---
title: "If I Were Jenna Kutcher: What I'd Do With 968 Episodes"
description: "Jenna Kutcher paused a 968-episode podcast. Her YouTube has 14K subscribers. Two strategies: re-package the video episodes, then a full relaunch."
url: https://evgenymaximov.com/blog/jenna-kutcher-youtube-strategy/
---

# If I Were Jenna Kutcher: How I'd Turn 968 Podcast Episodes Into a YouTube Engine

Hey Jenna. You paused The Goal Digger Podcast after nearly a decade and 968 episodes. That's a huge library, and right now most of it sleeps in podcast apps. Your YouTube channel has about 14,000 subscribers and episodes with a hundred views. Here's how I'd fix it in two steps: first re-package what's already recorded, then relaunch the channel with full production.

By **Evgeny Maximov** · 7 min read · 13 Oct 2026

**Key takeaways**

**Short answer:** if Jenna Kutcher were my client, I'd run two strategies. First, re-use the old content: most of her 968 episodes are audio only, so I'd take the episodes that have a video version, especially those with famous guests, and give them real YouTube packaging: titles, thumbnails, a strong opening, chapters and Shorts. Second, a full relaunch with full production: research, scripts, filming days and practical videos made for YouTube from the start.

- The key problem: most episodes are audio only.
- An episode with a 1M-subscriber guest got 403 views. The packaging, not the guest, is the problem.
- Strategy 1: re-package the video episodes. Strategy 2: relaunch with full production.
- Her best recent YouTube video was a practical tutorial, not an episode.

If you're not Jenna, but you have a podcast archive, this plan is for you too.

## What does Jenna Kutcher's YouTube look like today?

Here's what I found in October 2026.

| Platform | Now |
|---|---|
| [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/jennakutcher/) | about 1,000,000 followers, "Online Business Coach" |
| [Podcast (The Goal Digger)](https://jennakutcherblog.com/goal-digger-podcast/) | 968 episodes over nearly a decade, paused on December 31, 2025 |
| [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@jenna.kutcher) | about 14,300 subscribers, 705 videos |
| Typical episode on YouTube | about 90–370 views |
| Best recent video | "Why Pinterest Still Works in 2025", about 6,400 views |

The pattern is clear. Full episodes with episode numbers get a hundred views. A practical how-to with a clear promise gets 6,400. YouTube rewards answers, not episode numbers.

## Why don't podcast episodes grow on YouTube?

Four reasons:

1. **Most episodes are audio only.** A static cover with sound gives YouTube nothing to work with. Only some episodes were recorded with a video version.
2. **Titles are for subscribers, not for search.** "This Isn't Goodbye. This Is the Goal." means a lot to fans. Nobody searches it.
3. **No thumbnail strategy.** A podcast cover doesn't compete in a YouTube feed.
4. **Long intros.** Podcast listeners wait. YouTube viewers leave in 30 seconds.

The content is great. The packaging is made for another platform. Here's the clearest example. Jenna recorded a 53-minute video episode with [Vanessa Lau](https://www.youtube.com/@VanessaLau), who has about 1.01M subscribers on YouTube. In more than a year, the episode got 403 views.

![Jenna Kutcher's YouTube episode with Vanessa Lau: a pink podcast cover with a long title, The Case For Taking A Break (And The Unexpected Ways You Can Heal), 52:56, 403 views, 1 year ago](https://evgenymaximov.com/img/fig-jenna-vanessa-episode.webp)

→ [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y7a_soZ4LY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y7a_soZ4LY)

A guest with about 1M YouTube subscribers, a blog-style title and cover: 403 views

A famous guest, a real video, a good conversation. But the title reads like a blog post, and the thumbnail is a podcast cover full of text. YouTube doesn't see this as a video people want to click, so it doesn't show it. I compared the two platforms in [YouTube vs podcast](https://evgenymaximov.com/blog/youtube-vs-podcast/).

## Who already won on YouTube as a business coach?

- **[Marie Forleo](https://www.youtube.com/@marieforleo):** about 1M subscribers, built on practical business advice.
- **[Sunny Lenarduzzi](https://www.youtube.com/@SunnyLenarduzzi):** about 795K, YouTube and business strategy.
- **[Amy Porterfield](https://www.youtube.com/@AmyPorterfield):** also podcast-first, about 43K on YouTube. The same challenge as Jenna.

