Dream Away with Michelle's Sanctuary

I had the pleasure of interviewing Michelle Hotaling.

Can you tell our readers about your background? 

I began my career in the entertainment industry, touring as a singer-songwriter and working as an actor in commercials. As I achieved a level of success, I started to struggle with insomnia and discovered sleep hypnosis and meditation on YouTube. In the journey to cure my sleep issues, I realized that I wanted to use my talents in a different way and that my entire lifestyle needed to change. And so I founded Michelle's Sanctuary in 2015, with a focus on using the art of storytelling to help listeners heal and self-soothe. I was a published author at the time, but the world of meditative sleep stories was so new. This was before the popularity of HeadSpace and the Calm App. Having first hand experience with healing my sleep cycle, I took note of things that worked for me and features that I wished were available.

With over 15 million views on YouTube, my stories gained popularity, and I started licensing them to sleep and wellness apps. I began consulting and creating content for Wondery, Wysa, BetterSleep, Calm Sleep, Aura, and Insight Timer.

What inspired you to start your podcast? 

Because I was so familiar with YouTube, it was the first place I felt comfortable sharing my work. But since meditation and sleep stories require the listener to close their eyes, and I often had requests from my YouTube audience to create videos with a black screen, it made sense to have an audio-only format. I began to release my stories and meditations as mp3s to stream or download, but in doing so there was a lack of immediacy in delivering content to an audience and giving me the flexibility to change or update a recording. Once it was published-- that was it.

This got me to consider the idea of launching a podcast. I first created the “Michelle's Sanctuary” podcast with the idea it would take on a different format. Early on, I would start the podcast with a conversation about a topic and personal story followed by a brief meditation that addressed the weekly topic. But from the feedback I received, most people listening to a conversational podcast would be driving, multitasking, or commuting, and it didn't make sense for them to transition into a meditation practice. I realized that I already had great content I was producing weekly and that I should simply release my original bedtime stories and meditations in their complete format on the podcast.

How did you start it? What were the first steps you took?

I already had a strong following on YouTube, so unlike many podcasts, I wasn't starting from scratch. I had a formula for my content and was used to releasing a new story each week. Some stories come as part of a series, such as “The Witches' Cottage” or “The Laundry Club” while others offer listeners a mental vacation in soothing settings and times throughout history. I started uploading to my podcast over two years ago, at a time when people were really struggling with the pandemic and seeking help for anxiety, depression, and insomnia more than ever. A few of my colleagues already released their recordings via a podcast, and so I did the same.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your podcast? 

Word of mouth has been the most effective for me. From psychologists to paramedics, from teachers to students, I find that my podcast is one people are inclined to share whenever someone mentions they have been stressed or struggle with sleep. My listeners are incredibly loyal and supportive. Many have cured their sleep issues and want the world to know Michelle's Sanctuary helped.

I also love to do fun marketing activities. This past Halloween, my 4-year-old niece, my 12-year-old chihuahua, and I dressed as sleep fairies and handed out business cards for Michelle's Sanctuary with candy. It was the perfect target audience because what parent doesn't struggle with sleep?

The other approach has been to make guest appearances on other podcasts, which I often found through Matchmaker.fm. Networking with other creators in the space and cross-promoting and collaborating have been helpful as well.

At the heart of my work, I've most wanted to foster a deep feeling of connection with my audience. Falling asleep is a very sacred time-- it's intimate and requires a level of trust. I want every listener to feel that I am their ally and trusted friend. We don't always prioritize sleep in our culture, and I want everyone to feel that Michelle's Sanctuary is a safe place where their peace of mind is the sole priority. A place where it's okay to yawn and sigh and let go.

What have been your biggest challenges when launching your podcast? 

It's harder to communicate with an audience and develop the same sense of community that YouTube fostered so I sometimes feel less informed about what my podcast audience would like to experience. I have to make a more conscious effort as feedback is often one-sided. I'll receive a review on Apple but not have the chance to talk with the listeners who wrote it.

How do you monetize your podcast? What are your best tips to monetize a podcast?

I monetize in a number of ways. Spotify distributes my podcast and offers a built-in feature to record Ambassador ads with my own voice. I also opt into other ads. I know that many listeners feel that ads interrupt their calm experience, and I hope to provide an ad-free subscription service soon. In the past year, sleep and wellness brands have come to me and offered to sponsor episodes. I also receive a lot of donations from remarkably kind listeners.

I think the best tips I have are to have a podcast that appeals to a certain niche where partnerships are easy to form. I think that it's prudent to look into podcast hosting platforms that make it easy to match up with sponsors and will help you grow. I also recommend ensuring that your podcast is available on every possible service.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new podcasters? 

Consistency is the most important thing. I upload every single Sunday for the past few years no matter what. You also simply have to start. So many people never follow through because they want everything to be perfect. Some of my earliest recordings were done on a dynamic mic meant for performing live. But at the time it was what I had. I had a story, I had a vision, and I simply started. I gave myself the permission to grow, rather than to wait until I felt ready. You may never feel ready. Some of my earliest work ended up becoming the most popular and lucrative for me. I may look back now, understanding what I could have done better, but if you were to ask my listeners how they feel about those early pieces, they have listened to them to the point of memorization. Having a story to tell is the most vital aspect to all of this and it will form deep connections when done right.

In terms of content, finding a niche or creating something original that really stands out is vital.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

My favorite app is TikTok because it's such a fresh source of information and keeps me creative and aware of global concerns and stressors that I can try and address with my stories and meditations. I can't name a specific blog, but I absolutely love BoardingArea.com and all the bloggers there. I write about exotic destinations and dreamy escapes and the travel stories on this site often help inspire me. My favorite book is “The Prince of Tides”-- a book I return to every year for its lyrical prose, humanity, and reminder of why I write. The author, Pat Conroy, was one of the kindest and most loving supporters of my work as an artist and to this day his words encourage me to keep going.

What's your favorite business/podcast tool or resource? Why?

I have to reference TikTok again for this because I find the most information I get regarding business growth, liability protection, and investing, comes from creators like YourRichBFF and RobertCroak. They are incredibly resourceful, inspirational, and pragmatic and de-mystify the scary aspects of being a "solopreneur." From forming an LLC to being better at creating content, these creators are focused on business and finance but their information diversifies beyond that. I like to think of creators like this as distant mentors and they evoke the sense that if they can do it, then so can you.

What projects do you have planned for the next six months? 

I recently launched a second channel on YouTube that is focusing on more traditional sleep meditations as my original channel is now dedicated to sleep stories. I'm focused on growing and developing that more. When I first started there was one category of content that contained sleep hypnosis-meditations-visualizations. We didn't differentiate content in the same way as audiences weren't even as informed about it. As the industry has changed, I've realized the same people who may want a story aren't necessarily seeking guided meditation and vice versa. I hope to start a second podcast, “Screw Ageism” to showcase women who are defying societal expectations and limitations put on women as we grow older.

How can our readers connect with you?

Come listen to Michelle's Sanctuary-- www.michellessanctuary.com.