How to start a podcast that people will actually listen to

“You know Cheryl—Chad’s mom? Yeah, even she has a podcast.” ‍

- a completely fake conversation meant to set the scene 

Everyone and their mother now has a podcast. The oversaturation of the market is real—and our ears may, in fact, be bleeding from hearing all the same perspectives on repeat—but that doesn’t mean that starting a podcast is a futile project. 

(Unless your name is Chad and you’re planning to yell about how hustle culture and being early in crypto turned you into the 1%. No more of those, please and thanks—we’re full up.)

Podcasting—and having people’s full attention as they’re driving to work, walking, or doing the dishes—is still an incredibly powerful medium and way to build an audience, connect to like-minded people, and put your authentic voice into the mix.

“Just don’t expect to get rich with it!” echoed all the podcasters we interviewed for this article. 

Thankfully, Growclass alumni and podcasters Kirsti McNabey, Sabahat Naureen, and Conny Lee are as far away as humanly possible from the rise of “bro-casts”—and came jam-packed with authentic advice about how to start a podcast in 2025—the right way. 

Why no-more bro-casts?

‍

‍

We’re tired. Specifically of:

• Overconfidence masquerading as expertise (but lacking substance, research, or preparation) 
• Loud and aggressive delivery without nuance or empathy
• Surface-level discussions on business, success, or "grind/hustle culture"
• A narrow echo chamber of toxic, male-dominated spaces and perspectives 
• Focus on self-promotion and buzzwords over the true value of hard conversations

“I feel like there's so many male voices in the podcasting world. Just like lots of dudes who love hearing themselves talk. And there’s just not enough women's voices,” says Sabahat.

What people want in podcasts in 2025 and beyond

There’s a way to do podcasts authentically, inclusively, and with real value. It looks like this:

• More diverse, marginalized voices, perspectives, and experiences that challenge the status quo
• New formats, formulas, and therefore, conversations
• Authenticity, relatability, and meaningful discussions
• No more perpetuating hustle culture, toxic masculinity, or burnout
• Hosts who elevate others rather than dominate the mic.

For example, Conny’s podcast, How Did I Not Know That?, focuses on “the information you should know about the topics we weren't taught about in school.”

Why?

Because she saw such a massive gap in education on topics like life insurance, self-publishing, money trauma, and pitching your business to investors—so she set out to fill that void.

7 steps to starting your podcast the right way

1. Getting clear on your "why" 🤔

You shouldn’t start a podcast just because “everyone else is doing it”, because chances are, you won’t stick with it if you’re not doing it for you. 

Podcasting is a labor of love—but it’s most definitely labor. It’s hard work, real skills, and hours upon hours of editing the right cuts. (For Kirsti, it takes double the time to edit than record, and she blocks off 1-3 days for podcast batching per month.)

To get clear on why you’re thinking about starting a podcast, ask yourself: What do you want to achieve with this podcast? Who is your ideal listener, and how can you serve them?

For example, Kirsti McNabey started the Thinking About podcast in 2022 with a clear vision: 

“My goal for it is to be the late-night chats that you have with your best friends. You know when you're talking, and then you go home the next day, and you're like, ‘Oh, I never thought of it that way’?”

Meanwhile, Sabahat of the Bold Hearted podcast had four unique reasons to start her podcast:

1. She wanted to have "cool conversations with cool people” 
2. As a creative marketer, she had conquered writing, video, etc, and wanted to challenge herself to learn audio creation and marketing
3. She saw a lot of funny, “hot mess” podcasts from women, but not enough thought leadership ones
4. Someone at a past company once called her “too vocal”... so she decided to take that gendered comment, turn it into a positive force, and start a podcast

Here are some other reasons people start podcasts:

• To flex your brain and challenge yourself to learn a new skill
• To empower yourself to meet new people and expand your network
• To have more complex (or regular) conversations about your work or life
• Because you noticed a gap in the types of voices speaking on certain subjects
• To grow your own brand or authority in a field
• To create a lead generation funnel for your business/endeavor (although some disagree about this!)
• Because it’s fun

Ultimately, because podcasts aren’t some get-rich-quick scheme, and take some serious consistency to be successful, you have to truly commit to the bit and understand why you’re doing it. 

And—when it comes to audiences—you have to understand who you're talking to. Do they like podcasts? When do they listen to them? That will help guide you on length, topic, and format.

Growclass tip: Podcasts are hard to grow, hard to produce, and take more time than you expect. So don’t go into it chasing numbers—focus on building community instead. 

2. Finding your voice (without the toxic positivity) 🤢

Based on what kind of podcast you want to start—business-oriented or humorous, relationship counseling or political commentary, true crime or metaphysical—you’ll need to have a relatively strong opinion on it all!

Without an opinion, it’ll be hard to have dialogue, provide nuance, or understand complexity.

🧂 But—here’s your grain of salt—you can often find your opinion through conversation, and the “doing” of it, too. 

