Leah Bryant Co (00:04.834)
Hey, hey, welcome back to the Podcasting Problem Solver. I'm Leah Bryant, your host and certified podcast growth coach, producer, and the go-to gal for turning podcast chaos into strategic success. So today's episode is part two of our Seamless Podcast Framework series, and we're stepping into the most action-packed phase of all, which is execution.

But I have to ask, have you ever felt like your podcast to-do list is longer than your Christmas shopping list and just as stressful? If the answer is yes, don't worry because you're not alone. You've got ideas, energy, and maybe even a shiny new mic, but now you're knee-deep in questions like, what's an RSS feed? Where do I host this thing? Do I need to out every single

So let's take a breath together and tackle all that overwhelm step by step. Because execution isn't just about doing all the things, it's actually about doing the right things in a way that supports your energy, your podcast workflow, and your long-term podcast goals. So honest moment here, tech is where most people get stuck.

And not because it's impossible, it's because it's unfamiliar. So let's break down what you actually need minus the jargon. And I did cover a lot of this in episode two, I will link it below, so go back and listen. So I'll give you like a high level overview here. So for your mic, you don't need a 400 studio setup unless you have the budget and you want to do that, then go out and get yourself a Shure MV7 Plus, fabulous mic. But a solid USB mic like,

the ATR2100X or the Samsung Q2U are perfect. Plug it in, record and done. Headphones, wired is always best. Bluetooth can lag and you do want that clean audio. For recording and editing those platforms, I love and only use Riverside because of the high quality video and audio plus.

Leah Bryant Co (02:24.44)
They make it super easy for business owners who want to DIY their podcast and you can use their editor right on the platform. No additional tech or tutorials involved. And if tech setup feels like a foreign language to you, don't stress. I walk through this step by step with my podcast coaching clients all the time. If you want help choosing the right tools for your workflow, head to the link below and book a free discovery call. We can figure out what's actually worth your time.

For podcast hosting, this is where your episodes live and how they get distributed to Apple, Spotify, all the places. I personally recommend Buzzsprout. It's super user-friendly, great analytics, and solid support. I will put all those links down below so that you can tap and go on your merry way. And about those RSS feeds, you don't need to create one. Your podcast actually does that for you.

You just copy and paste it once when submitting to the directories. If you want to know more about RSS feeds, then check out episode four. I will also link that one below. And your tech tip for the day, start with what you can manage, then upgrade later. Don't let perfection stop your progress, okay? Next up, we are going to choose a tool that fits your workflow, not fight it. That's key. Remember that.

Because there's no shortage of podcast tools out there, which is part of the problem in my opinion. It's easy to fall into the trap of setting up for all the platforms and then feeling even more overwhelmed. So we're gonna zoom in on tools that actually help you stay organized and focused. Let's start with project management, because this is where we wrangle that chaos. At Lea Bryant Co. we use ClickUp to manage every podcast that we produce from launch timelines, guest tracking to weekly editing flows.

It's not just a digital to-do list, it's our essential nervous system for your podcast. Here's how you can use a platform like ClickUp or if you're a Trello or Notion user, those can be used too and we're going to streamline your process, okay? So first up, you're going to create a content calendar view. So you can see what's been recorded, what's in editing and what's going live next. Next, you're going to use the task templates so you're not reinventing the wheel every single week. Record, edit, upload, promote.

Leah Bryant Co (04:43.98)
and then you're going to organize by your status. So I love drag and drop boards like idea, recording, scheduled, in editing, ready to publish or done. And then you want to assign due dates and responsibilities. If you've got a team or a VA, no more wondering who's doing what when it's due. If you're a solopreneur, even a simple list view with reoccurring checkboxes can bring so much peace of mind. The key is choosing a system you'll actually use, not just set up and abandon after two weeks.

And a pro tip for you, don't overbuild your workflow. Start simple and then layer in complexity only when you need it. This is the exact structure that we use inside ClickUp at LBC. Whether we're managing a client's launch or ongoing weekly episodes, it doesn't have to be complicated, just consistent. If you want to see what that could look like for your show, well, I have shared examples like this in my newsletter before and always will.

