Corwin Johnson gave himself an unusual present for his 50th birthday: he started a podcast.
The original plan was to build it alongside a group of friends. But when it was finally time to start, the others dropped off and Corwin had to decide whether the vision was important enough to pursue alone.
He kept going.
We also talk about learning how to interview people without being intimidated by their credentials, becoming a better listener, bringing your own personality and energy into every conversation, and using podcasting as a way to build relationships rather than simply collect episodes.
Corwin also opens up about the sacrifices behind building a show while working a full-time job and raising a family, the importance of having support at home, and why pursuing a vision also means learning how to balance the people who matter most.
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Connect with Corwin Johnson
Podcast: The CJ Moneyways Show
Website: https://cjmoneyway.com
Chapters
00:00 Consistency Is the Biggest Podcast Growth Strategy
01:58 Welcome to My Podcast Story
02:17 Meet Corwin Johnson
02:38 Starting a Podcast on His 50th Birthday
03:01 What The CJ Moneyways Show Is About
03:58 Building a Platform Around Resilience and Real Stories
04:38 Why Corwin Wanted to Give Everyday People a Voice
05:27 From Writing Books to Starting a Podcast
05:46 The Earliest Struggle Behind the Show
06:00 When Everyone Else Dropped Out
07:09 Building the Podcast Alone
07:29 What Running an Independent Podcast Really Takes
09:23 The Hidden Work Behind Every Episode
09:52 How PodMatch Helped Corwin Keep Going
10:28 Joining Believe Network
11:19 When the Podcast Network Opportunity Arrived
11:44 What Joining a Network Changed
12:13 Reaching 1.4 Million Downloads Through the Network
12:26 How the Podcast Created New Connections
13:16 What the Show Looked Like Before Joining the Network
13:20 Turning Down Eight Sponsorship Opportunities
13:58 Why Money Isn't the Only Reason to Podcast
14:30 What Actually Grew The CJ Moneyways Show
15:12 Why Corwin Says Consistency Is Everything
15:51 Discovering the Podcast Was Ranking Globally
16:58 Building a Podcast Without a Team
17:20 Getting 1% Better Every Day
17:48 Why You Shouldn't Get Caught Up in Views
18:15 When Listeners and Guests Start Finding You
19:30 How Podcasting Changed Corwin Personally
20:15 Interviewing CEOs, Doctors, and Accomplished Guests
20:26 Learning Not to Be Intimidated
21:01 Bringing Your Own Energy Into an Interview
21:37 Know Your Lane as a Podcast Host
22:00 Staying Authentic Behind the Microphone
23:03 Why Great Podcast Hosts Have to Listen
23:18 Going Beyond the Guest's Book or Business
24:39 Listening Closely Enough to Connect the Story
25:26 How Podcast Conversations Can Uncover Buried Stories
26:33 The Sacrifices Behind Building a Podcast
27:21 Balancing Podcasting, Marriage, Family, and Work
28:47 Making Space for the People Supporting Your Vision
30:39 When Your Family Starts Seeing What You're Building
31:29 Building a Podcast While Working a Full-Time Job
33:06 Teaching Your Children Through Your Work Ethic
35:05 The Feedback and Opportunities Corwin Gets From Guests
37:29 What's Next for Corwin Johnson
37:49 Writing Locked In and Mic'd Up
38:29 Keeping Different Ideas in Different “Pockets”
39:30 Expanding Into CJ Moneyway Entertainment
39:58 Networking Through Every Podcast Conversation
40:27 Putting More Tools in the Toolbox
40:50 Where to Find The CJ Moneyways Show
