The Power of Authenticity in Podcasting: Insights from Paula Sima

Introduction to Podcasting and Its Importance

Podcast Morning Show 0:00

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Intro 0:57

Paula Seema didn't start talk shit with Pete to build an audience. She started it because she needed a place to put what she was carrying. Depression, isolation, and a life lived mostly alone across three continents and six countries. What happened next is a thing nobody in the podcasting industry talks about honestly. The show found her community before it found its strategy. Over five years, 10 seasons, 219 episodes. A room where creatives talk about the mental health cost of building, not just the highlight reality. In this conversation, she goes into what it actually means to turn personal feelings into why non-negotiable is for every guest finds. Dad included. And what she learned about building systems around community and consistency instead of content output. This is what podcasting actually does. You start it for the right reasons. Let's get this conversation started.

The Journey of Starting a Podcast

Gabe Leal 2:02

Thank you for doing this. I do appreciate you taking the time to have this conversation with me. Um I I love that yours is talking shit with people conversation. They need multiple perspectives other than those who are, you know, at the top. And it's not the case. It's not true. You could do it anyway.

Paula Sima 2:23

I want to give the creatives their flowers and learn about their journeys because sometimes we just look at somebody's success, but we forget that where we are right now, they were there once, you know, or they're probably still are because so sex looks different in everybody's eyes from outside. You just think like, oh my god, I want to be there, but you don't know the back ends they have to go through at the back. So I bring people on my show so they can share their journey. So that somebody was sitting there thinking, like, oh my god, I want to be like them, but then when they hear their story, they're like, Oh, I can actually be like them because they went through all this and I'm going through there, and they still made it, and look at them. So, yeah.

Gabe Leal 3:04

That's the beautiful part. Okay, we're gonna start with the first question. Okay. This is the first question that I asked all every single person that I've had on, so it's the same. Why should you do a podcast?

Paula Sima 3:14

Because whatever you have to share matters, and somebody out there needs to hear it. Um, there was a time a lot of people, even one time I thought about it because when I started my podcast, people were still getting into podcasts, so it felt nice saying I'm a podcaster, and people are looking at you like, but now there's also now this argument like too many podcasts out there, like we don't need any more podcasts. But then it's the same thing as movies and music. Uh are you telling people to stop making music because there's too much music out there? Are you telling people to stop writing books because there are too many books out there? Are you telling movies, shows? Yes, they might be the same thing, but it's a different person's journey. It's a different person's stories. They're not the same stories, they didn't go through the same shit. They might have similarities, but my voice, some people might want to listen to me because I talk so much shit. But I'm saying the same thing somebody else is saying, but they don't listen to their language, or they don't feel like they can relate to that person because of how they grew up or where they stay. So whatever you need to share matters, and people need to hear it. So start to them podcasts.

Gabe Leal 4:22

No matter how many times it's been said, like you said, what the thing about music, I I use a I love using that analogy, is just because every note's been played doesn't mean you can't go back and put it in your specific style, in your creative tone. This is what podcasting is. Um, I mean, every word's probably been said in the in the alphabet and the language, but still here we are. And it's how you construct and put those things together. So, what was what was the genesis of saying, okay, uh I have the idea of starting my podcast. Now, where did you come up with the

Creating a Safe Space Through Podcasting

Gabe Leal 4:55

idea of talking shit with P? And what was the first thing that that someone said when you said this is what my podcast is and what it's going to be about?

