Featured Guest: Kevin Chemidlin

Kevin Chemidlin is the founder of Grow The Show, which helps podcasters grow and monetize their shows. In just 5 years, Grow The Show has impacted over 50,000 podcasts, and Kevin's podcasts have generated more than $3M in revenue.

The Two Hidden Reasons Your Podcast Isn’t Growing

As the saying goes in podcasting: "If you build it, nothing will happen." Brutal? Maybe. True? Absolutely. In this episode, I’m sitting down with Kevin Chemidlin, founder of Grow the Show, and together we’re diving into the two silent killers of podcast growth—and trust me, these aren’t your usual suspects. Spoiler: They’re not about your content, your gear, or your guests—these are the behind-the-scenes factors that often make or break your success.

So, what are these silent killers? Let’s break them down.

Silent Killer #1: You Are Your Own Algorithm

Podcasting is one of the few content mediums that lacks a built-in algorithm (this may change in the near future when platforms like YouTube and Spotify become the preferred platforms for podcast listening, but for now, this still holds true). Unlike platforms like Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok, where your content is pushed to people who might be interested, podcasting is still largely decentralized. Like Kevin explains, "There is no algorithm that pushes your content to potential listeners. You are your own algorithm. And it’s something most podcasters don’t realize until it’s too late.

You could create the best podcast episode ever—one that makes people laugh, cry, and wonder how they ever lived without your show. But if you don’t have a strategy to promote it, no one will hear it.

So, what’s the solution? You need to take control of your own visibility. You have to be proactive about marketing your show—finding the right strategy that helps your audience discover your content. This means finding new ways to get in front of people who may have never heard of you before. More on that below. 

Silent Killer #2: Listener Retention

Alright, so let’s say you’ve got someone to hit “play” on your episode. Now comes the tough part: keeping them engaged. Listener Retention is crucial for podcast growth, but it’s not just about how long people listen. It’s about whether they listen through until the end—and come back for more.

It's easy to overlook the importance of retention, but if listeners bail early, then all the marketing and promotion in the world won’t make a difference.

Kevin challenges, “Do your episodes make a promise and deliver on it? How many times have you tuned into a podcast and dropped off halfway through because it didn’t meet your expectations? I know I have. If someone tunes in, are they going to actually listen to the whole episode and get massive value, or are they going to do what most listeners do when they come across a podcast that isn’t outstanding? They turn it off immediately.”

Kevin stressed that the first 90 seconds of an episode are make-or-break: “If you meander during the first minute, you’ll lose them. You have to tell your listeners exactly what they’re going to get out of the episode.”

But instead of starting strong with a clear promise of value, many podcasters spend their intros chatting about life updates, the weather, or other filler content. As Kevin wisely put it, "If you don’t hook them in those first 90 seconds, they’re skipping onto the next show. And they might never come back.”

So what’s the secret to increasing listener retention? Grab their attention right away and make it clear why your episode matters. Otherwise they’ll hit skip and never come back.

Mastering Podcast Guesting to Expand Your Reach

One of the most powerful ways to grow your podcast is by guesting on other shows. Kevin is a huge advocate for this strategy, and for good reason: “When you collaborate with other podcasters, you’re reaching people who are already listening to podcasts—your ideal audience.”

But guesting isn't about pitching hundreds of shows or saying "yes" to every invitation. Kevin recommends being strategic about which podcasts you appear on, and guest on shows that have the exact audience you want to reach. “The key is targeting the right shows,” Kevin says. “If you guest on podcasts with small audiences, you may get some practice and relationships, but you won’t see significant growth. You want to target shows with an engaged audience—those are the ones that will actually help you grow.”

But how do you identify those shows and actually get an ROI from the episodes you collaborate on? Take a page from Kevin’s playbook:

1. Target the Right Shows
   First, you need to make sure you’re choosing the right podcasts to guest on. “The key is targeting shows with an audience you want to reach,” Kevin said. Don’t waste your time on shows that don’t have an engaged listener base. Look for podcasts that are relevant to your niche and have listeners who are likely to be interested in what you have to offer.
   
2. Craft a Strategic Pitch
   Once you’ve identified the right podcasts, the next step is pitching. But not just any pitch. “Don’t send a generic pitch that looks like it’s been copy/pasted from a template you got on Chat GPT,” Kevin urges. Instead, reach out to the host and ask, ‘How do you prefer to receive guest pitches?’” This one simple shift has 40x’d (not a typo) his clients' response rate on cold pitches. A personalized, thoughtful pitch goes much further than a bulk email that feels like spam.
   
