Shorten the learning curve of business ownership by bringing on entrepreneurs, leaders, and innovators to share their stories
"get clear on what you actually want to accomplish."
Today Nick Berry, the creator of The Business Owner's Journey shares his story of entrepreneurship podcast.
► Tell us about you and your podcast
I’m Nick Berry, an entrepreneur, CEO, author, and host of The Business Owner’s Journey Podcast. I’ve been a business owner for over two decades, building and scaling companies, a few successful exits, and a few that never got traction. That experience has shaped my perspective: this path can be tough, complex, and always evolving, but it’s also incredibly rewarding if you’re ready for the challenges.
I recently sold my main business, so I’ve been in a transitional phase and figuring out what’s next without just jumping back into the same groove. As a part of that process I knew I wanted to have meaningful conversations with fellow business owners, especially the ones that dive into the nitty-gritty of running and growing a company.
That led me to create The Business Owner’s Journey. It’s a place where I chat with entrepreneurs, creators, and experts about their stories, strategies, and challenges. We focus on the real, behind-the-scenes stuff, not just the highlight reel.
My goal is simple: shorten the learning curve by pulling back the curtain on what it actually takes to run a successful (and sustainable) business. I bring on real stories, real tactics, and real frameworks so listeners can sidestep some of the worst pitfalls. If there’s a predictable challenge on the horizon, I want my audience to be ready for it.
My listeners are primarily small business owners, aspiring entrepreneurs, and creators who want to level up their business acumen. They range from solopreneurs still sorting out the basics to more experienced founders looking for fresh perspectives and that next big “Aha!” moment.
At the end of the day, The Business Owner’s Journey is about giving business owners speed. I want to help you move forward faster, feel prepared for what’s ahead, and maybe even rediscover the excitement that got you into business in the first place. So the show is a mix of me asking questions, digging into my guests’ experiences, and offering my own hard-earned insights from two decades in business.
► Why & how did you start this podcast?
I launched tBOJ in June 2024, after selling my primary business. As I was thinking about what might be next, I knew the kinds of conversations I wanted to have and the types of people I wanted to have them with. I figured it would be pretty simple to record and turn them into a podcast if other people wanted to listen to them. Those conversations were invaluable in helping me reset and search for what’s next, and to clarify what I was really excited about. Podcasting felt like a natural fit: it forced me to create a structure around talking to interesting people. Having a podcast gave me a fresh start and a platform to explore ideas without going all-in on a new venture too soon. It was like a mini-laboratory for conversations, frameworks, and gathering perspectives.
Before starting, I took some time to map out my goals. I knew I needed to “sharpen my saw”, and that included things like honing my speaking and presentation skills, messaging, and presence. I’m a pretty curious person and I appreciate authenticity in others, so I knew the way for me to go was primarily interview style, with authentic give-and-take with my guests.
I also had an idea that there was an opportunity for a podcast to step up and help guests get so much more mileage out of their time investment. Everyone talks about audience value, but I didn’t hear much about guest value. We turn one conversation into a big content cluster around the guest’s brand and topics. We focus on backlinks and SEO so they can leverage the appearance in their marketing and credibility-building. Then we work with them to keep extending the shelf-life of the content.
I started pulling everything together in early 2024 and released my first episode in June. I released an episode every week up until Dec 4th, then I decided to finish Season 1 with a “12 Days of Business” miniseries, with an episode a day for the 12 days leading up to Christmas. It was hectic, but I love the occasional sprints like that. Season 2 will begin in January.
► How'd you find the time and funding to do this podcast?
I release one episode a week, and overall, the production process is surprisingly manageable. On my end, I probably spend about three to four hours between recording, prepping interview questions, and any post-record tweaks. Then I’ve got a small administrative team handling editing, creating web pages, IMDB profiles, articles and social media assets and posts.
All told, I’d say we clock around six to eight man-hours per episode. We’ve got a very efficient process. I designed the workflow around repurposing a single hour of raw conversation into a large batch of usable content: a podcast episode, guest profiles, transcripts, social posts, articles, etc. We turn that one conversation into a big content cluster around the guest’s brand and their topics.
Funding-wise, it’s maybe a hundred-ish bucks a month on hosting and various software subscriptions. All- in its pretty easily under a thousand dollars total each month. Because I’m in that ‘post-business-sale so what’s-next’ season, I don’t have a “main thing” occupying me yet, which gives me the flexibility to focus on this project.
When I started, the podcast was an experiment but could be my main focus. I knew that wasn’t going to always be the case, so I built it out so it’s still a pretty high leverage use of my time. We’re very efficient with the content and return we get from the amount of time my guests and I put into it. The operational efficiency is something that has created some of the opportunities that we have in front of us now.
► What do you gain from podcasting?
I haven’t accepted any formal sponsorships yet, but I’m open to them. Especially if there’s a real, tangible benefit for my listeners.
For now, my main focus is forming genuine partnerships with people or companies whose work I truly believe in. I’d rather showcase a resource I can personally vouch for than accept a sponsorship just for the check.
