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Celebrating our 2020 podcasts & accomplishments

December 18, 2020

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Melissa Guller

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Whew, what a year it’s been. 

Despite the absolute chaos trainwreck 2020 brought, there’s been a lot of good, too. Many Wit & Wire podcasters launched their shows, tripled their downloads, and made a meaningful impact in their listeners’ lives. 🎉

To celebrate, I rounded up some stats to see how many podcasts we launched and how many episodes we released.

And at the end of this post, I’ll share a few milestones that I personally hit this year, both as a podcaster and an online business owner. But first, I really wanted to brag about the podcasters in our community 🙂

Our 2020 podcasts, by the numbers

In December 2020, I polled my email list to try and add up our podcasting achievements. And all together in 2020, here’s what we’ve accomplished:

55+

Podcasts Launched

860+

Episodes Released

500k+

Total Downloads

(Note: This only includes survey responders and known podcasts in the community.)

I’m honestly amazed. And truly inspired to see how much you’ve accomplished in a year!

On top of the stats, I also asked podcasters to share their biggest milestones of 2020. Here are their responses, including links to their shows.

💡 A shameless note: I’d love it if you choose just one of these podcasts to check out. (More is great!) Downloads and reviews are pure gold for podcasters, as I’m sure you know, and any support you can share with these podcasters I know will be appreciated. So thank you!

We launched new podcasts 🚀

“I launched my podcast on 6/30/20 with no following at all. In 5 months, on 11/30/20, I passed 3,000 downloads with listeners on every continent. Beyond humbled and grateful to know I’m helping people heal from deep grief.”

“I’m a busy mama of four little ones, and I’m so thankful that I was able to use the books and crannies of naptimes and early mornings to launch my podcast in October, with 6 episodes released so far.”

“Our biggest podcasting milestone was that we finally launched and we have reached 500 downloads!”

“I launched my podcast during Covid lockdown in Melbourne, and have over 500 downloads within the first month of publishing new episodes.”

“I launched my podcast and was able to hire a virtual assistant to support me with editing, show notes, and graphics. This is amazing since I have been wanting to launch for three years!”

“My biggest milestone was launching the Here Comes the Sun Podcast. I experience a lot of self-doubt and imposter syndrome. But with the guidance of Melissa and the course, I was able to show up for my first genz and start recording the episodes.”

“I created a space to help destress and practice mindfulness with ASMR, it is a thing I have wanted to do for several years.”

“I launched Rewild Mothering podcast this December!”

“Launching my podcast!”

“Doing it! Getting my dream out there!“

“I launched and have an amazing amount of support!”

“I launched my podcast after years and years of procrastination. With proper guides, it was easy to do.”

“I launched my own podcast this year and created 7 episodes enjoyed across 10 platforms!”

“I launched after putting it off for a long time.”

This is far from an extensive list, but here are a few more Wit & Wire community members who launched podcasts in 2020:

We hit podcast download milestones 📈

“I am very excited about my launch this year. I started in September 2020 and just passed 600 downloads, which may not seem like a lot but I started with no followers so I have been thrilled with the response. Super excited about the new year.”

“Launched my podcast, had several amazing guests, and had a few episodes collectively listened to over 1000 times (including YouTube + podcast players).”

“Got consistent in my podcasting, rebranded, and passed 2,000 downloads in just a few months!”

“I reached 1,000 plays on my podcast!”

“My first episode has over 8,000 downloads (and counting), and the show as a total has over 90,000 downloads!!”

“197 downloads in first month – Only launched on 11/13/20!”

“Hit 2,000 downloads in 200 days.”

“Passed 20k downloads!”

“Passed 1500 downloads in the first 3 weeks! Just started week 4!”

We interviewed great guests 💬

“I interviewed a Broadway star, a NYT best-selling author, the godmother of modern corsetry, a world-famous tap dancer, and the founder of a global women’s charity. I hit 500 downloads in just my first few episodes and made the Society and Culture charts!”

“Having incredible, informative conversations with 18 completely different people, in completely different parts of the world. That was really cool.”

We made an impact ⭐

“Using our Army spouse learned process of resiliency to step out and do something bigger than ourselves and share our love of literature with our family, friends, and faithful listeners has truly been something we never thought we could accomplish with a mic and a set of headphones.

“Even in the midst of a pandemic, I did what I could to hold it down as a single host podcaster!”

“I launched my podcast and a podcast station in the Sutherland Shire and helped 22 others to launch theirs and interview 98 people. We celebrated our one year birthday last month and have had over 5000 downloads since September. Our community of ShirePoddies continues to grow and we broadcasted live from Cafe’s for 11 weeks during Covid to keep our community connected!”

“My podcast’s intention is to empower the younger generation of Iranian Girls and give them role models to look up to. I have had such a great response with this mission and I look forward to what 2021 has in store.”

“We have been able to spark interest in our podcast genre topics for various age groups for women. From teens, elders, middle-aged, and even the LGBT community. We initially started with the idea of targeting young adult women but did not realize the true impact of who could benefit from it.”

“My biggest accomplishments was having people be interested in being a guest on my show. My self-esteem was shaky as I entered into the podcasting world, but knowing that others find my topic important was a milestone.”

Reflecting on Wit & Wire in 2020

At the start of 2020, I thought it would be great if I could help 50 women launch podcasts. And I’m a little bit shocked to realize I’ve accomplished exactly that.

When I started my business, I knew I wanted to empower more women and minorities to start podcasts. And my overall theme for 2020 was to focus on launching and helping creators raise their voices, quite literally.

My own podcasts both grew, but I’m most proud of the progress my students have made in the Podcast Launch Accelerator and all of my programs. I love to teach and be helpful, but I’m also regularly inspired by my students’ stories, ideas, and perseverance. You guys make what I do worthwhile.

A look ahead to 2021

If I helped 50 women launch this year, maybe I should set my sights on 100 new podcasts next year. 😬

But beyond launching – which remains a core focus in my business – I’ve also started exploring new ways to help podcasters grow in 2021. The #1 question I get might be, “How can I find more listeners for my podcast?” and I intend to solve it.

Frankly, I don’t think a straightforward course is the solution. I think it takes accountability and clear action strategies to build meaningful growth over time, so stay tuned for what’s to come in the new year.

Celebrating our 2020 podcasts & accomplishments 3

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