Do Beta Launches Really Work? 3 Substack Winners | Newsletter #58

Would you hire yourself based on what your podcast says about you?Not based on the results your clients get. Not after a conversation where you hear the problem underneath the problem and know exactly where to start.Just your podcast. Your bio. Whatever someone finds after a friend says, “You need to meet her.”If your answer requires a little explanation, we should probably talk.Right now, I’m surrounded by boxes, preparing to move 1,405.3 miles from Missouri to Montana. Two U-Hauls. Fuel. Flights. Plenty of opportunities to hand someone my credit card.Know this: Staying put is sneakier. No invoice arrives for the collaboration you keep postponing or the articles still promoting work you’ve outgrown.You just keep publishing and wondering why people don’t see the connection between your content and hiring you.In this episode of The Substack Podcast Studio, I’m sharing three observations from working with clients and Substack collaborations this week:Before you announce a pivot, what needs to change? Losing enthusiasm for your show can make starting over sound very attractive. But you may be about to throw away the foundation your next stage needs.What is avoiding collaboration costing you? In the two weeks since saying yes to the Substack Success Summit, I’ve gained 45 subscribers and 122 followers, and my DMs are hopping. Let’s talk about what happens when other people have a specific reason to introduce you.Can someone hear your value without getting you on a sales call first? Your trailer and guest press kit may be missing, outdated, or doing an excellent job of making you sound like everybody else. None of those reflects what your clients are paying you for.You’ve already built expertise worth buying. Let’s make sure someone discovering you has a chance to recognize it.The newsletter includes fill-in-the-blank positioning prompts, a collaboration invitation you can adapt, and action steps for your trailer or guest press kit.Want to see one of my press kits? Look here.Come work with me inside the Substack Podcast Studio.Tools you need!The Profitable Podcast Health Checkup: Use code SUBSTACKTLC to save 50%.Your next stepBring your expertise, your offer, and the invitation you keep rewriting into the Substack Podcast Studio. Let’s help your right person understand why working with you comes next. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thejenrogers.substack.com/subscribe

What happens when a retirement expert and a podcast strategist sit down to plan an interview?On paper, we have almost nothing in common.Bill Hennessy helps people find purpose and fulfillment in retirement.I help entrepreneurs turn podcast hosting, guesting, and going live into profitable business opportunities.So what could we possibly talk about that would matter to BOTH audiences?And how do we make sure the conversation creates opportunities for BOTH businesses?That's what you're about to hear us figure out. In real time.Last week, I featured my private coaching client and Studio founding member Bill Hennessy, host of Ignite Retirement.This week, I'm taking you behind the scenes of the preparation. The questions, the pushback, the unexpected discoveries, and the strategic decisions that happened before we recorded our interview.Because a terrific guest and a fascinating conversation aren't enough if nobody knows what to do with what they've heard.Listen for three decisions you can use before your next Live, podcast interview, or guest appearance.1. Start with the win, not the interview questions.What does your audience need from this conversation? What does the guest bring that makes it worth their time? And how can both businesses benefit without turning the interview into a sales presentation?You'll hear Bill and me work through those questions using my Live Worksheet.2. Find the connection between two seemingly unrelated audiences.Retirement and podcasting?We had to look beyond our areas of expertise to find something both audiences were dealing with.And when we did, the entire direction of the conversation became clearer.The best collaboration isn't always with someone who does what you do. It's with someone whose expertise makes your message more valuable.3. Prepare for the conversation you can't predict.Bill came prepared. So did I.And we still changed direction.You'll hear us examine an offer that wasn't selling, the messaging on Bill's website, and the difference between telling people how you help them and showing them what becomes possible when they work with you.You'll also hear where I push back on Bill's thinking about serving his audience versus growing his business.Because your listener's win and your business's win don't have to compete.That's what makes this conversation so valuable for you.Inside the episode01:22 Why preparation reduces the fear of going live or guesting04:41 The retirement story that gives us a starting point10:25 How we begin connecting Bill's expertise to my audience14:20 Finding the strategic thread that makes the interview work17:00 Why serving your audience and making money both matter22:28 What Bill learned from an offer that didn't sell27:45 A live review of his website, messaging, and buyer journey34:29 The moment we settle on the interview's central direction37:09 How personal conversations with subscribers build trustWant the Live Worksheet we used? Get it hereBefore your next interview or Live, get clear on who you're serving, what you want them to understand, and what you want the conversation to accomplish.Send me a DM right here on Substack and ask for the Live Worksheet. I'll send it to you.Then listen to Episode #32 and hear how Bill and I put it to work.Explore Bill's work: https://igniteretirement.co/The Substack Podcast Studio: thevirtualpodcastschool.com/substackAlready know you want to launch with private support?Book a consult for a podcast launch package. thevirtualpodcastschool.com/consultNeed focused podcast strategy?Book a Mic Drop Mastery Power Hour:thevirtualpodcastschool.com/podcastcoachingPrefer a powerful self-diagnostic tool to earn faster with your pdocast?Take the Profitable Podcast Health Checkupthevirtualpodcastschool.com/healthcheckupThe Substack Podcast Studio: thevirtualpodcastschool.com/substackAlready know you want to launch with private support?Book a consult for a podcast launch package. thevirtualpodcastschool.com/consultNeed focused podcast strategy?Book a Mic Drop Mastery Power Hour:thevirtualpodcastschool.com/podcastcoachingPrefer a powerful self-diagnostic tool to earn faster with your pdocast?Take the Profitable Podcast Health Checkupthevirtualpodcastschool.com/healthcheckup This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thejenrogers.substack.com/subscribe

