Sai Marie Johnson of InfinityxCreations On 5 Things You Need To Know To Create A Very Successful podcast
An Interview With Chad Silverstein
I feel that those moments, however, show the authenticity of being a human while producing a podcast and that’s something that everyone could use seeing more of.
As part of my series of interviews about “5 things you need to know to create a very successful podcast”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sai Marie Johnson.
Sai Marie Johnson is an author, activist, screenwriter and creative lead on 3 podcasts — two of which she cohosts and one as a solo host; Histories of Horror, Around the Table with the AOTR, and The Mind of Sai Marie. She is also a regular guest on many other podcasts, and has become a thought leader in the field over the past year. Learn more at her website https://saimariejohnson.wordpress.com/
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit of your “personal backstory? What is your background and what eventually brought you to this particular career path?
I began as an author, and that was my main venture into any sort of media career. This, of course brought me to be invited onto a few podcasts, and began my introduction into productions. I knew I wanted to start a podcast, but I was hesitant until around February 2025. After launching Authors of the Resistance, I determined it was a good idea to start round the table discussions podcast and that motivated me to launch the other two a few months later.
Can you share a story about the most interesting thing that has happened to you since you started podcasting?
I was pitched a guest interview by Laurie Kaye, who so happens to be the last journalist who interviewed John Lennon and Yoko Ono together just before John was assassinated. Talking to her about her history, and her past with so many intriguing legends like John was one of the highlights of interviewing guests.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I don’t think I have a funniest mistake, but I do know there have been moments I got tongue tied in the middle of what I had well-scripted out ahead of time and had to just laugh it off and move forward. I feel that those moments, however, show the authenticity of being a human while producing a podcast and that’s something that everyone could use seeing more of.
How long have you been podcasting and how many shows have you aired?
I have been podcasting for myself for about fourteen months now, and I run three different shows so each has a different number of episodes, but the one with the most is The Mind of Sai Marie. This is because Histories of Horror and Around the Table with the AOTR are biweekly cohosted shows and my cohosts both have medical situations that make anything more than that too laborious for the moment.
What are the main takeaways, lessons or messages that you want your listeners to walk away with after listening to your show?
That I am here to inspire, educate and entertain. I want people to feel better about themselves after listening to one my shows, and if not, I want them to be further educated than when they first began it, or feel entertained and intrigued while spending their time consuming my content.
In your opinion what makes your podcast binge-listenable? What do you think makes your podcast unique from the others in your category? What do you think is special about you as a host, your guests, or your content?
I feel that depending on your interests, all three of my podcasts are binge-worthy, but the one that would likely be the most appealing is the true crime, paranormal and supernatural topics variety show I cohost with AL Knuckles, Histories of Horror. I think it is unique to other true crime shows because we cover other intriguing topics like cryptids, ghost hunting and even having various gothic and horror artists and authors on the show. All of our guests and topics are interesting, and make for some unique shows that I feel most people can find something enjoyable in.
Doing something on a consistent basis is not easy. Podcasting every work-day, or even every week can be monotonous. What would you recommend to others about how to maintain discipline and consistency? What would you recommend to others about how to avoid burnout?
I plan out my shows ahead of time, and take the time between shows to think about what comes next. It’s really a matter of discipline and time management, and that’s why only doing a number of shows a week is ideal and having your topics outlined ahead of time helps tremendously with that. I take time off on the weekends here and there, and ensure that I have at least one day for myself every week I do a show.
What resources do you get your inspiration for materials from?
This varies quite a bit based on the episode subject. I am partnered with a publicity firm on the East Coast that regularly offers me opportunities to see press releases for upcoming author titles, and I usually work with them on receiving media kits. If it’s for true crime, I have a certification in true crime investigation and I use various sources to learn about cases. As far as the topics for AOTR’s shows, those are also based on booking guests and intersect with activist and advocacy topics as needed so I gather information from many different sources, libraries, and persons toward those goals.
Ok fantastic. Let’s now shift to the main questions of our discussion. Is there someone in the podcasting world who you think is a great model for how to run a really fantastic podcast? What are the ingredients that make that podcast so successful?
