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.

This episode is the first in a special “Where Are They Now?” series.

Over the past several weeks, I have been sitting down with graduates of Podcasting A to Z who said yes to creating something more than a decade ago and kept showing up through many seasons of life and work. These are people who did not just launch a podcast. They built bodies of work that now span hundreds and, in some cases, thousands of episodes.

Daphne Scott is the first of these conversations. Twelve years after going through Podcasting A to Z, she has produced more than three hundred podcast episodes, built multiple shows, and continues to evolve her voice through new projects, including a new leadership podcast and a growing YouTube channel.

• Consistency in podcasting is often less about ideas and more about having a reliable technical process that supports showing up week after week.
• Audio quality matters deeply. Even powerful messages lose their impact when the listening experience creates friction.
• Creating content across multiple locations requires intentional systems and thoughtful gear choices.
• Co-hosting a podcast adds energy and depth to a show, while also introducing additional complexity around scheduling, technology, and production.
• Building a backlog of episodes creates freedom and reduces the pressure of producing something new every single week.
• Video and audio invite different kinds of presence. How a creator shows up changes depending on the medium.
• Long-term creators evolve. The work continues even as identity, ambition, and purpose shift over time.

• Daphne Scott’s website: https://Daphne-Scott.com
• The Super Fantastic Leadership Show
• Life: The Ultimate Choose Your Own Adventure Game podcast
• Daphne Scott’s Leadership Coaching YouTube Channel
• Podcasting A to Z: http://PodcastingAtoZ.com

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

This is the same program Daphne and hundreds of other long-term creators went through when they first began. I would love to be your coach and walk with you through every step of launching and growing your show. You can learn more at PodcastingAtoZ.com.

In this episode, I sit down with Jessika Suter, founder of Social Media Week Lima, to explore how a single conference experience sparked the creation of one of the most heart-centered marketing communities in the Midwest. After attending Social Media Marketing World for the first time, Jessika returned to her hometown of Lima, Ohio and, within two weeks, launched what would become an annual gathering of hundreds of business owners, marketers, and creators who believe in building relationships before pushing messages.

Jessika shares how Social Media Week Lima grew from a small thirty-person gathering in her office into a four-hundred-plus attendee conference fueled by generosity, collaboration, and a commitment to “love more, give more, be more.” The conversation covers everything from how world-class speakers now volunteer their time to support the event, to how spontaneous moments like the Lima Olympics have become beloved traditions that bring joy, play, and real human connection back into the marketing world.

• Social Media Week Lima (tickets and event details)

  https://sociallima.com

• Now Marketing Group (Jessika’s agency)

  https://nowmarketinggroup.com

• Relationship Marketing with Jessika

  https://relationshipmarketingjessika.com

• Episode 802 of The Cliff Ravenscraft Show

  https://www.cliffravenscraft.com/podcasts/the-cliff-ravenscraft-show/episodes/2149132919

• Podcast Answer Man

  https://podcastanswerman.com

• Podcasting A to Z

  https://podcastingatoz.com

If you have been thinking about starting a podcast as a way to build real relationships, grow your network, and create opportunities that would not exist otherwise, that is exactly why I created Podcasting A to Z.

This is a four week group coaching experience where I work with you personally to help you launch or relaunch your podcast with clarity, confidence, and a strategy that fits who you are. We cover everything from concept and format to equipment, publishing, and how to use interviews and conversations to open doors to new relationships, partnerships, and clients.

If you are ready to stop thinking about starting and actually get your podcast into the world, you can find all the details at https://podcastingatoz.com.

In this episode, I share a conversation with Nick Pavlidis, CEO of PodFest Expo, where we talk about:

• How he got into podcasting through conversations with his kids.
• Why he bought PodFest and what he is trying to protect and grow.
• How PodFest is different from other podcasting conferences.
• Why the event is built around independent creators.
• The Podcast Hall of Fame and why it now lives at PodFest.
• The changing needs of podcasters and how in-person events meet those needs.

Key ideas from this episode

• The highest value of podcasting conferences come from the in-person relationships.
• Being in the same room with other creators changes how you see yourself and your work.
• The best opportunities in this industry almost always come from conversations, not presentations.
• If you keep the same people around you, your life and business will look the same in five years.
• PodFest is designed to serve independent podcasters first, not corporate sponsors.

Resources and links mentioned

• PodFest Expo

  https://podfestexpo.com

• Promo Code for PodFest

  Use PAM for 10 percent off your ticket

• Podcast Hall of Fame

  https://podcasthall.com

• Podcast Answer Man Episode 480

  https://podcastanswerman.com/480

If this episode reminded you that podcasting is better when you are in a room with other creators, then Podcasting A to Z might be exactly what you are looking for.

Podcasting A to Z is my live, step-by-step coaching experience for people who are ready to launch, relaunch, or level up their podcast. It is a group of podcasters who are showing up, asking real questions, and building real momentum together.

We meet for four weeks.

We solve real problems.

And we move your podcast forward with clarity and confidence.

The next session begins January 26.

Learn more and register at: PodcastingAtoZ.com

Today, I had an incredible conversation with Austin Armstrong, an entrepreneur, speaker, and creator whose journey perfectly embodies what it means to stop thinking like a content creator and start thinking like a business owner who creates content.

Austin is the founder of Syllaby, an AI-powered video marketing platform that helps entrepreneurs and service-based business owners simplify content creation and stay consistent across every major platform. He’s also the author of the upcoming book Virality!, which unpacks two decades of lessons from his evolution as a creator, marketer, and business builder.

In our conversation, we explored:

• How Austin went from MySpace “trains” to building multi–seven-figure businesses powered by organic content.
• The story behind Syllaby, and how a simple pivot in messaging saved the company.
• What it really means to create systems that turn followers into customers.
• Austin’s powerful S.T.A.R.T. Video Framework for crafting scroll-stopping, lead-generating videos.
• The biggest mistakes creators make when chasing virality, and what to do instead.

I loved this conversation because it’s about realizing that your content should serve your mission, not the other way around.

Austin’s energy, humility, and depth of experience made this an enjoyable conversation. If you’re a creator, coach, or entrepreneur looking to build something that lasts, you’re going to want to listen to this one from start to finish.

If this episode resonated with you, I highly encourage you to pre-order Austin’s new book, Virality! It’s filled with proven frameworks, practical tools, and hard-won lessons that will help you think, act, and grow like a business owner who creates content.

👉 Pre-order Virality! on Amazon