I’m always telling stories on my podcast, so it’s about time that I told my story, and how this podcast came to be.
In 2020 I graduated from an English and History degree and it was one of the happiest days of my life but pretty much straight after I was hit with a wave of anxiety thinking to myself , ” so what’s next ?”. For the first time in my life there wasn’t a clear path or goal to achieve. I knew I didn’t want to launch into a masters but i also didn’t know where to start my career in the meantime. My post graduation plan was always blurry but the pandemic was an added curveball.
Feeling Directionless…
During the first lockdown I was miserable. I was really missing college life, and especially nostalgic about hanging out at the college radio station where I co- hosted a show with a friend. All my friends in my area were still in college and had their studies to occupy them but I was really struggling to fill my days with purpose and to get off Netflix. I’ve always loved challenging myself whether that’s working on a project or a creative outlet like radio broadcasting, writing or art. I felt so directionless and needed something positive to focus on and throw my energy into.
That Lightbulb Moment
Something that really helped me during the lockdown was going for a long walk and listening to a history podcast. One day I was doing just that and I thought “How hard can it be? it seems like everyone and their mam have a podcast these days. (literally though their is many family podcasters out there!) I had often thought about starting a podcast but i convinced myself that it would be too tough or that i was too busy, but now i had all the time in the world and no excuses. I did a bit of googling which soon turned into binge watching tutorials, advice , tips and hacks about podcasting. I enjoyed the blend of my two subjects so much in college and I missed learning. I wanted to find a way to combine the two and that’s how Aboutabook was born! By the time I got around to recording it was Halloween so Dracula was an obvious choice for my first episode. I remember it took me ALL DAY to produce my first episode as I was teaching myself how to use equipment and edit. I remember cringing from the sound of my own voice and how long it took me to edit a small detail that I can now do so easily.
Self Doubt and Taking the Plunge
Even though I was proud of what I’d made I was terrified of what people would think. However, after a couple weeks of encouragement from my friends and family I decided to take the plunge. I set up an account for the podcast, shared the first episode on all of my social media platforms and turned my phone off. The people care about were supportive and the people I don’t care about didn’t care! Now that my podcast was out there in the world I knew I had to commit to it.
No Longer Nostalgic
Five months on and i’m happier than i’ve been in a long time. I truly believe this podcast was my saving grace! it has filled my days with purpose and joy and it has connected me to so many amazing people. 7 episodes later and I’ve reached nearly 600 downloads, and the podcast has been listened to in 32 countries! Through my instagram I have connected with so many other small podcasters and likeminded people from around the world and we are always supporting and encouraging one another. I’m always feeling challenged and motivated with thinking of new ideas for episodes and ways to grow my audience. Instead of being filled with anxiety I feel excited when I think to myself “What’s next?” I cannot wait to see where this takes me and i’m so happy you’ll be here to find out.
About A Book Podcast 