#028 – How To Use A Podcast To Build Your Brand with Katie Dalebout
Katie Dalebout is an author, podcaster, and what I like to call a professional curator. She’s the author of her book, Let It Out, has an awesome podcast called, Let It Out and is someone who I’m lucky enough to call a personal friend. She’s such a good example of someone who is tackling entrepreneurship in her own, unique, creative way, taking it at her own pace, and doing what feels right for her above all else. If you’ve been struggling with having a full-time job while juggling growing your brand and business, you’re gonna love this one.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
– How to juggle entrepreneurship with a full-time job
– Revenue streams in the podcast world
– How to grow your audience using podcasting
– How to start a passion project that enhances your career
– Reflections on Katie’s first online course
– & so much more
Resources:
- Let [ a podcast ] Out, Katie’s comprehensive workshop for anyone looking to host, produce, and launch a podcast of their own
- Let It Out Book, Katie Dalebout
- Let It Out Podcast, Katie Dalebout
- Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, Elizabeth Gilbert
- Stargirl, Jerry Spinelli
Follow Katie:
Instagram: @katiedalebout
Website: katiedalebout.com
Spark a conversation! Leave a comment below or say hello @alexbeadonon Instagram.
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Transcript Available Below
Alex Beadon 0:00
You’re listening to Episode 28 of on purpose with Alex Beadon with author Katie Dalebout creator of the online course launch pod, the queen of wellness journaling, and podcasting. This episode is called How to Juggle entrepreneurship with a full time job. This is on purpose. Do you ever feel like you’re trying to balance it all, nourishing your health while growing your business and living a life well lived. And no matter how hard you try, sometimes you slip from purpose driven into autopilot. Take a deep breath, relax. And let’s get you back to where you belong. On purpose.
Katie Dalebout is an author podcaster and what I like to call a professional curator, she’s the author of her book, let it out. She has an awesome podcast called let it out. And she is someone who I’m lucky enough to call a personal friend. She’s such a good example of someone who is tackling entrepreneurship in her own unique creative way, taking it at her own pace, and doing what feels right for her above all else. If you’ve been struggling with having a full time job while growing your brand and business, you are going to love this one. Enjoy. Katie Dale bout, thank you so much for joining me today on the podcast. I’m so happy that you’re here.
Katie Dalebout 1:33
I’m so happy to be here. I love you. And I’m just so happy that I get to catch up with you and talk to you. Okay, I
Alex Beadon 1:39
feel like we’ve come full circle from like, it must be at least five years ago when I was on your podcast for the first time. Yeah. And
Katie Dalebout 1:46
that was the first time we ever spoke, I think. And then we hung out in person soon after that in Tampa when you’re living there, which was a blast. And then with cutting out in New York, and we’ve been friends on the internet ever since. Yes,
Alex Beadon 2:00
I love it. Okay, so before we dive into our conversation, which I know that we’re going to be very good at the question that I asked everyone at the beginning is what do you find most nourishing about having your own business?
Katie Dalebout 2:14
So many things, but honestly, I think this like meeting people on the internet, which you know, five years ago was kind of like something we said and laughed about. And now I feel like everyone I know you and most people I know, it’s not a silly weird thing anymore. And it’s like the norm that way I’ve made friends on the internet. And, you know, I look at my podcast, especially I look at podcasting in general is the new networking. It’s a way to meet people through the guests that I have on my podcast that I would have never gotten to have a conversation with before either, you know, geographically, we didn’t live in the same place at the time, or we don’t still, or you know that we’re at different levels in our careers. Or, you know, it gave just because I had the microphone and pointing but just because I had the microphone between us, I was able to talk to people I never would have gotten to speak to. And that’s something that I definitely am really grateful for having a business which you know, mine really is, is my podcast, it’s centered around that. And not just the guest the people that I’ve gotten to meet on the internet through the listeners of the podcast, they’re just friends that I haven’t met yet that know me and I just have to get to know them. So that’s opened up so many doors for me, it’s helped me, you know, know myself better. It’s helped me in in so many ways that I’m in some that I’m sure I’m not even aware of.
Alex Beadon 3:38
I would love for you to share with everyone because I already know the story. But yeah, I’d love for you to share with everyone, your journey of really coming into this space and deciding that like you wanted to have your own business. You wanted to have your own podcast, like what came first tell us about your story.
Katie Dalebout 3:54
Yeah, it’s funny yesterday, I just was doing somebody else’s podcast and they’re like, What was your journey to entrepreneurship? And I was like, pardon what? Like, I never set out to be an entrepreneur. I never thought that I never even really knew anyone who was I didn’t have any models or expanders in, in that. So I didn’t know that that was even an option in general, much less for me. And when I was growing up, I really loved being seen. I wanted to, you know, the question they asked yesterday was, what do you want to be when you grew up? And how did you become an entrepreneur and what I used to say as a kid is I wanted to be a cheerleader. And I don’t know where I got that and I never really was one but I would say I want to be a cheerleader and then after an adult would be like well that’s on a job What do you really want to be and so I’d be like all right, I even had to fall back then I was like well you know, I’m gonna work at Michigan National Bank just like my mom because that was like all I knew was like all the careers that you could do is like have a full time job with benefits and so even back then as my like when I was a kid out I really want to do is be a cheerleader. But that was like not possible. So I had this bout on the table not Yeah. So then when I got older, it was kind of the same thing. You know, when I was in middle school, I did all the plays when I was in high school, I did musical theater. And so I really wanted to be an actress. But I never even said that out loud to anyone, or even was self aware enough to realize that that was something I wanted to do. And so when I got to college, I completely stopped doing that. And I was like, I’ll be a broadcast journalist I’ll be I wanted to be a TV news reporter. And so I was like that something that will hit a lot of the same notes as acting, it’s a way to be seen, but it’s a safer way. It’s a way to have a job. It’s something that like, my parents can get behind. It just felt safer. And it felt like I could study it. And I could be that what I realized is that’s really not the case. It’s super competitive. You have to work your way up. And so I did I studied broadcast journalism. And then weirdly, I, a lot of the prereqs for TV news were radio classes. So we were listening to a lot of NPR, were listening to Terry Gross, who I think is like the best and definitely is the best interviewer of our time, I was listening to a lot of these things, but I was kind of like, I just want to get to the TV. But what happened was I loved the format of audio. But at the time, podcasting didn’t really exist definitely didn’t exist in the phenomenon that it is now and really wasn’t in my direct awareness at all. So cut through a few. A few years later, after college, I during college, I started a blog and I was very into wellness at the time from a physical perspective. So I had this blog was called the wellness Wonderland. And it grew it started to you know, get some traction. And eventually, the year I was out of college I was you know, working a full time job on the side. It was teaching yoga, I was kind of doing a bunch of things, but all of my notes weren’t being hit creatively. But I was listening to a lot of podcasts because I was living alone a studio apartment I didn’t have I was gonna say it in a minute. I definitely had no I didn’t have a TV.
