Christian Podcasting with Tammy Maltese Munson

Tammy Maltese Munson
  • 5.0 (21)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

You didn't stumble into podcasting by accident. You felt a pull toward it, a sense that you had something to say, and the right people were waiting to hear it. But somewhere between the first episode and where you are now, it got complicated. This podcast is for the woman who is already doing this and wants to do it sustainably, strategically, and without losing her mind or her calling in the process. Hosted by Tammy Maltese Munson, podcast producer, strategist, and coach with over 20+ years of experience, each episode delivers a practical framework and a permission slip you didn't know you needed. We talk about consistency, growth, content, tools, and what it actually looks like to build a podcast that lasts. Faith is woven through all of it because the calling matters as much as the strategy. New episodes every Friday!

  1. 5d ago

    Should You Start a Podcast in 2026?

    A few years ago, the question was simple: Is it too late to start a podcast? Now there's a new fear underneath it. If AI can write a script, generate a voice, edit an episode, and publish content faster than any of us ever could…why would anyone listen to you? Here's what I believe: AI didn't make your voice less valuable. It made a real human voice more valuable than ever. In this episode of Christian Podcasting Secrets, I'm revisiting the question of whether you should start a podcast—but through the very different reality we're living in now. Because the barrier to making a podcast has practically disappeared. But the barrier to making something worth listening to? That's gone up. And that changes everything. In this episode: The question you should be asking instead of "Is podcasting too crowded?" Why the explosion of AI-generated content may actually create an opportunity for human podcasters The three honest questions I think you should answer before starting a podcast The difference between wanting to be heard and actually having something to say Why I believe consistency matters even more in an AI-saturated podcast world The one thing AI can never bring to your microphone—your lived experience Why discernment matters when you're creating content as a Christian How to find the thing that only you can say Why you need a sustainable podcasting "floor" instead of an ambitious publishing schedule you can't maintain Where I draw the line between using AI as a podcasting tool and allowing it to replace your voice A simple five-minute exercise to help you discover whether there's a podcast inside you Resources + Links Ready to start your podcast? Grab my free Podcast Launch Guide. It walks you through the practical steps from idea to publishing your first episode—including what gear actually matters and what you can skip. wildfirecreativecompany.com/podcastlaunchguide  Come say hi on Instagram: @wildfirecreativeco @tammy_munson Email me: tammy@wildfirecreativecompany.com You didn't miss your window. The window just changed shape. XO, Tammy

    Should You Start a Podcast in 2026?

  2. Aug 7

    The Self-Doubt That Learned to Sound Like Wisdom

    When you're brand new, self-doubt is loud and dumb. It says "nobody's listening," and because it's so obvious, you can see it for the lie it is. But stay in this long enough, and that voice gets smarter. It stops sounding like fear and starts sounding like wisdom. It stops saying "you can't do this" and starts saying "well, you've been at this a while, and look at your analytics, so maybe this just isn't your thing." That's the version I'm after in this one. Not beginner jitters. Seasoned self-doubt. The kind that's been with you for years and has gotten really good at disguising itself as just being realistic. I name it plainly (after admitting it took me four tries to record this one, because apparently something didn't want it said), give you a framework that holds up even decades in, and walk through the most human argument in all of scripture: a man standing in front of a burning bush, telling God He picked the wrong person. God's answer to Moses is His answer to you, too. If you've caught yourself softening the bold thing, hedging the truth you believe, or quietly nominating someone else to say what you were called to say, this one's for you. In this episode: Why self-doubt gets more dangerous the longer you've been podcasting How to tell the difference between real wisdom and fear wearing wisdom's clothes The framework: Consider the Source Moses, the burning bush, and the excuse you've been using in a fancier form The "send someone else" trap and what it quietly costs you Four moves for the moment the voice shows up Your assignment: say the bold thing you keep softening Scripture referenced: 2 Timothy 1:7 "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and a sound mind." Exodus 4:10-13  Moses at the burning bush ("I am slow of speech"), and God's answer, "Who has made man's mouth?" Resources and links: Free weekly podcasting tips direct to your inbox! wildfirecreativecompany.com/52tips Book a discovery call with me: wildfirecreativecompany.com/discoverycall Follow us on Instagram: @wildfirecreativeco Email Tammy tammy@wildfirecreativecompany.com Here's the whole thing in one line, friend. You were never called because you were qualified. You were qualified because you were called. And that doesn't change with one flat download/ podcsat consumption month. XO, Tammy

