Building a Podcast Around Real Human Connection—Vanessa Younts | Ep 152

What New Podcasters Can Learn From a 15-Year Podcasting Veteran—Audrey TechDiva Wiggins | Ep 155

What does 15 years of podcasting really teach you? In this episode, I sit down with Audrey TechDiva Wiggins, host of Tech Diva Biz Talks, to talk about her long journey in podcasting, branding, business, technology, and staying creative through every stage of the process. Audrey started back in 2010 with a web TV-style show called Make Something Happen.tv, and over the years, her work evolved into a focused podcast about business, branding, marketing, and technology. Tune in for an honest, fun, and practical conversation about podcasting for the long run. Connect With Audrey TechDiva Wiggins Website: https://techdivabiztalks.com [https://techdivabiztalks.com] Podcast: https://techdivabiztalks.com [https://techdivabiztalks.com] If My Podcast Story speaks to you, consider subscribing so you never miss an episode. And if you have a moment, leaving a review helps more people discover the stories shared here. Your support truly means a lot. There’s more to every story than what you hear on the episode. Join the My Podcast Story newsletter to receive thoughtful takeaways, episode extras, and personal notes that don’t make it into the show. It’s a quiet way to stay inspired between listens. Sign up here: https://mypodcaststory.com/join [https://mypodcaststory.com/join] Chapters 00:00 Opening Moment 00:19 Meet Audrey TechDiva Wiggins 00:38 What Tech Diva Biz Talks Is About 01:04 Why Audrey Started Podcasting 01:19 Starting With Web TV Tools in 2010 02:11 Make Something Happen.tv and the Early Days 03:14 The Story Behind the Tech Diva Name 04:35 Evolving From a General Interview Show to a Focused Business Podcast 05:23 Behind the Scenes of Audrey’s Podcast Workflow 06:00 Batch Recording and Keeping Episodes Ready 07:12 Why Batch Editing Can Save Time 08:09 Preparing Questions and Adding Personality With AI 09:03 Recording, Hosting, and Editing Tools Audrey Uses 10:43 Favorite Memories From 15 Years of Podcasting 12:46 Why Podcasting Feels More Accepted Today 14:14 Starting With Simple Podcast Equipment 15:35 Why a Quiet Recording Space Matters 16:26 Creative Recording Setups and Closet Audio 18:20 Does the Podcast Make Money? 19:24 Using a Podcast to Bring Leads Into a Business 20:11 My Podcast Story Newsletter Break 20:34 Why Podcast Promotion Matters 22:12 Tracking Podcast Leads and Website Traffic 24:08 Thinking About Fun Podcast Ideas Outside the Main Business 26:27 Possible Future Podcast Ideas 28:22 Audrey’s Podcast Plans for Next Year 29:13 Improving the Virtual Studio and Green Screen Setup 31:46 Why Podcasters Should Keep Improving 32:50 How Podcasting Supports Speaking Opportunities 33:38 Podcast Guesting as a Business Strategy 35:58 How Branding Helps Audrey’s Podcast 38:13 Possible Tech Diva Merchandise 40:11 Audrey’s Advice for New Podcasters 42:37 Where to Find Audrey and Tech Diva Biz Talks 43:03 Final Thoughts

