Why You Need to Start as a Podcast Guest Before Launching Your Own Show
Thinking about starting your own podcast? Hold on. There’s a faster way to grow your audience, sharpen your message, and attract clients or partnerships — without the time and expense of launching right away.
It’s simple right?... become a podcast guest first.
Yes, we know this information has been told to you many times, in many ways. We’ve all seen again and again that guesting is the shortcut most wanna-be podcasters overlook.
But at Podcast Expert Lab, we do it a little different.
Let’s take Anna’s story (name changed for privacy). She thought she needed to launch her own show to build authority. TLDR; But once she started showing up as a guest on other people’s podcasts, her visibility jumped. Clients started reaching out. And now she is only focusing her energy on remaining the guest who can simply show up as the talent.
Why Guesting Works Before You Launch
Guesting gives you three powerful advantages right from the start:
Borrowed audiences – Instead of building from zero, you step into rooms full of people who already trust the host.
Real-time practice – Guest interviews force you to sharpen your story and find the words that land.
Authority by association – Each appearance positions you alongside respected names in your field.
For Anna, that meant skipping the grind and battle with the algorithm of socials. She was able to jump straight into meaningful conversations with her exact audience. While we know not all our dream clients listen to podcasts, it is always been on the upward trend;
Podcast listening keeps climbing, with 158 million Americans now tuning in monthly — more than triple a decade ago (Edison Research, The Podcast Consumer 2025, Infinite Dial).
How We Do It Different. The 20/10/5 Guesting Method
If you want to use guesting as your growth strategy, start with our simple framework:
20 shows for practice: Write down 20 podcasts in your field that you’d like to be on. They don’t need to be huge or ones you already listen to. Think of these as your training ground to build confidence and refine your message.
10 shows for audience alignment: Next, pick 10 podcasts where your specific audience is already listening. These are the shows that will actually move the needle for your business once you’ve had a few reps.
5 dream shows: Finally, aim high. Choose five podcasts you’d love to be on — the ones that feel out of reach today, like Mel Robbins or Diary of a CEO. Why? Because if you never pitch these types of shows, you’ll never land them. Ambition creates trajectory.
This 20/10/5 structure gives you a clear path from practice runs to prime exposure. Use this method on repeat until you've had enough runs on the board to know if you are like Anna, and are happy to show up as the talent, or if it sparks something in you that you just can't ignore - and you want your own show.
How to Maximise Every Guest Spot
Landing the spot is only half the battle. The real wins come from how you show up. Here are three ways to make every guest interview count:
Stick to 3 talking points (max). Don’t overload your audience. Pick three key messages and repeat them in different ways.
Use the “sticky note” method. Literally write your three talking points on Post-it notes and place them above your laptop screen. This way, you stay anchored during the conversation, while still making eye contact with the host.
Give one clear call-to-action. At the end of the interview, don’t rattle off all your platforms. Pick one place — your LinkedIn, your newsletter, or a simple landing page — and send everyone there.
The key here; Simple wins. If you don't get to all of your talking points, don't force them. It's okay to say something at the interview along the lines of 'we talked about so much gold, and I also have XYZ to share so if your listeners want to ask me anything else, they can find me [here]. Can't stress enough that this is ONE place only, and preferably a direct way to connect and chat with you.
The Bottom Line
If you’re thinking about launching a podcast, start with guesting. It’s faster, cheaper, and builds real authority before you invest in production.
That’s exactly what Anna discovered. And it’s why at Podcast Expert Lab, we recommend every creator guest first, launch second.
Stuck on How to Land Guest Spots?
If you’re reading this and thinking:
“This all sounds great, but how do I actually get booked on these shows?”
“I’ve been pitching, but I’m not getting any responses.”
Then let’s talk.
We’ve developed a pitch method that’s very different from what everyone else is teaching — and it quietly works. Think of it as our secret menu at Podcast Expert Lab. We don’t publish it publicly because if everyone copied it, it would stop being effective.
Want to see how it works?
👉 Let’s map out how you can land your first guest spot. → Book your free 15-minute Fit Call.
