We're spending a day in March fixing broken podcast strategies. Want in?
One day in the studio. Six people. Here's what we're building...
You’ve probably seen it too?
Someone you know, a sharp CEO, a brilliant marketer, a consultant who genuinely has something to say, launches a podcast. The trailer is good. The first few episodes land well. There’s LinkedIn buzz, a few DMs, some encouraging download numbers.
And then... around episode seven, sometimes eight, the feed goes quiet.
Not because they ran out of ideas. Not because podcasting is hard. But somewhere between the enthusiasm of the launch and the reality of producing episode after episode, something runs out of steam.
From everything I’ve read, and from what others in the industry consistently report, this is the most common pattern in business podcasting. Statistically, the majority of podcasts that ever launch don’t make it past episode ten.
And almost none of it is the audio’s fault. (Though yes, please don’t record in your kitchen.)
The real reason is simpler (and more fixable) than most people think
Adéle de la Reÿ, who has spent decades in C-suite marketing strategy and who is my partner in this venture, has a line I keep borrowing: “If the podcast isn’t anchored to real priorities, it becomes content theatre.”
Content theatre looks busy. It sounds reasonable. It quietly costs a fortune — in time, in energy, in opportunity cost — and moves nothing.
The culprit, in almost every case, is that the podcaster built their show around enthusiasm rather than strategy. And more specifically: they followed advice designed for the wrong model.
There are, broadly speaking, three kinds of podcasts...
1) The Hobby Podcast Do it for the love of it. Irregular, experimental, no commercial pressure. Success is enjoyment and learning. Nothing wrong with this at all.
2) The Media Podcast Your audience is the product. Advertisers are your customer. You’re building a listenership to monetise. This is the model that most podcast advice assumes you’re running.
3) The Business Influence Podcast Your audience IS your customer. You’re building credibility, opening doors, warming relationships. You’re not trying to reach everyone — you’re trying to reach the right fifteen people at the right time.
Here’s where it goes wrong... most business leaders are running a Business Influence podcast while following Media podcast advice. So they optimise for download numbers when they should be tracking conversations started. They build for scale when they should be building for depth. And they burn out chasing an audience they don’t actually need.
Once you understand which lane you’re in — really understand it — everything becomes clearer. What to record. Who to invite. What to measure. When to call it a win.
Which is why I’d like you to join us in March
This is unashamedly a pitch. A generous one, I hope, but a pitch nonetheless.
Adéle and I are running a Podcast Masterclass — one full day in the studio, limited to six people, designed to make sure you leave with a podcast strategy that’s actually built for your business.
Not a workbook full of good intentions. Actual things.
Here’s what you walk out with:
A one-sentence podcast purpose statement — if you can’t say it in one sentence, you don’t have a podcast yet, you have a vague idea
A topic and guest map for your first season, linked to your real business priorities
A 60-second trailer — scripted and recorded on the day, in the studio, with proper mics and proper sound
An episode blueprint you can use (or hand to someone else) for every episode going forward
A 30-day rollout plan with names against tasks and actual dates
Six people. That’s it. Because the work we do in the room requires real conversation, not a seminar.
The investment is R9,950 per person (excluding VAT). That includes your workbook, studio time, and the trailer you’ll leave with.
Here’s what I’d like you to do
If you’ve been thinking about starting a podcast — or if you’ve already started one and it’s starting to feel like hard work without a clear return — March’s masterclass is for you.
Drop us a mail at masterclass@solidgold.co.za with the subject line “Count me in for your March Podcast Masterclass” and we’ll send you everything you need.
Or just reply to this post. I read every one. :-)
Seats are genuinely limited to six. When it’s full, it’s full — and we won’t be running another one until later in the year.
Thank you for your time. If you know someone who’s been talking about starting a podcast for the last eighteen months... perhaps send this their way.
PS. Adéle reviewed this post before it went out. She confirmed it had a clear purpose, a defined audience, and a direct CTA. I’m choosing to take that as a compliment. ;-)