Abbey the Podcast Lady

Abbey Graves
  • 5.0 (3)
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Thinking about starting a podcast for your brand or business? Welcome to Abbey the Podcast Lady, where I help entrepreneurs, coaches, and creatives turn that podcast dream into a polished, professional reality. Abbey the Podcast Lady is all about breaking down podcasting to help beginner podcasters get a better idea of the industry and how they can find their place in it. We do case studies talking about how different podcasts operate, what they are doing well that you can apply to your own show, and what they could improve to spark ideas of where you can improve as well. We also offer tips, tricks and interviews with podcasting pros to help get started on the right foot. It is educational and approachable sharing real life experiences in the industry. Whether you’re starting from scratch or rebooting your mic, you’re in the right place. Let's press record. Sign up for the newsletter: https://abbeygravesproductions.com/newsletter/ Connect with Abbey: https://abbeygravesproductions.com/ Podcast Website: https://abbeygravesproductions.com/podcast/

  1. 5d ago

    It's Time to Lock In: How to Use Your Podcast to Finish 2026 Strong

    Takeaways Post-Labor Day is basically a second New Year's resolution for business owners. Use that "locking in" energy to get serious about podcast marketing through Q4, historically the biggest sales season of the year.Your podcast is not just an audio file that lives on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It is short-form video, email content, and blog content all rolled into one, if you know how to repurpose the transcript correctly.AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini scan website text to answer people's questions now, not just Google. If your website has nothing pulled from your podcast, you will not be the one they find.Summary of the episode Recording from the pontoon on the lake for one of her last "lake episodes" of the year, Abbey talks about what happens the week after Labor Day: in Minnesota, that's when everyone mentally shifts into fall and starts "locking in" for the last stretch of the year, the same energy most people save for New Year's resolutions. She uses that shift to make the case for treating your podcast as the core engine of your marketing instead of just a piece of audio that goes up on a listening app. She walks through three specific ways to repurpose a single episode. First, chop the audio and video into short-form clips for Reels, TikTok, Pinterest, and Threads, which is exactly how she stays visible online without spending her day posting. Second, use the podcast transcript to write a simple weekly email: pull a few quotes, summarize the big ideas, and send it with a link to the episode. Third, turn that same transcript into a blog post for your website every week, which builds SEO over time and, increasingly, gets your content found by AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini instead of just traditional Google search. Abbey ties it back to her own business, Abbey Graves Productions, where she does exactly this kind of repurposing for 13 clients every week, and closes by reminding listeners that repurposing is doable on your own, it just takes time, or you can hand the work to her if you'd rather spend money than time. Either way, her message is simple: Labor Day is over, and it's time to lock in for the rest of 2026. Key Topics Covered: Why the week after Labor Day feels like a second New Year's resolutionTurning your podcast into short-form clips for Reels, TikTok, Pinterest, and ThreadsUsing your podcast transcript to build a weekly email to your listTurning your podcast transcript into SEO blog content for your websiteWhy AI search tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are changing how content gets foundAbbey's custom GPT for turning a transcript into a ready-to-send emailWorking with Abbey Graves Productions to repurpose your podcast for youBet on Your Podcast Course: https://www.skool.com/abbey-the-podcast-lady-5733/classroom Work with Abbey: https://abbeygravesproductions.com/podcast-production/ Podcast Planning Journal: https://amzn.to/4gd1Vxs

  2. Sep 3

    Why You Should Apply to Volunteer at PodFest 2027

    Apply to Volunteer at PodFest 2027 Get tickets to PodFest 2027 In this episode, we explore the ins and outs of volunteering at Podfest Expo, the largest indie podcasting conference in the country. Nikita Burks-Hale shares how volunteers help create a welcoming community, the perks of volunteering, and how to get involved. Key Topics Podfest as the largest indie podcasting conference in the USRoles and responsibilities of volunteers at PodfestPerks and benefits of volunteering, including access and upgradesHow volunteers help create a welcoming and inclusive environmentThe community and networking opportunities at PodfestApplication process and deadlines for volunteeringPersonal stories and memorable moments from volunteersThe importance of community in podcastingChapters 00:00 Introduction to Podfest and the guest 02:03 The community and inclusivity of Podfest 04:12 Finding your space and community at Podfest 05:55 The magic of community and face recognition 07:49 Memorable volunteer stories and community moments 08:45 The purpose and benefits of volunteering 11:21 Perks of volunteering and application details 15:37 Volunteer numbers and planning for Podfest 16:28 Encouragement to volunteer and community involvement 18:38 Application deadlines and next steps Bet on Your Podcast Course: https://www.skool.com/abbey-the-podcast-lady-5733/classroom Work with Abbey: https://abbeygravesproductions.com/podcast-production/ Podcast Planning Journal: https://amzn.to/4gd1Vxs

