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Prep · 6 min read · October 2026

Your first podcast recording: how not to bottle it

The red light goes on and suddenly you've forgotten your own name. Here's exactly how to prep so that doesn't happen.

Here's the thing nobody admits: everyone gets nervous the first time. CEOs, coaches, people who talk for a living. The headphones go on, the camera light goes red, and your brain quietly leaves the building.

That's normal. And it's fixable. After eight years filming people who'd never been in front of a camera before, I can tell you the difference between a rough first episode and a great one is almost never talent. It's prep. Here's how to do it properly.

01Know your episode in one sentence

If you can't say what the episode is about in one breath, the listener won't get it either. Write it down: "This episode is about why most small businesses waste money on Instagram." That sentence is your anchor. Every time the chat drifts, you steer back to it.

02Bullet points. Never a script.

Scripts sound like scripts. Your eyes go glassy, your voice goes flat, and on video everyone can see you reading. Write five to seven bullet points instead: the stories, stats and questions you don't want to forget. Then talk like a human.

Scripts kill personality. Bullet points keep you on track without making you sound like a sat nav.

03Say your intro out loud. Twice.

The first 30 seconds are the hardest bit of any recording, and they're the bit people judge you on. Practise your intro out loud in the car, in the shower, wherever. Who you are, what the show is, what this episode is about. Short, punchy, done.

04Brief your guest properly

Got a guest? Send them the topic, three or four questions you'll definitely ask, how long you'll record for and what to wear if it's video. Nobody likes being ambushed, and a relaxed guest gives you far better answers.

05Look after your voice

Sleep. Drink water (room temperature, not ice cold). Go easy on dairy and fizzy drinks before recording, as they can make your mouth noisy on a sensitive mic. Sounds fussy. Makes a difference.

06Dress for the camera, not the occasion

Solid colours win. Skip thin stripes and tight checks (they flicker on camera), giant logos and anything that rustles against a mic. Wear something you feel good in, because confidence shows.

07Turn up early and chat first

Give yourself 15 minutes to settle in. Grab a brew, sit in the chair, have a natural chat while we sort sound and lighting. By the time we hit record you've already warmed up, and half the time the best stuff comes out in those first few minutes anyway.

08Stop worrying about mistakes

You'll stumble. You'll lose your train of thought. You'll say "um" more than you'd like. None of it matters, because that's what the edit is for. Pause, take a breath, go again. Nobody will ever know.

Do that lot and you'll walk out of your first recording buzzing instead of cringing. And if you want someone in your corner who's done this hundreds of times, that's literally my job.