“Next week sometime” is a fairly bold answer to the question of when, exactly, you plan to deliver the three hours of coaching you’ve just offered for $247.That was as specific as I got. I had five seats, no sales page, and no link to buy. About five minutes later, I opened five more seats.If you’ve ever held off on mentioning an offer because you’d like one more pass at the sales page, I want to take you back three days. I spent the first three days of my September Substack Podcast Sprint listening to people talk through what they could do next. Record the episode? Pitch the guest? Both sounded worth doing until you asked, If I’ve got one hour this week and I’d like it to lead to a client, which one gets the hour? By day four, I had my offer. Bring me the list. We’ll pick the three things I’d do first if this were my business.In this episode of The Mic Drop Mastery Newsletter, listen for three decisions you can borrow for your own launch.05:04 · What would someone who came for free gladly pay for? I share what went into those five Afterparty seats and how the Sprint brought in $7,411 in one week, including private coaching.10:35 · Why redo a session I rated a 10 out of 10? Picture yourself trying to remember which button Adam Fraiel clicked three clicks ago. Now would be the perfect time to hear he built a tool that does this for you. We changed when we told people about Adam’s Money Map. His beta brought in $1,470.14:03 · Why buy a pass when your ticket is free? Liam Austin’s Substack Success Summit had already made hundreds of sales before the first session. If you’ve ever penciled in a talk you wanted to hear and then booked a paying client in that spot, you understand the offer.One more beta slipped into this episode. You’re listening to it. Fifty-eight Saturdays ago, Mic Drop Mastery was something I was willing to experiment with.Join me at the Substack Success Summit, November 11–13. I’m teaching how to choose a collaboration partner and plan a conversation that can lead to paid work. Get your free ticket.Also mentionedWhere does your podcast earn your ideal client’s trust? Use SUBSTACKTLC to save 50% on the Profitable Podcast Health Checkup.Bring your go-live, marketing, or dashboard question to my November 13 Studio Q&A. Paid subscribers also get my Profitable GO LIVE Template. Join me in the Studio. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thejenrogers.substack.com/subscribe

He spent $250,000 building his dream. Three weeks later, he sold it for 30 cents on the dollar.What does an expensive retirement mistake have to do with launching, growing, or monetizing a podcast?Quite a bit, actually.My private client and Founding Studio member Bill Hennessy, host of Ignite Retirement, joins me to talk about what changed when he stopped chasing a massive audience, began focusing on Substack, and reconsidered how his podcast supports his business.What if you're working harder to make your original podcast plan succeed than you are to make your podcast profitable?In this episode, discover:Why the right audience beats a bigger one. What Bill discovered when he began building relationships with people genuinely interested in his expertise.The messaging mistake that can cost you buyers. How Bill moved from explaining his process and focusing on pain points to communicating an outcome people actually want.When to pivot instead of pushing harder. Why your original podcast concept, title, or platform doesn't deserve lifelong loyalty just because you've invested in it.Why stories make expertise memorable. What a $250,000 RV disaster reveals about creating conversations people remember.Bill also shares the evolution of his podcast from Finding Meaning and Purpose in Retirement to Ignite Retirement, and the business decisions behind that change.Want this kind of exposure for your expertise?Bill is a Founding Member of the Substack Podcast Studio, and being featured on this podcast is one of his membership benefits.You can experience it, too.Upgrade to Founder to be featured on The Substack Podcast Studio, plus receive a bonus 45-minute private coaching session with me to help make your podcast more profitable.The Substack Podcast Studio: thevirtualpodcastschool.com/substackAlready know you want to launch with private support?Book a consult for a podcast launch package. thevirtualpodcastschool.com/consultNeed focused podcast strategy?Book a Mic Drop Mastery Power Hour:thevirtualpodcastschool.com/podcastcoachingPrefer a powerful self-diagnostic tool to earn faster with your podcast?Take the Profitable Podcast Health Checkupthevirtualpodcastschool.com/healthcheckup use code SUBSTACKTLC to save 50% This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thejenrogers.substack.com/subscribe

I help people make decisions about their businesses. So admitting to a $100,000 loss came with a question I didn’t want to answer:What would my clients think?At a three-day intensive, Jenni Rae asked me about the first big mistake I remembered making. I’d expected business coaching. I hadn’t expected my answer to reach back to childhood, or to expose how quickly “I got this wrong” became “I have no value.”In this episode, I explore what we risk when we let people hear the parts we usually edit out, and what it costs our businesses when we keep them hidden.We get into:What you remove to sound certain. The sentence that feels uncomfortable to publish may be where a potential client finally recognizes themselves.The risk someone takes when they recommend you. Their friend has already paid for help and been disappointed. “I love her podcast” won’t be enough.What “I don’t want another project” might mean. And why explaining your offer again can leave the most important part of the conversation untouched.Plus, a chat prompt to uncover the real story in your next episode and reflective questions that make room for answers you won’t find in your coaching handbook.What have you decided about yourself because something didn’t work out?Mentioned in this episodeSubstack Podcast Marketing: What Your Clients Haven’t Told You Yet | #26Mic Drop Mastery Newsletter #57 (prompt inside)Jenni Rae Rise EventYour next stepBring your expertise, your offer, and the invitation you keep rewriting into the Substack Podcast Studio. Let’s help your right person understand why working with you comes next.Take The Profitable Podcast Health Checkup: Use code SUBSTACKTLC to save 50%. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thejenrogers.substack.com/subscribe

