Overcoming Podcast Paralysis and What to Do When Recording an Episode Feels Extra Tough
Even if you love podcasting, we all have days when sitting down and recording an episode feels really hard. (We’re all human, after all!) So what do you do when you don’t know what to talk about, or you’re too exhausted to create content, or life has been throwing you one curveball after another?
Today, I’m sharing the exact tips and strategies that have helped me stay consistent with my podcast, even when faced with challenges and unexpected hiccups along the way. From having strong systems in place, to advance preparation, to allowing yourself sufficient flexibility and grace, you’ll have everything you need the next time resistance strikes. If you’re feeling stuck, or you’re in need of a little extra encouragement lately, then read on now!
Why you should have a system and know how best you like to record
My first tip is to have a system in place and to identify how you like to record your podcast episodes. This is really important to prevent you feeling scattered and sounding unprofessional. Personally, I like to do a mix of scripting parts of my episodes, giving myself a rough outline of key points to reference, and sort of riffing or speaking off the cuff. Doing this allows me to have just enough structure that my episodes make sense while also capturing my personality. Take some time to consider what works for you, and be intentional about approaching your episodes in that way going forward.
Planning content in advance, creating a schedule, and using a formula
My next tip is all about advance preparation and giving yourself a framework so that it doesn’t feel like you’re always creating content from scratch. Whenever possible, plan out your content at least one month, preferably three months, ahead of time. (You’ll thank yourself for this later!) Then, once you’ve planned your content, it’s much easier to create a schedule and give yourself a better idea of what episodes you’re going to record on what days. And keep in mind, it’s totally fine if you need to adjust this schedule later on! It’s not necessarily meant to be set in stone as much as it’s intended to be a solid starting point.
Now imagine you sit down to put this plan into action and you’re ready to flesh out the details of your episodes. Do you want to be staring at a blank Google Doc? Probably not! In my experience, there’s nothing that incites more resistance than looking at a blank document. This is where having a formula, a framework, a template, whatever you’d like to call it, becomes so valuable. Make sure that your formula reflects how you typically like to organize and present your content so that you can use it over and over again. If you’re wondering what my template looks like, I offer it exclusively inside the Strategic Podcast Academy.
Giving yourself an emergency plan and flexibility within your schedule
When I say “emergency plan”, I’m referring to how you’re going to take action on those days when it feels like you just can’t. Are you going to give yourself a break that week? Are you going to re-air an old episode? The idea is to decide on what this looks like early on so that you aren’t left spiraling in the moment or dealing with a stressful state of indecision where you ultimately do nothing at all. Be proactive, accept that you’re going to have some off days, and take initiative now so that those instances are easier to manage when they do come up.
Taking the time to prioritize your mental health and well-being
Finally, it’s so important to remember to set aside time for yourself. This is true even if everything feels like it’s smooth sailing, but especially if it feels like it’s not. Read, play a video game, take a walk outside – those are the things that work for me – whatever you need to clear your mind and refocus. You can even repurpose an old episode, freshen it up a bit, and post it again with a different title. Seek out accountability and community because, at the end of the day, there’s nothing more empowering than peers who are going through the same things you are and really leaning into that support system.
We all experience resistance, even when we’re doing something that we love. The key is to develop strategies that you can leverage in those moments to keep you consistent, help you produce quality content for your listeners, and ensure that you always show up in the best way possible for your podcast. Want some more insight on how you can optimize your approach to podcasting? Sign up for a podcast audit!
