It’s the day before your episode goes live—and you still have to outline it, record it, edit it, and get it all done before 6:00 am tomorrow morning when your listeners will be looking for it. You tell yourself you work better under pressure, but this pace is unsustainable. It drains your energy, kills your creativity, and honestly? It makes you hate your podcast.

In this episode, I’m answering a listener’s question about finding time to prep your episodes—and exposing what’s really behind the last-minute race to hit publish. You’ll get the exact system I use to stay a month ahead on content, so you can plan without pressure, record without rushing, and stop duct-taping episodes together at midnight the night before they air.

So if you’re *over* staying up late and showing up tired in the name of staying consistent, hit play and let’s dive in.

1:12 – Why “Finding Time to Record” Keeps You Editing at Midnight and Praying the Wi-Fi Holds

3:18 – What Your Listeners Can Hear When You Show Up With Last-Minute Energy

5:05 – How I Stay a Month Ahead on Content and Still Follow Inspiration When it Hits

7:30 – Why Letting Guests Control Your Calendar Sabotages Your Authority

9:48 – The System That Turns Shower Thoughts Into Fully Formed Episodes

Other Episodes You’ll Love:

• Steal This Episode Planning Framework to Cut Your Prep Time in Half
• 8 Ways to Fill a Content Gap Without Sounding Unprepared

→ This episode was recorded on the Deity VO-7U

Support the show

Liked this episode? Share it with a fellow podcaster!

Love this show? Say thanks by leaving a positive review.

Register for Courtney's Free Podcasting Workshop: How to 10x Your Business with a Podcast in 2025

Schedule a 1:1 Podcasting Audit with Courtney.

Curious about PodLaunch®? Book a Demo to see if our podcasting mentorship is the right fit for your business.

Connect with Courtney: Linked In | Instagram | PodLaunch HQ


©Ⓟ 2018–2025 by Courtney Elmer. All Rights Reserved.

You’ve probably Googled it. You’ve definitely heard five different answers from five different podcast “experts.” But how long should your episodes be? That depends entirely on your listener—and in this episode, I’m showing you how to figure out your perfect episode length using real data from your show.

You’ll learn the two metrics that matter most (and exactly where to find them), how to run a simple 10-episode audit to calculate your ideal episode length, and why nailing this is the fastest way to increase listener retention—and conversions.

Because every time a listener drops off before your CTA, you’re losing the chance to grow your audience (and your income)—so if you want to fix it, hit play and let’s dive in.

1:05 – Why Copying Other Shows (Even Unintentionally) Lowers Listener Retention
2:58 – How to Stop the Silent Listener Drop-Off That’s Killing Your Conversions
8:16 – Run This 2-Metric Audit to Calculate Your Perfect Episode Length
14:20 – Where to Place Your CTA So More Listeners Actually Hear It
17:36 – Why Higher Listener Retention Drives More Plays (and Conversions)

Other Episodes You’ll Enjoy:

• How Do You Make Listeners Stay Longer? (and Why It Matters)

→ This episode was recorded on the Deity VO-7U

Support the show

Liked this episode? Share it with a fellow podcaster!

Love this show? Say thanks by leaving a positive review.

Register for Courtney's Free Podcasting Workshop: How to 10x Your Business with a Podcast in 2025

Schedule a 1:1 Podcasting Audit with Courtney.

Curious about PodLaunch®? Book a Demo to see if our podcasting mentorship is the right fit for your business.

Connect with Courtney: Linked In | Instagram | PodLaunch HQ


©Ⓟ 2018–2025 by Courtney Elmer. All Rights Reserved.

Most podcasters want more revenue from their podcast—but few have a plan for getting there.

In this episode, Danielle Hayden (reformed corporate CFO and founder of Kickstart Accounting) is back to break down the numbers side of podcast growth. If you’ve ever wondered how to track conversions from your podcast, how to budget for your show, or how to confidently decide where to invest, this episode gives you the strategy most podcasters struggle to figure out alone.

So if you’re ready to learn how high-earning podcasters think about spending—and how to run your podcast like a business even when it’s not making money yet—hit play and let’s dive in.

1:05 – Why Knowing Your Profit Margin Matters More Than Podcast ROI

3:26 – The Marketing Budget Benchmarks Most Podcasters Don’t Know About

5:51 – What to Track (and How) to Measure Real ROI From Your Show

10:14 – How to Build a Spending Plan That Supports Your Podcast Growth

14:00 – Where to Invest First to Get the Biggest Return From Your Podcast

Episode Links:

• Grab Danielle’s free budgeting template
• Check out Danielle’s podcast: Business By the Books
• Read my go-to book on buying back your time: Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell

Other Episodes You’ll Enjoy:

• This One Belief Is Costing You Podcast Revenue

→ This episode was recorded on the Deity VO-7U

Support the show

Liked this episode? Share it with a fellow podcaster!

Love this show? Say thanks by leaving a positive review.

Register for Courtney's Free Podcasting Workshop: How to 10x Your Business with a Podcast in 2025

Schedule a 1:1 Podcasting Audit with Courtney.

Curious about PodLaunch®? Book a Demo to see if our podcasting mentorship is the right fit for your business.

Connect with Courtney: Linked In | Instagram | PodLaunch HQ


©Ⓟ 2018–2025 by Courtney Elmer. All Rights Reserved.