After 11 years, 400+ episodes, and nearly 2 million downloads, I thought I understood what drives podcast growth.

Then I saw the data, and it challenged a lot of assumptions.

In this episode, I break down what actually drives podcast downloads today, based on real-world insights and my own experience growing Selling the Couch into a top 0.5% podcast.

Because here’s the truth:

• Audience size doesn’t guarantee downloads
• Big-name guests aren’t the growth lever you think they are
• And visibility alone isn’t what moves the needle

In this episode, we cover:

• Why audience size ≠ downloads (and what matters more)
• The real difference between a “vitamin” vs. “painkiller” episode
• Why titles matter more than your guest list
• How to write titles that get 2–3x more downloads
• The ideal episode length
• How to think about podcast guesting strategically (not randomly)
• The strategy that beats social media for growth
• Your best discovery tool
• The biggest shift in downloads

Plus, we'll go over a simple experiment to try to see what your audience actually responds to, and how to double down on it.

If your podcast isn’t growing the way you expected, it may not be your consistency. It may be your alignment—between your title, your topic, and the real problems your listeners are trying to solve.

If you found this helpful, consider sharing it with a friend or colleague who is building (or thinking about starting) a podcast.

And don’t forget to subscribe for more insights on podcasting, online business, and building something that compounds quietly over time.

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Ready to launch (or grow) your online course?

Haven is our membership for therapists who want to turn their expertise into sustainable online income through courses, content, and simple systems that actually work.

You’ll get access to trainings, live accelerators, and a community that supports you every step of the way.

Get on the waitlist: sellingthecouch.com/haven

Today’s encore is covering creating and selling an E-Course. Since creating Healthcasters, I’ve definitely made many mistakes that I’m happy to share with you.

Statistics show that the self-improvement industry is a $10-11 billion industry, so we know that there are a lot people who crave knowledge and want to learn.

Join me for more!

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Want to launch your online course?

Our new membership is open for enrollment! Find out more and join Haven here

If there is one thing I’ve learned as a small business owner, it’s that it takes courage to show up imperfect. We want so badly to be perfect and put together in front of our audience, but perfectionism makes us less authentic and connected. Join us to learn more about being OK with being imperfect.

Samara Stone is a return guest to the podcast, and I’m thrilled to welcome her back! In addition to her work as a therapist, Samara is a branding expert who has a curated community, Be Full Grown, for black women over 40 who are ready to imagine, create, and live a life of their own design. Samara is in the process of launching a podcast, and she has already proven her courage in showing up imperfect through some major life difficulties. We will discuss how we, as clinicians, can show up imperfect when perfectionism always has a pull on us. Samara also shares helpful guidelines for sharing appropriately on social media, which is something we all need to keep in mind.

Be Full Grown

You’ll Learn:

1. How things have changed in our field in beautiful ways; “Your Saturday self CAN show up on Monday morning.”
2. Why many therapists struggle with perfectionism and are afraid to show up as 100% human
3. Why clients appreciate transparency because it conveys a non-judgmental attitude
4. Why there is a huge shift happening in how we understand marketing and our personal brand
5. How therapists need to share enough about the real dynamic of themselves so clients can see the healing possibilities
6. How Samara decided to share on social media the experience of her divorce a few years ago
7. Why we have to be polarizing at times in order to find our true audience–and that’s OK
8. The importance of realizing that you can’t and won’t appeal to everyone
9. How to use your clear purpose and intention to determine how much of your life to share on social media

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Want to launch your online course?

Our new membership is open for enrollment! Find out more and join Haven here.