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. 1d ago ·  Video

    Two Things That Will Save Your Podcast When Life Gets Hard

    Free podcast roadmap: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/freeresources Work with us: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/pricing-plans Podfade is real. Four shows since 2020. Over a thousand interviews recorded. And Freddy Cruz has wanted to quit more than once. Not because podcasting is hard. Because life is hard. And podcasting sits on top of life. This solo episode is short, direct, and built for the host who is one rough week away from going dark. Freddy gives you the two things that have kept him in the game no matter what was happening around him: treating your own show like a client account, and batch recording before life gets a vote. No pie in the sky guru pep talk. No ten step framework. Just the two moves that protect your show from the version of you that is exhausted, behind, and staring at a mic at 3pm with nothing. Key Takeaways Podfade is almost never about loving your podcast less. It is about life piling up on top of a system that was not built to survive pressure. Treating your own show like a client account changes the psychology completely. Skipping an episode stops being a personal fail and starts being the thing you simply do not do to clients. A client folder, a production calendar, and the same urgency you give a paying account. That is the entire framework. It costs nothing to set up. If you are recording the day before your release, you do not have a content problem. You have a systems problem. One bad Monday wipes you out. Batch recording even two or three episodes ahead removes the pressure that causes most hosts to go dark. Your future self on a rough Tuesday will thank the version of you that recorded on a Saturday. You do not have to hit your batch goal every month. You just need a system that lets you get back ahead of the curve when life catches up. Timestamped Overview 0:00 The cold open: four shows, a thousand interviews, and wanting to quit more than once 0:30 Who Freddy is and what Speke Podcasting does 0:50 Thing one: treat your podcast like a client show and what that shift actually looks like in practice 1:45 Why putting your show in a client folder with a production calendar changes everything about how you show up 2:15 Thing two: batch recording and the Monday morning nightmare scenario 3:00 How Your Mic runs biweekly, the goal of staying six or seven episodes ahead, and what a Saturday recording session actually solves 3:45 The close: leave a review, subscribe, and grab the free roadmap at spekepodcasting.com/freeresources

    3 min

  2. 3d ago ·  Video

    What a Plastic Surgeon Wants Every Creator to Know Before Going on Camera

    Learn more about Dr. Angela Sturm: http://drangelasturm.com/ Subscribe to Beauty Unveiled: https://youtube.com/@drangelasturmmd?si=6ZJH5VdusSaNI1I2 Free resources from Speke Podcasting: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/freeresources Work with us: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/pricing-plans You have been staring at the wrong version of your face your whole life. Dr. Angela Sturm, facial plastic surgeon and host of Beauty Unveiled, has that conversation every single day in her office. People come in convinced something is wrong because their back camera said so. The fisheye lens. The under the nose angle. The selfie that made everything in the middle look twice as big as it actually is. In this episode, Freddy sits down with Dr. Sturm to talk about what it actually means to show up camera ready, not just for the operating table but for your podcast, your YouTube channel, your social media, and your live events. Key Takeaways Your phone camera is not showing you your face. It is showing you a fisheye distortion where whatever is closest to the lens looks bigger. Peer reviewed papers in medicine have confirmed this. Your plastic surgeon is not using an iPhone for a reason. The noise in your head about your face is yours alone. Everyone else is too busy with their own version of that noise to notice the thing you have been hiding for years. Camera ready costs almost nothing to start. Drink water. Moisturize. Find a sunscreen with a blurring effect. Wear something you actually feel good in. That is the foundation before anything else. Chasing zero lines on camera is how you end up looking weird. Kids have lines when they smile. Lines are not the enemy. Chasing them into oblivion is. How you talk about your face reflects how you see the world. Dr. Sturm screens patients partly on energy and outlook because someone who only sees the negative before surgery will only see the negative after it too. Timestamped Overview 0:23 Why the thing you hate most about your face is something nobody else is noticing 1:45 The iPhone fisheye problem and why your phone is giving you a completely inaccurate picture of yourself 3:30 Why Dr. Sturm's practice uses standardized photography and what that means for how people actually see you 5:05 How social media changed who walks into a plastic surgeon's office: from TV anchors worried about millimeters to everybody 6:45 Why you cannot and should not get rid of every line, and what happens when people try 7:32 HDTV, too much makeup, and the balance between looking polished and looking like you have makeup on 7:50 Camera ready for almost nothing: hydration, moisturizer, sunscreen with a blurring effect, and wearing what makes you feel comfortable 9:30 Running outside in Houston heat, sweating into your hair product, and what SPF actually means above 30 and 50 10:32 Sensitive skin options and why cosmeceuticals from a doctor's office are worth considering 11:58 The dinner party test: how plastic surgeons decide who to operate on and what that has to do with your outlook on life 13:59 Dr. Sturm's own rhinoplasty, being part therapist part surgeon, and how lived experience changes a consultation 17:49 From crying in terror before speaking to 200 plus videos: Dr. Sturm's journey from scared resident to podcast host 23:38 Instagram versus TikTok: why one feels like a neighborhood and the other is a flaming dumpster fire 26:00 Starting a practice in 2020, very pregnant, with one employee, and now nearly ten people across three businesses 27:39 Diary of a CEO, the menopause two parter, and audiobooks on retirement planning at 45

