Sometimes you're sitting in a room talking into a microphone
and hoping someone's on the other side. But let me
tell you, you don't have to do this alone. You
can find a podcasting community. I've spoken with guests on
(06:31):
this show who have their own podcast communities, and before
long I may be starting my own as well. So
join a community, join a mastermind, reach out to a
fellow podcaster and say, hey, want to check in once
a month with each other. And every time I've felt
like quitting, the thing that pulled me back wasn't strategy,
it was community. Knowing that I wasn't the only one
(06:52):
struggling made all the difference. So let's talk about consistency,
because it's a word that gets thrown around a lot
in podcasting, yet it does matter. Consistency matters, but it
doesn't mean perfection, okay. Consistency means showing up in a
way that's real and sustainable for you. If you need
to take a slower pace, you take it. If you
(07:12):
need to shift from weekly to bi weekly, you do that,
if you need to hit pause and explain it to
your audience, trust me, they will understand. What your listeners
want most is you, your honesty, your humanity. You know,
just be yourself. Consistency with grace is more powerful than
perfection with burnout. So if you're sitting in that I
(07:34):
want to quit place right now, don't rush, Just breathe, reflect,
ask yourself better questions, experiment, rest, And if after all
of that you know in your spirit that it's time
to end your podcast, that's not failure, that's growth, it's
honoring your season. But if there's still a flicker of
(07:55):
excitement when you picture hitting record, if there's still something
inside you that wants to speak, then maybe it's not
time to quit. Maybe it's time to rediscover your rhythm
and fall in love with podcasting on your own terms.
So if you're unsure which way to go, keep pushing, pivot, pause,
or quit. I'd love to help you get clarity. And
(08:16):
that's why I created the podcast Audit. It's a one
on one process where I look at your show, your goals,
your process and help you to see what's working, what's
draining you and where you could reignite some joy. If
you've been thinking I don't know if this is worth it,
then this podcast audit will give you that clarity and
(08:37):
you can grab yours at soulpodcasting dot com, slash podcast
dash audit link is in the show notes. Remember your
voice matters, and sometimes all it takes is a little
shift to remember why you started your podcast in the
first place. Thanks for listening to today's episode. I can't
wait to hear from you. Reach out to me at
(08:58):
soul Podcasting on it, Instagram, visit us at soul podcasting
dot com, and I'll talk to you next time. Happy Podcasting,
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