There's a link in the show notes for you to go and subscribe to that. Now, for content planning, let's map it out with purpose. I talk about that all the time. You don't need a million dollar content strategy, but you do need clarity. That's where simple planning makes a huge difference because let's be real, when you're staring at a blinking cursor thinking, what should I talk about this week? It's game over for consistency.

Here's how to make your planning brain friendly and business aligned. First, you wanna start by identifying your content pillars like we talked about last episode. Three to five reoccurring themes that connect to your brand, offers and listeners needs. Like for example, I would talk about like podcasting tips, mindset shifts, behind the scenes growth and client case studies. Brainstorm episode ideas under each pillar so you're never starting from scratch.

tie your episodes to your offers, launches, or lead magnets, especially if you want your podcast to support your sales, goals, and not just sound pretty, even though that's important too. So what I personally love to use for myself and for clients is a simple spreadsheet with columns. Like those column headings could be episode topic, guest, call to action, like is it a newsletter, is it a freebie, is it an offer?

Leah Bryant Co (07:05.846)
your publish date, deadlines, and then the status, like ideas, scheduled, recorded, edited, published. And then a bonus tip would be add color codes for is it solo, is it a coaching episode, is it a guest, is it a round table, or is it a series that has themes. This will help you see at a glance how well you're balancing your mix. It's like giving your content a GPS. You always know what's coming next and where it takes your listeners. And this piece is my jam.

I love doing this with my full production clients and my coaching clients because it really helps us take our 10,000 foot view and break it down even more granular. If this flow has you thinking, my gosh, Leah, I need a system like this yesterday. Well, that's something that I help clients map out during our coaching. Whether you're prepping for a lunch or simply trying to simplify your current process.

A custom production plan can make a huge difference. Communication and file management, because we all want to have clear systems to save our sanity. Right? If your podcast files live in a mystery folder labeled stuff, we definitely need to talk. Because communication, especially if you're working with like an editor, a VA, or a production team,

It lives and dies by how well your assets are organized. So here's how we keep podcast files nice and organized. Organization is another one of my jams. I love to do this. It just keeps things so much more streamlined. Nobody's asking where this is. They know exactly where it's at. So we use a shared cloud folder like Google Drive. We keep everything client facing in the drive, but it's also backed up internally too.

and we're gonna create a consistent folder structure. So it'll be EP number of the episode for the name of the folder. And then in that folder, there's gonna be other folders. There's gonna be an audio folder, a show notes, a graphics, social content, and then final files. This way, everything is so easy to find and there's no digging in your Google Drive for hours on end. You wanna label everything clearly, like painfully clear. So for example,

Leah Bryant Co (09:29.004)
Your audio file could be episode seven, July 15th, interview with Jane Doe, raw audio. And then for like maybe the final, it could be episode seven, final, mix and mastered. Do not, and I'm saying this from experience from back in my early days of editing audio. gosh, this is painful to admit, but I'm going to because we keep it real around here.

Do not name it podcast, final edit, audio, two, two, two, two, two, final. Because after a while you're be like, my goodness, which one of these is the right one? If you keep it clear, it just makes it so much easier on yourself. And yes, that last one is real, but hey, there is no judgment here, okay? For your guests, I want you to create like an intake form where they can drop their headshot.

bios and links. It saves you so much time with the back and forth later. We actually do this in ClickUp in a form and it just makes things so super organized. We send the link when they've booked in Calendly, they click on that link and they put all their information in, it's uploaded into ClickUp, easy peasy. And then when it is uploaded into ClickUp, we have automations to where it automatically creates an episode and all the tasks associated. My heart is happy.

But a probe move would be add a naming convention to your SOP so your whole team stays consistent, even if someone else uploads next week's episode. The goal here, my friends, isn't to be fancy, it's to be functional. If the tool is slowing you down, ditch it, please. Now, we want to take all of this organization and amazingness that you have, and we want to create a repeatable production process.

