How I Built a Business Out of Things I Did for Fun

The Best Podcast Gear for Recording On the Go

Podcasting Gear for On-The-Go: https://www.amazon.com/shop/abbey-thesmalltowntourist/list/29FTTQQVAALCM?tag=abbeyminke-20&ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d&ccs_id=217bd1aa-de0b-40c7-ba67-820474a2f9d1 [https://www.amazon.com/shop/abbey-thesmalltowntourist/list/29FTTQQVAALCM?tag=abbeyminke-20&ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d&ccs_id=217bd1aa-de0b-40c7-ba67-820474a2f9d1] Takeaways * Modern podcast technology has made it possible to record a professional-sounding show from almost anywhere, including a dock at the lake, a car, or a sports bar back room. * You do not need expensive gear to start a podcast. A cell phone and the built-in Voice Memo app is enough to get a show off the ground. * The best recording setup is the one that is easiest for you to use consistently. Simple and sustainable beats fancy and complicated every time. In this episode, Abbey records from the end of a dock at the lake while batch recording several episodes on her own version of a working vacation, and uses that setting as proof of exactly what she is teaching: with today's technology, you can podcast from almost anywhere. She walks through the wild list of places she has personally recorded, including the back room of a sports bar, a century-old grandstand at a county fairgrounds, and a flower field. She traces her own gear evolution, starting with a battery-operated PodTrak P4 recorder and a pair of Zoom XLR microphones when she launched her business nearly four years ago, up to her current on-the-go kit: an Xtra Muse gimbal camera paired with a DJI Mic Mini. She shares how that exact kit fit into her purse and let her batch record client content on location at PodFest. Abbey also breaks down the myth that better gear equals a better podcast. She points to Only Murders in the Building, where the characters record their fictional hit show on nothing but a cell phone's Voice Memo app, and to real client examples on opposite ends of the spectrum: one client records into her phone from inside her kid's closet, while the Moxie Creative crew shows up every month with a full three-camera, four-light, soundboard setup. Both approaches work because they match what each person can realistically sustain. The episode closes with practical, low-cost options for anyone who feels stuck on gear: recording in the car (a surprisingly great acoustic environment), using a GoPro or action camera for a wide, portable setup, and simply hitting record on a cell phone. Abbey's core message is that gear should never be the excuse. The only thing stopping you from starting is you. Key Topics Covered: * How advances in podcast technology have made recording possible from virtually any location * Abbey's personal gear evolution, from the PodTrak P4 and Zoom XLR mics to the Xtra Muse camera and DJI Mic Mini * Why cell phone podcasting, using nothing but the Voice Memo app, is a completely legitimate way to start * Real client examples of minimal versus maximal podcast setups, and why both work * Cars as an underrated recording environment for audio and video * GoPro and action camera audio quality improvements over the years * Why the best podcast setup is the one that is easiest for you to sustain long term https://abbeygravesproductions.com/ [https://abbeygravesproductions.com/]

Why You're Too Scared to Start Your Podcast (And Why That's Normal)

Takeaways * Confidence comes after you start, not before. Waiting to feel ready is the biggest reason new podcasters never launch. * Your first episode is not a preview of your final product. Audiences expect some rough edges from anyone starting something new. * Delaying a launch to keep recording and building confidence is a valid strategy, not a failure, as long as you keep showing up. In this solo episode, Abbey Graves tackles the number one thing holding people back from starting a podcast: fear. Not fear of the tech, not fear of the schedule, but the fear of putting yourself out there before you feel ready. Abbey walks through why that fear shows up for almost everyone, including her, and why it never fully disappears even after years of experience. Abbey shares the story of client Lindsey Salzburn, owner of White Peony Boutique in St. Joseph, Minnesota, who recorded for four months before working up the nerve to launch her show. That extra runway wasn't wasted time. It was what let Lindsey walk into her launch with a backlog of content and the confidence to keep going. Abbey also pulls from her own life, comparing a first podcast episode to a first high school golf tournament: rough, unpolished, and exactly what everyone should expect from someone brand new. The throughline is simple. Nobody expects perfection from a first episode, a new restaurant, or a rookie athlete, and they don't expect it from a new podcast either. Abbey closes with an update on a client show launching July 29th, called The Love, Truth, and Wisdom Podcast, whose hosts already asked to re-record their trailer after just two sessions because they could hear their own growth. That's the whole point: you improve by doing, not by waiting. Key Topics Covered: * Why fear of starting is the biggest obstacle for new podcasters * The Lindsey Salzburn / White Peony Boutique story: four months of recording before launch * Why audiences don't expect a polished first episode * The golf tournament analogy for learning any new skill in public * How client confidence builds after just a few recording sessions * Abbey's coaching and consulting options for new podcasters Work with Abbey: https://abbeygravesproductions.com/ [https://abbeygravesproductions.com/]

Is Anyone Actually Going to Listen to My Podcast?

