Podcast Launch Challenges
I’ve hosted nearly 300 episodes of Gratitude Geek. I know how to run a podcast. I know how to prep guests, structure episodes, and keep things moving.
So when my husband Shane and I launched Sci-Fi Book Pod together, I thought it would be easy.
Dude, it was not easy.
Funny enough, this post is going live the same day we’re releasing episode 9 with Michael F. Schein, discussing Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer.
Michael’s the one who inspired me to launch this podcast in the first place. Shane asked to co-host it with me.
And here we are, nine episodes in, still figuring it out, still showing up.
When Your Co-Host Has Other Ideas
Shane and I worked side-by-side in the furniture business for 20 years. We built something real together. We know how to work as a team.
But launching this podcast? It’s been one of the rockiest starts I’ve had in years.
The problem? I’m used to being the host. I’m used to calling the shots. And Shane doesn’t follow my direction well, which I already knew, by the way.
We tried taking dancing lessons once, and he got so frustrated with me because I kept leading. Turns out, old habits die hard, even when there’s no dance floor involved.
Then there was the scheduling nightmare. Trying to synch up Shane’s calendar with mine was tough enough. Add in guests with their own schedules, and I was ready to throw my headphones out the window.
For weeks, we didn’t have a set release cadence, and that lack of rhythm made me aggravated. I thrive on structure. I need to know when things are happening.
Flying by the seat of my pants? Not my jam.
But here’s what I’ve learned, or rather, what I’m still learning:
Rocky starts don’t mean failure.
The Rhythm Will Come
We kept showing up. We kept recording. And, we worked through the friction instead of letting it stop us.
Now? We have guests booked out through February. We’re releasing a new episode every two weeks. It’s not perfect, but it’s working.
The truth is, partnership, whether in business, marriage, or podcasting, isn’t about one person leading and the other following.
It’s about figuring out a rhythm that works for both of you, even when it takes longer than you thought it would.
If you’re in the middle of something that feels harder than it should be, I want you to hear this: You don’t have to have it all figured out to keep moving forward.
You don’t have to be perfect out of the gate. You just have to keep showing up, keep adjusting, and trust that the rhythm will come.
Because it will.
Even if your co-host won’t follow your lead on the dance floor.
Stay Groovy!
PS – Are you a fan of speculative fiction? Check out Sci-Fi Book Pod!
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