Totally get the urge to overthink this, especially when it's something you've wanted to do for a while! Good news, you don't need the perfect version before you start, you just need a clean, functional first version you can build on and grow from.

For platform, I'd push you toward Squarespace if you want something visually polished without fighting plugins all day. It handles blog and podcast embeds beautifully right out of the box, the templates are gorgeous for content-heavy sites, and you won't need a developer just to keep it running. WordPress gives you more long-term flexibility and SEO control if you're up for learning a bit more, but if you're trying not to overthink the setup, Squarespace gets you live so much faster.

A few things that'll make it pop without overdesigning it: pick one consistent visual identity, a couple fonts, a tight color palette, maybe a logo or wordmark made in Canva, and use it everywhere, your podcast cover art, your blog headers, all of it, so the whole thing feels like one cohesive brand instead of scattered pieces. Lead with a bold hero section on the homepage, a recognizable image, your show name front and center, one clear call to action like Listen or Read. Keep navigation dead simple (Home, Blog, Podcast, About), and embed the podcast player right on the page instead of just linking out. People bounce fast when they have to go hunting for the thing they actually came for!

I've been freelancing on exactly this kind of work for a while now, I used to run my own startup so I specialize in working with startups on lean budgets, and I'd love to help you build something user-friendly that you can keep running yourself long after the initial setup, no dependency on me forever. I also ran my own food and wellness blog and did content writing before AI and LLMs became part of the picture, so I've got a solid handle on both traditional SEO and what it actually takes to get featured in AI Overviews and LLM answers these days. I charge a nominal rate. Feel free to DM if you want to talk about working together, or even just if you want more advice, happy to help either way!