I am now a little bit obsessed with listening to podcasts. I really love it when I find a new one which is really interesting, educational, motivational and entertaining. One of the main reasons, is I start to feel very connected to the people behind the podcasts. I love the fact their promoting what they love (and not bashing what they hate). Because of this podcasts have a unique ability for people to dig deeper into a subject they want to know more about.
There are no hard and fast rules about podcasting. Although I’m sure there are people out there who say you need to do this, and need to do that, to make a good podcast. However, for me the key ingredients of a good podcast, is the host, the topic they’ve picked and how they communicate with the audience. I don’t care about the length of the podcast. I’m not trying to keep it to a certain time frame. If I’m in the flow with a guest, and they’re being entertaining and providing valuable information, why would I cut them off! I don’t, I want to hear what they have to say and I want to share that with you the listener!
I want to learn from the person who loves their subject. I love consuming information. For those who know me, I’m a very quick reader and can read a book in a day. On holiday if I’m on a sun lounger, I won’t move for eight hours, until I finished a book. I fully get into it and like everything I do, I struggle to get the balance right. I can never just read one chapter, I will read the whole book, cover to cover!
The same goes with podcasts. Once I find one I like, I download and binge listen to all of them in a day. It really is a great way of learning while you're on the move. I also find I’m really able to connect with the podcast host and I love learning a little bit more about them, as the podcasts go on, just little snippets of information making me feel connected to them, it could be a throw away comment about their childhood, or a little remark about something they’ve done in the past or something they want to do in the future.
If you haven't listen to a podcast yet - do!
Go listen to the Tough Girl Podcast!
What topics interest you? I guarantee you’ll be able to find a podcast related to any obscure topic of interested to you. There will be someone out there who loves the same things you do and wants to talk about it and to discuss it in more detail.
There are a variety of different ways to produce shows, they can be a one man or women production, they can be done in an interview style, or it could be a group of people discussing a certain topic. It really is up to the person creating the content.
For the Tough Girl Podcast, I love interviewing my guests and really getting a chance to understand them and where they come from. I love hearing their stories as they tell them. I love the fact you can get a deeper understanding by hearing it from them directly, than just by reading about it in print. A lot of what’s said and how’s it said can be taken out of context when written down, not so in a podcast as you're able to hear it from the speakers direct. You can hear the tone in their voice and hear the way in which they said it. Where they begin serious or jokey, what manor did they communicate in. A lot can be inferred by the tone of voice being used.
Everyone consumes information in different ways. If you haven’t tried listening to a podcast, give it ago.
It’s a small challenge I’m putting out there. Comment below and let me know which other podcasts you listen to!