Friends, you know, I was living in Detroit, I wasn’t super happy. But podcasts were my friends podcast started to comfort me and this is the pre cereal, you know, pre before a lot of people knew what podcasts were. And I eventually it was kind of like I could do that. And my boyfriend at the time, who built my website and kind of helped me with all the technology side of things, which was so great, because I shut down with all that. And I’ll just be like, well, I can’t do it. Because I don’t know how. And I ended up you know, starting this podcast, which was kind of an offshoot at the time of this blog, the wellness Wonderland, it was the wellness Wonderland radio, but that was 2013, early 2013. Again, I was in I was kind of the first wellness see podcast that was independent and hosted by, you know, someone my age and a female. And so I got some of these. I’m really grateful for the people who said yes, at the beginning, but I just sort of stumbled into it. And eventually, like, I’m going through this sort of fast and you can pick up on things because I know, you know, the stories are like, you know, part of it, you’re one of my first guests, but I eventually got a book deal. And then my book came out and I eventually, you know, things started to snowball from there and to a place that, you know, I never could have even imagined. So I totally fell into to having a business. I was like, Oh, I guess I need to make an LLC now. And I guess I’m making money with this. Now it just, it was never really something I set out to do, which I think is why you know it became successful was because I was not I was unattached to, you know, forcing anything I really allowed things to happen. And I think because I remember vividly finding you online for the first time, and I think I messaged you. And I was like, Oh my gosh, like I’m just struck by your content. Like I just think you’re amazing. Yeah, I remember that too. Yeah. And I think what is so special, I mean, now it’s different, because you have an audience, and you’re much, much bigger now. But at the time, you didn’t have such a big audience, you know, and what was so wonderful and special to me witnessing you is that, you know, you were in your element, you were enjoying it, you were passionate about it, regardless of like, how many people were watching it. And I think that is something that unfortunately, due to the fact that like, there are so many people doing it now we do have the people out there who are just doing it because you know, they want more followers or they want this or they want that or whatever. Whereas looking at you like you always had this purity to the desire to share and put yourself out there and spread the message and like interviewed these people. And that was always so obvious to me. And so I’m curious, you know, because I know there’s people listening to this, we’re like, Okay, now it’s different. Now when you create content, you’re competing with all of these people. So it’s different being new them than it is being new now. Fair enough. But what would you say to people who are just starting out, and you know, they find themselves getting discouraged by the numbers or they don’t feel like they’re growing as fast as they want to grow? What would you say to those people? Yeah, I mean, I first of all,
A couple of things. I mean, okay, yes, I was an early adopter of podcasting. But that’s it. Like I wasn’t an early adopter. Yeah, adopter. That’s the word. Yeah. I wasn’t with blogging, I wasn’t with Instagram, I wasn’t with a lot of these other things. If anything, I came to blogging at like, the worst time, you know, it was kind of in blogging was over, but I just was, I just was sharing because I, it was a way for me to organize and talk about things that I love talking about with, with people who weren’t people who didn’t care, you know. And I think when it stops being for you, and it stops being fun, that’s when you should do something else, you know, like it doesn’t, that needs to be reflected in the work. And that’s what people are attracted to, like, that’s why you were like, oh, I want to check out more what this person is doing. Because you could tell it was genuine. And you could tell I actually enjoyed it. I think what what turns me off to people on the internet that are just, you know, not for me is when I can tell that it’s for a purpose other than their own happiness, like, there’s this great David Bowie quote, where he talks about how, when he stopped doing work for himself that he was really excited about and passionate about, and started to do it for an audience, that’s when and he’s made so much work, that’s when he made work that he wasn’t as proud of what is much better than that. But that’s essentially the gist. And I heard that and I related to that so much, because I have made choices on the podcast and my work. And that have been, you know, purely marketing choices, you know, I have done that. But I’ve also found a spin on it to make it me and to make it feel really great. And to make it valuable still, you know, and what I mean by that, like, I’ll be specific, like I’ve had people on the podcast of all different levels in their careers of different aspects of work, you know, the, the podcast isn’t just about wellness anymore. And I forgot to mention this before, but I changed the name of the podcast in 2016, when my book came out to let it out, and all of my work now is under that and I’m actually going through a rebrand again, but it’s it’s all let it out. And I realized that wellness isn’t just you know about the physical body wellness is something that incorporates your career and creativity and relationships. And, you know, I like Rangers as much as the next guy, but it’s not life isn’t about that, right. And so that’s what’s really been great about my podcast is it’s a really diverse group of people. But I have people on, in within that have all different levels in their career. And that means that you know, some people when they share it with their audience brings more eyes to the pot, more ears to the podcast, which I’m which I’m really grateful for, but I don’t exclusively have people at a certain level. So it grows quicker, you know, I have people at all different levels. So the conversation is great. And when I do have someone who’s, you know, has a big following. It’s not because they have a big following, like maybe it’s a marketing choice of like, yes, I want to have that person on. I’m they’re not maybe my number one person, but I know the conversation is going to be good. And I know I can move it into a direction of what I want to talk about. And I think that that’s okay. It’s about like, making it fun for you however, you can in a knock getting like, I don’t pay attention to the numbers like I don’t I don’t I don’t even have my my Instagram on like the business thing. Like the whatever that is like I don’t look at the numbers. I don’t and this probably you would probably like have helped for me that how I could grow more. But like I I don’t look at I don’t look at any of it. Like I only downloads when the sponsors make me to tell them like I’m not refreshing it all the time. Because I’ve done that before. And every time I do it’s like, you know, it just makes me sad and good. Yeah, yeah. And then when I don’t, it starts to grow. And I’m like, Oh, my God, when did that? Oh, my God, no way you’re not attached to
