📥 Grab the free 10-step launch guide 👉 https://tenstepstolaunch.depthandcandor.com/

----------

🔗 Mentioned in this video:
How to find your primary listener archetype → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrOEzla0OpY

Rasheed's full live interview → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37whyw7qmIQ

Rasheed's podcast, The Business Moves Blueprint → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/business-moves-blueprint/id1895291406

My full roadmap to starting a podcast this year → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ljTathnfBI

--------

Wondering how to make your podcast stand out when your topic already feels saturated? The topic was never the problem. Here's my 3-part framework for turning a crowded topic into a show only you could make, with Emerging Voices Accelerator member Rasheed as the example: his business growth podcast had people asking to work with him after just 4 episodes.

1️⃣ DECIDE WHAT THEY COME BACK FOR - picture one specific listener and the experience they want every time they press play.

2️⃣ MAKE THE SHOW RECOGNIZABLY YOURS - find your unique edge. Rasheed calls it the 70/30 split: 70% of the advice is the same everywhere, and people choose you for the other 30%.

3️⃣ TURN THE PROMISE INTO AN EPISODE FILTER - 3 questions to ask before you record, and why B-minus work beats waiting for perfect.

Also in this video: the 1-sentence test that sums up your whole show, plus my own answer to it.

Fill in your own 1-sentence test in the comments, I'd love to read it 👇

🙋🏾‍♀️ Who am I?

Hey, I'm Hiwote, but my friends call me Hiwi! 👋🏾

I'm a podcast producer, and I've worked on shows like Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel, This is Dating (featured in TIME Magazine as one of the best podcasts of 2022), and projects with The New York Times, TED, and more.
My goal? To help aspiring podcasters gain the creative clarity and confidence they need to create shows that are as unique as they are.

––––

Ready to start?
✅ Subscribe for weekly tips on how to create and grow a podcast that feels like you.
📥 Grab the free 10-step guide: https://tenstepstolaunch.depthandcandor.com/

📥 Grab the free 10-step launch guide 👉 https://tenstepstolaunch.depthandcandor.com/

----------

🔗 Mentioned in this video:
My full step-by-step guide to starting a podcast → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ljTathnfBI

Riverside, where I record my interviews (use code Hiwi for 30 days free) → https://affiliate.riverside.com/Hiwi

Descript (affiliate link) → https://get.descript.com/hiwotepodcasts

--------

Want your podcast guests to actually open up? Here's my full system for asking good podcast questions that bring out real stories, without sounding scripted.

1️⃣ EARN TRUST BEFORE YOU HIT RECORD - share the themes, ask what's off limits, and run a pre-interview instead of sending your question list.

2️⃣ MAKE YOUR QUESTIONS A MAP, NOT A LIST - start with the promise of the episode, plan 4 to 6 beats, and let the answers shape your follow-ups.

3️⃣ ASK FOR STORIES, NOT SUMMARIES - "take me back to the day..." gets you a scene, and scenes are what listeners remember.

4️⃣ LISTEN FOR 3 CLUES - a word with emotional weight, a missing piece in the story, and anything you don't understand.

5️⃣ MOVE ON WITHOUT KILLING THE FLOW - bridge from what your guest just said, or signpost that you're shifting gears.

Also in this video: calming your own nerves before an interview, and dropping the filler ("love that, so interesting").

Interviewing a guest soon? Tell me in the comments the question you're most nervous to ask 👇

🙋🏾‍♀️ Who am I?

Hey, I'm Hiwote, but my friends call me Hiwi! 👋🏾

I'm a podcast producer, and I've worked on shows like Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel, This is Dating (featured in TIME Magazine as one of the best podcasts of 2022), and projects with The New York Times, TED, and more.
My goal? To help aspiring podcasters gain the creative clarity and confidence they need to create shows that are as unique as they are.

