Make Money by Being Boring: The Podcast Productivity Hack No One Talks About | #275

What if the secret to a successful, profitable podcast isn’t more hustle... but boredom?

Let's dive into a counterintuitive but powerful idea: intentional boredom. 

It sounds strange, but it just might be the missing piece in your podcasting monetizing and productivity strategy.

Drawing from insights in Cal Newport’s DEEP WORK, I’ll walk you through how boredom can sharpen your thinking, fuel your creativity, and help you finally cut through the noise.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Why boredom matters more than ever in a distraction-heavy world
• How I’ve used it to fight overwhelm and stay focused
• The role of saying no, and how it unlocks real momentum
• What it takes to build a podcast that grows with intention and attracts a loyal, engaged audience

This isn’t about working harder. It’s about working deeper.

If you're tired of chasing trends and ready to create episodes that truly convert, this conversation will change the way you think.

We go in-depth on money-making strategies inside the Virtual Podcast School. Join me for live sessions, strategy, and support to keep your podcast growing without burning out.

2025 is the year of PODCASTING WINS with explosive growth + booming sales! 📲Book a call with me - but only if you want to leverage podcasting to grow your influence, impact, + income.

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Be anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Philippians 4:6

Transcript

Simplify Podcasting

Jen Rogers | Creator of the Podcasting Power Hour | Certified Coach | Keynote Speaker

 I teach experienced Christian entrepreneurs how to leverage podcasting so they can grow their impact, influence + income.

 If you’re a successful business owner and you haven’t launched a show, it’s time to talk about how to put your voice and proven offers to work for you!

If you've launched and it's not going well, book your power hour now.

2025 is the year of PODCASTING WINS with explosive growth + booming sales! www.coachjenrogers.com/VIPCoach

📲Book a call with me when you're serious about monetizing podcasting.

Make Money by Being Boring: The Podcast Productivity Hack No One Talks About | #275

Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: When is the last time you intentionally set out to be bored? I know, I know. It's such a weird question. As I was planning for this episode, I was drawn to a book I read in 2022. When I think about the two versus the five, as in we're already in 2025, my mind is blown by how quickly time continues to pass. So I'm asking myself, "How much time from 2022 since reading this book, to right now have I spent time being intentionally bored? See, I struggle with being bored is wasteful.

[00:00:48] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: Think about all the things that you could do. You could be working on your business; you could be working on your relationships. You could be catching up on an app. You could be doing so many things. Yet boredom could be the very thing you need to catapult your business into the next level.

[00:01:08] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: You will be confronted with some serious questions. What do you think? Are you treating your time respectfully? What is it that you're doing that's providing value? What would you say is the most dangerous word in your productivity vocabulary?

[00:01:29] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: I'll answer that and more later on in this episode. Hey there. I'm Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist and your host of Simplify Podcasting. I believe we can simplify podcasting when we practice my adopted word for 2025: Focus. 

Have you ever noticed when you focus on something new, there are so many distractions at play?

[00:01:54] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: There are so many different things you could choose to do that keeps you from focusing on that thing you said you wanted to focus on?

[00:02:03] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist:  Okay. Okay. I'm not making this up, and even though when I first picked this book up, I was skeptical, by the end of the book, I had a new appreciation for what it means to be bored. More importantly, I had a new appreciation for deep work. What is deep work?

[00:02:27] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: Well, if you are Cal Newport, author of So Good, they Can't Ignore You, and author of Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, you will learn what it means to be a disciple of depth in a shallow world.

[00:02:47] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: I do find socials can be the most shallow soul sucking places I do some of my work and I definitely would not label posting and commenting and responding on socials as deep work. Conversely, when I connect with people like you in the dms, in the lives inside the virtual podcast school and in the comments I experience great delight in learning more about you.

[00:03:15] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: Yet it's not deep work. It's not deep work until we take it offline and have one-on-one conversations with the other. Being on social is kind of like eating those extreme sour, chewy, uh, sweet tarts. Which by the way, as a kid, well, even as an adult, if I were to buy a roll of Sweet Tarts, it's very hard not to finish the whole roll.

[00:03:41] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: Tell me you can relate. Are you a sweet tart lover? Let me know on the socials when we're not doing deep work!

[00:03:47] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: I know you want your podcast to grow, but let's be honest, you are drowning in distractions, the constant notifications, the endless content ideas, the pressure to do more, post more, be more. But what if your real growth comes from doing less intentionally?

[00:04:08] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: It is 2025. This is your year to stop overcomplicating podcasting and start focusing on what actually moves the needle. In this episode, episode number 275, I'll show you how boredom unlocks clarity, why Deep Work matters more than downloads, and how mastering focus can help you build your show that grows with purpose. One loyal listener at a time.

[00:04:41] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: Which comes first, focus or clarity? This is not a chicken and egg question. I know that. I know that. I know, clarity comes from focus, from focused thinking, which is an action and then action taken on that focused thinking.

[00:05:00] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: The best way you can set yourself up for success is beginning with the end in mind. There are many people who are asking me questions on socials, on Facebook and on LinkedIn about what to take into consideration when you're getting ready to launch and relaunch. There are also many people I've had conversations with who have done that super secret, silent, I killed my podcast thing.