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The Transcript for Podcast Your Business:
163: Overcoming Podcast Paralysis and What to Do When Recording an Episode Feels Extra Tough
[00:00:00] Caroline Hull: I needed to record an episode this week and was just not feeling it. And that happens, right? Creating content and podcast episodes can be tough, especially when you have other things going on. So in today's episode, I'm going to share my top tips for creating podcast content, even when it feels hard. [00:00:19][19.3]
[00:00:21] Caroline Hull: Hi there and welcome to Share, Strategize and Shine. I'm your host, Caroline Hull, a podcast strategist and CEO of Wild Home Podcasting. I've built my entire career through podcasts by sharing my experience using strategic systems and shining a light on the power of podcasting. If you are looking to cultivate leads for your membership, group program, or consulting services, I'm here to help you create a holistic and integrative podcast strategy that will let your business thrive. Let's dive in. [00:00:56][35.4]
[00:01:03] Caroline Hull: Hello and welcome back to Share, Strategize and Shine. I have been having such, a month of January. Does anybody else feel like January has lasted, like 500 million days? But I'm a little under the weather today, so if I sound a little funky, that is why today's episode we're going to talk about creating content. And I was thinking of, okay, what is a problem we solved this week that was related to content. And one of the things that keeps coming up, I was actually helping somebody in a Facebook group with this and not my Facebook group was a totally different Facebook group. There are a lot of really great tools out there for podcasts. Some some of my favorites include Squadcast and Descript. But listen, not every tool is infallible, and I do find it really interesting when you're in these Facebook groups and people are having trouble with the tool and they're just like, it's the worst. And I'm like, literally no tool is the best, but you have to figure out what works for you. But one thing I wanted to touch on was Squadcast. I do really like Squadcast. I've been using it for recording my interviews and I actually really like it. I'm like one of the original Zencastr users back when Zencastr first came out and I just loved it because, you know, Zoom is fantastic and I think Zoom is a really great tool if you aren't super tech savvy, but if you really want to up the quality of your interviews, having them recorded on their own devices can be so impactful for the quality. And that's where these tools like Zencastr and Squadcast and Riverside come in. But again, things happen. Somebody's internet may not be perfect. Their connection may not be great. They may have clicked the wrong button and not have their microphone set up. And so I wanted to give a couple tips. If you are using something like Squadcast and I'm not 100% sure about Riverside, I've only played around with it a little bit. But I do know that in Squadcast, one of the really cool features they have is that they record a backup. So if you get done with your recording and you import your videos into Descript or whatever editing software you're using, and somebodys video cuts out and you're like, oh my gosh, I don't have the whole thing. They actually do a cloud recording. So if you go back to that recording, you click on all files, you'll see a cloud recording, and that is a composite recording of the entire interview. But this brings up a really great point. Whenever you are recording over the internet with somebody, I highly, highly recommend having a backup. So whether that is Zoom, if you're recording on Zoom, and then you also hit record in QuickTime and have your guest do the same. Or if you're recording on a tool, making sure that they either have a backup or you initiate a backup of your own because. Again, things happen. Connections aren't great. So when you're looking for a tool that works for you for recording interviews over the internet. One of the big features I want you to make sure that they have is some kind of backup, because you never know when you're going to need it. And if you're really savvy, you can take that backup and you can use it the way you need to, and still have a really great audio and video recording of your podcast. And that's the problem I saw this week. [00:04:21][198.3]
[00:04:24] Caroline Hull: Oh, man. Okay, we're going to get into it today. Life has been throwing me curveballs left and right these days. And to be honest, some days I feel like I'm barely keeping my head above water. It's just been one of those, years. But it's only January, you know? But, you know, you add on the kids schedules and normal day to day stuff on top of that. And creating content just does not take priority. I think showing up and creating content can be especially hard when you're struggling with your mental health. And that is something that I have been working through this past month in a really big way. You know, and so that has made it really hard to record podcast episodes to show up on Instagram, all those places. Right. I'm going to be talking specifically about podcast episodes today, but this really applies to all content. When you are a solopreneur, or if even if you're not a solopreneur, but you are the face of your company. It can be so hard to be seen all the time. I know for me, like, you know, the idea of, well, today is really awful and I need to post this thing on Instagram because I am my marketing team, my my sales team. And I'll force a smile and I'll post something and say everything's wonderful and great, but it can feel really fake, you know? And so I actually, this past month, posted a couple posts that were very real and like, hey, things really suck right now, but I'm keeping going. You know, it's it's hard to show up when things just feel, so hard. Right? So one thing that I've been really leaning into in all of this is that I control how much I'm showing up. And, you know, this applies to social media, but also how I approach my podcast episodes. But even when things feel tough, there are some things you can do to make the podcast episode creation of a whole lot easier. And I just felt like I'm probably not the only one who's going through this. And so I really wanted to share this today and dive into this, and I hope that these tips will help you not just with your podcast creation, but all content creation across the board. [00:06:38][134.1]