Alex Beadon 14:07
it. Yeah. So I’m so fascinated by this mix between like, not obsessing over the numbers. And then also like, you know, documenting the numbers and being aware of it, because you can make intelligent decisions from the number. I think it’s such an interesting relationship. And I think it really comes down to each individual. Like I’ve interviewed so many people at this point. And I never realized how different everyone is when it comes to this. Like some people are like, live and die by the numbers. And some people are like, I don’t really care what the numbers are. I just kind of go with my intuition. Like whatever ends up happening ends up happening. So I love that you share that with us. And I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer. I think like you just do it the way you do it. And if it works for you, that’s all that really matters. So before you kind of touched on your community and you were saying how you know you you love The guest, but you’ve also really loved building and growing this community that you have over the last few years. So I’d love for you to talk to us about, you know, what was the journey of growing that community? Was it something that you were super intentional about? Did you have a vision for it? What’s it been like, as someone who’s kind of, you know, just been stepping more and more and more into this position of a leader under this topic.
Katie Dalebout 15:25
That’s so funny. I wish I had a vision for it. I think at the time, you know, when I started this alone in my apartment in 2013, it was honestly, I would just be grateful if someone who wasn’t someone I directly knew found the podcast. Like, that was it, I didn’t care if they were, you know, totally out of it. There was no demographic, there was no avatar, there was no ideal consumer, like it was just, I’m going to do this because I think it’s fun. And if by some miracle, someone listens to it, you know, your main
Alex Beadon 15:59
thing, like, I’m just gonna be, I’m just going to have conversations that I’m really interested in, and like, whoever wants to listen is gonna listen.
Katie Dalebout 16:06
Yeah, honestly, Alex, it was a way for me to get an hour of time with someone who I wanted to talk to, right. So I really used it as personal networking. You know, I use it. I want to talk to this, you know, yoga teacher who has written four books, and I want to be a yoga teacher that writes for books, and I’m not going to just like ask her to coffee. But if I make a conversation with her and tell her I’ll share it with my very small following, maybe she’ll say yes. And a lot of people were really generous to me. So it was me being able to ask questions that I was genuinely curious about, to people who I admired. And I was fans of their work. So if it was someone who I had, you know, read their book, and it was meaningful to me, I’d watch their movies. And this is still what it is, largely, it’s, whenever I read the book, I love I try to get that author on whenever I, you know, go to a show, and I see an actor, like I tried to get that person on, it’s whatever I’m moved by. And I want to have a conversation with and curate and like, bring to my audience like, that’s what I have. Now. That’s still the way I do it. But back then, yeah, back then it was really just a way for me to get in front, like, get time with these people, which sounds so self serving, but I think and that oh, that’s what I that’s what’s in the David Bowie quote. He’s actually says like, the make the work self serving, be selfish when you’re with your work. Because when you’re not selfish with it, when you’re not doing it for you, people can sense that it’s like, you know, this is kind of a played thing now, but I’m sure you know, this, Alex, and I’m sure you’ve said this before. But it’s like you can’t be everything to everybody. So you might as well, being really specific people end up relating to it more like casting a super wide net. And, you know, being like this is going to be for everyone, like no one really relates to it, I find the more specific I am, the more and the more real I am, the more people relate to it. So I think that’s why I ended up being relatable at the beginning. And people ended up finding it was because yeah, because the guest shared and then some of those people stuck around, but also just because I was relatable. And I was just, I was just doing this for myself. And then as far as the community though, it just kind of became what it became. And moving to New York, I’ve been doing a lot of live events. I’ve been doing live podcasts and meetups and the community is super cool. I’m honestly like, every time I meet someone who listens to the podcast, or I see a screenshot that they post, I’m just like, oh my god, you’re so cool. Like, I just want to meet them and be their friend. And I’m just, I’m really I’m really happy with get the community. I wish I could say that it was contrived. And I had like a master plan of how it happened. And, and who the you know, the it’s, it’s largely, and I hope that this grows, and I hope it diversifies but it’s largely, you know, young women who look like me and are similar to me and relate to me who are the community and that’s fine. And, and, but it also surprises me sometimes sometimes it’s people who are much older than me, who resonate with it. And I hope that it becomes people who are much younger than me as I as I age as I grow up. So, you know, it’s really nice to have this time capsule of myself on the internet, through these over 200 episodes that I’ve recorded.
Alex Beadon 19:19
It’s crazy that you’ve done more than 200 That is so yeah, we’re coming up on like a new thing. And I love the fact that you’ve created this podcast, really just from your heart from your soul, you’re just like, here’s the thing that I’ve put together, like take it or leave it. And what I want everyone listening to keep in mind is that you don’t always have to have this grand plan. Like you don’t need to have every single thing figured out. You don’t need to know like how the community is going to build or whatever. Like sometimes it’s just enough to show up and do the work. Put it out there and I love that about you. I think you’re such a great example of that.
