In today’s episode of Press Play, I’m breaking down one of the biggest questions I hear about podcasting: how to make money from your podcast — and more specifically, the fastest way to do it.
Let’s be real for a second. Podcasting is a huge investment. It takes time, energy, consistency, patience, and a lot of behind-the-scenes work. I literally just saw someone on TikTok talking about shutting down their podcast because it “wasn’t worth it” for how much effort it took. And honestly? I get why people feel that way — if their podcast isn’t making them money.
That’s why I believe so strongly that your podcast should be treated as an extension of your business, not just a passion project. Your podcast should be making your marketing easier and helping you sell your offers. If it’s not doing at least one of those things, it’s going to start feeling heavy really fast.
Here’s the truth: the quickest way to monetize your podcast is to sell your own offers. Not sponsorships. Not waiting to hit some magical download number. Not ads. Sponsorships take a long time to become worth it, and for most podcasters, the payout just isn’t there — especially when you factor in how much work it takes to grow a show to that level.
If you want to make money sooner rather than later, you need to use your podcast as a sales and marketing tool. That means running a solo show, highlighting your expertise, shifting beliefs, creating content that converts, and clearly talking about what you sell. Your podcast should be drawing the shortest possible line from someone listening to someone buying.
If you start a podcast just to “have conversations” or talk about random topics with no strategy, you’re signing up for a long road with little to no return — and burnout usually isn’t far behind. Strategic podcasting is what keeps this sustainable. You need to be able to see how your podcast fits into your business, how it supports your offers, and how it’s helping you generate revenue.
You don’t need a huge audience to make money from a podcast. Ten listeners is enough if one person buys. I’ve seen people make sales in their very first week of podcasting simply because they were clear, intentional, and actually selling.
If you want your podcast to be worth the effort, this is the path. Use it as the powerful marketing machine it’s meant to be — and let it work for your business, not against your energy.
If you are ready to create a podcast that pays for your business, come join the 7 day accelerator over on my Skool community! It's free for the first 7 days. Head over to www.podcastthatpays.com
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Music credit: Mavericks by Harrison Amer. A Podcast Launch Bestie production