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“Writing is thinking. Speaking is thinking too — just faster and more honestly.”
— David Perell
The Red Thread This Week
Should You Have a Podcast?
I’ll paraphrase a question I get a lot from business operators using content to grow:
"We're already doing a newsletter and social content. Are we supposed to have a podcast too?"
Fair question.
Here's what usually follows:
"Isn’t the space too saturated?"
"How would it even make money?"
"Do we have the bandwidth for this?"
All reasonable concerns. All slightly beside the point.
Because asking whether a podcast will grow their audience or monetize quickly is a trap.
That's not why serious business operators add podcasting to their mix.
For context:
There are over 700,000 “active” podcasts today.
The median podcast earns ~30 downloads in a week.
Not 30,000, or 3,000…30.
Source: Buzzsprout
And yet—this might be the best moment ever for you to add audio to your content mix.
Not because it will make you rich (because it probably won’t.)
But because of what podcasting actually makes possible for your business.
I've spent a long time in media and podcasting. I've launched shows, advised creators, and managed platforms delivering content to millions of listeners.
Here's what I absolutely believe:
Podcasting isn't a “marketing” or “monetization” play.
It's core media infrastructure, with powerful ripple effects.
This week's Red Thread is about why—and how—to decide if it fits your mix.
~ Jaime
🔑 The Unlock
Podcasting as Media Infrastructure
Most operators think about podcasting like a marketing channel: "Will this grow my customer base?"
They should be thinking about it like infrastructure: "What does this make possible for my broader business?"
Here's what podcasting delivers:
1️⃣ Clarity and Focus
When you commit to explaining something out loud for 20-40 minutes, something changes.
You stop hiding behind rough-draft ideas.
You hear the gaps in your own thinking.
You find out what you actually believe.
For operators:
Recording audio forces you to test whether your ideas hold up in conversation, either with yourself or someone else.
Many of my best newsletter issues started as podcast conversations.
The act of speaking reveals what you actually think vs. what sounds good on paper (and often overcomes the fear of writing we all learned in 3rd grade.)
2️⃣ Meaningful Connection
Podcast listeners opt in.
They choose to spend time with your voice while walking, cooking, commuting, thinking, etc.
This isn't scrolling. It's active, voluntary, enrollment.
A hundred listeners who really listen beats ten thousand fly-by “followers” who glance at your work.
For operators:
Your newsletter builds your list.
Your podcast deepens relationships with the people who matter most—potential clients, partners, referral sources.
You don't need 10,000 listeners.
You need 100 who trust your thinking enough to hire you.
That's business development that doesn't feel like performative sales.
3️⃣ Proof of Work and Trust
Anyone can say they're an expert, or a strategic thinker, or a trusted resource.
A podcast, delivered consistently, quietly proves it.
It shows how you think, what you care about, and whether you can sustain a point of view over time.
For operators:
Every episode demonstrates how you think, not just what you think.
When a potential client asks "What's your approach?" you can say "You might find episode 47 really helpful."
That's client qualification you can scale.
The wrong people self-select out. The right people stay.
4️⃣ Content That Compounds
One good episode becomes:
a newsletter
a blog post
social clips
a sales conversation
a client filter
For operators:
Record one 20-minute conversation → repurposed transcript becomes newsletter → pull 3 clips for social → repurpose to YouTube → content for client interactions.
One hour of recording becomes a week of content.
That's not a spray-and-pray approach to "doing more content."
That's building infrastructure that creates leverage for your business.
📌 Remember: The question isn’t whether podcasts “work” in general, it’s whether a podcast fits your specific business strategy given what they actually provide.
🎙️ Reality Check
Podcasting is highest leverage when:
✅ You're building consulting, coaching, or services
✅ Your audience consumes audio
✅ You've validated your content thesis through newsletter or social first
✅ You want to repurpose one asset into multiple formats
✅ Depth matters more than reach in your business model
Podcasting is lowest leverage when:
❌ You haven't validated content-market fit yet
❌ You're optimizing for maximum reach
❌ Your monetization depends on large audiences (e.g. you sell ads)
❌ You don't have systems for content repurposing
❌ You can't commit to 20+ episodes (inconsistency kills podcasts)
Simple infrastructure:
Newsletter = Builds your list
Podcast = Deepens trust, qualifies clients
Social = Distribution layer
Most successful operators don't choose one format over another—they build a system where each serves a specific strategic purpose.
🎲 Prompt Playground
The Podcast Strategy Audit
Use this to decide whether podcasting fits your media mix.
Prompt:
You are a media strategy advisor helping an operator evaluate whether adding podcasting to their content mix makes strategic sense.
My Current Media Operation:
What content I'm already creating: [Newsletter, social, video—be specific]
My audience size and engagement: [Subscribers, open rates, followers]
My business model: [Consulting/coaching, products, ads, speaking]
Time I can dedicate weekly: [Honest hours, not aspirational]
My Strategic Question:
[Example: "Should I add a podcast to my newsletter and social content, or focus on what I have?" or "Is audio the right next format, or should I be doing something else instead?"]
Help me evaluate:
Strategic Fit
Format Recommendation
Content System Integration
Resource Reality Check
Go/No-Go Recommendation
Be direct. No hype. Tell me what I need to hear.
Ask me one question at a time until you have enough information to complete this exercise.
✅ Bonus Prompt: "If I recorded 10 episodes that only 50 people heard—but those 50 were exactly the right people for my business—what specific outcomes might occur?"
Need Help Deciding?
If you're building a business and trying to figure out whether podcasting fits your content strategy—or how to build a content system that actually creates leverage—I can help.
I work with operators who know content matters but need strategic guidance on:
Which formats to prioritize (and which to skip)
How to build content systems that compound
When to add new formats vs. optimize existing ones
Does this sound like you?
If so, hit reply to this email and write “System”
I’ll hit you back so we can get a quick call on the books to map your current content operation, and identify your highest-value next move.
No cost. No strings. Just here to help you move forward.
⚡ Before You Go
Here are a few ways I can help right now:
🗓️ 1:1 Strategic Support: Need a thought partner to shape what's next?
🎙️ Podcast Support: Get pro-level guidance without hiring full-time.
🚀 Speaking & Workshops: Hit reply and write “Speak” - let’s talk!
📓 The 7-Day Podcast Playbook: Go from zero to podcast in 7 days (free)
🤖 AI Prompt Library: 12 prompts to use AI as a strategic thinking partner (free)
And I’d really appreciate your help:
🧶 Take a quick 3-minute survey to help improve Red Threads.
💬 Leave a short testimonial if this newsletter has helped you think or act differently.
Both make a real difference—thank you 🙏
Prefer Audio?
Thanks for spending time with Red Threads this week, I’m glad you’re here :)
~ Jaime