694: 100 MILLION DOWNLOADS: What I Got Right to Get Here

0:01Okay, I have been on this ruthless pursuit to purge any clothes that I'm not actually wearing. Like if I haven't reached for it in months, it's got to go. I am trying to be really intentional about what I bring into my closet right now, which means I am only buying pieces that I know I will actually wear and use. Revolve just gets it though. I'm literally wearing my brown Autry sneakers from there right now and my new suede purse. It fits my laptop in it. So it's basically a fancy shoulder bag that works for everything. I love finding pieces like that. Things that look good, but also work hard for my actual life.

0:35Their holiday shop is live right now with all the good stuff. Sparkly party dresses, cozy sets, cute gifts, everything you need for whatever is on your calendar. And it's all in one place, which makes shopping feel way less overwhelming. Whether it's a weekend away, a big night out or a holiday party, your dream wardrobe is just one click away. Head to revolve.com forward slash gold digger, shop my edit and take 15 % off your first order with the code gold digger. Fast two day shipping, easy returns. it's literally the only place you need to shop from. That's revolve.com forward slash gold digger to shop by favorites and get 15 % off your first order with the code gold digger offer available for a limited time.

1:15So happy shopping. When I started all this, I was definitely not sure of what it would become, but sitting at the mic today, I am so proud of what gold digger is, what it's been. And I honestly could not wait to see where it's going to go. Hey, my name is Jenna Kutcher and I am obsessed with all things business, marketing numbers, and helping you to navigate both the messy and the magical seasons of this thing called life. I'm a small town mama who took a$300 camera, grew a successful photo biz, and now I work from home and run a seven figure online business. I teach you the tried and true secrets to building a career you adore.

1:53Shy away from the real talk? No way. Money, hardship, growth, loss, and marketing are all topics we discuss here. Think of this as your one-stop shop for happy hour with a gal pal mixed with business school. Pull up a seat, make sure you're cozy and get ready to be challenged and encouraged while you learn. This is the Gold Digger podcast. 100 million. When I say that number, I don't even think it fully processes in my brain. Like we just hit 100 million downloads for the Gold Digger podcast. That's 100 million times that you and hundreds of thousands of listeners have clicked play on just shy of 700 episodes.

2:32Since the end of 2016, I've accompanied you on a hundred million car rides and showers, laundry days, dog walks, wherever else you listen to me in your life, wherever else you welcome me into your world. Now, over the years, you have heard my best business and marketing tips. I've had the privilege of interviewing some of the smartest, most inspiring and insightful people that I have ever met. You've heard the evolution of my business. You've been with me while I've navigated personal wins and devastating losses. You've gotten to witness the growth of my family among a million other things. You've also left 11 ,000 five-star reviews on Apple Podcasts, and it's because of you that we became the number one show in the marketing category.

3:16This show would simply not be where it is today without you, my listeners. From the bottom of my heart. Thank you. It's funny, you know, even when you hit these big milestones, it's easy to think of the things that didn't necessarily go right. The hilarious start to my show from the front seat of my car park to my garage, the years that I spent recording in our messy spare closet, the fact that I still do not really understand how to set my microphone with the right settings. I mean, this milestone isn't little, but it also doesn't mean that we will feel like we fully arrived ever, right? And because I know that I have this tendency to look back and think, maybe what would I do differently if I were to start this all over again?

4:02Today, I want to focus on something else. What got us to this point? The things we're celebrating, the skills I've honed, and what I truly think helped us reach this exact point. Whether you have a podcast yourself or you are a creator in other ways, I know these 10 things will help you start, grow, and sustain your success in whatever it is that you do. If you want more people to enjoy the work that you're doing, the work that you're creating, keep on listening. I'm about to dive into the 10 ways I hit 100 million downloads on the Gold Digger podcast. Here we go. Recently, my team went down to a four-day work week so we can spend more time in the sun and less time in front of screens.

