This conversation was recorded at the Cincinnati Podcast Studio with Brian Erickson.

I originally invited Brian to join me for an episode of my What Are You Creating? podcast, which I typically produce as an audio-only show. Since Brian runs a studio devoted to high-quality video podcast production, he invited me to come to the studio and record the conversation there.

This is a very unscripted conversation. It begins as an interview, but it naturally becomes a genuine exchange between two podcast professionals exploring how we each think about content creation. Where it’s been. Where it is now. And where it might be headed.

At one point, Brian asks me to share my perspective on audio versus video, content ownership, and some of the principles that have shaped the way I approach creating and publishing work.

If you care about creating meaningful work and playing a long game with your content, I think you’ll enjoy it.

• You can see the video version of this episode, recorded professionally at the Cincinnati Podcast Studio, on my YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/2bzuQFXlzkE?si=Bq_4bp4WXjczmZK2
• Cincinnati Podcast Studio website: https://cincinnatipodcaststudio.com
• Follow Brian on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/bwerickson

If you’re a professional author, coach, speaker, content creator, course creator, or online business owner, and you’ve ever felt alone in your content creation, marketing, or business decisions, I want you to know this.

You don’t have to do this journey by yourself.

I’ve reopened the Next Level Mastermind. It’s designed for entrepreneurs who are committed to growth, service, and bringing their full education, experience, skills, and perspective into a trusted peer environment where everyone contributes and everyone benefits.

If you feel a pull toward doing this work alongside other thoughtful, accomplished people who understand the decisions you’re facing, email me directly at cliff@cliffravenscraft.com and put “Next Level Mastermind” in the subject line.

I’d love to explore whether it makes sense for us to journey together.

Heather Bayer was one of the very first people in her industry to ever launch a podcast, and more than a decade later she is still showing up every single week. In this conversation, I sit down with Heather to look back on the long arc of her creative life. From buying podcasting equipment in 2007 and letting it sit untouched for six years, to launching Vacation Rental Success in 2013 and publishing more than six hundred and fifty episodes since then,

Heather’s story is a powerful reflection on what happens when someone decides to take their voice seriously and keeps going through every season of change.

• Starting a podcast with a professional mindset from day one creates a foundation that supports long term consistency.
• Defining an ideal client avatar and speaking to one specific person changes how content is created and how it lands.
• A podcast becomes powerful when it is built for the listener rather than as a personal vanity project.
• Weekly consistency builds trust and becomes part of people’s lives in ways that statistics do not always reveal.
• Even a smaller audience can have an enormous impact when those listeners are deeply connected to the voice they hear.
• Interviews can accelerate thought leadership through relationships and credibility by association.
• Listener emails and personal messages often provide the emotional fuel that keeps creators going.
• A podcast can quietly become the primary driver of long term business relationships.
• Platforms change, but a trusted voice continues to create connection across time.
• Creation that unfolds over years becomes part of a person’s identity.

• Heather Bayer’s website: https://vacationrentalformula.com
• Heather’s email: heather@vacationrentalformula.com
• Vacation Rental Success Podcast: Apple | Spotify | YouTube
• Podcasting A to Z

Heather’s story is powerful because she chose to take her voice seriously and commit to showing up. If you have been thinking about starting a podcast, relaunching one that has gone quiet, or bringing new life to something you already created, my next session of Podcasting A to Z is starting soon.

This is the same program Heather went through when she finally pulled that dusty equipment off the shelf, learned how to wire it all together, and launched what would become more than six hundred episodes of consistent, professional podcasting.

It is where I personally walk you through every step of creating a great-sounding audio podcast with clarity, confidence, and a proven plan.

You can find all the details at PodcastingAtoZ.com.

In this episode, I share a powerful conversation with Laura McClellan, host of The Productive Woman podcast, who took my Podcasting A to Z course more than twelve years ago and has now published over five hundred episodes.

Laura almost never launched her show. She recorded her first episode, then let fear stop her for six months before finally deciding to publish an episode she recorded from a closet with a handheld recorder. What followed was a body of work that has touched thousands of people around the world.

This conversation is part of my Where Are They Now? series, where I sit down with students who went through my course 10 to 15 years ago to explore what it actually looks like to keep showing up with your voice over the years.

• Starting a podcast can begin as a personal, creative outlet long before it becomes something that serves others.
• Fear and self-doubt are often part of the beginning, even for people who later become incredibly consistent creators.
• You do not need a platform or an audience to start. You only need a willingness to speak and press publish.
• A simple weekly cadence creates momentum that compounds over time.
• Listener feedback, even from one person, can be the fuel that keeps you going.
• Podcasting builds community in ways that are difficult to predict when you first begin.
• Taking a sabbatical or stepping away can be part of a long creative life.
• It is easier for many people to speak than to write, which makes podcasting a powerful medium for sharing ideas.
• Tools and technology continue to evolve, making it easier than ever to create and distribute high-quality content.
• The true reward of podcasting is not downloads or stats, but the impact your voice has on real people.

• Laura’s Podcast In Apple Podcasts
• Laura's Podcast in Spotify
• Laura McClellan’s website: TheProductiveWoman.com
• Podcasting A to Z

Laura’s story is not special because she decided to begin and kept showing up.

If you have been thinking about starting a podcast, relaunching one that has gone quiet, or bringing new life to something you already created, my next session of Podcasting A to Z is starting soon.

This is the same program Laura went through and it is where I personally walk you through every step of creating a great-sounding audio podcast with clarity, confidence, and a proven plan.

You can find all the details at PodcastingAtoZ.com.