How my podcast is getting its groove back
I'm (almost) back (after leaving to have a), baby!
It’s been almost three months since I last released an episode of my podcast.
Since starting the show in 2018, I’ve only missed a week or two here or there for major holidays and an annual summer break. Stepping back from SSR was a major part of the funky maternity leave I designed for myself, and while I know it had to happen, it felt like a loss. Producing the show typically occupies many hours of my week and I take a lot of pride in it! Removing all of that from the equation has been a real shift.
For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been hard at work on putting a plan together to relaunch SSR. At first, I was thinking of it as a kind of ~soft re-launch,~ but it’s turning into something a little more official. I’m so excited about how it’s shaping up and I can’t wait to announce a return date so that the listener community can join me in countdown mode.
Since this is a big focus of mine at the moment, I thought I’d take you behind the scenes of this process! As I’ve always done with my one-woman show, I’m making things up as I go.
First, let’s talk about why I needed to press pause on the pod for these early days of Will’s life.
In some ways, it’s pretty obvious. As we know, welcoming a baby requires a lot of time and energy, which is why we do what we can to accommodate our work schedules accordingly until our families can adopt a better routine. DUH. But in the interest of pulling back the curtain for those of you who are curious about what podcast production actually entails, here’s a quick list of everything that goes into creating a single episode of my show:
Listen to a podcast/read a book/stumble on a hilarious and insightful tweet and think to myself “Oh! The person behind this [fill in the blank] would be a great guest on the podcast!” OR receive an email from someone who is interested in being a guest on the show
Once I’ve confirmed that the person in question would be a good match for SSR, it’s time to reach out with an invitation
Wait for a reply and assign a release date
Send the guest an info form and additional details
Read the book the guest has selected for their episode
Extensive research to prepare for the interview recording
Record the episode
Edit the interview
Write and record episode intro
Preview the episode myself to make sure everything sounds good to go
Create and share dedicated social graphics for each platform
Upload final episode to Squarespace and write show notes
Schedule the episode release and confirm that it’s live
Send “we’re live!” email to my guest
Share about the episode on social media
Send small thank-you note and gift to my guest
If this seems like a lot, it’s because it is. Each episode takes literally hours to make—and I handle it entirely on my own.
I’ve chosen not to hire additional team members to support the production of SSR because—breaking news!—independent podcasting isn’t the most lucrative job. I started the show purely as a passion project and I feel grateful that it’s become something bigger thanks to some affiliate partnerships and an amazing Patreon community. Still, bringing on help wouldn’t make financial sense… at least not right now.
Enter my podcast maternity leave.
Currently Reading: How to Raise a Feminist Son by Sonora Jha
Over the years, I’ve bought this book for a few friends when they learned they were expecting sons. When Will was born, I immediately put it on hold at the library for myself. I’m enjoying it so much that I might just buy a copy for my personal collection! How to Raise a Feminist Son feels more memoir than how-to guide, and I think it’s an important read for (literally) anyone who has any influence whatsoever on a child of any gender. I would also underscore that it could make a great gift!
Since my due date was in late January, I decided that my final episode for a while would drop before the new year and that I would give myself time and space to figure out a doable return plan based on how I ended up adjusting to new parenthood.
For now, I’m about as adjusted as I think I’m going to be and I’m antsy to return to podcasting (along with the rest of my work!), so the plan is in motion.
Here’s a little bit more about what that plan looks like and what I’ve done so far to make the SSR relaunch a reality. I hope you don’t mind geeking out with me and getting pretty tactical here! I always love reading about this kind of stuff :)
How did I know I was ready to jump back in?
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