the softer cast: podcast advice for small-business owners & creatives

By Amelia HrubyBusiness Entrepreneurship Technology

the softer cast: podcast advice for small-business owners & creatives episodes

December 02, 2025 📢 Last call for free podcast advice!
Here's a secret very few people know: I'm taking a sabbatical from Softer Sounds in 2026.
During that time, this show will be on hiatus. So this is your last call to submit a question and get free podcast advice.
➡️ Click here to submit a voice message by 12/12

3 min
November 25, 2025 Your Podcast is a Portal ⊹ ₊ ⟡ ⋆
Ten years ago today, the very first podcast episode I ever created was published. (You can still listen to it right here.)
To celebrate, I've lowered the price of our podcast launch course, Your Podcast is a Portal, to only $99 USD.
*** Update: this course now has pay what you can pricing! ***
⠀⠀
Your Podcast is a Portal will teach you all the technical aspects of podcasting. But even more than that – it includes my tender approach to the vulnerable parts of making a show.
Because podcasting is not just for white, middle-aged men or Gen Z podcast bros. It's not only for the ideologically-oriented, the technically-savvy, or the pointlessly-chatty.
⠀⠀
Podcasting is for the sensitive people, the softies, the weirdos, the freaks, the outcasts, the geniuses, the dropouts.
⠀⠀
Podcasting is for everyone on the margins and beyond.
⠀⠀
Podcasting is FOR YOU!
⠀⠀
When you create your own show, you're not entering the manosphere arena of podcasting.
⠀⠀
You're carving out your own sacred space to share.
⠀⠀
And you don't have to do that alone.
⠀⠀
Softer Sounds is here to stand behind and beside you in that journey.
⠀⠀
It begins with taking the first step:
⠀⠀
Open your podcast portal today.
8 min
October 14, 2025What is a private podcast? & How do I create one for my course/membership?
Today’s question comes from Rachel of the Money Healing Club podcast. She’s back asking about private podcasts and how to make them — because she noticed I just launched one for my membership the Interweb.

Tune in to hear my thoughts on:
What a private podcast is & 2 types of them
How to set up your own private podcast with Helloaudio, Captivate, or Transistor
Ways that people can sign up to hear it
How to handle metrics, cancellations, and more
FREE SUPPORT
🚀 Want to launch a podcast? Get our FREE launch toolkit today
💘 Wish your podcast was easier & more fun to make? Grab our FREE podcast audit
PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN COURSES & MORE
🌈 Learn to launch your own pod with — Your Podcast Is A Portal
💸 Grow your show & make more $$$ with — DIY Podcast Marketing & Monetization
⭐️ Get Amelia’s new book, Your Attention is Sacred Except on Social Media
16 min
July 15, 2025How do you promote your episodes? & Can I copy your workflow?
Today’s question comes from Stephanie of NoseyAF. She’s wondering how I handle the publication and promotion workflow for my podcast Off the Grid. And can she copy my process? (Yes!)

