Don't push pause!
+ new shows for your ear holes
Every year around this time, the podcast world takes a collective nap. Big shows go on hiatus. Indie hosts tell themselves they’ll “pick things back up in January.”
We are here for rest. All the rest! And yet, too often the holiday pause becomes a full stop for indie creators, especially women, queer creators, and creators of color.
Podcasting coach Adam Schaeuble of Podcasting Business School wrote a great newsletter this week about why year-end breaks can backfire.
✔️ A “break” can become a disappearance.
Once you step away, it can be brutally hard to get back into the groove, especially when you’re already juggling a job, caregiving, chronic stress, or the emotional weight of this hellscape we’re all living in.
✔️ January listeners catch up.
Your community uses the new year to binge the episodes they missed. If your feed is empty, connection can be lost.
✔️ Apple’s 5:15 Rule is real.
If a listener doesn’t play an episode within 15 days, Apple stops auto-downloading future episodes and stops sending push notifications. Your show gets lost.
→ We’re not here to deliver a “just hustle harder” narrative. We absolutely do not endorse creating through exhaustion.
There is a middle path…
Low-lift episodes. Tiny touches. Easy wins.
A 5-minute “holiday check-in.”
A replay of an old favorite with a new intro.
A casual voice memo sharing what’s nourishing you.
A simple update episode that takes you 10 minutes to record.
You’re still in the feed. You’re still present. But you’re not sacrificing your nervous system.
Batch if it helps. Repurpose if it saves you. But don’t ghost your audience if you have the capacity for a low-lift solution. You don’t owe the algorithm, but you and your community deserve connection.
As the year winds down, hold this truth close: You get to set the pace. You get to rest. And you get to stay in the room without burning out to do it.
Want support in remaining consistent and rested? Feminist Podcasters Collective is accepting new members who care about creating a more equitable and just world.
TIP: Make Money Podcasting 💰
Transistor.fm (our podcast hosting platform of choice) shares practical ideas for generating revenue from your podcast in its free How to Monetize Your Podcast: A Complete Guide.
🚨 Featured member show: Money Healing Club
The Money Healing Club Podcast is a place to talk about the things we don’t say when we talk about money. Rachel Duncan, a Certified Financial Therapist and Art Therapist, started the show in November 2024.
“I’m a verbal processor and audiophile, and I wanted to share about the world of financial therapy to a greater audience than just my clients,” she says. “It’s become an important creative outlet for me and a really satisfying way to collaborate with my guests and my team.”
Listen wherever you get podcasts, or find it here.
🎙️ New episodes for your playlist…
Your Numbers Don’t Lie: Why Knowing Your Money Is the Ultimate Power Move on Disrupt Your Money with Meg K. Wheeler
We Can Do Hard Things - 8 Women in Business Share Their Stories on Gratitude Geek with Kandas Rodarte
Limerence: When Obsession Masquerades as Love on PsyberSpace with Leslie Poston
Reconnecting with Your True Creative Voice with Britta Buchanan on Standout Creatives with Kevin Chung
Belonging vs. Individuality: A Wrinkle in Time Discussion on Sci-Fi Book Pod with Kandas Rodarte
Grief, Care, Accountability, and Beyoncé (Obviously) on Messy Liberation with Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown
The last word
Will you re-stack this newsletter to help us spread the word? We’re so grateful to you for reading and (hopefully) sharing. ❤️