Host of the renowned podcast Bubble Lounge, Martha Jackson, gave an enlightening workshop on how to start a podcast and overcome the fear of putting yourself out there.
After graduating from The University of Oklahoma with a degree in Radio, Television, and Film, Jackson started working behind the scenes in media. However, 6 years ago Jackson decided to take a risk and launch a podcast because she felt that people in the Park Cities have stories to share, and she wanted to be a platform for the community to hear them.
Encouragingly, Jackson explained that there is never a “perfect time” to start a podcast, so one has to be brave and just start even when it’s uncomfortable. What helped Jackson with continuing podcasting is the statistic that 90% of podcasters quit after 3 episodes, so by just making it to 4 episodes, she was already in the top 10% of successful podcasters.
Jackson then started sharing tips for starting a podcast. First, Jackson explained that you need to pick a topic. Once you have a topic, write 20 titles of potential episodes. If you easily come up with ideas that is a good sign you picked a good topic.
Next, one has to decide what platforms to use. For a solely audio platform, they could utilize Spotify and Apple Podcasts, or if they are leaning towards video paired with podcasting they could utilize YouTube.
Once you have a topic, and platform chosen, all you need is a guest! Choose a guest with insight the audience would want information from. Jackson often asks her friends what they want to hear as they are similar to her target audience.
Though podcasting and putting yourself out there is intimidating, it helps Jackson to remind herself that her podcast is recorded so if she messes up a word, or there is an awkward moment, she can edit it out later.
I loved how Jackson interacted and engaged with her audience by doing practice interviews with the students in the audience. It showed that interviewing people isn’t as scary as one might think and that though it was an “interview” it can feel like just a normal conversation.
After many years, Jackson has finally pursued her passion for podcasting. She urged her audience to pursue their passions young so they can maximize their opportunities.
Though podcasting can be time-consuming Jackson states “the days you want to give up are the days you really need to show up”. I appreciated Jackson’s insights into putting yourself out there, being brave, and pursuing a dream.
