Hey Besties! Today we've got a special bonus episode featuring Cara McGoogan, who ticked off a major item on my bucket list when she successfully transformed the second season of her podcast Bed of Lies into her book Blood Farm (The Poison Line in the UK). In this episode, Cara breaks down the process of adapting a podcast into a book and the opportunities and challenges that come along with it. This conversation explores how podcast writing differs from book writing, how to structure a compelling narrative in each format, the research and fact-checking processes, IP considerations, and so much more.* Connect with Cara @cjmcgoogan on Twitter.* Follow Cara @cjmcgoogan on Instagram.* Listen to Cara’s podcast Bed of Lies.* Buy Cara’s book Blood Farm.* Sign up for my upcoming class, Podcasting for Writers: How to Start, Sustain & Grow Your Podcast.Here’s a link to the TRANSCRIPT.If you missed the last episode, check out What Is V4V? A Primer on Value4Value Monetization for Indie Podcasters with Kyrin Down.Sign up for the Podcast Bestie newsletter here: https://podcastbestie.substack.com/welcomeThanks to Michael Castañeda for mixing and mastering this episode. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @plasticaudio.A big thanks to our BFFs for sponsoring this episode:* Ready to claim your time back? Outsource your editing and social media with Edit Pods. We are your one sto

Hi Besties! For the season finale, Kyrin Down, co-host of the Mere Mortals Podcast, is here to give us a primer on V4V, or Value4Value, which is a new way to think about value in podcasting. Basically, V4V enables payment directly from podcast listener to podcaster using Bitcoin, making it easy to support your favorite podcasters, no matter where in the world they are based. Value4Value is a good option for pretty much every indie podcaster's monetization strategy, and in this episode, Kyrin explains why.* Connect with Kyrin @meremortalspod on Twitter.* Follow Kyrin @meremortalspodcast on Instagram.* Listen to Kyrin’s podcast Value 4 Value.* Download the Fountain app and get started now! * Sign up for my upcoming class, Creating Your Podcast.* Sign up for my upcoming workshop, Start a Newsletter to Supercharge Your Platform, Network & Business.Here’s a link to the TRANSCRIPT.Watch the video version of Kyrin’s interview on YouTube.If you missed the last episode, check out How to Rebrand Your Podcast with Angie Griffith of Podfluencer Society.Sign up for the Podcast Bestie newsletter here: https://podcastbestie.substack.com/welcomeThanks to Michael Castañeda for mixing and mastering this episode. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @plasticaudio.And th

Hello Besties! I’m back with another episode all about rebranding, which is something a lot of podcasters have to navigate as their podcasts evolve, including myself. Today’s guest also has first-hand experience. Angie Griffith started in the music industry as an artist manager before her pivot to podcasting and becoming the talent herself. Angie now hosts a podcast called Podfluencer Society, which recently underwent a rebrand. In this episode, she shares the strategy for how she relaunched her show — which included buying a billboard in downtown Nashville! — and, of course, her tips for executing a successful rebrand.* Connect with Angie @theangiegriff on Twitter.* Follow Angie @theangiegriffith and Podfluencer Society @podfluencersociety on Instagram.* Listen to Podfluencer Society on your preferred podcast listening app.* For Angie’s Podcast Rebrand Checklist, go to podfluencerproducts.com/rebrand.* Sign up for my upcoming class, Creating Your Podcast.Here’s a link to the TRANSCRIPT.Watch the video version of Angie’s interview on YouTube.If you missed the last episode, check out Your Indie Podcast Tune-Up with Andreea Coscai of Tink Media.Sign up for the Podcast Bestie newsletter here: https://podcastbestie.substack.com/welcomeThanks to Michael Castañeda for mixing and mastering this episode. Follow him on Twitter and

