How A Mentor Turned A Mission Into Three Podcasts with J. Rosemarie Francis

Want a podcast that actually connects? We sit down with producer and mentor J. Rosemarie Francis to unpack how real shows get built: not with fancy studios, but with clarity, courage, and a community that helps you keep going. Jay traces her path from online radio to launching three distinct podcasts, revealing why on‑demand audio makes it easier to build trust and sustain meaningful conversations. Along the way we challenge the myth that success requires celebrity budgets, and show how serving 100 true fans can be more valuable than chasing overnight virality.

We dig into J. Rosemarie’s 3 Ms—mindset, mission statement, and mentorship—and explore how each one unblocks progress. Mindset quiets perfectionism and comparison. A mission statement becomes a blueprint for who you serve, what promise you make, and why your voice matters. Mentorship closes the tiny but costly gaps that cause podfade, whether that’s a rough edit, a fuzzy workflow, or uncertainty about format. You’ll hear simple, actionable tips for turning everyday expertise into episodes, curating content you already have, and focusing on one clear listener avatar so each release feels targeted and useful.

Nonprofits and community organisations will find a practical roadmap here. We map out how a podcast can be the meeting place for donors, volunteers, and the people you serve—amplifying stories, showcasing programmes, and demonstrating impact in a transparent, searchable way. You’ll learn why digital‑first outreach matters, how to repurpose episodes for newsletters and social media, and even how local sponsorships can fuel growth without a massive audience. Jay’s real‑world example of a creator landing a sponsor within days proves that traction comes from asking the right partners with a relevant pitch.

If you’re ready to shift from planning to publishing, this conversation gives you the mindset, structure, and momentum to start. Subscribe for more candid strategies, share this with a friend who needs a nudge, and leave a review to tell us your mission—we might feature it in a future episode.

Connect with J.Rosemarie:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jrosemarie/
Website: 
solomoms-talk.com 
solomomstalk.com 

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome And Guest Introduction
• 2:13 From Online Radio To Podcasting
• 5:12 Launching Multiple Shows And Lessons Learned
• 8:44 Mindset Beats Gear: The 3 Ms
• 14:35 Rethinking Success And Audience Size
• 19:10 Why Nonprofits Should Podcast
• 23:30 First Steps For Community Organisations
• 26:42 Mentorship And Closing The Two‑Millimetre Gap

Transcript

Carl: 0:04

Welcome to Communication Connection Community, the Podcasters Podcast. This podcast takes a deep dive into modern-day communication strategies in the podcasting space. We chat with interesting people who make the podcasting and speaking spaces exciting and vibrant. We also dive into the podcasting community with news, updates, latest trends and topics from this ever-evolving space. Strap in, it's going to be one amazing ride. Let's dive into today's episode. And my guest today is J. Rosemarie Francis. She's the producer and host of not one, not two, but three podcasts. She began her broadcasting journey in 2014 when she started an online radio station, very cool, to encourage single moms on their journey. She was recently nominated as a featured podcaster on IHaveapodcast.com. I love that. That sounds like a very cool name in itself. As a member of Podcasters Paradise, she mentored the host of The Prison Post before he started the show. So she now mentors aspiring podcasters while continuing to hone her craft through her meetup group. In addition to her meetup group, J. Rosemarie Francis also publishes nonprofit podcasting, which is a monthly newsletter for nonprofits who want to start a podcast, which we'll be talking about that today, I'm sure. She also created the podcubator, podcast incubator, where aspiring podcasters can learn about the tools and strategies used in podcasting. So I am so thrilled that she's here today because it seems like we're cut from a similar piece of cloth. We both eat, sleep, breathe, love podcasting. So J. Rosemarie Francis, welcome to the podcast.

J. Rosemarie: 1:50

Thank you, Carl. Thank you for having me. I'm happy to be here.

Carl: 1:53

So broadcasting, that's what brought you into the podcast space. Let's go back in time a little bit and tell me about that journey into starting that online radio station. Tell me how that came to be.

J. Rosemarie: 2:05

So I was looking for a solution. And like I was a divorced mom. Like all divorced moms are single moms, you have to be innovative. And so I was looking for a way to get the stories off moms who are struggling to raise their children to get those stories out. And online radio was the first thing that I found when I was doing the research. But then I accidentally bumped into John Lee Dumas on is Entrepreneur on Fire. And that started my journey into podcasting.