    The Self-Doubt That Learned to Sound Like Wisdom

  3. Jul 31 ·  Bonus

    It's Not Too Late (And I Can Prove It)

    This one's a little different. No tactics, no strategy this week.  If something in you has been whispering that you're a little too late, that you passed some window, stay with me. I want to tell you about the year I turned 46, when I started asking God what was next and ended up launching a podcast studio in January of 2020, right before the whole world shut down. I didn't know then that I'd be starting over in about six different ways a few years later. So when I tell you it's not too late, I'm not saying it from a stage. I'm saying it from the other side of the exact thing you're scared of. XO, Tammy Key Takeaways The lie says there was a window and it's closed. It is one of the most convincing lies women get handed, and it is not true. That "too late" feeling is fear. FEAR: false evidence appearing real. We treat it like true fear, but it isn't the same thing. "Too late" is seductive because it gets you off the hook. Nobody blames a woman for a closed window. Your brain is not closing up shop. Neuroplasticity lays down new roads at any age, and in midlife it rewires around what you actually care about now. That thing you can't stop thinking about is not a midlife crisis. It's your brain telling you what's next to build. God has never once been limited by anyone's timeline. Your calling didn't expire because you spent a season being faithful to everyone else first. Both things are true. Catch the lie in your own voice this week, name what's underneath it, then give yourself one small proof you haven't missed anything. Timestamps [0:01:30] Launching a Studio on the Eve of a Pandemic [0:03:10] Divorce, Upheaval, and Starting Over [0:04:20] Fear Disguised as Missed Timing [0:05:11] Your Brain Is Still Building New Roads [0:06:30] Faith Beyond Timelines and Expectations [0:08:05] One Small Proof, Not a Five-Year Plan [0:09:40] You Haven't Missed Your Chance Resources mentioned Wildfire Creative Company: https://wildfirecreativecompany.com/ Connect with Tammy Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/christian-podcasting-secrets-with-tammy-munson/id1560889330 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tammy_munson Wildfire Creative Company: https://wildfirecreativecompany.com/

    It's Not Too Late (And I Can Prove It)

