This episode is all about a big shift coming to the Breakthrough Brand podcast—one that I’m making very mindfully and am really excited about. I can’t wait to share it with you and give you tips when you’re making your own business decisions.
This is a behind-the-scenes look at how I’m running my business this year, and I think you’ll find some key takeaways for your own business as well. If you’ve ever wondered how others grow and maintain their businesses while balancing other responsibilities, this episode is for you.
I’ll be sharing more details about the podcast changes, and then we’ll dive into a Q&A format where I’ll answer any questions you might have about this shift. So, let’s get to it!
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Okay guys, this feels really big to say, but here’s the announcement—and please don’t turn this off after I say it because I have so much more to share. For the remainder of 2025, I’m shifting the Breakthrough Brand podcast to a seasonal format instead of releasing episodes every single week (at least for now).
That means this episode will be the last one for a while. I’m taking a three-month break to start, and I’ll explain more about what these breaks will look like. After three months, I’ll be back with new episodes, then I’ll take another break, come back again, and so on. I have a full schedule planned, and I want to be really clear about why I’m making this change.
Is this a profit-driven decision? A gut decision? What will I be doing while I’m not podcasting? I’ll get into all of that.
But first, I want to make something very clear.
I know we all multitask while listening to podcasts. I do too! But I want you to really hear this: I am not closing my business. Not even a little bit. Don’t take this podcast pause as a sign that I’m stepping away from my business or taking a break from it. That’s not happening.
I’m still fully running my business as usual—just without creating new podcast content for a few months. Right now, I’m working on new template designs, I just scheduled the spring coaching calls for Booked Out Designer, and Podcast Success Blueprint is still going strong. My courses and templates are still available, and I’m staying plugged into my business—maybe even more so in certain areas as I focus on new projects.
So, to be crystal clear: This is not a business closure announcement. It’s also not a farewell to the podcast. I love this podcast, and it’s not going anywhere. I’m just taking a break from releasing new episodes.
Now, I fully support anyone who decides to close their business or end their podcast. I always admire business owners who make those bold moves, and I think it’s incredible when people make intentional decisions like that. But that’s not what this is for me.
I’m simply taking structured breaks from new podcast episodes. The podcast will return after my break, then I’ll take another pause, and then I’ll be back again. I have a full schedule planned, and I’ll walk you through what that looks like.
Why am I switching to a seasonal podcast?
So, let’s talk about why. Now that we're all on the same page—this is a break, not a stop—I want to dive into why I’m taking a break from weekly podcast episodes.
I’ll answer more questions as we go, but first, here’s a high-level explanation:
On March 5th, 2025, I’ll be celebrating six years of this podcast—which, ironically, is also my son Ethan’s birthday! I didn’t even realize my podcast anniversary and his birthdate lined up until later. So, while he’s turning one, this show is turning six.
I launched my very first episode on March 5th, 2019, after months of prep work that started back in winter 2018. So technically, I’ve been working on this podcast for over six years now. And six years is a long time to do anything in business!
Through all of the changes happening in the podcast space over the last six years, I’ve kept up with podcasting because I love it. I truly enjoy it, and I see real results from it. You’ve probably heard me say before that podcasting is one of my favorite things I do in my business—if not the favorite thing. That’s why I’ve stuck with it for so long.
Out of curiosity, I looked back at how many weeks have passed since my first episode aired on March 5th, 2019. The answer? 312 weeks. That’s 312 weeks of podcasting and content creation, which is how I’ve reached 307 episodes. That means I’ve only missed five episodes in six years!
Now, you might be thinking, “Wait, Elizabeth, I feel like you’ve taken more breaks than that.” And you’re right—I’ve had weeks without new episodes, but because there were times when I aired two or even three episodes in a single week (like for a part one and part two situation), the numbers evened out. I’ve also done recasts of previous episodes.
But for the most part, my only real breaks have been around the holidays. Every year, I take off the week of Christmas, sometimes the week before or after as well. And that’s been pretty much it—312 weeks of consistent content with barely any gaps.
The biggest break I’ve ever taken from the show was in 2021 when my first son, Colin, was born. Even then, I prepped a ton of content ahead of time, so episodes kept airing throughout my maternity leave. After that, I switched to an every-other-week schedule for about two months just to ease back into work.