Paula Sima 5:03

Actually, every time I say this is what my podcast is, people are like, Oh my god, I want to talk shit with you. So that made me happy. I mean, when you have a podcast called Talk Shit with P, who don't want to talk shit, right? It's so lighthearted, and people are like, Yeah, I talk shit because everybody believes they talk shit, and we all do, right? Right. But um, I wanted to start my podcast because COVID, depression, breakup. I was dealing with all those things, and I'm a person who lives in a first-baced world. Like I like to be busy and then I like to be on the go. I like to do something, and I love to drink as well. But when I start seeing that I'm drinking to drone instead of enjoy, that becomes a problem. My depression was doing too much during uh COVID and everything that I had pushed down, I had to face. And I was like, you know what? I want a safe space. And at that time I did have amazing friends and family, but when it's COVID, the entire world is dealing with something, right? It's not just a part of the world. So going to people, asking them for help when they also have kids at home and they are taking care of their parents and whatever, it's it felt like a burden. So I wanted to start a safe space for myself. And one time I was drinking too much, and back when X was Twitter, and I went on Twitter and started talking shit, and somebody was like, You should start a podcast. And the next thing I did was start a name podcast. And the first episode was probably my lowest, most honest episode, and I I didn't even edit it. I I recorded and I published, and I've never listened to it. But a lot of and it's funny because hitting the publish was the hardest thing for me because now I'm letting the world out there know it's out there and they're gonna listen, and then there's that your are they gonna judge me or whatever. But the response I got, I realized a lot of people wanted a safe space, and then we continue. So yeah.

Gabe Leal 7:00

This is what it's supposed to be. Um let me start with what comes to my heart and what comes to my mind. Uh I I I like your approach because it's something that can almost happen naturally. Um it's something that doesn't have to be drawn out, it's second nature. I don't I don't have to think about it as far as structuring out a whole script, doing a whole outline. When you sat down and recorded that first episode plot, what were your expectations afterwards as far as like I'm gonna do this again? I don't know, or this is gonna be just me talking for one time and recording it? Like what was the next step after doing it and saying, was

Overcoming Fears and Expectations

Gabe Leal 7:46

that fun? Or was this like, I don't know what I'm doing. Uh should I even try this again?

Paula Sima 7:50

It it's funny because uh when I decided to do this podcast, right? Um I told I told my my younger brother who's my best friend because anytime I tell him something, he holds me accountable. And whenever I'm serious about something, I tell him. So when he gave me, we he asked me, so when are we publishing it? And I gave him a date. So in my mind, I was working towards that date. And I did everything that us procrastinators do. I created uh an office space in my area. I ordered the Amazon mic that I didn't even use. Shout out to when it was I know, you know, and then I created this entire synergy of my office and and you know, um, shout out to uh COVID University because if you remember when it was COVID, everybody there were all these courses available. As soon as you start Googling podcasts, your entire algorithm is there's this course for whatever. So I did I did take one course which I loved her because she was so simple. Like, listen, all you need is this, this is the rest is just in the future, right now. This is all you need. So she's the one who I ended up being able to direct myself to where to go. And when I was recording that episode, um, I felt so relieved, and then I realized also I like to talk. Like, like when I when I was talking, but it was also like sharing all that out that was holding deep inside and just letting it go. Because at that time I wasn't sure if I was gonna publish it or whatever. Like I was just talking to my phone on Anchor. Shout out to Anchor before it became Spotify. And then I was just talking and I felt so good, so relaxed. Like I let it out. So once I published it, I literally switched off my phone because like I sent it out, I sent it out to a few friends, like my family, a few friends, before I really announced it on Facebook. I there were specific people who got it because I wanted their feedback, including my brother, who is not shy in being so honest. Like, I love you, but you're messing up. Oh, I love you, but good for you. So even though I wanted to hear their feedback, I was so scared. I switched off my phone. But I was also telling myself, like, if I felt that good, does it matter what they tell me? So I had to sit with that question with myself, like the way I felt talking in there, I was more scared about when it came to my dad and my brother, like I am sharing so much personal stuff about myself. And me um being an African,