Katie Dalebout 19:58
Thanks and I mean, I think I will They that it’s not. It’s not for everyone to be the way I am like some people need to be more directed. And like, these are my goals. And this is what I need from this. I’m someone who I’m very disciplined. So for the last five years since 2013, every single Wednesday, which is crazy, I’ve taken like, I’ve taken two breaks where I’ve been offered three weeks, for between seasons, but other than that, every single Wednesday, a new podcast episode comes out, and I do the show notes every Tuesday night, even when I procrastinate them. And it’s like, for so long, like, I didn’t have a boss telling me I had to do that I didn’t have for a really, until fairly recently, like in the last year, well, a little bit over a year, I didn’t have sponsors. So monetarily, I wasn’t, you know, tied to anything. And I didn’t even have it like now, you know, I have two people who work with me. And I wasn’t I did. I was doing it all myself. So it didn’t even matter, you know, on their timeline, like I did that myself. And now you know, I do have those parameters of like, I have to get it out because they’re sponsors and because, you know, Amanda needs the file and blah, blah, blah, but I didn’t have those deadlines, I created them for myself. And now still, like, I do things other than the podcast and that, that I don’t have those parameters on. And they still get done because I’m maybe you know, a crazy person. Or maybe I’m just you know, however you want to call it. Like I’m really disciplined. And I say I’m going to do something like, it’s going to happen. I’m pretty intense about that. And that’s my personality, or my, you know, astrology sign or whatever my composition. That’s what makes me like that. And I know, you know, for instance, like my boyfriend really admires that. And because he doesn’t have that, like he has to he’s not a good self motivator. I guess what, that that’s what that is, I guess, you know, he has to like, no, I need to be there at this time. Because I told this person I would work for me. It’s like, I can just tell myself that and I’m going to move everything to make sure that happens, because I will feel really bad if I don’t. So I don’t know if it’s good or bad. It probably induces a lot of stress. That’s
Alex Beadon 22:10
amazing. Wired. I love I love that so much lately I’ve been it’s funny that we’re talking about this because lately I’ve been thinking a lot about motivation. And where does it come from? And how are some people so self motivated, and others just aren’t? So yeah, that’s fine. That and that you’re such a self motivated person. I think that’s amazing. And I think it’s a big part of why you are where you are today as well. So the title of your podcast is let it out. Can you please explain to everyone listening? What that means to you?
Katie Dalebout 22:40
Yes, yes. Okay. So when I was writing my book, well, before it before I wrote my book, actually, I got the title of my book, which is also let it out. And the podcast comes from the title of the book. And the title of my book is about journaling, which, you know, we can talk about as well, it’s 55 journaling, exercises, its its journaling prompts, which nobody told me to start journaling I was I was going through something in my my early 20s, when I was surrounded by a lot of therapists and coaches and people in my life. And I intuitively was I was reading a ton of self help, I was doing all the things but I was like, you know, I can do what all these other people tell me to do. I can eat a diet like this person tells me to do but it was it was too much information, I felt like the answers might be within me. And that’s like a cliched played phrase now too. But at the time, I just intuitively wandered out of the Self Help section into a Barnes and Noble. And I went into the stationery section because I had a gift card. And I bought myself a journal and I just started writing in it. And it was cathartic for me to get the thoughts out of my mind onto the page. And then I could sort through them and decide which ones I wanted to listen to and which ones weren’t true. And it gave me relief. And what I realized is, you know, that’s that same feeling related to me, which is how I kind of came to this idea of of writing the book. That relief I felt after essentially like purging the thoughts out of my mind onto the piece of paper helped me because in a sense in the in a very similar way to when I was sick when I was a kid my mom would always say to me you know if you have like a bug and or the flu or something and you need to throw up, or if you have the sniffles and you need to like have a sinus infection or something you need to blow your nose or cough or whatever my mom would be like let it out let it out like he gotta throw it you gotta let it out. And it’s the same thing of the thoughts in my mind so that that’s how the the title of the book came to be and and that’s that was happening and then I was like, you know I have this podcast, I really want to diversify it from wellness. I always joke like you can take the wellness Wonderland off the internet. You can take the wellness Wonderland out of the girl you know like I And I still like talking about wellness. And it’s still something that I find it fascinating people’s relationship to it, and especially the world that we’re living in. Now that puts a pressure on it. And I think, you know, there are ways that that can be problematic and kind of a new class system. And there are ways that it can be really beautiful and wonderful and help enrich people’s lives. And so I still find that fascinating, but I was looking to diversify the content I was covering in the podcast, and let it out seemed like a perfect fit, not just because it was easy, because it was the name of my book, but because of that same thing, you know, I tend to do that with my feelings. And my therapist told me a couple of years ago, I was walking around me like, I’m someone who feels so many feelings, I feel so many feelings, feelings, just like that’s a lie, Katie, you don’t feel feelings, you think your feelings, you think my feelings and I stuffed them down. And I don’t actually deal with them. Like, I don’t actually allow myself to feel fully I closed myself off meaning, I’ll think a thought. And then when the feeling comes, I’ll you know, turn to my phone, or I’ll turn to you know, food or denying food or drinking or you know, whatever, like, religion. So whatever coping mechanism, we all have our coping mechanisms, right? So I decided to really start feeling my feelings and going there. And because if you feel the richness of sadness, you can also feel the depths of happiness, too. But if you don’t allow yourself to feel the full spectrum of emotions, like why are you here, you know, like, that’s why I think we came here it is to feel. So letting it out is like a way for people to let it out and be really present, let out whatever is on their minds. And I have these very long form conversations. They’re about, you know, an hour and a half, two hours of talking about our feelings talking about, you know, I think my podcast is so long, because after about a half an hour, and you kind of forget your recording, and you can just you’re kind of sleepy and delirious and people just start being like, good stuff starts coming out. Yeah, it really does. And it’s a it’s a really magical thing. And it’s kind of like a meditation for both of us. Because you know, like we’re doing right now, like, our phones are in airplane mode. It’s just you and I. And if I get distracted, I sound silly, especially as the host, you have to kind of keep the thread going. Let it out was the perfect way for the show to kind of progress. And I really love that title. And now what I’m making, you know, with this, this new thing that I’m going to be launching in a couple of months, like, I love that the name, let it out is is going to be the through line of my work, which was accidental, but I think is really fitting.
