Context

Vanessa is a friend, business mentor, brilliantly organized, and a Youtuber approaching 1M subs. Her biggest professional highlight, to me, is when in early 2023 she flushed her uber-successful mastermind and biz courses down the toilet at a time where they were scorching hot.

She then disappeared for a year from much of what helped her achieve the notoriety and millions she’s made - social media.

And after a year she came back different. Like really freaking different. Yes she got to creating - but at a pace that she dictated. So Vanessa didn’t get her groove BACK, she a got a NEW groove and it’s winning.

Content is better.

Smiles are better.

She’s getting married.

She’s launched a Milk tea business, SUPERBOBA.

The proverbial house is in order, or at least much tidier.

So in my mind, I’m like “get this story out there on podcasts.” But anytime I’ve presented her with a podcast guesting opportunity, she’d contemplate it (I think she already knew what she was gonna do), and then pass.

Why? Does not compute.

The Hidden Cost of a Podcast Interview

Now, for most people, a podcast guest spot seems easy. You show up, talk for an hour, and move on. But for Vanessa? It ain’t that simple, or fun.

She told me that while she wants to do more podcasts, but they take up a ton of her mental and emotional energy. No, it’s not just the time commitment—but that same energy draining feelings linger around afterwards for a hot minute. In reality, single podcast can derail her for days.

And that’s when it hit me.

I KNOW this is something a lot of creators feel but don’t talk about because I’ve embarrassingly done what podcast hosts hate more than anything; cancel my guest spot on the same day.

Vanessa said it was like having a random meeting at 3 PM and the entire day is wasted leading up to it. Even if the interview is casual, her brain fixates on it. Yeah, so of course she’s beat after.

That level of emotional intensity, even if it inadvertent, makes podcasting feel like a burden, not an opportunity. And let’s be real—if you’re an entrepreneur juggling a business or multiple businesses, you can’t afford to have a podcast wreck your workflow for an entire week. We do that with NO help all the time!

So let’s break this down. Why does this happen?

1. Pressure to Perform

Vanessa put it perfectly:

“It does insight some pressure because I know the conversation is more for the audience, and I put pressure to make sure I have some solid things to say so people don’t think it was a waste of time, or that maybe I don’t know what I’m talking about.”

I’m no shrink but this is dripping with people pleasing pressure. (That’s a lot of Ps)

This is a huge reason why podcasting can feel draining.

When you’re speaking to an audience you don’t fully know, you feel an obligation to deliver. To be insightful. To make sure people walk away thinking, that was valuable.

And that pressure? It builds up like your stomach after chancing it with Taco Bell. So this simple 60-minute conversation into a week-long mental marathon and bubble guts.

2. The Lack of Control

I know her. I know me. I know people like us. Sometimes control eliminates the need to think, but actually results in us showing up either watered down or inauthentic.

Unlike YouTube videos, newsletters, or social posts—where you can refine and control the final product—podcast guest spots can be unpredictable. You don’t get a redo. You don’t know where the conversation will go, if the host knows their sh*t, etc.

“YES, the lack of control is definitely scary, especially if I don’t know the intention of the host.” she said in a voice note.

3. One Bad Experience Can Mess With Your Head

I kind of helped Vanessa tied her hesitation back to a past experience where a mentor of hers (and inexperienced podcast host) had her on only to humiliate her by cutting it short.

Bad hosts are a real thing, but when you look up to them and they look down on you - it’s gonna F you up.

“Before that, I would just go on podcasts and not think much of it. And suddenly now it’s a huge source of anxiety for me.”

Podcasting now can feel risky. Insanity! I hate this for people.

But that’s the thing about bad experiences. Even if they’re isolated, they create a mental block that’s hard to shake. That’s why when you got to a new barber or stylist you imagine them annihilating your hair, not giving you the freshest cut ever.

How to Make Podcasting Feel Lighter 

So what do you do if you want to do more podcasts but feel drained by them? Here are a few strategies I shared with Vanessa that might help you too:

1. Reframe It: Use Podcasts to Serve Your Bigger Goal

Vanessa is all in on SUPERBOBA. And ironically, that’s exactly why podcasts should be part of her strategy.

Podcasts allow her to tell the bigger story—how she went from being a creator to reinventing herself in a new industry. People who followed her YouTube and Instagram journey want to see what she’s doing now. I know I did. Podcasts are a natural, and easy way to share that story.

If you struggle with energy around podcasting, ask yourself: How does this align with my bigger mission? If you see it as just another thing to do, it’ll feel heavy. If you see it as a waving a flag for something exciting you’re already doing, it’ll feel chill.

2. Batch with “Podcast Tour”

Vanessa mentioned:

“I know some people do podcast tours, and they just do one after the other while they still have momentum.”

This is smart. Really freaking smart.

Instead of randomly sprinkling podcast interviews throughout your schedule, block off a dedicated week or two a quarter or half year and knock them out! That way, you stay in the zone, and each interview doesn’t feel like an avalanche - it feels like gliding down a mountain on a snowboarding with your airpods playing your Best of 2024 playlist.

3. Try a “No-Prep” Policy

One of Vanessa’s biggest energy drains was the buildup to each interview. She felt like she needed to mentally prepare for weeks.

But what if she flipped the script?

What if she told the host: “Hey, I want to do this, but I don’t want to prep at all. I just want to show up as myself and let it flow.”

Some of the best interviews happen when there’s zero overthinking.

In reality from my years of experience in this game, that’s what the host WANTS anyway. They chose you BECAUSE you’re an expert.

So try and stop convincing yourself that you need to convince people that you’re an expert.

4. Remember: You Don’t Have to Do Podcasts

This might sound weird coming from me—the podcast dude—but it’s true.

You don’t have to do anything that drains you.

If you genuinely don’t enjoy podcasting, that’s cool. The key is recognizing whether it’s something you truly dislike or something you fear because of past experiences.

And if it’s fear? You can work that out with a friend or someone like me. I’ll talk you off the ledge you should’ve never been on in the first place.

Because the other side has some good stuff.

A bigger audience. A bigger impact. And a lot of good conversations.