I’ve had about a full day to reflect on my latest win and achievement for the podcast. I’ve gone through moments of happiness, excitement, and complete gratitude. Yesterday, the 5th Annual Signal Awards revealed its winners, honoring some of the best in podcasting. This year’s theme was “Recognizing the Risk Takers.” While I never really considered my show to be taking a risk, that perspective changed when the Signal Awards introduced a new category this year: Solopreneur Podcast.
Why did I consider that a category for risk-takers? Because solopreneurs rarely receive the recognition they truly deserve. We run the entire operation ourselves, from hosting to editing and post-production, pitching, booking, researching, writing, promoting… ALL OF IT. To see podcasts operating this way receive recognition was incredibly rewarding. Most people never see what goes into making a podcast. They only experience the finished product. Recognizing podcasts that rely on no one but the people creating them may be eye-opening to some, but for those of us doing the work, it’s incredibly humbling. For me, this recognition carries nearly 20 years of history.
The Years of Doubt
When I started the show in 2007, I never imagined myself having conversations with industry professionals at the level I do today. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve always loved the medium and have enjoyed hosting my own podcast for nearly two decades. However, for a long time, I questioned whether I truly measured up to the standards of being a host and running a podcast. I suffered from imposter syndrome. I constantly asked myself why anyone would want to appear on my show or why anyone would want to listen to it. Those feelings would eventually become even more intense in 2024.
Looking back, though, the doubts started much earlier. For years, I dealt with rejection when applying to cover red carpets, events, and interviews. It took me 10 years to be accepted as press at San Diego Comic-Con. I spent just as long trying unsuccessfully to cover the Primetime Emmy Awards. For years, I couldn’t even secure interviews with actors from primetime television. When I looked at that track record, part of me wanted to give up. The other part was determined to work harder. It’s difficult to prove what you can do when you’re not being given the opportunity, but somehow, you find ways to keep moving.
Then COVID happened, and I went on hiatus. It was forced, yes, but the truth is that I was also suffering from burnout. During much of the show’s early years, I was churning out episodes four to five days a week. And remember, I was doing all of this without any additional help. Imagine the wear and tear I was putting on myself. As much as I needed that break, I eventually realized how much I missed being in front of the microphone. It was time to return.
Returning to a Different Podcasting Landscape
When I returned, I discovered that the podcasting landscape had changed significantly. I came back as though nothing had evolved, operating in much the same way I had before my hiatus. Meanwhile, podcasts were raising their production standards. Video podcasting was becoming mainstream, production values were improving, and using Skype for interviews was becoming a thing of the past. Yet there I was, still doing things the same way. In certain respects, my show was beginning to look outdated, and for a while, I didn’t think there was anything wrong with that. That perspective would change in October 2024.
That year, I submitted to the Signal Awards for the first time. Three entries. And I was confident. In my perfectly ego-sized cranium, I genuinely believed my podcast was award-worthy and that I would walk away with something. Then came the email informing me that The Buzz had not advanced to the finalist stage. That was a punch to the gut. I was so disappointed that I told myself I wouldn’t submit again. But what bothered me most wasn’t simply the rejection. It was how I reacted to it.
Instead of thinking, “My show is good, and it deserved to be considered,” I went in the opposite direction. I began asking myself, “What’s wrong with my show? Why isn’t it good enough?” That question stayed with me, and eventually, I realized that if I wanted things to change, I had to be willing to make changes myself.
Investing in the Show—and Myself
I decided to invest in The Buzz. It wasn’t an overnight transformation. It was a slow, gradual process, but I committed to it. I upgraded my microphones, purchased a better webcam, and improved my editing software. Those investments allowed me to incorporate transitions, animations, better audio, and other production elements that made the show more visually appealing. I wanted the quality of the production to reflect the quality of the conversations I was having.
But the changes weren’t limited to equipment. I also had to examine my interview style. Now, let me preface this by saying that I’m still me. The way I connect with guests, my personality, and my natural curiosity haven’t changed. What changed was the flow of the conversations. I became more intentional about how I approached interviews, how I transitioned between subjects, and how I allowed conversations to develop. Is it perfect? Absolutely not. Nothing ever is. But it improved, and something else began happening along the way. I started becoming more confident.
I noticed that I wasn’t second-guessing myself nearly as much as I used to. I became more comfortable trusting my preparation, my instincts, and my ability to lead a conversation. I believe guests respond to that confidence, too. And I began asking myself another question: Why had I been putting so much pressure on myself all those years?
