FROM IDEA TO INTRO EPISODE

I've been dreaming of starting a podcast for years. I always had a handful of excuses, but finally I had my inciting incident.

I think we all have things we like to dream and talk about doing but when it actually comes down to it we are just way too terrified. For me, it was podcasting. I have loved podcasts for years. I love that people are sharing their knowledge so freely and that we can access it in just a few clicks. I've dreamt of adding my voice to the sea of podcasters but always felt overwhelmed by the reality that I'll just be another tiny drop in a huge ocean of people far more talented than me.

Last year in September I was 7 months into the incredible, all-consuming, wonderful and overwhelming journey that is new motherhood. Our baby boy is a true joy and light in our lives. Bringing him into the world and caring for him is the best thing I've ever done. It's also the hardest thing I've ever done. I was already starting to feel that I was losing myself and losing touch with some of the things that bring me joy. During a glorious nap time I was reading a book titled "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" by Donald Miller and was struck by his explanation of inciting incidents. Just like characters in a story most of us will stay stagnant unless something compels us to move. Just like Newton's laws of motion, if a force doesn't act upon us we will stay still or remain on the same path we've been on. This thought hit me right in the feels. Like deep in the feels, and I realized that I needed an inciting incident. So I signed up for a podcasting course and decided it was time to take a step and create a force in my life that will continue to nudge me week after week.

I started out trying to create a podcast that would be "successful". After many sleepless nights and a journal that became a graveyard for title and tagline ideas, I realized that I wasn't enjoying the process at all. I felt stuck and confused. Luckily, I have awesome friends and family who listened to me toss ideas around for hours and who ultimately helped me realize that the audience member I'm trying to reach is me. I truly want to create this podcast because I don't want to stop learning, I don't want to slip into complacency and miss out on all the incredible things there are to learn everyday. I want to seek out new information that lights me up and challenges my current framework, I want to explore facts and opinions and I want to collect stories from people sharing this human experience with me. I can't wait.

I hope the stories and science discussed in the episodes will bring light into your life too. My audience is me, and I'd love if it was you too.