The Role of Gear in Podcasting

Paula Sima 10:32

where, and especially the tribe I come from, where we don't share these things, we don't talk about mental health, we don't talk about therapy and all this, and I'm here trying to let the entire world know that I am a mess, I am depressed, I am broke, and I am childless and not married and all these things. That was that was the pressure, especially when everybody has this idea that at a certain age you're supposed to be married with kids and you should have savings and you should have this kind of job. But when I turned on my phone, um I cried because a lot of people, the people I shared it with, were telling me how brave I am to to be in this honest. People start they started checking in, they started sharing their own struggles. I was like, fuck it. I didn't even wait for that original date that I had planned to release it. I just went and released it. And from there on, I was like, okay, so we're gonna talk about mental health. I need to bring people who I know are gonna dig into that and I need to share more stories about me in that. And I just went into what episode are we giving next week? How are we naming this episode? Like the excitement just overflows. So I think sometimes no one that it makes sense. Like, you know, I watch a lot, a lot of trash TV when I still love his brand or whatever, when people are so nervous, how their family will react. I understand that because I remember I was more scared of that. Like I knew it wouldn't matter, I was still gonna do it, but also one part of me was like, what if they they don't support or like it or be like you're doing too much, you know, because I'm used to being I'm known for doing too much.

Gabe Leal 12:17

But that's the part about taking that, taking that leap and being brave enough to do it. I needed an outlet, I needed somewhere to express. Uh, I started doing it. I got so good at it, and I do and I was having so much fun doing it, actually inspired my own brothers to start their own podcast because they were like, it looks like you're having fun. There's a power in being able to share what it is about you and the people that you bring on and the conversations that you have that matter. They're gonna find the right people that need to hear that story at the right moment. That's the beautiful about what we get to do as as creators as podcasters, is that we get to share that out there.

Paula Sima 12:56

Exactly.

Gabe Leal 12:56

We don't always get to see the full impact of

Building a Workflow for Consistency

Gabe Leal 13:00

what we what we create and what goes out there. So I want to touch on something that you said because it's one of the questions that I actually had. So, what piece of gear that you just you mentioned out to Amazon that you obsessed over that actually didn't matter and what actually does for somebody starting on the show?

Paula Sima 13:18

So here's the thing, right? Um, because I didn't know anything about podcasting or what to do on, so I just googled podcasting mics and I I think I found one for I think it was $40. It came with a standard. I didn't even know how to click the stand off. So the the stress of putting it together, they they had the mic over there, and I was like, oh, I can record on my phone on anchor and and it sounds so good. So I missed the anchor app. Like it used to help me do a lot of things. That's why I tell people, and to me, it was like I also didn't want to invest too much or go deep in gear because I was like, will I still like doing this when the world opens up? Because mind you, this was during COVID. We had all the time in the world. But once we start going back to work, and I used to work in retail, my schedule was never the same. Like, will I still be putting it on or will I put it on all? So my thing was I'm not buying any, I'm not investing on anything until I know I want to keep doing this. But a lot of people talk about, oh, I have to get that $200 mic, or I need to get this. You really don't. Like, there's so many ways to make your sound, uh, your sound sound clear or work better. For me, at the end of the day, it's your message and your sounding sound clear. Everything else can be figured out and budgeted as you keep growing. You don't need everything right now. All these gadgets, just say you're procrastinating, or you just want fancy shit, and then you you don't have shit to talk about, or like you're just not doing it. And that's I feel like some of the people ended up building studios because of that, and then they're renting their studios and all because they end up concentrating on oh, it has to be this, and especially now it has been worse with video. Because when we had audios, the biggest things were mics and headphones. Now it's like camera, the studio needs to look good. Now I gotta shop for my makeup because my makeup is gonna look on point. I gotta make sure I have the nice glass. But I also feel like people just look for excuses to not do it. Because if you wanna make it work, you figure it out. There's so many people. I mean, there was that guy who used to have an incredible podcast and he would record while going to work on his phone, on the traffic, on the way to work. And I loved it because it felt like you were heading to work with him because you could hear the honks and the man. So there's so many ways of

The Evolution of Podcasting Skills

Paula Sima 15:53

making your podcast like without the extraness of all this shit that we keep lying to ourselves. There are always gonna be newer mics and newer headphones and newer cameras. Just like the iPhone, you know how you constantly keep upgrading. Yes, like it's gonna be the same without. So I rather you wait and see how your show is doing, what you want to do with your show, then make a plan on. Like even me, when you go and listen to my first episodes and until now, like I didn't have an out show properly made into and out until season three or four. Like once I knew, like every season as I kept on going, I kept on updating one thing and changing, especially because you know, when you're leaving paycheck to paycheck, like we are everything you're doing yourself. I don't have big sponsors, I don't have hi-hat backing me up or anybody, everything is coming out, and most of us podcasters, everything is coming out of our pockets. Half of us, either we are trying to make this a full time, but we still have to have a full time, there's still bills to be paid, and everything else.

