TPU52: When Podcasting Shapes an Alternate Career – Divya Kapoor (Mommy Track Daddy Whispers)

00:00:01 Divya

Then I bifurcate my content now and have everything in one podcast is one thing that I'm learning on the go because my niche.

00:00:11 Divya

Very restricted yet vast, it can cover so many aspects.

00:00:16 Divya

And sometimes it does get confusing.

00:00:17 Divya

So that is one thing.

00:00:18 Divya

So know your niche.

00:00:21 Divya

and know how you can bifurcate your niche into even smaller niche which pertains to 1 audience that stays.

00:00:30 Divya

And then that kind of you know when it makes that impact, they tell somebody they tell somebody else.

00:00:36 Divya

And that's how.

00:00:36 Divya

It can grow.

00:00:40 Dilip

Welcome to the podcasting university looking for help on starting your own podcast.

00:00:45 Dilip

Then this is the place to be.

00:00:47 Dilip

We will help you with everything from selecting your topic to promoting and monetizing your podcast in the simplest language possible.

00:00:56 Dilip

Listen to other podcasters.

00:00:58 Dilip

Who've been through.

00:00:59 Dilip

The grind and learn from them as we interview.

00:01:02 Dilip

Them every week.

00:01:03 Dilip

You can find more details on the podcasting university.com.

00:01:09 Dilip

Hello and welcome to episode 52 of the Broadcasting University. This is Dilip, your host, and in this episode we have another very interesting and inspiring guest with me.

00:01:29 Dilip

Now imagine if your podcast can inspire you to go and take up the topic that you are podcasting about as a full time career.

00:01:41 Dilip

Get certified and start or pursue it as a full time career.

00:01:48 Dilip

That would need a lot of passion, lot of passion about the topic that you are involved in in your podcast.

00:01:58 Dilip

And the guest on the show today is one such very passionate podcaster.

00:02:06 Dilip

She is a former software analyst who ditched the corporate world after working for about 8 years.

00:02:13 Dilip

and then turned into a birth educator and lactation counselor.

00:02:19 Dilip

Her podcast mommy track Daddy whispers is centered around perinatal health of parents, especially mothers, before and after pregnancy and is aimed at bringing awareness about the significance of.

00:02:33 Dilip

Education for a positive birth experience.

00:02:36 Dilip

Its effect on respectful parenting and postpartum, emotional and physical recovery

00:02:43 Dilip

She and her podcast was featured among some of the amazing and wonderful women in audio. Under Spotify's amplifi-her campaign. Let us welcome Divya Kapoor to the podcasting university.

00:02:57 Dilip

Hey Divya, welcome to the podcasting university.

00:03:00 Divya

Thank you excited to be here, Dilip

00:03:03 Dilip

Me too Divya.

00:03:04 Dilip

So I'm there are a lot of questions that I have about your podcasting journey and I'm sure this is going to be a very interesting conversation.

00:03:11 Dilip

So just to start off with the conversation first.

00:03:17 Dilip

I would like to know more about.

00:03:20 Dilip

Who Divya is?

00:03:21 Dilip

What do you do in addition to podcasting and how did you get into podcasting?

00:03:27 Divya

All right, so who am I?

00:03:30 Divya

I I've been somebody who.

00:03:35 Divya

Who never knew that they could do something in the creative space.

00:03:40 Divya

I had that creative bent I had done freelance student story writing, freelance writing otherwise.

00:03:49 Divya

But never knew I could stick to the process.

00:03:51 Divya

So with writing it was always on and off.

00:03:53 Divya

Today I thought probably I don't have it in me and then moved forward.

00:03:57 Dilip

OK.

00:03:58 Divya

With podcasting, I think I was at a point in time in life where I just wanted to do it without really wanting something in return.

00:04:09 Divya

So that time was really crucial when this podcast started.

00:04:14 Divya

So my podcast, Mommy Drag Daddy whispers is about the emotional health and the physical health of women mothers in the perinatal period that is from pregnancy to postpartum.

00:04:27 Divya

It started off interestingly, just as my outpour of what happened to me after I gave birth.

00:04:35 Divya

So that period is really something that people remember.

00:04:40 Divya

They say that you may not remember anything in life, but you may very vividly remember your birth.

00:04:46 Dilip

In that face.

00:04:47 Divya

And yeah, and they period thereafter.

00:04:50 Divya

So the memories of the period there afterwards.

00:04:55 Divya

You know the memory was really fresh and it was something that.

00:04:59 Divya

Was really impactful.

00:05:01 Divya

Because I realized that the kind of.

00:05:05 Divya

Emotional support.

00:05:07 Divya

That should be.

00:05:09 Divya

There for people who are undergoing an emotional turmoil is still not there in this society, and it's very much needed.

00:05:17 Divya

Even with people who have undergone the same kind of times with their births.

00:05:23 Divya

Still have normalized that you know emotional turmoil is normal.

00:05:29 Divya

We will go through it.

00:05:31 Divya

You know, we often end up saying.

00:05:34 Divya

This is dumb.

00:05:36 Divya

Just be happy.

00:05:37

Hey babe.

00:05:37 Divya

Sometimes it's just something that you don't need.

00:05:41 Divya

You don't want to hear that because you're trying someone beat down.

00:05:44 Divya

You're trying to be happy and you're not able to be happy.

00:05:47 Divya

So that's when I come.

00:05:49 Divya

When I join work back after the maternity leave, all these memories of the early postpartum fresh.

00:05:58 Divya

And I kind of also wanted to try again the creative side of me and I read about podcasting and I thought it's radio.

00:06:08 Divya

That's why I thought it's radio and thereafter I sent a few voice notes to my friends in Hindi and all in my urgent.

00:06:19 Divya

Style and they said, oh it's lovely and I thought it not.

00:06:22 Divya

Judy Moody response could be writing.

00:06:29 Divya

And or I may be able to just, you know, stick to the process.

00:06:33 Divya

So that's how it started with my parenting journey.

