Everyone leads busy lives, and the smart podcaster doesn't waste their audiences' time. But in your quest to tighten things up, don't forget to build in time to let your audience reflect as they listen.If there's an ongoing struggle between podcasters and podcast listeners, it is the conflict between breadth and depth. We're busy cranking out more and longer episodes. But what they want from us is to go deeper. And get to the point quicker. Yeah. That's a conflict. So we podcasters often look for quick fixes, employing tools to make easy subtractions from our content. We re-record our long, rambly questions or aggressively tighten up every single pause and gap between sections.Because shoving more information in less time means more depth, right? No, not really.Part of going deeper is giving your audience time to reflect as they are listening. Like you, they're doing other things as they listen. So it's up to you to sculpt reflection points, using silence, bed music, repetition of words, or other effective ways to ensure the clarity of your message is delivered.Because going deep requires clarity, which means leaving room for clarity.So yes, tighten up where you can.But also leave room in your audio for reflection.  And remember that the parts of your episode where no one is talking are the parts where your audience's brains have a chance to get deeper into your episodes. That's how they feel like you're letting them be a part of the conversation.Build in time so that can happen.-----LinksFive ways to serve the changing needs of your audience Over 100K active podcasters trust Buzzsprout Got a podcasting service? Become a sponsor of Podcast Pontifications. Serious about podcasting? Join the Advancing Podcasting Community today!Mentioned in this episode:Support For Abortion RightsWhile Americans overwhelmingly support the right of an individual to make their own decisions about abortion, unfortunately, that right is no longer protected everywhere in the U.S. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade on June 24th. Abortion is a basic healthcare need for the millions of people who can become pregnant. Everyone should have the freedom to decide what’s best for themselves and their families, including when it comes to ending a pregnancy. This decision has dire consequences for individual health and safety, and could have harsh repercussions for other landmark decisions. Restricting access to comprehensive reproductive care, including abortion, threatens the health and independence of all Americans. Even if you live in a state where abortion rights are upheld, access to safe medical procedures shouldn’t be determined by location, and it shouldn't be the privilege of a small few. You can help by donating to local abortion funds. To find out where to donate for each state, visit donations4abortion.com. If you or someone you know needs help, or if you want to get more involved, here are 5 resources: 1. ShoutYourAbortion.com is a campaign to normalize abortion. 2. DontBanEquality.com is a campaign for companies to take a stand against abortion restrictions. 3. Abortion.cafe has information about where to find clinics. 4. PlanCPills.org provides early at-home abortion pills that you can keep in your medicine cabinet. 5. Choice.CRD.co has a collection of these resources and more. We encourage you to speak up! And spread the word.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy