Monetize This! Where Podcasting Best Practices Come to Die

David Beckemeyer | Podcasting's Friendly Skeptic
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  • Technology

Monetize This! challenges traditional podcasting rules with a skeptical and creative spirit. Hosted by David Beckemeyer, this show explores podcast conversations and alternative podcasting through honest, often irreverent discussions about creator culture, podcast advice, and the stories we tell ourselves about success. For skeptical podcasters who care more about craft, ideas, and impact than guru formulas, this is a place to question the rules—and maybe even have some fun breaking them. Whether you monetize or not, you're welcome here. The industry keeps saying “monetize your podcast.” And sometimes the response is: “Monetize this!” Monetize This! serves podcasters who: • care about the craft of the show • care about ideas and conversations • care about impact • are skeptical of guru advice • may monetize someday… or may not monetizethispodcast.com

  1. Oct 12

    Who Says That's How You're Supposed to Do It? with Beth Brookhart

    Beth Brookhart has spent a career finding her own way around the rules. As a freelance journalist, she ignored the conventional query-letter ritual and picked up the phone. Decades later, publishing a novel introduced her to a whole new collection of gatekeepers, rejection letters, and advice about what her book ought to be. In this episode, we talk about who gets to make the rules for creative work, why writers and podcasters spend so much time seeking permission, and what happens when advice starts turning your creation into somebody else’s idea of what sells. Beth also shares what farming can teach us about best practices. You can have all the technology, science, and advice in the world, but eventually somebody has to go look at the grapes. Beth’s book: The Four Queens of the Button Bush Museum, historical fiction about four women trying to save a rural California museum. Find Beth at bethbrookhart.com. Monetize This! — Where Podcasting Best Practices Come to Die. Learn more: Monetize This! (monetizethispodcast.com) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit monetizethispodcast.com

    Who Says That's How You're Supposed to Do It? with Beth Brookhart

  2. Sep 28

    Podcasting Without the Pressure to Monetize with Willie Blake

    Willie Blake started his podcast with a phone, a record button, and a simple goal: get better at speaking. No elaborate launch strategy. No expensive microphone. No plan to turn the podcast into a business. And yet, 178 episodes later, the podcast had produced clients, a business partnership, unexpected opportunities, and connections with people Willie never would have met otherwise. In this episode, Willie and David talk about what happens when you stop treating your podcast like a marketing machine and start making it for your own reasons. Willie’s approach is pretty simple: figure out why you’re doing the thing, do what works for you, and leave some room for something unexpected to happen. And maybe, before worrying about monetization, optimization, clips, video, or the perfect podcast strategy, you just need to hit record. Links: Coach Willie Blake (coachwillieblake.com) Monetize This! (monetizethispodcast.com) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit monetizethispodcast.com

    Podcasting Without the Pressure to Monetize with Willie Blake

  3. Sep 17

    Stop Obsessing Over Gear! Make Your Audio LISTENABLE Instead

    You don’t need a $500 microphone, a sound-treated studio, and enough audio gear to launch a small radio station. Dave Jackson explains why podcasters should stop obsessing over equipment and focus on the one thing that actually matters: making your audio listenable. Get the basics right. Then make the damn podcast. Check out the full episode: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit monetizethispodcast.com

    Stop Obsessing Over Gear! Make Your Audio LISTENABLE Instead

  4. Sep 14

    What 20 Years of Podcasting Teaches About Bad Advice with Dave Jackson

    Dave Jackson has been podcasting since 2005, which means he’s had almost two decades to watch podcasting advice evolve. Or, more accurately, watch the same advice get recycled with increasingly expensive microphones. Dave joins Monetize This! to talk about the podcasting advice industry, and naturally, we find plenty to disagree with. We take a swing at: * “Just start.” * “Just keep going.” * The promise that your audience is just around the corner. * The promise that your podcast can easily make money. * The apparent requirement that every podcast now become a video podcast. * AI-generated shows and whether they can manufacture the human connection that makes podcasting worth listening to. * The endless obsession with audio quality, promotion, growth, and doing everything “right.” Dave also shares some genuinely useful advice about audio, promotion, collaboration, and what he’d do if he had to start a podcast from scratch today. Then we get into what happens when a podcaster has opinions strong enough to make people unhappy. Spoiler: Dave has opinions. And because we apparently hate our own advice, this conversation runs 39 minutes. That’s much longer than our usual episodes. According to podcast best practices, we should probably apologize. We won’t. Links: School of Podcasting (schoolofpodcasting.com) Monetize This! (monetizethispodcast.com) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit monetizethispodcast.com

    What 20 Years of Podcasting Teaches About Bad Advice with Dave Jackson

  5. Aug 31

    What If Your Podcast Is Already Successful? with Paul and Ellyn Mock

    Paul and Ellyn Mock didn’t start their podcast with a business plan, a growth strategy, or a monetization funnel. They started with something they actually had: 37 years of marriage, a shared history, and a story worth talking about. In this episode, we talk about what podcast success looks like when you stop measuring everything by downloads, followers, revenue, and growth. Paul and Ellyn share how E Says, P Says came about, what they’ve learned from making the show, the listener feedback that means the most to them, and their encounters with the people eager to sell them podcast promotion. We also talk about learning the craft without spending thousands on courses, finding useful free resources, and the difference between optimizing a podcast and simply getting better at making one. Maybe your podcast doesn’t have to become something else before you can call it successful. Links: E Says P Says Podcast https://monetizethispodcast.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit monetizethispodcast.com

