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. Aug 20

    A Podcast Pause

    We’re taking a short reset to make the next run of episodes even stronger. New episodes return the week after Labor Day. In the meantime, follow the show so the next episode hits your feed automatically—and send us your questions, guest suggestions, and topics you want us to tackle at freddy@spekepodcasting.com. We’re taking a breath. Not backing down.

  2. Aug 18 ·  Video

    Stop Asking Friends What They Think of Your Podcast

    Free resources from Speke Podcasting: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/freeresources Work with us: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/pricing-plans Podcasters quit right before it starts working. This episode breaks down the real timeline behind three working shows, and why time, effort, and feedback (not luck) are what actually separate the ones who make it from the ones who don't. Key Takeaways 1. Compounding takes years, not months. One client didn't cross 100K downloads until roughly two and a half years after they started recording — not after launch, after recording started. 2. Effort has to scale with your timeline. Publishing twice a month for six months and publishing twice a week for two years are not the same bet — pick your intensity level honestly. 3. Reps beat obsessing over analytics. One host went a full year treating his show as a skills‑building exercise instead of a numbers chase — and got better because of it. 4. Friends and family can't give you real feedback. They love you too much to tell you the truth — find a podcasting community instead, regardless of niche. 5. The fundamentals are genre‑agnostic. Weak titles, bad cover art, and rambling intros will lose listeners whether you're in true crime or tax law — fix the basics before blaming the algorithm.

  3. Aug 13

    The Neurologist Who Prescribes Podcast Episodes to His Patients

    Free resources from Speke Podcasting: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/freeresources Work with us: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/pricing-plans Watch Freddy and Dr. Patton: https://youtu.be/sObzbAAOxW4 Freddy Cruz breaks down what he learned from Dr. Eddie Patton, a neurologist who treats his podcast (Your Health, Your Wealth) less like content and more like a prescription pad. When Dr. Patton runs out of time in the exam room, he hands patients a flyer with a QR code linked to an episode about exactly what they discussed, so they can revisit his voice when they are calmer. It is bedside manner in their earbuds, and it works in any field. This episode shows you how to stop treating your show as algorithm food and start treating it as extra time with the people you serve. Key Takeaways 1. Fight-or-flight and creativity live on opposite ends of the spectrum in your brain. If your amygdala is constantly lit up, your best ideas stay locked out. 2. The wiring that once saved you from predators now fires over phone buzzes, traffic, and deadlines. Most of us live with the gas pedal slightly pressed all the time. 3. Your best ideas show up in the shower and right before sleep because those are the two places you accidentally put your phone down. That is not a coincidence, it is neurology. 4. Patton hands patients a QR code linked to an episode covering exactly what they discussed in the exam room. The podcast becomes extra time, clarity on demand, and a voice they can replay. 5. Patients under stress cannot absorb a 15 minute conversation while processing scary news. A recording lets them hear the same doctor, the same brain, once the amygdala cools down.

  4. Aug 11

    From the Archive: A Podcaster's Journey to 100 Episodes (It's Harder WAY Than You Think)

    Free resources from Speke Podcasting: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/freeresources Work with us: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/pricing-plans Listen to The Son of a Blitch Podcast: https://www.sonofablitch.com/ How do you prepare for a milestone like hitting 100 podcast episodes? It's a journey that takes persistence and learning through every step. George Blitch has navigated this path with his Son of a Blitch podcast. Today, George shares what he's learned about finding a niche, keeping the passion burning, and the patience required to grow. If you're a podcaster starting your journey, this episode offers insights you won't want to miss.  Key Takeaways 1. George emphasizes the importance of treating the first year of podcasting as a training period rather than focusing on immediate success. Learning and honing skills are more crucial in the initial stages than achieving instant fame or recognition. 2. Both George and Freddy stress the importance of respecting guests' time and making the effort to prepare thoroughly for interviews. This leads to more meaningful conversations and builds trust with the guest and their network. 3. George discusses how he found a unique niche by combining his interests in the outdoors, hunting, food, and authors. By owning this niche, he's able to create engaging content that resonates with his audience. 4. Developing strong relationships with PR reps and past interview guests can lead to new opportunities. George describes how showing professionalism and doing thorough prep work has opened up doors for him with significant figures and organizations. 5. Constantly evaluating one’s work and identifying areas for improvement is essential. George regularly reviews his past episodes and guests’ feedback to refine his interviewing skills, demonstrating that continual learning enriches the quality and success of a podcast.

  5. Aug 6 ·  Video

    Spotify’s Ad Skip: Smart Feature… or Indie Podcaster Nightmare?

    Get the FREE Speke Roadmap: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/givethemroadmap Work with us: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/ Indie podcast expert Frank Racioppi joins me to unpack AMP’s new play metric, Spotify’s ad skip feature, broken CPMs, and why targeted listeners beat vanity downloads if you actually want a podcast that makes money. Subscribe to Frank’s newsletter (https://podalization.substack.com/) Read Frank’s work in Forbes (https://www.forbes.com/sites/frankracioppi/) Key Takeaways 1. Downloads aren’t dead, but they’re incomplete. AMP’s 30‑second play standard adds needed context, yet downloads still matter, just like batting average and on‑base percentage both matter for a hitter. 2. Big numbers mean nothing without a goal. A million plays with no business outcome is worse than 10,000 targeted listeners converting at 40–50%; indie podcasters must define success before they ever hit record. 3. Your audience is rented unless you pull them off‑platform. YouTube, Spotify, and RSS feel like freedom, but deplatforming and algorithm shifts make email lists and offline communities non‑negotiable.