Alex Beadon 27:37
Yeah. Oh, I love it. Okay, so talk to me about your offerings, the different things that you have available for people to buy, or the different revenue streams that you have. Because I know you said you have sponsors for the podcast as well. Like, I would just love to know, your evolution and your journey with that.
Katie Dalebout 27:56
Yeah, so again, all of it was kind of accidental. I didn’t have any revenue.
Alex Beadon 28:01
So much for that. I love that you’re just like, just happened?
Katie Dalebout 28:06
Yeah, yeah, I really did. And, and I mean, I have to be really honest, like, the reason it happened that way, was because I had a full time job. And I’m, I never had to put the pressure on the work to make me money. You know, I was supporting myself elsewhere. And I was doing this on the side. And I think, you know, I was embarrassed to talk about that for a really long time. Because I was like, Well, I’m not a real author, if I’m not making my money from my book, or I’m not a real blogger, or I’m not a real podcaster. And then I was like, Yes, I am. People listen to this, and I work really hard on it. And, you know, I work harder on that than my full time job. So I definitely am. And, but also, you know, I have the luxury of not putting pressure on the work to make the money, which allowed it to unfold this way, you know, some people don’t have that luxury or choose not to have that luxury, you know, and then maybe I would have monetized faster if I if I had had to do it, you know. So that’s just something I want to be honest about. And so the first way that I started making money, you know, I would be an affiliate for other people. And that was the first time I ever made money. So meaning, and that was just very, very small that wasn’t going to like pay my rent or anything. But if I had some on the podcast, who had an offering, I was obviously going to put information about their course or their, you know, event they were doing in my show notes. And then if people wanted to engage in that after they obviously found it through me, I would make a small percentage because I was like, Oh, maybe I could have sponsors for the podcast or maybe and then eventually brands started to reach out to me that wanted to sponsor the podcast, and that’s why I said no to all of them because they just like weren’t really a fit. And then I but it did plant the seed that I was like, Okay, well, if brands are reaching out to me, that means I could probably reach out to brands I do like and I do really do love and would want to talk about in the podcast anyway and curate for, you know, the community anyway, why don’t I try that? And then I did. And so now you know, I have two sponsors every episode. So that’s, that’s been the biggest revenue stream, I got a book advance. So when my book came out, I made money that way my book is traditionally published. So that means I get 50% of the profits, and my publisher gets the other 50%. So, but I had to make the way publishing works is I had to make back the advance first, so I got a bunch of money up front, and then I didn’t start getting royalty checks for about like a year, I think until I made that amount back. And then now I get 50%. So it’s not a huge amount. It’s like a nice like, oh, cool, little bit of money every once in a while. But so I will don’t suggest living on on a book deal. You have to have other things. And I think this is really important to talk about, like, every podcaster that I know, isn’t just a podcaster I don’t know, one. I don’t know what unless it’s like NPR like every other podcast, you’re either. You know, people who I know who have very, very, very successful podcasts also sell an online course or also are a comedian and they do a podcast or, you know, like, let’s let’s talk about Pete Holmes. He’s a very famous comedian who has a very successful podcast. But he also tours as a comedian. He also has a TV show on HBO. So like, there’s his revenue streams, you know what I mean? Like, even though there’s sponsors on his podcast, which maybe he could live off that, like, he does other stuff, too. And I’m actually you know, so that’s how I’ve made money to up until this point. And then what I’m doing now is I’ve never, ever sold anything on the internet myself. I’ve you know, sponsors that’s not selling anything. I’m just telling about somebody else’s thing in my book, I don’t deal with either. That’s my publisher deals with that. But I spent all winter working so hard on something I’m so proud of. And it’s this my first online, I guess, yeah, of course, online workshop. It’s called Launch pod a launch pad for your podcast. Because Oh, I guess
Alex Beadon 32:09
love the name.
Katie Dalebout 32:10
Thank you. I can’t wait for you to see the website because it’s really good. The imagery is all space but excited the theme. And the images for that was because I started podcast advising just like you would have a financial advisor. I had so many people emailing me like, how did you start your podcast? What microphone? Do I get to I’m scared about like, what should the title be? Can you workshop it with me and I, I was answering these emails, it was taking me so much time. And I was just like, I can’t get back to all of these, I need help. And but I want to help people. So I started to make a program where people not a program, just 15 minutes, and I would talk to them on the phone about their podcasts. And I was this podcast advisor. So I learned a lot about what people were asking what people needed, what I needed when I started because like I mentioned before, when I was telling my story, when I started, when I had this idea to start a podcast, I would have not done it unless I accepted. I did have a podcast advisor, like I had someone to take care of the technology for me, I had someone to talk through my idea with I had someone to tell me, I was okay to tell me all the things that I didn’t want to do that I didn’t I could Google but I didn’t want to Google that did them all for me and figured it out. And like for me, that was my boyfriend at the time. And I’m so appreciative that I had him because I never would have done it. And I wanted to be that for other people. So that’s what I started to be with this advising. And so then I made this, this online workshop, which is, you know, what brings me to what I was saying about knowing this from other podcasters. So it’s eight modules, where I talk about everything from, you know, starting podcasts and workshopping it to technology to you know, finding sponsors and monetizing it and everything in between. But the biggest that’s like not that’s like the tiniest part of it. The main part of it is that I interviewed 10 Other podcasters who have been quiet, yeah, as long as me or have, you know, been doing like in all different spaces. And I also anyway, so everyone I talk to they don’t make their money entirely from their sponsorships, they do other things either also wrote a cookbook, or they also do workshops, or they also whatever. And so it was really important for me to showcase that, like, I think having a diverse amount of revenue streams. And as I know, you know, Alex is, is really important and helpful. And we right now it’s kind of the wild west of podcasting. And brands are excited to work with podcasters and want to be associated with a medium, but I don’t know how long that will be, you know, like blogging change a lot and like podcasting is what blogging was 10 years ago. I don’t think it’s going to be like a bubble bursts like there was with that. I think it’s going to just change and evolve and I see this medium being around for a really long time. And I totally agree with you. Yeah, but anyway, so that’s, that’s my third revenue stream or so. Okay,
Alex Beadon 35:00
I have to add on to that. Because for everyone listening before I started my podcast, the one person who I called and I was like I need your advice was Katie. And Katie, she was so nice. And she gave me so much advice. So I’m just lucky that you’re my friend. That was really, really helpful.