And that’s the thing—you can adjust your podcast schedule however you need to. You can make it fit your life. That two-month shift helped me transition back into work because, honestly, returning to work after having my first baby was really challenging. At the time, we didn’t have paid childcare yet, and I had a lot going on in my business. So cutting back to every other week was a small change that made a big difference.
After my second son, Ethan, was born, I didn’t take any break at all. I had episodes lined up through maternity leave and just kept going. Maybe I skipped a week, but I honestly don’t even think I did.
So now, taking a full three-month break with no new episodes? This is the longest break I’ve ever taken from the podcast in six years. And that feels so crazy to say out loud!
Taking a 3-month break on the podcast
If you’re listening and feeling a little disappointed that there won’t be a new episode every week, first of all—thank you. That means a lot to me. I know it might sound silly, but I truly appreciate that you care enough to feel that way. And I hope you’ll go back and listen to some older episodes in the meantime.
This decision feels both exciting and bittersweet. I am excited to take a break, but it’s okay if you feel a little sad about it too. This was a big and difficult decision for me—even though it’s only three months. I know I might sound more dramatic than I mean to, but honestly, this shift feels huge in my business. And it’s more than just a three-month break—this is a new pattern I’m setting, where I’ll take intentional breaks between seasons.
Podcasting is still one of my favorite things I do in my business.
I know some of you might have questions, and I’ll be answering those in the Q&A section coming up. But first, let’s talk a little more about why I’m making this change.
People often ask me, “How do you come up with so many episodes? How do you keep showing up every single week, especially with a mostly solo podcast?” And I get it—interview-style shows are a ton of work, but at least the host isn’t always the one generating the ideas. For me, since I primarily do solo episodes, I’m responsible for coming up with fresh content every single week.
But here’s the thing—I do it easily because I truly love this work. When I reflect on myself as a business owner, content creation is something that has always come naturally to me. Teaching, too. I love breaking things down in a practical way that helps people learn. Maybe it’s in my blood—my mom was a teacher, my dad was an entrepreneur—so it feels like a blend of both worlds.
And I’ve said it many times before, but this podcast is probably my favorite thing I do in my business. Sitting in my office, talking to you like this—it’s a gift. It’s something I genuinely look forward to every week.
But even with things we love, we still need breaks. Even when something is working, even when it’s successful, stepping away can be a good thing. And I’ll get into this more in the Q&A, but I want to emphasize:
This show is not something that’s failing. In fact, it’s grown significantly in weekly downloads since I started, and it continues to be a major driver of revenue for my template shop and courses. I truly believe this podcast has played a huge role in building my business and making my template shop one of the top ones out there. I’ve also earned a lot through sponsorships over the years.
So it’s not that something isn’t working. It’sm more that I want to take a break from content creation and see what business looks like without constantly planning the next podcast episode.
Taking a break from something that is working
And I think that’s an important point—taking a break doesn’t have to mean stepping away from something you dislike or that isn’t working. So often, we hear advice like, “Oh, if you hate Instagram, just quit it.” And yes, that’s valid. But this is different. I love podcasting, and I’m still choosing to pause.
I’ve been observing myself, paying attention to my life, and I realized: I need a break from this. I want to experience a few months of business where I’m not focused on long-form content creation, where I don’t have a weekly commitment like this.
Instead, I’ll be shifting my attention to other projects in my business. I’ll still create short-form content for social media as I feel inspired, but without the structure of a weekly podcast episode. And I think that’s going to be refreshing.
Ultimately, I also believe this will help me create even better episodes when I return. And I’m really fascinated by this process—it feels like a personal experiment.
Because, honestly, what will it feel like to go from recording episodes every week for six years to suddenly stopping for three months? Yes, six years versus three months is a huge difference in time, but when you think about it in terms of routine, that’s drastic. And then I’ll be taking another break after that.
I’m so curious about how this shift will feel. Will I miss it? Will I feel relieved? How will it impact my business? I plan to spend a lot of time reflecting during this break and just observing my thoughts, seeing how it feels to not be thinking about the next thing to teach.
In a way, this feels a bit like a sabbatical—but just from one area of my work. Like, “Okay, I’ve done this consistently for six years, now let’s see what happens when I step back for a bit.”.