Gabe Leal 16:57

So this is why this is aimed at new podcasters. This is eight years of acclimating over and doing time again in a garage and a in the camera.

Paula Sima 17:11

They still work.

Gabe Leal 17:12

Yeah, they still work, people use them all the time. I've seen some high-end creators who still use them because they're easy, they actually work, they have a better flow for some people. There you go.

Paula Sima 17:23

There's this guy called Chris Cremissos, the owner of Podfest. He once wrote a book called Start Agri, and I suggest every new podcaster to go read that because believe it or not, his wife, Kate Cremisos, um, does a meditation podcast and she has an entire network. I believe last year, or was it the year before, she reached almost a million, uh, a thousand a hundred thousand million downloads, and she went on on tour on TV and Freud and whatever. And when you look at her recording when she's recording her meditation, she still records in her closet, you know, with a considers of closet gas.

Gabe Leal 17:59

Right.

Paula Sima 17:59

And when sometimes she's doing lives, her laptop, you see boxes and books, and then her laptop, like she has no stand or whatever, like not that she can't afford it, but sometimes those things are unnecessary. If like if the mocks and the books piled up, they still give me the hype. Why not? Like, so if these are people who are who are making those downloads and have been able to achieve and they're still using no more shit, I don't know. Stop stop playing and start that podcast.

Gabe Leal 18:29

That's like, girl. Hey, okay, so you mentioned something too that I want to hit on for for again new podcasters. And that's the process of of growing. You said when I first started, I didn't have an intro, I didn't have an outro, I didn't have any of that. It it took me to like season

Community and Resources for Podcasters

Gabe Leal 18:45

three or four to decided to start doing it, and it was a process. So what did what kind of process have you seen for not only yourself, but then new podcasters who want to get started who say, I don't know what any of this is. I didn't know none of these editing tools. I didn't know where to publish. I didn't know like where to even start after I hit record and hit stop. What was what was that next step for you? And then how did you eventually start putting together your workflow now that you use to be able to record and publish on a regular consistent basis?