What you want to stay away from is performative confidence that looks like, sounds like, and quacks like the toxic masculine models we’re served up today. (We’re sure a name (or ten) popped into your head—seriously, though, why are there so many of them?!)

A good host, whether you’re interviewing people, telling stories, providing insight, or just having conversations, understands: 

• The art of being knowledgeable without being a know-it-all. 
• How to elevate their guests' voices without dominating the mic. 
• That showing their own vulnerability can be the encouragement guests need to bare it all, and to give their listeners the strength to do the same.
• That preparation prevents perspiration! (Aka, the more you prep, the less you sweat, and the more natural the conversation can be.)

Most importantly: they 👏🏽 don't 👏🏽 interrupt 👏🏽 their 👏🏽 guests!

3. Content strategy that serves 🫡 💁🏽‍♀️

Regardless of the format of your podcast, you’ll have to find, research, and prepare.

Everything from:

• Topics and themes for your “season”
• Background research on your guests
• Thought-provoking questions for your guests
• Your unique POV on issues you’re planning to discuss
• A storyboard for how you’re going to tackle certain topics

Because we’re over surface-level “hot takes”, right friends?

We’re in our “adding value” era. 

Our “conversations flow naturally because we came prepared” era. 

Our “we actually dug around for a diverse voice on this topic that’s been beaten over the head with white male mediocrity” era.

In order to create binge-able podcasts, you need interview strategies that create real, unscripted conversations. But the magic really happens when you let authentic curiosity lead the way:

1. Research deeply, but hold it lightly 🔍 Deep research is your secret weapon, but don't let it make you rigid! “Write your questions, put them away, and ask them what you’d ask them at lunch. Something nobody has asked them before,” recommends Kirsti.
2. Start with the spicy questions! 🌶️ Forget the boring "So tell us about your background..." Instead, hit them with "What's the wildest misconception people have about your work?" or "What's keeping you up at night?"
3. Master the art of the door-opener 🚪 Y'all, this is like being the best host at a dinner party. When someone drops a gem, lean in with, "Okay, I'm obsessed —tell me everything about that!" or "Wait, wait, wait—I need the full story here!" Let your genuine curiosity shine through!
4. Paint me a picture 🎨 Instead of asking, "How did you start your business?" try "Take me back to that moment in your tiny apartment when you first hit 'launch'—what was playing on Spotify? What were you wearing? What was going through your head?" Details make the story come alive!
5. Layer those questions like a cake 🍰 Try something like "What's a massive fail that low-key changed everything for you, and how does it show up in your decisions today?" Give your guests multiple paths to serve up something juicy.
6. Weave between topics like a spider 🕷️ When your guest mentions their fear of public speaking early on, and then later talks about their TED talk? That's your moment to weave that golden thread together and follow up. 
7. Bring that energy! ✨ Even if you're recording from your closet (we've all been there), beam those positive vibes through the screen! Nod, smile, do that thing where your eyes get big when they say something amazing—it's like adding the perfect filter to your conversation.

Remember, every great podcast is really just an amazing conversation that someone happened to record. 

Growclass tip: Prioritize the depth of questions, guests, and stories over pushing out as many episodes as you can, as quickly as you can. Quality wins over quantity in podcasts, every time. A general rule to follow: create or humans first.

Essential gear that won’t break the bank:

• Zoom or Descript: for recording your podcast.
• Audacity: for editing your podcast.
• Blue Yeti mic—or, start with voice notes for free, for 5 episodes to see if you end up being consistent with it. 
• Notion for planning, scripting, and researching your podcast episodes. Or a good ol' Google doc.
• Buzzsprout or Acast: to host the podcasts. You can also go with just Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

DIY recording spaces: 

You’ll have to make peace with imperfect acoustics when you start. Focus on finding:

• Small, quiet room with minimal echo (avoid large empty rooms with hard surfaces)
• Away from external noise (traffic, HVAC, etc.)
• Soft surfaces (carpet, curtains, furniture) to absorb sound
• Position the mic 6-8 inches from your mouth
• Record in a lossless format (WAV)

5. Building your long-term legacy 🪦

Creating a podcast is about more than just recording episodes—for many, it's about building a lasting legacy through thoughtful content. 

As Sarah Stockdale, Growclass founder, notes:

‍"Podcasts are great for long-term credibility and brand building, booking meetings with hard-to-reach execs (everyone wants to be on a podcast), but it is not good for short-term marketing or conversions."

Smart content repurposing can help you get the maximum impact for the work you’re going to be putting in and build a solid foundation for your success. Here’s how to do it:

• Transform episodes into blog posts, social media snippets, and transcripts
• Optimize show notes for searchability
• Create searchable titles and descriptions that balance SEO with authenticity
• Structure episodes to support both listener experience and discoverability

But your legacy depends on more than SEO and whether people find your pod (or not). It depends on how you build connections with your guests—through research and preparation to ask genuine questions.