And of course, I’ll report back to you all in a future podcast episode to share the results of this experiment
This is also one of those business decisions not based on profit
So, do I think this is an especially profitable business decision? No, definitely not. This is not a financially motivated decision. My podcast brings in a lot of leads and revenue, and thankfully, I have years' worth of content that will continue to serve my business and attract new listeners even while I take this break.
And that’s one of the really cool and unique things about podcasting—and blogging too, for that matter. I’ll talk more about that in a minute.
But this decision? It’s personal. It’s about what I need right now—especially while I’m pregnant with our third baby. It’s also a decision rooted in curiosity and faith—listening to what God is leading me to do.
For a while now, I’ve been prayerfully considering cutting something back in my business—finding something to pause or take a break from. And especially in this third pregnancy, that desire has only grown.
If you missed it, back in episode 300, I shared the news that we’re expecting baby number three! So, if you’re looking for something to listen to while I’m on break, you can go back and check that episode out. But yeah, three kids, three and under. That’s about to be my life! And this pregnancy is flying by. As I’m recording this, I’m already 21 weeks pregnant, and I’m thinking, How am I already over halfway there?!
So, this break feels like the right move. Especially considering how third pregnancies can be harder when you’re also taking care of little ones.
And, like I’ve said, I love trying new things. I will always believe that podcasting is a worthwhile endeavor in every way, and it will probably always be one of my favorite things I do.
During my break, I’m actually looking forward to plugging in more with my Podcast Success Blueprint students. If you didn’t know, I have a course on podcasting—which I know might sound ironic since I’m taking a podcast break! But I hope this serves as an example that you can take a break too, if you need one.
And I’m really excited to help my Podcast Success Blueprint students during this time—guiding them through launching and growing their own shows.
So, here we go—long-form content break, podcast break… here I come!
I will miss these weekly episodes, but I’m also really excited to see what this change brings.
Read more: The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Podcast in 2025 (8 Things You MUST Do!)
Answering FAQs about Seasonal Podcast Episodes (& Other Business Decisions)
Now, let’s switch things up and dive into the Q&A section. These are some of the biggest questions I know you’re probably wondering about. My podcast manager actually helped me brainstorm some of these—she’s a podcaster too, so she came at this from the perspective of a business owner with a podcast.
Some of these questions are ones I thought of myself, and some are ones she anticipated you all might be curious about. So, let’s get into it!
Why are you choosing to take a break from something that is profitable?
I know I touched on this earlier in the episode, but I want to approach it from a slightly different angle now.
This isn’t just me repeating that taking a break isn’t one of the most profitable business decisions. Instead, I want to talk about how we, as business owners, often frame the idea of quitting or stepping away from something.
Usually, when we talk about cutting things from our business, we focus on getting rid of what isn’t working—the tasks we don’t enjoy, the strategies that aren’t generating revenue, or the things that feel like a drain. And I actually have an entire episode about this called Your To Quit List—episode 260 of this podcast.
In that episode, I share things you might want to consider removing from your business. But here’s the thing—podcasting wasn’t on that list.
We rarely talk about stepping away from things that we do enjoy and that are profitable but that we simply need a break from. And sometimes, that’s exactly what we need to do.
This break is one of those decisions for me. I’m stepping back from something that is working, that I love, and that brings in revenue—because I have other priorities right now.
And I also feel like I’m in a place in my business where I can do this. I have years' worth of content, and the great thing about podcasting is that the content remains valuable even if it didn’t air last week.
Now, would I have made this same decision if I were only 20 episodes into my podcast? Probably not. But at 307 episodes in, I feel confident in stepping away—not because I have to, but because I want to. I’ve put a lot of thought into this, and this is the decision that makes the most sense for me right now.
Read more: 3 Advanced Podcasting Tips That Will Boost Your Downloads, Save You Time, and Make More Money
Do you think revenue will go down when you stop having weekly episodes?
That’s a great question, and honestly—I have no idea.
Will taking this break impact my business? Maybe.
For years now, my podcast has been one of the top ways customers find me, often accounting for 25 to 30% of my sales. That’s based on responses from customers who, when asked where they heard about my products, say the podcast. That’s a huge number.
