921: How to Build Anything When Your Calendar Is Already Full

26:07And my website, I've been needing to update that for only, I don't know, about six months to a year now. And you can't even find certain things about me on my website. And there may even be some stock photos on there somewhere. So how do you manage all of that? Yes. Without a team? Yes. Oh my gosh. Well, I can so relate. And for the record, like when I started my podcast, I had one part-time VA. So I did not have like a team like for the entirety of this gold digger podcast. I've had one dedicated team member the entire time. So it's not like we have this huge, like talk to my producers. It's like me and Christy in the kitchen.

26:42Like, what are we going to do? And so just to like preface that, because some people do have massive teams. Okay. So one thing that I would encourage is leveraging AI to become your assistants in some of the areas. and there's new opportunity here in how you can do this and you can do it very easily. So one thing that you could do, Stacey, is you can export the transcript. So there's a lot of different services that will give you transcripts. You can even have like a note taker on if you record it on Zoom. You could have a note taker on that takes the notes and summarizes for you. But one thing that we've been doing is we'll take the transcripts and we'll import them into ChatGPT and you could literally tell it like, write show notes for me.

27:24this is the formatting I want. I want a five paragraph essay. I want an intro and an outro. I want three main points, whatever. And it could do a better job than not having anything, right? Like it might not be Stacy on a platter, but done is better than perfect. Right. And so that would be one thing. And even with like my solo shows, I take such good notes in preparation for them that I can literally feed in my notes and my outline and the transcript and say, write me show notes for this episode. Write me the show description for this episode. Give me five title options for this episode. And so I would argue, and here's the thing.

28:05I'm not a huge like, yeah, AI. Like I'm not, I'm not that girl. I am like, how do we leverage tools to get back to our lives? Like how do we actually use these things that are resources so that we are freed up to be humans. And so that's where it's like this interesting juxtaposition, but I think it could solve a lot of problems for you in being your assistant and you training it of like, here's what I expect for show notes. Here's what I need for the show description based off of this transcript. Give me five keyword rich lines that describe this episode. Right. And so the output is only as good as the input.

28:42And inside of the podcast lab, we have a chat GPT guide in there. So you can steal some of those prompts that I think would be super helpful. And so what I would say is, is that even I was just thinking about this, like while I'm in the energy of an interview, I forget things all the time, right? Like I'll be like, I'm going to link that in the show notes. Guess what? My brain does not close loops. It just, the loops stay open until the end of time. And so what I would say is if you can work out into your workflow where you record and at it within an hour and then you leverage AI for 20 minutes and you bust out description, show notes, title, and a social media caption.

29:23I think that is reasonable and it keeps you in the energy and the excitement of that episode. Cause I don't know about you, but if I've recorded an episode a month ago, I forget how awesome it was. I forget how fantastic it was. I forget what I talked about. I forget what I promised. And so it's like, if you can build that into the energy exchange of recording, then you can rest easy and be like, that whole thing is done. And it doesn't mean that you have to show up on every platform and have, you know, a Facebook post and Instagram post and this and that and that figure out what you can commit to first and what is actually moving the needle.

30:00And then as you get that system down, you can move it up. But I will say that if you're importing in the transcript and your outline, you could probably get those assets wrapped up pretty quickly with just a little bit back and forth. Oh yeah. That's such good advice. I have, I'm the same way about AI. I find that I'm the kind of person who's so long winded that I'll throw stuff in there and say, could you please like condense this for me? Because I just wrote 800 paragraphs and I only need one. Yes. And I think that that's where too, it's like, if you create almost like a workflow around that, you can very easily bust those things out.

30:39And again, they might not be a hundred percent you, but in these early stages, when it's just you, yourself and you like done is better than perfect. And like just getting it out there and getting in that rhythm of creation will make it so much easier for you. Yeah. And the done is better than perfect literally is something that I run through my head. I have Jenna's voice in my head when I am putting my show notes, my description, whatever it is that I'm doing together. Like I, I need to get it out. I just, I have committed to doing this every week and I need the consistency. It makes me feel good.