  4. Jul 24

    The Real Reason Nobody's Clicking on Your Episode

    Here's a math problem I want you to sit with. Add up everything one episode costs you. Not just the recording but the outlining, the editing that never takes as long as you planned, the show notes, the graphic, the scheduling, the posting about it. For most of us that lands somewhere between four and eight hours. For some of you it's a whole lot more. Now add up what you spent on the title. I already know the answer, because I've done the same thing. 90 seconds, in that little box, right before hitting publish. That's the part that's been quietly costing you. Because your title is the only piece of that episode most people will ever encounter and for a stranger who's never heard of you, it's the entire audition. So this week I'm handing you the whole thing: who your title is actually for, why the clever ones are working against you, what each platform is really looking at (Apple, Spotify, and YouTube all behave differently, and none of them behave how you'd assume), and what's happening now with ChatGPT and Perplexity that most podcasters haven't caught onto yet. Plus a three-step framework you can run this afternoon. XO, Tammy   Listen In to Learn More [00:01:30]  Your Title Is a Discovery Tool, Not a Creative Outlet [00:03:15]  Clever Titles Are Quietly Killing Your Podcast [00:04:30]  Write for the Sleepless Searcher, Not the Loyal Superfan [00:05:11]  Clear Beats Cute: From Puns to Problem-Solving Titles [00:06:40]  Make Your Podcast Useful, Not Mysterious [00:09:59]  Apple SEO: Titles Do the Heavy Lifting [00:11:10]  Spotify: Let Descriptions Carry the Extra Keywords [00:12:20]  YouTube: Titles Search, Thumbnails Stop the Scroll [00:13:40]  AI Tools Only See What They Can Read [00:14:43]  Why AI Keeps Spitting Out Vague, Generic Titles [00:16:05]  Stop Letting AI Lead Your Strategy [00:17:20]  Feed AI Your Listener's Actual Search Sentence [00:19:26]  Search–Check–Fix: The 3-Step Title Framework [00:20:40]  Five Renamed Episodes Can Revive Your Back Catalog [00:22:00]  Choose Clear Over Clever to Choose Your Listener First   Key Takeaways Your title isn't for the woman who already subscribed. She's listening anyway — your relationship earned that, not your title. Titles are for the stranger searching for something specific. Clever worked in the blogging days when discovery was casual browsing. Now people search for exactly what they need, and nobody types a pun into a search bar. APPLE does not use your episode description as a ranking signal. It ranks show title, episode titles, and author name. Front-load your keyword, and make sure your author field is your actual searchable name. SPOTIFY does use descriptions for ranking. Titles carry the search terms; descriptions carry context and extra keywords. Lead your description with a real promise, not 'in this episode we discuss.' YOUTUBE is a browsing platform as much as a search one, so the thumbnail matters as much as the title. Four to five enormous words that stop a thumb. The title is for the woman searching; the thumbnail is for the woman scrolling. AI TOOLS cannot cite what they cannot read. Apple auto-transcribes now and Spotify does for some shows — but those transcripts live inside the app. They aren't crawlable pages on the open web, which is what ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity actually read. Publish your transcript on your own site. Ask AI for titles cold and you get the average of every podcast title ever written: cute, vague, colon in the middle. It doesn't know your listener or what she'd type at 11pm. You bring the strategy; it brings the volume. Never the other way around. Citation by AI tools isn't correlated with show size. A small show with clear titles and published transcripts can absolutely get named ahead of a big one that never bothered.   ★  THE FRAMEWORK — SEARCH, CHECK, FIX 1. SEARCH. Write the exact sentence she'd type when she needs this, in her words. Not 'podcast consistency strategies' — she types 'I can't keep up with my podcast.' Then build a title that answers it. 2. CHECK. Four questions: Could a stranger tell what it's about with zero context? Does the important part come first? Is it roughly 40-60 characters? Would YOU type this into a search bar? 3. FIX. Rename your five best episodes. Not all of them — five. You can change titles anytime; it's just metadata, nothing breaks. If you do nothing else: rename five titles. One afternoon. Those episodes are already made. You're just putting a findable sign on a door that's been unmarked this whole time.   Episode Quotables 1."Four to eight hours of work. Ninety seconds on the title. And the ninety seconds decides whether anybody ever hears the four to eight hours." 2."Nobody in the history of the internet has ever typed a pun into a search bar." 3."Your title is for the woman who's searching. Your thumbnail is for the woman who's scrolling. Two different women. Two different jobs." 4."Apple made you a transcript. That helps the woman already listening. It does almost nothing for the woman asking ChatGPT for a recommendation." 5."AI will happily hand you twenty titles. It has no idea which one is true." 6."Every time you choose clever over clear, you're quietly choosing yourself over her."   Scripture Referenced Proverbs 25:11 — "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver."   ★  WANT TO ASK TAMMY A QUESTION? Sign up for a FREE discovery call in August. https://wildfirecreativecompany.com/discoverycall    Resources 52 Tips — one podcast tip a week, free: https://wildfirecreativecompany.com/52tips FREE discovery call (August): https://wildfirecreativecompany.com/discoverycall Wildfire Creative Company: https://wildfirecreativecompany.com   Podcasts worth studying for titles and thumbnails: The Mel Robbins Podcast: https://www.melrobbins.com/podcast The Alli Worthington Show: https://alliworthington.com/podcast   Connect With Tammy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tammy_munson Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/christian-podcasting-secrets-with-tammy-munson/id1560889330 Website: https://wildfirecreativecompany.com