Takeaways * You do not need an established audience or 10,000 listeners to start a podcast. Nearly every successful creator, from Amy Poehler to Taylor Swift, started with an audience of almost no one and built from there. * Audiences are far more silent than you realize. Most people who consume your content will never like, comment, or share it, but that does not mean they are not listening. * A podcast is evergreen. With the right SEO, titles, and show notes in place, episodes keep finding new listeners for months or years after you hit publish, even if you stop making new ones. In this episode, Abbey Graves tackles one of the most common fears she hears from beginner podcasters: what if I do all this work and no one actually listens? Abbey has helped launch dozens of podcasts around the world, and she has seen success come from creators with an established audience and creators starting from absolute zero. She breaks the fear down into three parts. First, no one starts with 10,000 listeners overnight. She points to Amy Poehler, Chappell Roan, and Taylor Swift as examples of people who put in years of unseen work before anyone showed up, and reminds listeners that podcasting is a long game built on consistency, not an overnight win. Second, Abbey reframes podcasting as relationship building rather than broadcasting. Every comment, email, or piece of feedback is an invitation to build a real connection with your audience, and she encourages podcasters to show up for the few people who do engage, because that is how word of mouth and organic growth actually happen. Finally, she addresses the silence. Most people online are consumers, not creators, and creators are a small slice of the internet. That means your audience is very likely listening, watching, and absorbing your content, even if they never comment or like a post. Abbey closes with a personal example: her podcast The Small Town Tourist has crested 12,000 downloads and continues to grow even though she has not published a new episode in a year and a half, proof that a podcast built with the right SEO keeps working long after you stop actively promoting it. Key Topics Covered * Why you do not need 10,000 listeners to justify starting a podcast * What Amy Poehler, Chappell Roan, and Taylor Swift's early careers teach podcasters about consistency * Podcasting as relationship building, not just content creation * Why audiences are more silent than podcasters realize, and why that is not a bad sign * How evergreen SEO keeps a podcast working for you long after you stop posting * Abbey's personal example: 12,000 downloads on a podcast she hasn't touched in 18 months https://abbeygravesproductions.com/ [https://abbeygravesproductions.com/]

6 Podcast Wins You'll Never Be Able to Measure

In this solo episode of Abbey the Podcast Lady, Abbey Graves digs into the side of podcasting that the analytics dashboards can never capture. If you have ever wondered whether your podcast is "working" based on your download numbers, this episode will shift your perspective on what success in podcasting actually looks like. Abbey walks through six unseen ROI categories that come from hosting a podcast consistently: accelerated trust with your audience, unexpected opportunities and connections, becoming top of mind in your industry, building familiarity at scale, becoming part of someone's daily routine, and capturing stories before they disappear. She uses real examples from her own experience to illustrate each one, including a festival opportunity born from a single guest invitation and a local craft store whose story now lives on through her former show, The Small Town Tourist. The episode closes with Abbey reflecting on why podcasters often underestimate their own impact and encourages listeners to define success on their own terms, well beyond what any hosting platform can report. Key Topics Covered: * Why download numbers are an incomplete measure of podcast success * Accelerated trust and how podcasting speeds up the know-like-trust process * How podcast guest relationships create real-world opportunities * Being top of mind and why consistent content makes you the go-to resource * Familiarity at scale vs. individual networking coffee dates * Building listening habits and becoming part of your audience's weekly routine * RSS.com [http://RSS.com] listener analytics and what they can reveal * Capturing stories and preserving history through podcasting * Reflections on The Small Town Tourist and Crafts Direct * Defining podcast success beyond hard analytics Sign up for the newsletter: https://abbeygravesproductions.com/newsletter/ [https://abbeygravesproductions.com/newsletter/] Affiliates: https://abbeygravesproductions.com/affiliates/ [https://abbeygravesproductions.com/affiliates/] Connect with Abbey: https://abbeygravesproductions.com/ [https://abbeygravesproductions.com/] Podcast Website: https://abbeythepodcastlady.com [https://abbeythepodcastlady.com] Podcast gear recommendations: https://www.amazon.com/shop/abbey-thesmalltowntourist/list/SXFRAQOS5X5J?ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d [https://www.amazon.com/shop/abbey-thesmalltowntourist/list/SXFRAQOS5X5J?ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d]

Why You Should Start a Podcast Even When It Feels Like Everyone Already Has One

Takeaways * Only 15% of podcasts on Apple Podcasts have released an episode in the last 90 days, which means consistency alone puts you ahead of the competition. * Your lived experience is completely unique, and no one else has had your exact journey, your perspective, or your voice, which makes your podcast irreplaceable even in a crowded niche. * Your podcast is your owned marketing platform. Guest appearances are great, but they can't replace the audience you build when you show up consistently on your own show. In this episode, Abbey Graves breaks down the three most common arguments she hears from aspiring podcasters who are talking themselves out of getting started, and she dismantles every single one. It starts with a number that should stop you in your tracks: of the roughly 4.5 million podcasts indexed worldwide, only about 440,000 are considered active, and just 15% of Apple Podcast listings have published within the last 90 days. The competition isn't as crowded as it feels. Most people started a show, recorded a handful of episodes, and quit. That means showing up consistently is the single biggest competitive advantage available to any new podcaster. Abbey also makes the case that your perspective can never be replicated. Even in a niche with dozens of existing shows, no other host has lived your life, built your experience, or processed the world the way you have. Listeners come back to podcasts because of the person behind the mic, not just the topic, and that's something no amount of competition can take away from you. Finally, Abbey reframes the podcast itself as a marketing asset, not just a content channel. If you want your podcast to serve your brand, build your audience, and grow your business, you have to own the platform. Guesting on other shows is a great strategy, but it supplements your show, it doesn't replace it. In 2026, owning your media is more important than ever. Key Topics Covered * The real podcasting statistics that reframe the "saturated market" argument * Why consistency is the most underrated strategy in podcasting * How your lived experience makes your podcast unique regardless of niche * Why your podcast needs to be your owned marketing platform * What happens when podcasters quit after a handful of episodes (and what you can learn from it) * Why guesting on other shows is valuable but not a substitute for building your own