BECOME A PODCASTER IN ONE HOUR
Steal my shortcut to record, edit, and publish your first episode
Without fancy gear or figuring out your whole show first.
GO FROM “I WANT TO START A PODCAST” TO “I ACTUALLY DID IT.”
IN ABOUT 60 MINUTES, YOU’LL:
- Set up your podcast using placeholders for your name, description, and cover.
- Record your first solo audio episode with your intro, guiding questions, and outro mapped out.
- Make simple edits by following the step-by-step instructions.
- Complete the publishing steps for Spotify + Apple Podcasts so your show can become available for people to hear.
YOU KEEP THINKING ABOUT STARTING A PODCAST
You’ve Googled it. Asked ChatGPT. Watched the tutorials. You have ideas, but still no first episode.
Maybe you’ve imagined your guests, chosen a name, or even designed your cover. There’s a reason you keep thinking about this. Something about having a podcast matters to you.
But something keeps getting in the way. Finding the time. Figuring out the tech. Or those questions: What will people think? How will I sound? Do I have something worth saying?
Dr. Seuss wrote, “There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” Your experience, personality, and curiosity shape the conversations you’ll have. Give people a chance to hear your perspective.
Podcasting changed my life in ways I never expected, even though starting was so far outside my comfort zone. I’m so grateful I recorded that first episode. I created this guide to make starting easier for you.
The placeholders, outline, and instructions help you record, edit, and publish without having your whole show figured out. Your name, topics, and style can change as you learn.
Your first episode gives you something another week of planning can’t: a real episode to learn from and build on.
Don’t let this guide sit in your inbox for “someday.” As soon as you get it, open your calendar. Choose one hour in the next seven days and name it “Start my podcast.” When that appointment comes, open the guide and follow the steps.
You’ve spent time thinking about having a podcast. Give yourself some time to make it happen.
I KNOW WHAT YOU NEED FOR EPISODE #1. AND WHAT CAN WAIT.
Over the past decade, hundreds of people have shared their clever podcast ideas with me.
Months later, they still hadn’t started.
That made my heart a little sad. Everyone deserves their own corner of the World Wide Web.
So I created this guide and kept simplifying it, removing information you don’t need yet and adding placeholders for decisions that can wait.
I want you to see your show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and think, “Oh my gosh. I’m a podcaster.”
THINK OF IT AS YOUR FIRST PANCAKE.
Pancakes are my favorite breakfast food, but my first one is often burned or doughy. I adjust and make another.
Your first episode gives you that same chance to learn.
If you hate it, you can remove it later. You’ll still know how to record, edit, and publish the next one.
Your first episode doesn’t have to be your favorite. It’s the one that gets you started.
I WANT MY PODCAST
WHAT THE GALS ARE SAYING
Megan
Your Podcast tutorial has helped me so much! Like I feel confident in something I NEVER thought I could do.
Markell
I couldn’t have done it without your guidance because I was lost. Absolutely lost. You showed me how to set everything up, the easy way to do it, and even how to use AI to edit. It’s those little things I never would have known if I hadn’t been learning from someone who’s been podcasting for a long time.
Lyndsey
I've wanted to take action and now the podcast is set up. I have everything I need to schedule guests and to edit episodes even intro outro and the cover art.I just feel like it was a massive leap forward .
WHAT YOU GET:
The shortcuts to get Episode #1 published without figuring out your whole podcast first.
TEMPORARY PODCAST SETUP
Temporary podcast name, ready-to-use description + placeholders for the decisions that can wait. So you can get set up and keep moving. ($100 value)
STEP-BY-STEP RIVERSIDE INSTRUCTIONS
Follow along to record, edit, and publish Episode #1 even if you're using just your phone.
No figuring out the tech on your own.
($75 value)
EPISODE #1 OUTLINE
Your intro, questions to guide your solo episode, and outro are already mapped out. Follow the prompts, add your answers, and hit record. ($50 value)
TEMPORARY PODCAST COVER
Customize the Canva template, add your temporary podcast name, and move on.Because your first cover doesn't have to be your forever cover. ($25 value)
$250 TOTAL VALUE
YOUR EPISODE #1 SHORTCUTS JUST $55.00
FROM “CAN I DO THIS?” TO 20 EPISODES.
She told me she was “the least tech-savvy person.”
She was lost. She didn't know how to set everything up or what to do first.
And there was fear there too.
What will people think? What if nobody listens? Can I actually figure this out?
So instead of trying to figure out her whole podcast, she focused on one episode.
She followed the steps, learned the tech the simple way, and published Episode #1.
And once she had done it once? She kept going.
Another episode. Then another.
Now she has 20 episodes published.
She didn't need to know how to make 20 episodes when she started.
She just needed a clear path to the first one and the courage to try.
I’M READY TO START
HEY, I’M STEPH
Your Pod Savvy Guide and full-on PodNerd
Back in 2017, I told someone I wanted to start a podcast. Their response? “Who would listen to you? You aren’t a journalist.”
That comment stung. To be fair, the Serial podcast series was huge at the time, and I associated podcasting with journalists, too, but It made me question whether I had any business behind a mic.
But for whatever reason, my past self found the courage to start anyway. I’m so glad she did.
Today, I’m a Director of Podcasting and Digital Strategy, helping a company use podcasting as a major source of leads. I’ve produced 1,000+ episodes across 25+ podcast series and spent five years teaching and bringing podcasters together through the Utah Podcast Coalition, which I co-founded.
Through all of it, I keep coming back to the same thing: done is better than perfect.
That’s why I love finding AI tools, automation, and simpler workflows that help podcasters spend less time on admin and more time behind the mic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. You're not trying to build your forever podcast in 60 minutes.
You'll plug in your temporary podcast info, follow my outline to record Episode #1, simply edit it, and publish.
We're focusing on one goal: getting Episode #1 live on Spotify and Apple.
You’ll use simple tools you already have, your phone + computer
And I’ll show you how to use Riverside.fm Pro to:
- record your episode on your smartphone
- edit it quickly
- and host + publish your podcast
You can get started here:
https://riverside.cello.so/0XAAxzau60S
You’ll get 50% off your first 2 months
or $90 off the yearly plan with this affiliated link.
That’s okay , you don’t need it figured out to start.
This is where most people get stuck and never hit record.
You can choose a simple working name just to get your first episode live… and change it later.
Right now, the goal is to get something out there.
Once your episode is live, everything becomes easier including naming your podcast.
Nope! Pod 60 was made for complete beginners. You don’t need to know how to record, edit, or publish a podcast before you start.
I’ll walk you through it step by step, with templates and simple instructions so you can follow along as you make your first episode.
You’re not expected to know how to podcast yet — that’s what I’m here for.
You can record + edit using Riverside's free plan. To follow Pod 60 exactly and publish and hst your podcast through Riverside, you'll need the Pro plan.
I use Riverside because it keeps recording, editing, hosting + publishing in one place instead of making you learn multiple platforms.
READY TO STOP PLANNING AND START PODCASTING?
You don't need your whole podcast figured out. You need Episode #1. Grab the Pod 60 Shortcut and get your first episode published in about 60 minutes.
