Why I built a podcast with zero listeners

(And why it’s the most powerful business tool I own)

May 14, 2025

I’m walking through the hills of Brisbane. It’s 0543, golden hour before emails start flying and the day kicks into gear. I’ve got my Airpods in although today, I’m not listening to Britney Spears or Diary of a CEO.

I’m listening to a conversation recorded a few years ago.

But here’s the twist: it’s not someone else’s podcast. It’s mine. There’s no host or guest in the episode. Just a conversation between me and my mentor at the time.

I listen and I grimace. It’s slightly painful hearing the questions I was asking. But what’s even worse? Three years later and I’m STILL circling the same challenges (I thought I’d grown up)!

Anyway, what is this slightly self-indulgent activity?

I’m unashamedly listening to my very own, locked-down private podcast show.
You’ll never find it in the charts, you can’t even search for it (even though I’m playing it in Apple Podcasts).

Hold up, ~~Jerry~~ Leanne! What even is a private podcast?

Unlike regular shows on Apple or Spotify, a private podcast doesn’t show up in search results or charts. You won’t find it by typing in a name or scrolling a category. It’s invite-only.

You get access through a unique link (or by being added via your email address), and once it’s set up, you can still play it in all the regular apps, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, just like any other show. It works exactly the same… it’s just invisible to everyone else.

It’s encrypted just for me.

This tiny, under-the-radar ritual has completely changed how I run my business.
Because the real threat isn’t lack of information, it’s sometimes forgetting the gold we already have.

We all know that feeling. You watch a movie again and you finally understand a clever line. Or, you read a book and certain paragraphs that you once ignored now leap out at you urgently.

That’s why I love this idea so much.

If you don’t have your own podcast feed that only you can hear in 2025... keep reading.

The exact moment I got fed up

It was yet another online course I’d signed up for - full of great stuff, but completely locked in video format.

I had to sit there staring at my laptop. Clicking through 40-minute modules while silently screaming, “Why can’t I just go for a walk and listen to this?”

It felt like I was stuck in 2012.

That’s when the idea smacked me in the face:

“What if I just turned all of this into a private podcast?”

Introducing the world’s worst podcast, built perfectly for me

So I started one.

I call it Stuff Leanne Needs to Remember.

Here’s the cover artwork. It’s awful. But who cares? It’s just for me. Took me 2.5 seconds in Canva.

Classified: The podcast for Leanne’s ears only

After every meaningful call, coaching session, or workshop, I export the audio (with permission), upload it to a private podcast feed using a tool called Hello Audio, and label it with something useful like:

“Article writing session 1”

Then, I listen when I need intel. The tech is basic. The results? Surprisingly powerful.

It works because I’m not just trying to be efficient

You might be asking, “Why not just use AI to transcribe and summarise everything?”

And I do. Sometimes. But let’s be honest: reading is skimming. When I hear the actual tone - the pause before a prospect talks about their most important priority, that’s what sticks.

Sometimes I also face this tension between working out and starting work. And while I don’t condone hustle culture, sometimes it is really is nice to work up a concept while you’re out walking/listen to an idea, with this view in the background.

Brisbane summit on a crisp Autumn morning.

If you discovered my secret show, what would you hear?

Well, I’d be nervous because some of my most valuable assets live there. including:

There’s 2 x 3-hour recordings working with Alan Weiss during our mastermind in Hawaii.
A 1:1 in-person ideation session I had with Keith Abraham in Brisbane
Another raw coaching session where I ended up in tears (awkward).
Article-writing courses, discovery calls with prospects/clients (only recorded with permission).

But my favourite use case?

It’s recording the presentations I’m about to make.

Before a big presentation, I record a full run-through including pacing, pauses, tonal shifts, all of it. Then I plug it into my podcast feed and let it run on repeat during my morning walks.

Not because I’m obsessed with hearing my own voice. But because this method works.

I find it easier to memorise things when I’m moving. Turns out, neuroscience backs this up because walking fires up the circuits that help you retain information.

This is especially helpful when you have to have a perfectly timed talk (i.e. your slides automatically advance after 15 seconds), like during this Disrupt HR speech I gave ages ago.

Also? When you hear something back, you become a better editor/critique of your work.

Another fun hack while writing my book:

You can get AI to voiceover your manuscript, upload it to your private podcast and listen to your book while on a walk. The best way to find out typos/or realise you haven’t explained a concept that welL!

Why this tiny habit changes everything

Here’s what’s shifted since I started doing this:

I’m actually completing online courses, learning and getting results from my investment (vs. leaving them dormant on my computer).
Speech prep is sharper because I rehearse by walking and listening to my attempt.
Workshop designs emerge out of nowhere, mid-drive, just from hearing a client’s offhand comment again (which I probably missed during the call).
Proposals come together quicker because I’m not guessing what the client meant. I’m hearing it.
My confidence is higher because I know I’ve got a system that captures what matters.

It’s not a system for everyone

You’ve got to be OK with your own voice. You’ve got to be disciplined enough to hit record and play it back.

But if you’re the kind of person who thinks best while moving? This might be your missing tool (if that’s the case, check out Hello Audio. And yes that’s an affiliate link because I love this tool so much).

As business tools go, my private podcast may be the least impressive-looking in my arsenal. It doesn’t leverage cutting-edge technology.

But measured by impact on my day-to-day effectiveness? It’s a total weapon.

So yes, I will never, ever, ever share the link to Stuff Leanne Needs to Remember.

But maybe it’s time you created your own vault?

(Also: Want other creative ideas on how to use private podcasting? I might write about this in future but here you go: 7 reasons your program and business needs a private podcast with Leanne Hughes).

Want a more personal story from me? Here’s a popup article I wrote earlier this week:

Where's the training manual for daughters?

Leanne Hughes

May 12

Where's the training manual for daughters?

I was ten years old, walking out of school on a disgustingly hot Brisbane afternoon. I'd timed it perfectly. School bell rings, I bolt. Head down, backpack bumping, praying no one sees me.

Read full story

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This week, I recorded an episode sharing my thoughts on whether AI can replace stakeholder engagement and how not every insect is attracted to every plant (i.e. you’re not for everyone!)

Also…

If you’re thinking about scaling your business and considering hiring a Virtual Assistant, you might enjoy this upcoming live-stream with the rock star of consulting, Alan Weiss.

It’s on Weds 28 May 5pm ET (USA) / Thursday 29 May 7am AEST. RSVP here.