00:06:37 Divya

The first season is all about parenting, emotional turmoil, family dynamics, changes in the relationship of a husband and wife postpartum in all of that.

00:06:47 Divya

So that's how podcasting started.

00:06:49 Divya

And it has changed me immensely as a person because I now know even even with writing or anything else, it's the process that matters.

00:06:58 Divya

Like if you're talking right before the conversation that it's not a star, it's it's not outside your periphery.

00:07:03 Divya

You really have to find something within yourself.

00:07:08 Dilip

Wait, wait, so you were a software analyst.

00:07:13 Dilip

From there you transitioned over to something that is completely unrelated to what you were doing.

00:07:18 Dilip

So how was that transition like?

00:07:21 Dilip

Was it positive or was it you know, because just because you didn't like what you were doing and then you wanted to look out for something new?

00:07:31 Dilip

And was that how you got into podcasting?

00:07:33 Dilip

How was the transition?

00:07:35 Divya

I think it was.

00:07:37 Divya

Yes, the first thing was that I in the corporate world I felt I was very delusional.

00:07:43 Divya

I never understood where I stood in the corporate world always had.

00:07:48 Divya

Trouble understanding myself, my position, my ethics, and why did he have it in me to survive in the corporate?

00:07:59 Divya

So yes, one was that, and that's how after giving birth, I thought I want to explore the creative side as a side hustle and podcasting started through the journey of the podcast.

00:08:15 Divya

My own birth story.

00:08:18 Divya

The way I bought the labor, all that happened during that phase.

00:08:26 Divya

Was had you left me?

00:08:29 Divya

Art was a very sour experience, was not very.

00:08:34 Divya

Good or was not something that I felt I knew what was going on.

00:08:40 Divya

I was very confused what.

00:08:41 Divya

What is it that happened with my birth and nobody knew the answers?

00:08:50 Divya

That is, when I decided to do an episode on my birth story and ask the questions and fortunately there was this birth educator and there is this birth educator, Megha Khanduja.

00:09:02 Divya

I came across her and there was this episode wherein I asked all the questions going through every little detail of my own birth.

00:09:10 Divya

Of how things unfolded and what is it?

00:09:13 Divya

What is it that I I missed?

00:09:14 Divya

Probably because as a mother sometimes you think it's it's something that you are guilty of, or you should be guilty of because things did not go the way you planned.

00:09:26 Divya

They want answers.

00:09:28 Divya

They were really answers were there and that's when I thought there is so much information out there that you can prepare yourself with during pregnancy and birth to have a much more controlled birth experience.

00:09:44 Divya

Birth cannot be controlled.

00:09:45 Divya

Now I'm saying two things that are contradictory.

00:09:48 Divya

Birth cannot be controlled, but you can still you could still have a much more participation in your own birth and that's what I realized after that episode and I decided to join the birth community and become a birth educated and lactation.

00:10:04 Divya

Counselor I'm now an approved certified lactation counselor and I'm taking the exam for becoming a birth.

00:10:13 Divya

Birth educator, and that's how the podcast transitioned into being more birth centric.

00:10:22 Divya

Because I realized that there is so much education that it can give, you can.

00:10:28 Divya

Bring more empowerment with education, so that's how the entire bend into the content happened, yeah?

00:10:36 Dilip

Very good, I was about to ask you that question.

00:10:39 Dilip

Now that you've answered so before I get into more of your podcast and how do what.

00:10:46 Dilip

What's your process with broadcasting?

00:10:48 Dilip

I just wanted to ask your question.

00:10:49 Dilip

This is something that you know I at times because I see my wife.

00:10:55 Dilip

I think from if I look at it from a multitasking perspective, she is a much better multitasker than me because she manages so many things and I don't even know when she's done something and when she's managed some things that she was supposed to do so that regular chores.

00:11:14 Dilip

That you go through, it's so well managed by you know women.

00:11:18 Dilip

So I would like to know from you, considering that you know you have a small kid, you would have other chores at home.

00:11:26 Dilip

How do you manage podcasting along with your regular chores?

00:11:30 Divya

By probably breaking it down into small chunks.

00:11:35 Divya

And I hear you when you say the multitask better.

00:11:39 Divya

I think we are raised on that notion that you have to get you know things done to pick up another thing.

00:11:45 Divya

You know when you're at home, you.

00:11:47 Divya

You have to be.

00:11:48 Divya

Available, so anything will come up.

00:11:49 Divya

Anytime so you gotta be ready.

00:11:52 Divya

Especially with kids.

00:11:53 Dilip

OK.

00:11:53 Divya

Yeah, yeah so.

00:11:55 Divya

Yeah, dividing it into chunks, and I've learned in the process to be very honest I did folly.

00:12:01 Divya

I did, kind of.

00:12:03 Divya

I wasn't there with the consistency early on.

00:12:08 Divya

I wasn't there with the release.

00:12:11 Divya

I did not have everything written down into a process and I to the new podcasters that may be listening to this.

00:12:20 Divya

It's it's a very good thing that I've learned from a lot of people and including the lead himself.

00:12:27 Divya

That divide your chunks into smaller pieces and divide your timeline around that.

00:12:34 Divya

So I have two series.

00:12:36 Divya

One is the season guest based series and one is the monologue educational resource.

00:12:43 Divya

Uhm, so those are the education resources.

00:12:46 Divya

10 minutes so that gives me a good time.

00:12:49 Divya

It saves my time in editing.

00:12:51 Divya

I'm not what I want to say.

00:12:54 Divya

I script everything.

00:12:56 Divya

I am not somebody that can go on the fly because.

00:13:01 Divya

I am trying to give here education and the flow is really important.

00:13:06 Divya

If I say something right now and forget what I said as point number one and go to point #3 and the point number two was very important because it was a correlation between one and three.

00:13:18 Divya

At this this can happen by going on the fly.

00:13:21 Divya

You can even learn.

00:13:22 Divya

Or you could write.