  3. Aug 27

    Your First Episodes Are Supposed to Be Bad, Here's Why That's Okay with Richard Wilmore

    Takeaways Podcast producers often find their way to the work through a lifelong pull toward media and storytelling, and Richard's path from mouthing fake celebrity interviews in his childhood bedroom to running a full studio in Charlotte proves that the "side thing" can become the real career.The objection "everyone already has a podcast" doesn't hold up. A low barrier to entry means a lot of shows exist, but most don't last, and no one else has your specific voice, perspective, or story, the same reason musicians still record covers of songs that already exist.A single 30-minute interview is never just a 30-minute interview. It becomes an entire content ecosystem of clips, promotion, and connection that both host and guest can use long after the recording stops.Summary of the episode In this episode, Abbey welcomes Richard Wilmore, a fellow podcast producer she connected with through Podmatch, for a conversation that quickly turns into two kindred spirits comparing notes on building a career around other people's stories. Richard shares how his fascination with talk shows started at 12 years old watching The Rosie O'Donnell Show, which led him to build his own makeshift television studio in his childhood bedroom, complete with lights and musical guests, all in secret from his family. Richard walks through the winding road that eventually led him to full-time podcast production, from studying theater at UW Milwaukee, to converting a basement in Maryland into a studio, to teaching himself editing software, to finally leaving a job he thought he'd have forever and realizing production was what he should have been doing all along. He now runs a studio in the Charlotte, North Carolina area where he designs custom sets for clients, films and edits their content, and even helps place them as guests on other shows to extend their reach. Abbey and Richard dig into some of the biggest mental blocks that keep people from starting or sticking with a podcast, including the fear that "everyone already has one," the discomfort of hating your first few episodes, and the challenge of redefining what success actually looks like instead of chasing an ever-moving goalpost. They also touch on the importance of choosing the right collaborators, since podcast production means working in close quarters, and the value of celebrating wins instead of immediately moving on to the next goal. Bet on Your Podcast Course: https://www.skool.com/abbey-the-podcast-lady-5733/classroom Work with Abbey: https://abbeygravesproductions.com/podcast-production/ Podcast Planning Journal: https://amzn.to/4gd1Vxs

  4. Aug 25

    What Dolly Parton Taught Me About Being a Podcaster

    Takeaways Abbey pauses her regularly scheduled episode to process the sudden loss of Dolly Parton and unpack the lessons in authenticity, generosity, and personal branding she has carried from Dolly's life into her own podcast.Dolly's Imagination Library and decades of charitable giving become the case study for why podcasters should use their platform for a cause bigger than themselves.Abbey connects Dolly's signature rhinestones and butterflies to her own habit of tucking purple into everything she posts, making the case that a strong personal brand comes down to one identifiable thing.Summary of the Episode In this bonus episode of Abbey the Podcast Lady, Abbey Graves sets aside her regularly scheduled show to talk through the sudden loss of Dolly Parton and what her life meant to Abbey as a podcaster, a former country radio DJ, and a public speaker. Abbey is candid about how hard the news hit her, even as someone who never met Dolly in person, and uses that grief as the starting point for a conversation about legacy, platform, and personal brand. Abbey walks through the lessons she has carried from Dolly Parton into her own work: how you never really know the reach or impact your voice has until someone tells you, why being unapologetically yourself is what makes people trust and love you, and how Dolly's decades of generosity, from the Imagination Library to her COVID relief giving, prove that a platform is only as good as what you actually do with it. Abbey also breaks down Dolly's genius for personal branding, from the rhinestones and butterflies to the big hair, and connects it to her own signature use of the color purple. Abbey closes the episode by reminding listeners that grit and hard work can take anyone from nowhere to somewhere, and that being vulnerable with your audience, the way she is in this very episode, is one of the most powerful things a podcaster can do. Bet on Your Podcast Course: https://www.skool.com/abbey-the-podcast-lady-5733/classroom Work with Abbey: https://abbeygravesproductions.com/podcast-production/ Podcast Planning Journal: https://amzn.to/4gd1Vxs