Paula Sima 19:18

So, first of all, I thought a trailer was what requ was required because you know when when you join Ballsprout in order to to get yourself everywhere, you needed a trailer. It's like I have a trailer, what's an intro and outro? I didn't even think about an intro and outro, to be honest. But also, um, the thing is, when I say I was really doing the podcast for me, it was for me. And the more because my season one ended as I was as the world was coming back open, and at that time I joined uh Buzz Prout, the Facebook community group. Then I had attended Podfest um uh live virtually because it was again 2020. And then I got to meet different podcasters and asking questions, and and so he I am blessed that the podcasting world community is free of so many resources, especially from the people you meet as podcasters. And I hear this a lot, especially from people who come from movies or music, like y'all don't gatekeep compared to that side. Like people are willing to share information when you connect with the right people, don't be scared to ask. And I feel like the new podcasters are so lucky because they chat GPT right now. Like back then I literally had to look for communities and go to these people, and but also right now the podcast world is growing and there are always meetings and communities. But also as far as my workflow. So when I tell you, when I started again because it was COVID, right? I had the time, so I didn't have a workflow because all I had was time. And then when my job opened, when my job started, uh, when the wall started opening up and I was called back to work, and then now doing both, that's when the pressure and the burnout started coming. And I was like, I can't do this because I had never created a workflow. I was just used to doing it, but now I gotta be at a certain place and come back in. So I had to pause and ask myself what works for me. So for me, I realized that seasonal worked best. So what I would do is, because I had just ended my epic my my season abruptly, but when I ended it, it was 15 episodes. So I was like, okay, we're gonna do seasonals, 15 episodes. I was like, what will work best for me is during the time I take a break, like I'll have the the episodes running, and then when the last episode airs, I'll take two months off. Um I'm just recording the episodes, I'm finding guests, I'm recording whenever I can, whatever. The second month, I'm editing them, prepping them, you know, and then scheduling it. It doesn't always work the way because now I've become a Pro that especially when I'm doing solo episodes, I procrastinate until the last minute and then I'm running towards editing it and but because I'm doing it's my own and I know how to do everything last minute. I don't recommend it. I don't recommend it. Especially when uh as podcasters we know technically di technical difficulties are part of our shit. There's one time I waited till last minute and then I recorded an episode. I didn't hit record, so I wasted all the time. There was a time I didn't it was muted, so I was talking the videos there, but there was no sound, and these are episodes that needed to go out in three hours. So I don't recommend it. Um so what worked for me was that I'd schedule them, I'd put them out, and um that way when it's time for the episodes to be coming out, I'm just concentrating on promoting them and doing social media thing. Cause podcasters, what will drain you about being a podcast isn't uh showing up and talking. This part is fun. Like if we could do this and everything else is handled, I could do like I wanna be a paid host. Okay, but then when it comes to the editing, the promoting, because you're gonna be a social media marketer, you're gonna be the producer, you're gonna be the booking, the scheduling the emails to go out, you have to be responsible for creating an email list, all that. So you do need a very a workflow that works for you. Mine was doing it seasonal, and I record them before, and then I promote as the episodes go. That's what works for me. There's some people who don't like doing seasonal kudos to ever to those people who do throughout the year. When I was getting into podcasts and I was in a clubhouse room, and this lady literally wanted to fight me. She was like, you can't take breaks because your listeners are gonna forget you. And don't let people lie to you, cause as long as you're being honest with your listeners, whenever I do my last episode of the season, I tell them, hey, and throughout the year, like once we are getting close, I remind them. But they also know so much that 15 episodes and Paula is out until next season. So I normally tell them, like, hey, by the way, the season is gonna come to an end, or we are ending. Uh keep in touch with us on social media because we're still active on social media. We are just taking, and sometimes I will be doing lives in on social media while I'm not dropping episodes. Like, there's so many other ways. So you direct your listeners to a place where they can still get connected to you. And I always tell them, we're gonna be back in two months, but look out for the newsletter. That's why the newsletter is important because I also send updates on the newsletter as it goes.

Navigating Technical Challenges in Podcasting

Paula Sima 24:47

So the people will tell you don't take breaks are probably the ones who don't do much of the production, they just show up and talk. They have a team. If they have a team, don't listen to anybody who has a team, okay? And stop listening, stop listening to all these gurus. Half of them don't know what they're talking about. Do what works for you. And I think we keep forgetting that because if you try, if I say I'm gonna follow Gabe's way, but Gabe's show is not the same as mine, so his way works for him because of how his show is structured, it won't work for me. Like so, don't compare what figure what works best for you and have a great support, like mentorship. I've ended up picking up different people in the podcasting journey who I go through for different things and help. And uh, one thing I learned just because you're a team of one doesn't mean you're actually one. Uh, throughout this podcasting journey, I've ended up with a jingle and a paid intro. And most of them I haven't paid for them, but they are well made. But because I also learned on using your connections and doing butter trade. So you have friends who are good at production and you are better at this. Give them your services for this, let them do this. When you do more of what you love and let other people handle what you don't love, you're gonna continue enjoying what you're doing, and the consistency is gonna be easier.

Gabe Leal 26:13

Absolutely. So take notes, listeners. She's hitting on every point that you should in the beginning. Not all of us have a deep wallet to say I can go buy and build a $10,000 studio. Uh, I have my production guys over on Fiverr and Upwork doing all my work. That's the shit for down the road. This is for when you're starting and it's and it's hard. It's it's a hard grind. So you gotta love what you're doing. The process of finding guests to come talk shit with you. So how do you do your outreach to other uh people who might be potential guests and invite them on so that people who are listening might be able to say, okay, that'd be a good idea to do for myself. What works for Paula?

