3 Intentional Ways to Grow as a Speaker Through Your Podcast

Even if your podcast never grew a single new listener, it would still be worth doing. Because every episode you record is a public speaking rep. And if you're intentional about it, your podcast can accelerate your growth as a communicator faster than almost anything else. In this episode, Jon shares three specific, practical ways to use your podcast to become a more confident, more credible public speaker.

The first strategy is transcript analysis. Run your raw transcript through an AI tool and ask it to count your filler words. The ums, the ahs, the likes. Jon did this himself and found 170 filler words in a single early episode. Once you see the number, you can't unsee it, and it becomes a game to reduce it. Fewer filler words correlate strongly with more confident, more prepared delivery. The second strategy is reducing your notes over time, from a full page down to bullet points down to three words on a sticky note. The less you rely on notes, the more you're genuinely developing as a speaker.

The third strategy is using your podcast as a platform to find real speaking opportunities. Local events, community talks, guest appearances on other shows. Having a podcast gives you a level of credibility that opens doors. And when you sit on the other side of the mic as a guest, you notice things about hosting you never would have otherwise. Jon has guested on over 40 shows and credits that experience with making him a significantly better host.

Ready to use your podcast more intentionally? Book a free consultation at storytrust.media.