4:44In order for us to be able to do that, we have to work smarter and not harder. That's why we're so excited about HubSpot's integrated AI tech. It's helping teams like ours automate the more tedious parts of running a business like doing research, summarizing information, writing copy, and more. Recent research shows that marketers are already slicing time spent on admin tasks in a half thanks to AI from five hours to two and a half hours per day. Just imagine with all that extra time, you could be joining us with a four-day work week too. Start saving time in your business with the help of the AI power tools built right into HubSpot CRM.

5:22Learn more and get started today at HubSpot.com. This episode is brought to you by Soul. It is my go-to wellness brand for better sleep. Get 15 % off when you go to getsoul.com slash gold digger. Again, that's getsoul, S-O-U-L.com forward slash gold digger to get 15 % off their entire website. I'm talking gummies, drinks, tinctures, bath bombs, creams, and more. That's getsoul.com forward slash gold digger. So before we dive into today's show, I just wanted to share that podcasting is actually easier than you might be thinking. I'm going to walk through the things I got right. And I love this focus because I think a lot of times when we have this idea, we want to get our voice out into the world.

6:07We start to question all of these tiny details, which I'm going to share in a minute, why that's only going to hold you back. But before we dive in, if you are curious about starting your own podcast and you want to learn why it's easier than you might be thinking, I've an entirely free training for you that will walk you through that. I have taught thousands of podcasters how to start, launch, grow, and monetize their own show. All you have to do is click the link in today's show description or hop on over to Instagram and DM me the word podcast and I'll send you information on the training. Again, it is three reasons why starting a podcast is easier than you might think.

6:44Click the link in today's show description or just DM me the word podcast and I'll send over that training. Now let's dive on in. So the first thing that I got right is that I put my podcast out there before I ever felt ready. And here's a spoiler alert. When it comes to entrepreneurship or side hustling or starting something new, you're never going to feel ready. I 1000 % started this show so imperfectly. I made super quick decisions. I trusted my gut. I didn't get caught up in all of the details. When I finally decided to start my show, I voice memo the one assistant that I had at the time. It was during my off season as a wedding photographer.

7:21And I said, I'm going to start a podcast and I'm going to launch it in the next 30 days. I didn't Google a million different microphones. I didn't overanalyze recording software. I just picked one thing and started knowing that I could change things as I went. And so the first tip for you, regardless of if you're a podcaster or you're a business owner or a side hustler is put things out there before you feel ready. You can always tweak. You can always refine. You can always delete. You can always republish. Just get your work out there. So many of us are sitting on some of our best work because we don't feel like it's ready or perfect enough and no one is enjoying it.

7:58Let people enjoy your imperfect work because that imperfect action is actually going to lead you way quicker to results than waiting until things are perfect because you're never going to get there. Number two is that I wasn't afraid to test things out or change things up. I literally treat every single thing in my business as an experiment. It gives me the fluidity that I crave as a creator. I love saying I'm going to try this for 30 days or 60 days or 90 days. That's exactly what I did with my podcast. I said, I'm going to try this in the off season. I'm going to commit to it for 30 days. I'm going to see if it works.

8:33I'm going to see how it feels. And then I'll keep making decisions. 30 days turned into 60, turned into 90, turned into years and years and years of content and work. And so I told myself, let's just experiment. Let's try different things. I did this in so many different aspects of my podcast from my cover art to the introduction, to the format of the show, to the publishing schedule. All of these things that I could have sat and overthought, I just said, let's just test it out. Let's see how it feels. We can always change it up. And I think this is something so important to adopt as business owners of allowing ourselves to say, it's okay to change my mind.

9:07It's okay to change things up. It's okay to experiment and say, Hey, this felt really good, or this didn't, or I want to do this again, or I never want to do this again. Treat everything as an experiment and know that experiments simply yield results. They're not successes or failures. They're just giving you information and you can use that information to make informed decisions moving forward. Look, I've become kind of a systems nerd and anything that gives me more space in my day, I'm all in. And a reliable connection is a huge part of that because when the internet lags or cuts out, everything pauses and suddenly the simplest tasks take forever.

9:46I learned really early on that dependable internet, it's not a luxury, it is a must. Whether you're a content creator like me, a restaurant owner, or running a busy dry cleaning business, you need that steady connection to support your team and your clients. That's why I'm excited to share a solution for my fellow business owners. Spectrum Business keeps businesses of all types connected with internet, advanced Wi-Fi, phone, TV, and mobile services, all with connectivity solutions built for your budget. And they have a truly incredible offer. Business owners can get free business internet advantage forever when you add four or more mobile lines.