  6. Aug 4

    From the Archive: What Lamborghini Can Teach You About the Power of Niche Podcasting

    Free resources from Speke Podcasting: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/freeresources Work with us: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/pricing-plans Picture a bright yellow Lamborghini, cruising by. There's no TV ad for it, yet it turns heads. Just like that, podcasting can reach its audience without big-budget promotions. It’s about knowing where your audience is and speaking directly to them. In this episode of Your Mic, discover how to harness the power of storytelling and build a community.  Key Takeaways 1. Just like Lamborghini focuses on a specific audience, your podcast should target a very specific listener base. Determine who your ideal listener is, know their habits, and create content that speaks directly to them. 2. Imitating Lamborghini's approach, offer unique and exclusive content that your listeners can't find elsewhere. This can involve presenting your unique perspective or expert knowledge that adds value to your audience. 3. Clearly define what makes your podcast stand out. Like Freddy describes, a personal trainer can specify their niche audience to make their service more appealing. Similarly, your podcast should have a distinct value proposition that resonates with your specific audience. 4. Develop a community around your podcast through word of mouth, social media, and in-person or online events. Encourage your listeners to share your podcast and create spaces for engagement to foster a loyal listener base. 5. You have the power to control your podcast's story, message, and growth. Just like Lamborghini doesn't rely on traditional advertising, use creative and direct methods to share your narrative and connect with your audience on a more personal level.

  7. Jul 30

    Is This the Villain Keeping You From Recording Video?

    Free resources from Speke Podcasting: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/freeresources Work with us: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/pricing-plans Freddy Cruz goes solo with lessons from Dr. Angela Sturm, a facial plastic surgeon with hundreds of YouTube videos, a podcast (Beauty Unveiled), and a full aesthetic practice, who once cried at the thought of public speaking. This one is for every host hiding from video because of a nose, a jawline, or that one eye they swear is smaller than the other. The problem is not your face. It is a front-facing camera that behaves like a fisheye lens, showing you an angle nobody in real life ever sees, plus a brain that treats that distortion as the truth. Freddy breaks down why selfie dysmorphia is manufactured, why nobody is studying your flaws the way you are, and how Sturm went from terrified young surgeon to a woman whose daughter shows her videos to teachers like trading cards. You walk away with permission and a reason to hit record with the face you have today. Key Takeaways 1. The tiny thing you obsess over on your face is invisible to almost everyone else. People are too busy running their own mental noise about their own faces to audit yours. 2. Your front-facing camera acts like a fisheye lens, making whatever sits in the middle of the frame look bigger. A selfie shot from under your nose is not evidence, it is distortion. Sturm's clinic uses standardized cameras, distances, and angles because those setups approximate how people actually see you. Your phone at arm's length does not. 4. Confidence on camera is built, not issued at birth. Sturm went from tears over public speaking to hundreds of videos by realizing nobody online is waiting with a scalpel to dissect her every word. 5. Authenticity is the safety net. People can argue with an opinion, but it is much harder to argue with someone sharing what they have personally seen, tried, and survived.

  8. Jul 28 ·  Video

    Podfade is Boredom In Disguise, Not Proof You Should Quit

    Free resources from Speke Podcasting: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/freeresources Work with us: https://www.spekepodcasting.com/pricing-plans Freddy Cruz goes solo on this one, and he is coming for the excuse you have been hiding behind. Everybody blames podfade on burnout, but after multiple shows since 2020, over a thousand interviews, and 25 plus years behind a mic, Freddy knows the uglier truth. A lot of dead podcasts died because the host got bored with their own show. This episode breaks down how podfade actually starts, gives you a three question boredom check with no lying allowed, and hands you two experiments designed to jolt a stale show back to life. If your podcast looks fine on paper but feels dead in practice, this is the episode that tells you what to do about it before you quit something worth saving. Key Takeaways 1. Podfade rarely starts with a dramatic announcement. It starts with a tiny negotiation, one skipped week that becomes a short update that never gets recorded. 2. Busy is usually a cover story. If the show you were making actually lit you up, you would not be skipping weeks, so the real problem is excitement, not capacity. 3. Most bored hosts still care about their topic. They are just trapped in a stale format, locked into 60 minute interviews when they would rather do 10 minute rants. 4. The episodes that feel alive are the ones that cost you something to say. If you cannot remember the last time an episode scared you a little, boredom was inevitable. 5. Try a Format Break Week. Cut your runtime in half, change your structure, talk about the thing you have been saving for later, and notice how it feels when you ship it. 6. Adopt the Only If rule for one month. Record only the episodes you would still make if you could never see the download numbers, and watch the should episodes vanish from your calendar. 7. A show that made sense on paper but no longer fits you is not failure. It is data, and it means you rebuild instead of quit, because listeners can feel it when the host is bored.

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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
    108
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Freddy Cruz
  • Show Website
    Your Mic