When you woke up one day and decided to turn that show idea into a reality, you probably dreamed about hitting some major milestones. Maybe it was reaching your first 100 plays, or the day you'd interview your hero. But did you ever imagine what it would be like to hit 10,000 followers? Or even 100,000?
Across genres and audiences, these creators shared the strategies, mindsets, and pivotal moments that propelled them from 1,000 to 10,000 to 100,000 followers (and beyond). Now, we’re turning their experiences into a roadmap that will help you climb up the growth ladder.
Before we dive into their stories and advice, here’s a taste of some of the most impactful strategies our creators actually used to scale:
Getting those first 1,000 subscribers can be the most challenging phase—whether you’re still learning technical details or get discouraged by the number of people tuning in.
But it’s also an exciting time of discovery, experimentation, and laying the foundation for future growth. Our creators share their insights on how they found their footing and attracted their first loyal fans.
Here’s a question you probably asked yourself a few times: “how do I stand out from the millions of other shows out there?”. Our creators unanimously agree that the answer is authenticity.
For the hosts of ‘AsianBossGirl,’ the path to authenticity began with recognizing a gap in the market that they had the chops to fill. "We realized there were few Asian voices in podcasting, particularly women," Janet explains. "A lot of the content creators at the time were either beauty gurus or living lives that were not quite relatable to the everyday Asian American women. We saw that as an opportunity."
In the early stages, authenticity resonates more than polished content.
Alok found his niche by blending his background in psychiatry with insights he gleaned from years spent training as a monk. He realized he was equipped to "demystify mental health and help people understand that their struggles are valid, common, and manageable" from a unique POV. His main takeaway? “In the early stages, authenticity resonates more than polished content."
Sabrina found her voice after shedding preconceived ideas about what people expected from her content. "When I started on TikTok, I was just parroting what everybody else was saying," she admits. The turning point came after a series of setbacks, including a failed Shark Tank appearance. "It just hit me where I was like, I don't care about what other people are saying. I need to have my own voice."
This realization led Sabrina to address topics that weren't discussed in the dating and relationship space. Her TikTok followers wanted to hear more, and thus, her podcast was born.
It just hit me where I was like, I don't care about what other people are saying. I need to have my own voice.
The takeaway:
Finding your authentic voice is about what you say, how you say it, and the unique experiences you bring to the table. Your personal journey, cultural background, and individual perspective are assets that set you apart. Embrace these unique qualities, and your first 1,000 followers may follow.
When you’re first starting out, it can be hard to stay consistent. You’re likely not doing this full-time, and you’re still learning the ropes of recording, editing, and scripting. That’s exactly what the hosts of ‘AsianBossGirl’ experienced when the show was still getting off the ground.
"While we were working full-time jobs, none of us had any real content creation background or audio content creation,” Janet recalls. “So the main challenge was just being able to be consistent enough to put out weekly content."
Melody even recalls waking up earlier just to edit the episodes and then heading to work—a level of dedication that was instrumental in hitting that 1K subscriber milestone.
The takeaway:
Establish a realistic podcast schedule and stick to it. Whether it's weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, consistency builds trust with your audience and helps them form listening/watching habits. Our 2022 Fan Study shows that podcasts see their biggest growth in the first four months, so it's important to stay consistent right from the start.
Start with a cadence you can maintain alongside your other commitments, even if it means less frequent but regular releases. As your skills improve and your audience grows, you can start increasing your publishing frequency.
When the subscribe-o-meter moves beyond 1,000, connections deepen, content strategies sharpen up, and new priorities arise. Our featured creators share how they navigated a growth stage that’s not just about numbers, but about creating a show that resonates and a community that engages.
There are millions of people scrolling away on social media, so it’s no wonder our creators tapped into the Instagrams, TikToks, and YouTubes of the world to boost their journey to 10K followers.
For the ‘AsianBossGirl’ team, Instagram was the main focus. Melody, drawing from her background in social media marketing, spearheaded their efforts to build a strong online presence. They went beyond simple promotion, with glimpses into their daily lives through Instagram stories.
Alok took a different approach, finding success in repurposing podcast content for platforms like YouTube and TikTok. He discovered that short clips “were more shareable, which drove traffic back to the full episodes.”
Every day I post the same flyer on my story of whatever the new episode is for seven days straight. And I get plays every single day. I have an arrow that says please rate and review the show, please follow the show.
Sabrina's strategy stands out for its intensity and persistence. She maintains a near-daily presence on TikTok, often going live to connect with her fans in real-time. Every piece of content she creates, regardless of platform, becomes an opportunity to mention her show.
