Podfest 2026 Recap: AI, Networking, No Free Coffee & What’s Next for Sleep Takeout

Michelle and Dan recap their experience at Podfest 2026 from their hotel-room “studio,” joking about overpriced conference coffee, a pink sock mic cover, and switching from caffeine to “mom water” for a late-night vibe. They share key takeaways: this year focused more on content strategy and how AI can help clarify and improve workflow, and the conference also encouraged them to skip some lectures to network, leading to conversations with vendors and podcasters—including two guys who create comedy parodies of podcasts. They discuss pacing, burnout, discovering new conference spaces, and grabbing coffee and snacks from a concurrent gastrointestinal conference. Both would attend again, plan to bring their own coffee, and want listener comments and critiques across platforms. They tease a next episode featuring two store visits and what happened to Dan at one store.

00:00 Late Night Check In
00:12 Podfest Coffee Drama
01:18 Top Takeaways AI
02:08 Networking And Parody Pitch
03:07 Morning Vs Night Vibes
03:53 Hotel And Conference Comparisons
05:34 Exploring Hidden Spaces
07:13 Would We Come Back
08:22 Balancing Work And Podcasting
09:37 Call For Comments
11:23 Next Episode Teaser
12:04 Final Podfest Goodbye

✨ Real rest isn’t just about falling asleep, it’s about feeling at ease again. I’m Dr. Daniel Baughn, sleep psychologist and co-host of Sleep Takeout. I help professionals and high-achievers who seem to have everything together on the outside but can’t quite turn off their minds at night. 🌙 Discover more about this work or reach out directly at https://www.danielbaughn.com/schedule-call Sometimes, a simple conversation can be the start of real change.

If you have questions for Dr. Michelle Zetoony or want to learn more about sleep and wellness, visit https://www.dosleep.com or email us anytime at sleeptakeout@gmail.com We’d love to hear from you! 🌙

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www.danielbaughn.com
www.dosleep.com
sleeptakeout@gmail.com