Letting Go of Control and Creating Playfully

Ever had someone tell you, “I’ve been meaning to sign up…”?And then you realise they’ve been seeing your offer for weeks?This episode is a little reminder not to underestimate how many touchpoints it can take before someone actually says yes.In this episode, I share a very real-life example of my own: I wanted to join a mentor’s group programme. I had every intention of signing up. And then… life happened. I got distracted. There was a tech issue. I got distracted. I closed the page. And then, days later, I heard the programme mentioned on a podcast and thought: Oh yes. THAT thing. I still want to do that.It made me think about how often we stop talking about our offers because we’re worried about being annoying or “too salesy”.But sharing your offer isn’t the same as constantly selling.Some people will scroll past. Some won’t be ready. Some simply need to hear about it again at the right moment.So in this episode, I’m talking about why I think we need to get a little more comfortable with repeating ourselves, and how you can naturally weave your offers into newsletters, LinkedIn posts, podcasts, conversations with clients and pretty much wherever you already show up.And yes, I also share a little invitation of my own: Podcasting Revisited: Impact, Visibility & Leadership, my new 6-week course for existing podcasters, starts October 22.Because apparently I’m taking my own advice. 😉Find all the details at reginalarko.com.In this episode: 00:00 Lead With Your Voice00:07 How many touchpoints does it take?01:38 Why repeating your offer isn’t “being salesy”01:58 A very real-life story about distractions03:06 The painting interruption03:40 Coming back to the programme05:14 Another touchpoint: LinkedIn + podcasts07:07 Why you should use the channels you already have08:54 Don’t forget your existing clients09:35 Yes, you can mention it again10:11 Podcasting Revisited: Impact, Visibility & Leadership10:56 A little encouragement before you go11:28 Leadership Voice OutroLinks mentioned in this episode:⁠⁠JHU Course: Your Podcast, Revisited: Leadership, Impact, and Visibility ⁠⁠(starting Oct 22nd, Registration open for everyone) ⁠⁠Register here.⁠⁠Connect with Regina Larko:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Work with me⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Resources⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] ⁠⁠⁠

What happens when you stop trying to get it right?After a busy summer with my three kids, I’m finally back behind the mic. And a few recent mentoring conversations got me thinking about something I keep coming back to in my own work: presence, curiosity and the freedom to experiment.In a mentoring programme, I meet people who are figuring out things like business development, visibility, confidence and how they want to show up publicly, including through their podcasts.One conversation introduced me to a simple but very impactful exercise from an artist: drawing another person for two minutes without looking at the paper.There was something wonderfully freeing about not being able to check, correct or control what I was creating. I had to trust the process. And what came out of it was really meaningful and beautiful.It got me thinking about voice leadership and podcasting in a slightly different way.What if we treated our creative work like a blank piece of paper?What if we allowed ourselves to try things, make things, play around with our voice and practise being visible without the pressure to make everything perfect, polished or publishable?Not everything we create needs to become a podcast episode. Not every idea needs to be shared. Sometimes the experimenting is the point.And maybe that is where some of the most interesting things begin.🎤 I also share more about my upcoming Johns Hopkins University Odyssey course, Your Podcast Revisited: Leadership, Impact, and Visibility, starting October 22.If you already have a podcast and feel like it’s time to look at it with fresh eyes, we’ll explore what’s working, what isn’t, and how your podcast can become a more meaningful expression of your voice and leadership.Find all the details and registration at reginalarko.com.00:00 Back Behind the Mic00:49 Life After Summer Break01:34 Mentoring Blind Dates04:26 An Artist Taught Me How to Play05:14 Drawing Without Looking09:41 Your Voice as a Blank Piece of Paper11:20 Creating Without Publishing13:14 Your Podcast Revisited15:02 A Cozy Autumn GoodbyeLinks mentioned in this episode:⁠JHU Course: Your Podcast, Revisited: Leadership, Impact, and Visibility ⁠(starting Oct 22nd, Registration open for everyone) ⁠Register here.⁠Connect with Regina Larko:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Work with me⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Resources⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] ⁠⁠

