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Hello. Hello, beautiful people. I wanted to hop on Instagram live to talk about why to start a podcast in 2016 and how starting my podcast nine years ago now radically shifted my life. So if you guys haven't peeped my Instagram stories, I'll highlight it under birthday. Yesterday was my birthday, believe it or not. Your girl's 35 years old. And I had the most fun birthday of my whole entire life. Like, we sang, we dance, we did like all of the 90s and 2000 classics. I'm talking Celine Dion, I'm talking Mariah Carey, I'm talking Brian McKnight. Like, the list goes on. And I realized that every single one of my friends that I made was through my podcast. So I wanted to talk about how a podcast not just supports you professionally, financially, but also with creating that dream life that you have been calling in. So when I started my podcast nine years ago, 2017, I honestly never thought it would really be a part of my career. I thought it was just going to be a safe place for me to have the kind of conversations I really wanted to have, but didn't feel like they fit into my career. So my career was being an ayurvedic practitioner. I shared about health, nutrition, wellness, meditation, and it was a lot more Vedic structured. I've written several books on Ayurveda and like that's what I felt people wanted from me. But what I was really interested in was talking about past lives and karma and soul ages and why the universe is the way that it is, and true love and sacred union and just like understanding the secrets of the universe, like that's the shit I get geek out on. And I didn't know, like, I didn't feel like this could fit into my content or fit into my work. So do you relate to. You're kind of this one version of you and your work work, but there's this whole other side of you that you're really excited about who's there in their life. So that's where I was in my life. And I was like, you know what? I'm just gonna start this for me because I wanna have these conversations, I wanna talk about these things. It doesn't matter. It never needs to be monetized. I don't even care how many people listen to it. I just want to be talking about spirituality all the time. And I'm curious, guys, share in the comments. What is the topic that you wanna be speaking about all the time? So I didn't know what to call it. I decided to call it highest self. And my first episode was a solo cast that I talked about. What is your highest self? What my evolution has been, why I started this podcast. And I hit publish. I recorded it on a $16 microphone that I continued to use that same microphone for probably six years. And that's it. There was no video or anything. And so I started doing lots of solo casts. So every week I would do a solo cast and I would do an interview interviewing people whose book launches I would go to, people I found on Instagram. And slowly from that, I started to make friends. And I remember I went to a book launch of this girl named Cassandra, and she wrote this book about eating with intention. I was like, I would love to interview you on my podcast. And through the podcast, it's like you get to sit down and have a valuable conversation that you normally don't have with people. And also you kind of get access to people who normally maybe wouldn't have just, like, met up with you for coffee. Like, you know. You know, when you get messages from people, they're like, I'd love to pick your brain. You're like, no, thanks. But when you have something to offer them, like, hey, I would love to interview you. People who, you know, were more successful. I had never written a book before. I had. I hadn't done those things yet. But I was able to reach out to people who inspired me, and they came on my podcast. And slowly we became friends. And through becoming friends, I started to learn more about how the book writing space works, which led to me writing I just finished my fifth book, Book now, and learning how to create an online business and membership and courses and certifications and funnels, and the list goes on. And none of that would have been possible without the connections I made through friendships. So that is the first reason why I would start a podcast, is you get to have your dream friends. Lots of people were watching my Instagram story of my birthday party of, like, I would love to do that. That's my dream, to have a birthday like that one day. But I don't have people who would be like, I'd give my all and like, roll on the floor and like, completely yearn with their entire. And you can only find those soul level people when you are your most expressed self. And so through kind of me letting my freak flag flat and showing like, hey, I'm spiritual, but I also love to twerk and dance and have fun. And, you know, I'm just as much of an angelic yogi as I as I am sexy, darkening the soul, wearing my moto outfit and by me being these dichotomies, but like, embodied in my multi dimensional self. I started to connect with people who were the same people who had podcasts, who, you know. One of my friends besties, Rosie Acosta, she shares in her book that she was arrested, went to jail, or she was. No, she was arrested for Grand Theft Auto when she was in high school. And then that's how she discovered meditation and became a yogi. So I love spiritual people with a little bit of an edge, and so I start to find