Podcast Growth After 300 Episodes: What I Wish I Knew Starting Out"— Nicola Beer | Ep 118

If you want to know how a long-standing podcast can evolve with you and fuel a thriving business, this episode is for you. I sat down with Nicola Beer, who’s been running her show for eight years—yes, eight! In this conversation, we dig into what it takes to stay consistent even when life gets messy, and how podcasting can continue to spark your creativity.You’ll find out why having the right episode titles (and podcast name) makes all the difference in getting found, plus how you can use listener questions to create episodes your audience actually wants. Nicola also gets real about the early hurdles, like struggling with equipment and even getting that dreaded one-star review—and she shares her practical way to handle criticism without taking it personally.Whether you’re new to podcasting or you want to keep your show going for the long haul, you’ll get inspiration around sustainable production, growing an audience with solo episodes, and why you don’t have to be everywhere on social media for your podcast to succeed.Connect With Nicola BeerWebsite: https://nicolabeer.comIf 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/joinIf the stories you hear on My Podcast Story bring you inspiration, clarity, or simply a moment of connection, consider supporting the podcast by buying me a coffee. Every contribution helps me continue sharing the journeys of podcasters from around the world.Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/wisdomhqWant to be a guest on My Podcast Story? Send Wisdom Okonkwo a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/mypodcaststoryChapters00:00 Starting With a Healing Mission00:42 What Is Relationship Trauma?02:05 Childhood Experiences and Patterns03:31 Why Podcasting for Healing04:07 How the Podcast Began05:10 Deleting Old Episodes and Evolving06:15 Journey as a Solo Podcaster07:02 Treating Podcasting Like a Marathon08:12 From Coaching to Podcasting09:06 Episode Volume and Deleting Content10:21 Endless Relationship Topics11:25 Latest Episode Inspiration11:48 Tech Troubles and Early Hurdles13:13 Handling Tough Podcast Feedback15:04 Learning and Improving With Feedback16:58 How Podcasting Grows a Global Business18:43 Managing Gear While Traveling19:37 Surveying Listeners for Episode Ideas20:20 Using Podpage for Podcast Websites22:32 Behind-the-Scenes Workflow23:20 Using Audacity for Simple Edits25:29 Launching a Second Podcast26:31 Time Investment Per Episode27:31 Why Solo Episodes Work29:03 Busting Podcasting Myths30:17 Audience Growth and Title Strategy31:53 Staying Focused for Listeners33:47 Retaining Listeners With Value34:50 Picking a Searchable Podcast Name35:37 Strategy for Nicola’s Second Show36:18 SEO Strategies for Podcasters37:13 Checking What Drives Podcast Growth39:55 Smart Episode Naming and Keywords40:12 Finding Clients Through the Podcast41:22 Knowing Your Marketing Channels42:50 Focusing on What Works43:26 Wisdom’s Marketing Preferences45:51 Podcast SEO Is Still Untapped47:01 What’s Next for the Podcast48:05 Considering Audience Q&A Episodes50:05 How Listener Questions Could Work54:15 Getting Speaking Gigs From Your Show56:22 Where to Listen and Connect