––––

Ready to start?
✅ Subscribe for weekly tips on how to create and grow a podcast that feels like you.
📥 Grab the free 10-step guide: https://tenstepstolaunch.depthandcandor.com/

👩🏽‍💻 Apply for Emerging Voices Accelerator 👉 https://hiwote.typeform.com/to/RETSnMtR

📥 Grab the free 10-step launch guide 👉 https://tenstepstolaunch.depthandcandor.com/

Thank you to Riverside for sponsoring this video!

----------

🔗 Mentioned in this video:
My full guide to editing your episode in Riverside → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbMCPZVvvvc

Jenny's podcast, Dots and Dreams, and how she started it → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1pe6HEfxVI

🎙 My recording setup:
• Microphone: Shure MV7+
• Headphones: Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro
• Starter headphones: wired Apple EarPods
• Recording software: Riverside (start on the Pro plan)

--------

Want to interview a guest who isn't in the same room? Here's how to record a remote podcast interview from home, step by step, without a studio or expensive camera gear.

1️⃣ START WITH WHAT YOU HAVE - your laptop camera and mic are enough. Plug your mic in first, keep your questions close, and pick a quiet room with soft surfaces.

2️⃣ HEADPHONES FOR BOTH OF YOU - the non-negotiable that keeps your audio and your guest's on separate tracks.

3️⃣ CHECK YOUR DEVICES IN RIVERSIDE - camera, mic and headphones in the lobby, before you join the studio.

4️⃣ INVITE YOUR GUEST - send the link, and make sure they join as a guest or they won't be recorded.

5️⃣ TEST, RECORD, WAIT FOR THE UPLOAD - a short test recording, and what to wait for before anyone leaves the studio.

Also in this Riverside tutorial: which plan to start on, and how to export audio only.

Recording your first remote interview? Tell me in the comments who you'd love to have as a guest 👇

🙋🏾‍♀️ Who am I?

Hey, I'm Hiwote, but my friends call me Hiwi! 👋🏾

I'm a podcast producer, and I've worked on shows like Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel, This is Dating (featured in TIME Magazine as one of the best podcasts of 2022), and projects with The New York Times, TED, and more.
My goal? To help aspiring podcasters gain the creative clarity and confidence they need to create shows that are as unique as they are.

––––

Ready to start?
✅ Subscribe for weekly tips on how to create and grow a podcast that feels like you.
📥 Grab the free 10-step guide: https://tenstepstolaunch.depthandcandor.com/

🎧 Get 10% off ArrowZoom store-wide with code AZ-HIWOTE 👉 https://bit.ly/4z1TgXl
The acoustic foam panels in this video 👉 https://tinyurl.com/azfoam

👩🏽‍💻 Apply for Emerging Voices Accelerator 👉 https://hiwote.typeform.com/to/RETSnMtR

Thank you to ArrowZoom for sending me the panels! Follow  @Arrowzoom   for promos and updates.

----------

🔗 Mentioned in this video:
Phelipe Paraense, the photographer who helped me with my lighting → https://www.instagram.com/pheparaense/ 

Riverside, where I record (affiliate link) → https://riverside.sjv.io/o425vm

🎙 My studio setup:
• Microphone: Shure MV7+
• Camera: DJI Osmo Pocket 3
• Key light: Elgato Key Light
• Background light: HEKEE LED flood lights
• Acoustic panels: ArrowZoom
• Cable clips: OHill
• The beginner mic I compare it to: Blue Yeti Nano

--------

Only have a small room and a small budget? Here's my full podcast studio setup at home, built step by step in a tiny room.

1️⃣ FIND YOUR CAMERA ANGLE - test 2 or 3 positions and pick the one that works with your light.

2️⃣ FIX THE SOUND - rugs, curtains, blankets and a pouf first, then ArrowZoom acoustic panels to cut the echo.

3️⃣ BUILD THE BACKGROUND - one plant, and nothing growing out of your head.