Hi Besties! I’m excited to be back with Andreea Coscai, another babe from the Tink Media team. Josh Taylor from The Wild West Extravaganza tweeted: “Every time i find out that @courtneykocak has interviewed someone from @tinkmediaco my ears perk up. They're like the Navy Seals of podcast marketing.” That is both hilarious and very true. In this episode, Andreea shares some great perspective on podcasting marketing, collaboration, community, sustainability, social media, and more for indie podcasters — plus, a few awesome podcast recommendations. * Connect with Andreea @andreeacoscai on Twitter.* Follow Andreea @andreeacoscai on Instagram.* Sign up for my upcoming workshop, How to Build a “Platform” for Writers Who Shudder at the Thought.Here’s a link to the TRANSCRIPT.Watch the video version of Andreea’s interview on YouTube.If you missed the last episode, check out Growing Queens Podcast to 100K Downloads Per Month & a Thriving Patreon Community with Katy Hearne-Church.Sign up for the Podcast Bestie newsletter here: https://podcastbestie.substack.com/welcomeThanks to Michael Castañeda for mixing and mastering this episode. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @plasticaudio.And thank you to Matt Gilhooly for fine-tuning the video and creating the social media assets for this episode. Follow him on Twitter @theliftshiftpod.A b

Hello Besties! I'm thrilled to share today's episode because it's chock-full of practical takeaways from a popular history podcaster. Katy Hearne-Church created Queens Podcast and recruited her bestie to co-host in 2017 — now the show gets 100K downloads a month and has a thriving Patreon community. In this episode, Katy shares how they nurture their community of diehard listeners on Patreon, the power of promo swaps and polling your audience, and her research and editing process. We also discuss the importance of being obsessed with your topic, setting up a sustainable production and release schedule, and her experience with paid advertising on Instagram. There is so much to learn from this history girlie!* Follow Queens Podcast on Twitter @Queens_Podcast and Instagram @queens_podcast.* Listen to Queens Podcast.* Sign up for my upcoming workshops, Creating Your Podcast and/or How to Build a “Platform” for Writers Who Shudder at the Thought.Here’s a link to the TRANSCRIPT.Watch the video version of Katy’s interview on YouTube.If you missed the last episode, check out The Art of the Podcast Trailer with Arielle Nissenblatt.Sign up for the Podcast Bestie newsletter here: https://podcastbestie.substack.com/welcomeThanks to Michael Castañeda for mixing and mastering this episode. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @plasticaudio.And thank you to Matt Gilhooly for fine-tuning the video and creating the social media assets for this

Hey Besties! It’s summer — we’re all busy working, traveling, and having fun — so I’m taking my sweet time rolling out the rest of this season… but today’s episode is so worth the wait. I have Big Podcasting’s Bestie and all our Besties, Arielle Nissenblatt, on the show today. Arielle is the founder of Earbuds Podcast Collective and the head of community and content at Squadcast.fm. In this episode, she’s sharing podcast marketing examples from the launch of her new show — Trailer Park, The Podcast Trailer Podcast — plus her recipe for a good podcast trailer, social media tips, how to co-market effectively, her advice on getting featured in the apps, and so much more.* Connect with Arielle @arithisandthat on Twitter.* Sign up for Arielle’s newsletter, Earbuds Podcast Collective.* Listen to Trailer Park, The Podcast Trailer Podcast.* Sign up for my upcoming workshops, Start a Newsletter to Supercharge Your Audience, Network & Business and/or Grow Your Show & Make Money Podcasting Masterclass.Here’s a link to the TRANSCRIPT.Watch the video version of Arielle’s interview on YouTube.If you missed the last episode, check out How to Grow Your Podcast: A Podcast Marketing Master Class with Jeff Umbro of The Podglomerate.Sign up for the Podcast Bestie newsletter here: https://podcastbestie.substack.com/welcomeThanks to Michael Castañeda for mixing and mastering this episode. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @plasticaudio.And thank you to Matt Gilhooly for fine-tuning the video and creating the social medi