  5. Aug 20

    Stop Putting Your Podcast on the Back Burner

    Bet on Your Podcast Course: https://www.skool.com/abbey-the-podcast-lady-5733/classroom Work with Abbey: https://abbeygravesproductions.com/podcast-production/ Podcast Planning Journal: https://amzn.to/4gd1Vxs Takeaways There is no such thing as being "behind" in podcasting. The people seeing real traction right now are the ones who simply took action and stuck with it.The three biggest excuses for not starting a podcast, fear of being perceived, not knowing the technical side, and lack of time, are all solvable, and none of them are good enough reasons to keep stalling.You can spend time on your podcast or you can spend money on your podcast. Very few people have an abundance of both, so it's worth deciding which one you're willing to invest.Summary of the episode In this solo episode, Abbey digs into procrastination and why it's the number one thing keeping people from finally launching the podcast they've been talking about for years. She breaks down the myth that the podcasting space is too saturated to jump into now, making the case that no one else has your story, your voice, or your point of view, so there's no real "window" you can miss. From there, Abbey walks through the three excuses she hears most from potential podcasters: fear of being seen and judged online, not knowing how to handle the technical side of production, and simply not having enough time. She tackles each one head-on, using her own experience running Abbey Graves Productions and working with clients across a range of industries to show how each excuse can be solved, whether that's through building comfort with visibility over time, hiring a producer to handle the technical heavy lifting, or recognizing that time and money are two sides of the same investment decision. The episode closes with a direct call to action tied to the upcoming Q4 push, historically the biggest spending season of the year, encouraging listeners to stop letting their podcast idea sit on the back burner and start taking real steps toward launching it, whether that means enrolling in Abbey's Bet On Your Podcast course, booking a pick-your-brain call, or hiring her to produce the show for them.

  6. Aug 13

    Why Every Podcaster Needs a Planning Journal (Not Just a Notebook)

    Get the Podcast Planning Journal: https://amzn.to/4fSv5CZ Takeaways Abbey Graves published the Podcast Planning Journal: Plan It, Record It, and Publish It, a guided notebook now available on Amazon, built after her own idea notebook became too scattered to actually use.The journal includes a from-scratch show setup section, a pre-recording checklist, 60 episode planning pages, post-recording reflection pages, a guest tracking log, and 12 monthly review pages, enough structure to plan a full year of podcasting.Abbey built the journal around the same process she walks her own clients through, and recommends it both for podcasters wanting more structure and as a gift for anyone who has been thinking about starting a show. In this short, casual solo episode, Abbey Graves announces the launch of her first published journal, the Podcast Planning Journal: Plan It, Record It, and Publish It, now available on Amazon. She explains the problem it solves: her own handwritten notebook of podcast ideas had become a disorganized mix of PodFest notes, coaching call notes, and scattered one-line ideas with no real structure, so she designed a dedicated tool instead. Abbey walks through the journal page by page on camera, starting with a from-scratch section for defining a show's name, audience, and purpose, then moving into vision and goal planning, a pre-recording checklist, and 60 episode planning pages covering episode numbers, working titles, guest details, hooks, talking points, calls to action, and target length. She highlights the post-recording reflection pages as a favorite feature, since noting what went well and pulling standout moments makes repurposing content into Reels, Shorts, and Pinterest pins much easier. She also covers the guest tracking log, built to help podcasters follow up with and even manifest their dream guests, and the monthly review pages that prompt podcasters to track wins, challenges, and one small goal to improve each month. Abbey closes by positioning the journal as both a practical planning tool for podcasters at any stage and a thoughtful gift for anyone who has been talking about starting a show but has not taken the leap yet. https://abbeygravesproductions.com/

  7. Aug 11

    RSS.com Max Plan Review: Is Video Podcasting Worth the Upgrade?

