If you’re a small business owner or a marketing manager using podcasting for marketing, you’ve probably felt the pull of the scoreboard:

downloads
subscribers
Spotify/Apple “ranking” vibes
the occasional emotional spiral when Episode 47 gets fewer listens than Episode 12

Ande Lyons has a much calmer (and more profitable) perspective:

Community outlives downloads.

Not because downloads don’t matter… but because downloads don’t hug you back, refer you business, or show up when you host an event.

In this episode, Ande breaks down how she’s approached podcasting since 2012, how she uses podcasting as “just-in-time learning” to build authority fast, and the practical community-building moves that turn “listeners” into your people.

Let’s get into the playbook.

1) Use podcasting as “just-in-time learning” (and borrow credibility fast)

One of Ande’s best points is that podcasting isn’t only a marketing channel…it’s a shortcut to expertise.

If you’re switching lanes into a new niche, she recommends launching a podcast because it becomes just-in-time learning: you interview experts, learn faster than you would alone, and build social proof at the same time.

Ande puts it plainly: you get expert insights you can apply to your clients, and the association with those experts levels up your credibility.

Why this matters for brand building with podcasting:
A podcast isn’t just content. It’s a relationship engine with people your audience already trusts. Every guest is borrowed authority, and every conversation can become a pillar asset you repurpose.

Action step:
Make a “Top 25 Dream Guests” list in your niche. Start with people who:

serve your ideal audience
have real stories (not just bullet points)
can teach one clear takeaway

2) Your first job isn’t “growth.” It’s consistency and reps.

Ande’s early experience is a reality check for anyone hoping their first 10 episodes will sound like a professionally produced Netflix documentary.

She talks about doing weekly episodes (two guests), getting through that first year, and coming out the other side confident enough to keep going without training wheels.

She also highlights how going live forces you to stop obsessing over perfect. Tech will fail, things will go wrong, and you still have to keep the conversation moving.

That’s a mindset shift every business podcaster needs.

Tips for podcasting (especially early on):

Commit to a sustainable schedule for 90 days
Measure consistency before you measure downloads
Improve one thing per episode (intro, questions, audio, pacing)

3) Storytelling beats polish (and it’s how “edutainment” actually works)

A big chunk of the episode centers on vetting guests and why “edutainment” matters. The definition of that is “education that holds attention”.

Ande explains that even a quiet guest can crush it if they can tell a story. In her experience, storytelling is the difference between “nice credentials” and “listeners loved that.”

She also shares that sometimes you do the diligence, even a pre-check, and the interview still doesn’t land. You still may have to make the tough call not to use the episode.

For marketing with podcasting, this is gold:
Your show isn’t just a platform—it’s your brand. Protect it. A weak guest doesn’t just make one episode boring; it can make a new listener decide your whole show isn’t worth their time.

Action step (guest vetting):
Before you hit record, ask:

Can they tell a story with a beginning / middle / end?
Do they have a clear point of view (not just generic advice)?
Will your audience care in the first 60 seconds?

4) The real shift: stop chasing vanity metrics and build connection

Here’s the line you’ll want to tape to your microphone arm:

Ande says that when you’re on purpose with your “why,” it’ll never be about downloads—those are vanity numbers. What matters is the human connection from your voice to their ear.

This is the heart of client attraction podcasting:
People don’t hire you because you hit 10,000 downloads. They hire you because they listened and thought:

“Finally—someone who gets my problem.”

5) Want community? Name your people.

This is one of the simplest, most actionable community-building tactics in the entire episode.

Ande explains that listeners may not all know each other, but they feel like they’re part of something because you welcome them in—and one powerful way to do that is giving your community a name.

She’s started calling her people “pro agers.”

That’s not fluff. That’s identity.

When someone can say “I’m one of those,” you’ve moved from audience → community.

Action step (steal this):
Create a community name that:

reflects the outcome they want
feels positive and shareable
signals belonging

Examples:

“Growth Geeks”
“Content Builders”
“Lead Lab”
“Clinic Owners Who Refuse to Be Boring”

6) Community grows faster in-person than “online community” ever will

Ande talks about how hard it can be to make new friends/community as you get older, and how much she loved the Podfest experience—which inspired her to create a consistent monthly meetup.

She notes that when people know you’ll be in the same place at the same time every month, it builds trust, and that led to the New England Podcasters Group meeting monthly.

For businesses, this is a huge lesson:

Your podcast is the campfire. Your community needs a calendar.

Action step:
Host one simple monthly touchpoint:

live Q&A on LinkedIn
virtual coffee chat for listeners
quarterly in-person meetup (even small!)

7) Don’t quit because you only got “eight downloads”

This part is a confidence booster for anyone early in the journey.

The host gives the example: if there are eight people in the room next door, you’d go talk to them—so why won’t you publish for eight downloads? Ande agrees: it’s no different; they’re just listening in the car instead of sitting in the room.

That’s the mindset that builds brands.

Brand building with podcasting is long-game trust, not short-game hype.

8) Be real. The platforms are rewarding it.

Ande makes a timely point: platforms are learning that people want humans—not AI content—and authenticity still wins. She emphasizes that listeners care about heartfelt conversation and good audio more than perfection, and to give yourself grace in those early episodes.

For marketing teams, this matters because:

“perfect” is expensive
“human” is memorable
“consistent and clear” beats “rare and glossy”

9) Ande’s growth advice for business podcasts: niche down and know your listener

When asked what a business or marketing department should do to grow a new podcast, Ande’s answer is direct:

Stay in your lane, niche down, keep it simple, and get crystal clear about who you’re talking to—beyond demographics into psychographics (motivations, beliefs, what they’re looking for, what problem you solve).

That’s the foundation of podcasting for marketing that generates leads: specific audience, specific problem, repeatable value.

The “Community Outlives Downloads” Checklist

If you want a quick takeaway you can implement this week:

Pick one listener and speak to them (not “listeners”)
Name your community
Add one recurring touchpoint (monthly Q&A or meetup)
Vet guests for stories, not resumes
Publish consistently even when the numbers are small
Keep your “why” bigger than the dashboard