How much of your personal life should you share with your podcast listeners?

As podcasters, we create content to share what we love and to bring people closer to us. And while we’ve talked about sharing our knowledge and expertise in previous episodes, today we’re going to explore the squishy human parts of ourselves that make us who we are.

So, how much should we share, and how can we avoid sharing too much? Let’s dive in.

The first and most obvious reason to share personal experiences on our podcasts is to build a stronger connection with our listeners. We want our listeners to feel like they know us, and that they can trust us. This is what moves the needle and drives sales, but more importantly, it’s what creates long-lasting, rewarding relationships with our listeners.

But sharing personal experiences isn’t just about building a connection. It also makes our podcasts more relatable and approachable. By sharing our mistakes and struggles, we show our listeners that we’re human, just like they are. We’re not perfect, and we don’t have all the answers. But we’re doing our best, and we’re willing to share our experiences with our listeners to help them on their own journeys.

Sharing personal experiences also allows our listeners to get to know us on a deeper level. They can learn what drives us, what interests us, and what we’re passionate about. And in a world where we want to work with other people, that kind of information can be incredibly useful and important.

So, how can we bring our listeners into our world and share our personal experiences with them? Here are a few suggestions:

• Share a personal anecdote that relates to your topic.
• Talk about your hobbies or interests outside of your podcast.
• Share a personal struggle or challenge that your listener can learn from.
• Take listener questions and answer them on air.
• Have a segment that involves your personal experiences or perspective.

But while sharing personal experiences can be incredibly rewarding, it can also leave us feeling vulnerable and exposed. Here are some things to keep in mind to help you avoid oversharing:

• Sharing personal information can make us vulnerable to criticism or attack. But if someone is going to be that judgmental or critical, then maybe they’re not the right person to work with.
• Sharing personal experiences that relate to your beliefs or values can alienate listeners who don’t share those beliefs or values. But if someone isn’t willing to work with you because of your beliefs or values, then maybe they’re not the right person to work with.
• Maintaining boundaries between your personal and professional life can be tricky. But by finding those boundaries in the edit, you can avoid oversharing and keep your personal life separate from your professional life.

Sharing personal experiences on our podcasts can be incredibly rewarding and help us build stronger, more meaningful relationships with our listeners. But it’s important to find the right balance and avoid oversharing. By sharing just enough of ourselves, we can create a podcast that is both personal and professional, and that our listeners will love.