The winners publish answers to specific questions. The podcast-first coaches upload episodes and stay small.

## Strategy 1: how would I re-use the old content?

This part needs no new recordings from Jenna. One rule: we take the episodes that have a video version. Audio-only episodes can't become good YouTube videos, but their transcripts are a gold mine of ideas for strategy 2.

**Step 1. Pick the episodes.** Find every episode with video. Rank them by two things: how well known the guest is, and how evergreen the topic is (Pinterest, email lists, launching, pricing, burnout, building a team).

**Step 2. Give each one YouTube packaging, not blog packaging.** A short title that makes people curious or answers a question they search. A thumbnail built around two faces and three or four words, not a cover full of text. A strong first 30 seconds edited from the best moment of the conversation. Chapters. The episode with Vanessa Lau could become something like "Why Taking a Break Can Grow Your Business (with Vanessa Lau)", with both faces on the thumbnail. A known guest plus YouTube packaging should get many times more views than a podcast cover, because now YouTube has something to recommend. No promises on numbers, but 403 views for a 1M-subscriber guest is the floor.

**Step 3. Send the new version to the guest.** A famous guest sharing a well-packaged video brings the first viewers, and those first viewers tell YouTube who to show it to next.

**Step 4. Cut Shorts.** From an hour of conversation we usually get 5 to 15 good Shorts, more only from very skilled speakers. Jenna is one. Each Short gets a "Related video" that leads to the next short step, not straight into a 60-minute episode: in our data, many people who jump from a Short into a long video leave after about 20 seconds.

**Step 5. Build playlists like courses.** "Pinterest marketing: start here", "Build your email list from zero", "Pricing your offer".

How much can one recording give? The founder of our franchise client [Tvoy Sklad](https://evgenymaximov.com/blog/tvoy-sklad-youtube-case-study/) gave a 20-minute talk at an investment forum. We cut it into 21 Shorts and a new pitch video. He is a strong speaker, and so is Jenna.

![A grid of vertical Shorts cut from one 20-minute talk at an investment forum](https://evgenymaximov.com/img/evt-21-shorts.webp)One 20-minute talk → 21 Shorts

## Strategy 2: what does a full relaunch look like?

Re-packaging wakes up what's already recorded. A relaunch builds the channel YouTube-first, with full production behind it:

- **Strategy and research.** Topics chosen by search demand and by her offers, using the 968-episode transcripts as an idea bank.
- **Scripts.** One-page outlines with talking points, so Jenna sounds like herself, not like a teleprompter.
- **Filming days.** One day a month, four long practical videos, like the Pinterest one that already worked.
- **Production.** Editing, thumbnails, titles, descriptions, publishing, Shorts and repurposing for Instagram and email. I described the same setup for [Jasmine Star](https://evgenymaximov.com/blog/jasmine-star-youtube-strategy/).
- **If the podcast comes back,** every episode is filmed with video and packaged for YouTube first, so no conversation ends up audio only again.

That's the difference between uploading a podcast and producing a channel. Here's [how a done-for-you production works](https://evgenymaximov.com/blog/how-youtube-production-works/) from the founder's side.

## Which five videos would I publish first?

1. The Vanessa Lau episode, re-packaged (strategy 1)
2. The next two strongest video episodes with known guests, re-packaged (strategy 1)
3. "Pinterest Marketing for Small Business: The Complete Guide" (strategy 2)
4. "How to Grow an Email List From Zero (What Worked for Me)" (strategy 2)
5. "Why I Paused My Podcast After 968 Episodes" (strategy 2, for her existing audience)

## Which channel fixes take one day?

- **Remove episode numbers from titles.** Use the question the episode answers.
- **First line of every description:** the main free resource. Here's a [description template](https://evgenymaximov.com/blog/youtube-description-template/).
- **Playlists by topic,** not by date.
- **A "start here" video** pinned for new visitors.

The full checklist is in [YouTube channel optimization](https://evgenymaximov.com/blog/youtube-channel-optimization/).

## What would the funnel look like?

Jenna already sells her teaching as ["Labs"](https://jennakutcher.com/): Pinterest, content, podcasting and list building. So the funnel almost builds itself:

- **Pinterest videos** → free Pinterest guide → The Pinterest Lab.
- **Email list videos** → the free 5-day list building mini-course → The List to Launch Lab.
- **Content and repurposing videos** → The Content Lab. A re-packaged archive is the best live demo of this course.
- **"How I started my podcast" videos** → the free podcast guide → The Podcast Lab.