[00:05:24] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: Yeah, they started and then they sputtered out. The reason they sputtered is lack of focus, lack of being bored, I suppose you could say. Listen, if you want to start out on the right foot, your very first step is to get clear on the fundamentals of what you need. Whether you are launching your own show, or you are pursuing guesting opportunities, find out exactly what you need to take into consideration inside the podcast guides.

[00:05:57] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: Download your guide@coachjenrogers.com slash podcast guides. It's the best way to get started, and as you already know, when you say yes to the guide, it's not yes to a great podcast unless you work through the guide in a focused manner.

[00:06:20] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: This episode does come with a warning label. Experimentation is required to find the rituals that work for you to set yourself up for deep work. Alright, let's get to today's episode! Are you ready? Let's rock and roll. Let's first define what deep work is.

[00:06:43] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: According to Cal Newport Deep work. Are those professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit. These efforts create new value, improve your skill, and are hard to replicate.

[00:07:06] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: That means, especially if you have littles in the house or you have grand littles, you will need to create a strategy. This is where that experimentation comes in the refining process to learn how you work best. Whether you work best in the evening from seven to 11:00 PM or you work best in the morning, whatever works for your rhythm.

[00:07:27] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: You'll need to find the time.

[00:07:30] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: If you don't create the time, you know what happens? If you don't prioritize your schedule, everyone else will prioritize your time for you, and that means there won't be time for this deep. Work. It does take practice. It's a lot like the workouts that my husband and I are doing.

[00:07:46] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: We're, well, let's see, I think we're on day 34 or 35 that we've been working out with a private professional trainer, and let me tell you, she is kicking our hides and what we did today, where we were pools of sweat, we would not have been able to complete those workouts successfully if we didn't show up for the first 33 days.

[00:08:09] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: It's no different with Deep Work. It will take practice for you to avoid looking at all those things vying for your attention and focus on what your business needs. Most The strategizing, yes, but also the content creation, the episodes that are meaningful, the guest conversations you want to have, how it is you want to show up to be the thought leader in your space.

[00:08:37] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: Well, to be a thought leader, it requires thinking, and thinking requires deep work. That's what makes it essential for your success as a podcaster.

[00:08:50] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: Remember that question I asked in the intro? What would you say is the most dangerous word in your productivity vocabulary? If you're Cal Newport, you would say, "yes".

[00:09:04] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: Yes is the most dangerous word.

[00:09:07] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: I know there are several episodes where we have shared the importance of saying no to things to focus on what you can say yes to.

[00:09:14] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: So let's take it one layer deeper that that no is your yes to productivity. That no is your yes to three key things for deep work.

[00:09:30] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: Number one, a hidden strategy, is intentional boredom. When is the last time you let yourself be bored on purpose? Boredom. It gets a bad rap. We are wired to avoid it. We want to fill it.

[00:09:46] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: We want to scroll past all the boredom, but I've experienced that boredom is often where our best ideas, our best podcasting ideas, our best vacation planning ideas, our best relationship ideas, come from. Boredom creates space for us to spend time with ourselves. That space, it fosters deeper thoughts, better storylines, and thinking at a higher level, which creates content that actually connects with the people you want to reach.

[00:10:23] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: Boredom is not wasted time. It's strategic white space. Now, I remember the first time my husband and I, we went to some marriage conference and we were, the speakers were sharing about the differences between men and women and how our brains function. And the two contrasts I remember Women's minds are more like a big ball of yarn.

[00:10:47] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: Women tend to have this brain that everything is woven in to the other, that it's all intertwined. That's why there's such an emotional response because one thing is not disconnected from any other thing. It's all interrelated. Whereas men have this incredible ability. To think of nothing.

[00:11:10] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: There are plenty of times I've asked my husband, what are you thinking? And he will answer nothing. That is still mind blowing to me. Despite reading Cal Newport's Deep Work. That is mind blowing to me. It's not something I've been able to achieve yet. I am working on intentional boredom to create space for me to think.

[00:11:35] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: Are you willing to make an intentional decision? What could happen instead of chasing the next big trend? What could happen if you gave your brain a break and let your best ideas rise? When in your schedule will you commit to practicing the art of deep work? And I'm curious to know how long can you sit still in the quiet with yourself before you go to get something to eat from the kitchen?

[00:12:06] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: You pick up a book or you pick up your phone. How long is it? You can sit still in the quiet with yourself. Maybe we ought to have a contest about this.

[00:12:15] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: You know, we could talk about this inside the Virtual Podcast school. If you have not yet joined us inside the virtual podcast school, now is your opportunity. We are going live on Tuesdays at 1:00 PM Eastern, having genuine conversations about doing the deep work required to build loyal followers, to grow your podcast, to grow your guesting expertise.

[00:12:42] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: We've been going through the podcast guides, the moneymaking guides for podcast hosts and guests. So we've got three in the hopper at the time of the release of this episode, and one more on the schedule. We're going to be diving into the host guides, the 24th of June, the last week in June. And of course, because they're live inside the community, you'll be able to go and watch the replays.

