Know Your Why: Heidi De La Cruz on Building a Podcast That Actually Lasts

Wines We're Drinking Jessica: Seis Soles Albariño, by Chris Rivera (friend of the pod), out of Lodi with a tasting room in downtown Orange, CA (Wine & Wax) Heidi: Water (she'd just wrapped recording her own podcast beforehand) Episode Description This week, Jessica sits down with Heidi De La Cruz, host of the two time award winning podcast "American Dream in the Eyes of Immigrants," podcasting coach, and creator of the V.O.I.C.E. Method, a 6 week framework helping Latina women and busy moms launch their own shows. Heidi and Jessica trade real talk on what it actually takes to start and sustain a podcast: knowing your why, building systems that don't burn you out, showing up as your authentic self (no dress code required), and redefining what success looks like when you're a one woman operation. Heidi also opens up about managing her PTSD around her recording schedule and how mental health shaped the structure of her business. Note for listeners: this episode touches on immigration and includes a candid conversation about how Jessica curates guests for the show's mission of amplifying communities of color specifically. Timestamps 00:00 - Cheers and catching up 09:56 - Heidi's path into podcasting, from curious kid to interviewing her husband about his immigration story 19:47 - Showing up as yourself: ditching the dress code and talking openly about PTSD and mental health 28:17 - Kicking hesitation to the curb: the launch party deadline that got the show live 34:11 - Turning her own trial and error into coaching other podcasters 39:38 - Know your why: the one question to answer before you hit record 46:54 - Weekly, biweekly, whatever works: redefining what podcast success actually looks like 49:21 - Drop times, edit hours, and the surprising places listeners are tuning in from 59:05 - The systems (Calendly, Notion, Google Sheets templates) keeping two indie podcasters sane 1:04 - Editing tools, coworking spaces, and finding time to actually finish an episode 1:07 - Solo episodes vs. interviews: the one that's actually harder 1:11:32 - Setting boundaries with guests around sensitive stories 1:13:44 - Curating community with intention (touches on race and immigration) 1:17:56 - Gratitude, parting wisdom, and where to find Heidi Guest Social Handles Instagram: @heidi.delacruz Website: HeidiDelacruz.com Podcasts: "American Dream in the Eyes of Immigrants" and "Podcasting for Latina CEOs" Connect with Wine & Chisme Website: www.thewineandchismepodcast.com Instagram: @thewineandchisme TikTok: @thewineandchisme Call us and tell us how we're doing: (858) 304-0266