As Kirsti shares:

"I think that the biggest piece so far is understanding the person helps me connect with them better. It's like a safe space where they're able to be themselves, and they're not just like being interviewed by a person that doesn't know anything about them or doesn't really care."

6. Embracing the ‘humanness’ of creation 🫠

Picture yourself sitting in a quiet room, microphone before you, heart racing slightly as you prepare to hit "record" for the very first time. That's where every podcaster's story begins—in that beautiful, awkward, exhilarating moment of creation.

The first episodes are wobbly, and come with scraped knees and lessons learned, but also with the thrill of finding your balance. 

"You can literally learn something from everyone. And I think that that's something that I've always believed, but the podcast is even more of that," says Kirsti. 

Some happy accidents can turn into signature moments, but most importantly, when you stay open to the possibility of this process surprising you—you create something that gets and keeps you excited about creation in general.

7. Red flags (or when you really shouldn’t start a podcast) 🚩

1. You're only doing it because "everyone else has one": The podcast space doesn't need another reluctant voice who's just checking a box
2. You're convinced it's a fast track to fame or money: Most successful podcasts take 2-3 years to build a significant audience—so don’t go into it thinking you’re going to strike gold immediately. 
3. You haven't listened to many podcasts yourself: It's like trying to write a novel without reading books. You need to understand the medium to work within it effectively.
4. You can't commit to consistent creation: Podcasting (similar to blogging and SEO strategies) requires a rhythm, whether weekly, biweekly, or monthly. If you can't maintain a schedule for at least 6-12 months, your audience will likely drift away.
5. Your topic is purely self-promotional: If every episode would essentially be a sales pitch, don’t bother. Audiences can smell inauthentic content from a mile away.
6. You hate the sound of your own voice or speaking in general: While you can grow more comfortable over time, if you genuinely dislike speaking or recording yourself, podcasting might be daily torture. There might simply be better mediums for your message (writing, video, etc.).
7. You're in the middle of a major life transition: Starting a new job, having a baby, or moving across the country are signs you’re overloaded with “life” things. Give yourself grace during big life changes instead of adding another commitment.

Top advice for aspiring podcasters

Our top tip? There’s nothing stopping you, superstar. 🌟

“I didn’t know how easy it was to start a podcast. There’s no barrier to entry. Anybody can get started. All of a sudden, you’re legitimate,” says Sabahat.

Kirsti sat on the idea of starting a podcast for years—until one COVID Christmas, when she found out it only took like 5 steps to start one. “I was like, oh, it's not this big, mega thing that I need to have in order to make this good. From that moment, I just picked the date that I would do it, and I launched it within two months.”

Build structure, shoot for consistency

If you have an important message for the world that you want to deliver via podcast, it’s time to get organized, create processes, and keep plugging away.

"Consistency has been huge. You automatically see your podcast grow when you are consistent. But you also need rest," says Kirsti.

As a new podcaster, Conny reminds us: "I would definitely give myself a lot more lead time. Get really clear on the strategic part of it, don’t try to do everything, and also—start more hype about it, because if you want your podcasts to actually go somewhere, people have to actually listen, right?"

Assume the best, diversify the rest

All the women we spoke with were pleasantly surprised by how willing people were to come onto their podcasts—both big names and small. 

“People are actually quite open and more willing to come on your podcast than you’d ever think. People I've never spoken to, friends of friends—if they align well with the vision, more often than not people say ‘Yes, absolutely!’" says Sabahat.

Some of Kirsti’s favorite guests have been people she never expected—which has only lit her up even more to continue on to season 4. 

"Being clear on why you're starting it will drive you forward. But also, being open to evolving and becoming something else is just part of the journey," says Conny.

Most importantly? Make people feel welcome, safe, and honored for their time. 

“I got a review from a guest yesterday who said that she felt so safe in the interview,” says Kirsti.

And that’s exactly what you want: for the conversation to be so good, so natural that your show notes go out the window!

Shoot for long-term brand-building 

“I’ve gotten to sit down as I'm building a freelance career and ask people questions about it—like I’m a better person for that. It's like getting cheat codes,” says Kirsti. “But I'm hoping that I'm also giving them something in exchange. It also has really supported my own network too. I have a lot of new friends. I've gotten business opportunities from it.”

For Sabahat, the biggest takeaway was: “I knew (and confirmed) that it’s a lot of work. You can go so many ways, so many ways, so only pick the things that you know will be doable and that are fun. Don’t try to do everything.”

So yes, plan carefully. Yes, be consistent. Yes, think about strategy. But most importantly, be genuinely, unapologetically you. Because, in the end, that's what makes a podcast not just good, but unforgettable.

Remember: every great podcast starts with someone just like you, sitting down and deciding to share their voice with the world. Why not let that someone be you?

And if you want to learn more about how to optimize your podcast for SEO…

Check out Growclass’ self-paced SEO class here!