So, you want to start a podcast? Podcasting may seem like a big task, but don't quit on that idea just yet, because Trade Secrets got the inside scoop from the Corporate Quitter podcaster, Gabby Ianniello! She just wrapped up her 100-episode first season, where she talked all about ditching the 9-5 with a variety of entrepreneurs and side-hustlers. 

In this Trade Secrets, Gabby gives all her tips and tricks to getting a podcast off the ground, finding your niche, her go-to equipment, and more!

If you feel like everyone and their brother has a podcast these days, you’re not wrong. There are over 2 million podcasts on Apple Podcasts and nearly 4 million on Spotify. It’s easy to feel intimidated and lost trying to find your place in this saturated industry, especially with dominating forces like Joe Rogan and Call Her Daddy. But, they all had to start somewhere!

While a lot of people are curious about this space and may want to dabble in it, rest assured that podcasting is not as complex and chaotic as you may think it is. It's surprisingly simple (correction - surprisingly simple and free)!

And guess what – you already have an edge because Trade Secrets chatted with an expert podcaster and got all the how-tos for starting up a podcast! Creator and host of The Corporate Quitter podcast Gabby Ianniello just wrapped up her first season, featuring 100 episodes, and gave us her top six tips for starting your first podcast.

Step #1: Find a Niche You’re Actually Passionate About

Everyone thinks they need the perfect mic and the best studio set-up to be taken seriously. But more important than finding the right equipment is finding the right niche! To get started, you want to make sure you're actually discussing topics of interest – not ones that you think you “should” be doing or that may seem to be the most profitable.

If you hate what your podcast is about, you and your content will burn out. Excitement is what drives a creator and their business, at least the ones that stand the test of time. 

You may be wondering: “Well I have a lot of passions, how do I choose?” Gabby recommends to her clients to record themselves on their phones talking about different topics for 30 seconds, watch it in time lapse and analyze your own body language. This exercise will point to what is working and what isn’t. If you are contracted and rigid, pass on that topic. But, if you’re visually excited and all over the place, that’s the indication of an area you should speak on.

It's also important to understand that your audience is a reflection of who you are. Gabby’s Corporate Quitter audience, for example, is mainly millennials, women and those who are out of or looking to get out of corporate. As a consumer, you understand your audience more than you think.

Step #2: Develop Out Your Schedule

Understanding the demographics and interests of your target audience helps in terms of deciding on your niche, but it also helps you pick guests and weekly topics. Gabby suggests breaking down your core topic into different sub-topics. From there, you can build out an outline and structure it into the main idea, two supporting ideas, and the main discussion points of the conversation. Similar to how you would structure an essay outline for English class (bonus - no one is grading you on this!).

Also, you need to decide on what kind of podcast style suits you best, whether that be interview, conversational, monologue, storytelling or reacting. Gabby said she knew she was a talker, so she pursued the interview route because having a conversation with someone was easier to get her two cents in while also letting them take the stage. She joked that if she was solo, she could go on for hours and hours.

Step #3: Don’t Go Broke Starting Your Pod - It's Easy to Find FREE Tools and Resources!

It is important to note that there are a lot of free tools available. Gabby said besides investing in a business course to get her into the headspace, it wasn’t too much of a financial investment to get the Corporate Quitter podcast up and running. No, you don’t need to invest thousands into renting a studio, buying expensive mics, or hiring a team of video editors. You may want to explore these options as your podcast grows, but right out the gate you don’t need it.

Here's a list of what Gabby used during her first podcast season:

• RedCircle - hosting software that spreads your content out 
• Audacity - editing software
• Canva - for podcast cover art
• Foximusic - free music platform for intros and outros songs
• Zoom - platform to record interviews
• Matchmaker - networking site that connects podcast hosts and guest
• Headphones - wired or wireless, whatever you got works for a mic!

Step #4: Know You’re Going to Suck.. and That’s OK!

Know that you will inevitably suck in the beginning. That’s okay, you’re still working out the kinks and trying to find a routine. But like everything new and challenging, whether it be a new job or class, you will find your groove. And you’re not alone in that feeling.

Gabby, with so many episodes and interviews under her belt, still reflects on hating her first couple of episodes. She said that you’re going feel like a fraud, you might not like your episodes, or an interview may bomb. But just know it is just part of the process. 

"This isn’t for a final checkbox. This is just one notch of the never-ending ladder of building something."  - Gabby Ianniello

Step #5: Do Whatever the F**k You Want

I know, this kind of feels like an oxymoron considering what this newsletter is all about. But remember, this is your podcast! You can do whatever you want, say what you want, and talk about topics that you enjoy. At the end of the day, what matters is that you are happy and proud of the content you're putting out. Because if you're genuinely enjoying it, your audience will pick up on that. If you’re not having fun, then you have no place doing that podcast anymore.

Step #6: Don’t Confine Yourself or Be Scared to Get a Bit Weird

You change constantly as a person, and your podcast can reflect that. Corporate Quitter season 1 was all about entrepreneurship, side hustles and ditching the 9-5. But when we asked Gabby about the direction of season 2, she said that as of now – meaning it could literally change within a week and she’s open to that – she’s pivoting. 

She wants to collaborate with a lot more creators, like Hannah Williams from Salary Transparent Street, who share similar missions to the Corporate Quitter. Gabby said also wants to explore more convoluted topics that are perceived as sketchy or questionable by the public, like Web3, NFTs, OnlyFans, selling feet pics online, etc. She wants to get into “weird” and taboo topics that are not as marketable as what she discussed in the first season. Gabby allows herself to stretch into new places, and the Corporate Quitter podcast can expand into new territory as a result. 

"The only constant that leads you to growth is movement -you have to move."  - Gabby Ianniello

So, that’s it! We have given you everything to get your podcasting journey started. Now it’s up to you to press record and get publishing!

Lingering Links 🔗

• Want more podcasting tips? Check out Gabby's podcast course 
• Want tips on how to grow as a creator? Dive into Gabby's guides on branding, business, monetization, and more!
• Want to learn more about Gabby? Read her interview with Trade Secrets

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Read past interviews: TikTok Investors • Salary Transparency Street • Finance Unfolded • WOLF Financial