Are you making it harder than it needs to be for people to listen to your podcast?If you’re sharing an episode with your audience, you might be sending them to Spotify or Apple Podcasts. But what if they use a different podcast app? Or listen on a different device?In this episode of Lead With Your Voice, I share one simple way to make your podcast episodes easier to find, play and save.Instead of sharing separate links for Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other platforms, you can share one link that gives listeners different options — including listening directly in their browser or choosing their preferred podcast app.It’s a small change, but reducing friction can make a real difference. The easier you make it for someone to press play, save an episode and add it to their regular listening, the more likely they are to actually come back to your podcast.Why sharing only Spotify or Apple Podcasts links can create unnecessary frictionHow a simple link gives your listeners multiple ways to access your podcastWhy making it easy to save an episode mattersHow small improvements to the listener experience can support podcast growthA simple podcast sharing habit you can start using right awayI also share an invitation to my upcoming six-week live podcasting course with Johns Hopkins University, starting October 22.The course is open to podcasters worldwide and includes live sessions, replays and plenty of opportunity for individual support. The group is intentionally limited in size so you can get more than just another collection of podcasting tutorials.If you’ve already launched your podcast and are wondering what comes next — how to make your podcast work harder for you, build confidence in your voice, and create something that actually supports your bigger work — this is for you.00:00 Lead With Your Voice00:37 Why Podcast Links Lose Listeners04:56 Make It Easy to Save Your Podcast06:55 Johns Hopkins University Course Announcement08:19 How the Six-Week Podcasting Program Works11:15 Why Join Now12:56 Final Invitation and WrapLinks mentioned in this episode:https://pod.link/JHU Course: Your Podcast, Revisited: Leadership, Impact, and Visibility (starting Oct 22nd, Registration open for everyone) Register here.Connect with Regina Larko:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Work with me⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Resources⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] ⁠

What if one of the hardest parts of podcasting isn't consistency, strategy, or growth... but grief?Returning from a family holiday in Italy and I reflect on the bittersweet feeling of leaving behind moments that can never quite be recreated. That experience opens the door to a conversation most podcasters never have.Because every podcast journey asks us to let go.Whether you're just getting started, questioning your direction, celebrating milestones, or wondering why something still feels unexpectedly heavy despite your success, this episode explores an emotional side of podcasting that often stays hidden.Today I want to share six (surprising!) ways grief can show up as you build your voice, your platform, and your leadership. You may recognize yourself in more than one of them.This isn't an episode about loss.It's an episode about growth, identity, change, and what it really means to keep showing up with your voice over time.If you've ever wondered why podcasting can feel so deeply personal, this conversation might put words to something you've been carrying for a long time.In this episode, you'll discover:Why podcasting can stir emotions that have nothing to do with microphones or downloads.The hidden side of building a public voice over many years.How letting go may be one of the most important skills every podcaster develops.Whether you're an experienced host or still thinking about starting your podcast, this episode is an invitation to see your journey (and yourself!) with a little more compassion.Mentioned in this episode:#impact - A Podcast about stuff that matters Connect with Regina Larko:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Work with me⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Resources⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] 

Subscribe to my newsletter here: ⁠https://reginalarko.com/newsletter/⁠What if the thing your audience has been looking for wasn't your expertise... but your voice?I recently looked back at my podcast analytics. Not just the download numbers, but the comments, the messages, and the moments where people stayed with me the longest.And I noticed something.The episodes that resonated most weren't the ones filled with podcasting strategies or technical advice.They were the ones where we talked about something much deeper: what it means to find your voice, trust it, and keep choosing it—even when life changes you.In this episode, I'm reflecting on what that taught me. About podcasting, yes. But even more about leadership, identity, and why our relationship with our own voice is never really "finished."If you've been feeling disconnected from yourself lately, questioning your direction, or comparing your path to everyone else's, I hope this conversation feels like a gentle reminder to come home to your own voice.In this episode, we explore:why the conversations that matter most often aren't the ones we expectwhat podcast analytics revealed about the work I'm really here to dowhy growth can feel uncomfortable (and why that's not a sign you're on the wrong path)the two habits that quietly pull us away from our own voicehow comparison becomes louder than intuitiona simple practice to reconnect with the version of you that's already therewhy your voice isn't something you find once—but a relationship you keep nurturingYour voice will keep changing.The question isn't whether you've found it.The question is: Will you keep listening?Connect with Regina Larko:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Work with me⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠Resources⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] 

If you've been thinking about starting a podcast for months—or even years—but still haven't hit record, you're not alone."Just do it."It's probably the most common advice aspiring podcasters hear. It's well-intentioned, but what if it's also the reason so many people stay stuck?After spending the weekend at a podcast festival and speaking with dozens of incredible people who all shared the same dream—starting a podcast "one day"—I came home questioning the advice I've given for years.In this episode, I explore why motivation and more information aren't the missing pieces, why waiting to feel ready rarely works, and the surprising mindset shift that can finally help you move forward.If you've ever wondered why you keep putting your podcast idea on hold despite knowing exactly how much you want to do it, this conversation is for you.In this episode, you'll discover:Why "just do it" isn't always helpful adviceThe real reason so many aspiring podcasters stay stuckA powerful mindset shift that changes how you think about launching a podcastThe one question to ask yourself if you've been waiting for the "right time"Whether you're dreaming of starting your first podcast or you've been talking yourself out of it for years, this episode might change the way you think about taking that first step.Connect with Regina Larko:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Work with me⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Resources⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] 