    30 min

  3. Jun 4 ·  Video

    Podcast Burnout: How to Keep Going When Growth Is Slow

    Free resources: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/freeresources Work with us: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/ Never compare your first mile to somebody else’s 19th—especially in podcasting. In this episode of Your Mic, I share a story about my neighbor Marcel, a former 150‑pounds‑overweight runner turned marathon machine, and what his mile 19 struggle can teach you about sticking with your show when you’re still on episode one. You’ll learn why comparing your brand‑new podcast to giants like Joe Rogan, Steven Bartlett, or Mel Robbins is kryptonite for your confidence, and how to flip that energy into steady, sustainable growth instead. We dig into the mindset of playing the long game, plus the actual analytics that matter—Apple Podcasts engaged listeners, retention rates, and how to read drop‑off points so you know what to double down on and what to ditch. If you’re riding the struggle bus on episode 1, 9, or 19 and wondering if it’s worth it, this one’s for you. Lace up, hit play, and let’s make sure you’re still in the race at episode 20, 200, or 20,000. 🔎 Inside this episode: - The “first mile vs. 19th mile” mindset for podcasters - Why copying big‑name shows kills your momentum - How to use Apple Podcasts analytics (engaged listeners, retention, and more) - What to repeat, what to retire, and how to stay in the game.

    1 min

  4. Jun 3 ·  Video

    Every Podcast "Must" Is a Lie (Here Is the Proof)

    Free resources from Speke Podcasting: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/freeresources Work with us: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/pricing-plans Somewhere on the internet right now, a guy in a ring light is telling you that you must have a cold open. The guy next to him says cold opens are dead. The third one says if you are not on video your podcast is basically a voicemail. Freddy Cruz is not here for any of it. In this solo episode, Freddy introduces the Exception Razor, a philosophical tool borrowed from logic that slices through the absolutist noise of podcast advice culture and hands your show back to you. Cold opens, video mandates, clip strategies, weekly publishing schedules. Every "you must" gets put on the blade. What survives is a simple three filter framework built around your capacity, your audience's actual behavior, and whether the rule serves your mission or just feeds the algorithm while you burn out. This one is for the host who is tired of being told what their show has to be. Key Takeaways The more absolute the rule, the easier it is to break. One successful show that ignores a "you must" is all it takes to prove it was never a rule. It was just a preference with a loud microphone. Cold opens are a format choice, not a commandment. The real question is whether one helps your listener get oriented faster. If not, skip it. Video is a channel, not a sacrament. Audio only shows are still doing serious numbers. If video does not serve your business and audience right now, you do not owe TikTok anything. Clips and audio first are both tools, not laws. Some shows explode on short form. Others grow through email, partnerships, or one great guest per quarter. Tools do not get to boss you around. Real rules for your show pass three filters: capacity, which means you can hit it on your worst week; audience behavior, meaning what your actual listeners have shown you; and fit, whether it moves people closer to your mission. A coherent system does not need a guru's blessing. It needs to fit your life and still serve your listeners. That is the whole job. Timestamped Overview 0:00 The ring light guru problem: three experts, three contradictions, zero useful advice 1:15 Show ID: what Your Mic is and why the job is a show that stays alive long enough to matter 2:00 The Exception Razor explained: why universal "you must" statements are the most fragile in logic 3:30 Cold opens on the blade: every hit show that skips them and what that actually means for you 5:00 Video mandates on the blade: why video is a channel, not a sacrament 6:15 The dueling commandments: audio first versus clip everything, and why both are pretending 7:30 Three filters for building rules that actually belong to your show: capacity, audience behavior, and fit 9:00 A real example: what a coherent bi-monthly audio only system looks like in practice 10:15 The close: how to run the Exception Razor every time someone says "you must"