    Takeaways RSS.com's new Max plan lets you upload one video file and publish it to both Apple Podcasts (through HLS) and YouTube, and listeners can toggle between audio and video on Apple without losing their place.Video ads start earning automatically on Apple Podcasts from your very first video episode, no download or follower minimum required. Once you activate RSS.com Paid and verify PayPal, you keep 70 percent of eligible ad revenue.RSS.com built the Max plan directly from user survey feedback. Industry data shows 63 percent of video podcasters say video helped grow their audience, with over a billion monthly viewers watching podcast content on YouTube.Abbey Graves records a same-day bonus episode after RSS.com, the platform she uses to host her own show and every one of her client shows, announces a new Max plan built for video podcasting. She walks through why the update matters given Apple Podcasts' push into video and rising demand for short-form content, then breaks down exactly what the Max plan includes: the ability to upload one video file that publishes automatically to both Apple Podcasts and YouTube, a listener toggle between audio and video on Apple, and automatic video ad revenue starting from a creator's very first episode. Abbey unpacks RSS.com's full pricing structure (Free, Plus, Pro, and the new Max tier), explains how the 70 percent ad revenue share works, and shares that she personally woke up to a small payout from her very first podcast, a show she has not actively promoted in over a year, as proof the monetization runs quietly in the background. The back half of the episode is a live, in-the-moment walkthrough as Abbey upgrades her own account and uploads a test video episode, covering file size limits, resolution requirements, and how closely the video upload process mirrors a standard audio upload. She closes by comparing the results across RSS.com's public podcast page and YouTube, and shares her honest take on whether the upgrade is worth it for podcasters at different stages. Key Topics Covered: RSS.com's new Max plan for video podcastingApple Podcasts' shift toward supporting video contentHow to publish one video file to both Apple Podcasts and YouTubeVideo ad monetization and RSS.com's 70 percent revenue shareRSS.com's pricing tiers compared (Free, Plus, Pro, Max)A live walkthrough of uploading a video episodeWhether beginner podcasters should start with audio or videohttps://abbeygravesproductions.com/

  8. Aug 6

    What Three Years of Podcast Producing Taught Me About Betting on Yourself

    Bet On Your Podcast Online Course: https://www.skool.com/abbey-the-podcast-lady-5733/classroom Takeaways Abbey's podcast production business started as a free favor for a friend and grew into a full-time career within nine months.Every client on Abbey's current roster traces back to one original connection: her friend Liz, who she helped for free before either of them knew it would turn into a business.Betting on yourself, even in a small and uncertain way, can lead to opportunities you could never have planned for, from full-time income to speaking on international stages.Recording from the lake with her dog Norman on her lap, Abbey takes a break from the usual show format to reflect on a milestone that's easy to miss in the day-to-day of running a business: the week she took on her first real, paying clients back in August 2023. She walks through the full origin story of Abbey Graves Productions, starting with The Small Town Tourist, the podcast she launched in January 2023 just to keep her interviewing and audio skills sharp after leaving her job as a radio DJ. That show led her to help her friend Liz start a podcast for free, purely because she believed in it. Liz's podcast introduced Abbey to Amanda, and a single social media post about helping people with their shows brought in her cousin Megan, one of her first paying clients. What began as a side project while she worked a full 40 hour week at a government job snowballed into late nights editing, then into a full-time business within nine months. Abbey gets candid about how far that journey has taken her since, from speaking on stage at PodFest in Orlando to producing shows for clients across the country and as far as Australia. She ties it all back to one central idea: take the bet on yourself, because you truly never know what it might turn into. She closes with a reminder about her Bet on Your Podcast course, currently available at a discount before the price goes up, with a larger community platform coming later this year. Key Topics Covered: The origin story of Abbey Graves Productions, from The Small Town Tourist to a full client rosterHow helping one friend for free turned into a referral pipeline of paying clientsGoing from a full-time job to a full-time podcast production business in nine monthsReflecting on business milestones and using them to plan for future goalsThe Bet on Your Podcast course and why now is a good time to starthttps://abbeygravesproductions.com/

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About

Thinking about starting a podcast for your brand or business? Welcome to Abbey the Podcast Lady, where I help entrepreneurs, coaches, and creatives turn that podcast dream into a polished, professional reality. Abbey the Podcast Lady is all about breaking down podcasting to help beginner podcasters get a better idea of the industry and how they can find their place in it. We do case studies talking about how different podcasts operate, what they are doing well that you can apply to your own show, and what they could improve to spark ideas of where you can improve as well. We also offer tips, tricks and interviews with podcasting pros to help get started on the right foot. It is educational and approachable sharing real life experiences in the industry. Whether you’re starting from scratch or rebooting your mic, you’re in the right place. Let's press record. Sign up for the newsletter: https://abbeygravesproductions.com/newsletter/ Connect with Abbey: https://abbeygravesproductions.com/ Podcast Website: https://abbeygravesproductions.com/podcast/

Information

  • Creator
    Abbey Graves
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    53
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Abbey Graves Productions LLC 2025
  • Show Website
    Abbey the Podcast Lady