3. Add Value When You Appear
   At the risk of sounding obvious, being a guest on someone else’s show isn’t about showing up and talking about yourself. It’s about adding value to the host’s audience. Yet, you'd be surprised how many podcast guests get this backward, making the episode all about them, their unique approach, and whatever they're trying to sell you. Instead, Kevin stressed the importance of showing up prepared to contribute in a meaningful way. “The goal when you appear on a podcast, is to make sure you’re leaving a lasting impression through your content that makes a listener go, ‘wow, that was awesome’ and naturally encourages them to check out your own show for more.”
   
4. Call to Action
   Instead of just asking listeners to check out your podcast, Kevin recommends offering something of value that ultimately gets them on your email list. Why? Because driving listeners to your email list is one of the smartest moves you can make for long-term podcast growth. “When you get listeners to sign up for your email list, you're not just gaining new subscribers—you're creating a direct line to your audience. That means you have control over your connection with them from that point forward.” Pro Tip: The best CTAs are the ones that directly tie to the topic of the episode and give listeners a real reason to take the next step. 
   
   

Podcast SEO: The Underdog Strategy for Podcasters Serious about Growth

Podcast apps like Apple Podcasts and Spotify are getting smarter, and search now accounts for over 50% of how people discover podcasts. That means if your show isn’t appearing in search results, you're missing out on a massive opportunity to get in front of cold audiences who don’t yet know you exist. Kevin and I agree: Even though Podcast SEO often gets overlooked in the podcast world (for now), it’s absolutely critical—especially if you have a small audience and are looking to grow.

Podcast SEO allows you to optimize your episodes for podcast search engines specifically, making it easier for cold listeners to find you when they’re searching for content like yours. The best part? Podcast SEO has a compounding effect with every episode you release. If you can dominate a handful of strategic, targeted keywords, your show will get discovered by more and more people—even when you’re not ranking on the charts or have a small audience.

If you’re serious about podcast growth, stop thinking of growth as just a numbers game where you simply publish more episodes as that only helps you deliver more content to listeners who already know you. Instead, start thinking strategically about how to get found by listeners who don’t know you yet. When you make Podcast SEO a priority, you're not just increasing your reach—you’re making sure your podcast is discoverable by the listeners who need it most.

Plus, with new tools to track Podcast SEO performance on platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify, you can now see exactly how well your keywords are performing, refine your strategy, and help more of the right listeners find your show.

Your Next Steps

Publishing content consistently doesn’t guarantee podcast growth. If that were the case, every podcast with a weekly episode would be a top show by now. Sure, great content and consistent episodes are important—but they’re only half the battle. The real growth comes from the strategy behind getting your podcast discovered, keeping listeners engaged, and making sure your show is consistently visible.

So if you’re ready for real podcast growth, it’s time for a more strategic approach. Here’s what to focus on:

• Be Your Own Algorithm: Don’t wait for listeners to find your show by chance. Actively promote it to make sure your content reaches new listeners.
  
• Focus on Retention: Get straight to the point to hook listeners right from the start and deliver on your episode’s promise to keep them coming back for more.
• Don’t Ignore Podcast SEO: Spend the time to build a targeted podcast keyword strategy so that listeners who are searching for content like yours can find you, even if you’re not ranking on the charts.

And if you want to dive even deeper into the psychology behind what makes a podcast truly bingeworthy, hit “Follow” for Insider Secrets to a Top 100 Podcast on your favorite podcast app so you never miss a new episode.

Or if you’re an established coach, consultant, or creator who’s ready for a proven strategy to build a bingeworthy top podcast that grows your audience and your business, book a free strategy call with our team to find out if you’re a fit for PodLaunch® — we’d love to help you.

Up Next:

Think monetizing your podcast is as simple as landing a sponsor and calling it a day? Not so fast. Kevin Chemidlin joins us back in the next episode to reveal why rushing to monetize can actually backfire—and how holding off can actually set you up for bigger profits and a stronger connection with your audience.

We’re unpacking Kevin’s four-step framework for podcast growth and monetization, where he reveals how to get your audience not just listening, but lining up to buy what you’re offering. So if you’re ready to stop supporting your podcast out-of-pocket and turn your show into a true profit-driver, don’t miss the next episode.