Episode 30: 8 Honest Lessons I Learned Starting a Podcast (For Women Who Want to Be Seen)
Episode Summary:
If you've been sitting on a podcast idea but keep waiting to feel ready this episode is your sign. In episode 30, I'm sharing 8 honest lessons from starting this podcast, including the healing that happened along the way. We talk systems, perfectionism, visibility wounds, and why every episode you publish is a seed for your future.
⏰ Timestamps:
00:00 - This Episode Is for You If You've Been Sitting on an Idea
01:15 - It's My 30th Episode: Here's What I've Learned 02:45 - Lesson 1: Build a System That Supports Commitment, Not Excuses
05:30 - Lesson 2: The Faster You Publish, the Faster You Improve
08:45 - Lesson 3: Starting a Podcast Will Surface Your Healing Work
13:00 - Lesson 4: Find Your People: Community as a Regulation Tool
15:30 - Lesson 5: It's Okay to Start Before the Vision Is Fully Formed
17:45 - Lesson 6: Focus on the Message, Not the Length
19:00 - Lesson 7: You Don't Need Fancy Equipment to Begin
21:00 - Lesson 8: Every Episode Is a Seed Plant It with Intention
23:00 - The Version of You on the Other Side Didn't Have It All Figured Out
Episode Transcript:
[00:00:00] Hello and welcome back to the Confident Magnetic and Wealthy Podcast. If you've been sitting on an idea, a podcast, a channel, a platform, some form of putting your voice out there into the world, and you keep finding reasons why now isn't the right time or why you're not ready yet, then this episode is exactly for you.
And before we get into it, if you're listening and you're ready to break through your upper limits, around your income with real support, I have limited spots open for one-on-one coaching. My signature framework is going to meet you exactly where you are on your money mindset journey so you can dissolve the inner resistance that's been keeping you from the next level that you know you're meant for.
The application to work with me is in the link in the description.
This is my 30th episode. 30 a part of me can't believe that I've actually made it this far. I remember how jittery and nervous I felt recording my first couple of episodes.
It felt like I was speaking on stage to a room full of hundreds of people. I tell you, I promise my hands would get sweaty. I would feel shaky all over my body, and I would even get dry mouth. that's how nervous I felt, even though it's been just me and my microphone in my home office. And now, dare I say that I actually feel really excited to record episodes and even more excited to publish them for the world to experience them.
My intention for today's episode is to give you the encouragement that I know you've been missing, so you can start your podcast or YouTube channel. Because if you've been sensing an inner calling or a nudge that's been trying to get your attention for a while now, like it floats an idea into your awareness and then watches you talk yourself out of it before you even give yourself a real chance, my friend, it's time that you answer the calling and follow the nudge.
I wanna share something with you that's a little vulnerable because very few people dare to post the humble beginnings on social media, and I wanna do it because I think it might be exactly what you need to hear right now. I started this podcast, confident, magnetic and Wealthy Without a Grand Vision.
This wasn't even the name of the podcast in the beginning. That's how humble it started and how messy it started. I didn't have a fully backed content strategy. I didn't even have a roadmap, and honestly, what I had instead was just a nudge that kept talking to me, that kept telling me that this would be fun to do.
It was persistent and recurring, and it just kept whispering. Wouldn't it be kind of amazing to just have your own unfiltered space to talk about the things that excite you, like practical manifestation, personal growth, life lessons that could help other women who want to live their most confident magnetic and wealthy life.
And for months, I tell you, for months, I just brushed it. I told myself that the [00:03:00] timing wasn't right, that I needed to know more before I started, that I needed to feel more ready, that I didn't have all of the fancy equipment I saw other more established podcasters have, and that I needed a beautiful branding and also a launch plan with 20 episodes ready to publish.
And I want you to hear what I've since learned about that. Feeling, the feeling of needing to be ready before you begin. Because what I now understand is that the nudge to do something new, something bold, something that feels a little audacious, that nudge is an invitation. It's an invitation from the part of you that has already seen the vision and is waiting for the rest of you to catch up.
So what I'm gonna share with you today are eight honest lessons that I've gathered since starting this podcast, and my hope is that by the time we get to the end of this conversation, if you've been holding back on starting your own, you'll feel a little less alone in the uncertainty of it and a lot more willing to just begin exactly where you are.
Lesson 1
The first thing I learned is this. If you want to stay committed to something, you need a system that supports your commitment, because without a system, you're not gonna give yourself a fair chance. When I launched, I had ideas floating around in my phone's notes app, in my voice memos, random pieces of paper, and what that chaos actually supported was my ability to generate really good excuses for why I hadn't recorded yet, for why I couldn't start a podcast for why I couldn't sit down and share my thoughts.