Katie Dalebout 35:18
Yeah, that was like, my first podcast advising session
Alex Beadon 35:24
as a friend, and then this thing I wanted to tell you is that I love that you listened to your audience, because so often I think people are like, oh, what should I do? What should I do? What should I do? And so often, the answer is like literally staring us in the face. But we think it’s too easy. Or we think it’s like, I’m not really sure. Like, the same thing happened with me. And Grand Slam, like, to be honest with you launching a course about Instagram Stories wasn’t really on my radar. But I was getting so many questions about it. I was like, Okay, this might be something to consider. And it has been so so worth it. So I love that you’re listening to your audience. That’s awesome.
Katie Dalebout 36:00
Yeah, it’s interesting. I heard this quote recently on a podcast, probably. But someone said something, like, follow the dream that’s also following you. So it’s like, if you want to be an Academy Award winning actress, but like, what’s really working for you? Is your gardening business, like maybe any like that as well, like, maybe go with the gardening business, you know, like, and take some acting classes, but like, follow the dream that’s like, what’s working for you? And like, same thing, like, I never thought I would teach broadcasting, I did a lot of like, who am I to, to talk about this? Like, I really don’t know what I’m doing. I fell into it. But I had so many people asking me that I kind of had to
Alex Beadon 36:43
love it. So so so much. Okay, so I really want to talk to you about spirituality, because I know it plays a huge role in your life. So I would love to know how that has evolved for you what your current practices look like, if you’re still going on that route. Talk to me about that.
Katie Dalebout 37:00
Yeah, of course, it’s like, my favorite thing to talk about. So, I mean, it’s it’s like, it’s like anything, it’s like, everything in life is kind of the same thing. It’s cyclical, it’s it’s malleable, it’s changing. I think, you know, for me, the things that stickers, like, I really believe that we’re all connected, I think you can call it a million different things. People in the people in my life all call it something different, you know, my boyfriend calls it something different than I do. You can call it the universe, you can call it humanity, you can call it God. But I think that when we are being present, and we are fully ourselves, that’s when we can connect with each other. And we’ve all I think we all have come here to heal and learn and grow. And then to teach that to other people. And to be that and share whatever we’ve come to learn ourselves with other people. So that’s, I’m just trying to be better at being myself every day. Like that’s, that’s my goal now is to know myself better and feel more comfortable being myself and I don’t get that every day. You know, I the reason I started journaling is because I was so good at putting on masks and being a chameleon to find whatever everyone wanted from me that I had no idea who I was, I was just the shell, you know, I didn’t have anything. And I had to find some self awareness to to figure out that. And the, the journaling is just a practice to be able to know that and then once I’m able to do that with myself, I feel more comfortable being that with other people. So now you know what my practice looks like, I do TM meditation still. I was gifted that by someone who came on my podcast, so I, I do that about 20 minutes a day I don’t do the second one is often I used to now that I live in New York, I don’t really do the second one. But once a day, every morning, I meditate and I lately, I wasn’t journaling really at all, except, you know, kind of SOS as needed. But I just started to do actually like two weeks ago, I decided to do the first exercise of my book, which is a spin off of Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way but I’m doing like morning pages every day for 30 days leading up to my birthday because I just thought it would be fun, and I’m trying it. So yeah, I’ve done that before many times but those are kind of the main two things that really stick for me and just trying to be gentle with myself and realizing much like with my business like the the less I force and the less I think about things, the more comes to me and I really believe that, you know, the universe is something we can communicate with and work with, but only if we’re present and only if we’re being our selves. And whenever I’m distracted, or I’m rushing, I find that’s when things just aren’t as easy. And I want more ease and my life, you know, I think ease is, it feels cozy. To me, it feels like I’m most creative. And I think I think everyone wants more of that, you know, being busy and running around. That’s when we block ourselves off from, you know, any sort of spirituality or any sort of connection to something greater than ourselves.
Alex Beadon 40:30
I feel like you have this really great relationship between ease and flow and like wanting to invite more of that into your life. And also being someone who like you self described yourself as really self motivated and a hustler, someone who can get things done. I’d love for you to talk to us about that relationship. I know a lot of people really run themselves into the ground, you know, so what has it been like for you in balancing that? Have you always been this way? What are some tips that you can give people on? Just being aware of like, maybe when they’re going down the wrong path?
Katie Dalebout 41:07
Yeah, I mean, I think that’s it right there. It’s like being aware of it. Because I don’t I want to be really honest to have like, I’m not perfect at this. And that’s the part you don’t see, you know, like anyone is Yeah,
Alex Beadon 41:19
got it totally. Oh, I spectrum. Yeah, fall somewhere in there.