Personally, my favorite podcaster is Bailey Sarian. I think she is an excellent model on how to run a podcast and brand yourself successfully, and that both of her podcasts are proof of how genius she is. What makes podcasts successful, I feel is their relatability and the variation of subject matter. People like to return to things that make them feel good, or calm them down and Bailey’s carved a niche that caters to both.
You are a very successful podcaster yourself. Can you share with our readers the five things you need to know to create an extremely successful podcast?
1. If you create it, listeners will come
It may be slow to start, but consistency is key. When I first launched, the numbers were modest, but by sticking to a schedule, the audience grew organically because they knew when to expect new content.
2. Consistency is key
Establishing a routine helps both you and your listeners. There were weeks when I felt uninspired, but pushing through and maintaining that schedule built a level of trust with my audience that sporadic posting never could.
3. Vet your pitches to ensure alignment
Pitches will begin coming in from unexpected places; vet them and ensure they align with your goals as a podcaster. I’ve had many requests that sounded great on paper but didn’t fit the tone of Histories of Horror. Staying true to the show’s mission is more important than just filling a guest slot.
4. Refill your creative pot and emulate success
When you feel unsure, that’s the best moment to go refill your creative pot but observe what your favorite podcasters do, and emulate those actions. I often look at how top-tier hosts handle transitions or audience questions to find ways to improve my own delivery.
5. Make it your own
Even if you misspeak, or make a mistake in an episode you can always do better with the next. Authenticity resonates more than perfection. Some of my most engaged episodes are the ones where I was just being myself, flaws and all.
Can you share some insight from your experience about the best ways to: 1) book great guests; 2) increase listeners; 3) produce it in a professional way; 4) encourage engagement; and 5) the best way to monetize it?
- Booking guests was something I started doing by organically reaching out to my existing author network, but then I found some other sites for similar things and partnered with a publicity agency in order to get monthly press releases and updates for booking guests each month.
- If you want to increase listeners, you have to let them know you exist. If you create the podcast and are consistent people will see that and will become curious, but you must be willing to share its existence rather widely if you want to catch people’s attention.
- Production is easiest when you have seamless tools. I recommend every podcaster getting started looks at what existing programs they have on their smartphones or computers because some of these software programs may already exist and you just haven’t applied them to their purpose. If not, then there are a number of podcast studio hosting sites you can find that have excellent tools for production.
- Engagement comes from your own willingness to interact with the audience as they approach you. It’s not often you get a lot of interaction with your audience other than in those moments they comment or remark on an episode and that’s your opportunity to let them know you see them, appreciate them, and interact with them.
- Promoting your podcast is the best way to get monetized, in the simplest terms. You need to learn how to create assets (IE: reels, clips) to push people to check out your podcast and give them a teaser of what to expect.
For someone looking to start their own podcast, which equipment would you recommend that they start with?
Honestly, I started with just a laptop computer and that’s really all you need. Having studio equipment is great, but we don’t all start at the top and a lot of programs already installed on my MacBook Pro were perfect for me to begin.
Ok. We are almost done. 🙂 Because of your position and work, you are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the greatest amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Practice not only radical acceptance, but also radical love. And learn what Difficult Honesty is and how to stand firm in your own convictions. If you do those things anything you put your mind to can happen.
How can our readers follow you online?
I am available on most social networks. You can find me easily on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and BlueSky by looking up Sai Marie Johnson — @authorsaimarie, @sai.mariejohnson, @saimariejohnson, @saimarie
Thank you so much for sharing your time and your excellent insights! We wish you continued success.
About The Interviewer: Chad Silverstein is a seasoned entrepreneur with 25+ years of experience as a Founder and CEO. While attending Ohio State University, he launched his first company, Choice Recovery, Inc., a nationally recognized healthcare collection agency — twice ranked the #1 workplace in Ohio. In 2013, he founded [re]start, helping thousands of people find meaningful career opportunities. After selling both companies, Chad shifted his focus to his true passion — leadership. Today, he coaches founders and CEOs at Built to Lead, advises Authority Magazine’s Thought Leader Incubator.
Sai Marie Johnson of InfinityxCreations On 5 Things You Need To Know To Create A Very Successful… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.