those people and it would. Rosie, one of my besties. You hear her on the podcast every single month. I met her through podcasting. Her and I were both listed as top seven podcasts by Yoga Journal magazine, which guys crazily enough happened a few months after I started a podcast. So just because I was being my authentic self, people started listening and it kind of went rapid fire. And I got featured on this list. I reached out to everyone on the list saying, hey, I would love to podcast swap with you. So when you have your own podcast, you can podcast swap. So that actually helps get you on podcasts that normally you would not have had access to because you have something to offer them. So I reached out to her and everyone else on that list saying, I would love to swap, meaning I interview you and you interview me. And she said, yes, we met up and the rest is history. And she's like truly my soul sister, soulmate for the past nine years now, now. And every single one of my friends that you saw, Mia magic, you know, Christine, all of them have been through my podcast. And so I really believe that the friends and the relationships and the community that we desire is on the other side of being our most authentic selves. And there is no greater way than actually sharing your voice. So the next reason why I would start a podcast is I feel like in this day and age on social media, people just go through reels very, very quickly. I mean, the attention span is very, very short. Most people don't even stay on a reel for two seconds. And so while you could spend all of that time trying to go viral on TikTok and Instagram, instead you can create your 1000 raving fan base, which is actually going to get you much farther. So there is a book about that. And I forget what it's called. It's like A Thousand Fans. And how actually to create a successful brand is not about having a hundred thousand people, but about having a thousand people that Are like, all about it. And so people can only really understand you, understand your message, understand who you are when there is enough space for you to speak. You know, if your only experience of me was through my Instagram reels, like, I'm a good dancer, but, you know, like, we wouldn't have the vibe that we have now. Lots of you guys have been listening to me speak on the podcast for almost a decade. That's dozens to hundreds of hours we may have been hanging out on the Interweb. So if it feels like we know each other, and I've gotten to know my audience so deeply throughout as well. And so when you have your podcast, it gives you spaciousness for people to understand you, to create affinity with you. And that's what's actually going to lead to them being a Fuck yes for joining your course, your coaching, your products or whatever it is that you have. An Instagram reel that people are going through so fast just isn't enough time for them to develop trust. So if you are a coach, you are a healer, you want to sell online courses, you want to do membership, whatever the product is, is something that you are being you. You need to give people that spaciousness to get to know you. And it takes time. Oh, my gosh. Someone says, I've been watching you since I was 17 years old, so I'm assuming you're maybe 28 years old now. So it's a lot of time. And the coolest thing, and a lot of people ask me, isn't starting a podcast really hard? Guys, it is the easiest thing I've ever done in my business. And I'm not even just kidding you right now. It is the easiest thing because I get to talk about what I want to talk about, listen to people, you know, Reason three, you get to be mentored by the most incredible people that you want to be mentored by. So I have been able to sit, you know, I'm very interested in relationships, and so I've been able to sit and learn from the best teachers around the world. And for me, it allows me to get even more involved with, like, my favorite books or if I, you know, listen to a podcast, I have more questions. It's like. Like, for example, the podcast that came out yesterday is with Richard Rudd, the founder of Gene Keys. Gene Keys is a book I've been studying for over a decade. Never in my life would have I thought I would have a conversation with the author of the Gene Keys. And that is only from me doing my podcast. So it has led to me. Interviewing Sadhguru, Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson, Gabby Bernstein, Don Miguel Ruiz. Like all of the top spiritual teachers. But truth be told, the conversations that have shifted my life have been with the people who became my friends. Like, those people that we can get really into the nuances and the intricacies of the things that I really like to talk about of, you know, the future of marriage in this day and age or free will versus destiny. And it's allowed me to get to know, you know, Reason five. It's allowed me to get to know myself and my own thoughts. Through being able to voice it and express it and have these different opinions that I'm presented with and able to dialogue with, I'm able to deepen into my own understanding. So you probably have noticed, or maybe you haven't. I don't say the word or like at all. If I am speaking, I am speaking with clarity. And that is not something that I was born with. That is not something I've always had. Even since the first episode. You will hear a massive shift in my voice since episode one. In fact, I