    8 min

  5. May 29 ·  Video

    I Lost $7,500 on an Event and Now I'm Teaming Up with a Friend FOR ANOTHER ONE

    Last year Freddy lost $7,500 on an event. He would do it again tomorrow. Britney Crosson, founder of Fun Love Media and host of Social Success, knows the feeling. So the two of them did the logical thing: teamed up, booked the Health Museum in Houston, and built something new together. It is called Illuminate. October 3rd, 2026. This episode is the origin story. You hear why two creators who have both had their teeth kicked in by live events are going back for more, why the venue matters as much as the speakers, and why the goal was never a conference. It was a family reunion for people who have not met yet. Also, there is a giant colon. And yes. They are going inside it. Join the Illuminate waiting list: https://mailchi.mp/0d2a144ccdf0/illuminate2026waitlist Learn more about Britney’s agency Fun Love Media: https://funlovemedia.com/ Free resources from Speke Podcasting: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/freeresources Work with us: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/pricing-plans Key Takeaways 1. The right event does not just teach you things. It changes how you feel about the work. If you leave a conference feeling like a stranger, the conference failed. 2. Venue is strategy. Booking the Health Museum was not a gimmick. A space that fosters curiosity and play gives attendees permission to show up differently. 3. Document or it did not happen. Britney runs with a camera up constantly, 180,000 files deep across two phones. Content is not vanity. It is mission delivery. 4. Doing events with a genuine partner who covers your blind spots and shares the load changes everything. Flying solo on logistics is how you age fast. 5. Intimate scales better than massive when connection is the actual goal. A big wedding sized event means you actually get to talk to people. You leave with friendships, not just LinkedIn requests. 6. Content creation is not only for content creators. Real estate agents, car dealerships, nonprofits, banks. Everybody who wants to be found has to make something. Illuminate was built for all of them. 7.The old guard gatekept who got a microphone. Radio, TV, print. You waited to be chosen. Now you choose yourself. That shift is the whole point. Timestamped Overview 1:19 The $7,500 Speke Fest loss and what it actually cost versus what it taught 2:30 How the Freddy and Britney partnership was born out of a nearly empty auditorium 4:00 Why most creator events miss the heart and what Illuminate is doing differently 4:45 The official reveal: October 3rd, 2026, the Health Museum, Houston 5:31 Why the venue is part of the curriculum, not just the backdrop 7:03 The giant colon, the giant heart, the giant brain and the first content opportunity of the day 8:40 What Illuminate actually is: interactive, hands on, inner kid fully activated 10:30 Britney on documenting everything: 180K files, two phones, zero apologies 13:00 Freddy's hack for never deprioritizing his own show: treat it like a client 15:51 Your feed is for you, then flip it: the Mel Robbins reframe plus Britney's addition 18:17 You will leave with content you actually made at the event. That is the promise. 21:03 The venue breakdown: jumbotron theater, classrooms, and room to breathe 23:10 Why intimate scales better than massive when real connection is the goal 25:44 Why Britney said yes again after events have already chewed them both up 29:00 From gatekept radio to 300K followers: why new media is the whole point 31:00 How to get on the waitlist before speaker announcements drop

