6 Lessons Learned From Launching A Podcast

Welcome to the UNprofessional podcast, a place to explore the boundaries of work, humanity and culture. If you’re ready to break out of the box, say goodbye to business as usual and usher in a new era, one that’s more human, you’ve found the right place. Join me and fellow UNprofessionals as we dive deep on what it takes to create human-centric organizations and become fully human leaders. 

Sound familiar? If yes, then welcome back! If not, it’s never too late to join the UNprofessional community and going to iTunes to listen to the pod. 

It’s officially been 4 months since we launched the first episode of UNprofessional, and we’ve released 17 episodes to date. The past four months have been absolutely incredible for me, and there’s so much I didn’t know or expect from the process.

Growing pains only mean that you’re evolving, and today I’m sharing some of mine that I’ve experienced since adding “podcast host” to my resume.

1. It’s wayyyyyyy more work than you anticipate.

Podcasting added a whole new operation to my business. You need to carve out time to develop your content plan, record, produce and market your episodes. 

One of my unique abilities is being able to pick peoples’ brains, so naturally I’m loving the interview portion of podcast creation. With my hands already full there, I’ve enlisted some help to market my podcast on my social platforms to get the word out. 

I initially thought I’d be able to manage marketing my podcast on my personal IG account, but since the purpose of the UNprofessional pod is to showcase unheard voices in business, I started a completely new account altogether to give my guests more of a platform and create a community of fellow UNprofessional listeners.

While listeners only hear and see the final product when it’s released on Apple Podcasts or my social media, there’s so much more that goes into production. DM me on my personal IG account https://www.instagram.com/hilarycorna/ and let me know if you’d be interested in seeing more behind the scenes content 🙂

For podcast-focused content, join the UNprofessional community and follow at https://www.instagram.com/weareunprofessional/.  

2. You may notice an internal shift, and that means it’s working.

Sitting down and asking yourself, “What do I stand for?” is daunting. But it’s important to identify your purpose so you can put your heart and soul into your work.

Once I was a few episodes in, I had family members and friends say I sounded different. They wondered what I was really doing with this podcast and why I was speaking my mind.

I knew that it was because I had finally found my voice, and once I found it I was not going to shut up.

Really focus on what you’re about and hone in on what you want to get out of the process. Being UNprofessional means encouraging others to show up as their full selves, and that’s exactly what I’ve been doing as a podcast host.

3. Constantly remind yourself of your purpose.

To be completely transparent, it’s been hard for me not to go down the path of featuring people with big names and a huge following. But I always remind myself of my purpose, which is to showcase people who are fighting a good fight and being human-centric leaders.  

This means featuring people who inspire others to do more. These are people who lead with compassion, kindness and empathy and do their work with the intention of being a changemaker, not looking for recognition every step of the way. These are people whose stories really speak to me and who I feel deserve all the recognition in the world even when they don’t ask for it.

I know my purpose and that keeps me going. Big names are flashy, but the guests I invite on are the true UNprofessionals who will continue their groundbreaking work no matter if their following is one thousand people or one million.

4. There are SO many opportunities to repurpose content.

Over the past few months, my team has started compiling what we call “evergreen content.” This is the stuff that feeds our mission: to elevate UNprofessional voices. 

I’ve learned that it’s more valuable to optimize your podcast than just doing the interview and posting it. 

Identifying similar stories, messages and experiences among my guests is one of my favorite things to do. I find it fascinating that people from so many different parts of the world who work in different industries still manage to find  something in common.

Repurposing your content also helps reach more people and optimize your SEO. Podcast episodes don’t become “old” when you post a new one every week; the content is just as valuable as it was when it was posted, but now it’s about framing it to identify what’s most helpful for our audience. We do our best to capitalize on this even more through our blog posts, social media posts and more.

5. Make sure your guest is comfortable during their interview.

Not all of my guests have been trained for interviews or are used to storytelling/talking about themselves. To make them more comfortable, I usually meet with the guest to go over what topics they’re comfortable with and to discuss what the actual recording process will be like.

Humans are more likely to be open and honest when they’re comfortable, and I like the fact that my episodes feel like a long conversation over coffee instead of a dry Q&A session. 

When conversations flow and become more interactive in a non-scripted way, that’s when I know we’re both having a good time and enjoying the experience. What’s the point if you don’t have fun?!

6. Be a guest on other podcasts.

Being a guest on multiple podcasts in a month has been critical in terms of spreading my reach. Every time I’m a guest on another podcast, I always ask if the host knows someone who has a podcast that I should be on. 

Before I launched the UNprofessional podcast, I would tell people to visit my website to reach me. Now that I have my social platforms active every day, including the UNprofessional IG account, I can encourage people to view my content and interact with me in a variety of ways.

In 2020, 24% of Americans (68 million) said they listened to podcasts weekly. Podcasting can help you reach out to new audiences and build deeper connections. 

It’s no easy task, but it’s hella rewarding. 

The UNprofessional podcast has challenged me in so many new ways while also helping me identify more topics I’m passionate about. I’ve noticed my voice evolving from even a few months back… and I’m here for it and all the changes that are to come in the next few months and beyond.

Come with us, the UNprofessional community, as we welcome our human-centric future where we put each other first. This week we’ll discuss how COVID-19 changed business and what’s here to stay that affects all of us.

I’m personally inviting you to listen to the new episode that drops on Thursday, May 27, and to write a written review on iTunes for your chance to win FREE coffee!! Look for the deets on my IG or LinkedIn pages on Thursday 🙂

In love and respect,

Hilary Corna

Hilary Corna

Bestselling Author, Keynote Speaker, Podcast Host, Founder of the Human Way ™...

Hilary’s favorite title is HUMAN.

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