invite you to go listen to my first episode in 2017 and hear the difference in the tone, texture, and quality of my voice. And that is through practicing. Reason 6. You will never get as much practice in speaking and communication and conversation and listening and empathy and receptivity and feedback and mirroring, like, the most important things I would make a friendship, relationship or business work. You're going to get through podcasts because you are listening to yourself speak. And I know you might say, oh, my God, I hate this out of my own voice. I really don't want to, like, I'm not a good speaker. I still say. I still say, like, I'm not at your level, girl. I can't do it yet. I didn't start here, sir. No, siree. I did not start here. I started exactly where you were. I did not know how to do a solo cast. I was like, how does someone just talk for, like an hour without stopping? I just don't understand how that works. Guess what, guys? Y' all do it every day. How long are your voice notes to your friends when you were dropping those wisdom bombs to that girl who wanted to get back with her ex? Babe, you are channeling. You are channeling right there. So you are speaking all the time, and you're not hesitating and you're not saying. You're not saying, like, you're not starstruck for what the next word is going to be. You are Always in that flow. It's just for whatever reason, we think when there's like a microphone, it's like, oh, God, now I can't do it. And so that's why I created my podcast. Mentorship is like, how do you become a comfortable speaker to be able to have those podcasts that feel like home base with your audience? And more than that, how to actually choose your podcast name? A name that's going to, just from the moment people see the title, understand what your podcast is about. Because that's one of the biggest mistakes I see people make is they choose a name that doesn't really describe what the podcast is, and so they miss the audience, you know? You know, I have a friend that she was starting a podcast about love, and she was going to choose a title that was like the name of a fruit. And I was like, what does that have to do with that? She's like, oh, but it's a very cute name. And I said, what about including the energy that I'm going to feel when I'm wildly in love? What about including that? And it was really valuable feedback. And she's renaming the podcast now. Thank God it didn't come out yet. And so I love giving feedback like that. I. I love branding. I love, you know, names and graphics and all of those things, like putting together something out into the world. And I'm going to be personally mentoring you in that. So it's limited to only 10 people. We already have four. Four signed up, so there's only six spots left. I will personally be on the Zoom call with you every single week. 90 minutes working with me, and then 30 minutes of you breakout, grouping with someone, practicing you are speaking, practicing your podcast intro, practicing what are the questions you want to ask people? We're going to be talking about the graphic that you make. How can you make a graphic that stands out? Oh, gosh. You don't know how many people I see have amazing podcasts, but I can't read their font. It doesn't stick out to me. You can't see it because the Spotify graphic is so tiny. People don't realize these things. And it. It just comes through learning and through practice. And I've seen my downloads shift based on not just the graphic of my podcast, but the YouTube thumbnails that I'm doing. So we're going to be talking about that, like the actual visual imprint of your podcast. What is the essence? What is the tone? What's the vibe? What's the studio? Do you guys want to come see my home studio. Let's go. Let's go on a little road trip right now. By the way, can we take a moment for this altar, please? I've never, I've Lauren Marie, sir. I've never seen such a beautiful altar in my life. So you get to have friends that get you amazing flowers. You got altars. So my friend Mia is staying with me right now. So don't mind the mattress here. You can see highest self. So just to catch a vibe in my home studio here, I wanted to make the vibe super. Just like light, clean, spacious, but still ancient, sacred. Did I start off with a studio? No, definitely not. I was on my kitchen table. But I was able to continue to develop and develop and develop until the point that now I literally anywhere I live will have a two bedroom. So I can have a studio. Because I'm making money on my podcast. I have sponsors. Um, that's the main way. And so that's the really cool thing about having a podcast, guys is like start it because you love it. Like don't start it just because you want to make money because it's not going to work that way. Start it because you are living to have these conversations. Does it only need about spirituality? No. Siree could be about relationships, could be about entrepreneurship, could be about wellness, could be about design, could be about astrology, could be about whatever you want. I'm here to support you in the branding, the messaging, the even your personal brand with it, your voice, like all of the things you need to actually bring it out into the world. So this is a six week live container. I'll be polling the 10 of us that are in this crew so we're going to be able to choose a day and a time that works with us. So two