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. 6d ago

    Why You Need to Start Your Holiday Best-Of Episode Right Now

    Takeaways Abbey explains why right after Labor Day, heading into Q4, is the time to start building a holiday best-of episode, not December when everyone is scrambling.She walks through her process for using Riverside's magic clips and magic moments feature to pull the strongest 5 to 10 minute moments from a season of episodes and mash them into one best-of show.She shares the two-week structure she uses for clients: one week of best crew or solo moments, one week of best interview moments, so hosts get two full weeks off at the end of the year.Summary of the Episode Recording from her parents' lake place on what might be the last pontoon episode of the summer, Abbey Graves uses the beautiful weather as an odd but perfect excuse to talk about something totally out of season: holiday best-of episodes. With Q4 underway, she makes the case that now, not December, is the time to start pulling together the standout moments from your year so you have a polished best-of episode ready to go when the holidays actually arrive. Abbey breaks down her go-to process using Riverside, the online recording platform she recommends for video interviews. Once an episode is fully edited, she uploads it and lets Riverside's co-creator function generate magic clips and magic moments, AI-selected highlights between 5 and 10 minutes long pulled straight from the transcript. She shares her rule of thumb of at least five clips and no more than ten, then mashes one strong moment from each episode into a single best-of show, complete with a short new intro recapping the year. She also explains why this is not just a lazy rerun. Recycled clips remind listeners what a show accomplished that year, drive traffic back to episodes people missed the first time, and give hosts a built-in library of unused social content to promote the best-of episode with. For clients on a biweekly interview and solo schedule, Abbey builds two full weeks of best-of content at year's end, best crew moments one week and best interviews the next, so they get a genuine two-week break. She closes with a simple, low-lift action step: start a "Best of 2026" folder right now, and every time a moment stands out while editing, drop it in. By the time December rolls around, the best-of episode is already halfway built. Try Out Riverside Today 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 Build a podcast website with PodPage https://www.podpage.com/?via=abbey Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

  2. Sep 24

    The Content Batch Strategy Every Podcaster Needs Before Cold and Flu Season

    Takeaways Abbey recorded this episode from the lake while sick with a cold, using it as a real time case study for why she believes so strongly in batching podcast content ahead of time.She walks through three low effort ways to build a bank of backup episodes: a running notebook of ideas, her own podcast planning journal, and a running note on your phone that you can turn into a quick recorded episode any time you have a spare 30 minutes.If a podcaster ever finds themselves with nothing ready to publish, Abbey suggests digging into old analytics to find an episode that deserved more attention and repurposing it as a labeled replay episode instead of scrambling to record something new.Summary of the Episode In this episode of Abbey the Podcast Lady, Abbey Graves is recording from a pontoon on the lake on a beautiful September day, and she feels terrible. A cold and flu bug is going around right as school started back, and she is pushing through a sore throat and a runny nose to get this episode out because she did not batch enough content ahead of time. That becomes the entire point of the episode. Cold and flu season, sick kids missing their first day of school, and unpredictable family emergencies are all things that happen to podcasters whether they are ready or not. Abbey argues that the best defense is always having episodes sitting in your back pocket, recorded and ready to go before you actually need them. She breaks down exactly how she builds that backup bank: a running notebook or phone note of episode ideas, her own podcast planning journal for laying out titles, topics, and guest tracking, and using small pockets of time, even just 30 minutes, to record an episode now and edit it later. Abbey closes by covering what to do if you truly have nothing ready to publish. She recommends digging into your show's analytics to find an older episode that deserved more attention, reposting it as a labeled replay, or putting together a best of episode when you have more time. She wraps up with a reminder that she offers coaching, podcast production packages, and an online course for anyone who needs help getting their content system in place. Key Topics Covered Why podcasters need to batch content ahead of timeRecording a podcast episode while sickCold and flu season and its impact on content creatorsPreparing for unpredictable life events and family emergenciesKeeping a running notebook of episode ideasAbbey's own podcast planning journalUsing a phone notes app to track episode ideasRecording episodes in short pockets of timeEditing episodes later versus recording them nowRepurposing old episodes as replay contentUsing analytics to find underrated past episodesBest of episodes as a content strategyAbbey's coaching, production, and course offersBet 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 Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

  3. Sep 17

    1,000 Podcasts in 12 Months: Inside One Coach's Guesting Strategy

    Takeaways Peter Boolkah, a 21-year business coach and now published author, shares how his signature framework, the Hamster Wheel Trap, explains why founders build businesses that depend entirely on them, and how to start buying back your time before burnout sets in.Peter's book, Your Business Sucks, is the result of 20 years of research and explains why most businesses never actually get sold, they just get closed down, and what it takes to sell for maximum valuation.Peter is on a mission to guest on 1,000 podcasts in 12 months, and he breaks down why podcast guesting can be an even faster path to visibility than hosting your own show.In this episode of Abbey the Podcast Lady, Abbey Graves welcomes Peter Boolkah, a business coach of 21 years and newly published author, matched with Abbey through Podmatch. Peter shares the winding, mostly accidental road that led him from corporate life and a failed restaurant venture into coaching, and eventually into writing his first book after two decades of research. The conversation dives into Peter's new framework, the Hamster Wheel Trap, which explains how founders unintentionally build businesses that can never run without them, and why most entrepreneurs end up destroying their own lives while building something that was meant to give them freedom. Peter and Abbey also talk through what it actually takes to prepare a business for sale, why 80 percent of businesses fail within five years, and the mindset shift Peter leans on with every client: it is not about what you can do, it is about what you need to learn. The episode closes with Peter's approach to podcast guesting, including his goal of appearing on 1,000 shows in 12 months, why he believes being a guest can be easier and more strategic than hosting, and how consistent show notes and transcripts help train search engines and AI tools to find your message. Peter's book, Your Business Sucks, is available now on Amazon. Try Out Riverside Today 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 Build a podcast website with PodPage https://www.podpage.com/?via=abbey Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

  4. Sep 10

    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 Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

  5. 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 Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

  6. 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 Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

  7. 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 Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

  8. 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. Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

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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
    56
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Abbey Graves Productions LLC 2025
  • Show Website
    Abbey the Podcast Lady