In this episode of Pod Savvy Guide, Steph shares why she’s pressing pause on most of her podcasts for the next two months. After running five shows while also working full time, she realized she was starting to feel burnt out and needed time to reset. Instead of trying to keep everything going, she’s using this break to focus on building the next stage of her business—creating bite-sized podcasting courses and learning how to run Meta ads to grow her audience and programs. Steph shares why stepping away, even from something you love, can sometimes be the smartest move for creators. She’ll be back with new episodes and fresh energy on May 23rd.

How does a podcaster turn a single show into a media empire? In this episode of Pod Savvy Guide, Steph breaks down insights from an interview with Alex Cooper, host of Call Her Daddy and founder of the Unwell Network, on the The Burnouts podcast. Steph explores Cooper’s journey from editing her own show to signing a $60 million deal with Spotify in 2021 and later a $125 million deal with SiriusXM. The episode looks at how Cooper and her husband built a full media ecosystem—including podcasts, live events, production, and an ad agency—and why her biggest lesson was learning to treat podcasting like a real business by getting everything in writing. Steph connects these big industry moves back to DIY podcasters, explaining why the real takeaway isn’t the millions of dollars—it’s the power of consistently showing up, building an audience, and using your podcast as a marketing engine for your expertise and business.

What if the only thing standing between you and your podcast is the belief that you’re “not tech-savvy enough”? In this episode of Pod Savvy Guide, Steph talks with Markell Horner, host of Our Stressless Home, about what it really looked like to go from feeling intimidated by technology to launching and consistently publishing her own show. Markell shares her early fears, how she learned to create solo episodes in a way that felt natural to her, and why doing deeper research helped her make content that feels personal instead of generic. She also talks about the challenge she gave herself: recording 35 podcast episodes before Christmas as a way to push herself into “deep water,” and how she ended up with three months of content when just pushed publish. That challenge still changed her confidence, her consistency, and her trust in herself in a big way. If you’ve been waiting to start because you’re overwhelmed by the tech, worried you won’t have enough to say, or afraid to put yourself out there, this episode is your reminder that you can learn, grow, and hit publish anyway.

POD 5 CHALLENGE COURSE: ⁠https://www.podsavvyguide.com/offers/LWssfzze⁠

Links to Markell:
Podcast: Our Stressless Home on Apple PodcastsInstagram: @our.stressless.home

Have you noticed that a lot of podcasts seem to be ending lately? Several shows that many listeners loved including The Goal Digger Podcast by Jenna Kutcher, Podcrushed, Out of the Pods, WTF with Marc Maron, Celebrity Memoir Book Club, and KFC Radio have recently wrapped up, which raises the question: is podcasting dying? In this episode of Pod Savvy Guide, Steph looks at why these shows are ending and what it really means for the industry. From burnout and shifting priorities to advertising pressure and creative evolution, many podcasts are simply reaching a natural conclusion, much like TV shows do. Steph also shares why this trend might actually be good news for DIY creators because when big shows end, it opens space for new voices, new ideas, and the next wave of podcasters.

Have you noticed a shift in marketing lately? Brands still spend millions on big events like the Super Bowl, but now they’re doing something interesting afterward. Instead of letting the commercial be the end of the story, they’re bringing those moments onto podcasts to keep the conversation going. In this episode of Pod Savvy Guide, Steph breaks down a fascinating marketing moment where Pepsi took its Super Bowl polar bear character and brought it onto Theo Von’s podcast This Past Weekend for a hilarious interview clip. Instead of stopping with the TV commercial, the brand extended the moment into podcast culture, creating a deeper connection with audiences. Steph explains how industry experts see this as a shift in media strategy: podcasts are becoming the “second screen,” where audiences go to continue the conversation after big cultural moments. For DIY podcasters, this trend reveals something powerful. Podcasting isn’t about massive production budgets it’s about trust and relationships with your listeners. Steph explores why loyal audiences matter more than ever and how even small creators can play a role in the new media ecosystem.

Superbowl Ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPHI2zNf_ww

Theo Von interviews the Pepsi Polar Bear on This Past Weekend
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UD9_QQJx0eM

This Saturday’s episode is a cozy, audio-only reminder that done is better than perfect. It was cold outside, I didn’t want to do my hair, and instead of forcing video, I hit record anyway and leaned into the beauty of audio podcasting. I’m Steph, your Pod Savvy Guide, and for work I’m a podcast producer, which gives me a big advantage because I get to see what actually works across the shows I produce professionally and my own personal podcasts. In this episode, I walk you through the 18 tools I use as a podcaster, most of them daily or weekly, to stay organized, save time, and keep five active podcasts running smoothly. From booking and automation to recording, editing, clipping, publishing, and social media, I share what’s truly effective behind the scenes. I probably nerded out a little too much, but if you love workflows, tools, and anything that makes podcasting easier and more sustainable, this episode will be right up your alley.

If podcast promotion feels overwhelming, this episode is for you. In this walkthrough, Pod Savvy Guide Steph breaks down her exact system for taking one podcast video file and turning it into content for Spotify, YouTube Shorts, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and LinkedIn without spending hours on it. You’ll learn how to pull clips in Riverside, resize them for different platforms, use Spotify’s built-in clip feature, and batch schedule everything so it’s done in under 15 minutes. This episode is all about systems, momentum, and making podcasting doable as a solo creator. Because your voice deserves to be heard and it shouldn’t feel complicated to get it out there.

With the new year here, it’s time for a little podcast housekeeping. In this episode, Pod Savvy Guide Steph walks you through the 10 things she personally reviews every January to make sure her podcasts are updated, organized, and ready for the year ahead. From refreshing your series description and cover art to checking links, guest booking workflows, tech tools, and social media consistency, this episode is all about clearing the clutter so you can focus on recording and sharing your voice. If you’ve been putting off the admin side of podcasting, this is your sign to knock it out and start the year feeling aligned and confident behind the mic.