weeks, two hours a week on Zoom every week for six weeks going through these exact steps and processes. So comment the word. Let's do the word mentor. Comment the word mentor below. I'm gonna have this in the replay. It's also in my link in bio to be able to join. It's first come, first serve. And yeah, I'm really, this is my first time running it because I have spaciousness right now. And the thing that I love the most is podcasting. It's to me so freaking fun and I'm just excited to support more, more people. So some of you guys are commenting it here. Comment it when I repost this because I can't message you on here. So. And it's also in my link in bio and it's just first come, first serve. Because I know we had like 10 people right now who just did that, and I only have six spots left. But if for whatever reason, it is filled up by the time you get there, I'll have a wait list up there so you can join the wait list for the next next round. Now, what questions do you guys have? Because I want to be able to really answer your questions and I'm going to scroll and see and please rewrite your question if you're here. Anything about podcast mentorship. And so a common question that I get is what kind of tools like gadgets do I need to start a podcast? Is it very expensive? So absolutely not. If I were to start a podcast today, for example, I don't know if you know, my voice is crisp and clear because I have this little mic on that is all you need. So I'll share with you the links that I personally use that you don't need. An entire microphone setup with a videographer and lights and all of that. There are apps that you can use on your phone to give you like full DSLR camera settings on your phone. So I'll be sharing with you ways that you can literally start your podcast from your phone, record it right there with video. And then my process of how do I get the podcast up on not just the podcast store, but Spotify, YouTube, Stitch Stitcher, all of the different places, what is the tool that I use? And then also my process of how do I work with an editor? So some of you guys ask, do I need to hire an editor? You don't need to. A lot of the time my episodes are not edited whatsoever in terms of taking anything out. Because the only reason why you would need to keep editing things out is if you keep saying or stopping, which may happen, but that's something that you can work through. So you don't need to hire an editor. However, if you are are choosing to record it on multiple cameras. So if you see my podcast, we've got three cameras running. We've got one on me, one on the guest, and one that's the both of us. So with that, I need an editor because he needs to pan to who's speaking. And I even have an editing style that I'll share with you of how to keep the other person engaged in the video even when that speaker speaking. So it's not like just one person at a time, but like, what are the moments to pan to that other person. What are the moments of pan to both of you? So I'll be sharing with you my process of how I personally work with a videographer, an editor, someone who edits my reels, someone who posts. What does that team flow look like? Because y', all, that. That took a minute to figure out, and now it's to the place that I record my podcast and the re. And the rest is done. I am not uploading it. I'm not writing the description. I'm not making the YouTube thumbnail. I'm not doing any of these things because I've set up systems and processes. And so, yes, at the beginning, I was the person doing all of those things, but I'm not now. And with nine years of experience, I can teach you things that will take you many, many years to figure out and will cost you time and money, which are the most important things that we lose every single day. And so you're buying that back. So let me know if there are any specific questions. Again, I'm going to have this replay. And so comment, comment on the replay, mentor. And also the link is in my bio, and there are six spots left. And we're gonna get going as soon as the. I just opened this up less than a week ago, so I'm sure it's going to fill up really, really fast. And I'm excited to personally get to know you. I'm. I'm really excited about my gift, I would say, is to see someone and understand, oh, this is really what your message is. This is really what your voice is. This is what your personal brand should be about. Like, I'm able to really kind of like, be the doula for your dharma and to. I can see you in your fullness and I can see who you're here to become and allow you to move through some of the blocks. Because often we don't see those things in ourselves. And sometimes all it takes is like a mentor being able to see us in our full expression for us to actually quantum leap and step into it. How can we start a podcast like yours from the. From the start, like a startup. That's exactly what we're going to be going through in the podcast mentorship for six weeks. How to choose the title, how to choose the thumbnail, how to choose what questions to ask people, how to choose the commonalities, how to choose your set, how to choose who you're going to interview, how you're going to interview them to become a better interviewer, become a better listener, how to navigate a conversation, what to prepare what you don't need to prepare all of the things that you need to actually get your podcast up and going. So what it's