What Everyone Should Know About Podcasting: The Hard Truths and Why It’s Worth It
Podcasting is an incredibly rewarding journey, but let’s face it—it’s not all smooth sailing. If you’ve been dreaming about starting your own podcast, it’s important to understand both the challenges and the opportunities ahead. The truth is, many aspiring podcasters get caught up in the excitement of launching their show but quickly become overwhelmed by the realities of the process.
In this post, we’ll explore the hard truths about podcasting—what you need to know before diving in—and, more importantly, why these challenges can still lead to something amazing if you’re willing to push through.
1. Consistency is Tougher Than You Think
The first major hurdle that many podcasters encounter is consistency. Creating a podcast requires you to develop, record, edit, and publish episodes on a regular basis. While it’s easy to feel excited about your first few episodes, maintaining that momentum is a different story.
The reality? Podcasting is a marathon, not a sprint. As life gets in the way, the commitment to regularly producing content can start to feel like a burden. It’s easy to burn out when you realize that creating compelling episodes week after week takes a lot of time and energy.
But here’s the thing: Consistency is key to building an audience. Listeners appreciate reliability, and dropping episodes sporadically won’t help your show grow. So, the challenge is finding a sustainable pace that works for you. Whether it’s weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, the most important part is sticking to your schedule.
2. Content Creation Is a Full-Time Job
It’s tempting to think of podcasting as simply recording a conversation or sharing your thoughts with the world. But creating great content that keeps listeners coming back takes a lot more work behind the scenes.
You’ll need to spend hours researching topics, preparing questions (if you’re interviewing guests), scripting your intros and outros, and thinking strategically about how each episode fits into the overall narrative of your show. And then there’s editing—cleaning up the audio, adding music, trimming awkward silences, and ensuring that the final product is polished and professional.
The truth? You’re not just a podcaster; you’re also a researcher, writer, editor, and marketer. Each episode requires careful planning, attention to detail, and constant improvement. If you’re not prepared for the full scope of content creation, it can feel overwhelming.
But don’t let this scare you! The creative process is one of the most rewarding aspects of podcasting. Plus, you don’t have to do it alone—having a solid content strategy and the right tools can make a world of difference (and we can help with that!).
3. Growing Your Audience Takes Time (and Strategy)
Many new podcasters assume that once they hit “publish,” the listeners will magically appear. But the reality is that growing a podcast audience is an uphill battle. The podcasting world is incredibly saturated—there are over 5 million podcasts available today, so standing out is no small feat.
While you might have a fantastic show with great content, discovery takes time and effort. You’ll need to work on promoting your podcast consistently, sharing it across social media, engaging with your listeners, and collaborating with other podcasters to increase your visibility. Organic growth is slow, and the truth is that most podcasts won’t see large listener numbers for months, if not years.
But the good news? You don’t need millions of listeners to be successful. Focus on building a loyal, engaged audience, even if it’s small at first. By creating valuable content and connecting with your listeners, you’ll foster a community that grows over time. Patience, persistence, and promoting smartly are key here.
4. It’s Hard to Make Podcasting Profitable
Another tough truth: making money from your podcast is not a given. For most podcasters, especially those just starting out, profitability doesn’t happen overnight. While monetization methods like sponsorships, ads, and listener donations (via platforms like Patreon) are certainly possible, they typically require a large, engaged audience before they become viable revenue streams.
Even with a solid listener base, negotiating sponsorships and managing ads can be time-consuming, and the payouts may be modest compared to the work you’re putting in. It’s not uncommon for podcasts to operate at a loss for the first year or more, especially when you factor in equipment, hosting, and marketing costs.
The bottom line? Podcasting is a passion project before it’s a paycheck. If you’re driven by the desire to share your message, connect with people, or explore your passion, the financial rewards may eventually come. But the passion has to come first.
5. Imposter Syndrome Is Real
Almost every podcaster, especially in the early stages, struggles with imposter syndrome. It’s that nagging voice in your head that asks, “Why would anyone want to listen to me?” or “There are already so many podcasts on this topic—what’s the point of mine?”
This feeling is completely normal, but it can be paralyzing if you let it control you. The truth is, your voice matters. Even if others are talking about similar topics, no one has your unique perspective, experience, or approach. Podcasting is about authenticity, and listeners are drawn to voices that are real and relatable.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by imposter syndrome, remember: the hardest part is showing up. Once you start, you’ll find your voice and your audience. It just takes time and a little bit of courage to keep going.
Why These Hard Truths Are Worth It
Now that we’ve laid out some of the tough realities of podcasting, you might be wondering: is it really worth it?
Absolutely. Podcasting is hard work, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. The feeling of creating something you’re proud of, connecting with an audience, and sharing your passion is unmatched. If you’re willing to put in the effort, podcasting can be an amazing outlet for creativity, personal growth, and community-building.
And here’s the thing—you don’t have to go it alone. At My Podcast Workshop, we understand the challenges of starting and growing a podcast. That’s why our 8-week course is designed to give you the tools, strategies, and support you need to overcome these hurdles and create a podcast you’re proud of.
From developing your concept to launching with confidence, we’ll guide you through every step of the process. You’ll get access to exclusive resources like INFLUENCE by Josh Brandon, our content creation guides, and a personalized 30-minute Wants & Needs Analysis to help shape your podcasting strategy.
Ready to turn your podcasting dreams into reality? Don’t let the challenges hold you back—join My Podcast Workshop today and start building the podcast you’ve always wanted.
