Podcasting workflow and productivity: lessons from 10 years of Beyond the To-Do List

Executive overview

Running a weekly interview podcast without a system leads to burnout and inconsistency. Batch recording, time-blocking, and delegating editing are the three levers that unlock sustainable output.

The host of Beyond the To-Do List shares a decade of hard-won process: from booking guests and preparing questions to post-recording follow-up, ad reads, and promotion.

Workflow foundations

• Block dedicated recording windows on your calendar; treat them as fixed commitments
• Batch record up to three episodes per week to create runway — then close those slots as they fill
• Plan by quarter (12 episodes, 12 slots) rather than scrambling week to week
• Front-load recording so you're never racing a deadline
• Know your limits: back-to-back sessions drain energy; build in recharge time

Booking and scheduling guests

• Use Calendly to publish your available slots; guests self-book, reducing back-and-forth
• Build a guest pipeline by mapping 20–50 topic or person ideas before you launch
• Ask for guests you think you can't get — a yes within 24 hours is common
• Use social proof: landing one notable guest makes the next ask easier
• Close off slots for impossible weeks before opening your calendar to bookings

Guest research and preparation

• Skim a book first to get the shape, then revisit marked sections for deeper questions
• Listen to prior interviews of the guest on other shows; formulate the follow-up they didn't get
• Aim to make guests say "nobody's ever asked me that before"
• Prepare more questions than you need, grouped into three logical sections
• Target 75–80% guest talking time; extra questions are insurance if they're not forthcoming

Post-recording relationship and follow-up

• Treat guests as relationships, not transactions — end on a warm note
• Send a thank-you email with an estimated release date; follow up again when it goes live
• Invite repeat appearances in that live email, not immediately after recording when they lack context
• Use Text Expander templates for follow-up emails; add the personal flourish before sending
• Don't pressure guests to share; offer the link and let them choose

Hiring an editor

• Delegate editing as soon as you can afford to — most hosts wait too long
• Trust matters more than skill: hire someone whose work you can already assess
• Accept 80–90% match to your style; perfectionism on this blocks progress
• Removing editing from your plate drops stress and creates scheduling flexibility for ad reads

Promotion

• Consistent guest quality is your best growth lever — name recognition travels
• Mention new episodes in newsletters; link to relevant back catalog, not just the latest
• Share episodes you appear on as a guest; model the behaviour you want from your own guests
• Short video clips outperform pre-made share graphics; offer raw files, don't force assets on guests
• No one promotes enough — build the habit before you feel ready

Advice to an earlier self

• Hire an editor the moment you can afford it
• Drop the "must record every single week" mindset — batch and release on a season cadence
• Build a listener community early; they surface questions you wouldn't think to ask
• 80% perfect and shared beats 100% perfect and stuck in your head
• Beta-test by going live in a small trusted group; iterate before wide release