The Birth of a Podcast

I called my brother last fall to thank him for the advice he had given me regarding my car (he’s in the business). Then we started catching up on other things. He asked how I was doing since our move from Seattle, WA back to Dallas after 3-1/2 years away. The talk turned to my business, which was one reason for our return – I have clients in Dallas where I built my image consulting business. I told him my business was somewhat on the back-burner as I settled us in our home and into our “normal” routine.

He sensed I wanted to do more to engage my creative side, and he suggested I start a podcast as a way to share my thoughts and ideas in a way that is quick and convenient. As a blogger himself, he knows how long one blog post takes to write, post onto one’s website (complete with links and photos) and share across media channels. I had several blog post ideas floating around my head at the time of our chat, and no time to write them.

I’ll be honest, I never listen to podcasts. I’m that girl who has a running list of TED talks to watch, business books to read, and oodles of articles to review in my inbox. Adding “listen to podcasts” to this list of things I’m not accomplishing is too much!

However, I loved the idea of sharing my thoughts and encouragement to those who do enjoy podcasts, so I filed the idea away as a strong possibility. I floated the idea past a few friends, and everyone was encouraging. Along came the New Year, and by early February, I was getting restless to learn more. I set up a call with my brother, and he explained how easy it is to create a podcast using Anchor (a free app available through the App Store).

A week went by, and he and I were texting about something else when he wrote (about my podcast), “Get started.” I’ll admit, I need a push sometimes. It was what I needed to hear.

Not long after I received that text, I created Bethany Says: Beauty, Style & You. My podcast is for everyone who wants to feel more in tuned with themselves, more confident and more relaxed in their own skin.

Admittedly, in Episode One I was kind of nervous, and I’m not sure it sounds much like me. I think I was concerned about enunciating my words, not speaking too fast and making my voice a bit more “NPR” than it is naturally. Silly me! I did not know how to create segments for the episode, so my first episode is one long six-minute take. Whew! Despite its lack of “slick,” I published it. I don’t strive for perfection anymore.

Since then, I’ve published a second episode, which does have a musical intro and a musical close (I’m so fancy). And I think it sounds a bit more like me. A friend of mine said to just be myself on the podcast because that is what people will connect with. She said she wants to hear my signature giggle. I’ll try! Episode three is coming this week. I’ll be covering my take-aways from Marie Kondo’s book, “the life-changing magic of tidying up.” I’ve been helping clients organize their wardrobes for ten years, and I love the new insight I gained from her book.

Thanks for taking this new journey with me. Subscribe to my podcast if that is your thing. Much more to come!

Photos of me by DogMomDallas and WhatJennWore.

P.S. Tune in to my brother’s podcast, The Sales Life with Marsh Buice. He’s at 362 episodes and counting. He is a natural cheerleader who sets an energetic tone for your day. You need not be in sales to get a boost from his wisdom.