Perhaps most importantly, Sabrina emphasizes the power of direct asks. She's not shy about requesting ratings, reviews, and shares from her audience, understanding that engaged fans are often willing to help if simply asked. “Every day I post the same flyer on my story of whatever the new episode is for seven days straight. And I get plays every single day. I have an arrow that says, please rate and review the show, please follow the show.”
The takeaway:
Instead of treating social media platforms as mere promotional tools, create a vibrant ecosystem around your show. Share glimpses of your life, repurpose episode highlights, and engage directly with your audience through live sessions.
The short-form content you create for Instagram Reels and TikTok can pull double duty on Spotify as Clips. While social media posts might get likes but not streams, Spotify is different—people come here specifically to discover and watch/listen to podcasts. Your Clips will appear on your show page, home feed, and discovery tab, putting your content right where potential fans are already hanging out.
If you're currently audio-only, consider adding video to your show. Sure, you'll have extra content to post on social media, but video also opens up new ways for audiences to discover and connect with your content. Plus, there's an appetite for it: our Fan Study revealed that 40% of Spotify users who streamed a new show in 2024 chose a video podcast.
As your podcast grows, joining forces with other creators or industry personalities can open doors to new audiences and fresh perspectives.
Alok found that the period between 1K and 10K followers was prime time for collaborations. You can pursue these connections in multiple ways: join online communities to share growth tips, reach out directly to discuss show strategies, or appear as a guest on other creators’ shows. Alok focused on this last approach, appearing on shows in adjacent spaces like gaming and tech to tap into new, relevant audiences while offering his existing fans diverse viewpoints.
Sabrina also takes a strategic approach to guest selection, always keeping her audience's needs at the forefront. "I'm constantly thinking about what is the experience people are going through? What do we need to actually give to help them? What are the guests that can help us achieve that?," she explains.
I'm constantly thinking about what is the experience people are going through? What do we need to actually give to help them? What are the guests that can help us achieve that?
The "AsianBossGirl" team found that collaborations helped them expand their content beyond their personal experiences. As Janet explains, "there are only so many topics that the three of us speak about from personal experience, so we started bringing on other people's stories."
The takeaway:
When it comes to collaborations, cross-guest with creators who share your general interests but reach slightly different audiences. It'll help both of you tap into new, relevant listener/viewer pools without cannibalization.
Take advantage of Spotify’s "Host Recommendations" feature to spotlight other podcasts you love and want your fans to discover. It's a great way to start building relationships with fellow creators—when you recommend their show, they're more likely to return the favor and introduce your podcast to their audience.
A thriving community can be the rocket fuel for your show’s growth. As you approach 10K followers, your fans transform from passive audiences into active participants in your podcast's journey.
Direct engagement can make all the difference in building community. Early on, ‘AsianBossGirl’ hosted meetups that gave them the chance to connect with fans in person. Their first event in New York was a defining moment. “We were blown away by the people that came out,” Melody recalls. “Having face-to-face interaction really creates a different type of connection with your listeners, and you just forge this bond.”
The impactful realization that they had a flourishing community also arrived in the form of personal stories from fans. "There were multi-paragraph emails from people sharing their personal experiences," says Janet. "It’s one thing to see a number that’s a download or a quick comment, but when someone divulges their life story, you're like, whoa, this is meaningful."
It’s one thing to see a number that’s a download or a quick comment, but when someone divulges their life story, you're like, whoa, this is meaningful.
Alok also found that, as his audience grew, so did the need to “create a healthy, engaged space for discussion.” He launched channels on platforms like Discord and Reddit to allow his fans to connect not only with him but also with each other.
Sabrina often makes it clear to her audience that "you’re in this with me," which creates a sense of shared purpose. “I think that's what's fun is people that listen to the show, they're like, I've seen you grow. We're doing this together. And I make it very clear that you guys are laying the brick with me. It's not me. I'm not building this.”
The takeaway:
A strong community not only supports your growth but also acts as a foundation for lasting engagement, even as you scale. There are plenty of ways to reach out your metaphorical hand and engage with the people who matter the most to you.
On Spotify, you can use Comments and Polls to spark conversations and gather insights directly from your fans, encouraging them to shape the direction of your content and engage with you one-on-one.
Reaching 100,000 followers is a landmark achievement. This phase brings with it a unique set of challenges, as creators continue to adapt their strategies while staying true to their core mission.
A point will come in your growth journey where you just can’t juggle everything alone. At this stage, assembling a team isn’t a luxury. It will help you maintain quality, engagement, and consistency, and free up time for you to dedicate to what you love most about being a creator.
For Alok, the leap to 100K meant that interacting with his community in the same personal way became difficult. "Early on, I could respond to a lot of chat messages and be more personal with fans," he says. But as the audience grew, he realized he needed help to maintain that close connection.
