Rockin’ Libsyn Podcasts: The Engine Mom

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!

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Q & A with Maria Alcoke from The Engine Mom Podcast

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When did you start podcasting?

I launched The Engine Mom Podcast in September of 2017.

Why did you start podcasting?

I was looking for a way for Moms to share their experiences and perspectives and to feel connected to other Moms through story-telling.

I felt as though the podcasting platform was a great way to reach my target audience (moms), even more so than blogging since Moms are often multi-tasking and listening can be easier to consume content than sitting down to read an article or chapter

What’s the name of your show and what is it about?

The Engine Mom Podcast is fuel for the driven Mama. The show is designed to build connection through story-telling; to inspire other women (especially Moms) to discover their passions, set goals for themselves, and think outside the box when it comes to their lifestyle and work.

The ambitious women that you will hear from on this show come from all avenues: many are entrepreneurs, creatives, fitness professionals, and wellness advocates, to name a few – and they all share their unique stories about pursuing their passions while raising their children.

These stories give an interesting perspective on life as a Mom and are sure to fuel you with inspiration for making the most of your own life.

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

I record through my Mac using an ATR–2100 mic and Apple headphones. I record interviews via Skype using ECamm software and solo episodes through Adobe Audition.

I edit my episodes using Audition and my producer uses the same program for processing. I host my podcast through Libsyn and use WordPress for my website.

How have you promoted your podcast?

I started through social media, specifically Instagram and Facebook and continue use those platforms to promote.

Additionally, I am a part of the Parents on Demand Network (POD), a network that helps promote my show through newsletters and social media.

POD also runs monthly cross-promotional programs where podcasts are paired with similar shows and hosts can help promote through their shows and social media platforms.

I also send out a monthly newsletter to my email list recapping the previous months’ episodes including links to the show notes and quotes from the interviews.

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

I attended Podcast Movement for the first time this year and I learned a ton about ‘mastering the interview’ and delivering content and understanding the listener.

I’ve always focused on my audience, but I’ve learned even more about listener behavior and how to create engaging episodes that have elements of consistency and uniqueness to keep the listener engaged.

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If you are a driven Mama and are looking to up your game, feel inspired or need a bit support to take action you must subscribe to The Engine Mom! Also, check out she has this cool habit building system.

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If you are a Mom that feels like you have a conversation that isn’t being had out there, why not start a podcast? If you don’t know where to start, we have a free monthly Podcasting Quickstart and if you’re ready to go, check out our awesome podcast hosting plans!

Rockin’ Libsyn Podcasts: Keep It Lit

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!

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Q & A with Laura from Keep It Lit

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My name is Laura Herrick and my co-host is Laura Cooley. We live in Austin, Texas and are the co-creators of a literary podcast called Keep It Lit.

When did you start podcasting?

We started playing around with podcasting in this past spring, but began recording for Keep It Lit in June.

We have preferred to tape at least two episodes at once in order to always have some cushion in case things come up that prevent us from getting together each week.

Why did you start podcasting?

Cooley and I both taught AP Literature and Composition to high school seniors.

Our first podcast was a three-part series on Brave New World that we recorded for our students. When we recorded, we had a great time discussing the themes of sex, drugs, and religion in the novel, and we couldn’t help but crack raunchy jokes to make each other laugh.

We ended up having to edit out a lot of funny content in order to make the pod “school appropriate,” so we decided that once summer vacation arrived, we’d create a podcast about literature for which we would not have to censor ourselves.

Around the same time, I decide to leave the teaching profession, which has worked out great. While Cooley has been busy getting ready for the new school, I still have time to manage pod-related tasks and make sure we’re pushing out new content every week.

Plus, it allows me to continue talking about literature with a good friend! For now, I am really enjoying having time to flex my creative muscles with new projects like this without the constraints of the classroom.

What’s the name of your show about and what is it about?

Our show is called “Keep It LIt.” The original title was ”Let’s Get Lit” but we decided it sounded a bit too wild, particularly since Cooley is still teaching.

We didn’t want it to sound like we were promoting binge-drinking or getting high. Obviously, it’s a play on words, but some school administrators and parents don’t have much of a sense of humor!

When I was packing up my classroom, I found an index card on which a student had written the answers for a short quiz on one side and on the other side had written: “Keep It Lit #Herricknation.”

I knew that should be the new iteration of the name. It not only reminds me of my time in the classroom but echoes our desire to keep the focus on literature while still being a little tipsy and silly.

Ours is a light-hearted podcast that takes literature quite seriously. We share a drink and laugh throughout the recording, but also feel passionate about highlighting great storytelling.

We assumed most listeners would enjoy the pod more if they were able to read the stories ahead of time, so we decided to limit ourselves to short stories rather than novels.

Each week we begin by sharing a “daily dystopia” which is an anecdote about how our real lives resemble the dystopian vision of some of the writers we love.

Then, we share a cocktail recipe that we’ve found or created that somehow relates to the themes of the text and mix up the drinks to enjoy while we chat.

Before the full discussion of the short story, we always challenge ourselves to tell a 60-second recap.

Interestingly, we rarely include the same information in these quick retellings. The meat of the show is analyzing the story and discussing its themes. We try to keep it light and crack jokes, but also try to provide an in-depth examination of the work.

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

We record on Garageband using a Mac and a lovely Blue Yeti mic. I am seriously considering changing our software to Amadeus as I think it will speed up editing, etc. and someday hope to have a set up where we can get a bit more comfortable while we record.

Our current setup requires us to sit at a desk, but I’m striving for a future that involves couch podcasting!

How have you promoted your podcast?

Our podcast has its own website, Twitter, and Instagram. I’m debating creating a Facebook page, but am not sure it’s worth it. Most of our fans follow us on Insta.

Our website is an important piece of the program in that we post upcoming short story links, cocktail recipes, and brief overviews of each episode.

So far we have promoted it through our personal social media accounts, using Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram. In addition to that, we talk about it everywhere we go, trying to extend our reach through friends of friends of friends.

Soon, I will have some guest co-hosts in order to give Cooley time to do the important work of teaching. I think that in addition to lessening the demand on her time, it will also allow us to pick up new listeners when our guest hosts post about the experience on their social media.

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

I wish we’d realized the importance of good equipment!

We recorded our first four episodes in a marathon recording session using a low-quality mic. When we listened back to them, we realized that the audio was poor enough that some listeners would turn it off.

No one likes to listen to low-quality audio, so we knew we’d have to re-record. This setback also allowed us to realize that we weren’t having meaty enough discussions in those first episodes.

They felt more like required coursework than an entertaining podcast. As a result, we have never posted those first episodes., and refer to them as the “lost tapes.”

Lastly, in retrospect, we were pretty naive about the time and commitment that goes into creating content, producing quality audio, and managing the supporting social media sites.

Just today, I planned to upload a new episode and my new puppy danced across my keyboard somehow deleting about half the tracks of the newest episode. As a result, I’ve spent all morning trying to recover the files and making a contingency plan so we can still deliver content on time.

We are still on a learning curve in regards to many aspects of the project, but are definitely having a blast figuring it all out!

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If you are one that is interested in great conversation about literature wrapped up in fun and smarts Keep It Lit is a must listen! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts.

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Podcasting is an incredible asset if you’re looking for more creative expression beyond professional commitments. If you’re up for starting a podcast, we’d love to help you! We have a free Podcasting Quickstart or if you’re ready to go, then we have great hosting plans to get started!