Show Notes

Welcome back to the Designer Practice Podcast and I’m your host Kayla Das.

One of the things that prevent many therapists and coaches from starting a podcast is time.

Where do you find the time to add in the planning, recording, editing, and scheduling a podcast into an already busy schedule?

Since starting the Designer Practice Podcast, I’ve learned a thing or two about how to streamline podcast production so it doesn’t take up too much time out of mine, and hopefully your day. In fact, I could I think I mastered it so well that I even added a second mini podcast called Your Clinical Supervisor’s Couch into the mix.

In today’s episode, I’m going to share with you five lessons that I’ve learned from releasing a hundred podcast episodes on the designer practice podcast, so that you can learn these lessons without having to make the same initial mistakes that I did.

So, let’s dive in.

1. Have Guests on Your Podcast

The first lesson I’ve learned is have guests on your podcast.

One of the best strategies for creating podcast episodes is having guest speakers.

Honestly, I cannot explain how much time it frees up from the planning of the podcast episode to preparing the content for the episode because your guest will be the one to be doing most of the talking on the episode.

I learned early on that having guests on my podcast helped me in so many ways.

First, it helped me create content quickly, because other than conducting a meet and greet with the guest to determine episode topics, and then create a quick pre script of questions that tie into that topic, the only work that I do was the recording and then later the editing of the podcast as the guest is the expert on that topic.

Secondly, as I’m not an expert on everything, although I’d like to be someday, having guests on my podcast, helped me create diverse topics that listeners, like yourself, would want to learn more about. I’ve had guests who are experts in a specific therapeutic modality, business growth strategy, and even clinical supervisors. Although I might not be an expert in all of these areas, I have the privilege to learn from my guests and provide valuable content to listeners.

However, in saying that, I don’t want to make it sound like it’s all one sided because at the end of the day, there is such a mutual benefit for guests being on a podcast.

For instance, on my podcast as a huge thank you to all of my guests, I always allow them to make some kind of pitch on the podcast so that they can tap into the podcast audience in some way. And hopefully, they will grow their business or their practice by doing so, because let’s be honest, the best way to grow business is visibility. So that’s one mutual benefit.

Another benefit is that I ensure that I give my guests a backlink to their website to help them improve their website SEO. Of course, I’m only one website, but the more backlinks a website receives, the higher their website authority can grow over time. So, by giving them a backlink, that’s a start.

So, if you’re intending to start a podcast, know that you do not have to create every single episode yourself, although you can if you want. But you can host guests who can help you keep topics fresh and diverse so that you always have some content to share to your listeners, even when you’re not the expert.

2. Create Script Templates

The second lesson that I’ve learned is to create script templates or as I call them prescripts. As someone who has to have a script to read from, creating a script template for both guest podcasts as well as solo episodes has been a game changer.

Although my script templates for solo episodes are less robust than my episodes for guests, I have a template for both.

For me, my solo episode templates tend to be less robust because I let my creativity get the best of me when I’m creating a solo episode script. Also, because I’m always discussing a different topic, it’s hard to have a detailed template for my solo episodes. But I still have a loose template.

On the other hand, my guest episode template is very detailed as the only thing that usually changes on my side is the introduction, the actual questions that I ask the guest, and the call to action at the end. As a result, my template has saved me hours of podcast writing. Actually, I’m at the point now that I could draft a really good guest podcast episode pre script in 10 minutes.

3. Track Episode Production

The third lesson that I’ve learned is to track every aspect of the episode production. What I mean by that is have a document that you track all details for each and every episode from where you are on the production stage to the date the episode releases, including where you are in the scheduling process. Although I say this is a lesson, but I actually started this from day one, and it saved me more than once.

So, for context, I created an Excel form where I track every single episode, including the episode number, episode name, guest name, if applicable. If there was a guest, I also include the date that the guest signed the podcast guest release form and all in episode advertisements included into that episode.

In addition, I track where in the process each episode is with respect to production. So, for example, is it recorded, edited, scheduled on podcast platforms, scheduled on social media, or has it been published? I document all of that on this Excel form.

It’s especially important to organize and track your episode production process if you’re like me and you like to batch each step of the process. For instance, if I record 10 episodes, but I haven’t edited them yet, by tracking the process, I know exactly what I need to do next. Instead of having to spend extra time trying to figure out. Is this one edited? Is it not edited? It saves me so much time in the long run, so I don’t have to go kind of picking through episodes to see where I’m at.

4. Keep Episodes Short

The fourth lesson that I’ve learned is to keep episodes short, and there’s a few reasons for this.

