Photo by CoWomen on Unsplash

I’m behind on my podcasts

There are a lot of great things about entrepreneurship but one of the best consequences of going out on my own has been not having a commute. My business allows me to work from home, or Hera Hub, or a coffee shop, or my client’s office but I haven’t had to do a 45 minute commute – each way, every day, to travel the 9 miles from my home to my office. The upside to my disposition is wonderful but there’s a slight downside. I no longer have unfettered time to listen to podcasts.

My commute time has diminished but my list of exciting, inspiring, and educational podcasts continues to grow. I’ve started bringing them to the gym for my workouts but I tend to do a lot of classes so that doesn’t work. So my podcasts have become yet another thing I’m behind on. Periodically, I go through my list and just purge the ones I’ll never get to. It never fails to inspire awe and humble me to see all the things I’m not learning when I’m having a less harrowing morning.

One way I have managed to get my podcast fix is to be a guest on podcasts to share my own experience and expertise. You can check out some of my appearances on the Accelerate Growth and Flight Club podcasts. I’ll be posting more as I record them because I know first-hand how different it is to hear something, as opposed to read something. I remember meeting a podcast host in person and feeling such a strong connection, having listened to that voice for months. So I’m sharing those episodes here for my audio learners. May they ease at least one commute.

Podcast Impostor

One of my favorite experiences was not appearing on a business podcast, however, but going back to my high school to be on the Severn School alumni podcast. Guests talk to Carrie Grimes, the illustrious alumni director there and describe their highlights at Severn and their paths since then. At first, I listened because it was a neat way to connect anonymously with my past. Even listening to alums I hadn’t known felt homey and cozy in a way.

One day, listening to a woman from my younger brother’s class describe her life as an artist, I realized 1) this woman is 2 years younger than me 2) she’s accomplished a lot and 3) I guess if someone younger than me is on this podcast, I can do it, too.

I had seen it in the alumni magazine but didn’t think I had enough to say. I had a very specific version of podcast impostor syndrome.

I’ve been trying to lean into those moments where I feel uncomfortable, like something “isn’t for me” because of some story I’ve been telling myself. So I leaned into that moment and got in touch with Carrie. She got right back to me and noted that it would be great to have me. We could work in a promotion to my classmates about our 25th reunion (you’ll probably be hearing more about that later).

You can go home again

Since I no longer live in the town where I went to high school, I had 30 minutes each way of podcast time to listen to the Out Entrepreneur with Rhodes Perry. I arrived and toured of the buildings and grounds, which have been significantly enhanced since my time on campus then I just sat down to talk. I liked the interview because we didn’t focus on the nuts and bolts of what I do day to day but my “why.”

How did a language nerd and accidental jock end up where I was I noted that if you give it enough time, any path can seem linear in hindsight. In reality, my job wasn’t really invented when I graduated from high school, and I know a lot of future grads will be in the same spot. I told the graduating class of 2020 to be fearless but I probably should have said, “Don’t worry about being cool.”

Teens fear things, and as someone who jumped out of a moving car in high school as a prank(?) (!!), I can tell you some of those fears are healthy. But worrying about being cool- I wish I’d known sooner what a waste of time it is. Having just overcome my podcast impostor syndrome, I know I’m still working on it.

Recommendations

I encourage you to listen to these podcasts above and some others I recommend below.

  1. How I built this
  2. What Works
  3. Pop Culture Happy Hour
  4. Slow Burn
  5. Bullseye with Jesse Thorn
  6. Get Found Get Funded
  7. Recode Decode
  8. Dingman Bootstrapped

So be fearless, be cool and be fearless about being cool.