    The Real Reason Nobody's Clicking on Your Episode

  5. Jul 17

    I Hate the Sound of My Voice

    Every single time I talk to a room full of women about starting a podcast, someone says it. Usually a little embarrassed, always like she's confessing something: I want to do this, but I can't stand the sound of my own voice. I made the original episode about it back in 2021. And here's the thing that still gets me … it's become one of the most-listened-to episodes I've ever put out. Not because it went viral. Because five years later, women are still quietly searching for permission at eleven o'clock at night, and this is what they find. Everything else about podcasting has changed since I recorded it. The tools, the platforms, the rules. There are AI voices now that never crack, never stumble, and never sound like a real woman having a real thought. And this fear? Hasn't moved an inch. So I'm bringing it back, with a few new thoughts on why your very human, very imperfect voice might be the most valuable thing you've got right now.   XO,  Tammy   In This Episode [0:01:40] Podcast Tech Changed, Core Fear Stayed the Same [0:02:51] Human Voice as Your Competitive Advantage [0:03:07] Your Podcast Isn't Actually About You [0:03:29] Start Anyway Even If You Hate Your Voice [0:03:49] Someone Needs the Message Only You Can Share [0:04:30] Content Matters More Than Vocal Perfection [0:04:54] Minimal Editing and No Re-Listening Strategy   Why I'm Re-Airing This Now Five years later, the fear hasn't moved an inch. The woman who almost doesn't start because she can't stand hearing her own voice back is exactly the same woman she was in 2021. What has changed is the context.    In a feed filling up with AI-generated voices that were never in a body, your actual human voice, with all its texture and all its imperfection, isn't the liability you think it is. It's the whole advantage. That reframe didn't exist when I made this episode. It does now.   Episode Quotables 1."Everybody has a story to tell. There is someone out there right now who needs to hear the message that only you can share. Not her, not him, not anyone else. But you." 2."It's not about me, and your podcast isn't about you. It's about the value that you're bringing." 3."Practice, practice, practice. Because that is what creates confidence." 4."In a feed filling up with voices that were never in a body, your actual human voice isn't the problem. It's the entire advantage." 5."Your listener isn't evaluating your voice. She's looking for someone who sounds like she means it."   Resources & Next Steps Record yourself across a wide range of sounds, pitches, and emotions. Listen for filler words you can work on eliminating. Try speaking from your diaphragm for a fuller, less breathy sound. Speaking from your throat helps if your voice runs squeaky or nasally. Stay hydrated. Before and during your recording, not just when you remember. Hydrated vocal cords stay limber, and you won't need to clear your throat as often. If you're dealing with a vocal cord disorder or want to improve the quality of your voice, reach out to a speech therapist who can give you the right exercises.   Resources Podcast Clarity Audit: https://wildfirecreativecompany.com/podcastclarityaudit  Wildfire Creative Company: https://wildfirecreativecompany.com   Connect With Tammy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tammy_munson Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/christian-podcasting-secrets-with-tammy-munson/id1560889330 Website: https://wildfirecreativecompany.com