Hello Besties! We’re all here because we want to know how to grow our podcasts and today’s episode is a banger in that department. We’re getting a podcast marketing master class from Jeff Umbro of The Podglomerate. He’s going to teach us all about their five tiers of audience development and some case studies for how to apply them. And guess what, Besties? Before Jeff was spending millions on podcast marketing, he got his start as a podcast listening addict and indie podcaster like so many of us. * Connect with Jeff @podglomerate on Twitter.* Check out The Podglomerate’s website for more info.* Sign up for my upcoming workshop, How to Build a “Platform” for Writers Who Shudder at the Thought.* I’m also teaching a five-week podcasting course through Roadmap Writers, Creating Your Podcast.Here’s a link to the TRANSCRIPT.Watch the video version of Jeff’s interview on YouTube.If you missed the last episode, check out Podcast Like a Motherf*cker with Emily McElwreath (& Cheryl Strayed!).Sign up for the Podcast Bestie newsletter here: https://podcastbestie.substack.com/welcomeThanks to Michael Castañeda for mixing and mastering this episode. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @plasticaudio.And thank you to Matt Gilhooly for fine-tuning the video and creating the social media assets for this episode. Follow him on Twitter @theliftshiftpod.A big thanks to our BFFs for sponsoring this episode:* mowPod is an effective, targeted way to promote your sho

Hi Besties! Today’s guest is Emily McElwreath, host of The Art Career podcast, and Emily’s superpower is guest booking. Some of us feel like we need to work our way up to our dream guests, but not Emily. Starting season one of her podcast, she didn’t wait for permission to approach top-tier talent. She was hot out the gate with Laurie Simmons, Marilyn Minter, and other big names in the art world. She’s even managed to land Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic Jerry Saltz and one of my all-time favorite authors, Cheryl Strayed (which, to me, is like landing on the moon as far as podcast guest booking goes). So I invited Emily on Podcast Bestie to tell us about her guest book strategy, along with some tips for approaching a high-profile dream guest of your own.Cheryl Strayed famously coined the mantra “Write Like a Motherf*cker” for her Dear Sugar column (which later became a book called Tiny Beautiful Things that I have gifted to no less than 20 people, and now it’s also a TV show on Hulu) — and that sentiment can be applied to any creative endeavor. So after Emily’s interview, you’ll get a pep talk from Cheryl herself, and I hope it inspires you to podcast like a motherf*cker. That is a pep talk we all need to hear sometimes.* Connect with Emily @emilymcelwreath_art and The Art Career podcast @theartcareer on Instagram.* Tune into Emily’s podcast, The Art Career.* Check out the website for The Art Career.* Sign up for my upcoming workshop, How to Build a “Platform” for Writers Who Shudder at the Thought.Here’s a link to the TRANSCRIPT.If you missed the last episode, check out How to Leverage Blogging Strategies for

Hey Besties! Today's guest is Danielle Desir Corbett, the multi-talented host of The Thought Card podcast and the creator of a blog by the same name. She is also the founder and host of the podcast and community Women of Color Podcasters and the creative mind behind the Grants for Creators Substack. In this episode, Danielle shares how she launched her podcast from her blog and some big lessons she learned along the way, including the importance of embracing failure. Don't let your podcasting fears keep you from success, Besties! Everyone makes mistakes on their path to greatness; give yourself the grace to do the same. During our conversation, Danielle enlightens us about a crucial website mistake to avoid and provides valuable pointers on leveraging blogging and SEO tactics for your podcast. We also discuss easy workflows and incorporating AI tools into the process of writing effective show notes. In addition, Danielle offers tips for launching a new podcast and monetization strategies for small podcasts.My favorite moment from the interview is how, early on, Danielle did a poll on social media asking her audience if they wanted a podcast from her — and surprisingly, most of them said no! But luckily, she didn't let that stop her. This serves as a powerful reminder that you shouldn't always feel obligated to heed your audience's opinions… ultimately, you gotta do you.* Connect with Danielle @thethoughtcard on Twitter.* Subscribe to Danielle’s newsletter, Grants for Creators.* If you’re a woman of color, connect with Danielle’s podcasting community @WOCPodcasters on Twitter.* Tune into Danielle’s podcasts, The Thought Card and Women of Color Podcasters.* Sign up for my upcoming workshop, How to Build a “Platform” for Writers Who Shudder at the Thought.Here’s a link to the TRANSCRIPT.If you missed the last episode, check out

