71. What’s a Podcast Reset And Does Your Show Need One?

04/08/25 • 8 min

If your podcast has started to feel a little meh—like you’re just going through the motions or stuck in a creative rut, you’re not alone. This episode is your permission slip to pause, reassess, and RESET. Because sometimes the best way forward is to realign with where you are now.

You don’t need to rebrand. You don’t need to burn it all down. But you might need a refresh that helps your podcast catch up with who you are today.

Whether your downloads have plateaued, you feel disconnected from your audience, or you’re just not having fun anymore... this episode walks you through what a podcast reset actually is—and how to know if it’s time.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
✅ What a podcast reset actually means (and how it’s different from a rebrand)
✅ The telltale signs you’ve outgrown your current format
✅ Why skipping episodes might mean something’s off
✅ Where to start if your show feels out of alignment
✅ Practical ways to reset your show without losing momentum
✅ Why your podcast should evolve alongside your brand, business, and life

Quick Reset Experiments to Try This Week:

Rewrite your podcast description so it actually sounds like you
Review your top 5 episodes—what’s working, and how can you replicate that magic?
Map your current workflow and circle every part that feels heavy
Ask yourself: what do I really want this podcast to do for me right now?

Ready for a Reset?
Grab the free checklist from last week’s Podcast Glow Up episode to see if a few easy tweaks do the trick—or if a reset is calling your name.
Download the Glow Up Checklist

Want me in your corner?
Join the waitlist for Podcast Reset in a Box, my new DIY toolkit that walks you through a full reset step-by-step.
Hop on the waitlist

Or book a Reset Audit, and I’ll personally review your show, give you a custom strategy, and help you make your podcast feel like magic again.
Learn more about Reset Audits

Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
DM me on Instagram or Threads: @soniviastudios
Email me: [email protected]

Music Credit: Up An Octave Theme by Rue Spence with additional vocals provided by Darnell Spence
Up An Octave is hosted by Rue Spence of Sonivia. Up An Octave is a podcast for women and nonbinary people who are ready to take up space in podcasting to share their voices with the world.

You don’t need to rebrand. You don’t need to burn it all down. But you might need a refresh that helps your podcast catch up with who you are today.

Quick Reset Experiments to Try This Week:

Rewrite your podcast description so it actually sounds like you
Review your top 5 episodes—what’s working, and how can you replicate that magic?
Map your current workflow and circle every part that feels heavy
Ask yourself: what do I really want this podcast to do for me right now?

Ready for a Reset?
Grab the free checklist from last week’s Podcast Glow Up episode to see if a few easy tweaks do the trick—or if a reset is calling your name.
Download the Glow Up Checklist

Want me in your corner?
Join the waitlist for Podcast Reset in a Box, my new DIY toolkit that walks you through a full reset step-by-step.
Hop on the waitlist

Or book a Reset Audit, and I’ll personally review your show, give you a custom strategy, and help you make your podcast feel like magic again.
Learn more about Reset Audits

Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
DM me on Instagram or Threads: @soniviastudios
Email me: [email protected]

Previous Episode

70. 10 Tips to Glow Up Your Podcast

If your podcast has been feeling stale, off, or just not quite you anymore this is your sign that it’s time for a glow-up. No rebrand required.

This week, I’m walking you through 10 quick and impactful ways to refresh your podcast and realign with your vision without needing to blow it all up and start from scratch. Whether your intro feels outdated, your show notes aren’t pulling in the right listeners, or your cover art needs a facelift, you’ll walk away from this episode with a checklist of upgrades that breathe new life into your show.
In this episode, we’re covering:

The real reason you don’t need to start a whole new show to grow
Why short intros with intentional wording matter more than ever
How to use SEO-rich show notes to attract the right listeners
The call-to-action mistake I see podcasters make all the time (and how to fix
and more

Grab the Free Podcast Glow-Up Checklist
Want to knock out a refresh this weekend? This checklist breaks down all 10 steps so you can glow up your podcast today, without the burnout.

Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
DM me on Instagram or Threads: @SONIVIAStudios
Email me: [email protected]

Need some photos? Go check out the amazing Light Rae Exposures

Next Episode

72. The Biggest Lie In Podcasting

If you’ve been thinking the only way to grow your podcast is to go viral, rack up thousands of downloads, and master the almighty algorithm... this episode is your wake-up call.

The biggest lie in podcasting is that high download numbers = success. In reality, a huge audience that doesn’t convert, engage, or align with your goals isn’t helping you grow. It’s just inflating your ego, and your burnout.

This week, we’re busting the biggest myth in the podcasting world and shifting your focus to what actually matters: traction, alignment, and impact.

In this episode, we’re covering:

The real metrics that matter more than download numbers
Why tiny, dialed-in audiences convert better than stadiums full of strangers
The difference between virality and visibility, and which one actually helps your business
What to track instead of downloads to see sustainable growth
How to tighten your content strategy so your podcast works for you
Why your call-to-action might be sabotaging your growth (and how to fix it)

Episode Resources:
Download the 12-Week Content Planner – Get your episodes flowing toward your goal
Day of Voxer – Let’s fix this together. Get private, personalized podcast strategy support for 24 hours
Book Your Voxer Day

Journal Prompts from this Episode:

What do I actually want my podcast to do for me in this season?
What topics do I want to be known for?
Who is my podcast really speaking to? Am I still excited about that person?
What’s working (and what isn’t) about my podcast right now?
If I had 100 more of the right listeners, what would I want them to know or do?

Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
DM me on Instagram or Threads: @soniviastudios
Email me: [email protected]

You don’t need to go viral. You need to go deeper.

Podcasting Up An Octave - 71. What’s a Podcast Reset And Does Your Show Need One?

Transcript

You are listening to Podcasting Up in Octave, a podcast by sovia, the podcasting agency that believes that women and queer people deserve to take up space in the podcasting industry because our thoughts, voices, and stories matter. Here, you'll learn how to make a dope podcast that inspires, educates, converts, and most importantly, makes your voice shine.
I'm your host, Ru Spence, and I'm here to take podcasting up an octave. Let's get into it.
Hello. Hello and welcome back to podcast