What I've learned in 12 years of podcasting

plus, early access to my mentoring program for creating a sustainable podcast lifestyle.

Last week, my business partner Sarah Powers and I celebrated the ninth birthday of The Mom Hour podcast, which has been in constant publication since 2015. Prior to launching The Mom Hour, I’d already been podcasting since 2012, experimenting with different formats, lengths, and topic areas.

That means I’ve been podcasting continuously for twelve years, which—in an industry marked by change and attrition (called “podfading” in the biz)—feels pretty remarkable.

In this week’s episode of The Tea’s Made, I shared some of my thoughts on podcasting, including whether there’s such a thing as an “ideal” format or length (I say no, ma’am!) and how to create a podcast strategy that supports your unique goals.

Here are the five ideas I explore in the episode:

#1: A podcast can be whatever you want it to be.

Length, frequency, topic, format, number of hosts—anyone who tries to tell you there’s a “best practice” for any of these things is speaking from a limited frame of reference. Sure, data indicates that the most popular podcasts are between 20 and 40 minutes long (a pretty big range to begin with!) but that doesn’t mean it’s the right length for your podcast. Your topics and hosting style may benefit from a short-and-snappy length or may need more time to marinate. You may want to distill information in quick bytes, or take a deeper plunge into meatier topics. The best podcast length is the length that’s right for your particular podcast.

Same with format. As I pointed out in the episode, an interview-based podcast can be wonderful, but it’s also time-consuming to create. A solo podcast can create wonderful intimacy with the listener but can also be lonely. A two-host podcast can help keep conversation flowing but it requires great chemistry with another person and shared goals to keep motivation high on both sides. In other words, there’s no 'perfect’ format.

Solo vs. conversational two-host vs. interview-based; longer or shorter, heavily-scripted or off-the-cuff…ultimately, the podcast that’s most likely to succeed for you is the one you want to make, and will be able to keep showing up for, episode after episode.

#2: There are a lot of ways to find success in podcasting.

Your podcast goals could include monetizing via advertising or affiliates. Or selling your own books, courses, or products. It could also include no direct monetary goals at all. I’ve produced podcasts that provide a six-figure full-time income (with the full-time workload to match), those that are truly labor-of-love hobby projects, and everything in between, and I know this to be true: there are all kinds of ways a podcast can make money or indirectly support your career, but it can also just be a creative pursuit. The trick is understanding your goals so that you can invest time in the things that will help you reach them.

#3: Invest time and money into your podcasting tech - but not more than you need to right now.

As a newer podcaster I used an ATR-2100 mic, which was around $90 at the time. After breaking it a couple years in (I am hard on cords and USB ports!) I switched to a Samson Q2U when I found that the price of the ATR had temporarily shot way up (it’s now considerably cheaper than the Samson.) I found the two mics to be almost identical in form and function, and I got what I thought was very good sound out of each for years. I didn’t upgrade to the fancier Shure MV7 until I’d been podcasting for over 10 years!

While I later purchased a ZoomH6 recorder for a specific client project that required in-person recording, it’s not my favorite way to record and definitely unnecessary for most solo or remote podcasting setups. Other investments I’ve made include subscriptions to Descript and Riverside.FM.

On the whole, for as long as I’ve been making podcasts, I’ve been able to do it with limited tech. Over time I’ve added new solutions that solve real pain points, but I’ve also gotten more skilled at the other elements that make it easier to create a quality audio product without putting a ton of time and money into editing, like speaking clearly into the mic and managing transitions.

A lot of new podcasters seem to think that if they just dump a bunch of money into an expensive mic and recording software, they’ll magically churn out a professional-level podcast.

But mics and software are a relatively small part of the package. Skill and experience are the other two factors that will help you produce a quality show, and there’s only one way to gain those: by practicing. And unless you record dozens of shows that you hide away forever on your hard drive (nooooo!), that means you’ll be developing those skills in-real-time, publicly, on your mic—and that’s OK.

Your first episodes won’t be as polished as your fiftieth which will be amateur hour compared to your two hundredth. That’s true for everyone!

The upshot: focus on quality, but don’t expect to achieve perfection from your first episode—and don’t over-invest in tech before you need to. A dedicated, quality podcasting mic is a very good idea for a beginner, but you absolutely don’t need to invest in a top-of-the-line option.

I do recommend a stand-alone mic (not a headset) and a cardioid style mic, versus an omnidirectional, unless you are recording in a studio. An omnidirectional mic (like the Blue Yeti) is designed to pick up sound on all sides of the mic, which makes it much harder to isolate just your voice, and cancel out ambient noises like your air conditioner, fridge, or the guy mowing his lawn outside.

Professional sound engineering is a part of my podcasting process, but if you don’t have it in your budget, I’d recommend a one-time audio editing session with a sound engineer to help you troubleshoot any issues that might get in the way of good audio. (Shoot me an email if you’d like me to connect you with my sound engineer, Brian!)

