Why did I decide to start a podcast?

Photo by Matt Botsford on Unsplash

Last month, I listened to an interview with Lucy Gourlay, a coach who had started a podcast called ‘Lucy Loves‘ over the last year. She detailed her trials and tribulations of whether to start it or not, and how it had since become a key part of what she does, ultimately supporting her business.

Fast forward a few weeks, I found myself releasing my first ever podcast episode, in a whirlwind journey of setting up tech, deciding on a name/concept and finding a first interviewee. So what pushed me to make the decision of starting ‘Behind the Suit and Tie‘?

The idea of a podcast has been in the back of my mind for a while. As a student, I had previously co-hosted a weekly radio show for three years; it was a Wednesday morning ritual which started nervously and awkwardly, but as time passed we improved and became relatively fluent. At some point we even won an internal award as the Best Playlist Show at one point, which we didn’t really expect. That being said, it’s been a many years since that took place, and honestly I actually had forgotten that I had even done any of that.

As to why I started this now, there were a few reasons that culminated together. Firstly, I had a push from listening to this interview, so I felt it was about time I acted upon an idea I have had for a while. Secondly, whilst it has been pointed out to me that the world does not need another podcast, it actually benefits my own wellbeing. I enjoy releasing my creative side through these blogs which gives me a wider sense of achievement outside of my job. I wanted to expand the sorts of things I do in a new area, and podcasting is something I think I can do well. Thirdly, the concept of Behind the Suit and Tie is to learn more about people and make work more human, something I have become more interested in as a theme as I have progressed in my career (as well as the trials and tribulations of the pandemic!).

It’s interesting to reflect how helpful an outside prompt can be – by listening to that interview I had a nudge to get going with something I had been thinking about for a long time. Once that happened, the seed was planted and I was keen to learn about how to make it a reality. Fortunately we live in a world where it’s possible to access guides relatively easily, as such I bought a book which gave some clear guidance relating to things like tech, recording an intro and outro and how to commission a cover art (the latter of which I’m very happy with!).

It also made me reflect that practicing skills in the past can always come in useful many years later. If you’re looking to start a new activity or hobby, but are questioning whether it is worth it – my answer would unequivocally be yes! I was fortunate that I had access to student radio and had a co-host who actually was more enthusiastic in the show than I was. But by doing this weekly, I learnt how to better use my voice, how to do basic sound editing and how to organise a timetable for a show.

My final reflection is how quickly you can go with an idea once one’s mind is set towards it. Because I had gotten into the idea of making a podcast and had set the concept, the awkward barriers suddenly just felt like hurdles to overcome in quick succession. A lot of what prevents us as people from starting new things is our own mental uncertainty, and once that melts away tasks that felt like massive barriers can be overcome far easier. For me, I took a lot of these things in my stride.

So I would love it if you gave Behind the Suit and Tie a listen: do check out my first episode here – https://anchor.fm/tahmid5. If you’re interested in being a guest, please do get in touch, I’d love to find new people to speak to!

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