Let's Talk Podcasts from Feminist Podcasters Collective

Feminist Podcasters Collective

Let's Talk Podcasts is a series of real conversations with members of the Feminist Podcasters Collective about why they podcast and what they've learned along the way. You'll hear the wins, the mistakes, and the things nobody tells you starting out. If you host a show (or are thinking about starting one), this is where you'll find honest, real-world lessons from independent creators actually doing the work.

Episodes

  1. Aug 19

    Crowdfunding Your Podcast Launch (Without Burning Out) with Nicole Havelka

    Nicole Havelka almost burned herself out before her podcast, Just Rest, even launched, so she did something most indie podcasters don't: she crowdfunded it. Feminist Podcasters Collective member Nicole breaks down how she raised nearly $5,000 to hire a launch partner, why Kickstarter's all-or-nothing model backfired on her (and how she recovered), and why asking for money turned into one of the best relationship-building things she's ever done. She also gets real about the "messy middle" of a crowdfunding campaign, the 8-10 hours she spent per episode in season one, and why she built her show around sustainable "good enough" instead of burnout-driving perfectionism. 00:00 – Welcome + introducing Nicole Havelka and her podcast, Just Rest00:22 – One year "live," but two years in development00:51 – What Just Rest is about: burnout tips for everyday radicals01:20 – Nicole's reason for podcasting: sparking a "rest revolution"01:55 – Why podcasting as a medium (auditory learning, the intimacy of being read to)03:02 – The intimacy of podcasting and building relationships with listeners05:06 – The rise of AI-generated podcasts — and why human voices matter more05:44 – Human design and being "built" for podcasting06:22 – Idea: hosting quarterly gatherings to connect podcast guests with each other07:14 – Treating podcast guests as long-term relationships, not one-off bookings07:49 – Why Nicole chose to crowdfund her podcast launch08:27 – The real cost spectrum of podcasting (free to thousands per episode)09:34 – Avoiding burnout by budgeting for help from day one10:14 – What the money was actually for: hiring launch partner Alicia Galati of Galati Media11:20 – The risk of Kickstarter's all-or-nothing funding model12:14 – Pivoting to a direct Square donation link after falling short13:02 – How Alicia produced Nicole's first three episodes soup to nuts13:47 – Why crowdfunding was about preventing burnout, not just raising cash14:04 – The final tally: about $5,000 raised14:28 – Taking over after launch — plus a computer crash that derailed January16:30 – Templates, systems, and the real time cost of show content (it's not just recording)16:54 – Time per episode: 8-10 hours early on, versus Becky's ~2 hours now17:38 – Learning to embrace "good enough"17:54 – Building a sustainable every-other-week cadence19:06 – What's next: two seasons a year, more solo episodes, and going nomadic20:35 – Why Nicole isn't crowdfunding her next season20:57 – Pro #1: getting comfortable asking for money21:04 – Surprise benefit: asking for money deepened old relationships22:43 – Pro #2: months of talking about the launch built awareness before day one23:53 – The numbers: 17 episodes, almost 900 downloads24:38 – Cons and cautions: why you need a "quiet phase" before you go public26:00 – Getting laser-clear on your podcast's purpose and repeating it constantly27:30 – The "messy middle" — and the workload of running a campaign solo28:47 – What to do if you don't hit your goal29:11 – Tip: use Kickstarter's free prep resources even if you don't launch there30:11 – Right-sizing your funding goal to your actual audience size31:00 – How the FPC community helped amplify the campaign32:01 – Rethinking crowdfunding: visibility as the real goal, not just money32:23 – Where to find Nicole and Just Rest🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: https://feministpodcastcollective.com/

    Crowdfunding Your Podcast Launch (Without Burning Out) with Nicole Havelka
  2. Aug 15

    Podcasting While the World's on Fire: Nadine Stille's Story

    Nadine Stille always had the questions — as a kid, as a journalist-in-training, as a coach. Now she's turning that curiosity into Fangirl Your Life, a podcast built on a simple, radical idea: what if you gave yourself the same devotion you give your favorite artist, book, or sports team? In this conversation, Nadine and Becky talk about why podcasting feels more intimate than any other platform, the real (steep) learning curve of year one, and how community — both in the Feminist Podcasters Collective and beyond — kept her from flaming out. Nadine also gets honest about workload, systems, and what it actually looks like to let a podcast build your business slowly instead of overnight. Topics covered:00:00 – Intro00:23 – "The reason I podcast is..." — curiosity, advocacy, and connection02:38 – How Fangirl Your Life started04:51 – The goal of the show: inspiring people to dream again07:38 – Why podcasting (over blogging or social) for this message09:26 – The real talk on podcast workload13:02 – Systems, planning, and the Podcasting While the World's on Fire workbook16:16 – Using the podcast as a business tool, one season at a time19:54 – The unexpected payoff: joy22:07 – Why community is what keeps her going23:38 – The worst podcasting advice she's heard24:22 – The best podcasting advice she's received: plan ahead26:41 – Where to find Nadine Guest: Nadine Stille (she/her), host of Fangirl Your Life 🔗 fangirlyourlife.com About this series: Conversations with members of the Feminist Podcasters Collective about their shows, their why, and what they're learning along the way. Join the community at feministpods.com.