not going to include. This is not around finding advertisers. That's not what this mentorship is about. We can do further because we only have six weeks together, we can do further cohorts that are more about that. But right now this is really about you have an, like an amazing podcast because ultimately you need to have the downloads first. And then I see a lot of people and questions I get is, I'm afraid of starting a podcast because what if I don't make money doing it? And I want to say your first focus needs to be how can I just create the most aligned and authentic podcast that people are really finding value in listening. And I guarantee if you focus on that, the listeners will come and the sponsors follow. And it's not only about finding sponsors. You can also sell your coaching, your courses, your membership, your readings, your healings, your retreats. These are all things that you can sponsor on your own podcast. If you hear on my podcast, I barely have any sponsors. I don't really like working with them that much. I'd much rather just sponsor it with my Speak with Soul course, which is all about speaking and becoming a confident speaker in 21 days, which if you comment speak, I can send you the link to that. I have my membership Rose Gold Goddesses. I had my entire coaching certification school for six years and all of these things were actually built from the back end of my podcast through the listeners. I started to be able to offer more value through these deeper learning dives that we were able to take together. And so I actually have made way more money from using my podcast for my business than I would have from just sponsors. So that's another thing. I feel a lot of people are very small minded and they only know the model of like podcast sponsor. But you know, and I can share more about this, but the space has really, really shifted in the past couple of years. I mean, since COVID which can you believe was six years ago. But it's really shifted. And I don't feel building a podcast to get sponsors is really the way I feel building the podcast to gain an authentic community that wants to buy what you sell because it's a value to them, because your podcast has been of value to them. Like that's the way that you're going to be able to create something that's not replaced by AI. Like AI can never be you can never be your voice, can never have your story. And that's the thing that a podcast allows you to have. You know, a lot of people right now who are teaching on Instagram reels. It's something that I could just look up on ChatGPT. It's like how to, you know, build your audience in this way. And it's like, if your entire message is something that has no Persona to it, no story to it, that's something people are going to get from AI. The more you make yourself you. The more you show your story, the more you show your messiness. The more you show your process, the more you show your idiosyncrasies. These are the things that people will connect you with. And it was funny because I was talking to my friend who was the girl I met through my podcast 10 years ago, Cassandra Bodzak, who's one of my besties. She dressed up because, by the way, my birthday theme was, you have to dress up as a version of me. And so she was Sahar at the airport, which I always wear this, like, aloe yoga set with, like, a braid on one side of my hair, and I'm have my keto chocolates, and I'm running late. And so, anyways, so we were talking about how when we first started writing books, my first. My first book came out in 2017 as well, that it was all about, don't share your story. No one wants to hear it. Give people value, make it about the reader. That's very much what the book advice was when. When a lot of us were reading these books. And I'm not just talking about spirituality either, in any of this anywhere now, it's entirely shifted. It's like, how real can you be? Like, can you even, like, be on a little bit of a ledge of how authentic you are? Like, y', all. I'm sharing stuff in this new book of mine that I never thought would see the light of day. Like, I am copy pasting things from my notes app that I'm just like, oh, Jesus, Danielle, I can't believe I'm sharing this. But I'm like, you know what? That's the thing. AI can't replace my pros and cons list about everything in my life. Like, the things that are just so freaking human that a robot will never understand. And that's your opportunity. So the messier the better. The less of an expert you are, the better, the less polished you are, the better. So gone are the days that you need to be an expert in a PhD and, like, got your hair done and, like, all these things you don't need to at all. Like, we actually want to see you in the muck. Like, if you just had a kid and you're barely sleeping and you're like, I want to make something for moms, but I feel like I'm not the perfect mom. It's like, that's who wants to hear it. We don't want to hear it from Shirley, who had the perfect motherhood story. It was, like, 20 years ago. No one wants to hear it. We want to hear from Emily, who literally got two hours of sleep last night, but here's how she still was able to find time for herself. Self care. That's. We want to hear it from. So the fact that you're still in the mess, the fact that you still don't know the total answer is what makes it relatable. Because I don't want to hear it from someone, and you don't want to