179: Fei Wu: How To Make A Living Podcasting Without Counting Downloads

Ever dreamt of starting a podcast? Curious if you could make a living doing it?

Fei Wu is the creator and host of Feisworld Podcast, which celebrates the stories of unsung heroes and self-made artists. Her podcast attracts 50,000 downloads and listeners from 40 countries.

In 2014, Fei launched FeisWorld Podcast, not knowing where the future would lead her. Starting out in her simple studio set up, she interviewed people who interested her, such as performing artists from Cirque du Soleil and Broadway, social service people, and the LGBTQ Community. Her audience quickly grew beyond friends and family and attracted people who wanted to work with Fei as a freelance marketer.

In 2016, Fei left her lucrative job in advertising and built a company of her own, Feisworld LLC, to help others tell better stories, find more customers and create new revenue streams.

As Fei points out, everyone has a story you just need to ask the right questions. In our conversation today, Fei shares her journey and discoveries along the way. Clear that success in podcasting is more than downloads or sponsorship dollars to her, Fei dispels common myths that get in the way of great people launching podcasts.

Yes you can make a living podcasting, and, as Fei explains, you don’t need to have millions of downloads to do it. A casual, open conversation between two podcast hosts, we hope this episode inspires and educates you to follow your dream and embrace the process.

Key Takeaways

1. Everyone has a story you just need to ask the right questions.
2. Choose guests that you are curious to learn more about.  
3. Define what success looks like for you, realizing that 40,000 downloads translates to approximately $250 in sponsorship dollars, and most sponsors are looking for a minimum of 100,000 downloads per month. So if you are gauging your podcast success on downloads or money, you will likely be disappointed.
4. People won’t listen just because you post an episode. You have to be willing to put yourself out there and share it with others.
5. Think and plan strategically but the most important thing is to SHIP (launch).
6. To find your confidence, refer back to your favorite show and listen/watch their first episode – compare where they started to where they are now.
7. When you find yourself struggling with doubt or fatigue, remind yourself what it’s all for.

Episode Show Notes: https://leadersoftransformation.com/podcast/business/179-fei-wu-how-to-make-a-living-podcasting-without-counting-downloads 

Check out our complete library of episodes and other leadership resources here: https://leadersoftransformation.com

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