Most podcasting advice says, “Get guests to grow faster.”

But what if the fastest way to build authority and connection … is to start solo?

In this episode, Sadaf Beynon explores why solo episodes aren’t just a fallback option — they’re a foundation for clarity, confidence, and credibility.

You’ll hear:

• How “guest-heavy” podcasts can unintentionally hold you back
• Why solo episodes are your best tool for learning, experimenting, and leading with authenticity
• How successful hosts like Amy Porterfield, George Bryant, and Randy Molland used solo formats to build trust before bringing in guests
• What you can do this week to build confidence in your own voice

This is your reminder that your podcast doesn’t just need more guests — it needs more of you.

👉 Connect with Sadaf on LinkedIn or visit podjunctionpodcast.com for resources, insights, and upcoming episodes.

Hey there, I'm Sadaf Beynon, and this is Podjunction Podcast,

the show where business leaders share how they use podcasting to grow,

connect, and build their brands.

I'm back in my solo series, the podcast Rethink, where I press

pause on interviews and dig into the biggest myths in podcasting.

So far, we've talked about why chasing downloads can hold your business

back and how too many interviews can actually weaken your brand.

Today we're going to look at one of the most common pieces of advice out

there for podcasters, which is if you want to grow fast, get guests.

It sounds like good advice, I know, but what if the fastest way to build

authority isn't by booking guests?

That's the

contrarian take we're exploring today.

So let's start with the myth.

Most new podcasters believe that the best way to gain traction is to invite guests,

especially those with big followings.

It feels like the smart move because you have more reach, more

content, and more credibility.

But here's what I learned, both from my own journey and from the dozens of

podcasting entrepreneurs I've spoken to right here on Podjunction Podcast.

Guests can easily become a crutch.

I have come to call this the confidence trap, which is something that happens

when you use guests to fill the silence before you found your own voice.

You rely on their expertise to make your show sound credible.

You tell yourself that you're building value, but actually deep down

you're avoiding being center stage.

And I say that from my own direct experience.

When I first started Podjunction, I wanted every episode to feature someone

interesting, someone who had done it so I could showcase their story.

And that worked to an extent.

But here's what I noticed when I only asked questions, I didn't

build confidence in my perspective.

I was curating other people's voices all the time, but I wasn't developing my own.

And you know, it's really, really easy to hide behind great guests.

But if you never learn to carry an episode on your own, your authority

stalls right where it started and.

Honestly, part of that comes from how we're conditioned to think about

credibility because in business, we're told to borrow authority by associating

with people who've already made it.

So naturally, we assume that bringing guests on early will

give us legitimacy by association.

But in podcasting, that shortcut can actually slow your growth down

because real authority comes from how you think, not who you talk to.

So here's the reality.

Starting with solo episodes might not sound glamorous, but it's one

of the smartest strategic moves you can make because when it's just

you, three powerful things happen.

One.

You simplify everything.

Solo podcasting strips out 80% of the complexity.

There's no scheduling, there's no prep calls, no follow up emails, no

waiting on anyone's availability.

When you're recording, if you make a, if you make a mistake, you stop.

You re-record and move on.

And because you're not juggling guests, you can respond to what's happening right

now in your business or your industry.

One podcaster I spoke to said they could record five short

solo episodes in a single day.

Something that's nearly impossible with interviews.

Number two, you build authority and trust, and this one is huge.

If your podcast is an extension of your business or personal

brand, you are the product.

Neil Veglio from PodKnows podcasting, set it perfectly if you are the product.

Think twice about guests.

You see audiences connect with the person behind the mic.

If every episode is someone else's voice, your audience never gets to know you.

And that's the difference between listeners who sample your show and

listeners who follow your show.

I'll be honest, I don't always get a ton of messages or dms after my episodes.

Most of the time I have no idea who's listening or how it's landing, but

even without that direct feedback, I've noticed that I feel more connected

to my audience when I record solo episodes because there's something

about speaking straight from experience without worrying about the next question

or the guest's talking points that feels more personal and grounded.

Maybe that's the point.

Maybe it's less about the visible response and more about showing

up consistently with your real voice, because I think that's what

quietly builds trust over time.

It's not that interviews aren't valuable because they absolutely are.

It's that solo episodes give people you, they hear your thinking, your

tone, your quirks, and I believe that that's where authority and trust begin.

Number three, you learn faster.

Starting solo also helps you climb the learning curve faster.

Podcasting is awkward at first.

There's no way around it.

Your voice sounds strange.

You trip over words, you restart sentences.