I don't know where to start. I just kept saying, I'm not sure what the episode is even about. I need to organize my thoughts first. all legitimate feelings, but without a clear system behind me. They became reasons to wait and to stall and to continue to put off this nudge that I knew I needed to follow.
What changed everything for me was building a workflow in Notion. I created a space where ideas now live where episodes move through stages from concept to scripted, to recording to published, and where I could see the whole picture all at once. It sounds very corporate, but this is where I leveraged my corporate experience as a director of product for so many years, and I used the.
The structures that worked in my corporate setting and I applied a new, more flexible version for what I needed in this time so that I can stay committed and consistent. Now to some of you that might sound a bit too complicated or a bit too simple,
But for me, it changed the game because it turned podcasting from a wishful thinking, a creative whim into something that had infrastructure and infrastructure for me is what makes something repeatable. I started from a baseline template that I found online and I kept adjusting it as I learned more about [00:06:00] how I actually operate and what I actually needed to support a very seamless podcasting recording session from idea to publishing.
And if you are interested in this template, let me know and I'll share my notion workflow with you. The takeaway here isn't about notion specifically or how great it is as a tool. It's that your system either supports your commitment or your excuses, and only you can decide which one gets to win.
So think about the podcast that you want to start, and imagine your 30 episodes in like I am now. What does your workflow look like from the moment you are sparked with an idea to the moment you click publish on your episode? What space will you dedicate as your recording space? That could be at your desk, on your couch, in a closet, And what is the bare minimum you need around you to press record and get your idea out? Think of it like your process of getting out of bed and getting ready for your day, even though you've never actually thought of it. In this way, you have a workflow that supports a seamless step-by-step process to get you out of bed and ready for the day ahead.
So what would that look like for easily recording your episodes?
Lesson 2
The second lesson is. The faster you get the first few episodes out, the faster you'll know what actually needs to be worked on. In my early episodes, I would watch the playback and then use every critique I found as evidence that I wasn't ready to record the next one. I had a running list. Like the way I used my hands, the pauses that went on for a beat too long. The moments where I lost my train of thought and you could see me searching for it.
Because if you've been following my podcast, you know that I typically record with video. This is the first time I'm doing audio only, and in that process I could see my inner critic and perfectionist tendencies would come out and would be. So critical of me and would say things like, what's the point?
Your last episode barely got any views. This was a cute dream, Heidy, but it's not really for you. That was a lot of effort for zero leads and $0, and I wonder, do you recognize that voice within yourself? Yeah, because I think a lot of us do, and I know that this is a shared experience, I don't think I've ever met anyone who doesn't have some level of an inner critic, and what I've come to understand about that voice is that it's not telling you the truth.
It's telling you what feels safe, and staying small is what that inner voice has decided is safe. What shifted for me was making a different agreement with myself. Instead of holding each episode to some imaginary standard of what it should look like, I started asking, what is one thing I can improve in the next one, just one and across multiple episodes.
A 1% improvement compounds. It doesn't feel like much in the moment, but [00:09:00] it does something powerful. Over time, it, it builds evidence that you are getting better And that evidence starts to crowd out the narrative that you shouldn't be doing this at all.
So over time, my editing has improved. I'm gradually becoming more and more comfortable speaking on camera. I'm using less filler words. I've come to see this as a practice for evolving into a better public speaker, which will serve me in the future as I continue to build my brand and business.
I invite you to approach your podcast in a similar way. See it as a vehicle for improving other aspects of your life and refining your skills.
Lesson 3
The third lesson is the one I wasn't expecting, and it's probably the most personal. This journey will surface the healing work that's been waiting for you. I wanna share something with you that I don't talk about very often, and I'm sharing it because I think if you've ever felt embarrassed about your voice, you need to know that you're not alone in that.
You see, growing up I was told I talk too much. I was a chatty child. Curious, expressive, full of things that I wanted to share. I just had a lot to say about the world around me, and what I absorbed from my environment was that my voice was a problem.
There's a Spanish saying that if you come from a Latin household, you likely heard, And I heard it often addressed directly to me, Heidy.
It means you look prettier when you're quiet. And I took that in the way that children take in everything completely. And without question, that was the truth. so my voice became a source of shame for me. And that showed up years later in really quiet, but really costly ways that I see now.
I struggled to speak up for myself in meetings. I looked to people in authority to give me permission to share an idea. I would have something to say and then hold it in, waiting for someone to ask, waiting for the invitation to be worth taking up space. So when the nudge to start a podcast arrived to turn on a camera, to use my voice on purpose at volume for an audience, it triggered something deep in me.
it felt genuinely like I was doing something I hadn't been given permission to do.
