Podcasting fatigue

Finding balance b/w enjoying podcasting & feeling pressured to publish frequently

Do you ever feel haunted by a rigid schedule when it comes to podcasting? I have a story to share.

I previously hosted a podcast named Remote Marketing Podcast. It was an exciting ride between 2019 and 2021, and we went right till our 50th episode. But then, the joy started morphing into an obligation – an obligation to serve up a new episodes every other week.

The constant worry about maintaining audience engagement started overshadowing the pleasure of genuine conversations. The operation seemed to have stealthily consumed the chief joy – the conversations. So I stopped publishing new episodes.

Recently, I started thinking about restarting it again (especially when an old listener reached out).

A question emerged though - can there be a middle ground? Something that keeps the joy of the casual interviews and shrugs off the overshadowing weight of expectations?

Well, here's what I've decided as I restart podcasting again:

1. Conduct interviews when it feels right. No rigid schedule, just meaningful conversations when I feel like sparking one.

2. Shorter can be better too. One-hour-long conversations could make way for power-packed, 30-minute interactions.

3. Cut to the chase. Skip the introductions, jump right into the 20% questions that bring 80% value.

4. Pull back on production time. Less obsession with promoting each episode expansively. Post-production shouldn't eat up my peace.

5. Let go of the pressure to increase plays with each episode. The purpose is a good conversation, not boosting numbers.

With these decisions, podcasting feels like a joy ride again.

The essence remains the same – creating content that I love, without the compulsion of gaining followers or increasing views. What matters to me is connecting to the right people/person.