Case Study
Her Next Step Podcast
A Leadership Podcast Giving Women in Public Service the Mic
Blue Heron Coaching asked Verver to help bring a very specific idea to life: a conversation series where women in public service could speak frankly about ambition, risk, and leadership.
Together we developed and produced Her Next Step, a video-first podcast hosted by leadership coach Lily Murphy, with a complete system behind it: show format, visual identity, social promo assets, multi-platform files and transcripts. The result is a series that feels intimate and grounded, yet polished enough to sit comfortably alongside professional learning and development content.
The Vision: Women, Leadership and Public Service
The show centres on women in public service who are often undervalued or overlooked, despite carrying significant responsibility and taking courageous career decisions.
In each episode Lily sits down with a guest to talk through:
- What first sparked their ambition
- The moments where they stepped into stretch roles
- Who backed them when it mattered
- How organisations can better recognise and support women with leadership potential
The aim is simple and serious: help listeners see themselves as leaders, and encourage them to take “their next step” in a way that aligns with their values and strengths.
From Concept to Show
Lily arrived with a strong concept and a clear audience in mind. She needed a production partner who could:
- Turn that concept into a repeatable show format that would work on YouTube, as audio, and across social media
- Capture long-form conversations in a way that felt warm and human, not corporate
- Build a visual system that honoured Blue Heron Coaching’s brand (colour, tone, positioning)
- Deliver all the pieces that sit around a show: thumbnails, captions, promo clips, show notes, transcripts
She also wanted practical guidance on social promotion so that each episode had more than a single launch post and then silence.
The Production System Behind Her Next Step
We treated Her Next Step as both a series and a toolkit for Lily’s wider coaching work.
1. Shaping the format
We refined a simple, reliable structure for every episode:
- Title screen
- Short intro from Lily, framing the theme
- Guest introduction
- Main interview
- Closing reflections and call to action
- End screen with clear contact details
This gave us a strong spine to edit around and gave Lily confidence that each conversation would land with a clear story and takeaway.
2. Visual identity and on-screen structure
Working within Blue Heron’s palette (deep blues and purples), we designed:
- 9:16 vertical covers for Reels/Shorts
- Square audio graphics for feeds and episode announcements
- Lower-third title bars (“flip up” style) for guest names and topics
- A consistent hold screen and end screen with Lily’s contact details
- A corner logo system so Blue Heron and Her Next Step remained visible but unobtrusive
We also created thumbnail photography: a mix of headshots and in-situ stills from recordings, to avoid generic “stock podcast” visuals.
3. Production and post-production
For each episode, Verver handled:
- Multi-camera recording in a calm, conversational setup
- Syncing and trimming long-form footage
- Editing to the agreed show structure, including intro, outro and end screen
- Audio normalisation for listeners who prefer audio-only
- Caption files and clean transcripts for accessibility and repurposing
- Final exports for:
- Full video episodes (YouTube)
- Audio-only podcast versions
- Short vertical and square promo clips
The same workflow supported Season 1 and continued into Season 2, with new guests and evolving conversations but a constant visual and audio standard.
4. Social promotion support
Alongside the episodes, we helped Lily think about how to keep the show visible between launches. We drafted a set of content suggestions she could return to each season, including:
- “About the show” posts explaining who it is for and why it exists
- Guest announcements and “coming soon” teasers
- Key takeaways and action items from episodes
- Themes that connect across multiple conversations (for example: asking for what you want, seeking mentors, backing yourself)
- Behind-the-scenes glimpses of making the show
- End-of-season highlights
We also delivered promo clips and waveform-style squares, so Lily always had something concrete to post alongside her copy.
Deliverables
Across Season 1 and into Season 2, Verver delivered:
- Fully edited video episodes for each interview
- Audio-only versions suitable for podcast platforms
- Transcripts and subtitle files
- Custom thumbnails for every episode
- A main show promo video (landscape and vertical)
- Short promo clips per episode for social media
- Press-pack style stills Lily can use on her website and in announcements
Everything was built so the show could scale and so that new seasons could slot neatly into the same system
Outcomes & Ongoing Value
A credible platform for Lily’s expertise
Her Next Step now sits as a visible, tangible expression of Lily’s coaching work, aligning closely with her focus on women leading change in the public service.
A body of work, not just a one-off launch
With a consistent format, look and feel, the episodes form a coherent library Lily can reference in workshops, talks and with individual clients.
Content with a long shelf-life
Because the conversations focus on values, career decisions and leadership stories, clips and quotes can be reused in future seasons, newsletters and talks.
A reusable podcast framework
The production and promotion approach can be adapted for future series or for other experts who want to host thoughtful, interview-based shows.
A Platform for Voices That Need to Be Heard
Her Next Step is a good example of what Verver does for mission-driven experts: we help shape the idea, build the visual and structural framework, and deliver all the moving parts that turn a strong concept into a functioning series.
If you are a coach, consultant or organisation with important conversations to share, we can help you design and produce a show that feels true to your work and practical to sustain.
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