We were lucky to catch up with Courtney Fretwell recently and have shared our conversation below.
Courtney, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s jump right into the heart of things. Outsiders often think businesses or industries have much larger profit margins than they actually do – the reason is that outsiders are often unaware of the biggest challenges to profitability in various industries – what’s the biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?
The biggest challenge to profitability in the podcasting industry is the perception you have to have a massive audience to make money podcasting. The simple answer is no. You don’t need a huge audience to be extremely successful and profitable in podcasting. You don’t need to be among the top shows to make money. You can monetize your podcast with a relatively small audience. The best way to do that is to find sponsorships who identify with your listeners.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
My name is Courtney Fretwell. I’m the host of the weekly true-crime podcast Forensic Tales and have a master’s degree in Forensic Psychology. After leaving a full-time job in government, I ventured out on my own in July 2020. I’m currently full-time podcasting and couldn’t be happier. The aspect that makes my podcast, Forensic Tales, different than a lot of other true crime shows, is the focus on forensic science. Forensic science is one of the most interesting and ever-changing aspects of our criminal justice system. Especially with the advancements in DNA testing and genetic genealogy. Each week I cover a new true crime story that highlights how forensic science was used.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Like many people, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed me toward a career change. Before starting my podcast, I was working full-time with a local government agency in southern California. Relatively speaking, I was content. I had a good salary, a steady work-life balance, and good benefits. But I wasn’t totally happy going to work every day. I clocked in, did my job, then clocked out. On most days, I would stare at the clock until I got to leave and go ahead. I knew I didn’t want to live the rest of my life that way. And the pandemic provided me with an opportunity to pivot my life. In July 2020, at the height of the pandemic, I decided to pivot careers. I left my government job and started working for myself full-time. I knew it was the right time for me to make a chance and I decided to go for it. Initially, it was scary and I didn’t always know what my next paycheck would look like. But the sacrifice and pivot were worth it because I’ve never been happier and more fulfilled with my work.
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
My side hustle of podcasting became my full-time business in 2020! I went from podcasting on the side to full-time podcasting with my own LLC. I started the podcast, Forensic Tales, in January 2020 and went full-time with it the following summer. Initially, the podcast was just a passion of mine because I love podcasts and true crime. But eventually, as the show got bigger, I saw the massive potential in it. The show started with only a few hundred downloads, now it has millions across the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.forensictales.com
- Instagram: @forensictales