    I Hate the Sound of My Voice

  6. Jul 10

    Stop Making the Comfortable Episode

    Most podcasters chose their content pillars during launch --  Before they'd recorded a single episode, before they knew who would actually show up and listen. And then they never revisited them. So the pillars end up serving the host's habit instead of the listener. Everything about your show grows in that first year, your audience, your voice, your message, everything except the topics you locked in on day one.  In this episode I give you the one test that reveals a bad pillar, and a real audit you can run this week to fix it.   XO, Tammy   Key Takeaways [0:00:04] Launch-Time Pillars Are Your Weakest Pillars [0:00:50] Content Pillars Define Your Show's Core Themes [0:01:58] Pillars Are Guideposts, Not Permanent Fixtures [0:03:14] Your Listener Redefines Your Show Over Time [0:04:28] The Single Question That Tests a Pillar [0:04:54] Comfortable Topics as a Red Flag [0:05:24] Risky, Vulnerable Episodes Create Real Engagement [0:06:00] Comfort Is the Warning Sign; Discomfort Is the Gold [0:07:53] When Your Favorite Pillar Serves You, Not Her [0:08:24] Listeners Want a Guide, Not Just Formulas [0:08:58] Moving Beyond Strategy to Heart-Level Service [0:09:26] Pillars as Service, Not Self-Expression [0:09:43] The Real Test: Does It Meet Her Where She Is? [0:09:58] Podcasting as a Potentially Self-Indulgent Trap   ★  THE PILLAR AUDIT (THIS WEEK, WITH A NOTEBOOK) 1. FIND YOUR REAL PILLARS. Pull your last 15 episodes. Write 1-2 words for what each was actually about. Group the similar ones. Those groups are your real pillars (usually 4-5). You'll find one you didn't know you had, and one you were sure you had that's barely there. 2. SCORE EACH PILLAR ON RESPONSE, WITH A REAL NUMBER. Count replies, shares, saves, DMs, and real-life mentions per episode. Total by pillar. If your numbers are small, look for the relative difference, not big numbers. Find the gap between what you publish most and what she responds to most. 3. PROMOTE ONE, RETIRE ONE. Give the high-response pillar you've underused more room and better calendar spots. Let go of (or shrink) the one that scores near zero every time. If you only do one thing: make one episode built entirely around the pillar you've been avoiding because it feels too personal or too risky. Then watch what she does.   Episode Quotables 1."Most podcasters aren't choosing their topics anymore. They're just reaching for the same buckets out of muscle memory." 2."Everything about your show moves in the first year. Everything except the pillars you locked in on day one. Your show grew up and your topics didn't." 3."The topic you can make half-asleep is usually the one serving your habit. The one that scares you a little is usually the one serving your listener." 4."Your pillars are not a place to express yourself. They're a place to serve someone." 5."The most self-indulgent thing you can do with a podcast is aim it at yourself and call it authenticity."   Scripture Referenced Philippians 2:4 — "Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."   Resources Podcast Clarity Audit: https://wildfirecreativecompany.com/podcastclarityaudit  Wildfire Creative Company: https://wildfirecreativecompany.com  Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/christian-podcasting-secrets-with-tammy-munson/id1560889330    Connect With Tammy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tammy_munson  Website: https://wildfirecreativecompany.com

    Stop Making the Comfortable Episode

  7. Jul 3

    Is Your Podcast Drifting or Are You Steering It?

    Your podcast is not the exact same show it was when you started. And that is completely okay. But was that drift on purpose?   There's a big difference between a show that grew and a show that just wandered. One of those you chose. The other one happened to you while you weren't looking. We're halfway through the year, which makes this the moment to check whether your drift was intentional or accidental.    This isn't a teaching episode. It's a check-in. Just you and me and four honest questions. Happy 4th of July, Y'all!    XO,  Tammy   The Four Check-In Questions: 1. Who were you making this podcast for when you started? Are your last five episodes still for her? 2. If a stranger listened to your last month, would they know what you actually stand for? 3. What are you making out of obligation that you could let go of? 4. What have you been wanting to say or do that you keep talking yourself out of?   Key Takeaways: [0:00:02] Mid-Year Drift Check-In [0:01:00] Intentional Growth vs. Accidental Drift [0:02:30] Remember Your Original Listener [0:03:40] Clarifying What You Stand For [0:05:18] Course-Correcting Without Shame [0:06:30] Letting Go of Obligation Content [0:08:10] The Thing You Keep Talking Yourself Out Of [0:09:45] Podcast Clarity Audit Invitation [0:10:12] Naming Your Drift and Finding Evidence [0:11:15] Six-Month Realignment Roadmap     This week's assignment: finish this sentence. For the second half of this year, my podcast is really about ______. One thing. Let it be your heading. Episode Quotables 1."Was that drift on purpose? There's a big difference between a show that grew and a show that just wandered." 2."Drift is not a moral failure. It's just what happens when you're moving. The question is whether your hand is still on the wheel." 3."Staying put can be its own kind of drift. It's just a quieter way of letting the current decide." 4."Realignment is a heading, not a hard turn." 5."You're not off track. You're just done drifting by accident."     Resources: Podcast Clarity Audit: https://wildfirecreativecompany.com/podcastclarityaudit   Wildfire Creative Company: https://wildfirecreativecompany.com   Do you get my weekly tip? https://wildfirecreativecompany.com/WeeklyPodcastTip   Connect With Tammy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tammy_munson

    Is Your Podcast Drifting or Are You Steering It?

