THINKING ABOUT LAUNCHING YOUR OWN PODCAST?
PODCAST POINTERS FROM CHRISTINE CAMPBELL & RACHEL KLINE OF THE THRIVE PODCAST:
- Focus on a podcast topic that you feel passionate about.
- Identify the people you can reach. Your show doesn’t have to apply to everyone.
- Invest in a microphone for good audio quality.
- “Choose guests who are well-spoken and are good storytellers,” Kline says.
HOW TO LISTEN:
You can listen to all of these local podcasts directly from their websites or search for them on iTunes or Spotify!
CHITCHAT & CHIRPING:
CHICK2CHICK | CHICK2CHICK.COM
Flora Posteraro says she and Carrie Perry “go waaay back” to when their kids attended the same elementary school.
Perry joined ABC27 as a lifestyle reporter, and the two would “chit and chat and chirp together,” says veteran journalist Posteraro. When Posteraro left ABC27 amid her charges of gender discrimination, Perry was among the women who “had my back,” she says now. “I never forgot that and appreciate that.”
Posteraro’s next step, a multi-topic podcast with media veteran Nell McCormack Abom, ended when Abom took another job. Posteraro approached Perry about a reinvention under a new name, and now everywhere they go they hear women and men say, “You’re the chicks from Chick2Chick!”
The podcast’s casual feel masks a strict professionalism and the hard work of production. Topics range from the opioid epidemic-fueled rise in grandparents raising grandchildren, to breaking the cycle of children’s entitlement (a favorite noted by a male fan from Baltimore), to fall fashions, when the boutique-owner guest tells the chicks, “If you’re willing to take a risk this season, I think you’re definitely what’s in style.”
Their impact is spreading. The podcast on grandparents raising grandchildren attracted an invitation to host a forum on the topic. The community showers them with hugs, kindness, “and attagirls,” says Perry.
“We do focus on women’s voices, but we focus on having a voice— having a voice, and putting it out there, and talking about topics that are all over the place to genuinely bring back conversation,” she says. “People have lost the art of conversation. We have an actual conversation.”
THE THRIVE PODCAST:
MOMS BEHIND THE MICROPHONE | RACHELKLINECREATIVE.COM
Two months after Christine Campbell and Rachel Kline met through a moms’ group, they released episode one of The Thrive Podcast, “Mommin’ Isn’t Easy.”
“We wanted to create a way to encourage others through our journey as moms,” says Campbell, a 34-year-old second grade teacher and mother of two daughters.
“We created a tagline speaking to working moms—‘whether you’re the CEO of your own household or a 9-to-5 job’—because honestly, we’re all working moms,” Kline says. The 30-year-old mom of three, owner of Rachel Kline Creative, had previous podcasting experience as host of Lancaster Podcast Studio’s Open Chat. Two years, 50+ episodes, and 10,000+ downloads later, the Lancaster-area moms have shared and learned a lot.
She says some of the most memorable guests were local wedding photographer Juliana Tomlinson, who shared her struggle with infertility, and Marie Monville, wife of the 2006 Amish schoolhouse shooter, who is now an author and speaker. “People listened and cried, and she gave them hope—it was very meaningful,” Kline says.
“Seeing how women are following their passion—it’s so brave, and we love giving them a platform to share their stories,” Campbell says.
As the calendar turns to 2020, The Thrive Podcast is taking a hiatus while Kline takes a brave new step of her own—launching a new podcast about small business owners following their dreams.
BOOK BANTER:
THE MIDTOWN SCHOLAR BOOKSTORE PODCAST | MIDTOWNSCHOLAR.COM
More than 100 podcasts featuring nationally-known authors have been recorded in—wait for it—Harrisburg. That’s because the capital city’s Midtown Scholar Bookstore is putting Harrisburg on the map for nationally-touring authors.
“They’re coming from L.A., New York, Chicago, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Harrisburg—we have established ourselves as one of the major tour spots for authors traveling across the country,” says Alex Brubaker, bookstore manager.
The Midtown Scholar—considered the largest independent bookstore in Pennsylvania and one of the largest in the country—houses more than 200,000 books and hosts about five author-talks-turned-podcasts per month.
The podcast series began about two years ago—a relatively new chapter in the bookstore’s nearly 20-year history. The shop was established by a husband-and-wife team, Catherine Lawrence and Eric Papenfuse; Papenfuse is currently Harrisburg’s mayor.
Recent podcasts featured Ibram X. Kendi and Imani Perry, authors of How to Be an Anti-Racist; Bernice Hausman, who wrote Anti/Vax: Reframing the Vaccination Controversy; and Casey Cep, author of Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee—“one of the most profound literary figures in American history, combining true crime and a literary biography,” Brubaker says.
“It’s a community gathering place where people can talk about ideas, literature, and the current topics of the day over coffee,” Brubaker says.
The majority of author events are free and open to the public, with a seating capacity of 300. Brubaker says when customers can’t attend author events in person, they appreciate being able to tune into the Midtown Scholar’s podcasts.
WORK WISDOM'S PODCAST:
THE BEHAVIORIST | WORKWISDOMLLC.COM
A little more than a year ago, the staff at Lancaster’s Work Wisdom was brainstorming. “How do we utilize technology to help people be successful—that was the question,” says Kedren Crosby, Work Wisdom’s president and owner. The answer they came up with? Launch a podcast, The Behaviorist.
“Our company focuses on mindsets, behaviors, habits, culture and communications that create successful companies and leaders…We’re interested in ‘How do you show up—what are the behaviors that make you successful?’” Crosby says.
About 40 episodes later, The Behaviorist has built up a following. Topics ranging from “Next Gen Leadership” to “Benefits of Sabbatical” and “Optimism for the Win” attract about 2,000 monthly downloads.
Crosby says one of their most popular podcasts—still being downloaded from its original June air date—is “Psychological Safety with Dr. Amy Edmondson.” She calls Edmondson, of Harvard, “the mother of psychological safety” due to her book on the subject. Psychological safety, in case you’re wondering, is the belief that you won’t be punished or humiliated for voicing your ideas, questions, or concerns. The podcast describes how you can create a work culture where people feel accepted and respected in a constructive way.
Thanks to her field, Crosby has an interesting perspective and theory about why podcasts are so popular. “I think it has to do with intimacy,” she says. “It feels like a very close conversation, especially with earbuds that close to your brain—it feels like talking to a dear friend.”