Paula Sima 26:55

So one thing is uh that was one of the biggest worries I was having when I started my podcast thinking, like, will I be able to get guests to come on my show? And now I I I turn around, I I turn away guests. It's ridiculous. Um so this is why my also system works, right? My workflow. So my podcast started as a safe space for me. So we were talking a lot about mental health, right? And then I remember you, you, you shared earlier about how people are not even advocates and talking about mental health. I I used to bring therapists and in different varieties and different everything. And eventually when I went to a conference, people kept on telling me you gotta find your niche. And I hated that. I was like, I don't wanna be closed in a box. Uh, I also realized mental health is so wide, and I only know what, like, I don't want to study mental health. I don't want to go that deep, but I also want to bring awareness to it because I am dealing with it. So I had to switch. That's when I switched to

Finding Your Podcasting Workflow

Paula Sima 27:55

creativity and mental health, uh, creativity journeys and mental health, where I wanted to give these creative, creative people their flowers, but also uh be aware of mental health and learn from these people what they're going through with their mental being in the creative space. Because we don't talk as much about that and all that. So most of the time, how I look for my guests is every season I try to sit like how do I want the season to be? Once I get the theme of that season, I I literally use Instagram a lot to find people, and um, I don't like doing emails because I hate emails, they feel so insensitive. I feel like I have to be uh proper and I hate nothing about me is so proper. So whenever I uh I send them a DM on Instagram, I send a voice note instead of a message so that they can hear me, my personality. Because sometimes I I am very sarcastic, so my messages can can be off depending on who's reading it. Yeah, if you don't know me. So when I send a voice note, I I I call them by their name, I do a little bit of research on them before I I message them and I'd be like, hey, I love your profile, I love everything you're doing, I'd love to have you on my podcast. And and to be honest, I got lucky because of my podcast being talk she we pee. Everybody wants to talk she we. But but I've also used dating apps. This is both looking for guests and promoting my podcast. Uh, if you're married, I don't recommend dating apps because please don't I don't want your partners coming for me. But uh I was single and I was in in these dating apps, and you find very interesting people on these apps, right? But um Bambo used to have uh a uh a place where you find friends or you find work. So when I saw Bambo had that,

Guest Outreach Strategies

Paula Sima 29:54

I decided even Tinder and Hinge can work both ways. So I'd put my podcast there and then I would swipe through the people. And some people, their character would just be like, oh my god, I love you on my podcast. And I've gotten a few people who have been on my podcast, and when you asked them where we met, it was Tinder, not because I was interested in dating them. And and sometimes I'd feel bad because I would swipe and they would accept, and then here I am like, oh my god, I love 12 years against my podcast. But dating apps was one of them. But I got lucky with Podfest and I mean with uh social Instagram. I barely have had guests from LinkedIn, and uh mostly also by going to conferences. So I go to a lot of podcasting conferences and meetups, and I meet people there, and and also word of mouth, some of the guests who have been on my show will tell other people will introduce me to somebody they think might be a fit for my show. So yeah.

Gabe Leal 30:52

Love that. People listen, that's the work. That's the work. It is is going to go find the avenues to find outreach for what's gonna work for you. Um and and I know that there's guest booking systems that people use. I want to have one at I'm gonna have one on the the show who who created one. We love us. Yes, we love people. Uh I love it too. But uh again, it's not the uh finding interesting people is sometimes digging under the right rocks to find individuals in certain areas. I've heard about every people going and digging on social media, going, I've never heard anyone say, I'm gonna go find dating apps to go to go find my guest. And maybe that would be somewhere down an avenue, but going to go find a particular sect of individual or guests again, it it worked.