Katie Dalebout 41:25
And it’s, it’s the awareness of like, knowing when you’re further at one side of that spectrum than the other and being able to come back to like center on that spectrum. And I know, like, when I’m getting in the red zone of like, I’m about to get burnt out, this is too much. I’m overwhelmed. Like, that’s when I start getting sick, or that’s when I start, you know, my I’m not putting enough into my relationships, like we have all these different buckets in life. And the bucket is like the career bucket. And then we have the creativity bucket. And we have the, you know, general life Aaron’s bucket, and we have the romantic relationships, but bucket and we have the wellness bucket. And it’s like, we only have so much stuff to put in those buckets. So it’s a myth that all those buckets can be filled at the same time, like that is impossible. So you’re one is going to get more of like when my wellness bucket is more full, maybe that means my work isn’t as full and that’s okay. But it’s going to serve all of the buckets, the more I put into each of them, you know. So it’s about just kind of knowing where you are on that spectrum. And the way I’m doing it currently, and this is maybe not forever, but I’ll kind of work in Sprint’s where, like, for instance, this weekend, I worked a lot like I didn’t I worked all weekend, because next weekend, my boyfriend and I are long distance like my boyfriend’s coming, we’re kind of having a staycation. And I’m going to not work at all. And so I really wanted to, you know, that was what I wanted to do. And that’s not to say I do that all the time. But that’s what I did this weekend. And I think having that awareness because I’ve gone in, there’s been periods in my life when I’ve, I’ve worked too much. And there’s been periods of my life when I’ve gotten behind, because I’ve been having more fun. And I think it’s just like allowing yourself to know again, that it’s cyclical, and that it will change and that it’s different with the seasons. And you’re in charge of that you’re in charge of how much time and how much of you you devote to these different areas. But knowing that, how you feel your best and what that takes for you to feel your best.
Alex Beadon 43:32
Would you also say, because I feel like a lot of people’s problems is that they’re rushing to get to where they want to be, or like, I want to be a full time entrepreneur and I’m rushing to get there. So it’s like, I’m going to only focus on my work bucket for like the next six months or whatever. So looking at your yourself and looking at your own life, would you say that you’re someone who maybe just has more patience, or you just have more trust that things are working out in your favor? What advice would you give to someone who maybe is a leader? Or do you think that that’s fine, too?
Katie Dalebout 44:05
I mean, I think that that’s fine, too. I’m a step and that’s not me, you know, I’m a stepping stone. I think we’re different in this way. You know, like, I’m a stepping stone person, I need a I you know, I wanted things that I’ve wanted for a really long time I’ve gotten when I’ve gotten them and that’s been okay. You know, I think my people who are like that, and they want to just focus and go go go great. If it’s, if that’s what’s fulfilling them, like I think you and I are different in that but like it fulfills you. For me, that would be too scary. You know, I think we all have different thresholds for uncertainty and thresholds for fear and thresholds for for change, right? And mine is very, very low, right? Like I’m, especially in terms of entrepreneurs, right, like mine is very low. I want to make sure that I’m going to have enough you know, money that I feel comfortable and living in New York City and all these different things and Did I that’s caused me to do things a bit slower than maybe someone else would. Were someone who’s had a lot of models for entrepreneurship and has a bigger tolerance for risk and uncertainty and change, you know, they might be able to do things a lot quicker than than I would. And I think that’s okay. And honestly, I admire them a lot. But the difference is, it has to actually feel fun for you. So if for me, that wouldn’t feel fun, that would feel scary, and I wouldn’t like that, and the work wouldn’t be good, I would feel like I was compromising the work. But for them, it might ignite like a fire under them. And they might make really, really great work because they’re putting themselves they’re giving themselves deadlines. And that motivates them, where I don’t need to be motivated by deadlines, I motivate myself regardless. So it’s just it depends on the person. We’re all so different. We come into the world. And you know, our bodies look really different. Our intellects are different, like our, you know, all of these things are different based on how we grew up, where we grew up, and also what was modeled for us. And that’s just also like how we are, you know,
Alex Beadon 46:05
yeah, I couldn’t agree more. And I feel like, I don’t know what number episode this is. But I feel like that summary of conversation that we just had pretty much summarizes my entire experience of interviewing however many entrepreneurs I’ve interviewed is just like, everyone is so different than everyone like, I think if you’re an up and coming entrepreneur, your job right now is really to figure out what works for you and really get comfortable finding that flow of like, you’re still hustling, but you’re taking care of yourself in a way that feels good. Whatever works for you. I love it. Okay,
Katie Dalebout 46:39
yeah. And there’s no shame and like none on it, you know, like, whatever you are
Alex Beadon 46:45
right or wrong, like you are at your sharpest you are at your best when you’re working in the way that best suits you. Aim like Amen. Yeah. So I asked people wrap up questions at the end of every single episode. So get ready and favorite question number one, for this. What is one thing you do that has been a non negotiable in the success of your business?
Katie Dalebout 47:11
It’s it’s pretty cliche at this point, because I wrote a book on journaling. But journaling is how I get the clarity. It’s how I get ideas. It’s how I get organized mentally, and I can kind of skim the pond scum off the top so I can get to clear water ideas underneath all of that. So that that would be the thing.
Alex Beadon 47:33
I love that you’re so into journaling, we’re gonna have to have you on again to just talk about journaling. Okay, great. I would love that. Share a mindset shift that has made the biggest difference in your life as an entrepreneur.