One of my priorities for Season 2 is building my network of partners - consultants, marketers (strategy, social, content, PR, etc), website design, Virtual/Executive Assistants, etc - who offer services my audience actually needs. Some of them are services that I use myself, which is great, but not required as a partner. I like to have them on the show as a guest and they’ll workshop or guide me through an exercise so we can demonstrate as best possible what it’s like working with them. I have guests who are good at what they do, and I love the opportunity to let them show it off. I don’t mind being the guinea pig for them, and I definitely don’t mind learning like that. That way, listeners get a feel for how these partners operate, and I can confidently recommend them.
From my perspective, it’s a win-win: potential partners get exposed to my audience in a deeper and more unique way than the norm, and I get to establish a more meaningful relationship that can lead to future collaborations. Plus, my listeners come away with a clearer picture of how certain services or strategies might help their own businesses.
Aside from that, podcasting also gives me the usual perks - personal growth, a platform to refine my messaging, and an excuse to talk to people I find fascinating. But I’m very excited about discovering new partners and introducing them to my audience. I want my show to be a hub of reliable resources, and it’s coming together.
Listen411.com: Lightning-fast, Cost-effective Podcast Transcription and Summarization - Crafted with Passion by Listen Notes.
► How does your podcasting process look like?
I use Riverside for recording; it’s straightforward and reliable for remote interviews. Then I host the podcast on Buzzsprout and my main website on Webflow. Google Drive documents and spreadsheets help us keep track of production tasks, transcripts, and distribution details.
Preparing each episode usually starts with a pre-interview or some research on the guest. I do enough research to know what their typical talking points look like, but I prefer to not be overly familiar, so I can turn the curiosity loose in the conversation. Once I hit record, I try to keep the conversation open-ended while still hitting the key points I believe my audience will find valuable.
Then we edit and produce the final version, upload to Buzzsprout, create episode and guest profile pages on my website, an IMDb episode page and profile, and we create articles, social posts, and episode snippets and visuals. We’re also now uploading directly to Spotify and Youtube rather than using the RSS feed, because we want the videos on those platforms.
I want the whole process to be turnkey for my guests. They spend an hour with me in conversation, we produce a ‘content cluster’ around their brand and their topics, that’s loaded with backlinks for them and gets syndicated all over the internet, and then they get a bunch of ready-to-go assets. It’s a win-win because it boosts their visibility and expands their online presence very well, while giving me quality content to share.
I do require guests to listen to the show before allowing them to book. I want to make sure they know what to expect, and we’re on the same page with making this about creating value, not a transient stop on the podcast circuit.
The guests have appreciated the experience immensely so far. I’ve received great feedback from our guests about the value we create for them and how they are treated. That’s one of the goals.
► How do you market your show?
Most of my activity is on LinkedIn. Listeners and potential guests can connect with me there or on my website
https://www.nickberry.info/
.
On LinkedIn I post updates, share clips or quotes, and engage with guests and people who comment or reach out. I still treat social media more like a notification system than a marketing machine, but LinkedIn feels like the most natural place for my style.
I also send out an email announcement for each new episode, but again, it’s pretty minimal. Just a quick “here’s what’s live now.” We’ve got a ton of room to grow in this area, it just hasn’t been a high priority in our strategy to this point.
My guests have been great at promoting episodes too. I think they appreciate what we’re doing to help them get max value from the time spent with us, they’re more than willing to share with their own networks.
► What advice would you share with aspiring (new) podcasters?
First, get clear on what you actually want to accomplish. There are so many ways to “do” podcasting. Maybe you want to refine your speaking skills, maybe you want to build an audience, or maybe you just want an excuse to chat with fascinating people. Whatever you choose is fine. That clarity will guide every decision you make.
Second, accept that it’s going to be a little rough at first. Mine definitely were. But if you know what you want to accomplish, eg “I want to get better at articulating my brand story”, you’ll be able to track real progress and stay motivated.
Third, talk to other podcasters. They (We) might have gear recommendations, workflow tricks, or marketing insights that can save you a ton of time. We’re all trying to figure it out, too.
Finally, focus on offering genuine value to everyone involved, both to your audience, your guests, and anyone else involved. When you prioritize understanding what’s important to the others involved, you get more buy-in from them, and it translates into a sense of support.
► Where can we learn more about you & your podcasts?
The Business Owner’s Journey Podcast Home: https://www.nickberry.info/tboj
Apple Podcasts:
Spotify:
Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@nickberry4?sub_confirmation=1
Best Place to Learn About Nick Berry: https://www.nickberry.info/about
Best Place to Connect with Nick is LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickberry4/
Nick Berry on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/nickberry4
Nick Berry on X: https://x.com/nickberry
Listen411.com: Lightning-fast, Cost-effective Podcast Transcription and Summarization - Crafted with Passion by Listen Notes.
Lightning-fast: Transcribe a 1-hour audio file in 1 minute.
Pay-as-you-go: USD $0.06 per minute + $1 per file. No subscription required.