Hi Besties! Whether you're trying to get your indie show off the ground, break into freelancing, or recover from burnout, this episode has something for folks at every stage of their audio journey. Our guest is Kattie Laur, a public radio enthusiast who turned her passion for audio storytelling into a career as a freelance podcast producer. As co-creator of the responsible travel podcast Alpaca My Bags, Kattie and host Erin Hynes help you travel in a better way, so we can avoid “blowing up the planet” — a worthy goal, indeed. After studying radio and completing a CBC internship, Kattie has also managed gain a professional foothold in the industry and share her ever-evolving audio expertise with numerous podcasting clients. Besides producing podcasts, Kattie also writes the Pod the North newsletter, providing valuable conversations and community for Canadian podcasters.* Connect with Kattie @podkatt on Twitter.* Subscribe to Kattie’s newsletter Pod the North.* Tune into Kattie’s indie podcast, Alpaca My Bags. (They’re trying to grow. Maybe there’s an opportunity to collab?)* Sign up for my upcoming workshop How to Build a “Platform” for Writers Who Shudder at the Thought.Here’s a link to the TRANSCRIPT.If you missed the last episode, check out Organic Growth Hack: Recurring Collaborations with Niche Podcasts with Aakshi Sinha of Tink Media.Sign up for the Podcast Bestie newsletter here: https://podcastbestie.substack.com/welcomeThanks to Michael Castañeda for mixing and mastering this episode. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram

Hey Besties! This episode is such a treat because I had the chance to chat with Aakshi Sinha, a Podcast Marketing Specialist from Tink Media, all the way from India. Connecting with people around the world is one of the many reasons I love podcasting!Prepare to be inspired as we delve into Aakshi's podcasting origin story — exploring her gateway podcast, her desire to be a part of the podcasting community, and how she landed her job in the podcast industry. She also shares her love for creating curated playlists (Podcast Bestie playlist to come soon!), along with expert advice from her time at Tink, especially the importance of finding joy in podcast marketing for long-term sustainability and how to set up effective podcast collaborations, including promo swaps, guest swaps, and feed swaps.Aakshi highlights the value of collaborating with smaller shows that have a niche audience, rather than solely focusing on larger shows with higher numbers. And I preach my cardinal rule for indie podcasters trying to engineer organic growth: recurring collaborations. Plus, the likely necessity of making strategic investments to propel podcast growth before achieving meaningful monetization.So grab your headphones, Besties, and treat yourself to this fun and informative podcasting pep talk!* Connect with Aakshi @aaklovesaudio on Twitter.Here’s a link to the TRANSCRIPT.If you missed the last episode, check out Podcast Marketing Is About Finding Your Podcast Besties with Lauren Passell of Tink Media + How to Get Featured on Apple Podcasts.Sign up for the Podcast Bestie newsletter here: https://podcastbestie.substack.com/welcomeThanks to Michael Castañeda for mixing and mastering this episode. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @plasticaudio.A big thanks to our BFFs for sponsoring this episode:* mowPod is an effective, targeted way to promote your show. It's already trusted by industry giants like

Hey Besties! Can't afford PR right now? Don't worry — Sweet Mama Swap is in the house to help you get started all by yourself! That's right, today's guest is Lauren Passell, the founder of Tink Media, and she's giving us the Tink treatment for free, generously sharing the strategies she uses to help her clients get coverage and grow their shows. She dishes her expert advice on how to make podcast collaboration effective, fun, and EASY, land a coveted Apple Podcasts feature, pitch bigger shows for feed swaps, get good press, and more. This is a master class in podcast marketing from a PR master.* Connect with Lauren @laurenpassell on Twitter and Instagram.* Subscribe to Lauren’s newsletters Podcast The Newsletter and Podcast Marketing Magic.* Sign up for my Pandemic University Grow Your Show and Make Money Podcasting One-Day Intensive.Here’s a link to the TRANSCRIPT.If you missed the last episode, check out Cross-Media Promotions for Your Podcast with Anna Van Valin of Every Day is a Food Day.Sign up for the Podcast Bestie newsletter here: https://podcastbestie.substack.com/welcomeThanks to Michael Castañeda for mixing and mastering this episode. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @plasticaudio.A big thanks to our BFFs for sponsoring this episode:* mowPod is an effective, targeted way to promote your show. It's already trusted by industry giants like Conde Nast, iHeartMedia, and HubSpot Podcast Network, and that's because it works. But mowPod isn’t just f