You can have a full recording schedule and still be postponing the episode your next client needs to hear.The one where you explain why the advice they’ve been following hasn’t worked. Or say the thing you find yourself repeating in private client sessions.Somehow, another 'helpful' roundup gets recorded first.I understand how easy it is to stay busy while leaving the bigger decision unresolved. When I enlisted in the Army, I knew exactly what I wanted to leave behind. What I wanted to build was considerably less clear.That distinction follows us into business.In this episode, I’m taking the frustration behind procrastination and reframing it.We’ll explore:- How podcast procrastination can hide inside a full production schedule.- What a restaurant menu can teach you about choosing your show’s direction.- Which buyer conversations belong in your episodes.- How to connect what you love talking about to what people can hire you to do.The outcome is a high-converting podcast, with each episode helping listeners understand their problem, trust your approach, and see a reason to work with you.Bring the episode you keep postponing into the paid Substack Podcast Studio. We’ll work through what you want to say, why your listener needs it, and how your offer fits the conversation.Join the paid Substack Podcast Studio for help connecting your message, stories, and offers. On November 2, subscribers can also join me and Adam Fraiel of Email Decided for Email on Easy Street, focused on preparing your email marketing and messaging for Black Friday Sales.The Substack Podcast Studio: thevirtualpodcastschool.com/substackAlready know you want to launch with private support?Book a consult for a podcast launch package. thevirtualpodcastschool.com/consultNeed focused podcast strategy?Book a Mic Drop Mastery Power Hour:thevirtualpodcastschool.com/podcastcoachingPrefer a powerful self-diagnostic tool to earn faster with your pdocast?Take the Profitable Podcast Health Checkupthevirtualpodcastschool.com/healthcheckup This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thejenrogers.substack.com/subscribe

You finally get the message: a business wants to sponsor your podcast.You’re already imagining saying, “This episode is sponsored by…” Then you read the requests. An extra interview. A dedicated email. A topic you wouldn’t otherwise cover.You could make it work. You’re very good at making things work.But where does your own offer fit after you’ve made room for theirs?Substack has announced early-access signups for dynamic podcast sponsorships, with optional sponsorship marketplaces planned. Its broader sponsorship experiments could also let brands pay for readers to experience paid publications.In Mic Drop Mastery Newsletter #56 of The Substack Podcast Studio, I explore what those possibilities could mean for entrepreneurs who have podcasts on Substack.We start with the toilet paper hunt of 2020. Yes, really. Then I share an idea I’m considering for highlighting my clients while honoring Commandment #8: Sell your own stuff.Inside this episode:• Why someone can love your podcast and still struggle to recommend you when a friend needs help.• What prospective buyers need to experience before paying for another subscription.• How to evaluate a sponsor beyond the check they’re offering.• One sentence to help you connect a collaboration to a paid next step.If you’re considering a partnership but keep getting stuck on what to propose, bring that unfinished idea to a 1:1 strategy session. We’ll work through how it supports your offers and what to do next.Book your podcast strategy session:https://thevirtualpodcastschool.com/podcastcoachingBecome Memorable, Referable + Profitable with PodcastingYour next stepBring your expertise, your offer, and the invitation you keep rewriting into the Substack Podcast Studio. Let’s help your ideal clients better understand why working with you is the next logical step. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thejenrogers.substack.com/subscribe

You’ve published enough episodes to prove you can stick with a podcast.So why does turning those listeners into clients still feel like guesswork?I had more than 300 episodes behind me and a show in the top 1% worldwide. When I first heard about podcasting on Substack, my response was: “Absolutely not.”I had a plan. Learning another platform was nowhere on it.Then I started questioning what staying put was costing me.In this episode, I unpack why Substack changed how I think about podcast monetization, audience connection, and selling my own offers. We’ll get into:- Why 100 listeners you can reach could be more valuable to your business than 10,000 downloads.- The paid subscriber math worth doing before you chase a bigger audience.- Two ways your existing podcast can live on Substack without starting over.- Three decisions to make now so January doesn’t arrive with the same unanswered questions.If your podcast helps people but you’re still waiting for it to help your business, press play - NOW.Ready to work through your next move with me? Join the paid Substack Podcast Studio. We meet at least twice a month to work on the strategy behind your show. Listen for the invitation to ask me for a $99 annual membership code.Referenced in this episode:#1 Substack Stats here#2 Move your podcast to SubstackJoin Podcasters in The Substack Podcast Studio: thevirtualpodcastschool.com/substackAlready know you want to launch with private support?Book a consult for a podcast launch package. thevirtualpodcastschool.com/consultNeed focused podcast strategy?Book a Mic Drop Mastery Power Hour:thevirtualpodcastschool.com/podcastcoachingPrefer a powerful self-diagnostic tool to earn faster with your pdocast?Take the Profitable Podcast Health Checkupthevirtualpodcastschool.com/healthcheckup This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thejenrogers.substack.com/subscribe

