The Cliff Ravenscraft Show

This is one of the most raw, authentic, and transparent episodes I’ve recorded in quite some time. I originally had an outline for this episode, but after starting the recording several times, I decided to let go of the structure and simply speak from my heart. In this episode, I share some of the clarity that has been emerging through my daily logging and reflection practice. This process has been helping me see the systems, patterns, thoughts, behaviors, and inner narratives that are creating both the results I desire and the results I do not desire. I also talk openly about my client creation process and the powerful role that the Prosperous Coach method has played in my business over the years. At the same time, I share a vulnerable realization: without proper filters and discernment, my generosity can begin to function more like a nonprofit ministry than a sustainable business. From there, I move into reflections on family, empty nest, aging parents, and my own identity as a father. I share what came up for me this weekend as I dropped Matthew off at the airport for his month-long study abroad experience in Japan, and how his words, “I love you, Dad. I’ll see you in a month,” opened up an emotional response in me that I did not expect. I also share two new soul songs I created this weekend: “The Life I Saw Inside” “I Create Rooms Where People Rise” These songs helped me reconnect with the deeper truth of the work I do in the world. I create rooms where people rise. Rooms where people can speak honestly. Rooms where they can name what they really want. Rooms where they can receive honest reflection and support. Rooms where they can find the next right move and follow through on what they choose. This episode is about clarity, fatherhood, business, family, emotion, calling, and the rooms we need in order to become who we are here to become. If you are ready for a room where you can rise, email me at Cliff@CliffRavenscraft.com and put “I’m ready for a room where I can rise” in the subject line.  

This conversation was recorded at the Cincinnati Podcast Studio with Brian Erickson. I originally invited Brian to join me for an episode of my What Are You Creating? podcast, which I typically produce as an audio-only show. Since Brian runs a studio devoted to high-quality video podcast production, he invited me to come to the studio and record the conversation there. This is a very unscripted conversation. It begins as an interview, but it naturally becomes a genuine exchange between two podcast professionals exploring how we each think about content creation. Where it’s been. Where it is now. And where it might be headed. At one point, Brian asks me to share my perspective on audio versus video, content ownership, and some of the principles that have shaped the way I approach creating and publishing work. If you care about creating meaningful work and playing a long game with your content, I think you’ll enjoy it. Important Links: You can see the video version of this episode, recorded professionally at the Cincinnati Podcast Studio, on my YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/2bzuQFXlzkE?si=Bq_4bp4WXjczmZK2 Cincinnati Podcast Studio website: https://cincinnatipodcaststudio.com Follow Brian on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/bwerickson Next Level Mastermind If you’re a professional author, coach, speaker, content creator, course creator, or online business owner, and you’ve ever felt alone in your content creation, marketing, or business decisions, I want you to know this. You don’t have to do this journey by yourself. I’ve reopened the Next Level Mastermind. It’s designed for entrepreneurs who are committed to growth, service, and bringing their full education, experience, skills, and perspective into a trusted peer environment where everyone contributes and everyone benefits. If you feel a pull toward doing this work alongside other thoughtful, accomplished people who understand the decisions you’re facing, email me directly at cliff@cliffravenscraft.com and put “Next Level Mastermind” in the subject line. I’d love to explore whether it makes sense for us to journey together.

This episode is another audio journal. I share some of the big projects that caught my attention this week. I'm excited to be speaking at Social Media Marketing World in 2026 with a 90-minute workshop on podcasting. I also submitted a talk for PodFest Expo 2027. I share my history with payment processing as an online business owner, a recent purchase related to my obsession with e-ink e-reader devices, and my initial thoughts after my first attempt at developing my own online software. Join Us In The Next Level Mastermind If you’re listening to this and recognizing yourself in the way I’m thinking out loud here. Juggling big ideas, meaningful projects, and the desire to build something that truly matters. You might be the kind of person I created the Next Level Mastermind for. It’s a small, intentional group of experienced creators and entrepreneurs who want space to think clearly, be challenged honestly, and move forward with greater confidence and alignment. If you’re curious whether this might be the right environment for you, email me directly at cliff@cliffravenscraft.com.  