Even now, it’s still consistently bringing in sales. Just yesterday, I had a new template sale, and the customer came directly from the podcast. That happens a lot.
So, will that change simply because there won’t be a new episode for three months (and then another break after that), even with over 300 existing episodes available?
I honestly don’t know. My gut says I might see a dip in revenue, but only time will tell. I’ll definitely be keeping a close eye on it.
The tricky thing about financial data is that it’s always influenced by multiple factors. If I do see a decrease, is it because of the podcast break? Or would it have happened anyway for some other reason? It’s hard to say.
One area where I know I’ll see a revenue shift is in sponsorships. Since I won’t be releasing new episodes, any sponsorship deals will be on pause. But other revenue streams could balance out that loss, so we’ll see how it plays out.
That being said, it’s also worth noting that running a podcast costs money—especially when you have a long-running show with established systems in place.
For these three months, my expenses will see a decrease, mainly because I won’t be paying my podcast editor or podcast manager during this time. Since team expenses—whether for contractors or employees—are often a significant part of business costs, this is a big shift. And we planned for it well in advance, making sure they were fully prepared for the temporary pause.
I’ll also likely pause at least one of my podcast-related subscriptions, which will save me money as well.
And just as a quick tip—if you’re ever taking a business break of more than a couple of months, pausing certain software subscriptions can be a smart move. Of course, you wouldn’t cancel a membership or something crucial to your business, but pausing things like extra tools or platforms you don’t need for a short time can add up to decent savings.
For example, when I’ve taken maternity leave, I’ve stopped paying for things like Zoom for a few months, and those small decisions really do make a difference.
For this podcast break, I’ll be doing the same with some tools I don’t need while I’m not actively producing new episodes. Obviously, I won’t stop paying for my podcast hosting on Buzzsprout, because that would mean my entire podcast disappears—but there are other services I can pause temporarily.
At the end of the day, I still believe podcasting is an incredible revenue generator and a powerful way to bring in leads. That’s literally why I teach it inside Podcast Success Blueprint! Everything I’ve done to grow this show, I teach in that course.
Was this a data decision or a gut decision?
This, my friends, is entirely a gut decision and a prayerful decision—not a data-driven one.
If I were basing this solely on data, I would actually be increasing my podcasting frequency—maybe even going to twice or three times a week. That’s what the numbers would suggest because my show consistently brings in results. From a purely logical standpoint, it would make sense to double down, invest even more time, money, and energy into it.
But my gut—and more importantly, God—is telling me something different.
I keep hearing: Elizabeth, take a break. Come back stronger. You’ve literally never taken an actual break from this. So let’s try it.
And I want to emphasize something—when it comes to making decisions in your business, both data-driven decisions and gut-driven decisions are valid.
Too often in business, everything is about revenue numbers, increasing followers, scaling growth. And if you consume a lot of business content—podcasts, courses, whatever—it can start to feel like every single decision has to be driven by data, numbers, and strategy.
And yes, making decisions based on data is smart. But if that’s all you ever base your decisions on, you risk building a business that might be successful on paper but leaves you feeling exhausted, unfulfilled, or even burned out.
That’s not where I am—and I think a big reason for that is because I’ve always made decisions using both data and intuition.
My business is about to turn nine years old, and I truly believe the reason I’ve been able to sustain it for this long is because I haven’t relied solely on data.
If I had, I might have pushed myself too hard, chasing numbers instead of building a business I actually enjoy.
So this decision? It’s not about maximizing growth or optimizing revenue.
It’s about following my gut.
How do you make a gut decision like this? What was the process?
I find this really interesting, and maybe you will too—this decision wasn’t something I made overnight. It was a long process.
The idea of taking a break came to me, and honestly, I fully believe it was from the Lord. But when it first crossed my mind, I immediately dismissed it.
I remember thinking, No way. Why would I do that? I love podcasting. It’s profitable, it’s fun, it’s my favorite thing. That’s a terrible idea. If I’m going to take a break from something, it should be something else.
That was my gut reaction—a hard no.
But as time went on, I kept thinking about it. I kept praying about it. And when I really stepped back and asked myself, What’s something I could take a break from? What’s something I consistently dedicate time to every single week?—the answer kept coming back to the podcast.
And that’s when I realized—I’ve never taken a real break from this. Not once.
So the idea kept resurfacing, and I couldn’t shake it. Take a break.
And even though it made sense, it still felt like such a big decision. I actually cried when I told my husband, Adam, that I was thinking about taking a break.
We were sitting up talking after the kids went to sleep, and I just blurted out, I think I might take a break from my podcast. Saying it out loud felt huge—overwhelming, even. And honestly, just thinking back to that moment now (especially with pregnancy hormones in the mix), I could probably cry again.
Now, as I’m talking to you, it doesn’t feel quite as intense. That was months ago—probably around six months now. But when I was still in the decision-making process, it felt so emotional.
Even telling my friends about it made me tear up. It just felt like this massive shift.
And I also worried—what if people take this the wrong way?
Even now, as I’m telling you this, I still have those thoughts:
Will people think I’m not committed enough to my business? Will they see this as me pulling back too much?
When you pause or shift something in your business, it’s easy to worry about how others might perceive it. It’s a real risk.
So if you’ve ever felt that way—wondering if people will judge you, misunderstand you, or question your dedication—you’re not alone. That fear is normal.
But at the end of the day, I just have to trust that you, my listeners, will understand where I’m coming from. And I am still deeply committed to helping you grow your business—I just need this break.
To give you a bit more behind-the-scenes, I told my two podcast team members about this back in mid-December. But even before that, I had been thinking and game-planning for months. I wanted to give them plenty of time to prepare and really explain my decision before we took any action on it.
So, how do you make a gut decision like this?
For me, it took time. It took a lot of thinking, praying, and talking it through with others. And interestingly enough, talking about it actually made it feel less overwhelming.
In my head, it felt like this huge, life-altering shift. But once I started saying it out loud, I realized—Oh. This is actually way more chill than I thought.
Sometimes, a decision doesn’t make sense on paper—but that doesn’t mean you should ignore it. Instead, I’ve learned to give that voice space—to sit with it, reflect on it, and ask, Huh. That doesn’t seem logical, but maybe I should listen to it anyway.
For me, prayer and journaling were huge in this process. I spent a lot of time writing things out—both with pen and paper and typing things up on my computer.
I asked myself: What would this actually look like? How could this make sense?
And once I put everything down on paper and fully mapped it out, the decision started to make sense. From there, I just took the next step, then the next, until I was ready to take action.
So, that’s my answer to How did I make this gut decision? What was my process like?
It started with listening to that little voice, praying on it, journaling about it, and then finally, putting it all into motion.
Read more: Setting Goals? 2 BIG Lessons I Learned This Year + 2 BIG Moves I’m Making in 2024
Do you have any advice on making tough business decisions?
I've made a lot of tough business decisions over the past nine years. One of the hardest was closing my membership—a decision that, at the time, felt massive. I actually recorded a few podcast episodes about that (episodes 223 and 224), which you can listen to while I’m on this break.
I really want you to come back to me for this next part—because this is the best piece of advice I can give you when it comes to making tough business decisions:
Not every decision is a forever decision.
In fact, most decisions in business aren’t permanent.
If you listened to last week’s episode, my interview with Emily Conley, she talked about this—how not everything has to be a forever thing. You can try something. And I think we often overthink decisions, making them feel way more permanent than they actually are.
Instead of saying, This change is forever, try saying, I’m going to test this out for a while and see how it feels.
Even when I closed my membership, which had 165 people in it at the time, that decision wasn’t necessarily permanent. Yes, that particular membership ended, but that doesn’t mean I can’t start another membership again in the future if I ever feel called to.
So many things in business are less permanent—and honestly, less of a big deal—than we make them out to be. It’s okay to try something, take a risk, and see what happens.
Your business is a marathon, not a sprint.
Your career is a marathon, not a sprint.
And that means things won’t always look the same in every season. And that’s a good thing.
One of the most beautiful parts of running a business—especially the kind of business I have and the kind so many of you have—is that we can adapt it to fit our lives.
Seasons of life change.
Seasons of business change.
And that’s okay.
You don’t have to do everything at once.
For six years, I’ve consistently grown, monetized, and thrived with this podcast. And I’m going to keep doing that. But for six years, I’ve also never taken a true break.
Some of that time was before I became a mother. Some of it was after. But none of it has been with three kids.
So this intentional break, this shift in format—it’s good. It’s worth trying.
And the same applies to you and your business.
What I’m doing here may not be what you need, but maybe, as you’re listening, you’re feeling like there’s something in your own business that needs to shift.
And remember: it doesn’t have to happen overnight.
If you feel like there’s something that needs to change, consider doing it. Pray about it. Journal about it. Sit with it. It takes time to slow down something that’s been running full speed, but you can do it.
You can take a break.
You can pause.
You can even quit something entirely—if that’s what’s right for you.
What marketing efforts are you keeping?
That was a great question from my podcast manager, and honestly, part of my answer is—I’m not entirely sure.
For as long as I’ve had this podcast, I’ve been incredibly structured with how often I release episodes. I’ve been consistent, showing up every single week, usually batching episodes ahead of time to maintain that schedule.
But when I look at the rest of my business, none of my other marketing efforts have had that same level of structure for a while now.
So, to answer the question—I’m keeping all of my other marketing efforts, but I’m keeping them as they’ve been, which is to say, not super structured.
For example, I actually think I’ll show up on Instagram more during this break, simply because I might want a space to create and share content. But that doesn’t mean I’m suddenly committing to a strict Instagram schedule. I’m not setting a rule for myself like, I’ll post four times a week or I’ll show up on stories every day.
Instead, I’ll just continue approaching it the way I have—going with the flow and seeing what feels right.
I’ll also continue sending emails to my list as usual.
And I’m hoping to do a bit more guesting on other podcasts during this break. So if you have a podcast and would like to have me as a guest, feel free to reach out! Being on other people’s shows is such a great marketing tool, and I’d love to do more of it.
Another thing I plan to focus on during this time is blogging, which I’ll talk more about in a moment.
But overall, my goal for marketing during this break is simple: I’m stepping back from my own podcast, but everything else is staying the same.
One thing I might experiment with is finding ways to promote older podcast episodes—especially ones that were really popular when they aired but might not be getting as much visibility now.
I might pick out a few standout episodes and think, How can I get this in front of more people? Maybe that means making the blog post better, repurposing content, or finding new ways to reshare it.
So while I’m taking a break from creating new episodes, I’ll still be active in other areas—and I’m excited to see how this shift plays out!
Do you think that it’ll work fine for every business owner to take a content creation break?
I think a lot of people listening might be dreaming of taking a break from content creation. And I totally get it.
Content creation can feel like a hamster wheel sometimes—always running, always needing to keep up. It can be exhausting, especially when you’re not sure if it’s actually moving the needle in your business.
So, could this kind of break work for you?
I can only speak for my own business, but I think the reason this can work for me is because I already have a lot of content. And that’s not true for everyone.
One thing working in my favor is that podcasting has great SEO—and it’s only improving. Apple, Spotify, and other podcast platforms are constantly making updates to improve searchability, meaning people can find my episodes just by looking up a topic they’re interested in.
That happens all the time—someone searches for a topic, finds one of my episodes, downloads it, and then keeps listening to more episodes. It’s the same way with blogging.
So, whether or not this kind of break would work for your business depends on your content strategy and how people typically find you.
But here’s the thing—you can always try it.
Test it out. Pay attention to the data. Ask yourself:
- Is this working?
- How do I feel without this content being a constant part of my business?
And then adjust from there.
Not every decision has to be permanent—you can always experiment and see what works best for you!
You've shared how most of your customers come through SEO/podcast... Do you think that will be affected?
When we talk about SEO (Search Engine Optimization), we’re referring to how people find content through search engines like Google. In my business, I primarily think about SEO in relation to blog posts—people searching for something and landing on my website because of it.
And the great thing? I don’t expect this part of my business to be affected by my podcast break.
That’s because the relevance of a podcast episode or a blog post isn’t dependent on new content being released every week.
For example, if someone is searching for information on a specific topic and they find an episode I released eight months ago, it’s still just as relevant to them—even if I haven’t released a new episode that month. They’re interested in that topic, so they download it and listen.