31:17My listeners depend on it. And I just have to get it out there because you can always go back and change it later. Absolutely. And you know, it's not that I will, but I could, there is a parallel here to what you teach people about like re-identifying, right? Like what is your identity in your body? There is, there's a theme, there's a through line here right now of you proving to yourself that you are somebody who shows up. That is a really interesting identity for a lot of us to start to clothe ourselves in because I think a lot of us have had these ideas and like, you know, it's like, I'm going to start the journal.

31:52And then like two days in the journal doesn't exist, or I'm going to start this, you know, food plan. And then it's like one weekend life hits a fan and now you're ordering DoorDash. Right. And so there's a really interesting aspect that I think is a through line here, both with your health journey, but also with your podcasting journey of I need to adopt the identity of someone who shows up, even if it's not perfect. And I think that there is beautiful unwiring and rewiring happening within yourself as you see yourself showing up and doing it, even if it's not totally done, even if it's not perfect, because it's never going to be.

32:23And I think that it's really a beautiful practice for a lot of us who have committed to things in the past and not been able to hold on to them is like, wow, I am somebody who shows up. I am just, that is a huge identity that a lot of us have trouble adopting. And so the fact that you're doing it and you're like, hey, some of these things are falling by the wayside and that's the reality. I think that is way more important that your identity is rooted in. I'm someone who shows up. You know, I only share stuff I'm genuinely obsessed with. And so when I kept seeing Bowling Branch sheets all over Instagram.

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35:01Anyone who knows me knows that I'm all about creating spaces where people actually want to be. So when we started hosting on Airbnb, it honestly felt like the most natural thing in the world. and it's turned into one of the best decisions we've ever made. Over the years, we've hosted hundreds of couples in our little spaces. We've had so many repeat guests come back and we've created this incredible community, not just with our guests, but also with the people who help us care for our space. Whether you've bought properties as an investment or have unused rooms waiting to be shared, hosting on Airbnb is a practical and profitable choice.

35:35And just think about it. If you've put a ton of time, effort, and work into your home, someone out there probably would love to experience it while they're traveling. So next time you're planning a trip or want to make some extra income from your spaces, you should definitely host on Airbnb. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at Airbnb.com slash host. So in terms of, you know, I'm about six months in and I have seen some growth. I definitely followed the advice in the podcast lab and I launched a trailer a couple of weeks before I put out the podcast. I started with three episodes.

36:15There was a little bit of binge worthiness going on there as well, getting the episode out every week. And then I've seen kind of my listenership go up and down depending on, you know, did I reach some new people this week or did I not? And so I'm wondering what your best tips are for getting the word out to people, for finding your people, because I am pretty niched. It's biking and it's wellness. And the reality is that anyone who listens to my podcast, who wants to feel better, who wants to be more active, is going to get something out of it. It doesn't have to be biking. But it was biking for me.

36:56And so that's why I really focus on that. So I like and appreciate the fact that you said at the beginning that being this niche is actually a good thing because I struggle with that all the time. But my biggest, biggest, you know, issue or struggle in the past five years or so being in business has been trying to find my people. I've been having a really hard time finding my people help. Yes. Okay. I love this. so one of my favorite things and this is like a blessing and a curse of what I teach and what I love is that it's a long game right and same with Pinterest right it's like people will go on and they'll be like okay where are my impressions and I'm like this is a long game in a good way because the long game while it means that like up front it's going to take a little bit it also means that this thing can keep running and giving you results after you're done or after you pause or just like while you're still doing it, right?

37:53And to me, that's why the long game is always worth it. So a few like tactical things. So one thing we wanna do is make sure that every aspect that has any sort of text for your podcast, we are thinking about keywords that people are typing in. So I want for you to think of Spotify and Apple Podcasts and any other platform almost as a Google. And I want for you to think of that when it comes to titling your shows, when it comes to your description, I want you to consider what are people actually typing in? Like it was interesting the other day I was looking for something a podcast on something super niche.

