Starting My Own Podcast: The Journey of "Fr8 Marketing Gurus"
Content is king may be an old adage, but it still holds true today. And the avenues to put your content out into the world are incredibly plentiful - each with its own purpose. One trendy avenue of content sharing today is the podcast.
Podcasting is an effective and fun way to create a thought-leadership channel for your business, but before jumping into the podcast game, you have to be prepared. If you’re on the fence, read our blog “Make a Sound Decision: Navigating the Podcasting Wave” to determine if podcasting is for you.
Here’s how our own podcast, “Fr8 Marketing Gurus,” came to fruition and how you can use it as a roadmap to create your own.
First, if you want the cliff notes, check out our checklist “Starting a Podcast.”
How It All Began
Starting our podcast, “Fr8 Marketing Gurus,” seemed daunting at first. With numerous steps like managing technology, understanding logistics, and getting comfortable with content creation, it felt overwhelming. However, once the decision was made to go ahead and start the podcasting journey, we deconstructed the process into manageable parts. That helped streamline everything and become an actionable goal.
Lining Up the Essentials
The first step was figuring out the essentials: name, logo, branding, technology, intro, and outro. It was a simple approach: identify the need, set it up, and move on to the next task. This methodical approach helped keep the process straightforward and efficient.
Learning from Others
Virago CEO Jennie Malafarina also reached out to existing podcasters for advice, which proved incredibly helpful. Their insights allowed her to understand the complexities of podcasting better and to streamline her approach. She learned about various tools like Canva for creating thumbnail images, Otter for transcripts, and even used Fiverr to find professionals who could help with intros, outros, and graphic design.
Leveraging Technology
Technology played a significant role in setting up the “Fr8 Marketing Gurus” podcast. From using Looka for branding to utilizing ChatGPT for forming the mission and vision statements, each tool added value and clarity to this project. Platforms like Spotify and YouTube became our primary hosting solutions, supplemented by promotional activities on LinkedIn and other social media channels.
Building Content and Engaging with Guests
Content creation was next. Jennie aimed to create a library of interesting and engaging material that would appeal to professionals in the marketing and logistics sectors.
“By keeping a consistent schedule—two episodes per month—I managed my time effectively while maintaining quality,” Malafarina noted. “I also developed a systematic approach to guest management. Using tools like JotForm, I streamlined the process of gathering information and scheduling guests”
Having all of this information organized, documented, and centralized was crucial for keeping the podcast professional and polished.
Challenges and Adjustments
Despite careful planning, challenges are inevitable. Balancing timely topics with the recording schedule required flexibility and sometimes quick adjustments to ensure relevance.
Additionally, setting up a project management system helped Jennie keep track of all moving parts, from guest scheduling to post-production tasks, such as follow-up email to the guests, pulling transcripts, writing a blog, creating clips and images, etc.
Here’s a snapshot of her process:
Continuous Improvement
As with any venture, continuous improvement is key.
“I learned from each episode and guest, adjusting my approach and technology use as needed,” Malafarina stated. “I keep learning and adapting to new technologies and testing them out to see what works best for me and what I am looking to get out of the podcast content. For instance, I recently discovered Opus Clips, which helped create engaging AI generated content snippets that we can use for our social media presence to attract more listeners, and BuzzSprout, which easily sends the podcast to Spotify for streaming. There’s always something new to engage with and push us to continue improving and growing.”
Are You Ready to Start a Podcast?
“Starting Fr8 Marketing Gurus has been a rewarding journey. It’s more than just sharing insights—it’s about building a community and learning from each other,” Malafarina said. “For those considering starting a podcast, my advice is clear: plan meticulously, use technology wisely, and remain adaptable. With these strategies, anyone can transform their podcasting idea into a successful reality.”
Download our “Starting a Podcast” checklist to make sure you have everything you need to break into the podcast game effectively and successfully.
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Our team keeps tabs on podcasting best practices. Reach out to start the conversation around podcasting, if it’s right for you, or if you’d like to be a guest on our show.