Like I was going to get in trouble for starting a podcast for sharing my voice. I share that because I want you to know that if you've ever felt something similar, when you think about being more visible, that's not a sign that you shouldn't do it.
That's a sign that there. Is an unhealed part of you that equates visibility with danger because at some point in your history it was, and that part of you deserves to be met with compassion, not force or avoidance. You get to decide what's true about you now and how you move forward.
What I've started doing and what I'd [00:12:00] love for you to consider, if this resonates. Is practicing loving the version of yourself who's trying, just like you would love a little baby who's trying to walk for the first time, and you encourage them no matter how many times they trip and fall and lose their balance.
That's how I want you to approach loving on yourself as you take these first baby steps into uncharted territories. When I watch a playback, now I give myself words I never received. Growing up. I'll say to myself, silently as I see the playback, Heidy, you're doing it. Look at you sharing your perspective so boldly.
You sound so great. Oh my gosh, you sound like you should have your own show. Watch out Oprah. And I mean it when I say it to myself because that inner child who was told to be quiet, she deserves to hear that Now. We get to give ourselves what we didn't receive as a child. And that's part of the inner work, my friend.
So if you're struggling with visibility wounds, ask yourself, what are all of the amazing experiences I lose out on having by not sharing my voice? Or you could also ask yourself, what wouldn't happen in my life if I don't start this podcast?
Lesson 4
The fourth lesson is find your people, people who are walking a similar path and at a different stage than you.
This is something I underestimated when I started. It can feel isolating when you're doing something most people around you aren't doing and don't fully understand, and when it's just you, your camera, and your inner critic, especially in those early months, the temptation to compare yourself to someone who has been doing this for five years is very real and very dangerous to your momentum.
What I'd encourage you to look for is a community that spans different phases. You wanna see the woman who's two months in and the one who's a year in, and the one who's been at it for five years. When you can see evidence across the whole range, you realize that where you are right now is just a phase, not a permanent state, and the people who are a few months ahead of you will remind you that what you're going through right now is completely normal and completely temporary.
I found luckily the Latinas in podcasting community, and it has done something for my motivation and my sense of belonging that I didn't anticipate. Having a network of women who get it, who know the specific experience of building something new and putting your voice out there into the world has been its own kind of nourishment that my soul deeply needed, Especially in healing the sister wounds. Being in community has exposed me to new and unexpected friendships that I would've never connected with on my own. And these friendships are on another level because these people will support you and cheer you on because they get it.
They know what it's like to be in your shoes versus the [00:15:00] people in your life who have never done what you're getting ready to do.
Lesson 5
The fifth lesson is it's completely okay to start before your vision is fully formed. I need to say this clearly because I think the pressure to have a well-defined niche, a content plan, a growth strategy before you even publish your first episode, is keeping people from starting.
And I was one of those people when I started this podcast. I didn't have a polished vision statement. All I had was a nudge and a question, what if I just made space to talk about the things that light me up and have helped me along my growth journey? That was it. And what I've observed since is that the vision has continued to unfold with each episode, with each conversation, with each piece of feedback from those who are listening on the other side, the clarity comes through doing the thing Action invites clarity, and I want to offer you a reframe on that pressure to have it all figured out at first. That pressure is old programming. It comes from systems that didn't reward experimentation, that required you to have the right answer before you were given permission to try. That's not how growth works.
The nudge to begin something new. Is an invitation from the part of you that already knows more than your logical mind does. trust it enough to take the first step.
Lesson 6
The sixth lesson re-shifted and reframed something I had been holding a lot of anxiety around, and that's focus on the message, not the length. My earliest episodes were between two and eight minutes long, and I heavily felt the weight of what I thought I was supposed to be doing.
I thought a quote, real podcast episode needed to be 45 minutes to an hour long, long enough for it to feel substantial. So I put a lot of pressure on myself to find more, to say, to stretch things out to, to fill time unnecessarily, and, and then I remembered something. Part of why I started this was for self-expression, and if what I had on my heart that week was five minutes worth of truth, then five minutes was the right episode.
A podcast doesn't need to be an hour to be potent. Some of the most powerful things I've absorbed have come in short, clear, direct transmissions, so I release the pressure and I let the message be what it needed to be. I'd encourage you to do the same.
Lesson 7
The seventh lesson is about equipment and the story that we can tell ourselves around needing the quote right setup. To begin the truth is my friend. You could start your podcast today with the Voice Memo app on your phone, free editing tools on the internet, and free hosting through Spotify for creators.
