Podcast of the Month: Pink Lemonade

The Pink Lemonade Podcast: A Self-help Podcast to Help Turn Life’s Lemons into Lessons

Interview by Angela Anderson

“The only ‘L’ we take in life are lessons.” ~ Whitney

Barkley Whitney Barkley public speaker, writer, and podcast host is a skilled communicator and digital marketing enthusiast with over five years of experience and education in the digital world and content marketing.

Whitney found that she was a “fixer” of others, but in 2016, a light bulb moment caused her to realize that she was so focused on helping others and “making it” in her business that she never took time to figure out who she was and how she wanted to show up in the world. Whitney thought it was important to show a different side of herself. Most people who know her know her for working hard and being ambitious, but they don’t really get to see many of the behindthe-scenes or inner workings of wanting to be an ambitious and successful person. According to Whitney, learning how to look beyond ambition and simply be a human is really important to her and inspired her to start podcasting. Thus, the Pink Lemonade Podcast was birthed as a self-help podcast to help people turn their lemons of life into lessons. It is an audio series that provides the perfect blend of transparency, inspiration, and stories to help individuals seize the moment and savor the process. The podcast is a carefully curated platform that allows others to explore their true self without distraction and with intention. Whitney found the Pink Lemonade Podcast to be a vehicle connecting her to people who need to hear what she has to say and an avenue to serve and be a voice to help others in ways she couldn’t imagine. Podcasting gave her a voice she never knew she had. How they got life and just take a second to sit back and savor, enjoy the moment, reflect, and understand.

AA: What inspired you to start the Pink Lemonade Podcast?

WB: What inspired me to start the Pink Lemonade Podcast was Beyoncé! As most know, she came out with the Lemonade album in 2016. It was such a beautiful occurrence for me. When she came out with Lemonade, it was her being vulnerable, us seeing a different side of her, and her being unapologetic and sharing a different side of herself. It was something that was so profound to me. She is someone that I look up to and someone I love not just in terms of her music but her work ethic.

AA: What makes the Pink Lemonade Podcast unique?

WB: I think what makes Pink Lemonade Podcast unique is the fact that it is a micro podcast. Most episodes are only 10 to 15 minutes in length, and they leave you with some sort of question to ask yourself. So not only are you listening to my personal stories or things that I have researched or things that may matter. But how can you apply these things to your own life? What are the practical tips and skills or things that you can take away so you can learn how to be your best self? Like, how can you ultimately learn how to turn the lemons in your life into lessons.

AA: Share some of the behind-the-scenes of what is involved with making a Pink Lemonade Podcast episode.

WB: Making an episode of Pink Lemonade is a couple of things. Most people don’t know this, but I write a script when I create an episode. I literally write the entire episode. I think about things that I want to say; I think about things that are profound. Sometimes I follow the script, and other times, I don’t really follow it verbatim but adlib and add some things. A script helps me stay focused. I have a setup that I usually do at my home. I have a microphone that has been an amazing resource for me, and I do my own editing. I edit in a program called Adobe Audition, and I also edit in a program called GarageBand. It takes me about an hour to record and edit each episode. I am very in the moment and share things that are most important to me to do. Contrary to what I have been known for in content marketing, everyone is like, have a schedule, say things… This podcast is truly unique because it is something that is from the heart. It’s not something that I am ultimately planning out months ahead. Everything that is happening to me in real-time has turned into an episode. That’s so much to say the least, lol.

AA: What is an aspect of your podcast that brings you tremendous joy?

WB: I would have to say, my listeners. The listener feedback brings me tremendous joy and ultimately encourages me to keep going. When people say the takeaways and things that they have learned or ways that the podcast has helped them, it truly makes my heart warm because I would never imagine that anything that I had to say in regard to personal development could help somebody else. And that is why I think it is so important that we have these reflections. I hope that the podcast encourages other people to have conversations, share with others, and get a grip on who they want to be, who they are, and who they want to become. That’s the most important thing.

AA: What can listeners expect to receive when they tune into the Pink Lemonade Podcast?

WB: I would say… Raw. Honest. Truth. I always joke that we are now serving because we are truly serving the people who are listening.

AA: What is one piece of advice you would share with someone who wants to start a podcast?

WB: I would say, do your research. Definitely do things that feel natural to you. Don’t work with topics or do things just because you think it’s popular. Do things because you think they are necessary. I think that’s the most important advice that I can give. It’s especially important not to think that you have to follow the trends. Everybody is so focused on being number 1; none of that matters in podcasting to me. In my opinion, if your show is good, it will have the potential to grow organically. You do not have to be somebody that you are not.

AA: What advice would your now-adult self, share with your younger 16 -year-old-self?

WB: I would tell my 16- year-old-self, to learn to accept people for who they are. Most for who they are. Most importantly, we try so hard to change others. We may have our own perception of what things should be, but we have to look at things for what they are. I believe that when you truly live in reality, your life takes a better turn, a turn for the good.

AA: What’s next for the Pink Lemonade Podcast?

WB: I am excited. I have recently taken a pivot in my career. I have been doing content marketing for the past 6 years, and now I am jumping into the ring of a stationary business. So, notebooks, planners, notepads, you got it. I want to bring the Pink Lemonade brand along. It is all about personal development and I want to incorporate the podcast into my stationery business. Check out the website at www.luvyoursstationery.com.

AA: Share with us how people can listen to the podcast and stay connected with you.

WB: For more information on The Pink Lemonade Podcast go to www.pinklemonadepodcast.com. The podcast can be heard on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and SoundCloud.

People can stay connected by following me on: Instagram at whitneylbarkley or the Speakerazzi website at www.speakerazzi.com.