Rockin’ Libsyn Podcasts: This Week In Heresy

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This series is all about Libsyn’s podcasters. Its sole purpose is to introduce these awesome podcasts to the world as well as share their podcasting insight to empower the community!


Q & A with Gina from This Week In Heresy


When did you start podcasting?

I started This Week In Heresy in June of 2014.

Why did you start podcasting?

In 2012, I had done a YouTube version of This Week In Heresy that had different segments and guest spots, but I quickly figured out that video production for YouTube wasn’t my cup of tea, especially on a long term basis.

I also wanted to do something more in line with my overall ministry: giving a platform for those on the margins to be heard, particularly in progressive communities.

I stopped doing the video version and focused on finishing my last year and a half of seminary.

Just after I graduated in May of 2014, I was trying to figure out how to have a more online presence for my multi-faith church, Between the Worlds, and how to reach the most people.

Sure, there was the church blog, in person services, Twitter, and Facebook but I needed something else. I am a huge podcasting fan from the early days of podcasting, so I had been listening to some of the best, and the worst, of podcasting over the years.

In fact, much of my commute time, both in my former job as a biochemist and during seminary, was made better because of podcasting.

A couple weeks out from graduation, I came across an old interview I did during my college radio years (I was a college DJ throughout my entire undergrad.) and after listening to it, I thought: “Wow. That was pretty good. Huh…I wonder if I could do something like that for a podcast?”

I had learned about editing and sound from doing video production work, and I already had a fantastic name for my podcast, so all that was left was to actually do it.

With all of that knowledge behind me, I took the plunge and did my first interview (which happened to be with my wife, who is also my sound engineer), on June 3, 2014.

What’s your show about?

This Week In Heresy, as I mentioned, is an extension of my overall ministry which is to give a platform for those who are not normally heard in the progressive community.

Progressive (or “left wing”) movements and religious bodies, especially the mainstream progressive movements, have forgotten in the last few years those who are on the margins: African Americans, gender variant people, people with disabilities, people in minority religions, transgender people, people of different sexual and romantic preferences, and so many more.

This Week In Heresy also puts a human face on many topics: I interview not only those who are well known in their particular circles, but I also interview everyday people who have an interesting life story.

I believe in the power of the story. It is hard to hate the other when you listen to the story of how they have gotten to where they are.

What’s your podcasting set-up? Hardware, software, CMS, etc.

Because I’ve learned a lot from my wife who has done sound engineering for a living, I have a set up that optimizes for excellent sound. (There’s nothing worse than downloading a podcast you think is interesting only to have to turn it off because it sounds like it’s been recorded off an old style rotary phone.)

Currently, I’m using an ElectroVoice RE20 for recording in my home office, and I use this and second RE20 when I’m on the road or when I’m recording in my office.

For recording on the road, I have a ZOOM Handy Recorder H4N, which works really well with the RE20’s.

I also do a good deal of my interviewing via Skype using AudioHijackPro to do the recording.

My wife does the sound engineering for all of my interviews (cleaning up background noise, etc) using Ableton Live. For all of my editing and recording of the bumpers and such, I use Adobe Audition (which got my wife’s stamp of approval), which I absolutely love. (Getting Adobe’s subscription service is totally worth it.)

And of course, I use Libsyn to host my podcast, and I self-host our website using WordPress.

How have you promoted your podcast?

I do most of my promotions via my website and social media (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Tumblr, LinkedIn, etc.). I also ask those I interview to post their own interviews on their own social media networks and websites.

I also do a lot of word-of-mouth advertising (I pass out a lot of business cards!), especially when I’m at events or doing guest sermons or appearances at different churches. I also use Patreon, although that’s been slow to get going.

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started?

To be honest (and honestly, Libsyn is NOT paying me anything to say this), I wish I had gone with Libsyn from the beginning instead of trying host it on our own server.

It’s been amazing to me just how fast a podcast can get hits if you take care to produce good, and good sounding, content.

At the time we moved over to Libsyn, we were pretty much killing our server between using up storage and killing the bandwidth.

Usually what I tell others who tell me that they want to start a podcast is:

1) Get at least a halfway decent microphone for your computer, because otherwise you’ll sound horrid, and 2) Use a podcast hosting service, because hosting it on your own server is a pain and expensive (depending on your hosting plan).


I’m sure you know if This Week In Heresy fits you, and if you know, then don’t think twice subscribe!


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