Should you podcast with a co-host or go solo?

Voice Over: 00:00:00

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Rachel Corbett: 00:00:10

Hello, welcome to the show. Today I've got a question from Deanna who has asked should I podcast with a co host or go solo? Good question.

It depends on what your content is and what would work best for your content. But let me say do not go with a co host to just because you think it's the easier option because I can guarantee you it ain't.

It is really hard work podcasting with a co host unless your co host is equally committed and equally into the workload and equally promoting and equally giving at the time in their life. And I have seen so many co hosted shows fall apart because they are all gung ho at the beginning. So excited. Of course you would be. It's exciting.

Exciting, right? Seems thrilling. Everybody wants to start a podcast. It's so exciting. It's couldn't, I can't imagine a time when this is going to get annoying.

Gets annoying real quick because it's work, it's not easy, it's not simple to do a podcast. If you're going to do one well and you want to build something, then you are going to have to turn up every single week and release content.

Now you might be batch recording that content. You don't need to be physically present recording every single week, but you need to have enough content to go out the door every week.

And that is not simple. And I've seen a lot of people jump in and they're really excited by it and then they get really exhausted by it really quickly.

So think about why you are going down the co hosting route.

If it is because you're too nervous to do a show on your own, practice and do it on your own because you will be much better off doing content by yourself. Fitting it into your life as you want to fit into, leaning into it as much as you personally want to lean into.

Because this is something that you are passionate about. When you are trying to bring someone, drag someone along for the ride. I can tell you right now it is tiring.

And I have watched shows disintegrate in the most glorious of fashions because people just stopped liking each other or they got peeved off that one person was not pulling their weight anymore.

And at the very worst that can end up being a very unsightly legal mess as you try and pull apart something that you've created that potentially you did not plan for the exit of. Because you thought in the beginning this is a total delight and we love working with each other.

This is always going to be easy and simple and fun and blah blah, blah. So. So I think it's probably worth thinking at the beginning if this does not work out, what is our exit strategy? Who owns the ip? Who gets what?

If I decide to leave? Are you allowed to still continue this show without me?

You know, all of those kind of things are best nutted out when you are in a good place than they are later on when things are going pear shaped and you are trying to deal with emotions and a business potentially and all of those kind of things. So those things can get very, very, very complicated.

And if this is the best path for your show, then it will arguably be worth those complications and you might be in a situation where nothing bad ever happens with your show and your co host and it is smooth, smooth sailing and an absolute delight from start to finish. And if that's the case, fantastic. That is not the exception to the rule.

You know, there are plenty of co hosted shows out there that are built on equal passion, equal interest, that are really great in all aspects and could only be that successful if they had those people on that show. But if you can do it by yourself and you actually think, you know what, I think this is what's right for the concept, but I'm just a bit scared.

Do not let yourself be scared. Practice. Get comfortable behind the mic. You don't have to go live with your first recording.

You can keep recording and recording and recording until you're like, okay, I've got something I'm happy with. And then you can share things after that point.

But it's just going to be so much easier for your life to do something on your own if that is actually the best path for you. Having said that, when you find the right co host, it is magic.

There are magic, magic things about doing a show with people that you really enjoy the company of. People come to a lot of podcasts for chemistry, for that relationship between people. That is what draws people in.

So if you have that with someone and you can maintain that with someone and you can work together on this project in a really cohesive way, then I would always opt to go down this route if this is what is gonna be best for your show, because when you get it right, it's fabulous. But I just do think a lot of people don't think about how this could ever go wrong.

And I've seen plenty of people Hit that sort of milestone and it all sort of goes pear shade. And then they're met with this situation of either they can't continue on with the show they've built because there's an IP ownership issue and.

Or they're not really. They're going to continue, but they're not really sure how to then reframe it with their audience.

And so that then takes some thinking about how do we do this in a manner that stays true to the people that have come to see us and is still giving them what they want, but then also is now following us down this kind of new path that we want to take. So all of those things are just really important to think about at the beginning.

I also think it's just easier to organize one person's calendar than it is to organize two, three. I mean, you wouldn't want to have many more than three people on your podcast.

But trying to fit in with lives, particularly as lives change all of a sudden, somebody might now no longer be single and have every Saturday night available to record, or they might have a baby. And now, oh my goodness, we can't get in the studio in these times anymore when you are just by yourself. Like, I'm sitting here while my kids asleep.

You know, I just get it done when I can get it done. And that works really well because I don't have to line up. If I had to line up anybody else for this show, it would not get made.