00:13:23 Divya

So I'd write and I know people who read it out and one of the things that I'm reading and I don't do it because I don't have time is once you've spoken everything like you know you're talking to somebody.

00:13:38 Divya

When you do it the next time, it becomes much more relaxed, much more easy.

00:13:43 Divya

The brakes are just at the right.

00:13:46 Divya

You know the.

00:13:46 Divya

Pause is just at the right place because it comes naturally.

00:13:50 Divya

Now you know in your head what's going to come.

00:13:53 Dilip

OK.

00:13:54 Divya

And you've rehearsed it in a way, so rehearsal is also something I know.

00:13:59 Divya

There are podcasters who do it, and it's great, and I've seen when I do something wrong and probably decide to rerecord, it's always better.

00:14:07 Divya

So dividing it into chunks is very important.

00:14:11 Divya

Having a process written down is important if you want to.

00:14:17 Divya

Script everything, probably just have the pointers or you know there's there's only things for guest interview.

00:14:24 Divya

The process is very different.

00:14:25 Divya

I'm talking about the monologues for the guest interview.

00:14:28 Divya

The process is very different, so there comes in.

00:14:30 Divya

Who do you want to bring in?

00:14:31 Divya

What is the?

00:14:32 Divya

Topic what will be the topic is also something that takes its own.

00:14:36 Divya

Sweet time so.

00:14:38 Dilip

Right?

00:14:40 Divya

Just to add here, I was given very good advice when I wasn't consistent early on by a guest with you.

00:14:46 Divya

Why don't you record in advance your seasons? Take a break for 10:15 twenty days whatever suits you in between seasons and.

00:14:56 Divya

Re record everything, plan everything, prerecord everything that we would be able to communicate better what.

00:15:01 Divya

Is going to come next.

00:15:03 Divya

And that way you would also have time so that that is something for my seasonal episodes.

00:15:07 Divya

I've started doing.

00:15:08 Divya

I take a break between seasons.

00:15:11 Divya

Prerecord most of my episodes ahead and just edit them when they are to be.

00:15:18 Dilip

At least, OK, that is something that I just wanted to come to know when I listen to some of your older episodes, I found that I think it was season 2 where you moved into a themed format.

00:15:32 Dilip

Any specific input that you got?

00:15:34 Dilip

Any specific reason why you wanted to take that change or you wanted to move into a themed format?

00:15:41 Divya

Now there will be two ways I answer.

00:15:42 Divya

This one not being certain if.

00:15:44 Divya

That's the best way.

00:15:47 Divya

I thought themed episodes would be better because I would be able to categorize what is going to come.

00:15:54 Divya

And if I say pelvic floor health.

00:15:57 Divya

And if I just record one episode in pelvic floor health.

00:16:02 Divya

There are so many aspects that need to be covered or there are so many aspects that.

00:16:08 Divya

You know, once you he, I mean you say something time and again it is received better because I want to listen to something and learn in a different way.

00:16:18 Divya

And probably you said that again, in a different way and I could hear you now and you said the same thing a moment before, and I couldn't understand you.

00:16:28 Divya

So probably that was it using.

00:16:29 Divya

My themed episodes came in.

00:16:32 Divya

The second would be the quantity that I am in right now.

00:16:37 Divya

Here is that probably themed episodes should be released together.

00:16:42 Divya

Now here in I have them.

00:16:43 Divya

Spread across the seasons and I think I will bring them all together so you don't forget what you heard like a month back and listen to the episode again and you're not able to like join the dots.

00:16:58 Divya

Or remember what was already told because there there are a lot of jargons involved in my episodes because they are more of yeah.

00:17:04 Dilip

That's right.

00:17:06 Divya

Educational resource.

00:17:09 Dilip

Yeah, now when when you moved into this themed episodes themed format?

00:17:15 Dilip

Because you're bringing in guests as well?

00:17:17 Dilip

So did you find any challenges finding guests who can talk about that specific theme have all of that planned in advance and then you decided OK, this is going to be the theme.

00:17:29 Dilip

For the season.

00:17:30 Divya

OK, as in.

00:17:32 Divya

Did I plan my teams first or did I plan?

00:17:36 Divya

My guests first.

00:17:37 Dilip

Right?

00:17:39 Divya

So I planned my teams 1st and I kind of knew that the guests would be there.

00:17:44 Divya

But yes, there was a challenge and this is a very good question.

00:17:47 Divya

Now that I'm thinking I could actually be going back and seeing how it's being done so I do plan my episodes 1st and go on to find the guests.

00:17:53 Divya

Right?

00:17:59 Divya

But but it's it's it's in.

00:18:00 Divya

The same planning.

00:18:01 Divya

Phase so.

00:18:02 Divya

I have a sheet wherein I write this this.

00:18:05 Divya

This needs to be covered and the potential guests of this.

00:18:09 Divya

Is this.

00:18:10 Divya

These topics are this, this and this.

00:18:13 Divya

And then I start reaching out to people cold mails.

00:18:17 Divya

And you know, stalking people.

00:18:19 Divya

And everywhere in trying to see do the really fitting.

00:18:22 Divya

When I want that kind of an information to be out.

00:18:27 Divya

So yeah, that happens.

00:18:29 Divya

A very good question.

00:18:30 Divya

I'll have to rethink, can you do the.

00:18:31 Divya

Other way round.

00:18:33 Dilip

We can, but then that will need a lot of you know pre planning because you you you first have to shortlist guests specific to those themes and then say OK these are the guests that recordings that I'm going to publish for this season and it will mean that you might have almost.

00:18:54 Dilip

You know, maybe about 9:10 interviews already in stock, so it didn't take a lot of planning so.

00:19:00 Dilip

Releasing themed formats can be extremely difficult, so that's why I was thinking.

00:19:05 Dilip

When you go into a theme format, and especially when you're doing, because if it's a monologue, it's it's simple.

00:19:10 Dilip

You know I have complete control over it, but when it is about bringing in guests and considering all of the many, the things that we do, how?

00:19:20 Dilip

Feasible, is it to find a guest who fits into that exact format?