[00:06:39] Caroline Hull: So the first thing I want to say is that it is okay to take breaks and change your content schedule if you need to. I'm giving you permission. This is me giving you all the permission in the world that you need. But I think sometimes we're really afraid to do that, right? We're afraid to take breaks. We're afraid to change our schedule. What if people notice? What if it changes? My followers, listeners, all those things. But like you are the creator of all of this, I. You get to build your business and your marketing in a way that suits you and fits you. And so I just want to, like, give that universal permission today. Like, you can take breaks, you can change your content schedule. Now back to podcast episodes. Usually creating podcast episodes feels hard because there are not great systems in place. Nine times out of ten, if I'm working with a client and they are struggling with creating content and it's getting it done right and making sure that it's consistent and that they like what the end result is, usually all of the problems around that have to do with not having a really great system that works for them. And I'm going to I'm gonna go through some particulars about what the systems can look like today, because I think a system is really, really important to make it not only feel easier on a normal day, but to make it feel easier when you're having a hard day. Right? So one of the things I want you to reflect on is how do you best record? Like, are you good at sitting down and just riffing? And whatever comes out is amazing and wonderful and that works great for you? Or do you need more structure, a better like a script type thing? I personally do a mix. So like I'm recording this episode and I have an outline, I have bullet points, I have like the key points that I want to hit in the episode, but it's not exactly scripted. Some pieces of it are just because I sat down and let a stream of consciousness come out, but I do find that it mixes best because it incorporates a little bit of structure with personality, and that's really what we want in your podcast episode. So you don't seem robotic, but you seem really personable and your episodes make sense, right? But reflect on what works best for you, because I think this is really, really important. You know, I used to sit down and just train riff episodes and it worked really well at first. But as my life kind of got busier and things changed, that became a lot harder, and I found that my content was not as good. It was very scattered and I was repeating myself a lot in my episodes. And so now, because I do an outline and it kind of scripts, it really helps keep me on track. And it also helps me sound better, more professional, like, you know, I know what I'm talking about, but you know, when you've had a crazy day and your kids are like pulling on you every five seconds, you need to sit down and record an episode. If you don't have this outline or something to guide you. I mean, it's just not going to be as good, right? At least in my experience. [00:09:42][182.7]
[00:09:44] Caroline Hull: Another thing that I want to talk about. And so these first few tips like these are all things that you need to do on the front end. Right. So right now I'm talking about to prepare ourselves for that time when things do feel hard. Right. So knowing how best we like to record and then having your content planned out at least one month. Bonus points if you can plan out three months in advance. I really think this is the best way to go. Having a schedule, and even if it's something that I may change up, you know, having not knowing what episodes I need to record and when and how they work with my entire business is so helpful when I'm just not feeling it right, because I can sit down and I can see, okay, this is what I need to do today, and I can make sure that that's what I work on, right? One of the things I also do is I make sure that I have days set aside to brainstorm my content. So whether that's like each month or every couple weeks, I will just I will make sure that there is a moment where I can just sit down and think about, okay, what do I want to create this next month, this next week, and so on and so forth. And setting aside those brainstorm days has been so helpful for me, and just making sure that I'm ahead. I have things planned, and I also use these days to actually brainstorm my episodes. [00:11:09][84.8]
[00:11:09] Caroline Hull: Which brings me to kind of my next point. So I mentioned that I want you to know how best you like to record. But the other thing I want you to have is some kind of formula. So I want you to create or use a template or formula for each episode that's going to help you stay on track. And this is really, really key for when things feel hard at not having to start from a blank slate, right? When I sit down to a blank Google doc on a hard day, nothing is going to go into it. But when I sit down on a day when I'm like, I really don't know what I want to record, I really don't want to record this episode, and I have something to give me some structure. It makes it so much easier. I'm going to be completely honest with you. This episode that I'm recording right now is not the episode I had planned to record today. I had something else, and I just kept looking at my schedule and I didn't love it and I just wasn't feeling it. And again, it's just been a really hard couple couple of weeks and today I'm just not feeling great. But I was able to sit down and script out this episode and get it recorded, and I'm going to edit it right after I record it and send it to my show notes writer, because I have a formula and a template, and I think that has made the biggest impact on my content creation process. You know, there's a lot of other things I could say about, like folders and asana boards, but like having a Google doc that is ready to go for me for every episode has just been a game changer. And if you're wondering what my template looks like or you want to see it, this is something that is exclusively offered inside my Strategic Podcast Academy, and I'll talk a little bit more about that and some of the other things that I'm going to mention in this episode as well. But yeah, it's just been amazing. So get some kind of formula, set up some kind of template, and that's going to make things a lot easier. [00:13:08][118.8]
[00:13:09] Caroline Hull: So let's go into when you're actually in the moment and things feel hard and what to do for creating content. One thing is you need to have some kind of plan in place for those days where you just can't. And whether that means like, okay, I'm going to take a break from an episode this week, or I'm going to re-air an old episode, but know what the answer is for you. That way, when you do have to make a decision, it doesn't feel like you're having to choose between creating content and just not doing anything at all. And if you're emergency planners, I'm just going to take a break this week and let my listeners know that's okay. But you know, know what you're going to do. Know what that plan is for you? For me, it's rearing old episodes. For me, it's messaging my team and saying, hey, I need you to pull an old episode that did really well, or one that we want to boost or that seems relevant an era for me this week because I just can't, you know? [00:14:05][55.3]