    What If Your Podcast Is Already Successful? with Paul and Ellyn Mock

  6. Aug 17

    Podcast Awards: Recognition, Marketing, or Cash Grab? with John Leschinski

    Podcast awards are supposed to recognize great work. But what are they actually worth to the people who win them? In this episode, we speak with John Leschinski of the Canadian Podcast Awards about what podcast awards are really for, how nominations and judging work, whether winning can actually lead to money or opportunities, and why some awards can start to look a lot like pay-to-play. We also get into celebrity podcasts, popularity contests, the $2,000 course you could apparently create about winning awards, and some surprisingly important advice. And if you’re wondering whether your podcast is “ready” for an award, John has some thoughts on that too. Guest: John Leschinski, Canadian Podcast Awards Learn more about the awards at: https://canpodawards.ca/ Monetize This! is the podcast that takes a contrarian look at podcasting, questions the conventional wisdom, and occasionally admits that the gurus have a point. Find more at monetizethispodcast.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit monetizethispodcast.com

    Podcast Awards: Recognition, Marketing, or Cash Grab? with John Leschinski

  7. Aug 3

    Comedy Is Way More Engineered Than You Think with Matt Evans

    Stand-up comedy looks effortless until you realize every laugh has been engineered. This week, comedian, veterinarian, and author Matt Evans joins Monetize This! to talk about what actually goes into writing comedy. We get into joke structure, storytelling, callbacks, and why making people laugh is a lot more like learning a craft than waiting for inspiration to strike. Along the way, we accidentally wander into some surprisingly useful advice about creativity, overcoming resistance, and why the hardest part of making something is often just sitting down and starting. Don’t worry—we make fun of ourselves for it. If you’ve ever wondered why some podcasts feel effortless, why some stories stick with you, or why every creative project seems to begin with procrastination, this episode is for you. Guest: Matt Evans — stand-up comedian, equine veterinarian, and author of Chomping at the Bit. Find Matt at: mattevanscomic.com Learn more and follow us at: monetizethispodcast.com Monetize This! is the podcast where podcasting best practices come to die. Host David Beckemeyer takes a lighthearted, contrarian look at podcasting, creator culture, and the endless stream of advice telling you you’re doing it wrong. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit monetizethispodcast.com

    Comedy Is Way More Engineered Than You Think with Matt Evans

  8. Jul 20

    The Guru Promise vs. Real Change with Kathy Hadizadeh

    Everyone wants to sell transformation. In podcasting, it’s “Launch in 30 days.” “Grow your audience.” “Build a six-figure business.” In leadership coaching, the promises aren’t all that different. This week, I sat down with executive coach Kathy Hadizadeh to talk about something that quietly challenges both industries: the idea that real change can be packaged into a weekend workshop, a seven-step framework, or a single blueprint. Kathy doesn’t coach podcasters, and she isn’t trying to sell you the latest podcast growth strategy. Instead, she works with engineering and technology leaders, helping teams navigate change in the real world. Along the way, we discovered that leadership coaching and podcast guru culture have more in common than either of us expected. We talk about why one-size-fits-all frameworks fall short, why “transformation” is often oversold, why ambition can become a runaway train, and why the best coaches ask better questions instead of pretending to have all the answers. If you’ve ever felt like every creator newsletter is telling you to post more, hustle harder, and optimize everything... this one’s for you. Guest Kathy Hadizadeh is an executive coach who works with engineering, product, and technology leaders to build stronger teams and more thoughtful leadership practices. Rather than offering cookie-cutter solutions, her work focuses on understanding people first and designing approaches that fit the challenges they’re actually facing. Connect with Kathy on LinkedIn and let her know you heard her on Monetize This! Also Discussed * Bill Monty - Tales From South Florida Podcast * Dave Campbell’s Meetup Community Monetize This! is the podcast where podcasting best practices come to die. Every episode takes a lighthearted look at podcasting gurus, creator advice, and the strange pressure to optimize everything—because sometimes the best thing you can do is ignore the blueprint and just make something worth listening to. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit monetizethispodcast.com

    The Guru Promise vs. Real Change with Kathy Hadizadeh
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Monetize This! challenges traditional podcasting rules with a skeptical and creative spirit. Hosted by David Beckemeyer, this show explores podcast conversations and alternative podcasting through honest, often irreverent discussions about creator culture, podcast advice, and the stories we tell ourselves about success. For skeptical podcasters who care more about craft, ideas, and impact than guru formulas, this is a place to question the rules—and maybe even have some fun breaking them. Whether you monetize or not, you're welcome here. The industry keeps saying “monetize your podcast.” And sometimes the response is: “Monetize this!” Monetize This! serves podcasters who: • care about the craft of the show • care about ideas and conversations • care about impact • are skeptical of guru advice • may monetize someday… or may not monetizethispodcast.com

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