4️⃣ SET THE LIGHTING - window light vs. the Elgato Key Light, a HEKEE background light, and the setup photographer Phelipe Paraense helped me land on.

5️⃣ PLACE THE EQUIPMENT - how close to keep a Shure MV7+ (or a Blue Yeti Nano), a camera that keeps your eyes on your audience, and tidy cables.

Also in this video: my ArrowZoom review and unboxing, plus the one test to run before you record.

Setting up your own small podcast studio? Tell me in the comments which part you're working on, the lighting or the sound 👇

🙋🏾‍♀️ Who am I?

Hey, I'm Hiwote, but my friends call me Hiwi! 👋🏾

I'm a podcast producer, and I've worked on shows like Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel, This is Dating (featured in TIME Magazine as one of the best podcasts of 2022), and projects with The New York Times, TED, and more.
My goal? To help aspiring podcasters gain the creative clarity and confidence they need to create shows that are as unique as they are.

––––

Ready to start?
✅ Subscribe for weekly tips on how to create and grow a podcast that feels like you.
📥 Grab the free 10-step guide: https://tenstepstolaunch.depthandcandor.com/

📥 Grab the free 10-step launch guide 👉 https://tenstepstolaunch.depthandcandor.com/

----------

🔗 Mentioned in this video:
Mel Robbins with Dr. Shadé Zahrai, the "outcome first" opening → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd80_EKVb1A

Mel Robbins with Dr. Tina Seelig, the "question first" opening → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvEsWpiT8WQ

--------

If the first 30 seconds of your episode don't hook someone, it doesn't matter how good the rest of it is. They've already gone.

I've been making podcasts for over a decade, and the intros that work aren't trying to sound clever. They do three things consistently. Here's the framework, built around one made-up episode:

1️⃣ FIND YOUR OPENING - the moment in your recording that makes someone say "wait, tell me more". Three ways in: Story First, Outcome First and Question First, with examples from Mel Robbins.

2️⃣ MAKE THE PROMISE SPECIFIC - finish the sentence "listen to this episode so you can…" If your answer is "learn about relationships", go deeper.

3️⃣ GIVE THE CONTEXT, THEN DELIVER - who your guest is, why you invited them, and a first question that starts answering what you just teased.

Plus the complete intro read start to finish, and why an intro sets an expectation exactly like a movie trailer.

What's the first line of your last episode? Tell me in the comments 👇

🙋🏾‍♀️ Who am I?

Hey, I'm Hiwote, but my friends call me Hiwi! 👋🏾

I'm a podcast producer, and I've worked on shows like Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel, This is Dating (featured in TIME Magazine as one of the best podcasts of 2022), and projects with The New York Times, TED, and more.
My goal? To help aspiring podcasters gain the creative clarity and confidence they need to create shows that are as unique as they are.

––––

Ready to start?
✅ Subscribe for weekly tips on how to create and grow a podcast that feels like you.
📥 Grab the free 10-step guide: https://tenstepstolaunch.depthandcandor.com/

📥 Grab the free 10-step guide 👉 https://tenstepstolaunch.depthandcandor.com/

----------

🔗 Mentioned in this video:
Finding your ideal listener: Don't Launch Your Podcast Until You Do This → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWopX7Li_Hs

Choosing your podcast topic: How to Validate Your Podcast Idea Before You Start → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W226-g5dlDc

Shannon's podcast, Highlight Your Healing → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/highlight-your-healing/id1845396615

--------

If you're trying to start a podcast, you're probably focused on the wrong thing: getting your first episode perfect.

My student Shannon started with five-minute solo episodes, recorded audio-only in her closet, while working full time and raising two young kids. Eight months later she reached 1,000 listeners - then landed her first sponsor. Here's her process:

1️⃣ PICK YOUR ONE LISTENER - her primary listener archetype decided the niche, the topics and the episodes before she recorded a thing.

