“I Gained 15 Paid Clients & Grew Podcast Downloads By 80%!” – P2P Student Kara Walker

Hey Friend!

Today I’m interviewing one of my long-time students, Kara Walker. We’ll talk about how Kara was able to achieve such incredible results – she ended up gaining 15 paid clients, grew her downloads by 80%, earned $900+ a month, and had her podcast ranking in 20 countries. She did all of this and grew a consistent income from her show while working less than 10 hours a week.

She’s going to be walking you through what her journey looked like, the mindset, the actions she took, and the different courses of mine that she’s been a part of. This will allow you to see if creating an income-producing podcast is a journey you want to take as well.

Testimony

I launched my podcast today! All because I took the Podcast Pro University course. I am so excited! I never would have been able to do it without the instruction and teaching of Stefanie Gass and this Podcast Pro University course. The next step for me after launching my podcast today is to go through Podcast to Profit. I’m going to go full steam ahead, and I cannot wait to see what I’ll come up with, with her to help me monetize what I’ve started and get my evergreen business model off the ground. And I just can’t wait for what’s to come. Thank you so much, Stefanie. -Kara Brothers

Interview with P2P Student Kara Walker

Stef: Kara has been a student for a long time. Tell everybody before we dig into all that, what is your podcast called? What do you do? 

Kara: My podcast is called Money and Mental Peace. I help students find scholarships and pay for college without student loans. I graduated from college debt-free, not knowing what I was doing and grateful God led me into a business to talk about what I figured out and did to help students. That’s my thing!

Stef: I have so many students who do so many incredible things in the world and have that little pocket to help people get that leg up in their lives and not have to go into the business world, not only struggling to get the first job and have a salary that pays the bills but not to have all that debt following along behind them. So “amen” to your mission, girl. Let’s talk a little bit about your journey with me. Tell everybody how you found me and those steps that ultimately led you to work with me.

How It Started

Kara: I needed business support because I had started a business finding student scholarships for college students. They still had to apply to them, but I was the interim person.

But I needed some accountability, support, and friendship. I didn’t know how to do business entirely. One thing led to another to another – I searched “time blocks” and guess who came up on Google Podcasts? So then I got connected to Chelsi Jo and ultimately to you through her. I didn’t think it was this long, but from the start of all that, it’s been like two years.

Stef: Remind me, did you take Clarify Your Calling? Did you go through all three steps?

Kara: Yes! I didn’t think I was going to. I was even knocking on the DMs of past Podcast to Profit students asking, “Do I really need to go through all of this?” But it was super helpful to go through all of the steps.

Trusting God in the Decision-Making Process

Stef: So you went through each step – 1. Clarify Your Calling (CYC) 2. Podcast Pro University (PPU) 3. Podcast to Profit (P2P). What were your fears and roadblocks and all of that? Obviously, you are a very mindful spender. You know how to live your life by these values you have set up for yourself around spending money. Were you apprehensive about investing with me?

Kara: Oh my goodness, yes! I didn’t only just graduate college debt-free, but I had money left over because I was getting grants and scholarships. And so I was holding that because I was trying to start a business. But I felt like this [investment] was what could be the catalyst. Even so, I am such a saver that there was so much prayer put into this.

I didn’t feel led too much one way or the other; I knew I had the money. I prayed through it and sought wise counsel, and I was finally like, “[God], please just turn me another way if I’m not supposed to do this – I just don’t know.” Eventually, I just clicked purchase, and I went into [the mastermind] and was like, “Okay, I guess it’s supposed to be.”

I don’t mean you always need to make all your decisions like that, but I think that was a good testing and trusting process.

Stef: I think the importance of the prayerful pursuit before we say “yes” to something is knowing that even as we walk and move forward, God will ultimately close the door if it’s not right, even if we’re already in it. Because a lot of things for me, I didn’t get a “yes” or “no” either way, so I would go forward.

I’ve learned that sometimes He closes the door after a period, but it was because I needed to be in that room for that period. Or He didn’t close the door at all, and it was a total yes. And then I recognized when I moved forward without prayerfully asking Him, I got so burned. Earlier this year I got so burned, and I lost $15,000 on investment because I did not pause and pray.