38:29I can't even remember what it was and like I was just literally typing into Apple podcast like it was Google, right? Like how do I blah blah blah whatever it was and so SEO and keyword strategy is going to be a really strong thing for you and also like understanding how does my audience ask these questions or how do they use language around it? Because sometimes too, there's like a chasm between the language that we use to describe what we do and the language someone else might use. And so that's an interesting thing. The one other thing that I want for you to think about is, oh, actually I have two more things.

39:04So two other things to think about. So one, in every single episode, how are you encouraging people to share this? Right? So one thing that we recently incorporated into our show is like, before we transition into an ad break, which can be disruptive for listeners, but also the way that we fund this show is we'll say, Hey, we're about to pivot into an ad break. But before we do, I want for you to think of one person in your life who this message would resonate with, or who is struggling with X, Y, or Z, or who could be inspired by blah, blah, blah, send this to them. And it doesn't have to be during an ad break.

39:36It can be anywhere in the show. Right. And so the best part, we were studying like the top podcasts out there, what are they doing? Right. Like we're literally downloading transcripts and like looking at this and they're talking about like inviting people in and invite someone in to discuss it. Like meet with a friend and talk about this episode. Like that is amazing. The second thing I want for you to do is to do some research in the general category you're in, but even outside of the category your podcast is in and pitch yourself to other people's shows. Okay. Because I feel like, especially once you have your own podcast and you have that track record and you know you have the equipment to sound decent on somebody else's show, getting into other people's audiences and either doing a podcast exchange where you come on my show, I come on your show.

40:24Great. Or I'm just pitching. I see this hole in what you're talking about and I feel like I could fill it because X, Y, or Z. Or I bet your audience is dying to hear from somebody who has X, Y, or Z. And this is how I can offer that to you. Getting on other people's shows is probably the best way Because remember, at the beginning of this episode, we talked about podcast listeners listen to podcasts. And if they're already on someone else's show and listening, how hard is it for them to click over and subscribe when you offer value and you offer a relatable story? And so maybe build it into your rhythm.

40:57I know your time is already strapped. And so that's why I'm like, stick to one episode a week. Don't even consider expanding. And then what would it look like if once or twice a month you got onto somebody else's show, right? The best part about it is all you have to do is the interview. When you're coming on this show, you're not doing the show notes. You just got to show up and be you. And what a gift. It's almost like the back alleyway of growing something where you're like, I get all the benefits and I just have to show up and talk. That's so cool. So get into the consistency of engaging with other people's communities and pitching yourself.

41:33You basically were a part of my community and I knew that. And that's how you got onto this show. Right. And so it's like, we can overthink that, but I would just say like, almost like Ariel, like I want to be where the people are, like, where are your people? And like, how can your message be something new or different or relatable for them? And like, how can you just infiltrate and, and add value in that way? And I think that would be like such a great practice. Even just one show a quarter could help bring in those new listeners as well. Well, that's great. That's really helpful. I love that because I definitely, the idea of getting on other people's podcasts.

42:08And like you said, it only has to be a couple of times a month. And then, you know, I mean, even just other audiences, podcasts a year of being on other people's shows, like that would be incredible. Right. And the other thing too, that I think people get wrong about podcasting is, and I've seen this a million times over is you think that the people with the biggest shows move the needle the most when in reality, I would argue that it is the micro influencers. it is the niche creators that have true movements. I just read this amazing sub stack the other day of this woman who went on one of the biggest podcasts in the world.

42:46And she thought it was going to like blow up her book sales. She was an author and she was like, Oh my gosh. And she's like the optics of going on there were amazing. Right. My friends are texting me like, are you okay? How are you doing? This is amazing. And she's like, the reality was, is it didn't even move the needle at all. And I, I am saying this as somebody who has a large podcast. I have found that my guests that serve niche audiences that have 10 ,000 followers, 5 ,000, a thousand followers, this is a big opportunity for them. They are going to leverage this opportunity in a different way and their audience trust them and follows them anywhere.

