When Video Makes Sense

When is the right time to upgrade the audio-video quality of your podcast?

It can be an expensive endeavor, so you want to make sure it’s worth the investment - but can you even learn that before you’ve made it?

There are a lot of reasons to podcast, and networking is one of the very best, as my guest this week, Karen Covy has learned over the two year’s she’s been hosting her show Off The Fence.

Divorce is one of the biggest, most challenging, and emotionally fraught decisions a person can make. It’s messy, confusing, and full of uncertainty. That’s exactly why Karen Covy started her show.

Karen is a divorce coach, author, and speaker, and she’s on a mission to help people stop feeling stuck and start making empowered decisions—whether that means staying, leaving, or finding a completely new path forward.

In this episode of the Business Podcast Spotlight, Karen and I talked about about how her podcast has become more than just a content platform—it’s a tool that helps her attract the right clients, build relationships with key people in her industry, and create a real impact for her listeners.

We also got into the business side of things—how she tracks the return on her podcast, why she’s thinking about shifting her content strategy, and the simple tweaks she’s making to get even more value from every episode.

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What’s Happened So Far

Karen started her podcast, Off the Fence, after her coach suggested it—and at first, the idea was a little overwhelming. But she knew how many people felt completely stuck when facing a divorce. They didn’t know what to do, where to start, or who to trust.

Rather than narrowing in on just one aspect, Karen decided to take a broader approach, covering all the different challenges that come with divorce. Her goal was to give people real, actionable advice—helping them understand their options and feel more confident making decisions. And it worked. Listeners started reaching out, sharing how her episodes helped them feel clearer and more in control.

But what she didn’t expect was how much the podcast would impact her business. People weren’t just listening—they were becoming clients. By the time they reached out, they had already spent hours getting to know her, hearing her advice, and building trust. That meant they were coming in ready to work. And it wasn’t just Karen who saw the benefits—her guests were also landing new business from being on the show.

That made her realize: This podcast wasn’t just a passion project. It was a real, valuable business tool.

Now, she’s thinking about how to make it work even better.

The New Plan

So, what’s next for Off the Fence? Karen and I talked through a few strategies, and here’s the game plan:

Upgrading the AV Setup. After thoroughly proving the podcast concept, and it’s value to the business, Karen is going to invest in creating a high quality home studio to capture better video assets, which will improve her credibility and brand, and also make editing and post production easier.

More solo episodes. While guest interviews are great, and will remain the bulk of the show, Karen’s audience loves hearing directly from her. Adding more solo episodes will help her connect even more with listeners and give them exactly what they need.

Repackaging old content. She’s built up an amazing library of episodes, so instead of constantly creating from scratch, she’s looking at ways to refresh and repurpose content—like pulling together themed playlists or turning key insights into blog posts.

Making the podcast easier to find. Right now, she’s getting a lot of organic growth, but there’s room to be more intentional about promotion and making sure past episodes are working as hard as possible - that could mean creating landing pages for specific topics, optimizing past episodes so they show up in searches, or using snippets and highlights to draw in new listeners on social media.

The best part? None of this requires more work—just different work.

Business Podcast Blueprints Analysis

From a strategy perspective, Off the Fence is a Relationship Building Podcast at its core. It’s not just about putting out content—it’s about making real connections with the right people. This kind of show is all about smart networking, bringing on potential clients, introducing guests to potential clients, building referral partnerships, and meeting the industry experts and influencers who can help Karen grow her business in new ways.

She’s already doing a great job of that, but with a few small tweaks, she can take things even further. By being intentional and tracking the ultimate outcomes in terms of introductions, referrals and opportunities from her guests she can refine her strategy based on current business needs.

At the same time, a podcast is providing Audience Engagement benefits, naturally building trust with listeners. When potential clients first connect with Karen by hearing the the show, they’re not just hearing about her work—they’re experiencing her expertise in real time. That means by the time they reach out, they already feel a connection to her, making sales conversations smoother and leading to deeper, more valuable coaching relationships.

From a Thought Leadership perspective increasing the investment in AV recoridng and post produciton is going to mean that Off The Fence looks and feels like the high quality podcast it is, making it easier to attract high-profile guests who often have higher expectations for the output of shows they appear on. By continuing to bring on the right guests and producing the highest qulity media assets, Karen can open the door for speaking gigs, guest appearances on other podcasts, and media opportunities that put her in front of even more people.

How to Do It Yourself:

If you want to make the most of a Relationship Building Podcast strategy, here’s what to do:

Get really clear on what kinds of relationships your business needs right now. Is it referral partners, access to influencers and authorities in your space, potential clients or something else?

Then, make sure that your show is appealing to them. Of course, you want to keep your listening audience in mind, and create compelling, valuable content for them, but for this type of podcast the first audience is your guests.

This means making sure that you have the skills and equipment to make them look and sound awesome, making sure that your scheduling, recording and follow-up processes are extensive, documented and easy for your guests.

Finally, make sure to actually follow-up with the new connections your pdocast is making! Whe you release the episodes, if you have feedback from listeners about it, when you add their episode to a new playlist or resource - and don’t forgot to amplify their content too, on the social platforms you’re both on. Relationships take work, so you’ve got to do your bit!

How to Track Success

If you’re using a Relationship Building Podcast strategy, here’s how to track whether it’s actually helping you build valuable connections:

1. Guest relationships & referrals – Keep a simple spreadsheet of every guest you’ve had on your show. Each month, make a note of how many referrals, introductions, or new opportunities they’ve sent your way. Every few months, take a look at which guests are your biggest advocates—then make sure you’re nurturing those relationships by checking in, sending resources, or finding ways to collaborate further.
2. Guest episode shares – Track how often guests share their episode with their audience. If they’re consistently posting about it, that’s a sign they valued the experience—and that they see you as someone worth promoting. If shares are low, consider making it easier for them by providing social media assets or email templates.
3. Listener engagement & conversions – Pay attention to how your audience interacts after each episode. Are listeners reaching out to you or your guests? Are they engaging on social media or joining your email list? Even better—are they converting into clients? If possible, use a unique booking link for podcast listeners so you can track how many discovery calls or sales come directly from the show.
4. Audio vs. video performance – If you have both an audio and video version of your podcast, compare their performance. Are most new listeners finding you through audio, or does video bring in higher engagement? Even if video isn’t driving massive numbers, it can still be worth it if it helps build trust in a high-touch industry, makes guest promotion easier, or gives you great content to repurpose for other platforms.

At the end of the day, a Relationship Building podcast isn’t just about downloads—it’s about meaningful connections that fuel your business. Keep an eye on these key areas, and you’ll know if your show is doing its job.

Next Steps

Karen is off building even more powerful connections through her Relationship Building Podcast, and we’ll be checking back in with her soon to hear how it’s all going.

Become a Guest

If you have a podcast, or are considering one for your business, then we’d love to chat with you about how to make it as profitable as possible. Go to OneStoneCreative.net/SpotlightGuest and fill out an application.

Level Up Your Podcasting with Solid Strategy

If you’re looking for support with your current or an upcoming podcast - the team at One Stone Creative is ready to help. You can book a free strategy session with Megan Dougherty right here, review our ongoing and seasonal production options, or explore our new podcast Sprints Program, where we’ll do all of the heavy lifting for a podcast season that drives your business forward.

More next week!