For years, people have looked at my body of work and seen a lot of different podcasts, newsletters, live streams, and conversations. What they could not see was the pattern underneath it all. Today, I have clarity around and language for the system I accidentally built over the last two decades. This clarity changes how I see everything I create. In this episode, I walk through the three podcasts that are my primary focus and explain how each one plays a specific role in moving someone from discovering me for the first time, to trusting me, and then to making the decision to work with me. My Three Podcasts Podcast Answer Man The Cliff Ravenscraft Show What Are You Creating? Podcast Answer Man - The Front Door Podcast Answer Man is my top of funnel. It is where people find me because they already have a problem they want solved. They are searching: How do I start a podcast? How do I grow a podcast? How do I fix this audio issue? How do I come up with new ideas for content? How can I streamline my content creation process? That kind of search comes from someone who is already motivated to take action. Podcast Answer Man is show that is there to answer these questions and to introduce them to my world. Podcast Answer Man will feed directly into the following: My Podcasting A to Z Group Coaching Program My Paid Podcast Consulting My Digital Tutorials Affiliate Income from trusted Tool and Resource recommendations. Podcasting is a high intent market. Someone searching for answers related to podcasting is already holding a credit card emotionally, even if they have not pulled it out yet. Once they introduced to the answers I provide to their podcast related questions, they will quickly discover that I offer far more value to their entrepreneurial journey beyond just the tech. The Cliff Ravenscraft Show Builds - The Trust Builder This show isn't designed to attract cold listeners. Only one type of person searches for a show titled "The Cliff Ravenscraft Show" in a podcast directory, someone who already knows a guy named Cliff Ravenscraft exists. This podcast is my relationship engine. People who already know me through Podcast Answer Man, referrals, or social media come here to understand how I think, how I decide, and how I live inside my business. TCRS positions me as a professional business owner who specializes in business strategy and mindset, not just a technician. The Cliff Ravenscraft Show will feed directly into the following: My Business Strategy & Mindset Coaching. My Next Level Mastermind. My In Person Workshops & Events. My other Premium Offerings What Are You Creating? - My Networking Channel What Are You Creating? is my interview format podcast. Each episode features a conversation with entrepreneurs, creators, and visionaries building work aligned with their deepest passions. These stories are filled with sparks. Sparks that can ignite new possibilities for your own life and business. You may discover income streams you’ve never considered, ways to align your passions with your work, or fresh inspiration to start creating something of your own. Here are the main benefits of having your own interview format podcast. It creates a natural reason to reach out to people who would otherwise be difficult to connect with. A podcast invitation feels generous. It gives you instant access to people who already have earned trust and credibility with your ideal audience. It allows you to borrow relevance without pretending to be someone you are not. You show up as the curious, thoughtful host who creates space for meaningful conversation. It positions you as a peer in the room with leaders in your niche. It builds a relationship before it ever needs to become anything else. Trust grows through conversation long before there is any talk of collaboration or opportunity. It turns networking into something that feels human. Instead of collecting business cards, you are having real conversations. It opens doors to speaking, partnerships, referrals, and friendships that almost never come from cold outreach. It lets your voice and perspective be experienced in context, alongside respected people, which quietly builds confidence in you. It creates momentum. Each guest often leads to the next, expanding your network and your reach in a way that compounds over time. A major feature of this podcast is to grow my peer group, my referral network, and my reputation as someone who has meaningful conversations with interesting people doing important work. With this show, I don't focus on download counts, subscriber growth, or metrics. The primary outcome I'm looking for is the relationship I build with each guest. This allows me to show up fully present and curious, without an agenda. People can feel that. How It All Works Together Most people try to teach, tell their story, and interview guests all in one feed. I don't judge that approach, but I've found it confuses the audience and muddles the show's purpose. I separated them. Each show has one job. Podcast Answer Man answers the questions my ideal clients are actively searching for. The Cliff Ravenscraft Show helps people who have discovered me understand the depth of what I offer beyond the answers to their tech questions. What Are You Creating? helps me expand my peer group. This matches exactly how my highest-paid clients find me. Most discover me through podcasting help. They stay because they connect with how I think about business and mindset. They deepen their relationship with me through the conversations I have with my peers and the relationships I build. I accidentally built this over twenty years. Now I finally have language for it.  