2️⃣ MAKE A SHOW YOU CAN ACTUALLY FINISH - short, solo, audio-only, one 10-episode season. Simple enough to complete alongside a full-time life.

3️⃣ ASK YOUR LISTENERS THE RIGHT QUESTIONS - not "do you love the show?" but which episode stayed with them, where they wanted more, and the one thing they'd change.

Plus the three ways that feedback changed her podcast - longer episodes, a bigger idea of what grief can mean, and guest interviews - and why you make one change at a time.

Tell me in the comments: who is the one person your podcast is for? 👇

🙋🏾‍♀️ Who am I?

Hey, I'm Hiwote, but my friends call me Hiwi! 👋🏾

I'm a podcast producer, and I've worked on shows like Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel, This is Dating (featured in TIME Magazine as one of the best podcasts of 2022), and projects with The New York Times, TED, and more.
My goal? To help aspiring podcasters gain the creative clarity and confidence they need to create shows that are as unique as they are.

––––

Ready to start?
✅ Subscribe for weekly tips on how to create and grow a podcast that feels like you.
📥 Grab the free 10-step guide: https://tenstepstolaunch.depthandcandor.com/

📥 Grab the free 10-step guide 👉 https://tenstepstolaunch.depthandcandor.com/

👩🏽‍💻 Apply for Emerging Voices Accelerator 👉 https://hiwote.typeform.com/to/RETSnMtR

----------

I went to The Podcast Show in London - one of the biggest podcast conferences in the world - and asked the people who actually build shows for a living the questions I get from beginners every week.

Justin Jackson (founder of Transistor), Jeremy Enns (Podcast Marketing Academy), Jesse Baker and Eric Nuzum (executive producers on Esther Perel's Where Should We Begin). Here are the 5 takeaways I brought back:

1️⃣ IS THE IDEA WORTH MAKING? - Jesse's test isn't "will it succeed", it's "is it something you can't stop thinking about?" Then Eric's follow-up: keep getting more specific until nothing else like it exists.

2️⃣ DOES EVERY PODCAST NEED VIDEO? - the honest answer nobody gives you: there's no single correct way anymore. The real question is whether video makes YOUR show better and whether it's worth the extra work.

3️⃣ HOW DOES A NEW SHOW GET DISCOVERED? - Jeremy's distinction that reframed this for me: exposure gets you seen, attraction gets you chosen. Most people have an attraction problem and treat it like a traffic problem.

4️⃣ WHAT MAKES A SHOW WORTH EXPERIENCING? - I watched an AI podcast company get booed on stage. But the real threat isn't AI hosts. It's when the AI summary of your show is better than your show.

5️⃣ HOW DO YOU FIND A FORMAT? - a format is just a repeatable promise your audience recognises. You find it by making the thing, not by planning it for months.

Plus the story of how a small, imperfect show I made called Depth & Candor is exactly what got me hired.

Subscribe for weekly podcast production tips, and tell me in the comments which takeaway you needed most.

🙋🏾‍♀️ Who am I?

Hey, I'm Hiwote, but my friends call me Hiwi! 👋🏾

I'm a podcast producer, and I've worked on shows like Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel, This is Dating (featured in TIME Magazine as one of the best podcasts of 2022), and projects with The New York Times, TED, and more.
My goal? To help aspiring podcasters gain the creative clarity and confidence they need to create shows that are as unique as they are.

––––

Ready to start?
✅ Subscribe for weekly tips on how to create and grow a podcast that feels like you.
📥 Grab the free 10-step guide: https://tenstepstolaunch.depthandcandor.com/

Want to Stay Connected?
📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emergingvoicesstudio/

🔗 Mentioned in this episode:
Three Books podcast → https://open.spotify.com/show/6mahGgTDbirBM5IaPBZ8lS
Transistor (Justin Jackson) → https://transistor.fm/
Podcast Marketing Academy (Jeremy Enns) → https://podcastmarketingacademy.com/

📥 Grab the free 10-step guide 👉 https://tenstepstolaunch.depthandcandor.com/

The hardest part of making something isn't the idea. It's following through when nobody is making you do it and nobody would notice if you stopped.