43:23And so don't get it in your head of like, I need to pitch that top wellness podcast. I would say, don't even try. I mean, try, try, absolutely try. But I would say that the needle movers are the people who have built that trust and that faith and that audience that listens and pays attention. And like, I would go after those people. And I think you have so much to offer in that realm. Oh, that's so helpful. Thank you so much. I really appreciate that. Yeah. Okay. What do you got? So in 2025, where do you think a podcast fits best into the ecosystem of a business? Do you think that we should focus more on nurturing our current audience with our podcast, or should we be more using it to reach new listeners, bring them into our world?

44:13I know ideally we should do both, but what do you think is working best right now? Yeah, I love that. In terms of the ecosystem, the way that I see it is like a podcast is a trust builder and an authority establisher. Meaning like you, again, just you showing up consistently is showing your audience so much about you in terms of your reliability. You practice what you preach, you're showing up, right? And so I would say the first like layer one of the onion, the best place to start is that you are nurturing people who already know about you and already know there, right? So it's like, you're just their friend that's showing up every week and bringing them value stories, whatever that is.

44:52But I also think that if we take what we were just talking about, even with like SEO and keywords, it is a really great expander. And again, this is the long game. So like one thing that a lot of people don't realize about podcasts is they'll look at like their immediate downloads on an episode and think like this signifies if this was successful or not successful by my standards, whatever the standard is. And what's interesting is, is that like for our show, about 50 % of our downloads are on past episodes, right? Sometimes there's a rhyme and a reason. And sometimes there's absolutely no rhyme or reason.

45:25It's people typing in those search terms of like, how do I market on Pinterest? Or how do I grow an email list? Right. And so what's beautiful about it is that like, yes, your fresh content is really exciting and awesome. And it's a great value, but also people are still searching for things that you created in the past, which is why I love the long game. And so I think that discovery mostly is going to happen through your keywords and through your guesting strategy, both you being a guest on other people's shows and also having guests come on your show that are willing to share their episode, right?

46:01One of the things that we worked into our system is when people commit to coming on our show, we make them check a box that says, I agree that I will promote this episode because we had so many people come on, have these epic interviews. And to them, it's just another interview, right? It's like, I've done 30 and here's just one more in the lineup. And it's like, no, no, no. Like we want this to be like a joint collaboration. And so again, if you have people come on your show, like what is that commitment that you expect of them? Like, will you accept my collaborators on my Instagram posts? Like, will you tell your audience about this because it's going to be so great.

46:36You're going to be dying to share this hot take. And so getting really clear on that. And so for me, it's like, I would never start a podcast and try to chase down sponsors. Like I think that if monetization and sponsorship is the number one goal, I don't think that podcasting is going to work long-term, but I would say like, how do I build trust? How do I shift that trust into my email list or something, an asset that I own and can control, even if I'm not going to leverage it right now. and then how does that lead to conversion again you don't have to have the offer or you don't have to know like what that next step is but if you're building a list of loyal listeners and you have that lever that you can pull if and when you have the offer or you have the launch or you have something you want to do that's how you ultimately own it because the issue is is that so many people are building these things on platforms they they don't own and can't control with followers that don't actually infiltrate the ecosystem.

47:29And it's like, how do you actually create a podcast that guides people into that space where they want more, you're adding more value, you have that more personal relationship. And then again, you have that lever that you can pull if and when you want to. And so I think this is essentially like, if I look at the ecosystem, I'm like, your podcast is essentially the content engine that can fuel everything else, right? It is the thing that you can become known for. It is the thing that people will go back to. It is the library that exists long after you stop publishing. And so you can do like nurture and attract, but I would say pick one main goal of like, this is the result I'm tracking here.