Subscribe to my newsletter here: https://reginalarko.com/newsletter/A sudden Facebook account closure made me reflect on something most of us don’t like to think about when we’re building our presence online.We are not actually building on platforms we own.And yet, so much of how we measure success is tied to them . Just think of the way you approach followers, likes, reach, downloads.It feels real. It feels like growth. But it’s fragile in ways we often only notice when something disappears.In this episode, I explore what it really means to build a voice in today’s digital world and why visibility alone is not enough if it isn’t anchored in ownership.Because the deeper work isn’t about chasing more attention.It’s about building something that lasts beyond the algorithm.Something that stays with you, even if a platform changes overnight.In this episode I talk about:voice leadership in a world obsessed with metricspodcasting and podcast growth beyond algorithmsauthentic communication as the foundation of trustthought leadership as a long-term body of work, not a content sprintvisibility vs. building an audience you actually ownAnd I share why your podcast is not just content, it’s infrastructure. A living archive of your thinking, your leadership, your perspective.This episode is for you if you’re in that in-between space:You’re showing up. You’re building. But part of you is starting to ask what actually lasts.I hope this episode gives you a new lens on your work and that my passionate call to action (yes, you'll hear my voice picking up) to ask yourself some different questions about what it is that you’re currently building. And what you are building on. Connect with Regina Larko:⁠⁠⁠⁠Work with me⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the Community⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Resources⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] 

How do you keep showing up when no one is making you?In this episode of Lead With Your Voice, I sit down with podcaster, creative, coach, and wonderfully curious human TJ Bennett, host of the Desuckify Work podcast. For nearly three years and more than 130 episodes, TJ has shown up week after week to have meaningful conversations about making work more human, more fulfilling, and yes, a little less sucky.We talk about what drew him to podcasting in the first place, how he launched his podcast alongside his coaching business, and the simple act of public accountability that helped him begin before he felt fully ready.This conversation is really about something bigger: what happens when you trust your curiosity enough to follow it. TJ shares why listening is one of the most underrated leadership skills, how decades in the advertising world shaped his approach to coaching, and why creating space for other people's stories has become central to both his work and his podcast.We also explore the tension many of us feel between being professional and being human online, the importance of playfulness and experimentation, and why your voice matters long before you have everything figured out.If you've been waiting for the perfect moment to start your podcast, share your ideas, or put your voice out into the world, this episode is a reminder that the people making the biggest impact are often the ones willing to begin before they're ready.Connect with TJ Bennett:Website | Desuckify Work Podcast | TJ on LinkedInConnect with Regina Larko:⁠⁠⁠Work with me⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Community⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠Resources⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠[email protected] 

In this episode, I’m speaking about the question so many podcasters quietly carry:“Why isn’t my podcast turning into real opportunities?”If you’ve ever felt like your podcast has become just another thing on your to-do list… if you’re creating content consistently but still wondering how it all connects back to your work, your visibility, or your business… this episode is for you.I’m sharing:the mindset shift that completely changed how I approach podcastingthe difference between building a podcast on top of your business vs inside itand why your podcast may already be doing more than you realiseThis is a look into voice, leadership, sustainability, and creating a podcast ecosystem that actually supports the life and business you want to build.Plus, I’ll share more about my Shift series with 4 quick but powerful shifts to help you rethink your podcast strategy and relationship with your voice.Listen now — and access the Shift series here: www.reginalarko.com/shiftConnect with Regina Larko:⁠⁠⁠⁠Work with me⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠Community⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Resources⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] ⁠

In this conversation, I sit down with a geophysicist-turned writer and podcaster Veslemøy Klavenes-Berge who’s done something many of us quietly long for. She’s learned how to move from future anxiety into genuine curiosity about what’s ahead.We look at how her voice has evolved since starting her podcast back in 2020. Not in a polished and linear way but through showing up before she felt ready, building confidence gradually, and making some uncomfortable decisions along the way.One of those shifts? Moving her podcast from Norwegian to English to open the door for more conversations. It wasn’t an easy call. It came with doubt, discomfort, and the very real risk of losing part of her audience. And still, she chose it.We also get into what it actually looks like to run a business this way. Not rigid. Not overly strategic. But experimental. Following what feels alive. Letting go of the pressure to be consistent just for the sake of it and instead returning to the mic when there’s something real to explore.Because for her, the podcast isn’t the end product. It’s part of a bigger platform. One that connects to her writing, her book work on Substack, and her thinking as it evolves in real time.We talk about resisting the pressure to niche down, simplifying tools and workflows, and finding aligned guests. And she shares the four pillars shaping her next chapter: energy transition, entrepreneurship, the future, and health.It’s an honest conversation about finding your own pace, trusting your voice, and building something that actually fits your life and work, not the other way around.Featured Guest:Veslemøy Klavenes-Berge: ⁠Stories for the Future (Podcast+ Substack) | ⁠LinkedIn⁠ Connect with Regina Larko:⁠⁠Work with me⁠ | ⁠⁠Community⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ | Resources⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠[email protected] Mentioned in this episode:PodMatch: A great platform to find and book guests for your podcast. You can join here: JoinPodMatch.com/regina