Hey Besties! Today, we're taking an out-of-the-box approach to podcast collaborations. Our guest is Anna Van Valin, an independent podcast producer, consultant, and host of the Every Day is a Food Day podcast. Anna is an advocate for cross-media promotions, which is a different way to go about the whole promo swap strategy. In this episode, she shares how she got started, some great case studies, and tips for pitching brands for this type of collaboration. Plus, we discuss whether Instagram Reels are worth it for indie podcasters.* Connect with Anna @annavanvalin on Twitter and Instagram.* Check out Anna’s podcast, Every Day is a Food Day.* Sign up for my Pandemic University Grow Your Show and Make Money Podcasting One-Day Intensive.Here’s a link to the TRANSCRIPT.If you missed the last episode, check out From Zero to 100K Real Quick: How Mina AF Engaged Mina Starsiak Hawk’s Existing Audience with Producer Megan Hayward.Sign up for the Podcast Bestie newsletter here: https://podcastbestie.substack.com/welcomeThanks to Michael Castañeda for mixing and mastering this episode. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @plasticaudio.A big thanks to our BFF for sponsoring this episode:* mowPod is an effective, targeted way to promote your show. It's already trusted by industry giants like Conde Nast, iHeartMedia, and HubSpot Podcast Network, and that's because it works. But mowPod isn’t just for the big guys — mowPod Boost is perfect for indie podcasters. It’s actually been my favorit

Hi Besties! Today’s special guest is Megan Hayward from editaudio. We are very lucky because she has a delightful British accent that is very easy on the ears! Megan is here because last month (March 14th, to be exact), I saw on Twitter that the show she’s producing hit 100K downloads. The show is called Mina AF, and it’s hosted by HGTV star Mina Starsiak Hawk. In this episode, we discuss how Megan and the team approach the creative and producing on this new show, plus how they engaged Mina’s pre-existing audience (and tapped a podcasting headliner) for a successful launch. Megan also shares tips on how to get started in freelance producing, the software tools that help her stay organized, her philosophy on video’s place in podcasting — a hot-button topic right now — and more.* Subscribe to editaudio’s monthly newsletter.* Visit Megan and the editaudio team at The Podcast Show 2023 on May 24th and May 25th in London. Check out thepodcastshowlondon.com for more information.* Sign up for my Pandemic University Grow Your Show and Make Money Podcasting One-Day Intensive.Here’s a link to the TRANSCRIPT.If you missed the last episode, check out The Art of Podcast Marketing with Devin Andrade from Tink Media.Sign up for the Podcast Bestie newsletter here: https://podcastbestie.substack.com/welcomeThanks to Michael Castañeda for mixing and mastering this episode. Follow him on Twitter and

Hey Besties! I’ve got Devin Andrade on the podcast today. She’s from Tink Media—Lauren Passell’s company that crushes it on the podcasting marketing side—so we discuss the creative side of podcast promotion and marketing lessons she’s picked up from working at Tink, including a great cross-promo example. Devin also shares her top tip for indie podcasters trying to grow their shows, how to make your content more accessible, some of her favorite recent podcast discoveries, and more.* Subscribe to Devin’s newsletter Pod Stack on Substack.* Find out how to participate in Tink Media’s Adopt-A-Listener Month at tinkmedia.co/adopt.* Check out the latest episode of Pod-At-Me and call 1-844-POD-AT-ME to leave a message for a chance to be featured on the show.Here’s a link to the TRANSCRIPT.If you missed the last episode, check out From Globetrotting Travel Photographer to Daily Podcaster with 13 Million Downloads with Gary Arndt of Everything Everywhere Daily.Sign up for the Podcast Bestie newsletter here: https://podcastbestie.substack.com/welcomeThanks to Michael Castañeda for mixing and mastering this episode. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @plasticaudio.A big thanks to our BFF for sponsoring this episode:* mowPod is an effective, targeted way to promote your show. It's already trusted by industry giants like Conde Nast, iHeartMedia, and HubSpot Podcast Network, and that's because it works. But mowPod isn’t just for the big guys — 