[00:13:05] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: Head on over to www.coachjenrogers.com/community  to join us inside the virtual podcast school. It's a free community. There are lots of great entrepreneurs inside the community who both host and guest on shows. You never know who you're going to meet inside there.

[00:13:21] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: Head on over to coach jen to join us inside the virtual podcast school. Alright, let's move on to the second of three things I want to share with you today about the importance of boredom and deep work. Are you ready? Let's keep going.

[00:13:39] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: You already know this one because you and I, we've lived the shallow hustle. Deep work beats shallow hustle. If you're always multitasking, batching reels, answering emails, recording podcasts, in between calls, you are not podcasting with intention.

[00:14:00] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: Yes, you're producing content, but you're likely not creating opportunities for transformation because deep work means going all in on one thing at a time. It's what creates your asset. Your podcast is an asset. It has a life longer than one year, and it produces revenue. You must do the deep work to create an asset that converts.

[00:14:28] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: There's intentionality there. And as we've covered inside the podcast guides, we are looking ahead to say, these are the opportunities we are planning for our clients. In that planning, we want to ensure we have podcast episodes that lead up into those opportunities so we can invite people in. That requires deep work.

[00:14:49] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: So to create an asset with your podcast means to do deep work, to be intentional, so your topics are sharper and your voice is clear. It is intentional direction on what you want your audience to do next. Listen, we know your audience. Well, you, my audience, you, you don't need more noise. 

[00:15:12] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: Your audience needs your insight, your perspective, your voice unfiltered by all of the distractions. This is where podcasts grow, and this is where podcasts make money, not from issuing or putting out a bunch more episodes, but from creating episodes designed to convert because you take the time to create a meaningful opportunity to share your thought leadership with your ideal client.

[00:15:41] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: Recently, I put out a new offer for power hours. And these power hours are the absolute best. Each hour creates space for you to come and get the work done stat. The work that you need, the clarity that you're looking for, the focus you need to create content that does indeed monetize your message.

[00:16:06] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: If you have not yet booked a power hour, now is the time to do so. Head on over to coachjenrogers.com/powerhours to get started. One hour start with one hour, and if you're like most clients, you will be bundling into a six pack because they are that good. You know what makes them so great?

[00:16:27] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: They're deep work, they're focused work where you receive professional coaching to get clarity on your next best steps, to bring together all of this hard work that you've been doing to serve and to show up in a meaningful way. You'll get clarity! Because there's no cookie cutter when it comes to professional coaching.

[00:16:50] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: If you find yourself in a spot where you're pursuing something new or you're unsure what to do next, or what you've been doing is not working, it's time to receive professional coaching from someone who understands the business of podcasting. Head on over to coachjenrogers.com/powerhours to book your first hour.

[00:17:12] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: Okay. We've covered key concepts. Before we go on to the third point I want to share, let's do a quick reminder here that in intentional boredom, it is your hidden strategy and deep work beats that shallow hustle.

[00:17:29] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: The third thing I want to share with you ties into my word for 2025 focus. My word is not hustle. My word is focus. My word is not visibility. My word is focus. Focus is your ultimate growth strategy because what you choose not to do matters just as much as what you choose to do.

[00:17:58] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: Podcasting, it does not need to be overwhelming. When you focus, you get strategic. You start prioritizing those things which help you grow. You build relationships, you create content consistently, and you nurture your loyal listeners. You don't need a million downloads. You do need deep work. You don't need a million downloads. You do need to build a community of people who genuinely care about what you are offering.

[00:18:34] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: And my target when I work with clients is 1000 loyal listeners. You want to grow to 1000 loyal listeners because you know what happens when you have 1000 loyal listeners? They tell other people. When you build through deep work, you stay focused and you serve better, and your clients know the difference.

[00:18:59] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: Here's how we're going to close this episode of Simplify Podcasting. Get bored on purpose. Yes, get bored on purpose. Do less, but do deeper work. Focus on the work that matters. This is how you simplify podcasting and everything else that you do. So you can build something that lasts.

[00:19:20] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: That is the beauty of podcasting after all! Podcasting is evergreen. This is why when you take the time to be intentional about how you are showing up with your voice, your voice has lasting legacy impacting power. That's pretty cool. And this is one of the main reasons why I love podcasting!

[00:19:46] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: You can produce episodes that get downloaded years and years later. That's exactly what happens with my show, and it's exactly what can happen with your show. Hey there, I'm Jen Rogers. Thank you so much for joining me on Simplify Podcasting. If today's episode blessed, encouraged, supported, or nurtured you in any way, I'd appreciate a honest review on your favorite podcasting platform.

[00:20:12] Jen Rogers, Podcast Strategist: Your review helps me amplify my voice to get the message out there to our fellow podcasting community on how you can be intentional about monetizing every episode of your podcast hosting and guesting opportunities, I will catch you inside the Virtual Podcast School in a Power Hour or on the flip side in the next episode.

PS if you have not read Cal's book, Deep Work: Rules for Focus Success in a Distracted World. I'll be sure to link that in the show notes.