00:19:24 Dilip

So that's basically why you know.

00:19:26 Dilip

I thought I'll ask you that.

00:19:28 Divya

The one thing that helped me really to answer you the leap here is now that I am into the same profession that I'm bringing the content about.

00:19:39 Divya

It my network helps me get those people in.

00:19:42 Divya

It really does, so yes.

00:19:42

OK.

00:19:46 Divya

Otherwise it would be really difficult and it is still I send five mails to five different people and one person comes back maybe a month later and then it takes another one month to get the.

00:19:57 Divya

Person on board.

00:19:58 Divya

So you really have to, even if you plan, you really have to remember that there will be a lot of things which will need time and attention, and we need their own sweet.

00:20:11 Divya

You know?

00:20:12 Divya

On the GO ad hoc recording.

00:20:14 Divya

Using all of that based on.

00:20:15 Divya

It it's a full time job, I think podcasting in itself.

00:20:19 Divya

Is a lot of work.

00:20:23 Dilip

There is.

00:20:23 Dilip

There is a lot of work.

00:20:24 Dilip

So the way I know.

00:20:26 Dilip

You've gotten into that same profession, and your podcast is pretty much on the same topic, so.

00:20:32 Dilip

You started off with podcasting and then decided you want to get into it full time or you had an interest in that and then you started off with your podcast with what came first.

00:20:46 Divya

This was the podcast came first the season one, like I said, was about my personal experiences about parenting, emotional turmoil, and my one episode that one person, Mega Khanduja.

00:20:59 Divya

I say that all the time she's had one person who was, you know, kind.

00:21:06 Divya

Change the guest for me and helped me realize that I want to do.

00:21:10 Divya

This and it would be much better because if I want to know answers there would be people out there who want to know answers and probably if they do not know now if there are much more stories about positive births.

00:21:24 Divya

Or about how?

00:21:25 Divya

Women can actually participate in their own birth.

00:21:29 Divya

There will be more interest into wanting to learn and it's coming that it's it's.

00:21:34 Divya

It's a movement worldwide and it's coming.

00:21:36 Divya

So Mega computer is the person who changed the case for me, so the podcasting as a platform, a wonderful platform where you as the host learned so much from the guest and the guest can actually propel.

00:21:49 Divya

Move into a different direction.

00:21:51 Divya

It's beautiful.

00:21:53 Dilip

Yeah, and you know this is a completely different perspective of the benefits of podcasting because that's why I asked you that question because it is for the first time that I'm I'm seeing somebody who started off with a podcast on a specific topic, then found your interest and you are now getting into it.

00:22:12 Dilip

Full time so.

00:22:13 Dilip

It's it's a completely different perspective of what podcasting can give you.

00:22:17 Dilip

So yeah, it's a really beautiful.

00:22:20 Dilip

Platform so coming back to your podcast DVR now I see that the you have the bite size pregnancy series which is which is a monologue about 11:50 minutes and then you have interviews in between. And then I've seen that you've.

00:22:37 Dilip

You split your interviews into two parts, and most of those interviews in other part one is there and then you put a bite sized pregnancy series monologue in between and then the second episode, so second.

00:22:51 Dilip

Part of it so this splitting this interview podcast, how well has that been received by the audience?

00:22:57 Dilip

Doesn't it kind of feel like there is a break in conversation?

00:23:02 Dilip

Have you seen any impact of that on your listenership?

00:23:07 Divya

Yeah, a great thing to ponder upon and I fortunately I was.

00:23:13 Divya

Asked this question.

00:23:14 Divya

By a friend once that if you do split, how does that impact?

00:23:22 Divya

Now the splitting has to be.

00:23:25 Divya

In how I do it is.

00:23:28 Divya

The splitting is really independent of each other, so it's not that the conversation was stopped when it wasn't complete in itself.

00:23:37 Divya

Like you know you.

00:23:37 Divya

Sometimes have two sentences broken, but they kind of are related, but they are sentences in itself.

00:23:43 Divya

Similarly, the parts that come out they.

00:23:48 Divya

Are usually independent of each other, yet on the same topic with the same person. So if I'm covering too much and it's going beyond like 3540 minutes, I did that. I had 50 minute.

00:23:59 Divya

Episodes early on.

00:24:01 Divya

And there are podcasters who are doing great doctor charted you with 50 minute episodes is doing wonderful, but with mothers who have very little time on their plate or pregnant women who have very little time on their plate.

00:24:14 Divya

I was I had a lot of feedback that I cannot stick to it for 15 minutes and I realize that it's good to break.

00:24:21 Divya

Into parts and break into parts when it's independent of each other.

00:24:26 Divya

Like if even if you've not heard part one, Part 2 does for you.

00:24:26 Dilip

Right?

00:24:30 Divya

Now if you've heard part one, you know what's coming in Part 2, so you can go and listen to Part 2, so I think it helped me one as a podcaster, divide my work into two for the same recording, so that is beneficial and at the same time.

00:24:46 Divya

Now two episodes released and kind of double s the numbers if we're talking.

00:24:51 Divya

In terms of numbers.

00:24:53 Dilip

Right, and you know it.

00:24:55 Dilip

It really makes sense because like what you said from your audience profile.

00:25:00 Dilip

From that perspective, if you look at it, you write that maybe you know your listeners might not always have that one hour that they can listen to it at one go.

00:25:09 Dilip

And if it's a one.

00:25:10 Dilip

Hour episode it.

00:25:12 Dilip

Is very difficult for me to pause in between.

00:25:14 Dilip

And then start again from that point.

00:25:17 Dilip

But I would rather would like to listen to it in two parts, then listening to it in one part.

00:25:24 Dilip

So that really makes sense.

00:25:26 Dilip

Yeah, so which means that episodes like these it is good.

00:25:31 Dilip

And if the target audience is like the one that that you are targeting, I think it really makes sense to break it into two parts and maintain not break the continuity and then you know I think it it helps the listener from from their perspective.