    Podcasting While the World's on Fire: Nadine Stille's Story
  3. Aug 15

    Why Indie Podcasters Don't Need to Play by Big Media's Rules

    Amy Stone has been a storyteller her whole life, from ferrying tapes between recording studios as a kid to launching The Art of Imperfect Adulting, a top 3% global podcast about women, transformation, and change. In this conversation, Amy and Becky dig into what it actually takes to build an indie podcast that makes money (hint: it's not CPM), why women creators need to step into the advertising side of media, and how collaboration (not competition) might be the real path forward for independent creators. They cover:• Why Amy describes herself as someone who'd "interview the palm trees" on a deserted island, and what that tells you about building a sustainable creative practice• The journalism-to-podcasting pipeline, and why those skills still matter even when the industry has completely changed• How the CPM advertising model fails indie podcasters, and what to do instead• The real gap in podcast sponsorships, and why the dog groomer in Indiana might be your best sponsor prospect• Why having women in control of their own media isn't just representation, it's a business imperative• What it means to "know what you're bringing to the table" before you pitch a sponsor Amy Stone is host of The Art of Imperfect Adulting. Subscribe and watch her show at ‪@imperfectadulting‬  and visit https://imperfectadulting.com/. 🎙️ Learn more about the Feminist Podcasters Collective at https://feministpodcasterscollective.com/

    Why Indie Podcasters Don't Need to Play by Big Media's Rules
  4. Aug 15

    Your Podcast Doesn't Have to Look Like Everyone Else's

    In this episode of the Feminist Podcasters Collective's live series, host Becky Mollenkamp talks with FPC member Jordan Maney, host of the upcoming podcast The Permission Slip, about what it really looks like to build a podcast on your own terms. They dig into rest, experimentation, and why "consistently inconsistent" might be exactly the right approach for some podcasters. In This Episode, We Get Into:• Jordan's podcasting origin story, from a UT journalism class to experimenting her way through the medium• What "consistently inconsistent" podcasting actually looks like, and why it's more honest than the weekly-grind model• How Jordan's work around rest and joy directly connects to the way she shows up as a podcaster• The rebrand from Rest Lab to The Permission Slip—what changed, why it matters, and what Jordan learned from her audience research• Why format matters as much as content, and how the wrong format can block you from actually serving your listeners• The difference between designing a podcast for yourself vs. designing it for your audience (and why both are valid, but only one grows)• The worst podcasting advice floating around (hint: it's podcast bro nonsense about manufactured virality)• The best advice Jordan received about doubling your promotion with a live-then-episode strategy• What Jordan wants every marginalized person who's been sitting on a podcast idea to hear• The permission slip Jordan is giving herself as she moves forward Resources Mentioned:• Jordan Maney: @thejordanmaney on Instagram and YouTube; Jordan Maney on LinkedIn• The Permission Slip podcast, launching fall 2026 on all podcast platforms and YouTube 🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

    Your Podcast Doesn't Have to Look Like Everyone Else's
  5. Aug 15

    Sunsetting a Podcast, Smutty Romance, and Finding Your People with Alesia Galati

    Becky sits down with Alesia Galati — podcast producer, host of Podcasting Unlocked (nearly 300 episodes and counting), and creator of We Read Smut, a podcast celebrating BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ romance authors — for the first in a series of conversations with Feminist Podcasters Collective members. They talk about what happens when a podcast you built from scratch stops feeling good, how to know when it's time to sunset a show, and why following a side-project passion might be the best business decision you never planned. In this conversation:• Why Alesia's first podcast about cult recovery, made with her sister changed how she thinks about podcasting's power• The difference between a podcast that serves your business and one that serves your soul (and how to tell which you have)• What sunsetting a show at 300 episodes looks like in practice, and what her team had to say about it• How We Read Smut accidentally grew to 15,000 Substack subscribers and what she's building around it• The rise of "side quest" podcasts, shows with no business case and a lot of heart• Why she's launching a paid community on Discord (and why she waited until she was ready)• What community has meant for her longevity as a podcaster and her take on FPC• The worst podcasting advice she's ever received (and what she'd tell someone starting out instead) Find Alesia:• Podcast strategy + production: https://galatimedia.podia.com/help-my...• Romance podcast + community: https://wereadsmut.com/ 🎤 The Feminist Podcasters Collective is a membership community for independent podcasters who center equity and social justice in their work. Learn more and apply at https://feministpodcasterscollective.com/

    Sunsetting a Podcast, Smutty Romance, and Finding Your People with Alesia Galati

About

Let's Talk Podcasts is a series of real conversations with members of the Feminist Podcasters Collective about why they podcast and what they've learned along the way. You'll hear the wins, the mistakes, and the things nobody tells you starting out. If you host a show (or are thinking about starting one), this is where you'll find honest, real-world lessons from independent creators actually doing the work.