Your Podcast Doesn’t Need More Guests, It Needs More You | Sadaf Beynon

Sadaf Beynon (00:00)

Hey there. I'm Sadaf Beynon and this is Pod Junction Podcast, the show where business leaders share how they use podcasting to grow, connect and build their brands. I'm back today in my short solo series, The Podcast Rethink, where I'm taking a step back from the interviews to challenge some of the biggest myths in podcasting and share what I've been learning for business leaders who use podcasting as a real growth tool.

So last time we talked about why chasing downloads can actually hold your business back. Today we're looking at another big one, the guest trap. It's the belief that the more people you interview, the more successful your podcast will be. It sounds logical, right? Because more guests mean more reach, more content, and of course more credibility. But what if the very thing that meant to grow your show is actually weakening your brand. That's what I want to unpack with you today.

that interviews are the backbone of so many podcasts and for good reason. They're easy to plan, they're great for networking, and of course, full of potential insights. But when your show becomes a revolving door of guest interviews, what begins to happen is that the voice of the host or the heartbeat of the show, as some would say, starts to fade.

Neil Velio, who joined me on the podcast a few months ago, founder of PodKnows Podcasting, he put it perfectly when he said, if you are the product, if your audience comes for your expertise, then you should think twice about guests. Because as he put it, your audience isn't there for your guests, they're there for you. And when you lean too heavily on guests, that relationship between you and your listeners will start to erode.

I've been thinking about this a lot. And if I'm honest, part of why we fall into the guest trap is because it feels productive. Every new booking gives you that little dopamine hit, another slot filled, another episode planned. It looks like progress. But what I'm realizing is that what starts as efficiency can quickly become just noise. Because when your podcast relies too much on guest content,

you start creating for the sake of volume instead of the vision and direction that you set out with. And before long, your show becomes a collection of other people's ideas instead of your own perspective. Randy Molland another guest that I've had on the show, host of Go Big to Give Big, shared how he reached that point. He realized that while guests looked great for his metrics, they weren't always hitting the topics that he cared most about.

He said he started feeling less excited about recording because it didn't feel like his show anymore. And so he very wisely pivoted and he began adding solo episodes and co-hosted sessions to bring back his own voice. And that changed everything for him and his business. So needless to say, it's a common trap many hosts fall into, including me. I'm very guilty of it. There have been seasons where I filled the Pod Junction schedule so tightly with with guest interviews.

that I left no room for my own reflections. And I could feel it, that connection slipping just a little. And it's not ⁓ just about having the energy or the time, it's also about authenticity. And you can tell when an interview is transactional when it's about ⁓ filling a slot rather than sharing a story. And the audiences can feel it too. They can tell when something's genuine and when it's a sales exchange.

George Bryant, another guest that I've had on the show talks about this a lot. He says the biggest mistake podcasters make is treating their show like a transaction instead of a relationship. He actually turns down dozens of guest pitches a week because in his words, if you prioritize metrics over connection, you'll lose your audience and you won't get them back. And he's right. When your show becomes a content machine rather than a connection engine,

it loses the trust that made it powerful in the first place. And then there's the sustainability factor because high frequency interviews can quickly become very overwhelming. The scheduling, the prep, the follow-up, it's a lot. And when content creation starts feeling like a grind, the quality naturally drops. I've heard hosts say that they batch recorded months of interviews only to realize

that the episodes felt dated by the time they released them. They couldn't react to audience feedback or current conversations because everything was locked in. That lack of flexibility makes the show feel less alive. So yes, interviews have value, but when they dominate your schedule and shape your identity, your podcast starts sounding like everyone else's. So what's the alternative?

Please hear me when I say I'm not suggesting that podcasters abandon interviews. I believe it's about being intentional with them. Neil often says guests should be there to bridge gaps in your knowledge, not to carry your show. They should bring insight that supports your wider mission, but not distract from it. And I think that that really is the key. Because when you stop using guests to fill time and start using them to add depth, that whole dynamic shifts.

One of the most common mistakes I see is when a host publishes dozens, even hundreds of interviews, but never actually adds their own perspective. give me a second here to be real, that was me. I'm guilty of that too. When I first started, I didn't have the confidence to add my own perspective because I believe the audience was more interested in the experts that I had on the show. And so I curated their voice instead of my own.

And let's just say my podcasting journey has also been my growth journey. What I've learned is that your audience wants your analysis as much as your questions. They want to know what you think about what they just heard. When you add those reflections, even just a minute or two or sprinkle it in, you help listeners understand how you think. And that's what builds familiarity and trust.

People don't just remember what they heard, they remember how you help them see it differently. And

The most successful hosts I've spoken with make space for that. They open the episode with their take or close with a short reflection. They protect their own voice. And when they do bring on guests, they do it with clarity and ask questions like, does this person deepen my message or dilute it? Do they add something my audience really needs or are they taking away from that? If the answer is no, it's okay to say no to that guest. It really is.

I know the temptation is to believe that more interviews mean more growth, but like everything in podcasting, success comes from depth, not volume. The hosts who see real measurable results aren't doing more interviews, they're just doing better ones. They're being intentional, they're being selective, and they're being strategic. they know that their audience comes back for them, their perspective, their tone, and their integrity.

And that's what makes their show work. Sure, guests add color and context, but the host provides the through line. And when you treat every interview as an extension of your mission, not a replacement for it, your brand stays strong, consistent, recognizable, and memorable. So this week, take a look at your upcoming episodes and ask, does each guest help tell your story or just fill your schedule?

If the answer is unclear, then replace one of those interviews with a short solo reflection. Even two or three minutes of your own insight can help your audience reconnect with you. Your podcast shouldn't just be a platform for other people's ideas, it should be a reflection of your own. So as you plan your next few episodes, remember, interviews are a tool, they're not a strategy. Used well, they can build connection, credibility, and trust.

used carelessly, they can dilute your message and drain your energy. Thanks for listening to Pod Junction Podcast. If this episode made you rethink how you approach guests or gave you a clearer sense of what it means to lead with your own voice, I would love to hear from you. You can message me on LinkedIn or reach out through the Pod Junction website. Next week, I'll get into why starting with solo episodes might actually be the smartest way to build your authority. So I hope to see you then.

and in the meantime, remember, it's not about more guests, it's about the right ones. Bye for now.