Carl: 2:41

And I like how you framed that because you said that you were looking for a solution. Isn't that always the way? We're looking for a solution. If something isn't out there, there's two things people do go, oh well, it's not out there and move on. Or, but you you actually created the solution, and that was the online radio show. And yeah, John Lee Dumas, of course, very instrumental in the early days of podcasting. And what was the catalyst that led you from online radio into podcasting? Was it just a natural transition from one to the other, or was it something that you one day said, you know what? Online radio is great, but podcasting is better. What was it, if you recall?

J. Rosemarie: 3:20

So it wasn't that online radio was great. I found it complicated. And it seemed like there was a wall, right? I was wondering how I was going to get through the guests or the audience. So I couldn't find that way to build that connection with the audience using an online radio. And it could be just I didn't know, right? But podcasting just seemed like a natural fit for Solo Moms! Talk, which was the first podcast. And that's why I did it. I just said, well, this doesn't seem to be working, so let's try this.

Carl: 3:56

And the success, of course, has been phenomenal because you're still doing it, not with the first podcast, but you've added two more that you said. Uh, what are the other two podcasts?

J. Rosemarie: 4:07

Okay, so you mentioned that I was co-mentoring someone um in Podcaster's Paradise while I was working on Solo Moms! Talk. And I realized that I actually knew what I was talking about with podcasting because I was doing it. I was editing, I was doing the guesting, I was doing everything. And the gentleman would ask me a question, I would, it was automatic. I would answer. And so like, man, I like this stuff. And I was, I know this stuff. And so I started Tools of the Podcast Trade because I realized people were struggling with starting a podcast. You know, what mic do I use? How do I get it online? Like, how do I get it up? You know? And so that's why I started Tools of the Podcast Trade to talk about the tools and strategies we use in podcasting. So then the third podcast we could talk about later if you want. Um, that's something more personal, and which is why I love podcasting so much. Because instead of blogging our journaling, you could use a podcast to get your message out.

Carl: 5:13

Yeah, what I like about podcasting too, and I think you hit the nail right on the head, is it's so easy to get the word out, easier than that appointment tuning of online radio. I spent 25 years in terrestrial radio, so I understand the complication and the setup and the, you know, it's a very, and it's very different now than it was when I was in broadcasting, but it still seems like it's one heck of a climb versus podcasting, which is there's so much out there from a listener perspective, but there's so much opportunity as well from a host perspective or from a business perspective. We're gonna talk about the not-for-profit route in just a moment, but I just want to uh ask you things that you've learned along the way in your journey, because you are a mentor, that's what you do, that's one of the things that you do. What are some of the reasons why people are coming to you? Is it the confusion of podcasting? Is it they're not sure about content, or is it a number of reasons why they're coming to you and asking you for help?

J. Rosemarie: 6:14

I think it's a number of reasons, but if I may, I crafted like a three-point tools, like the most important tools that you need in podcasting. And then my number one tool is mindset. And I find that a lot of people who come and talk to me, they aren't talking about, even though they talk about what mic do I use or how do I get it up online, things like that. It's not about any of those things, it's about what's blocking them or what they perceive to be this big, mysterious world of podcasting, right? And so when people come to me and ask me a question, I kind of listen to what they're saying and realize it's not about what they're asking me. It's just about what's stopping them, that lizard brain, that imposter syndrome that's stopping them from moving from A to B, basically.

Carl: 7:16

Is it also, in your experience, it's mindset, yes, but is it also perception of what they need to do or what people are perceiving a podcast, the workflow, the you know, you mentioned a couple things, you mentioned mindset and imposter syndrome, but is it also the perception of what podcasting is or what it can do? Does that does that come into play at all?

J. Rosemarie: 7:38

Yeah, I believe so. And I have to blame some of our you know professionals about that, because if I hadn't been doing it all this time, I probably would have walked away. Because some of these high-level podcasters, they have these methods and strategies, and you're looking at it going, there is no way I could do that. You know, I'm just trying to speak my truth, right? And so I think that this perception that, you know, you have to be Joe Rogan or John Lee Dumas or whomever is is what blocks a lot of people. I was talking to a woman for three years, and she was she's an accountant and she wants to teach people how to um avoid being scammed, right? This woman for three years messed with spreadsheets because that's what she was used to. And I'm saying, I thought you wanted to start a podcast, and she said, Yes, I want to start a podcast, but I want to show them on the spreadsheet. And I couldn't get through to her that no, that's not how you do it. Because she had this concept that that was going to work for her, so you know, things like that.