Start building systems and a support team early on. Growth can happen quickly, and without the right infrastructure, you’ll find yourself overwhelmed.\
Over time he built up a team that helps with everything from production to community engagement, a support system that helped him avoid feeling overwhelmed.
The hosts of “AsianBossGirl” also sing the praises of the wonderful team behind the show. "We are so fortunate that it’s not just the three of us," Mel explains. “There are seven or eight of us now, and they’ve been with us for two to four years. The reason we’ve been able to grow so fast and so well is because we have truly talented people on our team who care about what we do.”
The reason we’ve been able to grow so fast and so well is because we have truly talented people on our team who care about what we do.
The takeaway:
As you approach the 100K milestone, start identifying areas where you need support (e.g. a podcast producer to helm your content calendar and manage partnerships or an editor to handle the technical aspects). Look for team members who not only have the skills you need but also resonate with your show’s mission and values.
Don't wait until you're overwhelmed to start building your team. Instead, gradually bring in support as you grow, so you can scale smoothly without losing the personal touch that got you here in the first place.
If you host with Spotify for Creators, you can make collaboration easier by giving team members direct access to your show through the "Manage Team" section in your settings. As the show owner, you control exactly what each team member can do, from admin access for publishing episodes to restricted view-only access for analytics.
With growth, monetization becomes a bigger part of the conversation. While turning your passion into a source of income is an exciting prospect, our creators agree that you need to find the right approach — one that maintains the authenticity and trust you’ve built with your audience.
When partnerships and sponsorships knocked on Alok’s door, he soon realized not every opportunity was a good fit. It took some trial and error to find deals that aligned with his values and were actually helpful to his audience. Now, the ‘HealthyGamerGG’ team is “more strategic about monetization, focusing on partnerships that don’t compromise the authenticity of our content.”
We’re more strategic about monetization now, focusing on partnerships that don’t compromise the authenticity of our content.
Sabrina takes a more direct approach to monetization, and her strategy centers around knowing and protecting the value of her content. “I don’t offer free advice,” she explains. "My time is valuable. There are always going to be people trying to discredit that, but you have to wait for the people who are willing to invest in your work. Know your value, and don’t be afraid to charge for it. Not everything should be free.”
Know your value, and don’t be afraid to charge for it. Not everything should be free.
The takeaway:
There's really no one-size-fits-all approach to monetization. Whether it's ads, sponsorships, subscriptions, or merch, you can mix and match different revenue streams to find what works best for your show and audience.
With Spotify, there are multiple ways you can start earning:
Trolls, scrutiny, increasing pressure to meet expectations…all of these are challenges that inevitably pop up as you scale. As your show reaches new heights, you might find yourself facing a level of attention—both positive and negative—that you never anticipated.
Alok, whose show grew rapidly, found himself grappling with the weight of increased responsibility. "We started receiving more critical feedback, which can sometimes feel overwhelming," he admits. “It’s hard to touch on every single issue, so trying to please everyone can lead to burnout if you don’t manage it carefully.”
It helps to take breaks and practice what I preach about mental health—balancing work with personal wellness is key to staying grounded and avoiding burnout.
Alok turned to his own advice in order to cope with the pressure of growth. “It helps to take breaks and practice what I preach about mental health—balancing work with personal wellness is key to staying grounded and avoiding burnout.”
Sabrina, who has been open about her own mental health journey, takes boundaries seriously to protect her well-being.
Rather than allowing negative feedback to undermine her confidence, she removes trolls from the situation altogether. Sabrina advises creators to know their worth and not be afraid to block toxic individuals. Because at the end of the day, “people’s projections onto you have nothing to do with you. If you’ve got haters, it means you’re doing something right.”
Maintain boundaries, understand your worth, and don't be afraid to block toxic individuals.
The takeaway:
Self-awareness, boundaries, and resilience are your shields. Recognize that you can't please everyone and stay true to your core message and audience. As your podcast gains traction, remember that increased attention is a tell-tell sign of your impact.
When things get overwhelming, reconnect with what made you start podcasting in the first place—your passion for storytelling, your love of interviewing fascinating people, or the thrill of exploring topics you care about. Double down on these aspects of your show that bring you genuine joy. They're often the same things that drew your audience to you in the first place.
The path from 1K to 100K is a journey of self-discovery, community building, and relentless growth. As you climb each rung of the ladder, remember that your unique voice is your superpower, your consistency is your backbone, and your community is your fuel.
Embrace the challenges, celebrate the wins, and keep pushing forward. After all, every big show started with that first, uncertain step. We sat down with four seasoned creators who've weathered the storms of growth and came out stronger on the other side—Melody Cheng and Janet Wang (‘AsianBossGirl’), Alok Kanojia (‘HealhyGamerGG’), and Sabrina Zohar (‘The Sabrina Zohar Show’).
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