Because podcasting gets overwhelming super fast when you're reinventing the wheel every single week. Ask me how I know. Yes, early days, goodness, yes. That's why one of the most important parts of execution is building a process you can rinse, repeat, and run with. Let me say that again because I feel like it's just so important. One of the most important parts of execution.

Leah Bryant Co (11:50.538)
is building a process you can rinse, repeat, and run with. Now, this doesn't mean turning your podcast into a factory line, but what it does mean is you're freeing up brain space so that you can stay creative without all the chaos. Hallelujah. Now, here's a sample episode workflow to get you started. You can tweak this to fit your own rhythm and rhyme, whatever you need it to do, okay? So pre-production.

First, outline a script or episode. You could do bullet points, a full script, sticky notes, whatever helps you flow without freezing. Now a tip for this is to add a two sentence summary at the top so that your editor or your future self knows the episode's core message. This is really great for like going back and finding like episodes and repurposing. Next, you're wanna prep any links.

stats or call to actions you want to include because this will reduce that backtracking when you're editing or writing show notes later. Now, production. We're gonna record. We're gonna block out quiet time, shut off all the notifications and hit record. Now we all know that I am a huge fan of batch recording. So we are gonna record two to three episodes in one sitting. Not only saves you time,

but it keeps your energy consistent, because you're in that podcast's brain thought process. Inside my coaching sessions, I help clients create a batching rhythm that fits their actual week, energy dips in all. If recording always ends up on the back burner, a little structure can seriously change the game. After you record, we're going to edit or send it to your editor, because whether you're DIYing or you're outsourcing, staying consistent with your editing style, like the music,

Intro timing or transitions is important. We're gonna wanna add notes or timestamps if you have an editor. If there's something you want trimmed or emphasized. Some of my production clients do this, others know I content edit for them and shape the episodes that they leave this piece up to me. It's whatever you have going on with your team or how you want to handle it. Now for post-production, we wanna write your show notes and episode descriptions. And yes,

Leah Bryant Co (14:10.678)
My friends, they are different. Check out the blog post about this that we have on the blog. I'll link that below. But you're gonna wanna use a simple template, okay, with these four key parts for the show notes that go on your website in particular. You're gonna wanna have a hook. So what's the episode about, okay? And then you're gonna wanna have a section about what they're gonna learn. Then you're gonna wanna put in any links or resources, and obviously you have your call to action. But you keep it clear, skimmable, because your notes.

are also searchable content too. After that, we're going to create our social promos. We're gonna pull those quotes, tips, stats, or spicy one-liners from your episode. And we'll repurpose those into carousels, videos, audiograms, reels, or email blurbs. And then once you have all of that in your nice, organized folder, we are going to upload and schedule your episode and your podcast host, like Buzzsprout, and then

triple check your title, description, your tags, and your publish date. Now to promote, we're gonna share it across email, Instagram, threads, LinkedIn, wherever your people are hanging out. Tip here that I wanna make really clear for you, promote your episode for 72 hours after the episode drops. So the day of and then for 72 hours. You could do teasers, behind the scenes, or in case you missed it type of posts. You could do

Key takeaways, you could do missed opportunities that most people do about X topic. You could go live, lots of different things to help keep things fresh. Now for a pro tip here, I want you to track how long each phase takes the first few rounds, because this will help you not only spot bottlenecks in your process, but it'll also help you delegate or even outsource strategically. Think like show notes and editing, because those are usually the first to go.

And then it also help you plan ahead when you're in a busy season or just when you need a mental health break week. Once your workflow feels solid, you can build a custom system and click up like we do at LBC. We use task templates, checklists and automations so nothing gets missed. And clients always know what's happening behind the scenes. Now we're going to bust a big fat myth for you here. And that myth is.

Leah Bryant Co (16:35.052)
Well, if I can't publish weekly, I just shouldn't launch at all. Let's get one thing straight, okay? Yes, publishing weekly is one of the best ways to build traction and grow your podcast audience. Consistency trains your listeners to keep showing up. It gives platforms like Apple and Spotify more content to surface. And honestly, it builds trust faster because you're staying top of mind. But here's the myth we do need to bust.

