7 minute read - Brew and a Biscuit time

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So, here’s some of the reasons folk have come to me wanting to start a podcast.

“I want to spread the word about what we’re doing.”
“We need to raise awareness of our project.”
“We want to share the outcomes of our recent campaign.”
“The CEO wants a weekly stage to share their latest thinking.”
“I want my podcast to boost my personal brand and bring in customers.”

Sound familiar?

And you know what, actually none of those are wrong.

They’re strategic, ambitious and totally understandable.

But every single one of them is missing the same thing.

The WHO.

Because the most important person involved in your podcast is your who.

Your listener.

Not your board, your funder, your CEO or I dare I say it…that little ego of yours.

It’s your who.

“Raising Awareness” Isn’t a Hook

Right, this is the part where you might feel a bit… ‘urgh’ Reader.

“Raising awareness” isn’t a hook.
“Sharing our work” isn’t a reason to listen.
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And your CEO having thoughts? Lovely. Good for them.

But why should anyone else care?

or

Who gives a f***?

And even more importantly…

Why would they care enough to press play?

If you can’t answer that clearly, you don’t have a listener-centred podcast.

You have a one-way broadcast.

(And we’ve already got enough of those).

Because the most important person involved in your podcast is your who.

Awareness For WHO Though?

Let’s say you want to raise awareness with your new podcast.

Fab.

But awareness for who?

Donors? Policy makers? Grassroots organisers? Volunteers? People directly impacted by the issue? Future customers or funders?

Each of those humans needs something different.

They use different language and problems. They’re motivated by different stuff.

If you try to talk to all of them at once, you end up sounding like you’re talking to none of them properly.

The message gets jumbled.

And it turns into a higgilty piggilty mash-up of “important things” that no one really connects with.

I heard this the other day:

“Vague content gets vague engagement. Specific content builds loyalty.”

Because the most important person involved in your podcast is your who.

Same with personal brands.

Boosting your Personal Brand

If the podcast your planning is meant to bring you customers - ace.

But your customers aren’t an a homogenous lump of people.

They are humans lying awake at 10pm tossing and turning thinking,

“Am I doing this right?”
“Why is this so hard?”
“Is it just me?”

And you’ve done this exercise before.

When you started your business, you probably created a customer profile.

You asked:

Who are they?
What do they struggle with?
What do they want?
What would make them say yes?

This is the same thing.

Your new podcast isn’t separate from your business strategy - it’s an extension of it.

If your podcast speaks directly into that wide awake 10pm moment?

You’ve got attention.

If it’s just, “Here are my thoughts on leadership this week”…

You’ve got a monologue that no-one really connects with.

Why This Bit Is Harder Than It Sounds

One of the hardest things I do with our clients is helping them define their who.

We can talk kit, plan episodes, design artwork….

But then I ask,

“Who is this actually for?”

That’s when I see a few scrunched up noses and vacant stares.

I’ve had sessions where we’ve spent two hours figuring out that one question.

And it’s not because people don’t care! No, no, no!

But, because they care so much about their why that they’ve never properly attached it to a who.

And narrowing it down can feel a bit scary.

It feels like you’re missing people out.

But you’re not!

You’re focusing.

…and starting to become relevant to your who!

The Brill Bit

When you go who-first, everything becomes easier.

The strategy gets clearer.
Content gets clarity.
Your language simplifies (or doesn’t depending on your who!)
The guests fit.
The interview questions get better.
Your podcast marketing feels obvious.
You know where to market and what it should look like.

So as your planning your content for your podcast, ask yourself

“What would actually help my who?”

Content That Lands

When you think who-first, you start creating content that listeners feel like, “Oh. This is for me.”

And that can lead to more interaction, you get listens from the right people, people who can help you move the needle.

Because the most important person involved in your podcast is your who.

Say it with me…

Your who.

(We’re going to be doing brilliant owl impressions by the end of this.🦉)

Do This, This Week

Design your ideal listener.

You can:

• Grab a notebook and draw them. Yes, literally draw them.
• Write a one-page profile.
• Ask ChatGPT to build you a listener persona based on your input.
• Or sit with a brew and actually talk it through out loud.

Give them:

A name.
An age (roughly).
A job or role.
A current challenge.
A secret frustration.
A goal they’re working towards.
A sentence they might type into Google at 10pm.
A reason they’d hit play on your podcast.

It might not be demographic based, it might be a stage they’re at in their life, or a common feeling.

Then stick them above your mic.

And every single time you record, imagine you are speaking directly to them.

Not to the masses or the ‘sector’ or (strictly not) everyone.

Them.

You could even create two if your new podcast genuinely serves two distinct groups.

But no more than that.

Because when you know your who, everything becomes clearer.

And when you don’t?

You end up making a podcast that sounds important…but doesn’t feel important to anyone really.

Tattoo This onto Your Arm*

Your listener is the most important person involved in your podcast.

Not you.

Your listener. Your who.

And if you ever catch yourself planning an episode and thinking,
​
“Yeah but I just wanna to say this…”

Pause.

And ask:

"Would my who give a f***?"

If the answer’s no, tweak it until they would.

Because that’s how you build something people actually care about.

And that’s how you stop broadcasting… and start connecting.

Not Sure Who Your Who Is?

Maybe you’re reading this thinking,

“I’m not actually sure who our podcast is for.”

That’s okay.

Instead of trying to define your who, tell me this:

• What’s the name of your planning podcast?
• What’s it about?
• Why do you want to start it?

Reply with 2–3 sentences max.

I’ll pick two replies and help you define your who!

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Cool Things For You

I’m Speaking at the Content is Queen 2026 International Women’s Podcast Festival

I’m really excited to be speaking at the Content is Queen 2026 International Women’s Podcast Festival, in partnership with Spotify.

It’s happening on Thursday 5th March 2026.

It’s a one-day event bringing together women shaping podcasting, audio and radio from all over the world.

I’ll be on a panel called, ‘Alternative Ways To Fund Your Podcasting’. It’s all about how can you fund your show when adverts and sponsorships aren’t appropriate.

And if you’re going, hit reply and tell me, I’d love to see some Grab The MIC folk there!

Find out more: www.festival.contentisqueen.org

Tickets: www.luma.com/iwpf-2026

Cool Things We've Been Up To

Podcast Training in Action

We’ve been very busy over the past few weeks, planning and delivering training to all sorts of brilliant humans on how to podcast. From GCSE-aged kids and 9–10 year olds, to researchers, university students, creative business owners and coaches.

Wildly different groups. Same podcasty outcome.

I love watching someone go from “I’m not sure I’ve got much to say and I'm gonna sound daft” to holding a mic and getting stuck in. Love it.

There’s something dead powerful about that little shift.

It’s one of my favourite parts of what we do at MIC and it fills me with pure joy.

If you’d like to bring podcast training into your organisation or team, you can find out more here: https://micmedia.co.uk/podcast-services/podcast-training/​

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That’s it for this week’s newsletter.

Remember, your listener is the most important person involved in your podcast.

Next week, we’ll talk about something that might make you do a bum wiggle in your seat again…structure.

I’ll see you then,
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Vx