You could record, edit, and publish something by tonight. The barrier to [00:18:00] entry is as low as you're willing to let it be. It's also okay to invest in things that excite you. But that comes with a big disclaimer, so I need to be clear. If you have a history of starting things with enthusiasm and then abandoning them really quickly, investing heavily in equipment before you know you're committed is probably not the wisest first move, and I would not want to be responsible for you spending on equipment.
And then months later, you tell me that I gave you the wrong advice. So let's be very clear right now. I do not recommend that you invest in equipment if you have a history of not fully seeing things through. But if you believe that this is your calling and there is something there and you trust yourself and you do have a history of following through, then allow yourself that splurge so that you can feed that excitement even more.
And if you're not fully ready to invest and you just want to start scrappy with the equipment available to you right now, let yourself experience the process First, let yourself find out what specifically excites you about this, because what you discover might surprise you.
Maybe you realize you have so much more to say than you thought and the vision expands. Or maybe you realize that what drew you to podcasting was the storytelling, and you'd actually love to be a guest on someone else's show rather than host your own. Both are valid. Nothing is wrong, but you can't know until you try.
I personally connect most deeply with creators. I've watched Evolve over time, the ones who started a bit messy, not the ones who arrived fully polished, but the ones I've grown alongside with. There is something deeply human and compelling about watching someone get better in real time. Give yourself permission to be in that process.
Hiring a Podcast producer
And if you're a brand and business that is more established and you see podcasting as the next branch of your expansion, and you're willing to invest in the setup and a solid strategy for your podcast, then at that point, I would actually recommend hiring an expert for this, someone who will save you the time and the effort required to get your podcast up and running.
For this, I'd recommend hiring a podcast coach like my good friend Heidy de La Cruz, and. Side note, no relation to me. I'll save the story of how we met and how we have eerily similar life experiences for another day. But for today though, I can tell you that she's the podcast coach to hire.
I'll link her information in the show notes below,
Lesson 8
And the final lesson, at least for today, at this point in my podcasting journey, is the one that I want to leave you with, and it's this consider that every episode you put out is a seed.
I want you to sit with that image for a moment. The picture of a seed, you don't know exactly what it will grow into [00:21:00] or exactly when, or exactly who will be nourished by it, but you plant it anyway because you trust that it holds something worth offering. Every episode I release, I see it as a chance for someone to get to know me, to hear how I think, to feel my perspective, to decide whether my voice and my point of view resonates with them.
I don't know who's on the other side of any given episode when I'm recording it, But I do trust that who I'm meant to reach will find their way here when the timing is right for them. And that could unfold as a future client, a speaking engagement, a conversation on someone else's platform, or simply a woman who needed to hear exactly what I said on exactly that day.
That's how I want you to think about whatever you've been nudged to build, Not as a performance that you need to nail right out of the gate, not as a product that needs to be perfected before it can be shared, but as a seed planted with intention, watered with consistency, and trusted to grow in its own time.
My friend, the version of you on the other side of this experience, didn't have everything figured out. She just gave herself permission to play and to explore. You are more ready than you think, and you only get better from the moment that you start.
And I know for some of you, putting your voice out there is going to feel like an act of defiance. Like you're doing something you never got permission to do. Maybe you were the child who was told to be quiet.
Maybe you were the one who made yourself smaller so others could be comfortable. Maybe you've spent years in rooms where your voice wasn't fully welcomed and you learned to hold it in. I need you to know that staying quiet was never a reflection of your worth and the audacity of beginning anyway, of pressing record anyway, of showing up Anyway, that is one of the most powerful things I know that you can do for your inner healing and for the bigger purpose that you are here to fulfill.
You deserve to experience what it feels like to take up the space that was always meant for you. So go plant that seed friends. I hope this episode found you in the right time. I'd love to know which lesson resonated with you the most. Post your thoughts in the comments along with your five star review.
I read every single one. I promise. I'm so thankful that you are here and I'll see you on the next one.
Common questions about starting a podcast:
Q: I keep waiting to feel ready. How do I know when it's actually time?
Here's what I've discovered: the feeling of "not ready" is your nervous system trying to protect you from something that felt risky in the past. It's not the truth, it's a pattern. You don't get ready and then start. You start, and readiness builds through the evidence you create. The permission slip you're waiting for is the one only you can give yourself.
Q: What if my first episodes are terrible?
They probably will be, mine were not my best. And that's the whole point. Your first episodes aren't meant to be your best; they're meant to be your first. A 1% improvement per episode compounds over time into something genuinely good. I improved my editing, my presence on camera, my systems, all because I published imperfect episodes instead of waiting for perfect ones.
