School of Podcasting: Expert Tips for Launching and Growing Your Podcast

Episode: Small Audience, Big Results: Making Sponsor Deals Work for Any Podcaster

Host: Dave Jackson
Guest: Heidi K. Begay (RedHouseProductions.net)
Date: November 10, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dave Jackson interviews Heidi K. Begay, musician, educator, and podcast coach, about her success landing sponsorships for her podcast, Flute 360, despite having a small audience. Heidi shares her journey, strategies, and actionable tips on how any podcaster can pitch sponsors, foster true partnerships, and prove value—regardless of download numbers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

From Hobby to Business Mindset

• Heidi’s Background: Initially started her podcast, Flute 360, as part of her academic work.
  • "I treated my podcast like a hobby... I had this epiphany one morning. 'You're planting corn, but you want business results, AKA you want wheat, but you're still planting corn and expecting wheat.'" (Heidi, 01:30)
• Recognized the need to treat her show as a business to yield professional results.

Making the First Sponsor Pitch

• Proactive Outreach: Heidi decided to seek sponsors around episode 30, supported by her husband Eric.
• Targeted music-related brands: "I started reaching out to music branded companies, flute makers, flute shops, flute apparel, all the flute gadgets. And I kind of knocked on these virtual doors to these music brands..." (Heidi, 03:32)
• Despite imposter syndrome and uncertainty, persisted with a value-driven approach.

Resilience in the Face of “No”

• Overcoming Rejection: Drew confidence from prior experiences with rejection in academia.
  • "When somebody hears 200 no's, you have nothing to lose at that point and everything to gain." (Heidi, 04:43)
• Encourages podcasters to embrace rejection as part of the process.

Creating a Value-Based Pitch

• Pricing Creativity: Heidi bypassed industry CPM models in favor of researching what brands spent on music conference booths and similar sponsorships.
  • Developed sponsorship tier packages (bronze, silver, gold) with varied offerings.
• Key insight: "It's not just the ad read, it's not just the podcast download numbers... I help my people wrap it together like this beautifully presented package with a bow on top." (Heidi, 15:13)

Humanizing the Brand Conversation

• Partnering, Not Just Selling: Brands are often as unfamiliar with podcast advertising as podcasters themselves.
  • "They were very human... They never talked down to me... They leveled with me and they were very frank and said, we still don't know much about the podcasting world either, so can you inform us?" (Heidi, 07:31)
• Listening as a Differentiator: The turning point in her sponsor conversations was authentically listening and focusing on partnership goals.
  • "I really listened, and I think that was in my favor... I was genuinely coming in and saying, what's the win, win? How can we partner together?" (Heidi, 10:28)

The Art of Negotiation

• It’s a Dialogue: Formal perfection is less important than flexibility and openness.
  • "There's going to be a lot of back and forth... If you can have your listening ears readily available... there is room for negotiation." (Heidi, 12:08)

Beyond Downloads: What Sponsors Value

• Diverse Metrics Matter: Sponsors may care about mailing list numbers, social media engagement, YouTube presence, speaking engagements, and potential for creative collaboration (e.g., webinars).
  • "Other than downloads, what are they looking for?"
  • "YouTube is a big one. Mailing list is another big one... But another thing too that they ask is in what other stages or what other avenues would you be present in?" (Heidi, 17:38)
• Tracking & Proving ROI: Most sponsors just want the campaign properly executed; some will request stats or unique URLs, but many care more about professionalism and completion.
  • "Most of the time... they just want to know that it was done, that it was completed." (Heidi, 19:00)

Reframing Rejection and Going for It

• Don’t Self-Reject:
  • "You never know until you ask. Truly, truly... Don't already assume that the other person on the other side of the line is going to say, no... Most of the nos I have received... have come back later, 6, 12, 24 months later, saying, hey, it wasn't a good season then... but now it's a good time." (Heidi, 20:56)
• Emphasizes persistence, follow-up, and not burning bridges.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Heidi’s Mindset Shift:
  "You're planting corn, but you want business results, AKA you want wheat, but you're still planting corn and expecting wheat." (01:30, Heidi K. Begay)

• On Rejection:
  "When somebody hears 200 no's, you have nothing to lose at that point and everything to gain." (04:43, Heidi K. Begay)

• On Authentic Partnership:
  "They leveled with me... They said, you know what, we have ideas of how we want this partnership to go. There are certain things that we want you to match and certain criteria that we want you to consider, but at the same time, we're learning from you too." (07:31, Heidi K. Begay)

• Key to Success:
  "I listened from a very authentic place, and I think that was the turning point for them to realize... she's helping me rather than just seeing me write and sign a name on a check." (10:28, Heidi K. Begay)

• On Pitching:
  "It's not just the downloads, it's not the pre roll... There are so many creative ways... these brands can be visible, not just in the ad role, but in other sections of your podcast branding as a whole." (16:12, Heidi K. Begay)

• Final Encouragement:
  "You never know until you ask... If you can kind of reframe it and tell yourself, oh, it's a no for now... when they come back later, it may be a better opportunity for you because those nos that have come back to me have been with a bigger check because my numbers have gotten bigger, because the brand is bigger." (20:56, Heidi K. Begay)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:18] - Heidi’s background and starting Flute 360
• [02:36] - Treating a podcast as a business, not just a hobby
• [03:32] - First sponsor outreach: strategies and mindset
• [04:43] - Building confidence from repeated rejection
• [05:57] - Structuring and pricing the pitch
• [07:31] - Encountering and learning from sponsor decision-makers
• [10:28] - The power of active listening and building partnerships
• [12:08] - Negotiation as an iterative process
• [15:13] - Moving beyond CPM; packaging value for sponsors
• [17:38] - What sponsors value beyond downloads
• [19:00] - Delivering post-campaign value and reporting to sponsors
• [20:56] - Reframing rejection and keeping the door open

Actionable Takeaways

• Don’t wait to have a “big” audience: Value partnerships can start small if you highlight your niche’s quality and engagement.
• Pitch with research and context: Use parallel industries for pricing inspiration; bundle sponsorships creatively.
• Be human: Approach conversations authentically, listen to sponsor needs, and brainstorm together.
• Negotiate openly: Expect dialogue and back-and-forth; perfect polish is less important than adaptability.
• Broaden your value proposition: Downloads matter, but so do your email list, social metrics, stage presence, and creative ideas for collaboration.
• Track and deliver what you promise: Set up mechanisms to confirm campaign delivery and supply stats if needed.
• Keep relationships warm: Even rejected pitches may bloom into deals months or years later.

Further Resources & References

• Heidi K. Begay: RedHouseProductions.net
• Flute 360 Podcast
• Related School of Podcasting episodes mentioned:
  • Glenn the Geek (Episode 474)
  • Ray Arnott, Around the Layout (Episode 977)
  • Justin Moore, Sponsor Magnet

If you’re hesitant to pursue sponsorships due to a small audience, this episode demonstrates the real power of tailored pitching, authentic relationships, and the long-term view. Persist, innovate, and never self-reject: “You never know until you ask.”