Your Podcast Doesn't Need to Be a Whole Production (with Jess Milanes)

If you're a busy person exhausted by the demands of work and life, this news should come as a relief: your podcast doesn't have to be a whole production. We've collectively convinced ourselves that a "real" podcast requires a beautiful set, multiple cameras, expensive equipment, and enough branded merch to clothe and house a small village. While we're distracted with the branding and presentation of it all, we can end up spending so much energy (and money) on the production that we forget the actual thing that makes a podcast valuable: the conversations that happen inside it. In this episode, Jess Milanes and Courtney make the case for a simpler kind of podcast—one that serves the goals of the person behind the mic, not some irrelevant downloads number. Both on her own show and via her company, KNWN, Jess has produced and created countless podcast episodes. She's seen firsthand how much value a podcast can create that has nothing to do with its audience size. It can put you in conversation with potential clients, establish your expertise within a niche, and create the kind of relationships that keep paying dividends long after an episode is published. Topics include Why audio is still a perfectly good place to start (and why you can always add video later) How podcasting can build relationships and generate clients long before you have a big audience Why a broader audience isn't necessarily a better audience Why showing up as yourself is part of the strategy How podcasts can help you build authority Why being "useful" to your audience of potential clients matters more than working hard If you've been putting off your podcast because the whole thing feels bigger and more expensive than it needs to be, this episode offers a useful reframe. Your podcast doesn't have to reach everyone or look like a Netflix production. Sometimes the magic is much simpler: giving the right people a chance to get to know you well enough that they want to keep the conversation going. ABOUT THE GUEST Jess Milanes is a podcast strategist and producer who helps founders and business owners use podcasting to build authority, relationships, and their businesses. She's passionate about creating podcasts that are strategic, sustainable, and actually fit the lives and goals of the people making them. Learn more at: KNWN.com Connect on LinkedIn: Jess Milanes ABOUT THE SHOW Talking the Talk: A Podcast About Podcasting helps entrepreneurs, founders, creators, and business owners create podcasts that work harder than they do to earn their keep. Host Courtney Reimer explore how to build a show that creates trust, builds your business, remains sustainable, and delivers a meaningful return on what you invest into it. ABOUT THE HOST Courtney Reimer is the founder and principal strategist of Sounds Great Strategy and a former executive at Spotify, Audible, Yahoo!, Discovery, and MTV. She helps entrepreneurs and organizations create podcasts that become their hardest-working business assets. HOW TO CONNECT WITH COURTNEY Follow on Instagram: @soundsgreatcourtney Connect on LinkedIn: Courtney Reimer Subscribe to her weekly-ish newsletter on burnout-proof podcasting: Sounds Great on Paper To book your free Podcast Clarity Call with Courtney, visit SoundsGreatStrategy.com