Have you wanted to start a podcast but thought it was too expensive? I felt the same way but launched The Wise Why podcast on a budget of just £250 and a glass of white wine for courage.

When I decided to launch The Wise Why podcast, I was eager to share stories of personal growth, business strategy, and wonky careers to inspire the audience to live their lives with purpose and passion.

I am fortunate to know how to be in the zone when speaking on camera; the OXLEP course I was on at the time was helping me to reconnect with my active listening skills, and I thought I was ready to go; I contacted Beth Kirk from Socially Oxford, and together we went live with the first episode on the 5th of November 2021,

Somewhere during the preparation time, I became aware the onus was on me to ensure my guest shone and that I did not take over the conversation, I started to hear my inner voice creep in, and my nerves started to rise. Facing my initial fear and taking long, deep breaths, I broke down each worry and started to own my presenter’s space.

I started with the office setup and the technology required to stream live. I was virtually Coaching On-Camera Confidence and Public Speaking from my home office.

I knew my office setup was good; the system I had designed was wire-free, I hated wearing earbuds or headphones, and I liked the freedom this gave me. I knew my lighting would be okay; there is a large window to the left of me, which floods my room with natural light, and I have a desk light where I can change the settings from warm to cool placed above my camera; I thought I was good to go.

Upgrading Technology

I did not want to invest a fortune in expensive technology in case the podcast was unsuccessful; I knew I wanted to create something that looked and sounded great; I was on a budget and knew I could update the technology later on. Researching the software, I settled on the free version of StreamYard. I like the simplicity, ease of use, and the way the audio synched. The web camera I purchased for virtual coaching sessions was capable of 1080P; it was good enough for live streaming.

As my office setup was wireless, I wanted to connect the ethernet cable to the router. A line was run along and across the landing under furniture to ensure I was hard-wired. | could not risk the wireless signal dropping out; I always recommend that you should be hardwired when streaming live.

Loving my audio conference system and hoping it would be good enough, I tested the audio with StreamYard; I was disappointed the audio sounded thin, and while it was an echo-canceling system, it was not good enough. Researching, I purchased the Blue Yeti with GAIN control for £99.

Continuing to play around with StreamYard, I decided to pay for the upgrade over the free plan; this offers more functionality, and I could see other ways to use the software in my business. I was under budget; I bought myself a new pink jumper that I still wear today on the show, taking the total to £250.

My work involves cutting and editing videos together; I had already paid for a lifetime subscription for Film Forth and Canva Pro, while I paid for both Film Forth and Canva Pro, both offer free option plans.

Using Film Forth, I cut short episode clips for promotion as reels on Instagram and Facebook, idea pins for Pinterest, and short videos on YouTube. Canva is one of the tools I use for creating my marketing content.

Since launching the podcast, I have been lucky and have not struggled with guests; people are willing to join me on the show. Each episode is unscripted and unrehearsed, and what you see live is the same as what you watch on catch-up. There is no additional editing, and the show is full of real people sharing real-life moments. There is something for everyone, and the conversations are empowering.

Learn more about my Consulting Content Marketing

Click to subscribe to my YouTube Channel