An interactive storytime podcast with a ton of engaging activities.
"Go ahead and start!"
Today Rella B, the creator of Reading with Rella B shares her story of Stories for Kids podcast.
► Tell us about you and your podcast
Who in the world is Rella B? I'm a children's content creator, author, designer, and now podcast host! Becoming Rella B? Well, that's a story in itself! You see, I once thought growing up was the goal. I couldn't wait to start working, be a responsible adult, and all that jazz. But here's the twist: the more I worked, the less I felt that joy bubbling inside. You know, people say you should find a job you love, and you'll never work a day in your life. Sounds good, right? But what if we took it a step further?
I figured out that work and play shouldn't be like distant cousins, barely meeting at family reunions. No way! They should be inseparable buddies, throwing a non-stop party.
Enough about my disdain for clocking in and out. I actually love educating children and watching their 'aha' moments. I have a background in education, business and technology that proved to be pretty uneventful for the past half-decade. But now, I'm bringing it full circle by including my overwhelming love of writing, self-development and reading! I hope that you will come along for the ride!
So, Rella B came to life – my alter ego, and playtime enthusiast. Combining all of my skills and passions to become an advocate for self-love, financial education, and entertainment for littles. I'm all about helping little ones use their imaginations to think out of the box. Forget the rush to grow up – and help little ones enjoy being little!
P.S. I love cows too!
What to Expect on My Podcast:
Author Interviews: Get to know the brilliant minds behind your favorite children's books
Adlib Silly Stories: Let's unleash our imaginations with spontaneous and silly storytellin
Interactive Read-Alongs: Dive into enchanting tales with me.
Get ready for weekly doses of laughter and giggles, every Wednesday! My content is family friendly and engaging for children ages 3-9.
► Why & how did you start this podcast?
You know what, I love audio anything! I love audio books, music, and podcasts too. I was listening to podcasts without realizing what they were embarrassingly enough. I decided to cast a wide net in the children's content world so I actually have a YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/@rellabbooks), Podcast, and write books as well. I decided that I wanted to offer a screen-free version of my content that would be engaging for car rides. I started my podcast 11/15/23 and I already have my episodes recorded out to April. I think I will take a break for a while because I went really hard in the beginning. It took about 2 weeks to release 3 simultaneous episodes for the debut. I recorded most of these myself without a guest and my editor gave them some razzle-dazzle.
► How'd you find the time and funding to do this podcast?
I administer weekly doses of giggles every Wednesday! It takes me about 30 minutes to produce each episode and $20.
I have a lot of free time at the moment and I'm working really hard to make this content creator dream a reality. I have a lot of flexibility in my job and side hustles as well. I record during off days or during the night for international guests.
I pay for all of this myself. I pay: $20 for the editing of each episode, $12 for hosting, marketing is free using social media for right now. Each month I spend $92 dollars on the podcast. I plan to start charging guests and also find sponsors as well.
But it's all worth it because I want the kiddos that read my books, watch my channel, or listen to my podcasts to love themselves more than anything! Self-confidence, self-expression, self-love, and self-care were things I struggled with until adulthood. I want the next generation to have fun and learn while loving and being their best selves!
► What do you gain from podcasting?
I do not have sponsors or revenue as of yet but I am working on this as I "type". The best way that podcasting helps me is it allows me to network and build connections with other children's book authors which increase my overall reach in my brand. When they promote my videos more authors reach out to guests. When I have more content I have more views. When I have more views, more people take me seriously. I am taking the tortoise approach to this and I believe that by filling my funnel with connections, quality content, and paid ads in 6-8 months I will be in a very different position.
► How does your podcasting process look like?
I use Buzz sprout:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=2229075
, I wasn't aware of Listen notes prior to beginning. I hired 2 editors from
http://store.onlinejobs.ph/?aid=551312
to edit my episodes for $20 each. And I use a microphone I got from amazon on a promotion and the rode me mic. I also use Zoom to record episodes. I think zoom is so great for recording.
The most preparation of each episode is finding each guest, promoting the episode and recording the episodes. I think it's important to have a format for your podcast as a solo host as well as with guests because guests will cancel and flake.
► How do you market your show?
I am working on this currently. I have an email list, most social media platforms, a website and a YouTube channel. I plan to begin running ads on a few different platforms as well. Ultimately all roads lead to Rella B. My YouTube leads to my books and my podcast. My podcast leads to my books and my YouTube. My books lead to my YouTube and podcasts. When I have a guest on my podcast, I ask them to share the episode with their followers and email lists. My guest helped market for me basically. I'm trying to create a well rounded circuit of outreach and hopefully the content has people stick around. I actually work with influencers as well. I have them record their children interacting with the content and that has worked well too.
► What advice would you share with aspiring (new) podcasters?
-Go ahead and start!
-Hire an affordable editor, I used
http://store.onlinejobs.ph/?aid=551312
and found 2 amazing editors for my podcast that will edit them for $20 an episode. The amount of time that this saved along with the learning curve that I didn't have to experience is wonderful! I feel like the only thing I need to do is improve my craft and get sponsors and partners.
-Don't go crazy buying things you don't need. I paid for a podcast cover that I can change for every episode and a unique intro (vocal artist and unique beat). I think I could've gone without this.
-Have a great system for guests and organization. This is something that I continually change because I learn and grow continuously.
-Have boundaries and expectations for your show and your guests, protect your show and your brand at all costs.
-Ultimately you need to hit the ground running. Start marketing before you actually launch which is something I didn't do and I am now paying for it.
► Where can we learn more about you & your podcasts?
All roads lead to Rella B Books!
Books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Rella-B./author/B0CL9C4VFL?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
https://Rellabbooks.com
https://Youtube.com/@rellabooks
All socials (IG, FB, X, TikTok, LinkedIn): @Rellabbooks
Have a children's book and want to be a guest? Media@Rellabbooks.com
Cashapp: Rellabbooks
https://cash.app/$Rellabbooks
Podcast: "Reading with Rella B" on all major platforms.