The same goes for blog posts and web pages. When you find something on Google, you’re not checking to see if that website published a new post last week—you just care that the information is relevant to what you’re searching for.
Now, of course, keeping a website up to date and regularly creating new content does help with SEO—but that’s a slightly different conversation.
In my business, some of my top traffic-generating blog posts and pages were published over a year ago, and they’re still driving people to my site.
So when it comes to older podcast episodes—people finding and listening to them through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or even YouTube—I don’t expect this to change just because I’m not publishing new episodes for a few months.
And that’s actually one of the reasons I encourage people to just try starting a podcast. So many people want to start a podcast but feel overwhelmed by the idea of committing to hundreds of episodes.I totally get that. It can feel like a massive, never-ending commitment.
But here’s the thing—
You don’t have to do it forever for it to be worth it.
You can take breaks whenever you want. You can adjust your format. You can do whatever you want with your show.
Even if you only release 20 episodes and never touch it again, those episodes can still bring in new customers, leads, and revenue for years to come.
That’s the beauty of this kind of content—it keeps working for you, even when you step away.
How did I decide on the break format?
I'm not taking a long break—just March, April, and May. So, three months with no new episodes. Then, my plan is to come back for four to five episodes, and after that, I'll take another break for my maternity leave. I’ll be back again in the fall.
I actually teach all about this inside Podcast Success Blueprint—how to find a rhythm that works for you, your recording process, and your life. Your show’s format doesn’t have to stay the same forever. You can test things, adjust as needed, and you don’t have to make a big announcement about it (though I am, because I think this change is significant).
And honestly, this feels like a huge shift for me after going six years without a real break.
As I was planning this, I actually went back and reviewed all the options I teach in Podcast Success Blueprint—and this seasonal approach just felt right. It gives me a real pause, almost like a mini sabbatical, so that when I return, I’m showing up fully refreshed and intentional.
And yes, this format is very much based on my personal life—timed around my due date and maternity leave. But it’s also strategic.
For example, I’ll be airing episodes throughout October and November, right before Black Friday—which is a big sales season. That way, I can be actively promoting my offers at a time when people are already looking to buy.
This is something I always tell my students—you can structure your business to work for you. You don’t have to follow some artificial rule about how things “should” be done.
If you’re thinking about moving your podcast (or any content) to a more seasonal format, you can structure it however you want! It doesn’t have to be a strict three months on, three months off pattern. You can tailor it based on:
- Your personal life and energy levels
- Your promotional calendar and sales cycles
- Your audience’s listening habits
That last one is key. Part of my break timing aligns with the fact that podcast downloads tend to dip in the summer—kids are out of school, people are vacationing, and overall, fewer people are plugged into podcasts.
So when planning your own break (if that’s something you’re considering), take into account your lifestyle, your marketing needs, and even your audience’s behavior. That way, it serves both you and your business in the best way possible.
What will you be doing with the time this podcast break frees up?
I’m really excited to spend my intentionally limited work time over the next three months focusing on other projects. Since I’m with my kids a lot these days, I only have about two and a half workdays per week, and I want to be really intentional with how I use that time.
One of my biggest focuses will be designing new templates—I’m working on four new designs right now, and one is already almost finished! Honestly, designing is going to take up a lot of my time—being in Showit, creating new templates, fine-tuning the designs, and then ultimately working on the marketing and setup so customers can start using them.
Because once a template is designed, the work isn’t done. There are still a lot of steps—getting everything finalized, creating the listings, writing descriptions, setting up previews, and planning launch strategies. So that’s going to be a big focus for me.
I’ll also be hosting more coaching and co-working calls for my Booked Out Designer and Podcast Success Blueprint students. If you’re in either of those courses, definitely check the call schedule—there are some fun things planned!
And as I mentioned earlier, I might be doing some blogging.
There are a few blog posts I’ve been wanting to write for a while, and some content ideas just make more sense in a blog format than a podcast.
For example, I want to update my postpartum freezer meal blog with new recipes I’ve been using. I even have two new recipes I’d love to share. Not that I’m trying to become a recipe blogger or anything—it’s just something fun for me.
I also have a few maternity and baby-related posts in mind—topics that wouldn’t really make sense as podcast episodes but would work well as blog content.
