Podcast Storytelling: Turn Personal Stories Into Business Growth
What the heck is a velocipede?
Ok ok ok…I had to look up how to pronounce it…Do you know what a velocipede is? And what the heck does a velocipede have to do with podcasting?
Sharing that connection requires I go back in time…to a little girl, well two, actually, with pigtails. My baby sis, Kat and me – we loved that velocipede.
You see, the velocipede and ice cream go together.
And velocipede and ice cream equals only one thing – time with my Dad.
Back in the “olden days” people worked at one company their entire life…unless they got shifted or the company got bought out. My dad was a Railroad Lifer.
I wouldn’t say my dad had an entrepreneurial mindset…but he definitely had a make money, invest wisely, track your growth, and have some fun with it too, mindset.
Hey there, I’m Jen Rogers, founder of the Virtual Podcast School and your host of the Substack Podcast Studio. A velocipede is an early form of bicycle propelled by working pedals on cranks fitted to the front axle was the very thing Kat and I got to crank with our dad.
Dad worked for the Soo Line Railroad – I’ll drop a pic featuring Locomotive No. 2714, a restored steam engine first built in 1911- in the newsletter if you’re following along on Substack – and he’d take me and Kat out for a summer day to the RR tracks where he worked…and then, we’d always stop for ice cream at the parlor with yummy homemade ice cream. My dad would tell us, “Don’t tell Mom!”
As if she didn’t know..
Those stolen moments with dad are highly memorable – decades later. Your podcast content must be the same – highly memorable.
Each week in the newsletter, we focus on one of 3 areas – you get to pick! Choose to become Memorable, Referable, and Profitable.
We also take mini action on the step we choose…if you’re new here, Welcome to the Studio! If you’re an OG to my world…well, dang! I am so grateful to be on this roller coaster ride of Podcasting and Substack! Thank you for being here.
Psst…if you’re new enough that you haven’t joined us in the Studio yet, I’d love to welcome you as a free subscriber. Go here to join the Studio.
The chat is off the railroad tracks because the Podstackers in the Studio are off the rails good.
Before I share specific action you can take to become memorable with your podcast, I want to feature a Studio Success Story, Patrick LaRose. Take a listen to our convo from this past Thursday about all of his success with his Substack publication and podcast, The Second Shift.
jen
Become Memorable
Sticky Soundbites
Your specific words don’t need to be regurgitated verbatim, the memory of them does
Remember that velocipede….Well, I had to check in with my older and only brother (I’m sure he’d say wiser brother), Rick to do a double check on the role my dad played.
You see, my childhood memory of being on the RailRoad 🚂🚧 tracks is strong. The specifics of what my dad did - much foggier.
Here’s what my brother shared when I asked, “What was Dad’s official title on the railroad?:
…”Lineman for the Soo Line RR. He was responsible for fixing any downed lines (fallen trees/branches, vandals shooting insulators).
Back in the day they would send train schedules over telegraph wires from station to station to ensure there was only one train on the same track at a time. This procedure eventually got replaced by using FAX machines, which he helped install.
His territory covered about 150 miles of track. Back in the day he would set 30 foot poles and assemble cross arms (with pins and insulators) by himself! To find a problem, sometimes he used a putt-putt, which was a yellow gasoline engine powered steel box on train track wheels that was all steel and very heavy. Once he had to jump off and let an oncoming train smash into the putt-putt. Someone screwed up the communication!”
So there you have it, the cranking machine I called the velocipede is much easier named a putt-putt.
Now let’s be real. You and I know I didn’t recall velocipede from my childhood…here’s how I found that word:
I typed this into the search bar: “What’s that thing called on the RR that a person pumped on each side and rode down the tracks”. That’s what prompted me to reach out to by brother Rick to get more of the story.
🎬 Your Memorable Action Step
Pick one of your shared childhood memories and write down everything you remember about it. Then reach out to the person you shared it with and compare notes.
This will become relatable content for your future podcsat episodes, Substack notes, and articles.
Become Referable
Buzz Builder
Your hometown network should be referring you
One thing my hometown was known for when I was growing up?
Taverns.
They were everywhere.
And they were not empty.
Sometimes after spending the day with Dad, he’d take my sister Kat and me along.
The railroad guys would be there in their blue work shirts with those long shirttails hanging down.
And those shirttails?
They were the perfect opportunity.
Kat knew something most business owners forget.
She didn’t sit around waiting and hoping someone would notice her.
She didn’t think, “Surely someone will realize I want a Shirley Temple.”
Nope.
She walked right up, gave that shirttail a little tug, and made a very specific ask.
A couple quarters for the jukebox.
A virgin Shirley Temple.
And who was saying no to my cute baby sis?
Kat understood the people around her weren’t mind readers.
They needed a little nudge.
A little reminder.
A reason to think, “Oh! I can help with that.”
Your network works the same way.
The people who know you may absolutely want to refer you.
But they aren’t walking around with your business description memorized.
They’re listening for moments.
Specific sentences.
The little comments people make when they’re frustrated, stuck, or ready for something different.
Your job is to teach them what to listen for.
Consider the difference between how you can educate your network on what you do:
“Send me anyone who needs a business coach.”
Instead, try something like this:
“You know when someone says, ‘I built a business that looks successful from the outside, but I’m still the one holding every piece together?’
That’s when they need a business coach who can help them create the structure to scale without being trapped by the business they built.”
Not:
“Let me know if you know someone buying or selling a home.”
But:
“You know when someone says, ‘Our house worked for the life we had, but it doesn’t work for the life we’re creating now?’
