I used to think podcasts were a big snore. Beefy introduced me to the medium but, based on his subscriptions, I figured it was all pop culture and sports. (I have zero interest in either subject.) I preferred my audiobooks and soon began an epic listen of the entire Outlander series.
When Beefy began a Disney podcast with his friend Annie, I was required, as his wife, to listen. Despite being lukewarm toward the subject matter, I began to enjoy the episodes. They are well structured with repeating segments: news, listener questions, movie “reviews” (more dissection and discussion than review), Disney Dummies (silly and/or unbelievable comments on Disney message boards), One-Star Reviews (comments on one-star reviews of Disney products), interviews, trip reviews, and various memes.
I still preferred to listen to my audiobooks, but would catch up on Annie and Danny’s Fastpass Podcast when prompted. I didn’t listen to any other podcasts until another sales consultant recommended Radiolab. I checked it out and had a revelation: podcasts were educational, as well as entertaining!
Listening to Radiolab was like taking a college elective class. It was just titillating enough to be fun, but educational enough that I was sure I was getting a little bit smarter. I found it so refreshing to learn something that no one I knew talked about. It was a mental break from the nonstop chatter of beauty, trends, sales, and politics that fill my days. Instead, I was learning about history, natural sciences, medicine, economics, and psychology. Radiolab proved to be just as much of an escape as Outlander.
Bit by bit, I added to my podcast subscriptions. The Dog Trainer presents positive training techniques and examples for the average dog owner in under 10 minutes per episode. The TED Radio Hour and TEDTalks are surely making me smarter and better informed. Stuff Mom Never Told You educates me on life (including pop culture) from a feminist perspective. The Introvert Entrepreneur inspires me to use my introvert strengths to be a better businesswoman. Meditation Oasis puts me to sleep or helps me unwind. Bad Dog Agility has introduced me to subtleties of the sport of dog agility that are years ahead of my current experience. Toastmasters Podcast is helping my public speaking at both Toastmasters meetings and in my daily sales role.
I so enjoy podcasts that I want to be a part of the genre. As I don’t have a podcast of my own, and I doubt Radiolab will be interviewing me anytime soon, I took advantage of my connection with Annie and Danny’s Fastpass Podcast to get some airtime. In the Every Moment Was Magical episode, I am the very special guest and contributor to the main topic of “Our January Trip to Disney World.”
Give it a listen*. I had such a good time (thanks to the company and the Fireball) that I’m seriously considering a podcast of my own. But only if I can be educational, as well as entertaining.
*NSFW - adult language and sexual references
I love listening to podcasts, I have to have background noise while at work and they're perfect. I tend to listen to pop culture related ones, but there's so many out there you (not you specifically but the general you) are bound to fine one or two that interest you.
ReplyDeleteKudos to Beefy to starting his own! I started one last year with some friends of mine (again pop culture related), it's a lot of work but it is so much fun!
If you haven't discovered 'This American Life', it's worth giving it a go.
ReplyDeleteWell, you've inspired me to try podcasts again. I feel how you used to. Thanks for suggesting Radiolab - maybe I can find somethings I like too.
ReplyDelete~J
I'm kindof a podcast junkie. I love my music, but when I'm driving, its talk radio, books on tape/CD, or podcasts all the way. After reading your post, I listened to the first two episodes of the Introvert Entrepreneur.
ReplyDeleteI would have never taken you for an Introvert!
You might also like Being Boss, its new and there are only a handful of episodes, but its pretty good.