Influential Introvert: Communication Coaching for Professionals with Performance Anxiety

Special request: The podcast media host Blubrry is looking for nominees for Favorite Woman Podcaster .   I would love to spread the word about Podcasting Step by Step so I can help more people podcast.    If you feel I’ve helped you and I’m one of your favorite podcasters, I would appreciate it from the bottom of my heart, if you’d nominate me, Sarah Mikutel . Nominations close March 7, so you mig...

As someone who has podcasted from hostels, hotels, and bare-bones medieval apartments, I’m proof that you can record a quality podcast from anywhere. Want to take your show on the road? On this episode of Podcasting Step by Step, I walk you though my 5-step plan for recording while traveling.   Visit sarahmikutel.com for show notes, including on-the-road podcast equipment recommendations.   *** Re...

Today, you’ll learn how to create ads that people actually want to listen to , and that will motivate your listeners to buy. Because if you want to keep that sponsor you landed, you have to be able to demonstrate that you’re converting for them.   In this episode, my friend Lisa Orkin of Lisa Orkin Creative breaks down her storytelling formula for audio ads. You’ll learn how to: craft ads that kee...

In March, I will be speaking at Podfest in Orlando, Florida,. I would love to see you there — and, you have the opportunity to attend the conference for free!! I’m giving away two tickets to Podcasting Step by Step listeners.   Enter to win by 4 p.m. (EST) Feb. 5, 2020   *** Visit sarahmikutel.com for more resources on how to podcast.   Ready to start your own show? Download my free guide: “ 8 Mis...

The most profitable way to make money through podcasting, for most people, is to promote your own products and services on your show, and what’s a better business than an online course?   I’m an online learning addict. I love taking courses online and even created my own: Podcast Launch Academy .    My guest today is going to teach you how you can start your own online course , which you can use t...

We all want to make it as easy as possible for people to discover our podcasts. So how can we make sure the search engines find us? How can we “optimize our podcasts?”     My guest today says that when it comes to search engine optimization (SEO), we should be less concerned about the robots and more focused on people.    I’m speaking with Daniel J. Lewis, host of the Audacity to Podcast , on how...

Life is all fun and games when people are five-starring your podcast all over the place. But what happens when someone one-stars your show or leaves you a bad review in Apple Podcasts? Well, it feels bad, of course. But we can transform that negative energy from random haters into something that benefits us. Learn how in this episode ( sarahmikutel.com for show notes ) *** Also, visit sarahmikutel...

Podcasting is a fantastic way to grow our brands and businesses, but you can podcast just for fun. In fact, no matter what the goal of your podcast is, podcasting shouldn’t feel like a burden, but it can if we fall out of alignment about our podcast’s purpose and start going through the motions of what we’re ‘supposed to do.’    My guest today has been podcasting as a form of self expression and d...

How often do you listen to podcasts? Are you what Edison Research calls a ‘super listener?’ That is someone who listens to five or more hours of podcasts every week.     I definitely fall into that category. I listen to podcasts when I’m falling asleep, when I wake up, when I’m cooking, and almost always when I’m walking out the door. Are you the same way?   Is this healthy? The perfect way to alw...

’Tis the season for gift ideas for podcasters. You’ll see lots of suggestions for mics and mixers, and while these are fun — who doesn’t love unwrapping something new and shiny during the holidays — I want to give you something even more valuable.     In a special episode of Podcasting Step by Step, I asked some of my favorite podcasters to share an audio gift with you: Their best podcasting advic...

In case you haven’t heard, telling listeners to rate and review your podcast won’t help new people discover your show . And now get ready for some more podcast myth-busting with Rob Walch, Vice President of Podcaster Relations at Libsyn.   Rob joins me on Podcasting Step by Step to answer burning questions , including:  How many episodes should I launch with?  How long should my episodes be? How d...

“If you found value in this episode, please leave a rating and review in Apple Podcasts, it helps people discover the show.”   You hear that call to action at the end of so many podcasts, but do ratings and reviews really help people discover our show? On Podcasting Step by Step, I dig into the truth behind podcast ratings and reviews.    But first, if you haven’t launched your show yet and are lo...

