The Power of Starting a New Podcast

Starting a new podcast is a journey. Like all good journeys, the line drawn from point A to point B looks straight enough, but what soon falls into fruition is a Mr. Messy fan club state of affairs. After all, it only takes one wrong turn, or that one friend with the dodgy music taste who decides to take control of the aux cord, to ruin such a seemingly linear process.

As a modern languages student, you would think being able to listen to more podcasts – in multiple languages – would be a good thing, but no. It just adds unnecessary complication to the already stressful process of picking out an entertaining podcast to binge on, while frequenting the weekly step outside of the house into an awakening of bustling supermarkets and clearly stained air.

Regardless of the tensity, JaackMaate’s Happy Hour podcast remains the highlight of my week, as I Britishly battle with pensioners for the last bunch of bananas. Oh, how the pandemic has aged me.

For many years, creating a podcast of my own, to add to the multitude of others, was merely a pipedream – something that I never considered to be a true possibility, but an avenue that I desired to explore, nonetheless. There are so many variables to think about – especially when it comes to the technological side of things – that it put me off trying. That, paired with a growing sense of self-induced anxiety of course.

Not to purposefully reference Coldplay, but what I now realise is that if you never try, then you never know. It all sounds rather cliché, but I do think such sayings come from a place of truth, from someone who has walked the same pathway before and knows what it takes to finally reach that point B, in spite of the various detours it took to get there.

We only take such words in a negative light because we continue to visualise every journey we take as a straight-forward trajectory – moving your perspective to be content with the disarray in between is required for growth, whether you welcome it with open arms or not. Shutting the door in its face is not going to change this fact – feel free to apply this to other aspects of life too.

So, taking the leap is what I did to create Tea Deep. How poetic.

Once I had battled with YouTube to teach me the core elements of podcast creation in terms of editing, recording, and advertising, it was just a matter of finding guests and a place quiet enough to record. Easy, right?

Wrong. The first few episodes defied my expectations negatively. They felt forced, gained little traction, and I was beginning to lose hope. It was not until I conducted an interview with James Haskell, however, that I began to feel more energised in my approach. This rejuvenated sense of self, paired with routine and familiarity, is reflected through the increased quality of my work – particularly towards the final half of season one.

So, ‘what should I take from this?’ I hear you ask! Starting a new podcast in any capacity can feel overwhelming, and on a surface level, you may feel compelled to throw in the tea towel on numerous occasions. Life, however, does not follow a linear path, and what you consume should not be taken in at face value. Do what makes you happy; just stay clear of the podcasts that negatively attract your attention.

Ellie Griffiths