This series is all about showcasing Libsyn 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 Non from You, Me, Empathy
When did you start podcasting?
I started podcasting in 2013 with a couple of different shows that never really found footing. My first real go at it was in January 2014 when my wife and I launched Joy Sandwich. That lasted for four years; we wrapped up our final episode in February 2018.
And in January 2018, I created and launched my newest podcast: You, Me, Empathy.
Why did you start podcasting?
Podcasting, like no other medium, gives us a space to create unabashedly to our heart’s content, and to passionately build and share the stories we want to tell.
And stories are facilitators of empathy and understanding and exploring new perspectives and insight about ourselves and one another.
So, I suppose I podcast because I want to be immersed—as a podcaster and a consumer of podcasts—in a world rich with opportunities to learn, speak truths, and engage with my heart facing forward.
What’s the name of your show about and what is it about?
My show is You, Me, Empathy. It’s about creating a safe space for us to share our mental health stories, a place to foster empathy and compassion, a place for normalizing conversation around mental health.
I created You, Me, Empathy to offer up a safe space for everyday folks like myself to share their stories in hopes that they find healing, and my listeners find peace and healing in the fact that they are not alone.
As a kid, I didn’t feel like I had that safe space, and I want to give that to others.
I almost died once of a depression-anxiety-anorexia combo (which you can read about here: NonWels.com/my-story), having bottled up my emotions and feelings for years. You, Me, Empathy is, in a way, an antidote to that previous life.
What’s your podcasting set-up? Hardware, software, CMS, etc.
I use an Audio-Technica ATR2100 mic. I have two of them, and so when I have guests in the studio (aka second bedroom/office/library/ALL THE THINGS), they use the other. I also have a small XENYX mixer I connect to the mics. For my mic, I also have a boom arm.
For recording, I use the Ecamm Call Recorder for Skype. And I edit in Audacity. Before I upload my audio, I always run it through Auphonic too.
[My podcast website] is through Squarespace , and I backup all my files with Dropbox. I also save all my final files on an external hard drive because I am endlessly worried about losing files 😀
So far, as a new show, I’ve been mostly focused on meeting my own internal deadlines and putting out a great show. But I do share on social media: Twitter, Facebook. I’ve dabbled a bit in podcast advertising on Facebook and Overcast.
My favorite kind of promotion is when it’s natural, not intrusive or salesy. So if I can do that, and continue growing the podcast while sharing stories of my brave and courageous guests, that’s cool.
What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started?
A podcast like You, Me, Empathy is one that demands actual, wholly engaged listening. When I first started, I found myself focusing too much on notes I created prior to recording.
This was especially the case when I was nervous about talking to a particular guest, like Paul Gilmartin in Episode 12, or Eric Zimmer in Episode 7.
I was nervous, and so I researched and took fastidious notes that I could refer to during the conversation.
But that’s not the way to do it, at least for me. So I stripped my whole notes structure, and simplified it. I created only small, concise bullet points I could refer to only if I needed to. Again, only if I needed to.
If I am doing my job right, I won’t need to refer to those notes because that means I am listening actively. I am present. I am engaged and in touch with my guest, listening to their story.
Doing that has helped me immensely, and I think my interviews are much better for it.
The conversation about mental health is such an important one, and if you feel it’s time for you to step into it in a safe place subscribe to You, Me, Empathy!
If you’ve been podcasting for a while, had your first shows podfade 😅 but you’ve got something MORE to say, we’d love to host your media!
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