48:05It's not downloads. It's how do I get people off of the podcast and somewhere where I can connect with them on a deeper level? Oh gosh, that makes so much sense. And that's so helpful because I mean, of course, you know, it helps people really trust us. And like you said, the consistency, knowing that we're going to show up and all of those pieces. And then we can also bring more people into our world at the same time too. So I remember the day that I decided to start a podcast and I was listening to Amy Porterfield's podcast. She is like the OG of podcasting. She had a podcast. I literally didn't know there was an app on your phone for podcasts.

48:43So I would go to her website every week and hit play. And like my, my phone would go black and I'd have to like re-get the phone back up. And I remember she was talking about an offer she was creating that wasn't even an offer yet. Right. There's no sales page. There's no offer. She was just creating it. And in my head, I was like, take my money. Like you have given me so much. Like, I don't even know what this thing is or if I need it, but like, how can I repay you for showing up and being my coach without knowing I exist? Right. And it hit me just like how showing up consistently, even when that person doesn't know you exist and there's this parasocial relationship is so powerful because you are, it's like reciprocity is at play with podcasting in the sense of like, if you continue to show up and you continue to deliver and you offer value at some point, it's going to come back to you.

49:34And I think that it's such a beautiful exchange because it's on their timing, right? There's no pressure tactics. It's not this pressure cooker. It's like in your own timing, you will come if I've given you value. That's like the most beautiful thing. So I love it. I think it feels way less like sleazy and scammy in my mind. And we don't like that. No, we have time for one final question. So what do you got? So this is kind of going back to the video piece and it has to do with YouTube. And I feel like I'm seeing everywhere that people are saying you have to be on YouTube. You have to be on YouTube.

50:09So do you think that adding the video and adding YouTube to your podcast is a helpful strategy for audience reach. All right. Do you think you find new people there or do you think it's just kind of a way of enhancing what you're already doing? Do you feel like with YouTube, you really should be more leaning into YouTube shorts or YouTube, you know, content specifically for YouTube? I don't know. Okay. I have strong opinions on this and it's, it's so hard because, okay, it's a double-edged sword, right? Like I a thousand percent see the movement, the value, all the good things of YouTube. I think YouTube is a great search engine based place to find your people and serve them.

50:51I went into podcasting to not have to care what I looked like to sit down to a freaking mic and talk, right? Like in my bones today, my kids were getting ready. We're eating breakfast. I have this little mirror I bring to the table while I'm eating breakfast next to them, getting my makeup on and they go, Oh mom, you're podcasting today. Yeah, I am. Cause now I'm on video and, and this is not what it started as like, like literally the only time I wear makeup is this like, so here's my, this is the first time I've worn makeup in months, girl. So, okay. So I'm talking to you. So here's my thing.

51:24Yes. It could be absolutely advantageous to be on YouTube. I would be an idiot to say no, but if it is going to hinder your delivery, your ability to show up your ability to get things published, the way you feel when you're speaking, screw it. That's what I think. And I will tell you as somebody who actually invested in YouTube about a year ago, lots of money to like, let's see if we can make this show work on YouTube. Guess what? My audience is listening. We are busy moms. When I think of my own listener habits, I am not watching talking heads on YouTube. I am listening as I am doing the dishes.

52:02I am listening in the shower. I'm like, I am not somebody that's sitting there and wanting to watch people talk in an office. That's just not my energy. And so when I was trying to do YouTube, it was taking so much of what I loved about podcasting away from me, the approachability, the ability to just sit down and hit record. If it's dark outside, I'm not thinking about lighting. I'm not thinking about being worried about looking at my notes. Like it stripped away so much of what I loved about podcasting that it ultimately wasn't worth it. So here's what I'll say. If you love being on camera, if you love the production value, if you love all of that, absolutely positively start a video podcast.

52:43One thousand percent. If you have even an ounce of curiosity of how this is going to impact how you show up, if you're worried about what shirt you're going to wear on your interview, if you're concerned about if your lip color is the right color, do not record the video. You will probably never use it. have it so that it exists. But I, for me, I love podcasting for all the reasons that do not include video. And that's worked for me. And so essentially what we ended up going down to is we will record the video with guests. I will not record video when I'm on a solo show because I am sloughing it and just delivering.