The podcast built trust with listeners. YouTube can build the same trust with people who never found the podcast.

## What's the 12-month roadmap?

- **Months 1–2 (strategy 1):** find every video episode, re-package the strongest 20, cut Shorts.
- **Months 3–6 (strategy 2 starts):** monthly filming days with four practical videos, re-packaging continues in the background.
- **Months 6–12:** a cornerstone masterclass and a "season two" decision based on data, filmed with video from day one.

## What happens next?

Jenna, if you ever want to wake up that archive, the plan is yours. And if you have a podcast with video episodes that nobody watches on YouTube, start with strategy 1: it's mostly editing and packaging, not recording.

**Have a podcast archive?** We re-package it for YouTube: titles, thumbnails, chapters, Shorts and playlists. [See how it works](https://evgenymaximov.com/services/youtube-channel-management/)

## FAQ

**Does Jenna Kutcher have a YouTube channel?**

Yes. In October 2026 it had about 14,300 subscribers and 705 videos, mostly podcast episodes. The last upload was on December 31, 2025, when she paused The Goal Digger Podcast.

**Why did Jenna Kutcher pause The Goal Digger Podcast?**

In her December 31, 2025 episode she said that after 968 episodes and nearly a decade she was pausing the show, a thriving seven-figure revenue stream, as a deliberate step back.

**Can you repurpose old podcast episodes for YouTube?**

Yes, if they have a video version. Give them YouTube packaging: a clickable title, a thumbnail with faces and a few words, a strong opening and chapters. Cut Shorts from each, with a clear next step in "Related video". Audio-only episodes work better as an idea bank for new videos.

**Why don't podcast episodes get views on YouTube?**

Episode titles and covers are built for existing listeners, not for search or a YouTube feed, and podcast intros are too slow for YouTube viewers. The content is usually fine; the packaging isn't.

**How many Shorts can you get from one podcast episode?**

In Evgeny Maximov's experience, usually 5 to 15 good Shorts per hour of conversation, more only from very skilled speakers. A large archive can supply Shorts for years.

**Where should a Short from a podcast lead?**

To the next short step, not straight into a 60-minute episode. Evgeny Maximov's data shows many viewers who jump from a Short into a long video leave after about 20 seconds. Link a related Short, a short topic video or a lead magnet video instead.

**What should a business coach post on YouTube?**

Practical answers to specific questions their clients have: marketing tactics, pricing, launches, systems, burnout. Tutorials with a clear promise outperform general episodes.

**Why did Jenna Kutcher's episode with Vanessa Lau get only 403 views?**

Vanessa Lau has about 1 million YouTube subscribers, but the 53-minute episode was packaged like a blog post: a long title and a text-heavy podcast cover. With YouTube packaging (a clickable title, a thumbnail built around two faces and a strong first 30 seconds), the same conversation has a much better chance to be recommended.

**Is it worth putting a podcast on YouTube in 2026?**

Yes, if it's packaged for YouTube: searchable titles, thumbnails, chapters and clips. Uploading episodes as-is rarely grows a channel.

**How much work is re-packaging a podcast archive?**

It's mostly editing, design and publishing work, not new recording. A production team can re-package dozens of episodes a month while the host focuses on the business.

**Did Jenna Kutcher hire Evgeny Maximov's agency?**

No. This is an open strategy built from public information. If you have a podcast archive and want a plan like this, you can book a call.

![Evgeny Maximov](https://evgenymaximov.com/img/evgeny-avatar.webp)
**Evgeny Maximov**

Founder of a done-for-you YouTube agency for high-ticket founders. Making content since 2014. [More about me](https://evgenymaximov.com/about/)

## Have a podcast archive that's sleeping?

We turn podcasts into YouTube channels: re-packaging, Shorts, playlists and new filming days. 7-day money back guarantee.

[Book a call →](https://evgenymaximov.com/?utm_source=blog&utm_content=jenna-kutcher-youtube-strategy#book)
Read next
[**YouTube vs podcast** Strategy](https://evgenymaximov.com/blog/youtube-vs-podcast/) [**Business podcast** Strategy](https://evgenymaximov.com/blog/podcast-for-business-owners/)