Paula Sima 31:46

The show was gonna run around, so there was the Valentine's love in the air, and I was like, if I'm having accidental swingers, I was like, Tinder has the most random dating type of people. I was like, there's so many, and for some reason, couples always want me to be their third, so I felt bad matching on couples, they're thinking they're getting their third, and me. I'm like, can you come to my show and talk about how this works in your relationship? But it worked, and as much as I love Alex and I love Podmatch, but Podmatch, that's why I say you gotta look what works for you and your show, because Podmatch didn't do much for talking with P because a lot of people in Podmatch were more professional in a way. Like my show, uh, you really have to talk shit. I cast, we drink beers, like we we have conversations with a connection. So everybody who has been on my show, I have to feel a connection or a vibe from here, like you're really willing to bring it on my show. Relatable. So podmatch didn't work for me, even though I love them and uh I'm always rocking with them, you know. But and that that's nothing bad, but it just wasn't for my show. So I say when you know your why for your show and why you're doing it, what you want for your show, don't let everybody crowd you because everybody's gonna give you advice about oh your show should be like this, oh you should do this, oh you should do this. No, but you want your show because at the end of the day, you're the one doing it. Like all these people are just gonna talk, talk, talk.

Gabe Leal 33:14

But here's the thing though, I I don't want them to have to spend thousands and thousands of dollars to do this. My goal is to every time that we have a a class that goes through, we're launching 20 or 30 new podcasts out into the world. That that that they'll be able to maintain and sustain, not just doing the six-episode drop-off and then it just sits there and empty RSS feeds and no one knows where it what it's about. Why did they stop?

Paula Sima 33:40

Send them the link to to this podcast and be like, I I I like your podcast and I think you should come back.

Speaker 6 33:47

Uh that's why I looked for people in the first sect that had a figured out a way to find consistency because that's a breakthrough. Whether you know it or not, Paula, that's a breakthrough for the most podcasters. Much as they say it's flooded and saturated in the market. There's a the the people that break through and continue through, those are the ones that you should look at and model after. Like, how do they figure it out? I want to be able to nurture all the ones that I bring in and continue to push them on. How do you distribute and promote your podcast so that you find an audience or you find a community that wants to rock with you, that wants to listen? How do you promote it? I know you mentioned plus socials, but um uh I'd still like to hear your your thoughts, your insights.

Paula Sima 34:29

All right. Uh I think when when I did when when I did my my research and I started, I think the lady who I went to our class, the Australia, and I bascal had a Facebook group. This was in 2020, and I think those are only ones that I had had about were on Facebook with a community already. So I joined them that same year, they ended up giving me a free ticket to Portfest virtually. And then throughout the year, like the next year when I went in person, they were there at Portfest. Because I was debating moving or sticking around, because I also had created an account in Anchor, but distributing in Anchor was, I think the process was harder. And then Bassprout had where I was just clicking buttons when I went to the distribution, and I was just clicking buttons and they were doing everything for me. I was like, oh, I kind of like this. So I left Anchor alone. I was using Anchor to record, and then I would upload it on Bassprout, and the customer service was amazing. But I love my Bassprout people, but I annoy them too much, and their customer service is always helpful. And what I liked about it is because I am a person who does seasonal. And again, when you're leaving paycheck to paycheck, right? So when I'm taking a break on season, I don't have to continue paying for the hosting. Like I I go down to the $5 one where instead of paying that $20 monthly I do this, I go to $5 for just housing. I don't have hours to put the episode, but I just house it for $5 a month. And that to me was where I was like, oh, I can keep switch lopping off when I'm coming back. I put it on. So I love that. Anywhere where the customer service is amazing, I'm gonna hang around. So choose where you feel that works for you, especially now we have so many. Uh we have lip scene, I wouldn't really recommend right now. They're doing some shifts and shuffles over there. What's going on? But I I love captivate pod up. Yeah, pod-ups is one of mine because now I'm working on a private podcast. So I've been looking at places where they have private ones and uh pod ups and trans transformer, transformer is FM, I believe. Then my list where I'm doing research, but again, as I say, people these days, this Chat GPT, like ask ChatGPT the differences and see what you are looking for. Because again, depending on your budget, that's number one, depending on how much you want to spend and and what they offer and what you're trying to get from there. So, but I am Tim Basprout and I and I love them. And as far as uh promoting, right? We were talking about promoting, and I have like uh these are beer openers, and they are normally kitchens, depending on where you are, you're talking. They might forget the name of your podcast, right? Depending if you're drinking or hanging. So when they wake up and they find themselves with an opener or a sticker, and they're like, what the fuck is this? They're gonna go search you and find you. So I use a lot of that, and shout out to Matthew Pessy with his connect tap where it's just a tap and all my details are there. So I just tell people tap and see what it is. And I'm like, pull up your phone, pull up YouTube or pull up Spotify, and I and I search myself and I like I have self-promotion. Like if I'm talking to you, you're gonna hear about my podcast and I'll make you sign up for it, whether you listen or not. I hope you do listen. I have subscribed myself on you. I do that a lot. But um, the openness and stuff really help because people remember and they also end up checking you out.

