Send us feedback/questions via TextDave Jackson flies solo this week (with special guest appearances from Randy Black and Ralph Estep Jr.) to tackle this challenging question and more. Randy shares a heart-wrenching story about losing his podcast co-host and friend, reminding us of the human connections that make this medium so powerful. His emotional recounting serves as a poignant reminder that beyond analytics and strategies, podcasting creates meaningful relationships that transcend the microphone.The conversation takes a practical turn when Ralph joins to break down the differences between LLC and sole proprietorship structures for podcasters. His expertise reveals that proper business structuring can save significant money on self-employment taxes while providing liability protection—with benefits potentially kicking in at just $8,000 of annual podcast income.A cautionary tale emerges about platform dependence when Dave shares the story of a podcaster who lost 168 episodes overnight when Spotify deleted their entire catalog over a single music-related terms of service violation. The lesson? Always back up your content and understand platform policies before it's too late.Sponsors:PodcastBranding.co - They see you before they hear youBasedonastruestorypodcast.com - Comparing Hollywood with History?Video VersionMentioned In This EpisodeSchool of Podcastinghttps://www.schoolofpodcasting.com/joinPodpagehttp://www.trypodpage.comHome Gadget Geekshttps://www.homegadgegeeks.comFeatured Supporter: Shane from SpybraryWe interview spy authors, espionage historians and fans of spy books, spy movies and spy TV series! Check it out at https://spybrary.com/ Podcast Hot Seat Black Friday DealNot happy with your downloads? Get some honest, constructive, feedback to get your show going in the right direction AND get a free month at the School of Podcasting (now through the end of the year). Take advantage of this black friday deal and get your podcast going in the right direction. Go to podcasthotseat.com Leave Your QuestionGo to askthepodcastcoach.com/voicemail and leave your message to be answered on the next show.Support the showBE AWESOME!Thanks for listening to the show. Help the show continue to exist and get a shout-out on the show by becoming an awesome supporter by going to askthepodcastcoach.com/awesome