As I round the corner into this ninth year of podcasting and after over 700 episodes, today I’m announcing a pause for both shows.

Listen in to hear what factors helped me reach this decision across time, money, energy, depressing industry articles, the pace of both shows’ growth, and mix of additional business factors that make this an important moment to pause and regroup. You might also appreciate the even deeper dive with my longtime friend (and first coach) Adrian Klaphaak in Pivot episode 360: 📦 Unpacking a Big Business Decision and Dissolving Related Doubts.

While I will be sad not to bring fresh episodes to your earbuds every week, I truly want to say thank you so much for being here. This only represents a small fraction of listeners, but I was genuinely touched receiving the Spotify Wrapped for Podcasters stats at the end of 2023 after I knew I would be pausing once all the episodes “in the can” went live.

Among Pivot listeners: for 681 this show is in your top ten on Spotify, for 373 it’s in your top five, and for 65 of you, this is your number one show (again, at least in Spotify’s podcast player)!
Among Free Time listeners: for 423 of you this show is in your top ten on Spotify, for 247 it’s in the top five, and for 57 it is your number one show in Spotify—the highest honor!! I was shocked to see even one, truly, with so much other incredible audio content out there.

There’s one thing I know for sure: I will miss you during this break 🥹

🌟 ;TLDR/L (Too Long Didn’t Listen) Top Takeaways:

In addition to pausing my private community, I am pausing both podcasts for a bit (duration TBD) so I can clear financial and energetic space to listen to what my broader business wants to become.
🎧 Stay subscribed to both shows: Pivot with Jenny Blake and Free Time with Jenny Blake so that you still get episodes when I release them, even if a bit more sporadically (for now); I may switch to seasons if/when I resume
📧 Subscribe to any/all of my three Substacks if you’re not already: I hope to experiment with live tapings with interesting friends and guests, ones that are for paying subscribers where we can go into even more nitty gritty detail behind-the-scenes.

📝 Permission

Pause and regroup on any of your creative projects so you can create space to hear what’s next.

🔗 Resources Mentioned

Rolling in D🤦🏻‍♀️h: 🏆 Time to Put the Trophies Away
Do What You Love and the Money Will Follow . . . IF
Rebuilding from Rubble
👟 A Strange and Wonderful Morning: Walking Photo Essay
Dear 2024: A Letter and From 2024: A Reply
What Works: Making the Content Math Work
Edison Research: Podcasting’s Big Hits and Long Tail
Adam Davidson: The Rise and Fall of Podcasting
The Daily Beast: Malcolm Gladwell’s Media Empire is Being Torn Apart
Podcast Production: One Stone Creative
ListenNotes: Pivot, Free Time

📚 Books Mentioned

🎧 Related Episodes

SPARKED: Jenny in Conversation with Jonathan Fields (Spotify Playlist)
BFF Bonus: Upcoming Quiet Sabbatical + Important Membership Updates
Pivot: 329: Five Types of People-Pleasers from The Joy of Saying No with Natalie Lue
342: “Whatever Comes Through Me Comes For Me First,” With Nicole Antoinette
360: 📦 Unpacking a Big Business Decision and Dissolving Related Doubts with Adrian Klaphaak
Free Time: 042: How I Run My Business Without Social Media (Pivot Replay)
203: 🎢 Riding the Emotional Rollercoaster of Launching with Natalie Lue
250: Do what you love and the money will follow . . . IF you meet at least 3 of these 20 criteria
🦧 What to Do When You Lose Your Biggest Client, Part One and Part Two

📝 Check out full show notes and share with friends: https://itsfreetime.com/episodes/270

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270: 🌈 Taking a Quiet Sabbatical and Pausing the Podcasts — For Now . . .