The Value of Asking Questions

Stef: Whether it’s my program or anybody’s program, God has got to be brought into that decision-making process. I love that you brought that up, Kara. Then you joined P2P. What was the program like?

Kara: I joined last year, and I joined this year – I actually did it again because it was that good. So yeah, it was definitely intensive, encouraging with support and great accountability, and honestly, it was even better because it was six months long.

[when I started P2P the second time], I was busy already having some clients, finding student scholarships, and trying to do [the mastermind.] It was hard, and I was like, “Stef, I know how to do all this stuff – it’s just the time.” And you were like, “Welcome to success. It’s harder.”

I don’t want to say I’m like majorly successful. I still work part-time. This is not my main gig, but it was better to be longer. So be glad it’s six months now.

Stef: Yes, it used to be three months, for those of you that are new. Podcast to Profit used to be a three-month intensive. Imagine trying to cram everything in P2P in three months. It was a little bit much for people, so we extended it to the six-month program, which allows people to do a deeper dive into each step and have it finished within that timeframe, which is great.

What was your favorite part of the program?

Kara: I always loved Stef’s words of affirmation. And sometimes lack thereof (I don’t mean she wasn’t encouraging) – if we needed to know things. I feel like it was probably a lot of the spotlight coaching. Ask an exact question. I was one of the squeaky wheels who probably had five posts in the group a week, so I had other people tell me things. It helped me practice “progress, not perfection.” But also being able to talk to Stef was a favorite part.

Stef: I think one of the giftings you brought in was being unafraid and unapologetic about asking. You were posting, asking, following up, and getting clarification. You did a great job around that. Like, “Hey, you guys said this thing, but I’m not entirely sure.” And I think that’s so important for people because most people are so afraid. They’re afraid of raising their hand. They’re afraid of getting their question and throwing their hat in the ring. Why?

You probably got some of the most out of this program, out of anyone who’s ever taken Podcast to Profit, the hundreds of people that have gone through the program, because you ask.

And those of you considering coming in or are currently in Podcast to Profit, show up, post, ask.

Kara was like, “What should I ask Stef this week? There’s no change I’m not going to ask something.” Because there’s opportunity.

Kara: I kept track of how many questions I had and if it was like every other week or something. And I looked ahead to what was coming in the next couple of weeks in case I needed a question about that because I was getting my money’s worth.

Kara’s Success – 15 Paying Clients + More!

Stef: So what were your wins? Because you’ve been through all my stuff. Obviously, you have clarity, and now you have a podcast. In Podcast to Profit, we’ve refined your podcast, we’ve torn it apart and rebuilt it. We’ve worked on keywords together. We built a course together. I worked on pitching with you. You’ve done everything with me over the last two years, and you’ve been an alumni in the program.

What’s happened for you? Talk to us about it – did you start from zero? Did you have nothing and no one? And where are you today?

Kara: I had the business idea and had started and had taken CYC and PPU, so there was some foundation. I was a little bit more than a basic beginner starting P2P this year because I had done some past work, but I still felt at the beginning because I still didn’t have “what does my person want?” and the pitch nailed down.

Since I started P2P this year:

• My superfan number has risen by 150%

• I experienced compounding growth in my podcast. In October, I aired the fewest number of episodes in my podcast history (because of life happening), but I had the highest number of downloads ever

• I had increased downloads by 80% in less than half the time I had the same number of downloads before

• I gained 15 paying clients along with several more discovery calls that eventually became clients

• My podcast ranked in 20 countries. Some of them were even top ten, five or 3%, a little bit more obscure countries, I will admit. But any top percent, you might as well count it. Eventually, it hit a top 1.5% podcast spot

And even more than the tactical – it’s the concepts [I learned]. Somebody tried to recruit me for their direct marketing thing, and I explained I wasn’t interested. They were asking why, and I was politely like,
“It’s a 1-to-1 thing. This [podcast] is the one-to-many.” I feel like the most success I felt is that now I have clients from word of mouth, but also it’s from the podcasts I’m airing working with clients live, talking about what they’re doing in college. I’m telling the listeners what kind of scholarships I ended up finding them. And a lot of times after I’ll air those [live call episodes], I’ll get discovery calls, so I feel like that’s a success of one-to-many. That’s my jam.

