Monetize This! Where Podcasting Best Practices Come to Die

Why Podcast Advice Overcomplicates Everything with Julie Marty-Pearson

Podcasting advice loves certainty.Rules. Checklists. Launch plans. Guarantees.This episode is for the people who already know that most of that… doesn’t really matter.We hear from Julie Marty-Pearson, a podcast coach and host of multiple shows, about why podcasting has become overcomplicated, how guru culture sells confidence instead of interesting audio, and what happens when you stop treating your podcast like a funnel.They talk about:* The “launch” that never actually happens* Why checklists don’t make podcasts better* Breaking every rule and still finding an audience* The difference between podcasts as businesses and podcasts as joy* Why not everything needs to be optimized, monetized, or taken seriouslyThis isn’t an episode about how to podcast.It’s about why making the show might be enough.Guest: Julie Marty-PearsonWebsite: https://juliemartypearson.comPodcasts: The Story of My Pet, Podcast Your Story, Still Becoming Women UnmutedMonetize This! is a short, contrarian podcast about podcasting advice, guru culture, and the quiet relief of ignoring most of it.If this episode resonated, follow the show wherever you’re listening. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit monetizethispodcast.substack.com

We Love Your Podcast (Probably) with Chris Castanes

What if you’re not a guru…you’ve never taken a masterclass…and you’re still somehow surrounded by podcast advice culture?In this episode, we talk with Chris Castanes, host of You Are Gonna Be Great at This — a proudly demotivational business podcast with a six-minute attention span and zero interest in “the Top 10.”Chris isn’t selling a course. He’s not optimizing funnels. He’s just making a podcast he enjoys — and somehow still attracting AI-generated emails, ranking promises, and merch-for-reviews tactics.This is a field report from the civilian zone:* Why podcasting advice keeps finding people who didn’t ask for it* How five-star reviews became a barter economy* What happens when the bar is so low that “not terrible” feels revolutionary* And why enjoying what you’re doing might be the most suspicious move of allNo tips. No growth hacks. No motivation.Just observational comedy from inside the podcast industrial complex.About the GuestChris Castanes hosts You Are Gonna Be Great at This, a short-form, completely demotivational business podcast for people who want tools—not hype. Episodes are intentionally brief, mildly cynical, and allergic to hustle culture.Links & Resources* You Are Gonna Be Great at This podcast* Chris Castanes* Monetize This!An email to monetizethispodcast@gmail.com might or might not get you a t-shirt. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit monetizethispodcast.substack.com

The Gatekeeping Problem in Podcasting (with Dave Campbell)

Who gets to be a podcaster — and who quietly gets told they don’t belong?In this episode of Monetize This!, David talks with Dave Campbell, a Canadian podcaster behind nine shows and the creator of The How to Podcast Series, about the growing gap between podcasting as a creative medium and podcasting as a gated, guru-driven industry.They dig into how “best practices” turn into gatekeeping, why monetization is treated as a credibility test, and how most podcasters are being excluded by advice that assumes everyone wants the same goals.This is a conversation for hobbyists, indie creators, and anyone who’s ever felt pressure to optimize, scale, or quit.Notable Idea“Stay small enough, long enough, and you’ll be big enough soon enough.”About the GuestDave Campbell is a Canadian podcaster and producer behind nine shows, including The How to Podcast Series. His work focuses on pushing back against rigid podcasting advice, highlighting diverse creator paths, and keeping podcasting open, accessible, and human.About the ShowMonetize This! is a lighthearted, contrarian podcast that pokes fun at podcasting gurus, advice culture, and the pressure to optimize everything. It’s a space for creators who want permission to make the show they actually want to make. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit monetizethispodcast.substack.com

We Roast Podnews. They Deserve Better.

We were recently listed in Podnews—the calm, global, highly respected podcast industry newsletter read by people who seem to have their lives together. Naturally, the only responsible response was to immediately turn around and bite the hand that listed us.In this episode, we roast Podnews, podcast industry news, and the strange ecosystem of press releases, “industry insights,” watershed years, and inevitable platform predictions that surround podcasting.This is a roast, a thank-you note, and a sincere acknowledgment of the Herculean task of making sense of an industry where everyone is talking at once.Get in TouchHave a take, a roast-worthy idea, or a strongly worded press release you think we should read so you don’t have to?* Substack: monetizethispodcast.substack.com* Email: monetizethispodcast@gmail.comWe read everything. We don’t promise to agree. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit monetizethispodcast.substack.com

RSS Equals Freedom (with Jennifer Navarrete)

Podcasting advice is loud, confident, and everywhere.Most of it insists there’s a right way to do things — and if you’re not doing that, you’re falling behind.In this episode of Monetize This!, I’m joined by podcasting pioneer Jennifer Navarrete to talk about why that pressure is unnecessary, unhelpful, and often wrong.We talk about podcast gurus, “best practices,” creator overwhelm, and why so many podcasters don’t need more advice — they need permission.Jennifer has been producing audio since the early days of podcasting and brings a grounded, long-view perspective that cuts through the hype. Along the way, we question the obsession with video, the worship of metrics, and the idea that perfection is the goal.This episode isn’t a playbook.It’s a permission slip.Make the show you want. Or don’t.Either way, you’re probably doing it right.GuestJennifer NavarretePodcasting pioneer, community builder, and founder of #NAPODPOMO.Jennifer has been producing audio for nearly two decades and is a vocal advocate for indie creators, open RSS, and making podcasting work for humans — not platforms.About the ShowMonetize This! is a lighthearted, contrarian podcast that pokes fun at podcasting gurus, best practices, and advice culture.If it’s overhyped, oversold, or overcomplicated — we’re probably talking about it.Get In TouchHave a favorite podcast “must,” framework, or guru rule you’d like us to lovingly dismantle?* Substack: monetizethispodcast.substack.com* Email: monetizethispodcast@gmail.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit monetizethispodcast.substack.com