53:22And with guests, we will create two pieces of content for them to share and for us to share. And that is it. So a 40 minute video will turn into 30 second clips. And that's all you're going to get folks, because that's the heart of what we do and why we do it. So, you know, I'm not blind to what's happening on YouTube, but it's a whole different ballgame, right? It's, it's, it's two different courses. It's the podcast lab and a YouTube class, because you're going to have to learn how to do these thumbnails and do all these different things. And like, if that's what you want to do, that's a whole different ballgame.

53:55And it's one that I just don't want to play. I don't know. Bless you. I love you. I needed to hear that today. Thank you. I know. And I feel like people are freaking out because it's like, yeah, YouTube is also having a moment along with podcasting. But then I'm like, every time I get to the heart of it, because even one of my best friends is doing video for her podcast. And she was like freaking out about like what the lighting and this and that and that. And I was like, can I ask you a question? I was like, is it worth it? Because you talk differently when you're on video than when you're just sitting down to a mic.

54:25Do you think that having the 80 people on YouTube that are watching this thing and who knows how long they're actually tuning in for, is that worth disrupting the experience for the 90 % of listeners who are tuning in during school drop-off? Like, do you know what I mean? And so it's just like, for me, it just wasn't worth it. And when I looked at my own self, I'm like, I am not watching two people sitting in an office talking to each other. Like I've got other things to do while I'm listening. So anyways, my ADHD is showing. That's for sure. Stacey, thank you for coming on. Thank you for being just an amazing human being.

54:59Where can everybody find you and connect with you and listen to your show and cheer you on in this beautiful journey? Give us all the places. Well, thank you so much. So my podcast is called the biking wellness podcast. It's available wherever you get your podcast. So all you have to do is search biking wellness. And you can also find me on Instagram at Sassy Cycling. It's S-A-S-C-Y Cycling. It's a little play on my name. And I just, I would love to connect with anyone who's interested in either talking about podcasting or biking or wellness, or just having fun moving your body. Yes. Oh, you are just a gem and I'm so excited for you.

55:38And I just love watching what you're doing. I'm like over here, like biggest fan. So thank you for your vulnerability and for showing up and just for asking like fantastic questions. You're the best. Oh, Stacy is literally just like a beam of light. Like I hope you can just hear her heart. I'm sure you could as she was on the show. I love being a part of such a beautiful, diverse, rich community of people who are literally changing other people's lives. Like Stacy is absolutely changing people's lives, their relationship with their bodies and their health. And she's doing it with joy. Like my favorite thing is that she's like, this is meant to be fun.

56:19All of it. Moving your body, podcasting. She brings the fun with her and you can just feel that. So thank you, Stacey, for being vulnerable and coming on the show. Thank you for being a student of mine. Again, if podcasting is something you're even just curious about or you're thinking about or you hosted a fake podcast when you were a kid like we did, go to freepodcastclass.com. join me for podcasting 101 how to start record and profit from your show let me save you so many hours so much frustration so many dollars as you start and launch your own show out into the world just like stacy did i would love to teach you free podcast class.com and if you know somebody who should have their own podcast send this episode to them there are those people in your life who respond to a how are you with a five minute voice memo those are the people that should sit down to the mic for real, for real and launch something out into the show.

57:14There's never been a better time to launch your podcast. Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Gold Digger podcast. Until next time, keep on digging your biggest goals. Thanks for listening to the Gold Digger podcast. I hope today left you inspired and equipped with something you can put into action as you build a business that truly supports your life. If this episode resonated with you, here's how you can help the show reach even more entrepreneurs. Hit follow, share it with a friend who's building something meaningful. And if you're feeling generous, leave us a review. Those reviews help other listeners discover these conversations when they need them the most.

57:50This show has become so much more than I ever imagined. And it's because of listeners like you who show up and share. You are helping build something that will inspire entrepreneurs for years to come. For show notes, links, and resources, head to golddiggerpodcast.com. keep digging your biggest goals the world needs what you're building