I'm living that right now. This channel has a team and a system behind it - that isn't creative discipline. So I started posting on Instagram again, entirely on my own, and I'm relearning how hard consistency is when it's just you.

Here are the 3 things I keep reminding myself. I'm sharing them with you, but honestly I'm sharing them with me too:

1️⃣ DON'T TAKE IT TOO SERIOUSLY - the moment I decide it has to follow a strict rhythm, perfectionism creeps in and I start doubting the idea. Keep it loose. Pick a few natural themes, and let yourself post outside them. One question replaces every rule: is this useful to the person I'm hoping to connect with? (And useful is broad - entertainment counts, humour counts.)

2️⃣ KEEP YOUR TIMING REALISTIC - don't go from nothing to five times a week. My actual numbers: once a week and I've succeeded, twice and I'm proud, three times and I've outdone myself. Unrealistic timelines are just you scheduling your own failure - and then deciding you're not someone who follows through.

3️⃣ MAKE IT AS EASY AND FUN AS POSSIBLE - I could technically make better Reels editing on my computer. But lying on my couch editing on my phone is what keeps it fun, so that's what I do. The question isn't how do I make this perfect. It's what's the easiest, most fun version of this - because that's the one you'll actually keep doing.

If you're a podcaster, all 3 translate directly: your buckets, your floor, your easiest possible first episode. Consistency is what builds the confidence, not the other way around - you need a body of work before any of the bigger things become possible.

Subscribe for weekly podcast production tips, and tell me in the comments which of the three you need most right now.

🙋🏾‍♀️ Who am I?

Hey, I'm Hiwote, but my friends call me Hiwi! 👋🏾

I'm a podcast producer, and I've worked on shows like Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel, This is Dating (featured in TIME Magazine as one of the best podcasts of 2022), and projects with The New York Times, TED, and more.
My goal? To help aspiring podcasters gain the creative clarity and confidence they need to create shows that are as unique as they are.

––––

Ready to start?
✅ Subscribe for weekly tips on how to create and grow a podcast that feels like you.
📥 Grab the free 10-step guide: https://tenstepstolaunch.depthandcandor.com/

Want to Stay Connected?
📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emergingvoicesstudio/

📥 Grab the free 10-step guide 👉 https://tenstepstolaunch.depthandcandor.com/

After hundreds of one-on-one calls with aspiring podcasters, I keep hearing the same 3 patterns holding people back from actually starting the podcast they've been dreaming about for months (sometimes years).

This isn't a how-to. It's the honest, slightly uncomfortable stuff nobody says out loud — why "just one more course" is quietly keeping you stuck, why hiring a producer or joining a program can't do the work for you, and why treating your podcast as a business plan is usually the thing that makes you quit before it ever gets off the ground.

I share the story of Shannon from the Emerging Voices Accelerator (who's now launching her fourth season), the lesson I learned in therapy that applies to podcasting, and the truth about creators like Joe Budden and Call Her Daddy that most beginner podcasters don't want to hear.

Subscribe for weekly podcast production tips, and tell me in the comments — which of the three truths hit hardest for you?

🙋🏾‍♀️ Who am I?

Hey, I'm Hiwote, but my friends call me Hiwi! 👋🏾

I'm a podcast producer, and I've worked on shows like Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel, This is Dating (featured in TIME Magazine as one of the best podcasts of 2022), and projects with The New York Times, TED, and more.
My goal? To help aspiring podcasters gain the creative clarity and confidence they need to create shows that are as unique as they are.