The First Signal Awards Win
Once I began incorporating those changes, things started to shift. I decided to submit to the Signal Awards again in 2025. This time, I approached the competition with cautious optimism. After the disappointment of the previous year, simply submitting again felt like overcoming a hurdle. But I was proud of the work I entered, and I wanted to give it another chance. I honestly didn’t expect much until I received the email telling me that The Buzz was a finalist! I was ecstatic. Knowing that my work had resonated with the judges enough to earn recognition was incredibly gratifying. The changes I’d made were beginning to pay off.
The Buzz went on to win Silver for Best Video Podcast: Guest in the Individual Episodes division. Being able to include “award-winning” in my pitches helped open doors. I still had to put in the work, of course, but the recognition gave publicists and industry professionals another reason to take my podcast seriously. I began covering more red carpet events, received invitations to press junkets, attended more festivals, and developed stronger relationships with publicists. These were opportunities I had spent years trying to secure, and with each experience, I continued evolving as a host and producer.
Why This Gold Award Means So Much
When the Signal Awards introduced the Solopreneur Podcast category in 2026, I immediately knew this was the category I wanted to enter. It encompassed everything The Buzz represents. I submitted six entries across different categories this year, but there was one I wanted more than any other: Solopreneur Podcast – Shows. And wouldn’t you know it? That’s the category I won GOLD in!
Winning Gold in this category hits differently. Last year, my Silver Award recognized an individual episode. This year, my submission was evaluated at the show level. The Shows division recognizes the broader work of a podcast rather than an individual episode alone. That distinction means everything to me because The Buzz isn’t just one great interview or one successful production. It’s the culmination of years of conversations, preparation, creative decisions, experimentation, and hard work. To receive Gold-level recognition for a show that I’ve built and operated independently is something I’m still trying to process.
Nearly 20 years of doing this. Booking the guests, conducting the research, recording the interviews, editing the episodes, managing the production, promoting the content, finding opportunities, and handling the setbacks. All while continuing to believe in what I was building, even during the moments when I questioned myself. I genuinely felt like crying, and I’m not ashamed to admit that. This is about more than an award. It’s about realizing how far I’ve come.
Celebrating the Podcasting Community
One of my favorite parts of yesterday wasn’t just announcing my own win. It was opening my social media feeds and watching so many other podcasters celebrate theirs. I saw familiar names, creators I’d followed throughout the competition, and podcasts I was discovering for the first time. I was genuinely happy for them. This year was also my first time serving as a Signal Awards judge, which made the experience even more meaningful. Knowing that some of the podcasts I’d evaluated were among those being celebrated gave me another reason to appreciate the work being recognized. I applauded every single one of them, and yes, I made sure to celebrate myself, too!
My friends Christopher David and Tony Rodriguez of Advice Unfiltered also won Gold in the Relationships category. After sharing the stage with them at Podcast Movement NYC and supporting one another throughout this awards season, being able to celebrate our achievements together was especially rewarding. Podcasting requires so much more work than people often realize. Whether you’re part of a large production team or operating entirely on your own, creating something meaningful takes dedication, and that work deserves to be celebrated.
Building My Own Table
Recently, I said something that has stayed with me: “I spent years trying to get a seat at the table. Somewhere along the way, I realized I’d made my own table.” That statement feels even more meaningful today. For so long, I was waiting for someone to give me an opportunity, acknowledge my work, or make room for me. But while I was waiting, I was also building something. I was creating my own opportunities, developing relationships, improving my craft, and establishing a place for myself in an industry I love.
Now, during the 20th season of The Buzz, that independent work has received a Gold Signal Award. Last year, the Signal Awards recognized what I created. This year, they’re recognizing what I’ve built. I couldn’t be more grateful, especially knowing how many challenges, setbacks, and moments of uncertainty came before this achievement.
To Anyone Who’s Ever Questioned Whether They’re Good Enough
If there’s one thing I hope someone takes away from my journey, it’s this: Don’t let rejection convince you that your work has no value. I know how discouraging it can be to put everything you have into something and feel as though nobody notices. I know what it’s like to question whether you’re good enough or whether the opportunities you’re hoping for will ever come. But rejection doesn’t have to be the end of your story. Sometimes it becomes the moment that pushes you to grow.
Keep learning, keep improving, keep creating, and most importantly, keep believing that what you’re building matters. Your voice matters, and your story matters. It’s not always about being the loudest voice in the room. Sometimes it’s about the impact your voice makes. To every independent creator doing the work behind the scenes, even when nobody is watching, I see you. I hear you. Keep grinding, because you never know what’s coming next.
If you had told me in October 2024, after receiving that rejection email, that two years later I’d be celebrating a Gold Signal Award for the entire show, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. But here we are. The Buzz – BuzzWorthy Radio is officially a 2026 Signal Awards Gold Winner, and I’m just getting started.