Growing a Podcast Through Authentic Connection—Ashana Kaiulani | Ep 154

Have you ever wondered what really helps a podcast grow when you are not chasing viral clips, perfect systems, or big marketing strategies? In this episode, Ashana Kaiulani shares how her podcast grew through honesty, connection, clear messaging, and a willingness to keep showing up before everything felt polished. In this episode, I sit down with Ashana Kaiulani, host of The Reclamation Room, to talk about her journey into podcasting, why she waited one to two years before finally launching, and what changed once she decided to use her voice. Ashana is a women’s reclamation coach whose work centers on healing from narcissistic abuse, betrayal trauma, relational harm, boundaries, and reclaiming a sense of self. She also hosts Voices of Strength as part of Break the Silence Alabama and the Domestic Violence Registry Project. Connect With Ashana Kaiulani Website: https://wayhomewellness.com [https://wayhomewellness.com] Instagram: https://instagram.com/wayhomewellness [https://instagram.com/wayhomewellness] If My Podcast Story speaks to you, consider subscribing so you never miss an episode. And if you have a moment, leaving a review helps more people discover the stories shared here. Your support truly means a lot. There’s more to every story than what you hear on the episode. Join the My Podcast Story newsletter to receive thoughtful takeaways, episode extras, and personal notes that don’t make it into the show. It’s a quiet way to stay inspired between listens. Sign up here: https://mypodcaststory.com/join [https://mypodcaststory.com/join] Chapters 00:00 Opening Moment 00:19 Meet Ashana Kaiulani 00:27 Introducing The Reclamation Room and Voices of Strength 01:21 A Big Podcast Milestone in Canada 02:46 The Listener Message That Made the Podcast Feel Real 03:35 How Podcasting Helped Grow Ashana’s Instagram 04:38 Sharing Podcast Clips in an Authentic Way 06:18 Letting Humor and Personality Come Through 07:43 Choosing Connection Over Viral Content 09:01 Starting the Podcast After Waiting One to Two Years 09:44 Growing Through Networking and Real Relationships 11:31 The Meaning Behind The Reclamation Room Cover Art 12:58 What Makes The Reclamation Room Different 14:28 Why a Clear Podcast Subtitle Matters 15:18 The Story Behind the Name The Reclamation Room 16:50 Why Ashana Waited Before Starting Her Podcast 18:59 The Biggest Early Struggle: Coming Up With Episode Ideas 19:32 Finding Content Ideas Through Client Questions 21:00 Using Facebook Groups, Reddit, and Online Communities for Ideas 23:37 Turning Real Questions Into Authentic Episodes 25:17 My Podcast Story Newsletter Break 25:40 Secondary Struggles and Preparing for Season Two 26:05 Letting Season One Be Imperfect 27:28 Behind the Scenes of Ashana’s Podcast Setup 28:24 Recording With Simple Gear and a MacBook 29:07 Why Ashana Wants to Streamline Her Workflow 30:37 Finding an Editor Through a Local Facebook Group 32:03 Bartering, Building a Portfolio, and Supporting the Editor 33:07 Thinking About Sponsorships and Money 33:45 What Ashana Learned From Fundraising for Voices of Strength 35:20 Going Door to Door to Find Local Support 36:02 Reaching Out to 50 Businesses and Getting 14 Donors 37:33 How Business Owners Responded to the Podcast Pitch 38:55 The Current Sponsorship Plan for The Reclamation Room 40:10 Ashana’s Bigger Vision Beyond the Podcast 41:02 How Podcasting Created Speaking Opportunities 42:03 The First Speaking Engagement That Happened Unexpectedly 43:40 Goals for Season Two 44:15 Why Listeners Want More Solo Episodes 45:55 Talking About Downloads, YouTube Views, and Podcast Numbers 46:33 The Unconventional Way Ashana Publishes Her Show 48:17 Reframing 4,000 YouTube Views as a Real Audience 49:05 Clip-Worthy Moments From the Conversation 49:32 Advice for Making Solo Episodes Easier 52:14 Using Interviews to Help Create Solo-Style Episodes 55:34 Agreeing to Try Riverside for Future Conversations 57:13 Where to Find Ashana Kaiulani 57:43 Final Thoughts

