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If you want to record solo episodes but you’re not sure what to talk about, you’re not alone.
I got some feedback on Episode 3 (Flying Solo, that aired back in January 2026) from a few different people who said something similar: “I want to do solo episodes, but I struggle with what to say when I turn on the microphone.”
I get it. It’s overwhelming to face a microphone with no plan. And honestly? I feel this sometimes (maybe often!) too.
So today, I’m sharing a quick strategy that’s going to help you get unstuck. I call it my “break glass in case of emergency” strategy for solo hosts.
The Core Idea
Here’s the premise: Everything around you can become a metaphor or a story for your podcast.
You don’t need to overthink it. You don’t need to spend hours brainstorming. You just need to look around.
Let me show you how this works with a few real examples from my office and home.
Example 1: The Art on My Wall
I’m looking at some art I drew recently. I do these squiggly line drawings—similar to urban sketching. (Shout-out to Albert Kiefer, also known as Housesketcher. That’s who I’m learning from.)
In the past, I’d try to be too perfect with my art. It could take me a week or two weeks just to finish one piece. It sucked the fun out of the whole process.
But when I came across Albert’s work and learned his style, it allowed me to stop overthinking and just put pen to paper. And the results were way better, to my surprise!Â
That could be a podcast episode for me right there: “Don’t Overthink It—Just Hit Record.”
(Sometimes the magic happens when you stop trying to be too perfect as a podcaster…)
Example 2: The Record Player (Fleetwood Mac)
I have a record player in my office, and I’m looking at Fleetwood Mac’s Greatest Hits album.
That could be another idea for your podcast: “Your Podcast’s Greatest Hits.”
If you don’t want to record something new each and every week, you can re-release your best episodes. I’ve talked about this before on the podcast, but I could go deeper into that idea.
Or, staying on the Fleetwood Mac theme, I could riff on the song “Go Your Own Way” and do an episode about being contrarian and not following the crowd as a podcaster or in business.
Example 3: The Garden Outside My Window
I’m looking at my front garden. My mom came over last week and helped me plant some things (she’s got a green thumb, I don’t)! I’ve got tulips though that are about to bloom with the rain and sun we’ve been getting here in May in Canada. But I know some of those other plants are going to take a little bit longer.
If I wanted to do an episode tying that into podcasting, I could say: “Planting Seeds Takes Time.”
Like with plants, your podcast isn’t going to see results overnight. Some things bloom fast, and some are going to take a season or two. That’s podcasting in a nutshell.
See where I’m going here?Â
One more quick example….
Example 4: My Minimalist Living Room
I’ve got a very minimalist living room. I don’t have a ton of furniture there, and that was intentional. I wanted to keep a clear path to my back deck.
I could turn that into an episode around podcasting and the importance of letting your podcast breathe and flow properly.
You don’t need a million sound effects or segments to make a show effective. Sometimes less is more.
The Method
This method works for any podcast, not just podcasting shows. It doesn’t matter what niche you’re in or what business you’re running.
Here’s what you do:
Look around right now. What do you see? What can you touch? What’s outside your window?
Turn those things into metaphors or stories that connect to your topics. That’s a full episode, or maybe parts you can weave into multiple recordings.
And keep a note app or voice recorder handy for when inspiration hits. I know some people even keep a whiteboard in the shower with erasable markers just so they can capture ideas (I’m sure you can find these on Amazon, and I may just order one myself to have)!
Your Permission Slip
Look around you right now. Make a list of 5-10 things you can see.
Pick one or a couple and ask yourself: “How does this connect to what I teach or talk about on my show?”
You don’t have to use all of them at once or in one episode. But you will be shocked (I promise) at how many episode ideas are sitting right in front of you right now.
The Bottom Line
You don’t need to overthink solo episodes. You don’t need hours of brainstorming or a complicated content calendar.
You just need to look around and ask, “What can I learn from this? What story does this tell?”
The ideas are already there. You just have to see them!Â
And if you’re ready to launch your podcast or need help with your current show, head over to podassist.com and book a call. Let’s talk about what it would look like to get your show live without the overwhelm.
Remember—it’s YOUR show and there are NO RULES!