Your Mic

Freddy Cruz
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Language Learning

Your Mic is the podcast about podcasting for new, stuck, and almost‑quit hosts. Hosted by Speke Podcasting founder and 25‑year broadcast vet Freddy Cruz, it blends hard‑earned lessons, failures, and irreverent stories with sharp tactics you can actually use. Listen on your favorite podcast app!

  1. 3d ago

    How to know your podcast is actually compounding

    Freddy Cruz separates strategic patience from stubborn self-delusion. Using the signal, asymmetry, and identity tests, he shows creators how to decide whether to double down, change the format, sharpen positioning, get help, or finally stop wasting time. Free resources from Speke Podcasting: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/freeresources Work with us: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/pricing-plans Key Takeaways 1. Persistence is not repeating the same bad episode for five years. Useful persistence includes testing, feedback, iteration, and new information. 2. The signal test looks for movement, not instant fame. Better titles, stronger feedback, more replies, longer listening, and better relationships are legitimate signs of progress. 3. The asymmetry test forces honesty about the upside and downside. Know whether your show is an authority engine, relationship builder, hobby, business asset, or expensive fantasy. 4. The identity test asks who you are becoming through the work. Better interviewing, communication, confidence, and consistency all count, even before revenue shows up. 5. Set a time horizon and track one craft signal, one audience signal, and one business or relationship signal. That is patience with a plan, not hope with a microphone.

  2. 5d ago

    Your podcast needs a book more than another reel

    Lolita Guarin helps nonfiction writers quit hiding behind fear, family judgment, and the lie that publishing a book must cost a fortune. Get the words out first. Clean them up later. Somebody needs the story you keep swallowing. Join us at Illuminate: The Content Creator Experience. Use the code LOLITA at checkout: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/illuminate-2026-the-content-creator-experience-tickets-1991248041495?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true Work with Lolita: https://stress-management-by-lolita-guarin.teachable.com/p/story-to-impact-accelerator Free resources from Speke Podcasting: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/freeresources Work with us: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/pricing-plans Key Takeaways 1. The people you fear will judge your book usually are not your audience, your customer, or the people who need your story. 2. Fear of being seen is often the real reason a writer stalls. It is rarely a lack of ideas, intelligence, or ability. 3. Dictation can help you move faster than your inner critic. Speak the draft, then edit it before you release it into the wild. 4. A book needs an ending and an intended reader before it needs another color-coded outline or another year of procrastination. 5. You do not need a massive publishing budget to begin. You need an honest message, a repeatable writing practice, and enough nerve to stop negotiating with yourself.

  3. Sep 6

    Do the hard thing your podcast actually needs

    Free resources from Speke Podcasting: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/freeresources Work with us: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/pricing-plans Freddy Cruz explains why brute-force grinding is not always brave. Sometimes the hard thing is pausing a broken show, fixing bad data, replacing a stale format, confronting a weak co-host dynamic, or building seasons instead of pretending chaos is a strategy. Key Takeaways 1. Pushing harder is not always the hard thing. Sometimes stopping, pausing, or changing course takes more courage than pretending a broken setup will heal itself. 2. Bad analytics, weak formats, stale branding, and broken workflows do not improve because you keep publishing through them. Diagnose the real problem first. 3. Own the shiny-object decisions that created the mess. Accountability is uncomfortable, but it is the fastest route back to a system you can trust. 4. Your podcast does not need to run all year just because somebody told you consistency matters. Two intentional 10-episode seasons can beat 52 episodes made in panic. 5. The hard choice is often the clearest one. Invest in needed equipment, have the uncomfortable team conversation, or admit that the existing format is no longer serving the show.

  4. Aug 20

    A Podcast Pause

    We’re taking a short reset to make the next run of episodes even stronger. New episodes return the week after Labor Day. In the meantime, follow the show so the next episode hits your feed automatically—and send us your questions, guest suggestions, and topics you want us to tackle at freddy@spekepodcasting.com. We’re taking a breath. Not backing down.

  5. Aug 18 ·  Video

    Stop Asking Friends What They Think of Your Podcast

    Free resources from Speke Podcasting: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/freeresources Work with us: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/pricing-plans Podcasters quit right before it starts working. This episode breaks down the real timeline behind three working shows, and why time, effort, and feedback (not luck) are what actually separate the ones who make it from the ones who don't. Key Takeaways 1. Compounding takes years, not months. One client didn't cross 100K downloads until roughly two and a half years after they started recording — not after launch, after recording started. 2. Effort has to scale with your timeline. Publishing twice a month for six months and publishing twice a week for two years are not the same bet — pick your intensity level honestly. 3. Reps beat obsessing over analytics. One host went a full year treating his show as a skills‑building exercise instead of a numbers chase — and got better because of it. 4. Friends and family can't give you real feedback. They love you too much to tell you the truth — find a podcasting community instead, regardless of niche. 5. The fundamentals are genre‑agnostic. Weak titles, bad cover art, and rambling intros will lose listeners whether you're in true crime or tax law — fix the basics before blaming the algorithm.