There is no way it would get made because I can only do the windows that I can do.

So I think thinking about all those things at the start will really help you get out of a pickle later on, which can happen and can make things unravel in a manner that's just like, this is not what I signed up for. So. So just be careful about that.

And then if you do go into a co hosted situation, if your goal is always to make your co host sound the best they possibly can, you can never fail. If you are conscious about bringing your 50 plus percent, you can never fail.

If both people or all people are like, I need to chip in as much as everybody else, then that is the kind of a relationship that really works. Resentment builds really fast.

If people do not pull their weight in a podcast, if one person is chipping in, turning up, doing the prep, coming up with the content ideas, you know, maybe even editing the show, doing all that stuff, if other people are not putting their hand up and saying, hey, you edit the show, why don't I do the Social media or, you know, you're prepping the show notes, why don't I do this? All of those kind of things.

You need to create a relationship between co hosts where everything is being equally shared, because on one person's shoulders, this is a lot, lot. But if there are other people there that are supposed to have it on their shoulders, resentment builds, are real, real quick.

So you want to make sure that you've had those discussions, that you're looking out for the opportunities and that you're also requesting what you need from your co hosts. Sometimes when I'm talking to people where the relationship has fallen apart, they haven't said anything.

They've expected that this person will show up, turn up, do the work, all of those things, but they haven't really wanted to broach it with them. And then it's gotten to the point where they're just like at their utter wit's end and they just want it to all be over.

And then the other person, the chemistry is not quite right because they kind of got the poops with each other and it's all sort of falling apart, you know, but really, a couple of awkward conversations could have gotten through the mucky bits. So communication is always going to be key, both inside and out of the studio.

You know, you want to make sure that you're talking a lot about the content that you're creating and what you're building. And then when you're in the studio communicating, what are we doing?

Making sure you're both prepped and understanding where you want to go with the recording that you're doing. Using hand signals when you're in the moment.

If you want to kind of seamlessly communicate in the studio in a way that doesn't make your records and things clunky. You know, a lot of people are like, on hand signals for babies. I'm like, no, they're not. They're for professionals. You don't need to land a plane.

You know, you'd be doing these ones like, yoo hoo.

Like, if you've got a good relationship with your co host, raising a pinky, you know, especially if you're like recording video, you can't be doing all the flappy arms and all this kind of bizzo. But sometimes just like raising a finger or something can be like, oh, I've got something now. I can talk here.

Can be really helpful when you're interviewing guests so that, you know, you've got like an equal balance between the two of you. I think the communication in all forms is just going to mean that you have a much better experience and your audience will pick up on that.

As I said, chemistry is something that people listen for. They love it, they get bored into it, they want to be part of your gang, but they can whiff when something's off in the chemistry.

You know, just like they've turned up to your barbecue and you know, these guys are fighting and I can tell, you know, so that sort of stuff, people don't want to turn up to listen to content they're using to escape from their lives and be like, oh really, I'm in the middle of somebody else's life drama. Like not my, you know, not what I turned up for. So think about all those things.

Ultimately this is a performance, but it's interesting because these relationships become a very deep friendship and then your relationship becomes a bit of a performance and then sometimes you can end up building an audience around something that you, you didn't anticipate and then you've got a business and now all of a sudden your business partners. So this relationship can get very complicated very quickly if you put in the time and effort to build this to something that you want it to be.

And so it's really important that you've thought about all of those things early on to just avoid some of the nightmares that I've seen roll out. It's just like, better you than me, guys.

I'm just over here on my own in my house doing this in the stolen moments of my life and that suits me just fine. But for you, co host situation might be great. Don't let me deter you from it. Just have a think about it.

You know, it's not all wine and roses forever and sometimes you just got to be mindful of that hope that's helped you to think about whether or not you should go down the co hosted route. And if you are scared of presenting myself, you'll get there. Believe me, you will get there. It does feel very, very weird.

I've got lights pointing in my face right now. I'm talking to a microphone, I'm looking at my phone. There is nobody here. It is me on my own. Is this natural? Not at all.

But will you get there to the point where it will feel kind of natural and you feel like you can do it? Yes, of course you will, of course you will.

So have the confidence to kind of get in there and do it yourself if you think that's the right path for you and if it's not, then just choose the right co. Host and make sure that you've had open, open communication from start to finish, because that'll really set you success.

Thanks so much for listening. If you've got a question that you want answered, please head to the description of the episode.

You'll also find all the ways you can work with me there and I'll see you on the next episode.

Voice Over: 00:11:58

That's all for today.