That’s when they need a Realtor who can help them find the next right home for the life they’re creating now.”
See the difference? Moreso - Feel the Difference?
You’re not asking people to remember your business. (Or your “I help statement!)
You’re giving them a moment to recognize.
The best referrals don’t happen when someone thinks:
“I know someone who needs a business coach.”
They happen when someone hears a sentence and thinks:
“Wait...I know exactly who needs this.”
Give them the words by describing the memorable moments.
In other words, give them the shirttail to tug.
🎬 Your Referable Action Step
Who is your favorite client or customer?
Think back to the moment right before they found you.
What were they saying?
Not the polished version.
The real version.
The frustrated text message.
The comment over coffee.
The sentence they said when they finally admitted, “Something has to change.”
Finish this:
“You know when someone says ______________________?”
That’s your referral trigger.
Now use those exact words in your podcast, your DM and IRL conversations, and your content.
People cannot refer you when they do not remember you.
When you share memorably, they’ll know when to tug the shirttail.
Note: If you’re struggling talking about what you do without boring your audience to tears, listen to Issue #40 of the Mic Drop Mastery Newsletter so you can stop explaining and turn your conversations into referrals and clients.
If you’re not ready for the full Studio Experience, you can purchase the How to Get Ideal Clients to Say, “Tell Me More” mini training session for $47 here.
thevirtualpodcastschool.com/tellmemore
Become Profitable
Cha-Ching Content
The day Dad’s truck changed its position.
One last Dad story sticking with the railroad theme.
And no, it’s not about the 8-Track tapes Dad had in that truck he had access to 24/7.
(Although...those tapes were something. 😂)
It’s about the day the truck’s position changed.
Dad’s railroad owned truck became part of his everyday life.
It got him where he needed to go.
It carried what he needed to carry.
It helped him do his job.
Until one day...
The truck rolled downhill.
And crashed.
I don’t remember every detail from that day, but I remember the feeling in the room. The adults posing questions…
What would happen?
What would his employer think?
Would this impact his job?
Suddenly, the thing that had been helping Dad do his work was now a problem that needed to be solved.
The truck didn’t change.
But its position did.
And that changed everything.
Here’s the thing about your podcast:
Your microphone isn’t the problem.
Your episodes aren’t the problem.
Your expertise isn’t the problem.
But if your podcast isn’t creating the business results you want?
You may need to look at its position.
How have you positioned your podcast to build trust?
What steps are you taking to create demand? To move the right people toward your offer?
If you sense your podcast is just sitting there...looking nice, taking up space, and waiting for someone to notice…your positioning will not change.
Listen, you and I know a podcast doesn’t become profitable because you have one.
A podcast becomes profitable because you intentionally position every conversation to do a job.
That’s on you and me.
Not the podcast.
Not the algorithm.
Not the audience.
The responsibility for positioning belongs to you.
The question isn’t:
“How do I get more people to listen?”
The question is:
“How is this episode positioned to help the right person take the next step?”
When your positioning is right, your content stops being something you create to fill your calendar...and starts becoming something that goes to work, compounding returns for you.
🎬 Your Profitable Action Step
Choose the next step that fits where your podcast is today:
1. The no-brainer option: Join the Substack Podcast Studio
If you want to learn alongside other Podstackers, strengthen your show for more conversions and stay in the conversation, join us inside the Studio:
Join the Substack Podcast Studio
2. Take the Profitable Podcast Health Checkup
If your podcast is consuming time without producing clear business results or you want to build the right structure before you ever launch your first show, you need this mini-course. The Profitable Podcast Health Checkup will help you examine what’s working, what has run off the train tracks, and what needs your attention next.
Use code: SUBSTACKTLC to save 50% off The Profitable Podcast Health Checkup
Join the Studio to Grab the Replay
Know Exactly What to Say Next: How to create content that meets your buyer where they are
Bonus JULY Session
Join The Studio before July 31 for access to the paid subscriber bonus session.
If you’ve ever stared at your content ideas and wondered:
“Is this too basic?”
“Is my audience ready for this?”
“Why does this episode get attention but not inquiries?”
“How do I create content that moves people toward working with me?”
This session is for you.
You’ll learn how to use the five stages of buyer awareness to decide:
What your audience needs to hear first.
What content builds trust before the sale.
What topics create curiosity and conversation.
What episodes naturally support your offers.
How to create content that meets people where they are and helps them take the next step.
Know this! Profitable podcasts are not built by publishing more content.
They are built by publishing the right content for the right person at the right time.
The paid tier is currently $147.
This session alone is valued at $497 because understanding buyer awareness changes the way you approach every episode, email, post, and offer.
I’ll eventually sell this session as a standalone workshop.
Right now, the only way into the room is through The Studio.
🎤︎︎ The Substack Podcast Studio is for the podcaster who wants to create the right content for the right person at the right time, so every episode builds trust, creates momentum, and supports the business they are building.
Become a paid subscriber today.
Links & Resources:
Create podcast episodes that make ideal clients lean in, recognize themselves, and say YES to working with you.
Create podcast episodes that convert listeners into clients
NOTE: Current Paid Studio Members Gain FREE Access To This Course When They Are Enrolled on or before July 31, 2026.
Need a game plan? Book a 1:1 Mic Drop Mastery Power Hour with me to get your strategy locked in.
Ready to go all-in to launch and monetize your podcast? If you’re at the level where you’re ready to invest $2k+ in a full-scale system build-out, start by booking a complimentary consult here. Let’s ensure your business model and your podcast are speaking the same language. https://thevirtualpodcastschool.com/consult.
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