00:25:46 Divya

Ending motivation podcasts can go on if I'm going for a jog.

00:25:51 Divya

And if you're speaking giving me words of motivation, interestingly with stories.

00:25:57 Divya

I can listen to you for a knob as I jog.

00:25:59 Divya

I would not want to stop my jogging and change the channel.

00:26:04 Dilip

Are they?

00:26:07 Dilip

No, that makes sense.

00:26:08 Dilip

Yeah, that's where that one hour you know.

00:26:10 Dilip

People usually are out doing that for an hour, so an hour long episodes might make sense there, right?

00:26:17 Dilip

So when you got started with podcasting and I, I listened to, you know, I kind of found that transition.

00:26:27 Dilip

From episode to episode, I found that your production quality has improved from the first episode that you released to the latest episodes.

00:26:36 Dilip

So what is your post production process like and what are the equipments that you are using right now?

00:26:42 Divya

So my setup is really simple here, it's just the microphone, the windshield, the laptop.

00:26:49 Divya

I've started using another tool and have started using the same tools better, so I use GarageBand and it has so many features I did not know of when.

00:27:01 Divya

I started so it.

00:27:02 Divya

Was just baking.

00:27:04 Divya

Down or cutting, taking off the noise.

00:27:07 Divya

I realize there are so many things you can improve upon as you go, and I think that does come in the process.

00:27:14 Divya

So when I started podcasting

00:27:17 Divya

I actually learned about podcasting the entire process and what?

00:27:20 Divya

The format can.

00:27:21 Divya

Be from a LinkedIn course and it was a wonderful course.

00:27:25 Divya

It almost gave you the basics of everything like you have to have a format you have to have a good tone, but when you are into the process you realize that there is a balance of.

00:27:35 Divya

The voice that has to be there.

00:27:37 Divya

So on the go, the setup is still simple.

00:27:41 Divya

I've realized that.

00:27:43 Divya

I can do a.

00:27:43 Divya

Lot more with the editing software.

00:27:46 Divya

The noise levels can be changed individually in the sections.

00:27:50 Divya

Also I do not have to and I've done that in the past.

00:27:54 Divya

I do not have to remove every E.

00:27:57 Divya

Not even every breath.

00:28:00 Dilip

Right?

00:28:01 Divya

I have I have done it.

00:28:03 Divya

I have taken out the bread from every single place and.

00:28:10 Divya

When I heard that it came off as you, as if you're chopping, you know the person voice and somebody told me that you know it was very, you know it.

00:28:21 Divya

It was as if you have broken the entire conversation. Was Y2K already. But I realized that you have to have the breath because it.

00:28:29 Divya

Also communicates.

00:28:31 Divya

So much.

00:28:32 Divya

So I think I am learning on the go and one of the things that I'm very grateful to my friends to my to the podcaster friends to my friends and to the listeners as well.

00:28:46 Divya

Uhm, but sometimes those who I know of, those who DM me if I ask them for a specific feedback, and I do that.

00:28:54 Divya

They're very good at letting me know where and.

00:28:57 Divya

What they felt so it.

00:28:58 Divya

Does help you?

00:28:59 Divya

Improve on the go and that's how I've improved on the go.

00:29:03 Divya

So this is.

00:29:04 Dilip

That's that, that's something that a lot of us kind of are skeptical because you know when we reach out to people for feedback, we don't know how they are going to respond and we try avoiding that.

00:29:17 Dilip

But like Buddy said, you know there is a lot that we can learn from what the the feedback that people give.

00:29:22 Divya

That is, that's important to leave that's.

00:29:24 Divya

A Gray area so.

00:29:26 Divya

There was once I asked someone for a feedback and the feedback was really unrelated.

00:29:31 Divya

Because the niche is very different, so I did not get the right answer and I was a little you know off about it.

00:29:37 Divya

I was low.

00:29:38 Divya

I was like Oh my.

00:29:38 Divya

God, what have?

00:29:39 Divya

I done and do I not have a lot of storytelling in my podcast?

00:29:42 Divya

Because it.

00:29:43 Divya

Is an educational resource.

00:29:45

Right?

00:29:45 Divya

But then somebody told me, like you're saying, and that's anyway.

00:29:47 Divya

That's a very important point that.

00:29:49 Divya

I've hinted upon.

00:29:50 Divya

That you have two after a time that you you are in a comfortable space, you know that you are now you kind of know pretty much the base of it and now that also takes time, you can choose who to ask for a feedback.

00:30:03 Dilip

Right?

00:30:04 Divya

You will know that this is not important, so you need to cut down on that.

00:30:08 Divya

So I have learned that the hard way, but yeah, that's important with what you just told.

00:30:13 Dilip

Yeah, and what's the microphone that you're using?

00:30:16 Divya

Samsung Q2U

00:30:18 Dilip

Oh OK, so when you invested in the microphone the way, and I think a lot of the beginner podcasters when they we know where I talked to them and I.

00:30:27 Dilip

Tell them that.

00:30:28 Dilip

Even if you don't buy anything else, go and buy a microphone.

00:30:33 Dilip

That is something that is required.

00:30:36 Dilip

They're still skeptical, so when you bought this microphone, did you think that you know I?

00:30:42 Dilip

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with how long am I going to continue podcasting?

00:30:47 Dilip

Is this an right investment or is it a dead investment?

00:30:51 Dilip

Did any of those thoughts come to your mind?

00:30:52 Dilip

And how did you make the decision of going and buying and Samsung this?

00:30:56 Dilip

Microphone is a very good microphone.

00:30:57 Dilip

So how did you make the decision of going and buy that microphone?

00:31:02 Divya

The LinkedIn course helped me.

00:31:04 Divya

It gave me the list of what are the basic mikes out there that can sound pretty well.

00:31:10 Divya

What is a dynamic microphone?

00:31:11 Divya

What is a condenser microphone?

00:31:14 Divya

It gave me the basics of all that information and my friend was coming from Canada and it was on a discount and I was like, whoo I think.

00:31:24 Divya

You come in.