Carl: 8:56

Yeah, I always share with people when I'm working with them, it's how do you take that content? I have something similar that I use. I use the five myths, five reasons why people aren't starting podcasts. And one of them is because of content. Not gonna have, I don't have enough content. Where's that content going to come from? And I always say it's not about content creation because it exists. Everyone has content, everyone, it's about content curation. How do you take that content in your example, the spreadsheets for instance, and turn that into content for a podcast? So you're right, those roadblocks can definitely be jarring for people. And the other thing, too, is you're right, with those high-level podcasts, with the we'll call them superstars of the in the podcasting space, I guess. They have 75,000, $100,000 studios and a production team and a producer, and somebody is bringing them coffee every hour. So that's high level. High level. Most people, and I know you know this because you work with them on a regular basis. Most people aren't there. Most people are using podcasts as a way to get the word out about what it is that they do, or their passion project, or their community endeavors, all of those things. And the the famous or the fortuned or the celebrity or guru style podcasts, that's probably less than half a percent of the podcasts that are out there. So if we look at that as the that's what you want to aspire to, that's one thing. But certainly don't let that deter you from getting into the space because most of those, well, most of the podcasts out there aren't anywhere near that same level in the sense of those people have started their journey years ago in podcasting and maybe even in business, so they can justify and excel to a high-level podcast. Most of us aren't there.

J. Rosemarie: 10:46

And I'd like to add that we don't have to be there, right? Pat Flynn talks about people who, you know, want they want 10,000 or 100,000. But if you have a hundred people in a room to talk to, to address, to meet their needs, you have a lot of people in that room, right? And as long as you're meeting needs, the needs of your audience, that's what matters. And so if we could bring it down a little bit, you know, and focus on that your what I call your podcast avatar, that one person you're talking to. I think that will bring some kind of um perspective to the message that you as a podcaster is trying to convey.

Carl: 11:34

I love what you just said. I need to, you know, clone you and carry you around, carry you around, but but have you follow me everywhere I go because I say this to people all the time coming into the podcasting space, and they want the big numbers, they want the 10,000 downloads per episode. Is that possible? Yes. Is it going to happen usually within your first six months or even two years? Likely not. But is it possible? Yes, it is. I have clients that have those numbers, but they didn't start there. And most people, you're right, don't get there. And I always use this, always use that analogy about because I also work with some speakers, and I'll say, what if you could speak in front of a hundred people and you know that that's your ideal eye, your audience, that's your avatar, and you're guaranteed, guaranteed, because it's your ideal client or avatar, there's a good chance that they'll do business with you or join your community or follow you. Would you turn down that speaking opportunity? What do you think most people say? They say no, but if you convert that into podcasting, they go, What do you mean I only have 100 listeners or 150 downloads? What do you mean that's all I have? So I'm glad that you said that because I've been standing on a soapbox preaching it seemingly for the last four years. So thank you so much for definitely confirming what I've been saying for all that time. Let's talk about some of the challenges that that people have in the organization or the community nonprofit space, because I think that there are a lot of nonprofits or communities that feel podcasting is definitely out of reach. What do you say to those folks who are in that space?

J. Rosemarie: 13:10

Well, one thing I would say is that you're already doing it, right? You're already doing the outreach, the donor, you're trying to get donors, you're trying to reach your community. And, you know, I I've heard people say that, you know, I have the help for you, but I can't find you to give you the help. So a podcast can help you find your audience. Not just your listening audience, but the people who consume the services you have. And the more you're meeting the needs of your community, the more attractive you are to donors, right? So it's like a podcast can be that central place where your donor meets your members, your members meet your kind community, the people you serve. And I think that again, it's a perception that a podcast, you know, is like a television show. I couldn't do a television show because the budget, you know, a podcast can be started, just have someone else do it. And because you already have a foundation, which is your nonprofit in your community, serving people with donors, you already have that set up. Most people who start podcasts just start a podcast, you know, from scratch. But you're not really starting from scratch. And there are people like, you know, there are lots of people like Carl who could help you set that up, you know, without budget becoming a problem, right?

Carl: 14:52

Yeah, 100%. And I think that it stands to reason as well that there's an evolution in how we're getting our messaging out. So it used to be for community groups, organizations, not for profits, even communities in general, especially tourist communities, because I live in one, so I'll I'll use that as an example. You would either use your local newspaper, you would leverage posters, flyers, everything in the in the community, any bulletin board, you could post something, uh, an event and a happening, or you'd leverage your, you know, you'd leverage your local radio station if you were lucky enough to live in a community that had one. And if you were even luckier to be in a small city, but a good size, a fair enough size to have its own small, even if it's a community television station. Great. Here's the challenge. People don't listen to the radio like they used to. People don't watch television like they used to. People are using these things, these devices that we carry around in our pockets, which are more powerful than computers of even five years ago, let alone, you know, going back way back when. So people are gravitating towards podcasts and other online forms of communication, because that's where it is. So it only stands to reason that, oh, and not to mention that the younger generations, so Gen Y, Gen Z, and what's after Gen Z? I forget. Somebody told me. Um, anyways, those generations, they're already tapping into podcasts. So when they start to become, if they're not already, start to become you know contributing members of society, part of the economy, and they're traveling and they're visiting places, or they're making contributions, or whatever it is that they're doing, they're going to likely find the information, firstly, online. And second, they're already listening to podcasts. Why wouldn't you put your information out there through a podcast? That's my whole theory, anyway. So I don't know if you agree with me on all of that or no, I totally agree.