10:22It's simple with no contracts and no added fees. Visit spectrum.com forward slash free for life to learn how you can get business internet free forever. Restrictions apply. Services not available in all areas. okay I have been on this ruthless pursuit to purge any clothes that I'm not actually wearing like if I haven't reached for it in months it's gotta go I am trying to be really intentional about what I bring into my closet right now which means I am only buying pieces that I know I will actually wear and use revolve just gets it though I'm literally wearing my brown autry sneakers from there right now and my new suede purse it fits my laptop in it so it's basically a fancy shoulder bag that works for everything.

11:05I love finding pieces like that. Things that look good, but also work hard for my actual life. Their holiday shop is live right now with all the good stuff. Sparkly party dresses, cozy sets, cute gifts, everything you need for whatever is on your calendar. And it's all in one place, which makes shopping feel way less overwhelming. Whether it's a weekend away, a big night out, or a holiday party, your dream wardrobe is just one click away. Head to revolve.com forward slash gold digger, shop my edit and take 15 % off your first order with the code gold digger. Fast two day shipping, easy returns.

11:41It's literally the only place you need to shop from. That's revolve.com forward slash gold digger to shop my favorites and get 15 % off your first order with the code gold digger. Offer available for a limited time. So happy shopping. Number three is that I have been so incredibly consistent. Even from my early days pre podcast where I blogged five days a week for years on end with literally no goal or objective or measurement in mind as I blogged. Once I created a schedule, I stuck to it. And I think that consistency is absolutely key. This is so important. You, my listener, you can rely on me showing up every single week.

12:21You know, when the episodes will drop, consistency is queen. Now, according to improvepodcast.com, publishing one episode per week is a sweet spot formula for the vast majority of podcasters. And 63 % of successful podcasters choose this consistent publishing schedule. Creators who publish more than two episodes per week tend to be 3.2 more times likely to be successful. So the moral of the story is the more you show up, the more successful you can be, especially if you're showing up on a consistent basis that is predictable for your listeners. What I say is start simple, get fancy later, start with one show per week.

13:01The more comfortable you get, the more systems you get, the more workflows you get around that, then you can always add on to it. So when I launched my show, it was one day a week. It was interview only, which is wild to think about. And now it has been consistently two days a week. There was a time where I experimented with three episodes per week and then said, ah, this isn't quite working. We went back down to two. And so again, don't be afraid to test things out, but make sure that consistency is at the forefront of how you are planning this. Whether you're going to show up weekly, bi-weekly, once a month, let people know what they can expect from you and then make sure that you absolutely deliver.

13:38And if you really want to go for it, under promise, over deliver every step of the way, but make sure that consistency is a part of your plan and your commitment. Number four is that I focused on community. I truly believe that I have built an incredible space where people can come together, where they can learn from each other. Like I started this show because I wanted more community in my life. When I began the gold digger podcast, one of the biggest drivers of starting this show was that I wanted to have conversations with other people who get it. Like entrepreneurship is so lonely. It's so isolating.

14:15It's hard to connect with people who understand the grind, the hustle, the responsibility, everything that goes into it. And so the ultimate goal when I started the gold digger podcast was to have these conversations with people that I was having offline to bring them online, to help more people feel seen and heard and understood and to feel less alone. And focusing on community is something that I think a lot of people miss out on. They miss out on creating a movement with their brand, with their service, with their offers, because when you create a community, you're creating a safe space for people to connect that have something in common.

14:53We have 62 ,000 members in our Facebook community, which is our Gold Digger podcast, Insiders Community. I have a link to it in the show notes, in the show description. I would love to have you join us if you haven't already. There are so many stories of friendships started from that group, of work relationships formed, of jobs found, of lessons learned among our listeners. and I love that we've not only created this one-way dialogue of you listening to my voice, but we've created this two-way connection where you can share. We can all grow together. I love the saying or the quote, a rising tide lifts all ships because I think that's what you want to create when you create a movement.