So aim for the best possible sound you can get with the time and resources you have available right now - and then let those little mistakes and imperfections go. I’m still developing skills, twelve years after starting my first podcast. Your listeners will love you because you’re you, not because your podcast sounds like NPR.

The episode I published today includes some of the specific audio issues that I recommend troubleshooting for: the ones that make the biggest difference to listeners, and that can be prevented with the right systems and knowledge.

#4: You don’t have to do All The Things.

Sure, we all know the podcasters who seem to be everywhere. They’re putting out Instagram reels of each episode, they’re publishing a video version on YouTube, they’re doing bonus episodes for their Patreon, and they’re livestreaming their recording sessions. Phew!

And those are all great things to try out, but keep in mind that every “extra” you add on to your main product (an audio recording, for podcasters) will take time and resources - and they may not all actually help you meet your goals.

One of the reasons I believe I’ve had as much longevity as I have in the podcasting world is that I’ve mostly kept my processes—and the end product—very simple.

For example, on The Mom Hour, Sarah and I have used the same free, audio-only recording software almost from the very beginning. We keep our social sharing simple, and we have very streamlined processes that mean we aren’t reinventing the wheel all the time.

On my solo podcast projects, I’ve been tempted once or twice to go down a more complicated path, and have experimented with many of the “add-ons” I mentioned - some of which I’ve really enjoyed and may try again in the future. But through that experimentation, I also realized that for now, it makes more sense to keep things simple, straightforward, and sustainable.

Bottom line: I’d rather spend my podcast time creating a simple audio product than a lot of outtakes and other extras, and right now, my non-podcasting time is mostly earmarked for writing and other work I’m doing mostly offline these days. I don’t want to live on social media, so I haven’t made it a very big part of my podcasting strategy - with no regrets.

#5: Podcasting is just getting started - and I believe it’s here for the long haul.

With all the changes the industry has been through, it’s easy to buy into the belief that podcasts are over-done, over-saturated, and on the decline. But while industry trends can be fickle, the desire for audio content isn’t going away. Unlike Instagram, TikTok and other social media platforms, podcasters own and control their content. Though we a variety of apps and directories we can use to distribute it, if those were all to go away, we could still find ways to get our content into the ears of the people who want it.

Podcast listeners engage deeply with the content we create, allowing us to build intimacy you just can’t match in a 10-second reel or a photo. And while trends come and go, that relationship remains.

It all comes down to this: whatever your podcasting goals, I truly believe that if you have something to say, there’s an audience out there waiting to hear it. And with the right processes, routines, and rituals, you can make podcasting a fun, fluid, and sustainable part of your creative lifestyle.

I’d love to help you create a sustainable podcasting life.

“Podfading” makes me sad because so often, it doesn’t have to happen.

As I was thinking through the last twelve years of podcasting, it struck me how just how many hours I’ve spent on the mic, and how relatively seamlessly it’s fit into the rest of my life. I’ve recorded in nearly every room of my house, in hotel beds and (just this week!) relatives’ homes. I’ve podcasted steadily through life transitions like divorce, moves, and job changes. I’ve interviewed more than 100 guests, recorded lots of solo shows, and partnered with an amazing co-host and business partner for nine years of continuous publishing.

Yes, it’s been a lot of work, but it’s always felt flexible and manageable. And that’s made all the difference. I can tell you honestly that I wouldn’t have kept doing this if I didn’t find it to be a fun and rewarding part of my life. In fact, the fact that I see podcasting as “part of my life”—and not just another obligation—is key.

In order to share what I’ve learned and how I manage my podcasting life week by week, I’m currently developing a mentoring program that will help podcasters push through some of those early obstacles to create a sustainable podcasting lifestyle.

I’m opening up a handful of spots for early access to this program at a reduced price. You’ll work with me one-on-one to help develop your goals, really get clear about how your podcast can support your goals, and create a sustainable podcasting lifestyle.

Together we’ll decide which tasks you can delegate and which to DIY. We’ll figure out the format, length, frequency and structure that makes the most sense for your podcast goals and season of life. I’ll help you analyze monetization strategies and decide which, if any, to pursue.

And based on your goals, personality and other commitments, we’ll create the habits, workflows and rituals that will make producing a consistent podcast feel more simple and sustainable.

If you’re interested in having early access to this program, shoot me a DM through Substack using the button above, or email me at meaganfrancis@gmail.com. I’d love to talk it through with you and see if it’s a good fit for you and your goals.

Whether you’re a podcaster, aspiring podcaster or an enthusiastic listener, I hope you enjoyed this behind-the-scenes peek at my twelve years of podcasting. I truly believe that twelve years from now, I’ll still be getting on the mic. Podcasting has become such an embedded part of my life that I can’t imagine stopping for long.