J. Rosemarie: 16:52

Because you you have to go where your audience is, right? I mean, we talk about that with social media all the time. You know, what are you offering and where are the people you're offering it to? Where are they hanging out? And for nonprofits, you know, they have to decide where their customers, you know, are hanging out. And for them, they have two different types of customers, right? But the main people you serve are your customers and where they're hanging out. And how can you access them on a regular basis? Because you have to serve them to attract those donors. Otherwise, donors think they're just giving you money to sit around, right? The donors want to see you spending that money. And so you need to expand by reaching out to more people you could serve so you can attract those donors.

Carl: 17:43

Well, look at even the evolution of nonprofits with how they how they bring in donations. It used to be you'd go to an event, you know, write a check, or you drop money into a pail or something like that. And now a lot of transactions are digital, and even donations for larger campaigns, they're all online. In some cases, they're even using apps now for those donations. So technology is allowing us to do that. So, of course, a podcast makes sense. Okay. So, what are some of the steps then? If I'm in the not-for-profit space or I'm I'm a community-based organization, what are some of the steps that I should take to get schooled or to get started in the podcasting space? What would you suggest?

J. Rosemarie: 18:24

Well, I would suggest the first thing is to reach whomever your development person is, or you know, your executive director, just need to reach out to someone and start learning about how a podcast can help your organization. Um, I wanted to back up and say, you know, there was a time when we used to hold events, you know, so we could raise money, you know, and we had to all this planning going into these events, all this money spent on these events, because I run a nonprofit and I know how much work it takes, how many volunteers it takes, how much money it takes to put these events on so you could come out ahead and make some extra money. A podcast doesn't involve all that work, right? So I would reach out to someone, or you know, I have Nonprofit Monthly, someone like Carl, which is Podcast Solution Make Simple, and just learn about how a podcast can help your organization. Because I think that's the first thing is to be convinced that it can help you, right? So just talk to somebody.

Carl: 19:38

And not to, and thank you so much for directing people to podcast solutions made simple. I appreciate it. It is where it is. I'm I'm not I'm not paying you enough. I should pay you more. But but seriously, but not to diminish your skill sets as well, as a mentor, that's somebody who can definitely help you figure out, especially if you're in those early stages, you know, what's the why? We talked about mindsets, we have to go back to that. What are the other two things? So mindset was one. What are the other two that folks need to think about?

J. Rosemarie: 20:04

The other one, and nonprofits can relate to this one: a mission statement. Every podcast needs a mission statement. All organizations need a mission statement. And the third one is mentorship.

Carl: 20:22

And you may have noticed that it's MMM Mindset, Mission Statement, Mentorship. Yes. So the 3Ms. The three M's. Yes. Three things that you need before you even worry about what kind of microphone, how long should my show be, structure of your content. Should I have guests? Shouldn't I have guests? All of these things that it sounds like folks that before they even get to the stage where they're talking to me, they should be talking to you. Is that a lot of folks come into the podcasting space, they stay here for a few months, and then they leave. And that develops a huge amount of pod fade and podcasts that end up in podgatory because you know, and and I know this is your mission. This is your mission is to banish or eliminate some of that because there are so many great opportunities in this space.

J. Rosemarie: 21:31

Yes, yes. And I think doing it that way is putting the cart before the horse. And once you get beyond the mindset thing, the mission statement is like your blueprint. You know, it's you, who, you, what, you why, basically, right? And you can always come back to that mission statement. And once you have that mission statement developed, it's hard to fail at podcasting. And if you think you don't need a mentor, think again. Because a mentor doesn't have to be a, you know, a high-level relationship that's always in your business. It can be somebody who's there for you without, you know, man. I'm gonna tell you a story, if you will allow me. I was in an Airbnb in Austin. I met a guy who had a podcast. He stopped recording in 2016. He had like three or four episodes. And I'm listening to this podcast and I'm laughing and I'm smiling, and I'm like, because it was very good. And this guy has like 200,000 followers on LinkedIn. None of them was listening to his podcast. And he said, Why did you stop? Oh, um, there was just something with the audio, it just didn't sound good. And if I was his mentor and he had picked up the phone and dropped me an email and said, you know, can you listen to this? Does this I don't I don't really like this? Eight years without his podcast, just because of one little thing, that's the gap I fill. That's the two millimeter gap I fill.