15:33You don't want to just create an offer. You want to create a movement. And so focus on community and how you can connect like-minded people together. It is something so powerful. And again, if you haven't joined our Facebook community, please do so. I would love to have you inside of it. Number five is that I collaborated with and have learned from so many other podcasters. I absolutely love connecting with other people in my space, whatever space I'm talking about, but specifically here with other podcasters, it is so awesome to talk with other podcasters and ask them, you know, what is your process?

16:08How do you plan your show? What does your outline look like? What does your team look like around it? What excites you about your show? What do you hate about your show? I think it's a really powerful thing when you start to build something up to bring other people into your ecosystem that can have influence on you and to invite the right voices to have that influence. I have some of my dearest friends who run podcasts and I love asking, you know, what's working for you on social right now? Or what's a topic that has really been popping off for you? Or who is an incredible guest you've had? One thing that I love about having a show that does interviews is that I get to ask my guests, who's another voice that I need to invite to be on this show?

16:50And so having this opportunity of collaboration, whether it's giving someone a platform, an opportunity to share their story, their experience, their offer on this show, or collaborating with other podcasters to help heighten your experience as a listener, but also to help heighten my knowledge around this space. It's been so awesome. It's so great to talk about some of those behind the scenes that you never really see with the podcast because it's audio only. And so I love that my show has given me this opportunity, this invitation to collaborate with other people who are putting their voice out into the world in this way.

17:24And I just highly encourage you. The lesson here is, is don't do entrepreneurship alone. Entrepreneurship is not a solo sport. How can you connect with other people in your industry? How can you connect with other people in your community? How can you connect with other people who are doing something similar to what you do and not view it as competition, but to really craft a community around that so that you can have true collaboration. I've grown so much, been challenged so much, learned so much from other people in this space. And I love just that commonality, that common thread that you can carry when you get people in a room or in a virtual room or in a text thread that get what it is that you're doing or what you're trying to do.

18:08You can't dig your biggest goals without a little hard work, which is why I bet you'll love listening to the Hustle Daily Show brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network. Hosted by Zachary Crockett, Jacob Cohen, Rob Litterst, and Juliet Bennett, the Hustle Daily Show brings you a healthy dose of irreverent, offbeat, and informative takes on business and tech news. With short 10 to 15 minute episodes released every day, you're bound to learn something new this week. From updates about meta and AI to how Domino's is flipping traditional pizza delivery on its head, listen to the Hustle Daily Show wherever you get your podcasts to stay up to date on what's going on in business and tech.

18:48Running a business and being a present mom can be high stress and both require focus, energy, and stamina. This is why getting good sleep is absolutely critical. So you can wake up ready to tackle your day. And Soul helps me do just that with their line of products. Their dream capsules have 25 milligrams of pure CBD and 2.5 milligrams of melatonin. I have honestly noticed such a difference in the quality of my sleep since taking these. I keep them on my nightstand and they feel like a secret weapon that helps me unwind and rest. All of Soul's products are THC free, 99 % hemp derived, non-toxic, organic, and sustainably sourced.

19:29They have gummies, drinks, tinctures, bath bombs, creams, and even products for your pets. Snag 15 % off the entire website when you head to getsoul.com slash gold digger. Whether you're stressed out, you can't sleep, or you're sore from your workout, relief is waiting for you. Again, that's getsoul.com forward slash gold digger. I cannot wait for you to try it. Number six is that I've shared my life beyond just my business. Is the gold digger podcast a marketing podcast? Yes. But does my marketing exist to support not only my business, but my life? And the answer is yes. On this show, I have vulnerably shared basically everything from our pregnancy losses to moving across states.

20:16I've opened up about things like my home, motherhood journey, my health. I have literally tried to pull back the curtain to share the pivots and the changes in our lives, the evolution of who I am as a human being and a CEO and an entrepreneur. Like I love entrepreneurship, not just because it's helping create a profitable business, but because it gives me this life. It doesn't take over my life. It only adds to it. And so if I'm only sharing the marketing stuff, I'm not actually sharing what the marketing affords me. And to me, that's even more important. I love this podcast because I've been able to share my life with you.