Somewhere in your past is a story you’ve decided doesn’t belong in your business.You weren’t especially wise in it. Your reasons weren’t impressive. And if you told it honestly, you’d have to admit you had no idea what you were doing.Mine starts with my parents going on vacation.I got bored. I joined the Army.By the time I was standing in a cattle car at Fort Jackson, smiling a terrified smile at the last person I wanted noticing me, I would have happily accepted a ride home.That story rarely makes it into a professional introduction. But “Army veteran” leaves quite a bit out.What does your introduction leave out?That could very well be the part that helps someone remember you and relate to you long after the episode ends.In this episode, we’re following the connection between the stories you tell, the people who recommend you, and the offers your listeners consider buying.Someone can love your podcast and still have no idea when to hire you. Let’s fix that.You’ll hear:- How to find the details in your own stories that a polished bio leaves behind.- Why a potential client might never use the words you use to describe them, and how that makes referrals harder.- How to finish “so the next time you ___, you can ___” with something your buyer wants to pay for.I’ve included a guided storytelling prompt and two fill-in-the-blank exercises in newsletter #55 so you can put this to work on your next episode or invitation.And if you recognize yourself in the part about teaching generously, then practically apologizing when it’s time to mention your offer, come inside The Substack Podcast Studio. We’ll help you connect what you teach to what you sell.Hoping someone figures out how to become your client will leave you broke and calling out for your mama, too.The Profitable Podcast Health Checkup: Use code SUBSTACKTLC to save 50%.Your next stepBring your expertise, your offer, and the invitation you keep rewriting into the Substack Podcast Studio. Let’s help your right person understand why working with you comes next. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thejenrogers.substack.com/subscribe

They’ve listened to your podcast for six months. Then they say, “Oh! I didn’t realize you helped people with that.”Your spouse could explain your offer from memory. But your ideal client - the person who needs it still can’t see how your offer would help them. Before you record another explanation of your services, consider what your listener is trying to figure out. In this episode of Substack Podcast Studio, I introduce two hypothetical listeners, Sarah and David. One thinks she needs a bigger audience. The other is considering a workshop but wants to know whether it will help with the work he’s already started.Same episode. Same offer. Different questions standing between listening and buying. I’m walking you through the five stages of buyer awareness and my Podcasting TLC framework: Trust, Leverage, and Conversion.You’ll hear how to:- Describe the moment your ideal client recognizes, including what they think has gone wrong.- Make your episodes work together so listeners have a reason to keep listening.- Connect your offer to the help someone is considering.- Deliver an invitation with the same conviction you bring to your teaching.We also revisit episode 14, “The Buyer Conversations Your Podcast Is Missing.”Put your podcast trust to work in your email strategy. On Friday, October 16, email expert Adam Fraiel joins me inside the Studio for Email on Easy Street. We’ll explore the Substack subscriber dashboard and how to identify groups within your audience so you can approach them with more relevant offers.Join the Studio and upgrade to a paid tier for the session and its replay in the private podcast feed. Join live from your laptop with your dashboard open.Join the paid Substack Podcast Studio for help connecting your message, stories, and offers. On October 16, paid subscribers can also join me and Adam Fraiel of Email Decided for Email on Easy Street, focused on preparing your email marketing and messaging for Black Friday Sales.The Substack Podcast Studio: thevirtualpodcastschool.com/substackAlready know you want to launch with private support?Book a consult for a podcast launch package. thevirtualpodcastschool.com/consultNeed focused podcast strategy?Book a Mic Drop Mastery Power Hour:thevirtualpodcastschool.com/podcastcoachingPrefer a powerful self-diagnostic tool to earn faster with your pdocast?Take the Profitable Podcast Health Checkupthevirtualpodcastschool.com/healthcheckup This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thejenrogers.substack.com/subscribe