Building the Podcast Around a Clear Promise—Alan Katz | Ep 153

What happens when a former movie and TV producer discovers that podcasting gives him something Hollywood rarely could: creative freedom, ownership, and room to tell the full story? In this episode, I sit down with Alan Katz, founder of Costered and Touchstone Productions, to talk about his journey from making movies and TV shows to building a growing podcast company with multiple shows in the world. Alan shares how podcasting became the creative home he did not know he was looking for, why honest storytelling matters, and how a strong podcast promise can make a show easier to understand, promote, and grow. Tune in for an honest, practical conversation about storytelling, podcast growth, creative control, and what it really takes to build a podcast that people understand and want to come back to. Connect With Alan Katz Website:  https://thedonorpodcast.com [https://thedonorpodcast.com/] If My Podcast Story speaks to you, consider subscribing so you never miss an episode. And if you have a moment, leaving a review helps more people discover the stories shared here. Your support truly means a lot. There’s more to every story than what you hear on the episode. Join the My Podcast Story newsletter to receive thoughtful takeaways, episode extras, and personal notes that don’t make it into the show. It’s a quiet way to stay inspired between listens. Sign up here: https://mypodcaststory.com/join [https://mypodcaststory.com/join] Chapters 00:00 Opening Moment 00:19 Introducing Alan Katz 00:37 Alan Shares What His Podcast Company Is Building 01:01 Launching John Kiriakou’s Dead Drop 02:45 Why the Podcast Goes Deep Into a Spy’s Story 05:03 Why Podcasting Allows a More Honest Storytelling Approach 06:53 How the New Show Reached 12,000 to 15,000 Downloads 08:11 Rushing the Podcast Into Production Before a Big Interview 09:05 Using Audience Attention from Joe Rogan’s YouTube Comments 10:52 Why Selling the Story Is Part of Telling the Story 12:01 The Importance of Knowing Your Podcast’s Franchise 14:07 How Costered and Touchstone Productions Started 15:22 The Faith Theism Project and Alan’s First Podcasting Experience 17:08 From Tales from the Crypt to Dads from the Crypt 18:31 Turning a Difficult Movie Experience Into a Podcast 20:14 Why Honesty Made How Not to Make a Movie Stand Out 21:06 Creating The Donor and The Hall Closet 21:36 My Podcast Story Newsletter Break 21:59 Why Alan No Longer Wants to Make Movies or TV 22:25 Growing to Nine Podcasts and More in Development 24:25 Why Podcasting Is a Powerful Creative Medium 26:05 The Freedom and Fear of a Blank Creative Page 27:46 Alan’s One-Person Podcast Company 28:39 Thinking About Podcast Networks and Bigger Opportunities 29:43 Advice for Building a Nigerian Podcasting Industry 31:10 Creating Diverse Content Under One Podcast Family 32:48 The Challenge of Hiring the Right Podcast Team 34:16 Scaling the Company and Staying Open to Investment 36:13 How Alan Structures Podcast Partnerships 38:03 Ownership, Production Budgets, and Profit Sharing 40:59 Alan Encourages Wisdom’s Podcast Network Vision 42:01 Where to Find Alan and Costered and Touchstone 43:11 Final Thoughts

Building a Podcast Around Real Human Connection—Vanessa Younts | Ep 152

What does it really take to build a podcast that helps people feel seen, heard, and connected? In this episode, we look at podcasting not just as content, but as a way to bring real human stories into the room. In this episode, I sit down with Vanessa the Vivacious, host of Humanity 2.0 Podcast, to talk about her journey through podcasting, creative work, interviewing strangers, and building a show around compassion, empathy, and human connection. Vanessa shares the story behind Humanity 2.0, what she learned from earlier podcast projects, and why she believes stories can help people remember that they are not alone. Tune in for a warm, funny, and practical conversation about podcasting, humanity, creativity, and the courage to simply press record. Connect With Vanessa the Vivacious Podcast: Humanity 2.0 Podcast Website: https://vanessathevivacious.com/ If My Podcast Story speaks to you, consider subscribing so you never miss an episode. And if you have a moment, leaving a review helps more people discover the stories shared here. Your support truly means a lot. There’s more to every story than what you hear on the episode. Join the My Podcast Story newsletter to receive thoughtful takeaways, episode extras, and personal notes that don’t make it into the show. It’s a quiet way to stay inspired between listens. Sign up here: https://mypodcaststory.com/join [https://mypodcaststory.com/join] Chapters 00:00 Opening Moment 00:19 Introducing Vanessa the Vivacious 01:46 What Humanity 2.0 Podcast Is About 02:16 What Happened to Humanity 1.0? 03:18 Vanessa’s Earlier Podcasting Journey 04:08 Remembering the First Podcast and First Microphone 05:20 The Video Series Behind Humanity 2.0 07:00 What Humanity 3.0 Could Look Like 07:43 Vanessa’s New Book Project on Mental Health Stories 10:45 Turning the Book Idea Into a Possible Companion Podcast 13:51 Wisdom’s New Podcast Ideas and the Work Behind Podcasting 14:31 Podcast Consulting, Creative Ideas, and Helping Others Start 18:05 Being a Generalist in Creative Work 20:04 Why Humanity Is Such an Open Podcast Theme 21:18 Newsletter Break 21:41 Handling Guests Who Go Off-Topic 23:22 Why Guest Expectations Matter Before Recording 24:19 Vanessa’s Pre-Interview Guest Workflow 25:11 Working With Guests Who Are New to Podcasting 26:09 The Power of Follow-Up Questions 27:10 Silence as an Interviewing Tool 27:53 Avoiding Too Many Questions at Once 28:41 Finding the Right Podcast Episode Length 29:04 Using Unexpected Questions to Help Guests Relax 30:00 Talking About Podcast Monetization 30:57 How Much Content to Build Before Monetizing 31:16 Repurposing Old Interviews Into Social Content 31:52 Why Podcasters Need Help and Support 35:25 Using Multiple Promo Clips to Increase Traffic 36:23 Why Vanessa Has Not Brought on Podcast Help Yet 38:00 Wisdom’s New Podcast Concept: Plan Don’t Change 39:18 Why a Clear Podcast Premise Helps Guests Prepare 41:54 Creating Intros, Concepts, and Podcast Ideas 42:06 Following Passion Before Starting Another Show 47:52 What’s Next for Humanity 2.0 Podcast 48:38 Using Seasons and Themes to Refresh a Podcast 50:04 Where to Find Humanity 2.0 Podcast 50:57 Why PodMatch Makes Guest Booking Easier 53:09 Vanessa’s Suggested Question for Future Guests 55:44 Vanessa’s Advice for New Podcasters 56:13 Press Record and Evolve From There