20:52And honestly, selfishly, I've been able to have almost this log of my own journey that I can look back on to see the growth, to see the hardship, to see the things I did right and the things I got wrong. And I kind of love that. I've always had this connection with documenting my life, whether it was through my blog or through this show. And so I love that I've been able to do that, to share that with you, to let you in into that aspect of my life. I think it's really powerful and beautiful. Number seven is that I have focused very intentionally on diversity in my guests, in stories, in business types, in episode topics.

21:30I want this show to represent my audience as a whole, and I am committed to figuring out how to do that. According to insiderintelligence.com, 41 % of total podcast listeners are not white. And as a creator who is white, I want to ensure that those listening to my podcast feel represented, which is why it is so important to me to feature diverse guests. Since 2018, I have made it my mission to ensure that at least 40 % of the guests on my show are women of color. We've been hovering right around that percentage for years. This has been a focus of ours over the last five years and remains at the forefront of how we plan out our show, how we think about our topics.

22:14Like I'm really proud of that number 40%. And here's something I challenge. I challenge you and other hosts to take a look at how you are working to amplify different voices, different creators, different experiences through your own business efforts and your own offers. We are constantly looking for ways to use my platform to help other people get their stories out in the world. And I don't want to tell the same story over and over again. And so that's something I'm really proud of and something that I've got right. And it's also something that I didn't always get right. Number eight is I've made my podcast a critical part of my business through monetizing it from affiliates to joining a network, paid sponsorships to sharing about my own offers.

23:01This podcast isn't just a hobby. It's a huge part of our business and revenue. In fact, it's so interesting when people ask me what I do for a living. A lot of times I'll share that I am a podcast host and they almost treat it like it's a little hobby, like it's a cute little side project. But this podcast has been a huge part of my business. It's been a fuel to the fire of my business growth. According to lowerstreet.co, podcasts generate around four times better brand recall than scrolling ads, pop-up ads, and static ads. Now this is helpful not only for the ads that I'm running for other brands, but also in terms of thinking strategically about how I'm using this show to share about my own online courses and programs.

23:46Not only have we been able to monetize this show through different methods, we've also used this show to do important things in my business, like grow my email list, which has long-term impacts on my business revenue and growth. This podcast could be my business, and I never went into it thinking of it as that. But what's incredible is that your podcast could become your business, or it could support your current business efforts. And I want for you to think about different strategies that you could utilize to drive results in whatever it is that you're creating. Every piece of content that you are spending your precious time on should be able to be measured or traced to a direct result.

24:29And hopefully that result actually looks like the needle being moved in your business and in your bank account. And I'm really proud that my podcast has turned into a massive part of what my business is today. That it isn't just a hobby. It isn't just this little spark that provides a little flame to my business. It's a big piece of what I do and the work that I create. And it also is a big way that we drive results and revenue in our business. Number nine that I've gotten right is that at least I pray to God I have continued to improve. Oh my gosh. When people tag me that they are going all the way back to episode number one, I cringe.

25:08Someone on my team recently shared one of those early episodes and it was so hard for me to hear my own voice, but let yourself cringe. Let yourself be embarrassed. You, sorry, seeing where you've been and where you've gotten to only shows you that growth is possible. I will admit I was an awful interviewer in those early days. I mean, nobody ever taught me how to interview to this day. No one has taught me that. I would love that. But I have studied. I've tried to learn. I've tried to refine the craft of what that looks like. I've worked on my deliverability. I've worked on my intonation. I've worked on so many different aspects of this show because I want to constantly be improving.

25:53And one thing that I love to do is I love to study engaging shows and listen to the different things that they're doing. I'm constantly trying to improve. And I think it's beautiful that I can look back and be like, Oh my gosh, it's so cringeworthy. Cause I'm like, Hey, at least that girl was showing up. At least that girl was showing up recording in the front seat of her car that was parked in a garage. At least that girl was showing up with nothing more than her iPhone headphones. At least that girl showed up because if she hadn't, she wouldn't be where she is today. And so start now, start messy, start imperfect and promise yourself that you're going to improve over time.