That said, I do want to feel like I’m truly taking a long-form content break, so if blogging starts to feel like too much, I might scale it back. But I love writing, and I enjoy creating content in that way, so I think it’s likely I’ll still do some.
But overall, the main thing I’ll be focusing on is designing templates—that’s going to be my biggest project during this break.
Read more: The Ultimate Web Design Course for Business Owners
Are you decreasing the amount you’re working (less than two days a week)?
Another question that came up was am I taking an even bigger break from my business as a whole? Like, will I only be working one day a week or something like that?
The answer is not really—I’m still working my normal two and a half days per week, just without the podcast.
But if you’ve ever been pregnant (or gone through an adoption process), you know that the to-do list leading up to bringing a new baby home is huge.
So I will be using some of my work time for baby prep instead of business tasks.
A few things on that list:
- Buying a new car—we’re getting a minivan! Someone actually asked me on Instagram if we’d get one with a third baby, and at first, I didn’t think so. But after doing tons of car research (which, yes, has sometimes happened when I have childcare time), I decided a van makes the most sense. I just test-drove a few and have narrowed down my choice, so now I just need to actually buy the car.
- Selling one of our current cars—because we don’t need three cars, so that’s another big task.
- Moving my office—right now, my office is upstairs, but we’re moving it downstairs to combine offices with Adam. He doesn’t really need a home office anymore, so his space will become mine. That means:
- Moving Collin’s bedroom into my current office
- Turning Collin’s old room into the nursery
- Installing new doors on my future office for better soundproofing (because right now, it's not great for recording).
- Lots of furniture moving and setup. It’s a whole project.
- Buying a chest freezer for the garage—I’m planning to prep a lot of freezer meals, and our kitchen freezer just isn’t cutting it.
- Going to all my prenatal appointments—including my glucose test, which is basically a half-day ordeal.
- General baby prep—buying what we need, organizing baby gear, and getting everything ready for July.
So while I’m not necessarily reducing my work hours, I am shifting how I spend some of that time. Just like in my other pregnancies, I’m taking some work time and dedicating it to family and baby prep—because all of this has to get done before July, and there’s a lot to do!
Now that we’ve talked about my business decisions, what should you do while there’s a break?
First of all, I’d love to hear from you about this change! When this episode airs, I’ll have a blog post that goes with it, and if you have any thoughts or additional questions, come chat with me there. I might even do a Q&A on my Instagram Stories this week to answer more questions, because I know that as we wrap up, you might be thinking, Wait, I had a question that didn’t get covered!
So, come find me on Instagram—I’ll be sharing more there, and I might do additional Q&As while I’m not producing new podcast episodes.
Catch Up on Old Episodes!
If you’re missing weekly episodes, I highly encourage you to go back and listen to old ones!
Some of you might not listen regularly but tuned in today because you were curious about this change. If that’s the case, now is a great time to explore past episodes.
And if you’re looking for something specific, here’s a little search tip:
In your podcast app, type:
👉 Breakthrough Brand + [your topic]
Examples: Breakthrough Brand SEO, Breakthrough Brand Motherhood, Breakthrough Brand Marketing
That will pull up all the episodes I’ve done on that subject so you can find exactly what you’re looking for.
You can also do the same thing on my blog—just use the search bar to find website tips, branding advice, or any other business-related content. Everything is well-organized and categorized, so it’s easy to find what you need!
Other Ways to Stay Connected & Keep Learning
If you want to stay in the loop, I’d encourage you to join my email list—I’ll be sharing behind-the-scenes updates there, and it’s another great way to stay connected.
And if you’re looking to keep learning from me in a different format, consider joining one of my courses:
- Booked Out Designer – for designers wanting to grow their business
- Podcast Success Blueprint – for anyone looking to start or grow a podcast
I’ll link to both of those in the show notes, but they’re also on my website if you want more info. Or grab one of my website templates to build an incredible site for your business!
Final Thoughts… & A Thank You!
Again, I really encourage you to catch up on old episodes while I’m on this short break. And come say hi on Instagram—I’ll be sharing updates, interviews I do on other podcasts, and maybe some extra short-form content there.
Thank you for listening all the way to the end of this episode. And thank you for your support in this new season!
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