📣 Attention: Season one of Podcast Bestie, the Podcast is now in session! New episodes will drop every Monday in April and May. Today, I’ve got Gary Arndt of Everything Everywhere Daily on the show unpacking his journey from globetrotting travel photographer and blogger to daily podcaster. His latest podcast was a lucky pandemic pivot that now has 13 million downloads and counting. Gary shares his strategies for making Everything Everywhere Daily a successful show — everything from shorter episodes to paid advertising to promo swaps to joining a network. Here’s a link to the TRANSCRIPT.If you missed the last episode, check out Podcast Websites That Convert, Plus SEO for the Web & Podcast Players with James Cridland of Podnews.Sign up for the Podcast Bestie newsletter here: https://podcastbestie.substack.com/welcomeThanks to Michael Castañeda for mixing and mastering this episode. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @plasticaudio. A big thanks to our BFF for sponsoring this episode:* mowPod is an effective, targeted way to promote your show. It's already trusted by industry giants like Conde Nast, iHeartMedia, and HubSpot Podcast Network, and that's because it works. But mowPod isn’t just for the big guys — mowPod Boost is perfect for indie podcasters. It’s actually been my favorite paid advertising experiment to date, and you can try it for just $100. Plus, if you are a Bestie, you get 10% off with this link: https://boost.mowpod.com/?referrer=podcastbestie. Try it, and let me know what you think!If you want to sponsor a future newsletter AND episode, y

Hi Besties!Today is the day… Podcast Bestie, the Podcast has officially dropped its debut episode.I’ve got James Cridland of Podnews on the show today talking all about SEO for websites and podcast apps, how he’s helping audit your podcast, press release tips, and more. First, we discuss James’s place in podcasting history, which I found very interesting, but if you’re just here for the tips and the fish ‘n’ chips references, jump ahead to the six-and-a-half-minute mark.Here’s a link to the TRANSCRIPT.For more from James, check out his previous Podcast Bestie Q&A: Business & Tech 101 for Indie Podcasters.Sign up for the Podcast Bestie newsletter here: https://podcastbestie.substack.com/welcomeA big thanks to our BFFs for sponsoring this episode:* What happens when the watchdog tasked with overseeing the largest law enforcement agency in the country looks the other way? In Bad Watchdog, host Maren Machles exposes a series of shocking cover-ups at the Department of Homeland Security. Listen now.* Hey Canadian Podcasters! Are you tired of feeling like the podcasting space is fractured between indies and networks? Pod the North is the Canadian podcasting newsletter that's changing all of that. Read the latest issue!* Pop Culture Retrospective Podcast - In March of 2019, host Amy Lewis lost her sister. She decided to use her grief for something productive and fun, so she started a podcast as a way to re-live and share memories from the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s.* Soothe your promotional aches and pains with a

I have an exciting announcement: Podcast Bestie is now a podcast! I just dropped the trailer. Please give it a listen.I love doing Q&As for the newsletter, but I want the chance to ask follow-up questions and dig even deeper into our guests’ craft and marketing advice.Don’t worry, Podcast Bestie will continue in its current form with the newsletter as the main thing, but moving forward, I’ll be sprinkling in some long-form interviews that help us make better content and grow and monetize our shows.I want to cover things like SEO as an engine for show growth, successful cross-promotional and advertising campaigns, archival and SFX sourcing for sound design, and much more.So if you’re a podcasting professional or indie podcaster who is crushing it and are willing to share your industry secrets with the Besties, please reply to this email and let me know about your area of expertise and what you can teach the Besties with 4-5 talking points.Check out the trailer for more about my Podcast Bestie podcast vision and how you can be a part of it. I would also love it if you could help me spread the word.Subscribe to Podcast Bestie on Substack and your favorite podcast player.Follow me @courtneykocak on Twitter and Instagram. For more, check out my website courtneykocak.com. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit podcastbestie.substack.com/subscribe