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The Situation

When Carly Fauth joined Megan Dougherty on the Business Podcast Spotlight, she’d already built a unique and heartfelt show with Chemo Coffee Talk. What began as a way to cope with her own cancer treatment had turned into a meaningful platform for survivors, caregivers, and professionals in the cancer space. Carly knew the conversations were making an impact—but she wanted to make the show more polished, easier to run, and better aligned with her business goals, without losing the heart that made it special.

About Carly Fauth

Carly Fauth is a certified fitness instructor and cancer exercise specialist who helps people stay active and connected to their bodies during and after cancer treatment. She’s the host of Chemo Coffee Talk, a podcast that began during her own chemo sessions and now features honest, uplifting conversations with survivors, caregivers, and health professionals. Through her business, FitFunCarly, she supports clients with movement routines that prioritize consistency, energy, and joy – no matter what they’re facing.

What’s Happened So Far

Carly’s podcast journey started in a place most people wouldn’t expect – a chemo chair. She had never planned to launch a show, but when the idea hit, it gave her something to focus on during a really uncertain and frightening time. That shift in perspective – turning chemo day into podcast day – set the tone for everything that followed.

She began by inviting friends and supporters to be guests, sharing stories and lessons that helped her get through treatment. Each episode had a personal update, a conversation, and a takeaway the audience could apply in their own lives. Over time, the podcast grew beyond its original purpose. Carly started recording from home, bringing on doctors, survivors, nutritionists, and advocates. The format stayed warm and personal, but the scope expanded.

She’s now in her second season and loving the process, but also feeling the pressure. There’s a desire to sound more professional, reach a wider audience, and tie the podcast more clearly to her work as a cancer exercise specialist. 

She’s juggling production, outreach, promotion, and guest management on top of running a business. Carly knows the podcast is valuable. Now it’s about making it more sustainable and more strategic.

The big question for her is: How do you take a passion project and shape it into a tool that actively supports your business – without losing what made people love it in the first place?

And underneath that are a lot of smaller questions:

How do you group episodes into seasons?

What platforms should you be on?

When is the right time to bring in help?

Can you keep things simple and still make them better?

That’s what we explored together.

The New Plan

As you probably picked up in the conversation, Carly’s got something really special with Chemo Coffee Talk – a podcast that’s personal, purposeful, and packed with heart. The next move isn’t about reinventing the wheel, it’s about tightening things up so the show supports her business without becoming a full-time job (she already runs a business… and probably has a to-do list longer than a CVS receipt).

We decided that short, themed seasons are the way to go. Each one can focus on a clear topic – like movement during treatment, cancer nutrition, or mental health support – and still sit on the same podcast feed. To make them feel fresh, she’ll use slightly updated cover art and have a landing page where all episodes live together. That makes it easy to share, whether with potential clients, collaborators, or just someone who needs it.

She’ll keep using her current tools and record in batches to keep things manageable. One new piece she’s excited about is adding quick solo intros and wrap-ups to each episode. That way, listeners get more of her voice and insight – and a clearer connection to the work she does through FitFunCarly.

She will also be expanding distribution beyond Spotify and YouTube to include Apple and Amazon. It’s a low-effort move that can really help grow her audience.

The best part? This plan doesn’t require a huge overhaul. It lets Carly stay true to the podcast’s roots while giving it more structure, a little extra polish, and a clearer role in supporting her mission and her business.

How to Use This Strategy

If you want to use a Relationship Building strategy like Carly’s, here are a few questions to help shape your approach:

• Who are the people I’d most like to be talking to – potential collaborators, clients, or referral partners?

• What kind of conversation would make them feel seen, valued, and excited to keep in touch?

• How can I use my podcast to start or deepen those relationships?

Once you’re clear on that, build your show around those people. Invite guests you genuinely want to know better. Prepare in a way that makes the experience valuable for them, not just for your audience. After the episode airs, keep the connection going – send a follow-up, share their work, or introduce them to someone in your network.

You can also design themed seasons that make it easier to pitch the show. For example, “This season is all about movement during treatment,” or “We’re spotlighting caregivers this month.” That kind of clarity helps both guests and listeners know why it matters.

And remember, your podcast doesn’t have to reach thousands to be successful. If every episode brings one strong connection into your world, you’re doing it right.

If you’re looking for a partner to help you figure out and deploy a strategy that will work for your business, we can help! Book a call, and let’s talk!

How to Track Success

Here are the stats you’ll want to keep an eye on if you’re using your podcast to build relationships and grow your network:

1. How many guests you’ve had on the show who go on to refer you, collaborate, or open doors to new opportunities.
2. How often a podcast appearance leads to follow-up conversations, introductions, or email exchanges.
3. New client or partner inquiries that mention the podcast—or were clearly influenced by it.
4. And if you want to, you can track downloads and followers too, especially over time or across platforms like Spotify and YouTube. Just don’t let the numbers distract you from the relationships—those are the real wins here.

Connect with Carly

Carly’s getting ready to roll out her next season with a clearer structure, stronger guest strategy, and a few upgrades to how she presents the show—inside and out. We’ll be checking in with her again soon to hear how it’s all working in real time.

In the meantime, have a listen to Chemo Coffee Talk on Spotify or YouTube, and if you know someone going through a cancer journey, send it their way. It might be just what they need.

You can also connect with Carly at fitfuncarly.com or follow her on Instagram for updates on her work and new episodes as they drop.