00:31:25 Divya

Just because I need to start this podcast so bring me my microphone.

00:31:29 Divya

And I don't regret it any day, because how you sound is important because after you've started.

00:31:36 Divya

A couple of episodes.

00:31:38 Divya

And if you like, Oh my word, or do I don't sound good?

00:31:41 Divya

Or somebody told me I don't sound good leave alone the process you would leave podcasting.

00:31:47 Divya

Because it's not.

00:31:49 Divya

Again, there can be two ways of saying it.

00:31:52 Divya

Your voice may not be as much important, or your content is primary.

00:31:58 Divya

You would know what is your.

00:32:01 Divya

Uhm, strength.

00:32:04 Divya

But I would still say like you said, like you've, you're.

00:32:06 Divya

Already, you know.

00:32:07 Divya

Advocating it through your podcasting.

00:32:10 Divya

University that.

00:32:12 Divya

Yes, mic has.

00:32:13 Divya

Been great for me.

00:32:14 Divya

I think it should be great for everybody because one of the comments that I always got was.

00:32:20 Divya

OK, I think you disconnected between those two lines and I couldn't stay there, but.

00:32:25 Divya

I loved your voice.

00:32:27 Divya

It's like.

00:32:29 Divya

Jennifer Tilted offered subsea chlamydia.

00:32:35 Dilip

Yeah, so coming to your.

00:32:37 Dilip

Guests election the way and this is another challenge that a lot of people face and you said a little while back that because of the circle that you are, you are now into considering you're pursuing it full time.

00:32:51 Dilip

You're able to get guests.

00:32:52 Dilip

But still, what is that methodology?

00:32:56 Dilip

Or what is it?

00:32:57 Dilip

Method that you follow for your guest outlets.

00:33:00 Dilip

How do you screen your guests and figure out that they are a right fit for your show?

00:33:08 Dilip

And then what is the process that is involved?

00:33:10 Dilip

So how do you do that?

00:33:12 Dilip

What is that entire process?

00:33:15 Divya

So for my guests I.

00:33:17 Divya

And because I have the team in place, I know what I want to talk about.

00:33:22 Divya

Over the next.

00:33:24 Divya

Few episodes over the season in entirety, the team is there.

00:33:30 Divya

I would some some of them.

00:33:33 Divya

I know I have seen their content.

00:33:35 Divya

I've seen what they're talking about, and since I'm also in the same.

00:33:40 Divya

Professional line up.

00:33:42 Divya

I kind of that kind of matches to what I want to say or how I.

00:33:46 Divya

Want to say?

00:33:47 Divya

I am a naturalist, so whenever I talk about birth, I talk about it from the animal Kingdom from us.

00:33:53 Divya

Being animals from us being a part of the environment and that is very dear to me.

00:33:58 Divya

So I always screaming based on my personal.

00:34:04 Divya

Purpose all out of the podcast and I've started now.

00:34:11 Divya

And and there is a lot of work that goes on into.

00:34:14 Divya

If there is somebody new.

00:34:15 Divya

If somebody reaches out to me to be on the podcast, I would go check their profiles, even if it doesn't match this, even if it doesn't match to what I want to bring out in the way I want to bring out.

00:34:28 Divya

And that's quite.

00:34:29 Divya

Biased too sometimes.

00:34:30 Divya

It has to serve the purpose of what?

00:34:33 Divya

The listener should come to know.

00:34:36 Divya

Out of the podcast.

00:34:38 Divya

These are the things that I want the listener.

00:34:40 Divya

To move out.

00:34:41 Divya

At the end, these are the questions that it answers for the for the audience.

00:34:46 Divya

So yes, and a lot of work that goes behind into seeing where wherever they have been.

00:34:54 Divya

All the places that have that they've spoken to or their social media handles their websites.

00:35:00 Divya

Some of them.

00:35:01 Divya

Then I am planning to get on.

00:35:03 Divya

Yeah, are they written books?

00:35:05 Divya

So I do get a lot of I.

00:35:08 Divya

I do get a lot.

00:35:10 Divya

When you say.

00:35:10 Divya

Optimistic and I have books lined up that I want to read before I get them on.

00:35:17 Divya

That's also a lot of hard work.

00:35:20 Divya

And sometimes you don't have the time.

00:35:21 Divya

You have to really decide you.

00:35:23 Divya

Do you really want to read the entire book and get them?

00:35:25 Divya

On if you have them do it, that's great.

00:35:27 Divya

If you don't have time, at least go through the.

00:35:30 Divya

Or just of what they are talking about?

00:35:33 Divya

Because there has to be a personal connect with the person also that comes across.

00:35:39 Divya

I think I've.

00:35:41 Divya

Give a very bloody.

00:35:42 Divya

Answer to what you just said, but.

00:35:45 Dilip

So while doing more of this and considering you are also inviting guests on your show, there are a lot of times that you know you reach out to somebody and the guest doesn't respond.

00:35:56 Dilip

Have you come across any such experiences?

00:35:58 Dilip

And how did you fail?

00:35:58 Divya

Yeah hello.

00:36:00 Divya

A lot of such experiences, and when it's somebody who's old already out there in the social space, it does feel bad.

00:36:09 Divya

But I think not everybody can find the time and the space to be everywhere.

00:36:16 Divya

They're also human beings.

00:36:17 Divya

And now I don't really feel as as bad as I.

00:36:20 Divya

Used to earlier.

00:36:22 Divya

Because I have for one topic.

00:36:24 Divya

I have three to four people that.

00:36:25 Divya

I reach out to.

00:36:28 Dilip

Otherwise, have you ever felt demotivated in podcasting like you know this is something that I?

00:36:35 Dilip

You know, I'm not sure if I.

00:36:35 Dilip

Want to continue types?

00:36:38 Divya

They have felt demotivated but never ever thought that I do not want to continue.

00:36:47 Divya

Probably because.

00:36:49 Divya

It has impacted my life on a very different scale.