Gabe Leal 38:07

Yes, and that's again, you you hit on a point that I think most podcasters don't probably realize until it's probably too late. You gotta self-promote.

Paula Sima 38:19

I used to hate talking about myself or my podcast, but I realized how are people gonna know? These days at the airport, like

Promoting Your Podcast Effectively

Paula Sima 38:25

I have a MacBook with my logo, I have foodie. So people look at my MacBook and they're like, Is that you? Yeah, that's my podcast, and we start talking about it on the line. Well, you might talk about your podcast.

Gabe Leal 38:37

It feels icky to sometimes self-promote yourself, but it's a necessity. How else are you gonna distribute and people you you could put a podcast out into the world and you're not gonna find no attraction? Um because you don't spend the time to say, I'm gonna go on Instagram and talk about it. If you want people to tune in, if you want downloads, if you want people to can continuously come back, you have to ask them, you have to tell them, please, at the end of listening to my podcast, where you head over to Apple, leave a review, go to Spotify, leave a review. There's nothing wrong with it. Because if it's good enough, people will.

Paula Sima 39:13

And I I I want to tell the people who are who are scared to self-promote or whatever. I used to be the same. When I, as soon as I started my podcast, I used to not want people to go listen because I'm sharing so many things. But these days, even on my dating house, when people are like, tell me about yourself, I send them a link of my podcast. Go listen to this episode and then come back and talk. One time I was a I was a pod first and I was um I was the host and we were waiting, it wasn't time yet for the next speakers. So, in order to pass time, I was like, so who wants to come out on the stage and share about their podcast? And the way people were rushing to come up to share about their podcast, I was so shocked. I expected people to be a little bit shy or whatever. And after they shared, I asked them when you ask us about our podcast, hell yeah, we're going to talk about our podcast. What do you mean? And I was like, I want to be like that. I want to be able to just rush and talk about my podcast. And now I can't shut up. I'm like, have you ever heard about talkshire we pee? You should go listen to talk sheep. You should find Talkshire We P. And now, even with my business, with everything, I'm like, like, if you don't talk about it, nobody else will. And even one time people kept on asking me, I was like, Paul, on your show, you're constantly telling us how broke you are and you're leaving paycheck to paycheck. And she's embarrassed about saying that. I'm like, hell no. How else am I gonna get an opportunity or a job if I pretend like I'm all good? Closed mouths don't get fed. So I am gonna tell you guys I'm looking for this opportunity. I am gonna tell you that now and when things are happening, people will remember, oh my god, you remember that show? Maybe they should come. Oh, you remember Paula shows looking for this opportunity. But if you keep quiet, ain't nothing happening.

Gabe Leal 40:49

Ain't nothing happening. There you go. All right. Thank God you shelted shared such a wealth of knowledge. Thank you, Paula, for taking the time again to do this. Um I love your style. I love your style.

Outro 41:29

If what Paula shared today landed for you, and I think it did, go find her. She is a talk shit with pee everywhere. That's not a typo, and it's not a coincidence. Instagram, TikTok, threads, same handle, all of them. And the show itself, Talk Shit with P is on every major platform. Spotify, Apple Podcasts, wherever you're listening to this right now, go search it. Ten seasons of real conversation with creatives who showed up and told the truth. Start anywhere. You won't regret it. And while you're at it, if this show has been useful to you, leave a review for the podcast about podcasting on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Subscribe if you haven't. Tell one person. That's the whole CTA one person. You know exactly who needs to hear this. Links to Paula's show and socials are in the show notes. No excuses.

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