Katie Dalebout 47:45
Oh, this is a good one. Okay, I got this from Elizabeth Gilbert. She wrote this book, Big Magic a couple of years ago, that really changed everything for me. So she was saying that when so she was always a writer. And that’s always what she wanted to do. But she always had side jobs on the side of that for the entirety of her career, because then she never had to put the pressure on her work to make her money. She was able to be creative and make choices outside of that. And she literally had a job until her book, Eat Pray, Love came out, which was a huge, massive success, like Julia Roberts played her in the movie, so then she could leave her job, right? So when I heard that I was like, I actually am an entrepreneur, it was like this magical thing for me. So it was really that was the biggest mindset shift of like, just owning what I felt like, Okay, I do all these different things to make money, but it doesn’t mean that I’m any less of a podcaster or I’m any less of, you know, an entrepreneur like this is actually real. It’s not just this side thing that I’m gonna give up some day, it allowed me to feel more confident.
Alex Beadon 48:50
A man, I love hearing you say that, okay, and I think so many people are gonna hear that and totally resonates. I love it. Yeah, fill in the blank, the world would be a better place if more people knew.
Katie Dalebout 49:02
If more people knew people love when people are being real when people are being themselves and people are being authentic, and people can smell from a mile away, when you are trying to be something that you think someone will like when you’re hiding when you’re afraid. And that is just, I don’t ever want to be around people like that because it just makes me sad. It’s not I don’t want to be around them. But I just wish people knew that they could be themselves and own whatever they’re trying to hide.
Alex Beadon 49:35
That’s so good. The book that changed my life was
Katie Dalebout 49:40
I really did like Big Magic. But I want to say another one that was really helpful to me. Mmm hmm. Gosh, there have been there have been so many books that have really been helpful to me. This is kind of a random one but big magic but I already said that. And then this book Star Girl.
Alex Beadon 50:00
Did you ever read that? No,
Katie Dalebout 50:02
it’s like a fiction book I read in middle school, but it’s by Jerry Spinelli. And it kind of talks about these things you can read in like a day, or like two days, it’s really little. But it’s, it’s like a why a novel, but it’s about this, this girl who’s very different. And her, her name is Star Girl. And it talks about kind of what we’re talking about today, which is, you know, owning whatever it is that you’re afraid of, and what you’re trying to hide and, and being yourself and just being okay with whoever you are. And that’s what this book is about. And it helped me in middle school and it, I read it again, in college, and I, you know, probably we will return to it this year. It’s impactful for me.
Alex Beadon 50:44
I love it. Okay, last but not least, I like to ask every guest to challenge our audience to do something to take some sort of action this week. So what is it that you would like to challenge our audience to do?
Katie Dalebout 50:59
Okay, this will be kind of an open ended challenge. But I like I said earlier, I committed to doing 30 days of something that I know is good for me. So for me, it’s doing this journaling everyday, like I’ve done it before. I know it’s good for me, I wasn’t doing it. So I decided I’m going to do it for 30 days. And then after 30 days, it can stop forever. I can keep going I can do it sporadically. But for 30 days, I have to do it. So why don’t and I’m not gonna say that they have to do journaling, they could but maybe it’s meditation, maybe it’s, you know, drinking more water. Maybe it’s committing to writing a new song every day. If you’re a songwriter, maybe it’s making a podcast every week for eight weeks, or whatever it is. But like commit to doing something you know, is good for you for a week for 30 days for like, give yourself a time period. And be kind yourself. Like if you miss a day. Don’t beat yourself up, because that will just make you not want to do it. But I think that could be cool.
Alex Beadon 51:54
Thank you so much, Katie, I love you from the bottom of my heart. And it’s just so wonderful to have you on the podcast. And I’ve just gotten to hang out with you. And I know everyone’s gonna love you so much. So, everyone, if you haven’t checked out Katie’s book already, let it out. Go and check it out. Buy it, take the exercises and use them as a podcast. Go and check out her podcast. And Katie, can you let everyone know where they can find you online?
Katie Dalebout 52:25
Yes, yeah, I’m at Katie, Dale, well, all over the internet. Just a quick Google away. I’m active on Instagram, all the places. And my podcast is called let it out. So just search that in iTunes. And if you are thinking about doing a podcast email me, let me know and I would love to help you and fo at Katie Dell out. And launch pod will be out. I’m sure by the time this is out. So yeah, check. Check that out. It’s a cool club. And yeah, it this medium has been so great for me that I really want more people to be part of it, because I love it and I want it to keep growing. So that’s that’s why I made the online workshop.
Alex Beadon 53:06
I’m so excited for you, Katie, like Thank you. I’m so excited because I’ve just been wanting you to create your own for so long.
Katie Dalebout 53:14
I know so many people like told me that and I was honestly so resistant. I was like, Yeah, I could make a course on journaling. But I feel like I put everything I knew about that. And like it was like I I just don’t I’m like I don’t want to feel salesy. I don’t know what to do. And like, this is the only thing I was like, I do actually know this. I’ve done it for five years. I studied in college like, yeah, I can do it. Yeah, I do. And I’m really like I wouldn’t be I didn’t wouldn’t feel comfortable putting something out that I didn’t really love. And yeah, I worked so hard on Alex. I’ll tell you all about it. But I’m excited about
Alex Beadon 53:48
it. I’m so proud of you. Thank you again so much for joining me. And I love you.
Katie Dalebout 53:53
Thank you for having me. I love you more. Thank you for listening to
Alex Beadon 53:59
thank you so much for listening to today’s episode. If you enjoyed it, I would love for you to give me a shout out on your Instagram story or anywhere. Just letting me know what your biggest takeaway was. You guys have no idea how helpful and useful it is for me. When you message me telling me what your aha moments were telling me what it is that you took away from the podcast. It helps me understand what is most valuable to you. And it helps me understand how I can be of the highest service to you. So if you could take two minutes to do that. I would really appreciate it. Thank you guys so much for watching. I hope to hear from you over on Instagram. You can find me at Alex Beadon and I will talk to you again very soon. Bye.
