Before we began this podcast, I had often wondered what it would take to actually have a podcast. It seemed this kind of daunting, futuristic thing that I couldn’t imagine myself ever doing. Not in the least because I hate the sound of my own voice. But here we are! And what a rewarding experience it has been. I want to take you along and show you my initial reservations, my learnings and why I would advise absolutely everyone to give it a go!

Why I thought I would never start a podcast.

“We talk about this shit so often we should start a podcast!” Sam joked one day after we’d watched an episode of Band of Brothers and had gone on a tangent about the character-driven narrative together.

“Ha ha! Yeah!” I joked back, strangely excited but convinced I would never do it.

No one wants to listen to me.

I hate the sound of my own voice. But perhaps more pressing was the instant imposter syndrome that reared its ugly head at the very thought of having a podcast. Why would anyone want to listen to anything I had to say? I like talking, but I don’t necessarily think I have anything interesting to bring to any conversation. I would listen to Sam, though, because – and she’ll probably hate me for saying this – she is much more eloquent than me. And she’s so intelligent. Her brain goes places mine doesn’t. I don’t mean to be self-deprecating because I don’t think I’m not smart, just not as smart as Sam.

But guess what? I really don’t have to be. We bounce off each other nicely. She makes me think and re-evaluate what I thought I knew. Besides, it would be impossible to listen to our podcast if we’d both been the same person. And, with every new episode we record and release, I can feel myself grow more confident in what I have to say. Also, as women, it was easy to find our spot in the rather niche-y history community, because even though there are smart women with super interesting voices there, not many of them have podcasts.

I don’t know how to make a podcast.

Okay, but how do you actually start a podcast? I didn’t know a thing about it. I studied Communications and Multimedia Design at university, but that was before podcasts became a thing. My interests had always been the storytelling aspect (particularly writing) and the community-building aspect of the courses, not so much the audio/video content creation. In fact, the reason I never studied Journalism, even though that was where my heart was, was because I couldn’t stand the idea of being on television or radio productions, which were a big part of the first year.

Regarding the podcast, I somehow got it into my head that I was too old to learn things like audio editing and publishing. But I was wrong. Learning is easy as long as you find something you’re passionate about. I decided early on to do most of the production because I knew Sam would be doing the heavy lifting on the research. Learning a new skill is hard, but it becomes easier if it’s a means to an end – getting our podcast out there.

I don’t have the time to make a podcast.

There aren’t going to be more hours in a day. I already have many time-consuming, creative hobbies and don’t need another one. I thought I wouldn’t have the time or the energy to make a podcast. I paint, write, watch many shows and movies, and like to read. Where am I going to find the time to make a podcast?

But here’s the thing: Things shift when you find something you are passionate about. I paint a little less and don’t write as many short stories, but I still read and watch shows and movies, except they’re now related to the podcast. It’s not a big concession to make, as I’ve always been interested in World War II, and some of those shows are my favourites.

I won’t say starting a podcast is not time-consuming because it is. But it’s certainly also fun and rewarding.

What I learned from this podcasting adventure so far.

Before you start podcasting, it’s hard to imagine you’ll learn many things from it. In my case, it’s talking to a good friend every week. At first glance, that seems rather ordinary. But I learned things I wasn’t even aware of!

The unexpected skills.

I’ve already mentioned this, but I didn’t know anything about podcasting. It was daunting and scary. Who knew I would rapidly learn how to edit audio or make consistent Instagram reels? And that this podcast would be the thing that finally helped me crack Adobe Illustrator (formally my arch-nemesis) because we needed a logo for the podcast? These skills will be helpful to me for the rest of my life.

Everybody needs a co-host.

The podcast experience is 100% better with a co-host. It’s more fun, and the shared responsibility will keep you going. As I’m writing this, we’ve recorded 12 episodes and have no intention of stopping. A co-host will also be the first to cheer you on when the imposter syndrome becomes unbearable.

Just start. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

If you’re anything like me, you’re most likely a perfectionist. Therein lies the risk of never starting anything because you want it to be perfect first. That’s certainly my go-to, too. But this time, when Sam mentioned starting a podcast a second time, we just did it. We didn’t have a logo, we didn’t have a platform, and we’d just barely agreed on a name. We recorded the first three episodes over a weekend, figuring out our format on air. I have no doubt it will continue to evolve. But the fact that we had started was enough to do those other neccesary things too, finding a platform, making a logo, setting up Instagram, learning how to edit, except now, I had no time to overthink anything. I also learned that I didn’t have to do it all at once. This website, for instance, came much later ;).

You will find your voice.

Even if you think you have little to contribute, you will find your voice as soon as you explore it. Podcasting with a co-host is an excellent, supportive way to do this.

Why you should start a podcast.

As I said at the start of this blog, I recommend starting a podcast to anyone inclined to do so. There’s so much to gain. If you do it well, having a podcast—and the research you’ll do for it—will increase your knowledge and broaden your horizons. You’ll learn new things or gain a deeper understanding of what you already know. I’ve also learned that no matter how much you hate your voice, (co)hosting a podcast will make you a better speaker and help you express your opinions better. Another really valuable thing is that a podcast might help you find or get to know your community. In our case, there’s nothing more rewarding than the people who listen to and comment on our episodes and tell us they’ve learned something. It’s a lovely way to connect and find people who offer you new perspectives.

No matter the subject, as long as you’ve got passion, you can podcast.