Stef: Not having to chase leads all around, letting the leads come to you – it’s so joyful because it’s like somebody knocking, asking me, “Hi, I’m interested in working with you.” It feels so peaceful and authentic. And that sale is so simple and seamless because they already want what you have to offer.

You’ve already vetted them through the podcast. They already hung out with you – they already know you. It’s the easiest conversion ever. One of our first conversations you told me about this dream and this vision for your show. And I remember saying to you, “This will be a success. I see in you a successful business.”

Now you have 15 paying clients. For you to have $500-$1000 a month coming in on top of the other job you’re working in right now. That’s real money you are applying to this life you’re living. You’re young, and you’re like, “Let’s grow!” You have so much runway in front of you. And I’m just so excited.

Using Podcasting to Get More Clients

Stef: When you get clear on your niche and who you serve, get the podcast foundation solid, build the thing you’re going to sell, and learn to sell it, you start selling it. And here’s the great news – when you’ve sold one, you can sell 10. When you’ve sold 10, you can sell 100. When you sell 100, you can sell 1,000.

It’s the same thing over and over and over and over. And now it’s just time, discipline, and consistency, which I know Kara has, so I’m excited.

Kara: I do, but sometimes it’s less and more depending on the month. But I figure I’ll keep doing something. There were some months I had to replace some episodes, but it was still applicable. It’s fine. I got the downloads.

Stef: That’s the point of podcasting though, right? There are no rules, and it can be simple. It can be as little or as much as it needs to be based on your life circumstances. To anyone reading this – do you want to be tied to marketing on social media seven days a week? What if life happens, you get sick, or your kid gets sick? What if you need to go and take a hiatus, or you’re busy at work?

Podcasting is great. You can batch, you can scale down, you can scale up, you can click pause in the middle of an episode if something’s going on. It’s so freeing. It’s the easiest, most freeing business model, in my opinion, that we have the opportunity to capitalize on and pour out and give and serve and connect.

Kara: I feel like I can hand a business card to someone and be like, “It’s just free content – it’s a podcast.” And they’re not all weird and like, “You’re trying to sell me something,” but, I could still sell them something, you know?

Stef: Oh my gosh, I love this. I’m so excited for you. I’m grateful you came and shared your success with us today and what that journey was like. Why don’t you remind everybody where they listen to you in case they’re in college or know somebody in college, and they want to connect?

Kara: Sure thing. I totally work with college students and a lot of parents connect with me. I’m talking to college students because that’s who I was, you know? So it’s Money and Mental Peace on any major podcast platform. And I help students find scholarships and pay for college without student loans. So they can thrive and do the next step after college, without being beholden to someone. I had the freedom to start a business the month after I graduated college. It sure did not look like it does now, and it was rough, but I tried it.

Give yourself, give your kids, the freedom of that. I really appreciate Stef for helping me to make it happen.

Stef: Oh girl, you’re welcome. Big hugs. Thanks, Kara!

Ready to Use Podcasting as Your Platform for Growth?

If you are ready to start your own podcast, check out the free workshop I have for you. Or maybe you have no idea where to start or what your brand would be – you’re completely confused and need clarity, I also have a workshop for you, which you can find here.

And then lastly, if you already have a podcast, and you’re ready to monetize to get visibility, to scale, to make consistent income, to build a course, get those clients, get leads all from your podcast, you can apply for the Podcast to Profit Mastermind.

I pray this blesses you!

Xo,

Stef

APPLE PODCAST | SPOTIFY | GOOGLE PODCAST

---

Before you go, be sure to watch the free workshop!

This free workshop is for you if you want to grow an online business in less time.

It will teach you how to explode your audience without the social media hustle, make consistent sales using a podcast, and plan, record, and launch a podcast with ease!

---

RELATED EPISODES:

A Few Reasons Your Podcast Downloads Might Be Down

12 Sales and Marketing Mistakes That Keep You From Making Money in Your Business

5 Podcast to Profit Students TELL-ALL! What is it Really Like Inside Stef’s Group Coaching Program?

Business Dedication Prayer for Christian Entrepreneurs who Want to Let GOD LEAD and Partner with Him

---

---

Join our Facebook Community!

Online Business for Christian Women with Stefanie Gass