If you enable the waiting room for your Zoom meetings (necessary if you opt to NOT set a password), the only way to start the Zoom meeting is for the host to be there.

Sometimes, however, you'll go to start that meeting, and even though you should be the host, Zoom will tell you you're waiting for the host.

When that happens, there is either:

 

Case 1: A mismatch of multiple accounts (between the one CA was connected to when it created the Zoom meeting and whichever one you're logged into in the moment).

 

The solution to this is simple: make sure you're logged in to whichever Zoom account the Zoom meeting was originally created under.

 

Case 2:  A matter of the Zoom desktop client botching in properly recognizing you (as logged in via the desktop app) as the one connected to that account under which CA created that Zoom meeting. 

 

 

This is bit more maddening when it occurs. This does seem to be happening as of a recent (early 2023) update to the Zoom desktop client, and people who have (and have ever had) only a single Zoom account have encountered this problem.

 

The solution here is as simple as logging into your Zoom account through zoom.us, then try joining the meeting again.  This ensures the desktop Zoom client actually recognizes you as ye, the proper hose of the meeting. (That this works suggests it's truly a Zoom issue, sigh).