    30 min

  6. May 28 ·  Video

    I Lost $7,500 on an Event and Now I'm Teaming Up with a Friend FOR ANOTHER ONE

    Last year Freddy lost $7,500 on an event. He would do it again tomorrow. Britney Crosson, founder of Fun Love Media and host of Social Success, knows the feeling. So the two of them did the logical thing: teamed up, booked the Health Museum in Houston, and built something new together. It is called Illuminate. October 3rd, 2026. This episode is the origin story. You hear why two creators who have both had their teeth kicked in by live events are going back for more, why the venue matters as much as the speakers, and why the goal was never a conference. It was a family reunion for people who have not met yet. Also, there is a giant colon. And yes. They are going inside it. Join the Illuminate waiting list: https://mailchi.mp/0d2a144ccdf0/illuminate2026waitlist Learn more about Britney’s agency Fun Love Media: https://funlovemedia.com/ Free resources from Speke Podcasting: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/freeresources Work with us: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/pricing-plans Key Takeaways 1. The right event does not just teach you things. It changes how you feel about the work. If you leave a conference feeling like a stranger, the conference failed. 2. Venue is strategy. Booking the Health Museum was not a gimmick. A space that fosters curiosity and play gives attendees permission to show up differently. 3. Document or it did not happen. Britney runs with a camera up constantly, 180,000 files deep across two phones. Content is not vanity. It is mission delivery. 4. Doing events with a genuine partner who covers your blind spots and shares the load changes everything. Flying solo on logistics is how you age fast. 5. Intimate scales better than massive when connection is the actual goal. A big wedding sized event means you actually get to talk to people. You leave with friendships, not just LinkedIn requests. 6. Content creation is not only for content creators. Real estate agents, car dealerships, nonprofits, banks. Everybody who wants to be found has to make something. Illuminate was built for all of them. 7.The old guard gatekept who got a microphone. Radio, TV, print. You waited to be chosen. Now you choose yourself. That shift is the whole point. Timestamped Overview 1:19 The $7,500 Speke Fest loss and what it actually cost versus what it taught 2:30 How the Freddy and Britney partnership was born out of a nearly empty auditorium 4:00 Why most creator events miss the heart and what Illuminate is doing differently 4:45 The official reveal: October 3rd, 2026, the Health Museum, Houston 5:31 Why the venue is part of the curriculum, not just the backdrop 7:03 The giant colon, the giant heart, the giant brain and the first content opportunity of the day 8:40 What Illuminate actually is: interactive, hands on, inner kid fully activated 10:30 Britney on documenting everything: 180K files, two phones, zero apologies 13:00 Freddy's hack for never deprioritizing his own show: treat it like a client 15:51 Your feed is for you, then flip it: the Mel Robbins reframe plus Britney's addition 18:17 You will leave with content you actually made at the event. That is the promise. 21:03 The venue breakdown: jumbotron theater, classrooms, and room to breathe 23:10 Why intimate scales better than massive when real connection is the goal 25:44 Why Britney said yes again after events have already chewed them both up 29:00 From gatekept radio to 300K followers: why new media is the whole point 31:00 How to get on the waitlist before speaker announcements drop

