How I got into podcasting (and found something worth doing)

Podcasts are the best medium. I say that definitively because it’s true.

They’re accessible, informative, and oftentimes just plain fun.

I started listening to podcasts in 2017. My partner told me he listened to them during slow parts of his day. I didn’t really know what podcasts were. Weren’t they made for iPods or something? So I gave it a go.

The first show I remember downloading was Stuff You Should Know. I loved the casual conversation and knowledge sharing. I learned random but fascinating things, like how a guillotine isn’t an instant death.

As a know-it-all, I loved having a new way to add to my repertoire of information. There was a podcast for anything I wanted to learn: dog training, relationships, finance, history. My earbuds were a direct line to my brain. And for free?

Summer 2025: I’m a freelancer looking for my next gig when I apply for a temporary marketing position that would–excuse the drama–change my life. Marketing and communications are my jam, and this position happened to be at a podcast representation agency. After a brief interview process, they hired me, trusting that my MarCom know-how and can-do attitude were a solid foundation. I would learn the industry specifics.

For three months, I was immersed in the world of podcasts. It was the coolest gig I had landed so far, and I drank up every second of it. I met industry leaders, producers, hosts, and lots of people who just loved podcasts. I’d been a longtime listener but this was my first foray behind the scenes, seeing what it takes to make a show and how big the world of podcasting is.

Towards the end of my term at the agency, I started thinking seriously about starting my own podcast. I had the inside scoop on tools and tricks of the trade and realized most successful podcasters are normal people, like me. You don’t have to be an expert to start a podcast and make it successful. You just need to care about it and have something worth talking about. The rest is pretty much learn as you go, take what you need.

Here we are, eight episodes in to my first season. 🎉

My one measure of success for this initial run is to post twelve consistent episodes. I’m not measuring downloads because (1) I don’t have a baseline and (2) I can’t control the numbers. The most important thing is that I continue to put care into my craft and share something worth a listener’s time, whether my audience is one or 100.

At a Radio Boot Camp session, Lauren Passell told me “Season 2 is the new Season 1.” To me, that meant to treat this first season as a practice run. Learn what works, figure out what I will talk about, start to build an audience, get really good feedback. . . and then go full-out for the next season.

I took that seriously, and this first season has taught me plenty. For one thing, that a weekly release on Wednesdays isn’t convenient for me (I’m planning to switch to Fridays or plan further ahead). I’m still figuring out my voice and what topics are most worth talking about, and I’m on the fence about adding video.

All in all, it’s been incredibly fun.

If I hadn’t applied for that job, or if they hadn’t hired me, I probably wouldn’t be here. It’s still possible that I would have found my way to podcasting eventually. But this was a defining moment; a catalyst, a subtle hint at what might come next.

The moral: open yourself up and keep looking, even if you don’t know what you’re looking for. You might just find something you really, really love.

🎧 Find Creative Mode on your favorite podcast app or YouTube.