Q: I was taught growing up that my voice was "too much." How do I get past that?
That programming lives in your nervous system, not just your mind. What helped me was practicing radical self-compassion during playbacks, giving myself the words of affirmation I never received growing up. Over time, your system learns that using your voice doesn't lead to punishment. It's slow, gentle, and worth every step.
Q: Do I need expensive equipment to start?
No. You can start tonight with the voice memo app on your phone, free editing tools, and free hosting through Spotify for Creators for $0. The barrier to entry is as low as you allow it to be. Hold off on equipment if you have a pattern of starting things and not seeing them through, let yourself fall in love with the process first.
Q: How long should my episodes be?
As long as the message needs to be. My earliest episodes were 2–8 minutes. I used to feel pressure to fill an hour. Then I remembered that part of why I started was for self-expression, and my self-expression that week might only be 5 minutes. Potency is not measured in length.
Q: I feel completely alone in this. Where do I find community?
Look for communities that span different stages of the journey not just people who've been doing this for years, but people who are 3 months in, 1 year in, and 5 years in. That range of evidence keeps you going. I found the Latinas in Podcasting community and it changed everything for my motivation and sense of belonging.
Q: Can I do this on my own, or do I need a coach?
You can absolutely start on your own. But here's what I've noticed: the things that most keep women from putting their voice out there aren't strategy problems, it’s old stories driving the car. Subconscious stories about whether it's safe to be seen. If you find yourself starting and stopping, self-sabotaging, or talking yourself out of it repeatedly, that's the work I support women through in 1:1 coaching. The application link is below.
💡 Pro Tip: Before your next episode, ask yourself what is the one thing I want the person on the other end to walk away feeling or knowing? Let that answer be your compass.
If You Loved This Episode, You'll Also Want to Check Out:
Episode 17: I Was Supposed to Be a Teen Mom | Breaking Generational Cycles & Rewriting My Destiny — If the piece about voice shame and generational patterns hit home, this is the episode where Heidy shares the full story: her upbringing, the subconscious programming that shaped her identity, and the tools that helped her rewrite it.
Episode 07: Fighting for Your Limitations — This episode dives into the inner critic patterns that talk us out of our biggest moves — directly connected to the perfectionism and self-doubt themes from Ep. 30. If Lesson 2 resonated most, start here next.
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Video and audio edited with Descript: https://get.descript.com/2fj992csmtym
About Heidy:
I’m Heidy, a Certified Master Mindset Coach, for women in their 30s and 40s, specializing in Hypnosis, Neural Energetic Wiring, Neural Energetic Wiring, Neural Energetic Encoding, Breathwork, and Emotional Freedom Techniques (Tapping). I’m also the host of the Confident, Magnetic & Wealthy Podcast.
As someone who broke through generational adversity and reprogrammed the beliefs that said I wasn’t supposed to succeed, I know what it’s like to rise beyond what was modeled for me.
I’ve guided women to grow their income to multiple six-figures and achieve their biggest goals while feeling confident and regulated. My magic sauce is how I help clear the subconscious blocks that create guilt, resistance, and self doubt through neuroscience-backed modalities.
Confident, Magnetic & Wealthy is an extension of me, how I live my life, and how I help other women do the same through my 1:1 coaching.
Most important, CMW is my mission to help women expand their magnetism and build unshakeable self trust to attract the wealth and opportunities she desires.
I believe when a woman feels safe to have more, she naturally expands what’s possible for her family, her community, and her future.
About the Confident, Magnetic & Wealthy Podcast:
Confident, Magnetic & Wealthy is a podcast for women in their 30s and 40s who are ready to experience more success, money, visibility, and impact.
Hosted by Heidy, Master Mindset Coach, Breathwork & Hypnosis Practitioner, this podcast explores money mindset, identity, and the inner work required to break upper limits around wealth, confidence, and success. The show blends practical action with spiritual principles to help you manifest your dream life, shared through the lens of a first-generation, child-free woman devoted to confidence, self-trust, and ease.
Many cycle breakers and first-generation leaders were taught how to survive, not how to receive. As a result, growth can trigger guilt, fear, and self-doubt, even when life looks good on the outside.
Heidy shares how self-image and the subconscious mind shape what you allow yourself to have, and how to rewire those patterns so success feels safe.
On this podcast, you’ll learn about money mindset, subconscious reprogramming, breaking generational patterns.
Shared through the lens of a Master Mindset Coach, first-gen, and child-free woman devoted to helping women live their most abundant life.