Carl: 23:06

That two millimeter gap, it doesn't sound like much, but it's huge. It's kind of like the longest distance traveled is the one between our ears, right? The the longest journey or the hardest journey is the one between our ears because we get stuck in our heads, which is why I'm I'm glad that you had mindset here because again, it's the mindset of and not just mindset about podcasting, but mindset in general about things that that you can cover. Oh my goodness. Oh, we could probably talk for hours upon hours upon hours, but I think what we're going to do is we're going to have to definitely have you come back, is to do a deeper dive into something else about podcasting, because I think we're cut from a very similar piece of cloth. We believe the same things, our philosophies are very much aligned. Maybe we'll be hosting a podcast together someday.

J. Rosemarie: 23:56

Oh, that would be fun.

Carl: 23:58

As opposed to just being guests on each other's podcast, which by the way, I had the opportunity to be on uh J. Rosemarie Francis's podcast back in, I'm trying to remember when it was, but it was several months ago. Great opportunity. So we're doing the podcast swap thing here. But man, certainly a lot of value you have brought to the table today. You mentioned about mentorship, and that is something that you are passionate about. But you also have the, and we mentioned this in your introduction, you have the podcubator. Talk about that a bit because I know that's where you want to send people after today.

J. Rosemarie: 24:35

Yes, so the PodCubator is just what it sounds like. It's a podcast incubator, and it's a community I'm building. And to have podcasters who are at that stage, with that fledgling stage, um, just trying to feel their way through the craft. Have a community where they could talk about their situation and get solutions to those problems. I had one guy from, I think he was in South Africa. He had a Swahili podcast, and he was struggling because he said, I can't do this because I have no money. I don't know how to get money. And I told him, I said, go down the street and find a couple of stores that sell his podcast was about tech. Find someone who would be willing to sponsor your podcast. And two, three days later, he emailed me and said, I got a sponsor for my podcast. And I said, Wow, that's amazing. That's why I do this, because this guy now can do his podcast because he got a little money from someone down the street. That's what the Podcubator does for you as an aspiring podcaster.

Carl: 25:48

That's a phenomenal, phenomenal testament right there, just from what his experience was. So we'll make sure that the link to the Podcubator, it's podcubator.com, but we'll make sure that that's in the show notes so you can click on it, find out more about it. Also, all of J. Rosemarie Francis's contact information will be there for her LinkedIn. And of course, the official website as well, we'll put that there too. Oh my goodness, this has been a phenomenal conversation, as I said already. But before I turn you loose, I want to give you the opportunity to leave us with the final thought.

J. Rosemarie: 26:23

Yes, if you want to start a podcast, just go ahead and do it. It took me six years to start my first podcast. Don't be me. And because there's so much help out there, that's the one thing I know about the podcasting community. We're very helpful, and we don't always have our hand out for money. We will help you with whatever you need. So don't delay. Your audience is waiting to hear your message.

Carl: 26:49

That's a great place to leave it. And I couldn't agree more. So many great resources out there. And yeah, we are a very fun, close-knit, supportive community. So J. Rosemarie Francis, thank you so much for being my guest today.

J. Rosemarie: 27:02

Thank you, Carl. It's my pleasure to be here.

Carl: 27:04

And hey, thank you for being a part of the show today. So glad you can join us. Believe it or not, I can't work this magic by myself. So, thanks to my amazing team, our audio engineer Dom Carillo, our sonic branding genius Kenton Dobrowolski, and the person who works the arms, all of our arms actually, our project manager and my trusty assistant, Julovell Tiongco, known to us here simply as July. If you like what you heard today, let us know. You can leave us a comment or review or even send us a voice note. And if you really liked it, we hope you'll share it with your friends and your colleagues. If you don't like what you heard today, well, please feel free to share with your enemies. And if you know of someone who would make a great guest on the show, let us know about it. You can get in touch with us by going to our show notes where all of our connection points are there, including the links to our website, LinkedIn, and Facebook as well. And if you're ready to be a guest on podcasts, or even start your own show, let's have a conversation. We'll show you the simplest way to get into the podcasting space and rock it. Because, after all, we're Podcast Solutions Made Simple. Catch again next time.