Last week we walked through the framework for deciding whether to pull the plug on a recorded episode: when to salvage, when to spike, and how to know the difference. If you haven’t read that piece, it’s worth starting there.
Podcast Wizard
When to Scrub an Episode
Every podcaster eventually records an episode they can’t publish. Spiking a bad recording is sometimes an act of editorial judgment. Here’s a practical framework for deciding whether to salvage a flawed episode or when to scrub an episode, and how to handle the conversation with your guest when you do.
The Art of the Follow-Up Question
A prepared question gets you to the surface. A well-timed follow-up gets you underneath it. Most podcast hosts invest heavily in crafting their question list and then let vague, tangential, or incomplete answers slide right past them. Here’s why the follow-up question is the most underused skill in interviewing, and how to use it.
You Are Not Who The Comments Say You Are
One vague comment calling you arrogant, fake, or unlikeable can outweigh a hundred supportive listeners. But not all feedback deserves the same weight. You are not who the comments say you are.
What “Engagement” Actually Means
I think it’s a word that’s lost its meaning. A few weeks ago I made the case that download numbers are a noisy, often misleading proxy for whether your podcast is actually working. The same skepticism deserves to be pointed at another word podcasters throw around constantly: engagement. Here’s what Engagement actually means…
Be A Good Podcast Guest
Recent interviews are prompting me to revisit this topic >>>
Specifically, I wanted to writeup “Be A Good Podcast Guest” for podcast hosts to be able to share with their guests. This blog is therefore written to the potential guest.
Being invited to guest on a podcast is something of a privilege. And being a guest on someone’s podcast is an opportunity to put your best foot forward. If you’re trying to be heard, your podcast appearance should be the best it can be. So while the host is lending you their audience, their platform, and their trust, how you show up before, during, and after the recording says a lot about how seriously you want to be taken.
Your Download Numbers Are Lying to You
Every podcaster knows the ritual. You publish an episode, wait a few days, and then open your hosting dashboard to see how it performed. Your download numbers stare back at you. Maybe it’s good. Maybe it’s disappointing. Either way, you treat it like a verdict.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: that number is not telling you what you think it is.
Cross-Promoting With Guests Is Mostly a Myth
I recently read something that most of us know but nobody wants to admit: guest cross-promotion doesn’t really work as a growth strategy. And it’s worth saying clearly, because almost no podcast blog will.
Podcast Wizardry Made A Playbook For Podcasting In Unstable Times
When the world gets noisy, most podcasters go silent or chase the outrage cycle. There’s a third path — and this Playbook For Podcasting In Unstable Times lays it out. Eight chapters on building trust, clarity, and resilience without turning your show into a news channel.
What Your Audience Actually Needs From You Right Now
In a world optimized for noise, your audience isn’t asking for more. They’re asking for something steadier.