Building a Podcast in Two Months: 30 Episodes and YouTube Growth—Brent Colbert | Ep 147

What does it really take to start a podcast when the idea has been sitting with you for years? In this episode, we get an honest look at what happens when someone finally takes the leap, starts publishing, and learns fast by doing.In this episode, I sit down with Brent Colbert, host of The First Responder Playbook, to talk about launching a podcast for police, fire, EMS, and first responder communities. Brent is a full-time police officer in the United States, and his show focuses on training, leadership, real stories, and the lessons first responders can use to grow in their work and life.You’ll pick up practical lessons from Brent’s first two months as a podcast host, including how he booked his first guests, why PodMatch helped him get started, how he published close to 30 episodes in a short time, and what he learned from early technical issues with podcast hosting. We also talk about his production setup, including StreamYard, Cast Magic, REAP, Podbean, TubeBuddy, and the simple systems helping him create video clips, descriptions, timestamps, and YouTube content. Plus, you’ll hear how his YouTube channel grew faster than expected, why he is focused on watch hours and monetization, and what new podcasters can learn from starting before everything feels perfect.Tune in for a real, grounded conversation about courage, consistency, guest booking, podcast tools, audience growth, and why Brent wishes he had started sooner.Connect With Brent ColbertYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheFirstResponderPlaybookIf My Podcast Story speaks to you, consider subscribing so you never miss an episode. And if you have a moment, leaving a review helps more people discover the stories shared here. Your support truly means a lot.There’s more to every story than what you hear on the episode. Join the My Podcast Story newsletter to receive thoughtful takeaways, episode extras, and personal notes that don’t make it into the show. It’s a quiet way to stay inspired between listens.Sign up here: https://mypodcaststory.com/joinChapters00:00 Opening Moment00:19 Meet Brent Colbert00:48 Brent Shares How New the Podcast Is01:44 The Real Reason Brent Started The First Responder Playbook03:39 Naming The First Responder Playbook04:36 How Brent Got His First Guest05:23 Finding PodMatch Through Reddit06:07 How the Podcast Vision Is Coming Together06:50 Brent’s Podcast Production Tools08:35 Switching From Riverside to StreamYard09:01 Moving to Podbean After Hosting Issues09:58 Growing Fast on YouTube10:38 Working Toward YouTube Monetization11:22 Brent’s Simple Podcast Tool Stack12:00 Why a Podcast Website Is Next16:22 Using TubeBuddy for YouTube Tags and SEO17:23 The Biggest Roadblock So Far18:43 The Hard Lesson Brent Learned From Apple Podcast Issues21:06 How Brent Finds Episode Ideas and Guests22:13 Spontaneous Guest Booking vs Planned Topics23:36 Listener Feedback and Handling Negative Comments25:08 A Listener Message That Made the Work Feel Worth It26:00 Fear, Doubt, and Starting Anyway27:28 The Surprising Guests Brent Has Interviewed28:11 The Advice Brent Would Give Himself on Day One28:48 Brent’s Earlier Attempt at Podcasting31:59 Why Guest Interviews Help With Consistency32:10 Three Non-Negotiables for New Podcasters34:23 Brent’s Future Podcast Plans36:03 Growing Through Social Media and a Website37:23 The Difference Between Evergreen and Timely Podcasts40:06 Where to Find Brent and The First Responder Playbook41:09 Final Thoughts