Although, to be fair, I still do all of that, but when it's just

you, you get to experiment without worrying about how a guest feels

or whether you filled the time.

One host told me it took them 30 episodes before they felt

comfortable behind the mic.

That's normal.

If you start solo, you give yourself that freedom to improve without

the pressure you learn the cadence, the pacing, and what kind of

content flows naturally from you.

It's a skill, and like any skill, it only grows through repetition.

So what does this mean for you if you're just starting or if you've

already built an interview heavy show?

Here's the mindset shift.

Solo episodes aren't a step backward.

They're a foundation.

They forced you to become the expert, not the interviewer, because when you

don't have a guest to lean on, you have to clarify what you actually think.

You set the agenda, you define the ideas, you lead the conversation, and

that's how you build thought leadership.

And when you're ready to add guests later, it's different because

you're not chasing names anymore.

Instead, you're curating voices that compliment your message.

That's what many successful podcasters do.

They start solo, find their rhythm, and then strategically bring in

guests who fill gaps or add depth.

If you look at some of the most trusted voices in business

podcasting, there's a clear pattern.

Amy Porterfield, Jenna Kucher, even Pat Flynn, all started out solo

and in those early episodes it was just them, a mic and a message.

No big guest names, no flashy production, just teaching what they

knew and figuring it out as they went.

That's what built trust.

So by the time they started inviting guests, their audience already knew

their voice, their values, and their stories, and the interviews worked

because the foundation was already solid.

And it's not just the big names either.

Some of the podcasters I've spoken to right here in Podjunction

podcasts have done the same thing.

Take Steven Pemberton, for example.

He started voice like a line, as a kind of video journal, just him

processing ideas and talking things out.

For a long time, he barely had any listeners, but that period helped

him find his voice and direction.

Only later did he start bringing on guests, and by then his

message had real weight behind it.

Jason Greenwood, similar story.

George Bryant launched without much of a plan, just hitting record

when he had something to say.

Now his show runs two episodes a week, one solo session, and one guest conversation.

Take Randy Molland.

He began with solo episodes and moved to interviews and eventually realized

he missed sharing his own insights, so he brought the solo content back in.

Watching these podcasters evolve has really challenged me because

honestly, I didn't start that way.

I hid behind guests for a long time, curating their ideas

instead of finding my own.

And I do want to say I'm deeply grateful for every guest who's

joined me on this journey.

So far, each conversation has taught me something about podcasting

business or just how people think.

And those interviews have shaped Podjunction into what it is.

But what I've realized is that growth often happens when you pause long enough

to process what you've learned, and that's what solo episodes give you.

The space to turn insights into your own perspective.

But seeing how they built authority and clarity through solo content

has completely reshaped how I think about podcasting and the kind of

connection I want to build here.

All of them have one thing in common.

They found their voice before they handed the mic to someone

else, and that's the key.

When you build authority first, your guests don't define

your show, they enhance it.

Starting solo also gives you control, and control means sustainability.

You decide when to record what to talk about and how long the episode should be.

You can experiment without permission, test ideas, or go off script.

It doesn't matter.

Because when you are not tied to guest calendars or production

bottlenecks, you can stay consistent.

And consistency more than downloads, more than guests is

what grows a podcast that lasts.

And the best part is that you start developing your own frameworks

and ways of explaining things.

And that's how thought leadership is born.

One idea, one reflection, one solo episode at a time.

So don't underestimate the quiet power of going solo early.

It's not less professional, it's not less ambitious, it's just more you.

And if the thought of doing a solo episode still feels scary, that's okay.

Most of us start out worrying that we'll sound awkward or that nobody will care.

But I promise that the act of showing up even imperfectly

is what builds confidence.

So here's your challenge for the week record, one short solo episode sharing.

One thing you've learned recently, something your

audience could apply right now.

Don't script it perfectly.

Don't overthink it.

Just speak from your own, your own experience.

And if you already have a podcast that's heavy on interviews, try swapping one of

them for a solo reflection, because every time you do that, you strengthen that

connection between you and your audience.

Your podcast doesn't just need more guests, it needs more you.

Thanks for listening to Podjunction podcast.

If this episode gave you a little courage to pick up the mic on your

own, I'd love to hear about it.

Message me on LinkedIn, or reach out through the Podjunction website.

Next time we'll talk about the three KPIs that actually matter for podcast ROI and

why most dashboards are lying to you.

And remember, you don't find your voice by inviting more people to speak.

You find it by using your own, because in the end, your voice is

your brand, and that's what people

come back for.

Bye for now.

I.