3 Mistakes I Made When Starting My Podcast With Lauren Najar

What does it really take to start and grow a podcast as a business owner?After one year of Business Over Cocktails, Lauren Najar is sharing the real behind-the-scenes of building a business podcast—from deciding what the show should actually be about to figuring out podcast growth, guest pitches, downloads, monetization, and what it takes to keep showing up.In this episode, Lauren reflects on her first year of podcasting and the biggest lessons she learned along the way. She talks about why she waited so long to start a podcast, how she finally found an idea she loved, what surprised her about podcast downloads and audience engagement, and why some episodes performed better than others—even when the guests had large audiences.She also gets honest about the realities of podcasting for business, including batching episodes too far in advance, managing podcast guests, receiving guest pitches, hiring a podcast manager, using podcasting tools, and deciding when it's time to be more intentional about growth and monetization.Most importantly, Lauren shares the advice that helped her finally press record: don't start a podcast just because you think you should. Start when you love the idea enough to keep going.Whether you're thinking about starting a podcast for your business, you're already a podcast host, or you're looking for ways to use podcasting to grow your personal brand, this episode offers an honest look at what the first year can actually teach you.In year two, Lauren is getting more intentional about podcast strategy, guest selection, audience growth, monetization, and creating the kind of deeper business conversations that Business Over Cocktails was built for.In this episode:Starting a podcast as a business ownerWhat Lauren learned from her first year of podcastingPodcast growth and audience engagementHow to choose podcast guestsGuest pitches and podcast outreachPodcast downloads, streams, and metricsPodcast monetizationBatching podcast episodesHiring a podcast managerCreating a podcast people actually want to listen toBuilding a personal brand through podcastingWhy you should love your podcast idea before you startPull up a seat, pour your favorite drink, and join Lauren for a very honest conversation about what worked, what surprised her, and what's next for Business Over Cocktails.Upcoming Events:Napa Retreat - October 5-8, 2026 - https://laurennajar.myflodesk.com/cetj223rsrGrowth & Connect Events - https://laurennajar.myflodesk.com/hb2a0mwbqwSave 25% with Flodesk - https://flodesk.com/c/OR8VKLLet’s Stay Connected: → Follow Lauren on Instagram: www.instagram.com/laurennajar → Learn more or work with me: www.laurennajar.com → Follow Business Over Cocktails on IG: www.instagram.com/businessovercocktails → Attend Growth & Connect retreats & events: www.instagram.com/growthandconnect🎧 Subscribe & Review: Love the episode? Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share with a friend who needs a business boost and a good chat over a cocktail.