What happens when you start a podcast to promote your book, but the podcast grows into something much bigger than you expected? In this episode, I sit down with Jessica Danel, host of Jess Sayin’ with Jessica Danel, to talk about starting a podcast from scratch, learning the production process as she goes, and using real-life stories to connect with parents, authors, entrepreneurs, and people who have been through hard things and come out the other side. Jessica shares how her book, Bucket List from a Redneck Girl, led her into podcasting, why she wanted to create conversations around parenting, trauma, entrepreneurship, and resilience, and how the show quickly became more than just a way to promote her book. She also talks about building a business from her living room, becoming an author, and now adding podcast host and producer to the list. You’ll pick up practical lessons on launching before you feel fully ready, creating a production workflow, batching episodes ahead of time, using tools like Riverside, Canva, ChatGPT, Suno, PodMatch, and MatchMaker.fm, and managing guest booking without burning yourself out. You’ll hear how Jessica records, edits, creates shorts, prepares guest outlines, and keeps her show relaxed, conversational, and human. We also talk about the challenge of balancing podcasting with work, family, kids, dogs, house problems, and everyday life. Tune in for an honest and encouraging conversation about figuring podcasting out as you go, staying curious, and building something meaningful one episode at a time. Connect With Jessica DanelWebsite: https://jesssaying.net/ If My Podcast Story speaks to you, consider subscribing so you never miss an episode. And if you have a moment, leaving a review helps more people discover the stories shared here. Your support truly means a lot. There’s more to every story than what you hear on the episode. Join the My Podcast Story newsletter to receive thoughtful takeaways, episode extras, and personal notes that don’t make it into the show. It’s a quiet way to stay inspired between listens. Sign up here: https://mypodcaststory.com/join Chapters 00:00 Welcome to My Podcast Story00:19 Meet Jessica Danel00:49 What Jess Sayin’ with Jessica Danel Is About01:44 How Her Book Inspired the Podcast02:36 Building a Million-Dollar Business from Scratch03:29 The Story Behind Bucket List from a Redneck Girl05:47 When Jessica Started Her Podcast06:43 How She Stays Ahead with Scheduled Episodes07:12 Balancing Podcasting, Work, Family, and Life08:20 Creating a Conversational and Relaxed Podcast Style09:24 A Powerful Episode About a School Shooting11:23 Behind the Scenes of Jessica’s Production Workflow12:03 Using Riverside, Canva, Suno, and ChatGPT13:51 Adding Intros, Music, Guest Promos, and Episode Elements15:07 Creating Social Shorts for Each Guest16:08 Learning Podcasting Through Pat Flynn and YouTube17:24 Why She Dropped Multiple Episodes at Launch18:11 Editing the Podcast Herself18:43 Biggest Early Podcasting Challenge19:27 Why Time Management Became the Hardest Part20:37 Learning to Limit Appointments and Avoid Burnout22:20 Why Jessica Started a Podcast After Writing Her Book24:18 Leaving Something Meaningful Behind for Her Kids25:18 Whether the Podcast Makes Money Yet26:21 Future Plans, Books, Coaching, and Business Ideas27:40 Helpful Tools for Books, Podcasting, and Promotion28:08 How Jessica Uses ChatGPT for Guest Prep30:32 Creating Business Cards and Visuals with Canva32:45 Becoming a Producer by Figuring It Out34:00 What Podcast Success Means to Jessica35:26 Why Jessica Believes Things Are Figure-Out-Able36:06 Finding Podcast Guests Through PodMatch and MatchMaker.fm36:58 Advice for New Podcasters39:30 Where to Find Jessica, Her Podcast, and Her Book40:56 Final Thanks41:00 Closing Thoughts from Wisdom