And that is, if I can't commit, too weakly, forever, I shouldn't even bother launching. Well, you know what I say to that, false, false, falsity, false, false. In its highest form, so untrue. Because here's the truth, it's better to start with what you can sustain and grow from there than to aim for perfection and never hit publish at all. So what do you do? Well,

You will aim for weekly episodes if you can, especially during those first eight to 12 weeks. That momentum matters. But if weekly is going to break you, this is what I want you to do. I want you to start with a season, say six to eight weekly episodes, and then build in breaks. Batch record so your content stays consistent, even if your schedule fluctuates. Or you can plan for bi-weekly, promote it like crazy, and make every episode count.

One of my clients launched weekly, built her first 12 episodes in advance and then shifted to a hybrid model. She did weekly during her launches, bi-weekly during slower seasons and her audience, it's still growing and her sanity, it's still intact. So yes, weekly is powerful, but don't let the pressure to be perfect stop you from starting. Start where you are, build as you go.

and make every episode worth listening to. One of the most underrated yet absolutely essential parts of your podcast execution plan, can you guess what that is? I'll share it with you. Building a buffer. Seriously, this one shift can be a difference between a consistent enjoyable podcast and well, a last minute panic spiral that has you Googling, can I record a podcast in my car while hiding from my kids?

Leah Bryant Co (19:00.888)
Let's not. So what does a podcast buffer look like? You're gonna have three to four episodes fully recorded, edited, and ready to go. Not just outlined, not halfway edited, completely done. And this is why it matters. Because real life will absolutely happen, I can promise you. Sick days, surprise client work, vacations, launches, mental health dips, a buffer gives you this wiggle room without derailing your consistency.

You can focus on promotion instead of production. When you're not scrambling to record, you have this space to actually market your episodes, which is what fuels your growth, right? It reduces decision fatigue because with content already queued up, you don't have to consistently decide what to say or when to say it. You just show up and share. The magic of batch recording is having those two, three episodes in one sitting while you're in the zone.

Keeping your setup ready to go so recording feels frictionless. And schedule content sprints in your calendar just like client work because your podcast is part of your business strategy. We want to treat your podcast like a client. What I mean by that is give it its own time on your calendar. Give it deadlines, breathing room, not just the leftover scraps of your week. And no, you don't need a whole season in reserve.

before implementing this. But you do want enough of a cushion that you're not publishing from a place of panic. Why? Because your audience can hear that in your voice. Your energy is going to come through the mic. Do you want them to have rushed reactive energy? Well, your listeners can feel that. All right, so who's ready for a quick recap? Here we go. If you want to execute your podcast without spiraling into burnout, this is what you're going to do.

Use tech that supports you, not stress you out. Choose tools that make sense for you. Build a simple, repeatable workflow. Forget the fancy equipment, your voice matters more. And batch a few episodes to give yourself breathing room. So if you've gotten to this part and you're feeling super pumped, but you're still a little stuck, that's totally normal. And it's exactly why I offer podcast growth coaching.

Leah Bryant Co (21:29.548)
Whether you're in the planning phase or already publishing but feeling lost in the noise, I'd to help you figure out your next steps. The link below to book a free discovery call that will allow us to walk and talk through your podcast goals and see if coaching is a good fit. And hey, if you want weekly tips like this in your inbox without a tech jargon or overwhelm, make sure you're subscribed to my free newsletter. There is a link below.

You'll get actionable podcast growth strategies, tools that I use, and maybe a funny meme or two. And if this episode helped you, don't forget to follow the show so you don't miss what's coming next. Share it with a friend who's dreaming of either launching or maybe they want to grow their podcast. And then you could also tag me on Instagram with your biggest takeaway, at liabriant underscore co. I love seeing how you're putting this into action.

And then next week, we are diving into attraction from my Seamless Framework. And that attraction is for how to make your podcast magnetic and discoverable without, that's right, dancing on social or begging for attention. Until then, friends, keep showing up with purpose, keep sharing your story, and keep it SEAMless. Your podcast isn't just a microphone moment. It's a movement for your message. And as always,

Go make progress, not perfection, and I'll meet you back here next week. Bye for now.