Building a Podcast Around a Book, a Mission, and a Very Specific Listener—Dr. Ayla Wolf | Ep 151

Have you ever had so much helpful information to share that one format just wasn’t enough? That is where Dr. Ayla Wolf’s podcast story begins. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Ayla Wolf, host of Life After Impact, the Concussion Recovery Podcast, to talk about how her show grew out of a 600-page book for people dealing with post-concussion syndrome. Ayla works in functional neurology and Chinese medicine, helping people with neurological disorders, and she started the podcast because many people with concussions struggle with reading, eye strain, headaches, and focus. Podcasting became a way to make the information easier to access, easier to absorb, and more supportive for people looking for answers. Tune in for a grounded and honest conversation about building a meaningful niche podcast, serving a specific audience, and figuring out how to keep going without burning out. Connect With Dr. Ayla Wolf Website: https://lifeafterimpact.com [https://lifeafterimpact.com] If My Podcast Story speaks to you, consider subscribing so you never miss an episode. And if you have a moment, leaving a review helps more people discover the stories shared here. Your support truly means a lot. There’s more to every story than what you hear on the episode. Join the My Podcast Story newsletter to receive thoughtful takeaways, episode extras, and personal notes that don’t make it into the show. It’s a quiet way to stay inspired between listens. Sign up here: https://mypodcaststory.com/join [https://mypodcaststory.com/join] Chapters 00:00 Opening Moment 00:19 Meet Dr. Ayla Wolf 00:39 Introducing Life After Impact 00:40 Why Ayla Started a Podcast After Writing Her Book 02:34 Sitting on the Life After Impact Name for 10 Years 03:31 Starting the Podcast With a Clinician Colleague 04:37 Learning Podcast Editing in GarageBand 05:54 How Long the Podcast Has Been Running 06:41 Reaching Out to Guests and Experts 07:50 The Behind-the-Scenes Podcast Workflow 09:51 Using AI for Show Descriptions, Titles, and Transcripts 11:00 Audio, YouTube, and the Mountain of Unedited Video 11:55 A Tool Recommendation for Streamlining Podcast Content 13:49 Ayla’s Guest Booking Strategy 15:37 Preparing Research-Based Guest Questions 17:09 Using LinkedIn to Reach Potential Guests 17:48 Creating a Podcast Guest Form 18:57 The Challenge of Scheduling Podcast Interviews 21:57 Why Ayla Keeps Her Clinic Calendar Separate 22:49 When a Scheduling System Does Not Get Adopted 24:31 How Guests Respond to Podcast Invitations 25:03 Promoting the Podcast With Limited Time 26:22 Podcast Downloads and Niche Audience Growth 28:10 Why Weekly Podcasting Feels Unsustainable 29:18 Repurposing Popular Episodes to Stay Consistent 30:07 Considering Help With Editing 32:23 Splitting Long Interviews Into Part One and Part Two 35:00 Using Solo Episodes to Save Time 36:26 Keeping Momentum Without Burning Out 37:24 Monetization, Affiliate Links, and Revenue Challenges 38:38 Being Fully Booked Through Her Clinic Work 39:28 Ayla’s Advice on Quality Versus Quantity 40:39 Where to Listen to Life After Impact 41:42 Final Thoughts