10 myths stopping you from pitching yourself as a podcast guest

I'm too ________.
I'm not _____ enough.
I'm not ready.

(Dirty lies, all of 'em!)

And while it's totally normal to experience nasty, imposter-y thoughts like these (especially when embarking on something super-vulnerable, like running a business!)...

...left unchecked, these thoughts can cement themselves into firm beliefs that lead us to pre-emptively opt ourselves right out of all kinds of cool, new opportunities.

But, that's not gonna happen to you, Testing.

Not on my watch!

Today, I’m sharing 10 myths that could be stopping you from pitching yourself as a podcast guest:

Appearing as a guest on other people's podcasts is one of the most powerful (yet most
underutilized!) strategies for growing a business especially a health and wellness business.

So, if you've ever considered pitching yourself as a podcast guest and any of these pesky little myths has given you pause, I'm here to knock them out for you, one by one!

Myth #1: You've gotta know the right people

No. No, you don't!

Actually you DO need to know the right people, but it's not who you think...

You need to know who you are trying to reach with your business, who can benefit most from what you have to share, and where are they currently hanging out online.

Which podcasts are they and other people like them most likely to be tuning into already?

You should also have some idea of who your professional neighbors are in your niche. These are people who are serving your dream clients, patients, and customers, but serving them in a different way than you do.

(And the important thing to note here is you don't have to actually know these individuals personally. You just need to have a sense of who they might be.)

New to this idea? I shared more about professional neighbors in this video post!

Myth #2: You need fancy equipment to get started

Again, no you don't!

While you may want to invest in some basic equipment like an external mic or some headphones (check out this video for links to the ones I like), really the main thing is that you take reasonable steps to improve the quality of the audio on your end of the podcast interview.

You might be surprised! You can set up a pretty great sound booth for yourself just by finding a closet in your home and pulling together some towels or blankets to muffle the sound.

(It's humble, but it works!)

Myth #3: You need podcast experience before you can pitch yourself as a guest

Now, I'm going to challenge you on this one because if this were true no one would ever pitch themselves!

You have to start somewhere, right?

And as a health and wellness professional, you have an array of related experiences, even if you've never been a guest on anyone's podcast:

• Think about the work you do.
• Think about the conversations you have with all kinds of different people every single day!
• Think about presentations you've given, either in your training or as a professional out in the world
• Think about this past year-- talks that you may have given on Zoom or lectures
• If you've taught courses
• If you've volunteered your time presenting to groups pro bono

Really stretch yourself here, and pretty soon you'll be able to come up with a whole list of relevant experiences you've had that lend themselves really nicely to guesting on podcasts!

So, don't sell yourself short. ;)

Myth #4: Podcast appearances are only for fame seekers who want to build a massive following

This is a really common myth that I've encountered and I think it's totally based on
a misunderstanding of the primary goal of being a guest on someone's podcast.

Often you'll hear people talk about using podcast interviews as a way to "get your
name out there"... and while that's technically true, the goal is not to just amass
a huge following.

(That may be one of the outcomes of doing a lot of different podcast appearances.)

But, the REAL goal-- the only one we actually care about-- is leveraging someone else's existing platform in order to expand your reach into new pockets of the population where your dream clients already are, serve them well on the episode, and then strategically direct them back to your online home, where they can learn about everything that you have to offer. 

That's the deal. That's what we're going for, and so do your best to get that idea out of your head: Podcast guest interviews are not for attention-seekers.

They're for health and wellness professionals.
They're for you and for me.
They're for all of us!

Myth #5: You've gotta clear your entire schedule to make this happen

This is absolutely untrue!

One of the reasons why I love podcast pitching so much is that it's flexible... it can be as
intensive as you'd like it to be.

So, let's say for example that you want to make this the the focus of your marketing efforts in the next quarter or in the next year.

You could launch a full-scale push to be your own podcast PR person. Pitch as many different podcasts as you can and really block out time in your schedule to support this.

OR you could take a completely different approach and casually dip a toe in the podcast waters.

For instance, you might decide you're up for doing one or two podcast interviews in
the next six months. You can use that as your guide and work backwards to decide
how many podcasts you want to pitch, how intensively you want to work on this now.

It can take up as much or as little of your time and your headspace and your effort as
you like. There's freedom!

Myth #6: You have to have the entire interview planned before you pitch

This is another beautiful benefit of podcast interviews!

Unlike a lecture or a video where it might be helpful to script out what you're going to say ahead of time, a podcast conversation is just that:

It's a natural dialogue that unfolds organically... so, you really can't script it ahead of time!

Remember: There's a host that you're going to be talking with, so there's a give and take.

One of the qualities that distinguishes a truly outstanding podcast guest is the ability to come prepared but stay open, flexible, and ready to go wherever the conversation takes you!

Myth #7: You have to be a total super fan of any podcast you pitch

Now, here it really comes down to quality and authenticity.

It's impossible to be a super fan of every podcast you could possibly pitch! And besides, that's not the kind of thing you can (or should) fake.

What matters most is some strategic preparation. Doing your homework ahead of
time to get to know something about the podcast before you pitch it, so that you can be thoughtful and truly customize your pitch.

It'll make all the difference, trust me.

Myth #8: You have to tell your entire life story

No, I promise you do not have to share anything more than you're comfortable sharing as a podcast guest.

But, a big part of what makes a podcast interview such a unique content marketing opportunity is that you have the time and space to share some truly valuable information and education with podcast listeners... while also effortlessly pulling in pieces of your own story or the story of your business!

It's a really unique way to communicate some information without it coming across as dry when you can educate and share together in one conversation.

This is the sweet spot that podcast listeners LOVE. So, don't worry-- it doesn't need to be a tell-all expose. It's simply about being of service.

Myth #9: You have nothing ___________ enough to share

We tend to get hung up on this for some reason. I think it's because we worry our interview won't be enough of a "show" for podcast listeners.

But, the message you have to share with a podcast audience is no different than the message that you're probably already sharing elsewhere online (e.g., on your social media posts, blog, YouTube videos, wherever you are currently creating free, valuable content for your audience).

It's the same exact thing on a podcast! 

Now, if part of what you're feeling a little insecure about is the thought of putting yourself out there, being vulnerable, recording the podcast episode, and then seeing no response from listeners...

Please don't worry about this!

There is ALWAYS an audience for your podcast episode, friend.

Plus, remember: These live on in perpetuity! At any time, someone searching for the topic that you're sharing about could discover your podcast episode.

And something else to keep in mind:

The podcast host and their audience and their promotion efforts are just one half of the puzzle. YOU share that responsibility and that opportunity to repurpose content from your episode, to help put it out there in different ways!

Myth #10: You have to have the right personality

Nope! It's come as you are.

Part of what makes podcasts so fascinating as a medium is the wide array of personalities and perspectives they pull together.

By no means should you be trying to manufacture some larger-than-life "podcast personality".

Just come exactly as you are. Bring your genuine self and trust that it's going to connect with the right people.

Let's take action!

Ready to dive in there and try out this podcast pitching thing for yourself?

Sign up for my free Podcast Guest Prep video training!