00:36:54 Divya

It's not just a side hustle, it has opened up an area of.

00:37:01 Divya

Career path or a different career path.

00:37:03 Divya

It helps me connect with the birth educators other birth professionals.

00:37:09 Divya

It helps me network.

00:37:12 Divya

So you can look at your podcast as a product as well.

00:37:18 Divya

And this is a product.

00:37:20 Divya

It is in a stage right now and I want to improve upon it.

00:37:23 Divya

And if I let it go and have to start.

00:37:27 Divya

From the scratch and do I really want to do that?

00:37:30 Divya

I don't think so.

00:37:31 Divya

So yes, I've been demotivated.

00:37:33 Divya

I have been demotivated a number of times.

00:37:38 Divya

Beyond noise, but my my laptop starts, you know?

00:37:43 Divya

You know creating noise from the wire from all those things, and it took me time to understand how to get all this in place and bad response.

00:37:56 Divya

They are they the pregnancy series.

00:37:57 Divya

When I started here the pregnancy series when I started they were very less.

00:38:03 Divya

Number of downloads and I was like change Cardi Amanda parenting for birthday and parenting episodes while giving a lot of downloads.

00:38:11 Divya

Only and I have not let the parenting episodes go for the very same reason that they bring down.

00:38:18 Divya

But I do know that down the line I will have to split maybe?

00:38:24 Divya

So but yeah, everything that one does.

00:38:28 Divya

Is yeah yeah, sorry.

00:38:29 Dilip

And you know, I I see that you've you're somebody who's so seriously into podcasting something that I I notice with the way you are reducing your episodes with your production quality with the kind of guests that you're bringing in with a theme.

00:38:43 Dilip

And all of that and.

00:38:45 Dilip

You've spent, you've put in some investment also in terms of the microphone, and I think you are hosted on Buzzsprout, right?

00:38:52 Divya

Yeah, yeah.

00:38:54 Dilip

So you're spending a monthly fees there as well, and there is no return that you're.

00:38:58 Dilip

Getting so how have you?

00:39:00 Dilip

Ever thought about it in that perspective, saying OK?

00:39:05 Dilip

What is it that I'm getting out of it?

00:39:07 Dilip

You know this is this is there is so much of investment that is going on into it.

00:39:12 Dilip

There is no return.

00:39:13 Dilip

Have you felt you know bad from that perspective or thought about it from that perspective?

00:39:19 Divya

Yeah I did.

00:39:21 Divya

Yes I did and I did after a year and a half.

00:39:26 Divya

Because all through that one year and one year and a half I was focused on having a better product out there.

00:39:36 Divya

When I thought that probably it is now in that space of being good enough, you know you can never be the best and there's so much to learn each day.

00:39:47 Divya

A good enough product out there, I thought that.

00:39:51 Divya

Yes, I have invested.

00:39:52 Divya

So much, and now that I'm not earning every month of money that goes into buzzsprout in editing and.

00:39:58 Divya

All of that I.

00:40:00 Divya

Have thought about it and I did a couple of months back.

00:40:04 Divya

Very seriously.

00:40:05 Divya

Sat down to make a list of people.

00:40:08 Divya

I would send cold mails to for the sponsorship I sat down to create a pitch.

00:40:13 Divya

I sat down for understanding what was the significance of my niche.

00:40:18 Divya

But then I had some other priorities like completing this certification, getting the expert tag or not really expert getting at least certified to say what I'm saying, having that.

00:40:28 Divya

Yeah, so I prioritized that, but I do intend to.

00:40:33 Divya

Come down the line.

00:40:36 Divya

Get returns out of it.

00:40:37 Divya

It's important and that can leave anything for you if you.

00:40:40 Divya

Are getting the.

00:40:41 Divya

Returns in terms of not just money or sponsorship.

00:40:45 Divya

Something else that can be it.

00:40:48 Dilip

Yeah, that's that's something that a lot of people, uh, struggle with, and even before going ahead and making that first investment, the question that comes is if I do this investment, what is it that I'm going to get in return?

00:40:58 Dilip

Will I ever be able to recoup all of the money that I'm putting into it?

00:41:03 Dilip

So that's a question that a lot of people ask, but I think you are somebody who is.

00:41:08 Dilip

So passionate into that.

00:41:10 Dilip

Topic and you because I don't think these things you know impacted you so much in addition to the fact that that topic was something that you wanted to talk about and put it out there.

00:41:23 Dilip

So that's probably what has driven you to.

00:41:26 Dilip

You know, maybe park this on the side and then work on your podcast.

00:41:31 Divya

And also delete dumb.

00:41:33 Divya

I had the finances with me to be able to sustain it for this long, yes.

00:41:39 Divya

That is important, and if you don't have that kind of.

00:41:41 Divya

Finances you could.

00:41:42 Divya

Choose an alternate host.

00:41:45 Divya

There are so many out there.

00:41:48 Divya

But how do how does one?

00:41:48 Divya

Thank you.

00:41:51 Divya

Get benefit out of a you know how do you start?

00:41:53 Divya

A business without running wasting.

00:41:56

Right?

00:41:57 Divya

How do you?

00:41:58 Divya

I don't I don't know I.

00:41:59 Divya

Think I'm good?

00:42:00 Dilip

Good, good question.

00:42:01 Dilip

No, that's that's a that's a really valid question, and every conventional business we know that there is going to be an investment, but.

00:42:08 Dilip

When it comes to the digital world.

00:42:10 Dilip

You know everybody.

00:42:11 Dilip

People think that this is something where I can start.

00:42:14 Dilip

A business with.

00:42:15 Dilip

Zero investment, and that's not how it works and there has to be.

00:42:19 Dilip

The only thing is, at the minimum, the investment might be less in comparison to what you will do in a conventional business, but that's something that people haven't really understood or.

00:42:30 Dilip

No, accept it.

00:42:34 Dilip

Right, so how did this amplify her feature happen?

00:42:38 Divya

Ah, so they had this.

00:42:41 Divya

They had only platform or submission.

