Start Before You’re Truly Ready: Three Lessons From Starting a Podcast
This year (2025) I set myself a challenge that felt bigger than I was ready for. I launched a podcast. I had no equipment to speak of, no editing experience and very little confidence in what I was doing. Yet something in me knew that waiting for perfect conditions, would mean waiting forever.
Looking back now, with 36 episodes live, I can see that there were three key lessons that shaped this journey, more than anything else. These lessons have influenced not only how I show up as The Solo Coach, but also how I approach creativity, growth and the inevitable discomfort that comes along with doing something completely new.
Have a listen to Episode 36 of The Solo Coach Podcast to hear these lessons LIVE from Leeds City Toastmasters (my local public speaking club), or read on to find out more.
1. Start before you feel ready
Most people imagine that courage arrives after confidence. In truth, it works the other way around. Confidence is the reward for taking action, not the prerequisite.
When I pressed record on the first episode 11 months ago, in January 2025, I felt under prepared. I didn’t have a jingle, I was far from an experienced editor, and I was still learning how to publish an episode to multiple different platforms. I remember thinking that if I waited until I knew everything, I would never begin.
So I made myself a quiet promise. Every episode only needed to be a tiny little bit better than the last. Small, ‘marginal gains’ improvements, made consistently, would add up to something meaningful. And they did. 36 Episodes in, and you can really see and hear the improvements, in sound and video quality, editing, social media posts and reach. And of the interviews, the dialogue, the content and the whole end-to-end experience. I am so glad that I started and persisted through the mistakes, successes and many learning curves. It really does feel worth it now, when I look back over the entire year!
Starting before you are ready is uncomfortable, but it also opens the door to growth that can’t happen from standing on the sidelines. You learn by doing. You improve by showing up. You build credibility through stepping into the unknown and embracing imperfection, with the knowledge that mistakes are the ‘cost of entry’ into success.
2. Inviting someone to be a guest is ultimately uplifting
This was the lesson I never expected. When you invite someone to join you on a podcast, you are giving them something powerful. You are telling them that their story matters. You are giving them a platform. You are showing them that you believe in their voice, sometimes long before they believe in it themselves.
Time and again, guests have said to me things like: “Who, me? Are you sure? But I’m not interesting enough. I will probably ramble”. And “you’ll have your work cut-out with me!”
Then the recording begins and something shifts. Their story unfolds beautifully. Their honesty fills the space. Their wisdom arrives without effort. And when the interview ends, they walk away a little taller. They realise that they are better storytellers than they initially thought. They feel proud of themselves. They feel seen. They feel fantastic.
There is something incredibly human about witnessing someone surprise themselves. It is a privilege that I never take for granted. And for them sharing their open, honest and vulnerable stories with me, I am forever grateful. It is a privilege, to interview guests for The Solo Coach Podcast.
3. Stepping outside your comfort zone creates a positive ripple effect
Doing something new is rarely comfortable. Speaking live at Toastmasters for this episode was a reminder of that. But discomfort has a remarkable side effect: people notice.
Friends, family, colleagues and even acquaintances start to reach out. They share how they are thinking of launching a podcast of their own. They share that they have been inspired to make a change that they have been putting off. They’re implying: “If you can do that, then maybe I can do this.”
I’ve learned that acts of courage, even small ones, travel further than we think. Every time you stretch your comfort zone, you quietly give others permission to consider what might be possible for them, too. The +ve ripple effect is real.
A final thought
If there’s something on your mind that you keep postponing until you are ready, I hope this serves as a gentle nudge. You don’t need perfect conditions to begin. You only need the willingness to take that first imperfect step.
Starting before you feel ready might become one of the best decisions you ever make. It certainly was for me.
And if you would like to hear this reflection in full, along with the energy of speaking live at Leeds City Toastmasters, you can listen to Episode 36 of The Solo Coach Podcast on Spotify, YouTube, Apple or Amazon Podcasts, links here.
Here’s to you, taking your first step, today.
- David
The Solo Coach