    31 min

  7. May 26 ·  Video

    The Metric You're Ignoring Is Killing Your Podcast

    Downloads lie. Or more precisely, they only tell you what happened. Not why. Niall Sullivan figured that out, scrapped his first build, and rebuilt Podcritic from scratch around one simple idea: your podcast needs an editorial layer, not just a dashboard. In this episode, Freddy sits down with Niall Sullivan, founder of Podcritic, the AI-powered editorial tool built for podcast networks, studios, and multi-show operators who are tired of flying blind between recording sessions. Niall breaks down how Podcritic blends transcript analysis, show context, and performance data to surface patterns you'd never catch on your own. Not to replace your instincts. To sharpen them. Whether you're managing one show or fifty, this episode hands you a new lens. Free resources from Speke Podcasting: spekepodcasting.com/freeresources Work with us: spekepodcasting.com/pricing-plans Key Takeaways 1. Downloads tell you what happened. Podcritic tells you why. The gap between those two things is where most shows quietly fall apart. 2. The tool combines three layers: an editorial AI reading of the transcript, the context of the show itself (format, audience, creative principles), and performance data. All three together is where the insight lives. 3. Pattern recognition is the real power. One episode tells you something. Fifty episodes tell you the truth about your show. The drift is always subtle until it's not. 4. Podcritic was rebuilt from scratch after early users found the original deep-dive analysis overwhelming. Simpler is faster. Simpler scales. That pivot was the product. 5. AI feedback is a check, not a verdict. Niall is clear: disagree with it if you need to. It is decision support, not your new executive producer. 6. The best use case is forward-facing. You are not going back to re-edit episode 47. You are using what episode 47 said to make episode 48 sharper. 7. Scripted and narrative-format podcasts are an emerging sweet spot. Pre-analyze before client delivery. Cut the back-and-forth. Speed up approvals. Timestamped Overview [0:00] Cold open and guest intro: Niall Sullivan, founder of Podcritic at podcritic.ai [1:28] What listeners will take away: beyond standard analytics, into the editorial layer [2:38] Why downloads became the industry's favorite vanity metric and what that actually costs you [3:27] The three-layer Podcritic framework: editorial analysis, show context, performance data [4:05] Real scenario: a show with 400K monthly downloads and a retention problem. How do you tell them? [6:12] The ad placement conversation: dynamic ads, jarring pivots, and why relevance matters more than reach [9:39] How Podcritic evolved: the original version was too much, why Niall blew it up and rebuilt simpler [11:07] How pattern recognition across episodes and portfolios finds what no human listener would catch [13:44] Strengths matter too. Podcritic is not just the bad news. It is the full picture. [15:55] Solo shows, interview shows, scripted narratives: what format gets the most out of Podcritic [22:55] Niall's shoutouts to the podcasting community, and where to find Podcritic

    18 min

  8. May 26 ·  Video

    How To Pitch Podcasts Without Being A Clown

    Free resources: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/freeresources Work with us: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/pricing-plans Freddy pulls apart a real pitch that hit his inbox and using it as a live autopsy of everything wrong with lazy podcast outreach. You hear how an AI sounding message tried to flatter, fake familiarity, and completely miss the point of what the show is actually about. He walks through why “spray and pray” pitches disrespect the host and the audience you claim to want to help. You get practical guidance on building real relationships, leading with listener value, and treating a guest spot like a sale, not a spam blast. If you have ever copy pasted a pitch and hoped nobody would notice, this is your intervention. Key Takeaways 1. Generic pitches that fake fandom are obvious to hosts and instantly kill your credibility. 2. Using AI to mass scrape shows and send the same outreach is just a faster way to burn bridges. 3. A podcast guest spot is borrowed trust, and you do not deserve it if you will not learn who the audience is. 4. Real podcast opportunities usually come from relationships built at events, in DMs, and over time, not from a cold blast. 5. Treating a pitch like a sales conversation forces you to consider fit, timing, and actual benefits for the listener. 5. You should only ask to come on once you have some proof you can deliver value to that specific audience. 6. Being intentional and respectful with pitches means fewer asks but a much higher hit rate and better long term relationships. Timestamped Overview Chapters 00:00:00 Setting up the episode and why pitches matter. 00:00:30 Reading the real email that sparked this rant. 00:01:20 First reaction to the AI sounding flattery and fake familiarity. 00:02:10 Breaking down why the topic is a total mismatch for the show. 00:02:50 The core problem with scraping shows and mass emailing. 00:03:30 Remembering that audiences are borrowed, not owed. 00:04:10 Why lazy outreach disrespects both the host and the listener. 00:04:50 How to use networking events and conferences to find better fits. 00:05:30 Building rapport first and then asking to collaborate. 00:06:10 Treating a guest spot like a sale instead of a cold spray. 00:06:50 The long game of showing up, helping, and then asking. 00:07:30 Invitation to get help refining actual human pitches.

    7 min
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5
out of 5
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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
    89
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Freddy Cruz
  • Show Website
    Your Mic