You might be wondering, “Is anyone listening to podcasts over Christmas? Will my show suffer if I don’t put out an episode on Thanksgiving?”   Yes, people are still listening to podcasts during the holidays. And because so many podcasters do take holiday breaks, if you publish an episode, it will have more space to shine.    But your show won’t suffer if you take a week off, and this might actuall...

*** Podcast Launch Academy is open for enrollment for a limited time *** If you’ve been wanting to start a podcast for awhile and are sick of struggling to figure it out on your own…   I invite you to join Podcast Launch Academy .     This online course will help you confidently launch your first podcast without the tech headache, overwhelm, or ‘where do I even start’ worries.   But it’s not just...

You are cordially invited to a free, live podcast masterclass that I’m hosting next week 🎉🎉🎉   If you’ve been wanting to start your show for awhile but can’t seem to make it happen, or you recently launched your podcast and are now, like, “Wait a minute, what am I doing?,” you won’t want to miss this training:   The Secret Recipe for Podcast Success   During our hour together, I’ll: bust the bi...

Last night I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts, Speak Up Storytelling, hosted by Matthew Dicks, who you heard on the How to Tell Better Stories on Your Podcast episode of this show, and he revealed a very hilarious secret. Hilarious now, but the story he told was something that he buried for a really long time (it involves an orange thong, awkward dancing, and McDonalds).   Matthew has...

I'll jump right to the good stuff:  This week I'm running a special giveaway. The prize? One lucky entrant will win access to Podcast Launch Academy, which will open its doors later in November. If you’ve been wanting to start a podcast for awhile, but fear of getting it wrong is keeping you silent, you are not going to want to miss this.    Enter to win a spot in Podcast Launch Academy....

Turning your podcast into a book is one way to monetize your show while growing your influence, so why not plan for that from the beginning? On Podcasting Step by Step, I share how you can map out an entire year’s worth of podcast content in an hour, which can then be repurposed into blogs, social media posts, books, and more. Visit sarahmikutel.com for show notes .   *** You're invited to jo...

When I hear people ask podcasters what their proudest, most satisfying achievement has been in podcasting, they never say ‘money,’ or ‘popularity,’ or ‘I get to be the boss.’ They tell stories of listeners writing in to them thanking them for saving their lives. For helping them to feel less alone. For motivating them to try something new or to get out of a bad situation.    People today feel more...

Don’t have a massive following on social media? No worries! Who needs a million followers anyway? Right now, sponsors are loving micro-influencers, people with smaller but loyal followings. This is, of course, fantastic news for podcasters.     On episode 31 of Podcasting Step by Step, I talk to Andrea Jones, founder of the Savvy Social School and the Savvy Social podcast, about how we, as podcast...

You’re invited to join the Podcasting Step by Step community on Facebook .    What’s that? You have a love hate relationship with social media? Join the club. A lot of podcasters wonder if it’s worth spending time on social media to market their podcasts.    For a long time I felt completely burned out by the screaming and negativity found on some of the platforms. But social media does have some...

People pleasers, raise your hands! Do you feel guilty speaking up or saying no to people? Like when a fan writes to you asking to be a guest on your podcast but you don’t think it’s a good fit and then you start stressing and asking your friends ‘what should you do’ and before you know it an hour has gone by and why did you check your email instead of recording your show?    On this episode of Pod...

As podcasters, we want to do what we can to help people discover and listen to our show. This means being in all the podcast directories, like Apple Podcasts, but should we be on YouTube, as well? On Podcasting Step by Step, I dig into why this can hurt us if we do it the wrong way, and how to use YouTube right.   Visit sarahmikutel.com for more articles on how to podcast. Ready to start your own...

Just Breathe! That’s actually the name of the talk today’s guest gave at Podcast Movement in 2019. One of the biggest mistakes new podcasters make is over-editing -- taking out every um and deleting all the breaths.    Carrie Caulfield Arick, owner of Ya-Ya Podcasting editing services; founder of the Just Busters Facebook Group for female podcast editors; and host of the podcast Just Podcasting wa...

One of the biggest peeves listeners have is when podcast host/s waffle on for too long before getting to the point of the episode. Your audience wants to know where you’re taking them, or they’re going to bail. In fact, the average podcast loses about a third of its audience in the first five minutes, according to NPR One. So how can you create an above average podcast?   In this episode, I’ll tal...