What I Learned After One Year of Podcasting with Lauren Najar

What happens when you start a podcast without a five-year plan, a huge audience, or a goal to become the next big show?In this special one-year episode of Business Over Cocktails, Lauren Najar reflects on her first year of podcasting and what she’s learned about starting a podcast, growing an audience, finding the right guests, creating meaningful conversations, and building a podcast that actually feels aligned with your business.Lauren shares the real behind-the-scenes of launching Business Over Cocktails—from taking months to figure out what she wanted the podcast to be, to batching episodes, managing guest pitches, learning which episodes actually perform, and realizing that a large social media following doesn't always translate into podcast listeners.She also talks about the lessons she learned around podcast consistency, outsourcing, podcast downloads and metrics, monetization, choosing guests, and why you should never start a podcast simply because you think you "should."Most importantly, Lauren shares the advice that stayed with her before she ever hit record: you have to love your idea. Because when you do, you'll have a reason to keep showing up.As Business Over Cocktails heads into year two, Lauren is getting more intentional about the podcast, its guests, its growth, and eventually monetizing the platform—without losing the honest, deeper conversations that made her start it in the first place.If you're thinking about starting a podcast for your business, already have a podcast, or simply want a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to build one, pull up a seat.This is one year of Business Over Cocktails—what worked, what surprised Lauren, what she'd change, and what's coming next.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.