00:42:45 Divya

But then you could apply to them for being for being selected in that category.

00:42:51 Divya

And I did apply.

00:42:52 Divya

And after a few months it happened and.

00:42:56 Divya

I was happy and I'm still happy about it.

00:42:58 Divya

So happy to be validated.

00:43:00 Dilip

Right, no it it it.

00:43:02 Dilip

It really is it?

00:43:03 Dilip

When you are appreciated for the efforts that you're putting in, I think it yeah, you feel really good about.

00:43:11 Dilip

Right, so one last question that I have for you Divya.

00:43:15 Dilip

Now assuming that you have to start all over again today.

00:43:20 Dilip

What are two things that you think you need to that should be number one and two priority on your list to get started with your podcast?

00:43:33 Divya

Let me think.

00:43:35 Divya

As much as I.

00:43:36 Divya

Know that you couldn't be perfect with anything you start with.

00:43:42 Divya

Uhm, the one.

00:43:45 Divya

Thing that if I.

00:43:46 Divya

Start a broadcast now would be.

00:43:49 Divya

Then I bifurcate my content won't have everything in one podcast is one thing that I'm learning on the go because my niche is.

00:43:59 Divya

Very restricted yet vast, it can cover so many aspects and sometimes it does get confusing.

00:44:06 Divya

So that is one thing.

00:44:07 Divya

So no your niche.

00:44:09 Divya

I know how you can bifurcate your niche into even smaller niche which pertains to 1 audience that stays.

00:44:18 Divya

And then that kind of you know when it makes that impact, they tell somebody they tell somebody else.

00:44:25 Divya

And that's how.

00:44:25 Divya

It can grow.

00:44:28 Divya

Another thing would be if I start a podcast now, I would plan based on a lot of other parameters.

00:44:36 Divya

For example, keywords that I've been doing, but I do it on and off.

00:44:40 Divya

And fortunately, the podcast is, since it's a health podcast, more or less, it is always relevant.

00:44:47 Divya

But having those pointers in mind the important days.

00:44:53 Divya

Yeah, the keyword, the research a bit more probably there is no end to it, but still a lot more and a lot bigger size of the.

00:45:04 Divya

Prerecorded content or plant container?

00:45:07 Divya

Bigger size, definitely, so those would be the two things that if I start all over again now I would keep in mind.

00:45:16 Dilip

Wonderful, yeah.

00:45:17 Dilip

And your first point on the niche.

00:45:19 Dilip

I think yeah it it.

00:45:21 Dilip

And you know, like what a lot of the marketers say that if you're targeting, if you're trying to target everybody, you're trying, you're targeting nobody.

00:45:28 Dilip

So that is something that I've seen a lot of podcasts doing where and it's a.

00:45:35 Dilip

You know you you have that feeling.

00:45:38 Dilip

You think that if I am targeting a broader audience, I will have a lot of downloads.

00:45:43 Dilip

I will have a lot of listens, but actually while you might see that those numbers out there, it doesn't necessarily mean that there are people who are interested in what you are trying to say, so.

00:45:56 Dilip

But if you focus on that news like what you say parenting is something that is getting you the downloads.

00:46:00 Dilip

But when you talk about your pregnancy, the number of downloads might not be as high, but then there is an audience who is actually interested in what you're saying, and it kind of helps you build your authority.

00:46:12 Divya

Right?

00:46:12 Divya

Yeah, yeah.

00:46:14 Dilip

Yes, that's a very good valid point.

00:46:17 Dilip

OK, so thanks Sylvia.

00:46:20 Dilip

Thanks a lot for joining me on the show and sharing all of these interesting tips.

00:46:25 Dilip

Your journey because there is a lot that new podcasters can learn from how you've taken this your.

00:46:35 Dilip

As in how your journey with podcasting has been.

00:46:37 Dilip

You're so passionate.

00:46:39 Dilip

You can hear that in in your voice and you know your topic is also something that.

00:46:45 Dilip

You know a social topic where which I think is required today, and considering that it is in the audio format, it's easy to consume.

00:46:56 Dilip

So I think you're doing a great job there.

00:46:58 Dilip

Thanks a lot for coming on the show and sharing all of these tips.

00:47:01 Divya

Thank you so much for having me.

00:47:03 Divya

This would be, I think my second podcast that I'm a guest on.

00:47:08 Divya

So really excited and thank you.

00:47:11 Divya

Thank you so much.

00:47:12 Divya

It was a wonderful experience being with you, yeah.

00:47:17 Dilip

Thanks Sam Sylvia, you have a wonderful.

00:47:20 Dilip

Rest of the day.

00:47:21 Divya

Thank you, thank you so much, bye.

00:47:24 Dilip

I hope you enjoyed this episode of the Broadcasting University.

00:47:29 Dilip

If you did, then you might want to visit the podcasting university.com for the show notes and a printable transcript for this episode.

00:47:38 Dilip

You will also find all of the resources that we spoke about and that I use in podcasting in the show notes.

00:47:44 Dilip

There if you like this episode, then I'm sure you will love some of the earlier conversations that I've had with some of the earlier guests who came on the podcasting university.

00:47:53 Dilip

You will be able to find all of that on the podcasting university.com, so do give it a listen and don't forget to subscribe to the show so that you are updated about the latest episodes that I release.

00:48:04 Dilip

The podcasting university is available on pretty much all podcasting.

00:48:08 Dilip

Platforms including Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, Spreaker, Amazon Prime Music, Geosa in Ghana and Hub Hopper as well.

00:48:20 Dilip

Pick your favorite platform and give it a listen there and don't forget to tell me your comments and feedback by posting them.

00:48:28 Dilip

On the podcasting university com that is all that I have for this episode.

00:48:33 Dilip

I'll be back again the next week with another interesting conversation.

00:48:36 Dilip

Until then, keep listening to the podcasting university and you all have a wonderful rest of the week.

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Attempt comedic banter and enjoy friendship, fire, breathing kittens, podcast, fantasy, action, mystery, friendship.