  8. Jun 27

    Why Your Show Feels Small (And Why It Isn't)

    Almost every podcaster I've worked with knows this moment. You finish an episode you're genuinely proud of, you go look at somebody else's show, and within about ninety seconds the thing you were proud of starts to feel small.  Nothing about it changed. Only what you measured it against. Comparison is not a character flaw. It's a measurement error. And 'just stop comparing' is the most useless advice anyone ever handed you, because it's like telling you to stop noticing.  In this episode, I give you the actual cure: not to stop measuring, but to change what you measure against. XO,  Tammy   Key Takeaways [0:00:04] When Your Favorite Episode Suddenly Feels Small [0:01:30] The Three Big Lies of Comparison [0:03:30] Why AI Can't Really Hear Your Podcast [0:05:08] Data Without Discernment: The Hidden Risk of AI [0:06:30] When No One Is Truly Listening To Your Show [0:07:30] Sarah's Story: Smaller Audience, Bigger Impact [0:10:08] Called To a Different Race Than She Is [0:11:00] The Only Three Metrics That Actually Matter [0:12:30] Your Week-Long Comparison Fast [0:13:45] Reviews, Reach, and Running Your Own Race ★  THE CURE — THREE BETTER MEASURES 1. YOUR OWN LAST SEASON  Are you better than you were six months ago? Clearer? More yourself? That's the only growth chart that matters, and the one comparison makes you ignore it. 2. YOUR ACTUAL LISTENER  Not the audience you wish you had. The real woman who listens. Is she getting what she came for? Coming back? Telling someone? 3. YOUR OWN CALLING  Are you doing the thing you were called to do, in the way you were made to do it? If yes, you're succeeding at your assignment, regardless of what anyone else's looks like.This week's assignment: a comparison fast. Not the kind where you try to stop looking. Every time you catch yourself measuring your show against someone else's, immediately replace it with one question — am I better than I was last season? Catch the comparison, swap the question, every time.   Episode Quotables 1."Comparison is not a character flaw. It's a measurement error." 2."Comparison makes you measure your honest backstage against her staged front-of-house. You lose a contest she doesn't even know she's in." 3. "AI gives you the metrics. It cannot give you the meaning." 4. Comparison is a quiet distrust of the specific calling you were given. She has her assignment. You have yours." 5."The only person whose progress you were ever meant to track is the one you were six months ago."   Scripture Referenced Galatians 6:4  : "Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else." Resources Let's Chat about Your Podcast!  https://wildfirecreativecompany.com/discoverycall  Episode 153 (PodSlop): You're Not Competing With AI: [Apple Podcasts link] Wildfire Creative Company: https://wildfirecreativecompany.com  Connect With Tammy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tammy_munson  Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/christian-podcasting-secrets-with-tammy-munson/id1560889330  Website: https://wildfirecreativecompany.com

    Why Your Show Feels Small (And Why It Isn't)
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About

You didn't stumble into podcasting by accident. You felt a pull toward it, a sense that you had something to say, and the right people were waiting to hear it. But somewhere between the first episode and where you are now, it got complicated. This podcast is for the woman who is already doing this and wants to do it sustainably, strategically, and without losing her mind or her calling in the process. Hosted by Tammy Maltese Munson, podcast producer, strategist, and coach with over 20+ years of experience, each episode delivers a practical framework and a permission slip you didn't know you needed. We talk about consistency, growth, content, tools, and what it actually looks like to build a podcast that lasts. Faith is woven through all of it because the calling matters as much as the strategy. New episodes every Friday!

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