[00:14:06] Caroline Hull: Are you feeling frustrated because your podcast is not working for your business the way that you want it to? I completely understand, and one of the best places to start to get you back on track is with an audit. During an audit, I look at everything from your assets to your feed, to your goals for your business and your content, and how your podcast is supporting those goals to actually help you move forward. If you want to take your podcast to the next level, I highly encourage you get an audit. Head to WildHomePodcasting.com/audit. [00:14:38][32.1]
[00:14:42] Caroline Hull: So I literally have to pause this episode for a minute and tell you what just happened, because I feel like it's so relevant to what I'm recording. But I was recording this episode and got a phone call for my daughter's enrichment program that she was sick, had to leave and go pick her up. And I was like thinking to myself, I was like, oh my gosh, this is so just it goes with the episode. So anyways, back to it. So I mentioned my emergency plan. But here's one thing I wanted to talk about too is having flexibility within your schedule. So I mentioned that I'm planning my content ahead of time. What's really great about this is this gives me a lot of episode ideas to kind of move around. And so like today when I'm sitting down to record an episode, I have the flexibility to really lean into what feels good when I don't really want to record. Right. So I'm able to choose something that feels good for today, but is still going to help me with my marketing and my sales and all of those things. Right? So having that flexibility and being able to adjust and adapt and move things around is really, really key. [00:15:53][70.9]
[00:15:54] Caroline Hull: And then there are some other things that are less about podcasting, more about mental health that I really wanted to mention. Set aside time for yourself. You know, do something that is not related to content creation that makes you happy. Read. Play a video game. That's what I like to do. Clear your mind. That always helps me refocus when I'm trying to create content and, you know, put it off for another day. I was actually supposed to record this episode yesterday, and this is going out next week, and I knew that, hey, I can give myself one more day to, you know, get into the vibe to feel it. And so I did that. Adjusted my schedule this week so I could do that. Kid interruptions aside, it's worked out pretty well. And. I think that, you know, these points are really important because you've got to give your brain the space to be able to get into a moment of, okay, I'm going to create the content, right. You know, take a walk. Getting outside, getting into nature is so important. And go outside and put your bare feet in the grass kind of thing. Ground yourself outside. Another thing I might do if I'm not feeling inspired is to find something inspiring to read. Whether that's related to what I'm doing or something else. So this morning I listen to a podcast episode, and that got me into the groove again. It got me feeling, you know, the vibe and like, hey, I'm ready to sit down and record. Another really great idea. If you just cannot figure out what to record, you're struggling to script an episode is to look at older episodes. You know, maybe you have one that's super, super popular and it's from a couple years ago. Rework it into a new episode, take the framework of that episode and create a whole new episode based off of it. Not only is that a really great thing to do, to just freshen up what you have, but it's also really great because if something is still getting hits from a long time ago and that tells you it's still really popular and relevant. And so if you can rerecord that in a new way, give it a new title, give it a new kind of vibe, I always think that's really great too. So that's actually something we've been talking about doing with my own podcast, because. Well, spoiler alert we're working on something that is going to involve launching, and that's something I haven't really talked about in a long time. So we've been kind of rethinking and reworking some of those launch episodes from years ago. And then my last big piece of advice is to seek accountability and community. Nothing is harder than when you're trying to do it all by yourself. Whether that's a group on Facebook or a mastermind or something, getting into the room with other people really helps, especially when you're having trouble seeing your business for what it is, seeing your podcast for what it is and coming up with content and, you know, knowing that there are people who are going through what you're going through, I think is really huge. And that's something that I've been working on this year, is try not to be so isolated. And my home and my business in my office, all of those things. Right, because it really does make a difference. And honestly, that's why I created the Strategic Podcast Academy, because I wanted a community where people were working on their podcast and they could come together to talk about it, and they could have the resources and tools they need to get it done, because sometimes that's just what you need, right? So listen, creating podcast episodes isn't always going to be a piece of cake. You have to be willing to give yourself grace and time as you need it. Lean into your systems and seek help. Because. Because the goal here is to create something that works for us and works for our business. And consistency and quality content is all part of what makes that happen. And so when that starts to feel hard, like take a step back every listen to this episode, go through the tips that I talked about. Check your systems, check your mind, see if you need to incorporate accountability and community into that, and just really lean into I want to create the best content I can, so how can I help myself show up in the best way possible? And all the templates and tools that I mentioned. I have the planning workshop, a templates for episode scripts, templates for show notes, even a template for how to organize your podcast. That's all inside the Strategic Podcast Academy. So if you're looking for resources and help with your systems, is an excellent place to start, and you can just head to WildHomePodcasting.com/membership or StrategicPodcastAcademy.com to get more information on that. Have a beautiful, beautiful week. My friends and I will be back soon with another episode. [00:20:52][297.9]
[00:20:53] Caroline Hull: Thank you for listening to share, Strategize and Shine. To give your own podcast some shine, download my free podcast guide to creating episodes for sales by heading to the link in the show notes. Be sure to leave a review and connect with me on Instagram for more podcast strategy insights. Until next time
