Heather Bayer was one of the very first people in her industry to ever launch a podcast, and more than a decade later she is still showing up every single week. In this conversation, I sit down with Heather to look back on the long arc of her creative life. From buying podcasting equipment in 2007 and letting it sit untouched for six years, to launching Vacation Rental Success in 2013 and publishing more than six hundred and fifty episodes since then,

Heather’s story is a powerful reflection on what happens when someone decides to take their voice seriously and keeps going through every season of change.

• Starting a podcast with a professional mindset from day one creates a foundation that supports long term consistency.
• Defining an ideal client avatar and speaking to one specific person changes how content is created and how it lands.
• A podcast becomes powerful when it is built for the listener rather than as a personal vanity project.
• Weekly consistency builds trust and becomes part of people’s lives in ways that statistics do not always reveal.
• Even a smaller audience can have an enormous impact when those listeners are deeply connected to the voice they hear.
• Interviews can accelerate thought leadership through relationships and credibility by association.
• Listener emails and personal messages often provide the emotional fuel that keeps creators going.
• A podcast can quietly become the primary driver of long term business relationships.
• Platforms change, but a trusted voice continues to create connection across time.
• Creation that unfolds over years becomes part of a person’s identity.

• Heather Bayer’s website: https://vacationrentalformula.com
• Heather’s email: heather@vacationrentalformula.com
• Vacation Rental Success Podcast: Apple | Spotify | YouTube
• Podcasting A to Z

Heather’s story is powerful because she chose to take her voice seriously and commit to showing up. If you have been thinking about starting a podcast, relaunching one that has gone quiet, or bringing new life to something you already created, my next session of Podcasting A to Z is starting soon.

This is the same program Heather went through when she finally pulled that dusty equipment off the shelf, learned how to wire it all together, and launched what would become more than six hundred episodes of consistent, professional podcasting.

It is where I personally walk you through every step of creating a great-sounding audio podcast with clarity, confidence, and a proven plan.

You can find all the details at PodcastingAtoZ.com.

In this episode, I share a powerful conversation with Laura McClellan, host of The Productive Woman podcast, who took my Podcasting A to Z course more than twelve years ago and has now published over five hundred episodes.

Laura almost never launched her show. She recorded her first episode, then let fear stop her for six months before finally deciding to publish an episode she recorded from a closet with a handheld recorder. What followed was a body of work that has touched thousands of people around the world.

This conversation is part of my Where Are They Now? series, where I sit down with students who went through my course 10 to 15 years ago to explore what it actually looks like to keep showing up with your voice over the years.

• Starting a podcast can begin as a personal, creative outlet long before it becomes something that serves others.
• Fear and self-doubt are often part of the beginning, even for people who later become incredibly consistent creators.
• You do not need a platform or an audience to start. You only need a willingness to speak and press publish.
• A simple weekly cadence creates momentum that compounds over time.
• Listener feedback, even from one person, can be the fuel that keeps you going.
• Podcasting builds community in ways that are difficult to predict when you first begin.
• Taking a sabbatical or stepping away can be part of a long creative life.
• It is easier for many people to speak than to write, which makes podcasting a powerful medium for sharing ideas.
• Tools and technology continue to evolve, making it easier than ever to create and distribute high-quality content.
• The true reward of podcasting is not downloads or stats, but the impact your voice has on real people.

• Laura’s Podcast In Apple Podcasts
• Laura's Podcast in Spotify
• Laura McClellan’s website: TheProductiveWoman.com
• Podcasting A to Z

Laura’s story is not special because she decided to begin and kept showing up.

If you have been thinking about starting a podcast, relaunching one that has gone quiet, or bringing new life to something you already created, my next session of Podcasting A to Z is starting soon.

This is the same program Laura went through and it is where I personally walk you through every step of creating a great-sounding audio podcast with clarity, confidence, and a proven plan.

You can find all the details at PodcastingAtoZ.com.

This episode is the first in a special “Where Are They Now?” series.

Over the past several weeks, I have been sitting down with graduates of Podcasting A to Z who said yes to creating something more than a decade ago and kept showing up through many seasons of life and work. These are people who did not just launch a podcast. They built bodies of work that now span hundreds and, in some cases, thousands of episodes.

Daphne Scott is the first of these conversations. Twelve years after going through Podcasting A to Z, she has produced more than three hundred podcast episodes, built multiple shows, and continues to evolve her voice through new projects, including a new leadership podcast and a growing YouTube channel.

• Consistency in podcasting is often less about ideas and more about having a reliable technical process that supports showing up week after week.
• Audio quality matters deeply. Even powerful messages lose their impact when the listening experience creates friction.
• Creating content across multiple locations requires intentional systems and thoughtful gear choices.
• Co-hosting a podcast adds energy and depth to a show, while also introducing additional complexity around scheduling, technology, and production.
• Building a backlog of episodes creates freedom and reduces the pressure of producing something new every single week.
• Video and audio invite different kinds of presence. How a creator shows up changes depending on the medium.
• Long-term creators evolve. The work continues even as identity, ambition, and purpose shift over time.

• Daphne Scott’s website: https://Daphne-Scott.com
• The Super Fantastic Leadership Show
• Life: The Ultimate Choose Your Own Adventure Game podcast
• Daphne Scott’s Leadership Coaching YouTube Channel
• Podcasting A to Z: http://PodcastingAtoZ.com

If you have been thinking about starting a podcast, relaunching one that has gone quiet, or bringing new life into something you already created, my next session of Podcasting A to Z is starting soon.

This is the same program Daphne and hundreds of other long-term creators went through when they first began. I would love to be your coach and walk with you through every step of launching and growing your show. You can learn more at PodcastingAtoZ.com.