hear it from someone who pretends they got it all figured out a million years ago and doesn't actually know what that problem is like today. Because dating today is very different than dating 10 years ago. Wellness today is very different than wellness 10 years ago. Business today is very different than business 10 years ago. Guys, 10 years ago was just 2016. So the world has shifted so much in the past couple of years in ways that, like, we just can't fathom. And when I'm saying it out loud, I know you're probably like, yeah, I noticed that. Yeah, that's so true. Yeah, that's right. But maybe I'm just finally saying it that you're like, oh, wow. That actually means that this is the time for me to start my podcast. Wait. That actually means that everyone's been telling me to do it, and no more waiting around. Wow. That actually means my childhood dream of being Oprah is no longer just a far off fantasy. It can happen literally next month if I want, if I'm ready, if I'm willing to say yes. So that's all it takes. Every single person gets to be their own Oprah, should they choose to hit publish. And the journey will prepare. You might say, I'm not ready. Imagine if I never went running. And I said, you know what? I'm gonna run a marathon. But I'm not a good runner yet. So I'm just gonna wait. I'm just gonna sit around and wait until I'm a good enough runner, and then I'm gonna run a marathon. Now I become a better runner by trying to run every single day. And maybe today I run a quarter of a mile, and next week I run half of a mile, and the week after that I run a whole mile. And then the week after that, I run three. And that keeps going. And then before I know it, I'm running 26 miles. But if I sit around and I wait until I somehow get the skill set to run 26 miles when I've never ran one, I'm going to be waiting for the rest of my life. Friends, that's the majority of people. Have we noticed this? People are waiting around for something to happen, that they're making no effort towards the dynamism that you might say, but you're an amazing speaker. I'm only an amazing speaker because I've been podcasting for nine years, because I've just practiced more than you have. That's it. That's it. And you can be, too. And it doesn't even take nine years. Like, it can literally be in two months. You can amaze yourself by the strides you can make, because I guarantee you, if you're listening to this, you are a great speaker. You're a great listener. You ask great questions. You're interesting, you're aware. And it doesn't need to be around spirit. It could be around anything. But you're a curious person, because people who are Muggles don't follow me, let alone listen to this. Like, if you are listening to it this deep in, like, here's your owl to Hogwarts, because you are a witch or a wizard. You something. Something's different about you, you know? So I'm just saying you're different, if you haven't noticed yet. And people like us do very well on podcasts. People who are eccentric, people who are offbeat, people who live life in a different way. Like, these are the people that we want to hear about. So you might be like, but I'm too weird. People won't relate to me. I'm like a little, like, witch in my house. Like, great. That's what the people want to hear. Even if they don't know it yet, they want to hear it. And so the things about you that are different, show us your altar. Show us your, you know, your practice. Show us your whimsy. Show us anything about yourself that makes you different. And have conversations with people, learn from them. And it's like a new side of you comes online, too, when you're talking to someone else, because you might say, well, Sara, I for sure can't do the solo cast. But the interviews, it's like, you don't have to prepare anything. You get to just have a conversation with someone. It could literally just be your friends. Doesn't need to be some author that you read the book of one day. It could be. You know what? Me and this friend always have such an amazing conversation. That's someone I want to have on my podcast. So it doesn't need to be this. This awkward thing that you have to reach out to someone you don't know. It could. You could even have a podcast that's you and your friend just talking on every episode and you talk about different topics every week. So I'm saying there are so many different ways that you can start a podcast. And. And that's what I'm going to be supporting you with. What's the best way for you? Do you want to do solo casts or interviews? How. And then actually practicing every week for six weeks. So I'm really excited for this mentorship to start again. There are only six spots left. It's live with me. I don't know if I'm going to be running this container again. So be sure to head over to my link in bio. Also comment the word mentor and I'll DM it to you. And it's just first come first serve. We're getting started right away and I can't wait to see you and invite you and support you inside. And here's your owl. Woohoo. You've been accepted to start your podcast. The time has come. No more lollygagging around. Hop on train. Nine and three quarters. Let's go. All right. Too. Tulu darlings. Thank you for the birthday wishes. Look at this altar. Yay. And I'll also be showing you how to make beautiful sets around you so the visuals match the vibe. Thank you all so much. Can't wait to see you in the mentorship. Bye.