––––

Ready to start?
✅ Subscribe for weekly tips on how to create and grow a podcast that feels like you.
📥 Grab the free 10-step guide: https://tenstepstolaunch.depthandcandor.com/

Want to Stay Connected?
📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emergingvoicesstudio/

👩🏽‍💻 Apply for Emerging Voices Accelerator 👉 https://hiwote.typeform.com/to/GRciL3o9

Struggling to find guests for your new show? Learn how to get podcast guests even before you launch with these proven pitching strategies.

Many beginner podcaster tips focus on huge celebrities, but the best approach for a new show is different. This video breaks down how to identify potential guests who are slightly ahead of you in their journey, making them more likely to say yes to a new host. You will learn the specific structure of a pitch that works for people building their own authority.

We also cover the importance of warming up your prospects before sending a cold email. By combining your lived experience with your professional work, you can create a compelling reason for others to join you. This podcast launch strategy helps you build a library of episodes before your official debut.

Subscribe for weekly podcasting breakdowns, and comment below with the biggest challenge you face when reaching out to guests.

––––

🙋🏾‍♀️ Who am I?

Hey, I'm Hiwote, but my friends call me Hiwi! 👋🏾

I'm a podcast producer, and I've worked on shows like Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel, This is Dating (featured in TIME Magazine as one of the best podcasts of 2022), and projects with The New York Times, TED, and more.
My goal? To help aspiring podcasters gain the creative clarity and confidence they need to create shows that are as unique as they are.

––––

Ready to start?
✅ Subscribe for weekly tips on how to create and grow a podcast that feels like you.
📥 Grab the free 10-step guide: https://tenstepstolaunch.depthandcandor.com/

Want to Stay Connected?
📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emergingvoicesstudio/

👩🏽‍💻 Apply for Emerging Voices Accelerator 👉 https://hiwote.typeform.com/to/GRciL3o9

📥 Grab the free 10-step guide 👉 https://tenstepstolaunch.depthandcandor.com/

Most new podcasters jump straight to stage three (Reddit posts, Facebook ads, Instagram clips) before they've earned stage one, and that's exactly why they stall at 30 listeners. The growth path that actually works for new podcasters starts with your inner circle (your first 20 listeners), builds through word-of-mouth and a Substack newsletter (20 to 100), and only then expands outward by guesting on adjacent-niche podcasts and naming episodes for Apple Podcasts and Spotify search (100 to 1,000).

I also share a real timeline from one of my Emerging Voices podcasters, Shannon, who hit 1,000 listeners in 8 months from zero — no email list, no platform, nothing. Plus the part most podcast growth videos skip: how to push through the rough patch where every new podcaster wants to quit.

Subscribe for weekly podcast production tips, and tell me in the comments — which stage are you stuck at right now?

🛠 TOOLS MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO:
• Substack (free newsletter platform): https://substack.com
• Riverside (recording + AI clipping tool): https://riverside.com/
• Apple Podcasts & Spotify

🙋🏾‍♀️ Who am I?

Hey, I'm Hiwote, but my friends call me Hiwi! 👋🏾

I'm a podcast producer, and I've worked on shows like Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel, This is Dating (featured in TIME Magazine as one of the best podcasts of 2022), and projects with The New York Times, TED, and more.
My goal? To help aspiring podcasters gain the creative clarity and confidence they need to create shows that are as unique as they are.

––––

Ready to start?
✅ Subscribe for weekly tips on how to create and grow a podcast that feels like you.
📥 Grab the free 10-step guide: https://tenstepstolaunch.depthandcandor.com/

Want to Stay Connected?
📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emergingvoicesstudio/

👉 Try Transistor for Free → https://transistor.fm/?via=hiwote

📥 Grab the free 10-step guide 👉 https://tenstepstolaunch.depthandcand...

