by Elyse Kane
Past posts about my experience hosting the Meet Your Mentor podcast cover topics such as ‘challenges that arise as a podcast host’ and ‘good skills to have as a podcast host,’ but today I want to talk about something a little bit different: why podcasting? In this day and age, there are so many different forms of media out there. Why do people pick podcasting? What are some of the advantages to it? Right off the bat, just from my own experience as an audience member, I know that podcasts are quite versatile in the sense that people can listen to them in the car, while cooking, while exercising, etc. Because people don’t need to focus on a screen when listening to a podcast—and therefore, are able to multitask—there are more opportunities to consume this form of media. And that’s just from an audience perspective! From a podcast host perspective, podcasting allows you to connect more with your guest because, in my experience, its easier to be in the moment when you aren’t constantly concerned with how you look on camera. I’m sure the pandemic has taught this lesson to most people; in Zoom calls, it’s often like pulling teeth to get everyone to turn their camera on. It’s easier to relax and focus when you aren’t super concerned about lighting and angles. When recording my episodes of the podcast, both me and the mentor would have our cameras on so it’s easier to converse. But the audience would just listen to the podcast, and wouldn’t end up actually seeing us, so its much easier to relax and enjoy the conversation.
A couple months back, I was able to interview a New York Times bestselling author! She is also a podcast host, and I found that the setup of her podcast was quite similar to the setup of the Meet Your Mentor podcast. Naturally, I was curious as to why she chose podcasting, so I asked her. She said the number one reason she chose podcasting was so she didn’t have to put makeup on, which I’m sure a large amount of the population can understand. Besides, I’m sure most people have worn pajama bottoms to their virtual meetings a time or two, and it’s always nice to be comfortable when working. Podcasting also allows you sit wherever you want without worrying too much about what your backdrop looks like, which is yet another advantage. These advantages speak for themselves, and I’m sure they’ve been large contributors to the growth in popularity of podcasts over the past few years, so it’s very easy to understand why so many people gravitate towards it.
If you are curious about the Meet Your Mentor podcast and want to learn more or listen to an episode, you can use this link for Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0BbxTRTiEjYKIuaJ2ArfX9
This link for Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mentor-project/id1486267030?ign-mpt=uo%3D4
Or this link for Spreaker: https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-mentor-project
Remember, you want to scroll down until you see podcasts titled “Meet Your Mentor: Firstname Lastname.” You can also find my podcast on The Mentor Project website. Simply click “Explore” and then “TMP Podcast.”
