My Experience Starting a Podcast

When I originally started this blog back in January of 2014, my ultimate goal was to start a podcast. That's why I called this blog SitchPodcast.BlogSpot.com (a name I am considering changing because I only plan to use this site as a blogging tool...) However, my attempts at starting a podcast always failed. I was not secure in the technology side of things and I was not sure what I wanted to talk about. Not having a niche topic was probably my biggest obstacle.

After being a doula for almost a year and leaving that field, I realized that the perfect niche for me was natural pregnancy, baby care, and parenting. So, I started Another Mom Podcast last September and put out 10 episodes in four months. It was super fun and satisfying to use some of my prior knowledge and my passion for the topic to share information with others. The 10 episodes have been downloaded over 600 times combined. Unfortunately, I have not put out any new episodes in 2017, but I do want to get back to this project. Another good thing is that my episodes are fairly timeless and will be relevant for years to come. So even if I do not put out new episodes for a bit, interested listeners can catch up on the old episodes and gain some knowledge that way. Feel free to go check them out and listen to what I have available.

What I learned from starting a podcast:

• It takes commitment. The podcasters who consistently put out an episode every week or every day are committed and I have major respect for them. It takes time to find a guest and/or a topic, record the episode, edit, and upload. It probably took me about 3-4 hours per 30 minute episode.
• There is a learning curve. I have never considered myself a very tech-savvy person so it took me a little time to get into the groove of recording, editing, converting files, and uploading content. I still have not figured out how to get my podcast on iTunes so they are only available on my website or Stitcher at the moment. However, with the help of some other podcasting friends and the internet, I got enough information and assistance to get started.
• People will automatically find you credible. If you have a podcast devoted to a certain topic, a lot of people will find you automatically credible on the subject. I have had a lot of people ask me if I was a midwife or wanted to become one because of my podcast. It has started a lot of conversations and given me a chance to talk about my passion with people in real life.