📸 CAMERAS:
• iPhone 14 or above (records in 4K)
• DJI Osmo Pocket 3 (~$499 / $629 creator combo) — my main camera
• Sony ZV-E10 (~$800 with kit lens)

🎤 MICROPHONES:
• Blue Yeti Nano
• Audio-Technica AT2020 / ATR2100
• Shure MV7+what (I'm using now)

💡 LIGHTING:
• Elgato Key Light
• Ring light (Amazon or Best Buy)

👩🏽‍💻 RECORDING & EDITING
• Riverside — https://riverside.com/
• Transistor (podcast hosting): https://transistor.fm/?via=hiwote
• Descript (AI editing):  https://get.descript.com/hiwotepodcasts
• Handbrake — convert video format for podcast hosts
• Music: Epidemic Sound https://share.epidemicsound.com/4906m4
• Newsletter: Substack (free)

(Note: Some links above are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.)

How to start a video podcast as a beginner with not a huge budget. Learn the exact 2026 workflow to create a video podcast efficiently.

Many creators struggle with the transition from audio to video, but this guide simplifies the process. Whether you are using an iPhone or a dedicated camera setup, you will learn how to align your hardware with your production goals. This video breaks down the essential podcast equipment setup required to get started without overcomplicating your workflow.

We cover a step-by-step method to record without errors and ensure your publishing process is streamlined. If you want to create a podcast that looks professional while keeping your workload manageable, this strategy is designed for you. By focusing on efficient recording and publishing, you can maintain consistency and grow your audience effectively.

Subscribe for weekly podcast production tips, and comment below if you prefer audio-only or video-first content.

🙋🏾‍♀️ Who am I?

Hey, I'm Hiwote, but my friends call me Hiwi! 👋🏾

I'm a podcast producer, and I've worked on shows like Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel, This is Dating (featured in TIME Magazine as one of the best podcasts of 2022), and projects with The New York Times, TED, and more.
My goal? To help aspiring podcasters gain the creative clarity and confidence they need to create shows that are as unique as they are.

––––

Ready to start?
✅ Subscribe for weekly tips on how to create and grow a podcast that feels like you.
📥 Grab the free 10-step guide: https://tenstepstolaunch.depthandcand...

What you'll learn:

• Why sounding stiff when you start has nothing to do with talent
• What deliberate practice actually means (and why recording 20 episodes in a day doesn't count)
• The 5 specific things that make someone sound natural — and how to train each one

Key idea: What looks like talent is usually just reps you haven't seen. Your job is to coach yourself, not criticize yourself.

Apply to the Emerging Voices Accelerator here. 

In this episode, Hiwote breaks down every realistic path to podcast income in 2026, split into two parts: direct monetization (money from your podcast) and indirect monetization (money because of your podcast). The second part is where the most life-changing income actually happens.

What you'll learn:

• How sponsorships and ads actually work, and what the numbers really look like
• How memberships and affiliate marketing can create steady recurring income
• Why your podcast is one of the most powerful business tools you can own
• How podcasters are landing book deals, speaking gigs, and corporate clients
• The math that shows why selling your own product beats ads every time

📥 Download the free 10-step launch guide
🎙️ Apply to the Emerging Voices Accelerator

Mentioned in this episode:

• Patreon, Supercast, Apple Podcast Subscriptions (membership platforms)
• Kajabi (creator economy research)

In this episode, Hiwote walks you through exactly how to launch your podcast in 2026 - from finding your idea to hitting publish - without a expensive setup or quitting your day job.

What you'll learn:

• How to find the angle that only you can make
• The 3 P's of episode structure: Problem, Path, Payoff
• The beginner tech stack for 2026 (and what you can skip)
• How to edit like a listener, not a creator
• The simplest way to publish and distribute your show

📥 Download the free 10-step launch guide
🎙️ Apply to the Emerging Voices Accelerator

Tools mentioned in this episode:

• Mics: Blue Yeti Nano, Shure MV7+
• Recording & editing: Descript
• Publishing: Substack (free)
• Cover art: Canva, Claude
• Music: Epidemic Sound, Descript library