First of all, most listeners tend to listen to podcasts while they’re doing short activities, such as walking, exercising, doing chores, or driving. And on average, someone tends to only be doing these activities for 30 to 40 minutes. As a result, if a podcast episode is over 40 minutes, it’s less likely that the listener will finish the episode, or in some cases even start the episode, because they know it’s too long to finish.

Another reason to keep episodes short is that shorter episodes can be edited much quicker than longer episodes. In the early days of the Designer Practice Podcast, I often had episodes that ranged from 40 minutes to an hour, which would take me hours to edit. It actually got to a point where I started dreading editing, because it just took so long. However, after making a conscious decision to make episodes 30 minutes or less, again on average, I no longer dread editing. In fact, episodes that are 15 to 20 minutes in length, I love editing, because I can get them edited so quickly, and I really feel productive in the process.

The final reason to keep episodes short, is depending on the subject matter of your podcast and the episode topic, most listeners want to get quick wins, advice, or tips from the episode and then move on. In other words, by having shorter, value packed, step by step episodes, listeners tend to feel more satisfied because they got the value in a short period of time. That’s why when I do solo episodes, like this one, I provide the information in either a tip 1, tip 2, tip 3 format, or a step-by-step format so that you can get the information, get that small win, and then move on.

Now, you might be thinking, well what if I have so much to talk about regarding a specific issue?

Then, make it multiple shorter episodes instead of a long single episode. This helps you create more content, it breaks larger subjects into bite sized manageable ones for your listeners, and listeners who are likely listening to the podcast while doing short activities get to the end of the episode, instead of abandoning it midway through and never coming back to listen.

Honestly, shorter is better when it comes to podcasting.

5. Schedule Episodes in Advance

The final lesson that I’ve learned is to schedule episodes in advance, and I cannot share how important and helpful it is to do this. One thing that often stalls podcasters is the week-to-week grind. The pressure to have an episode go out every single week. The pressure is real.

But since the very beginning of this podcast, I made a real effort to pre-record and schedule episodes months in advance. I’m going to tell you, at first it felt like a lot of work, but once I got ahead of the game, it was easier to stay there. And I can assure you that it’s such a weight lifted off when you have episodes pre-recorded, because personally, I never feel rushed or pressured due to time crunch, because I’m always weeks out.

However, if I’m honest, I’m usually much better at recording guest episodes months in advance than I am my own solo episodes. It’s probably because the external motivation of having guests is much stronger than the internal motivation of my own episodes.

So, for context, I’m recording this solo episode only two weeks before air date. However, I already have pre-recorded all of my guest episodes up until July 2025 for both the Designer Practice Podcast and Your Cinical Supervisor’s Couch.

Now, I’m not scheduled that far ahead, but I’ve at least recorded the episodes that I don’t have to feel pressure to create them. With respect to pre scheduling episodes, I like to stay somewhere between at least 8 to 10 weeks ahead, because you just never know what might come up in between.

For instance, in November and December, I was sick for the last half of November and the first half of December. I didn’t have to worry too much about the scheduling process because I was always, again, weeks out.

Recap

So, let’s recap.

The five lessons that I’ve learned about podcasting from releasing 100 episodes of the Designer Practice Podcast is

1. Have guests on your podcast.

2. Create a script template.

3. Track episode production.

4. Keep episodes short.

5. Schedule episodes in advance.

Thank you for tuning in to today’s episode, and I hope that these lessons help you get ahead in your podcast journey, and also kind of bring you behind the scenes of my podcasting.

Your Clinical Supervisor’s Couch Podcast

Also, as I mentioned, I just started a second mini podcast called Your Clinical Supervisor’s Couch. And if you like the Designer Practice Podcast, I think you’ll also like Your Clinical Supervisor’s Couch as well. So, I’d love for you to tune in.

Your Clinical Supervisor’s Couch podcast discusses important topics related to receiving and providing clinical supervision for therapy and allied health professionals so that you can break through professional barriers, grow as a practitioner, and enhance client care.

Episodes drop every two weeks on Fridays. And you can find the podcast on Apple podcast, Spotify, and on our Canadian Clinical Supervision website at canadianclinicalsupervision.ca/podcast

Or you can simply scroll down through the show notes and click on the link.

Until next time, bye for now!

Credits & Disclaimers

Music by ItsWatR from Pixabay

The Designer Practice Podcast and Evaspare Inc. has an affiliate and/or sponsorship relationship for advertisements in our podcast episodes. We receive commission or monetary compensation, at no extra cost to you, when you use our promotional codes and/or check out advertisement links.