In this episode, I share a full behind the scenes look at everything I have been working on since I made the decision to bring Podcast Answer Man and Podcasting A to Z back as a primary focus in my business. Episode 802 was the story of why this decision happened. This episode is the story of what actually happened next. Over the past month, I have been rebuilding, reconnecting, and reactivating an entire ecosystem that had been dormant for nearly a decade. In this conversation, I walk you through the real work behind the scenes. The relationships, the systems, the strategy, and the momentum that started moving the moment I committed to this direction. I talk about landing a speaking engagement at Podfest Expo and what that means for reconnecting with the podcasting community. I share how reconnecting with people like Nick Pavlidis and Rob Greenlee has already started opening doors and reconnecting relationships in the industry. I also walk through how Podcast Answer Man is now back on a true weekly publishing schedule. Every Friday at 12:01am Eastern Time, there is a new episode. I also announce that The Cliff Ravenscraft Show is now back to a weekly schedule as well. Every Monday at 12:01am Eastern Time, there will be a new episode focused on business strategy, mindset, and the behind the scenes of what I am building. I share some of the emotional responses I have already received from longtime listeners who heard the Podcast Answer Man intro music again for the first time in years. Those messages reminded me just how meaningful this work has been in people’s lives for more than two decades. I also talk about the strategic decisions I have made to support this new season, including moving the Podcast Answer Man website to PodPage, setting up new affiliate partnerships, rebuilding the Podcasting A to Z sales page, and launching a new series of live interviews called Where Are They Now featuring former Podcasting A to Z students who are still creating content more than a decade later. A big part of this episode is dedicated to the work I have been doing behind the scenes on my email list. I explain why I moved back to ConvertKit, how I am rebuilding my email sequences, and how I am creating separate paths for people who want podcasting focused content and those who want business, mindset, and entrepreneurial content. This episode is a snapshot of a turning point. It captures what it looks like when an idea becomes a commitment and when momentum starts to build. If you want the deeper story of why Podcast Answer Man came back, listen to Episode 802. If you want to understand how everything is now being built to support that decision, this episode is the next chapter. Thank you for being here and for walking with me through this season of growth and realignment. Links Mentioned In This Episode Podcast Answer Man https://PodcastAnswerMan.com Podcast Answer Man Episode 477 Why I Moved the Podcast Answer Man Website to PodPage https://PodcastAnswerMan.com/477 Podfest Expo https://PodfestExpo.com Use promo code PAM for 10 percent off tickets Podcasting A to Z https://PodcastingAtoZ.com PodPage https://PodcastAnswerMan.com/podpage ConvertKit (Kit) https://PodcastAnswerMan.com/kit Kajabi https://PodcastAnswerMan.com/kajabi What Are You Creating Podcast https://www.cliffravenscraft.com/podcasts/what-are-you-creating Free the Dream Keynote https://MindsetAnswerMan.com/free Podcasting A to Z If you have been thinking about starting a podcast or you already have one but feel stuck, this is your invitation. Podcasting A to Z is my four week live coaching program where I personally walk you through every step of launching or refining your podcast. You get direct access to me, weekly group coaching calls, and the ability to ask as many questions as you want. I will answer every single one. The next session begins January 26. If you are ready to finally put your voice into the world or take your existing podcast to a higher level, go to PodcastingAtoZ.com and join me. This is a guided experience where you have me as your coach. I would love to work with you.