  6. Aug 13

    The Neurologist Who Prescribes Podcast Episodes to His Patients

    Free resources from Speke Podcasting: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/freeresources Work with us: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/pricing-plans Watch Freddy and Dr. Patton: https://youtu.be/sObzbAAOxW4 Freddy Cruz breaks down what he learned from Dr. Eddie Patton, a neurologist who treats his podcast (Your Health, Your Wealth) less like content and more like a prescription pad. When Dr. Patton runs out of time in the exam room, he hands patients a flyer with a QR code linked to an episode about exactly what they discussed, so they can revisit his voice when they are calmer. It is bedside manner in their earbuds, and it works in any field. This episode shows you how to stop treating your show as algorithm food and start treating it as extra time with the people you serve. Key Takeaways 1. Fight-or-flight and creativity live on opposite ends of the spectrum in your brain. If your amygdala is constantly lit up, your best ideas stay locked out. 2. The wiring that once saved you from predators now fires over phone buzzes, traffic, and deadlines. Most of us live with the gas pedal slightly pressed all the time. 3. Your best ideas show up in the shower and right before sleep because those are the two places you accidentally put your phone down. That is not a coincidence, it is neurology. 4. Patton hands patients a QR code linked to an episode covering exactly what they discussed in the exam room. The podcast becomes extra time, clarity on demand, and a voice they can replay. 5. Patients under stress cannot absorb a 15 minute conversation while processing scary news. A recording lets them hear the same doctor, the same brain, once the amygdala cools down.

  7. Aug 11

    From the Archive: A Podcaster's Journey to 100 Episodes (It's Harder WAY Than You Think)

    Free resources from Speke Podcasting: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/freeresources Work with us: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/pricing-plans Listen to The Son of a Blitch Podcast: https://www.sonofablitch.com/ How do you prepare for a milestone like hitting 100 podcast episodes? It's a journey that takes persistence and learning through every step. George Blitch has navigated this path with his Son of a Blitch podcast. Today, George shares what he's learned about finding a niche, keeping the passion burning, and the patience required to grow. If you're a podcaster starting your journey, this episode offers insights you won't want to miss.  Key Takeaways 1. George emphasizes the importance of treating the first year of podcasting as a training period rather than focusing on immediate success. Learning and honing skills are more crucial in the initial stages than achieving instant fame or recognition. 2. Both George and Freddy stress the importance of respecting guests' time and making the effort to prepare thoroughly for interviews. This leads to more meaningful conversations and builds trust with the guest and their network. 3. George discusses how he found a unique niche by combining his interests in the outdoors, hunting, food, and authors. By owning this niche, he's able to create engaging content that resonates with his audience. 4. Developing strong relationships with PR reps and past interview guests can lead to new opportunities. George describes how showing professionalism and doing thorough prep work has opened up doors for him with significant figures and organizations. 5. Constantly evaluating one’s work and identifying areas for improvement is essential. George regularly reviews his past episodes and guests’ feedback to refine his interviewing skills, demonstrating that continual learning enriches the quality and success of a podcast.

  8. Aug 6 ·  Video

    Spotify’s Ad Skip: Smart Feature… or Indie Podcaster Nightmare?

    Get the FREE Speke Roadmap: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/givethemroadmap Work with us: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/ Indie podcast expert Frank Racioppi joins me to unpack AMP’s new play metric, Spotify’s ad skip feature, broken CPMs, and why targeted listeners beat vanity downloads if you actually want a podcast that makes money. Subscribe to Frank’s newsletter (https://podalization.substack.com/) Read Frank’s work in Forbes (https://www.forbes.com/sites/frankracioppi/) Key Takeaways 1. Downloads aren’t dead, but they’re incomplete. AMP’s 30‑second play standard adds needed context, yet downloads still matter, just like batting average and on‑base percentage both matter for a hitter. 2. Big numbers mean nothing without a goal. A million plays with no business outcome is worse than 10,000 targeted listeners converting at 40–50%; indie podcasters must define success before they ever hit record. 3. Your audience is rented unless you pull them off‑platform. YouTube, Spotify, and RSS feel like freedom, but deplatforming and algorithm shifts make email lists and offline communities non‑negotiable.

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5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Your Mic is the podcast about podcasting for new, stuck, and almost‑quit hosts. Hosted by Speke Podcasting founder and 25‑year broadcast vet Freddy Cruz, it blends hard‑earned lessons, failures, and irreverent stories with sharp tactics you can actually use. Listen on your favorite podcast app!

Information

  • Creator
    Freddy Cruz
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    111
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Freddy Cruz
  • Show Website
    Your Mic