Tune in to hear my advice on:
Why I write a blog post and email for every episode of my show
How far ahead I work on episodes and scheduling
Ways to prioritize your podcast tasks with the nice, necessary, ideal framework
The difference between podcast promotion and marketing
Why I place ads for my episodes in ilovecreatives
FREE SUPPORT
🚀 Want to launch a podcast? Get our FREE launch toolkit today
💘 Wish your podcast was easier & more fun to make? Grab our FREE podcast audit
PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN COURSES & MORE
🌈 Learn to launch your own pod with — Your Podcast Is A Portal
💸 Grow your show & make more $$$ with — DIY Podcast Marketing & Monetization
⭐️ Get Amelia’s new book, Your Attention is Sacred Except on Social Media
14 min
June 17, 2025Is it better to have podcast seasons or publish without breaks?
Today we're taking on podcast seasons!
Are they good? Bad? Better for some shows than others? 🧐
Should your podcast probably be publishing every week forever if you really want to grow?? 😅
Let's talk about it! Tune in to hear Amelia's take on:
The purpose of seasons & how to take breaks
Whether or not you lose listeners between seasons
Reasons you might want to publish in a consistent rhythm
The benefits & drawbacks of an ongoing schedule
FREE SUPPORT
🚀 Want to launch a podcast? Get our FREE launch toolkit today
💘 Wish your podcast was easier & more fun to make? Grab our FREE podcast audit
PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN COURSES & MORE
🌈 Learn to launch your own pod with — Your Podcast Is A Portal
💸 Grow your show & make more $$$ with — DIY Podcast Marketing & Monetization
⭐️ Get Amelia’s new book, Your Attention is Sacred Except on Social Media
13 min
May 13, 2025Should I create a podcast trailer? & What about hosting a launch party?
In this episode, we're answering two questions for all our friends out there launching new shows or new seasons of your show:
What's the point of a podcast trailer? & Are podcast launch parties cool anymore?
Tune in to hear Amelia's take on:
Two purposes for podcast trailers 🎬
Taking inspiration from Trailer Park Podcast 🏁
Why you probably want to host a launch party 🎈
A simple recipe for podcast success 🧾
FREE SUPPORT
🚀 Want to launch a podcast? Get our FREE launch toolkit today
💘 Wish your podcast was easier & more fun to make? Grab our FREE podcast audit
PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN COURSES & MORE
🌈 Learn to launch your own pod with — Your Podcast Is A Portal
💸 Grow your show & make more $$$ with — DIY Podcast Marketing & Monetization
⭐️ Get Amelia’s new book, Your Attention is Sacred Except on Social Media
13 min
April 22, 2025Is my podcast audience too small for guests?
We love podcasts of all sizes! But what happens when you invite someone on your show and they ask you how many listeners you have? 🫣
Tune in to hear Amelia's take on:
How to right-size your audience 🧮
What to emphasize instead of download numbers 🤗
Two ways to reframe your pitches if potentials guests are asking about your audience size 🖼️
Why you might want to refocus your podcast growth efforts 🌱
FREE SUPPORT
🚀 Want to launch a podcast? Get our FREE launch toolkit today
💘 Wish your podcast was easier & more fun to make? Grab our FREE podcast audit
PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN COURSES & MORE
🌈 Learn to launch your own pod with — Your Podcast Is A Portal
💸 Grow your show & make more $$$ with — DIY Podcast Marketing & Monetization
⭐️ Get Amelia’s new book, Your Attention is Sacred Except on Social Media
14 min
March 18, 2025What should go in my podcast show notes?
What are we all doing with our show notes? ...and why are some of them so long?
Today’s question comes from Rachel of the Money Healing Club podcast. She’s curious about best practices for podcast show notes — including what we should put in them and what we shouldn't.

Tune in to hear Amelia’s advice on:
Why your show notes should always start with a hook 🪝
What everyone's doing wrong with bullet points 🎯
Our hot take on timestamps 🔥
How many links is too many links 🔗
Why you really need two versions of your show notes 🗒️
The importance of copywriting vs content-writing ✏️
FREE SUPPORT
🚀 Want to launch a podcast? Get our FREE launch toolkit today
💘 Wish your podcast was easier & more fun to make? Grab our FREE podcast audit
PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN COURSES & MORE
🌈 Learn to launch your own pod with — Your Podcast Is A Portal
💸 Grow your show & make more $$$ with — DIY Podcast Marketing & Monetization
⭐️ Get Amelia’s new book, Your Attention is Sacred Except on Social Media
14 min
February 11, 2025 How often should I release my episodes? & Do I need to be consistent every week?
Sometimes I joke that half my job is giving people permission to skip a week of their podcast. So in this episode, I'm diving into the questions I hear most often as a producer:
How often should my podcast episodes release? Does it need to be every week? And what if I'm not consistent...?

Tune in for clear advice on the pros and cons of weekly, biweekly, and monthly release schedules. And stick around for a permission slip to take things at your own pace — even if it's rather inconsistent.

FREE SUPPORT
🚀 Want to launch a podcast? Get our FREE launch toolkit today
💘 Wish your podcast was easier & more fun to make? Grab our FREE podcast audit
PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN COURSES & MORE
🌈 Learn to launch your own pod with — Your Podcast Is A Portal
💸 Grow your show & make more $$$ with — DIY Podcast Marketing & Monetization
⭐️ Get Amelia’s new book, Your Attention is Sacred Except on Social Media
17 min
December 10, 2024What’s the best way to invite guests onto my podcast?
Today’s question comes from Charelle. She’s starting her second podcast and wondering how to invite people onto the show when she doesn’t have any episodes live yet. 🤔

Tune in to hear Amelia’s advice on:
The best guest invitation process
How to write a guest invite email
Ways to share your show before it’s live
How to pitch when you do have episodes published
The worst things a pitch can be
FREE SUPPORT
🚀 Want to launch a podcast? Get our FREE launch toolkit today
💘 Wish your podcast was easier & more fun to make? Grab our FREE podcast audit
PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN COURSES & MORE
🌈 Learn to launch your own pod with — Your Podcast Is A Portal
💸 Grow your show & make more $$$ with — DIY Podcast Marketing & Monetization
⭐️ Get Amelia’s new book, Your Attention is Sacred Except on Social Media
13 min