June 19, 2023 • 15 mins
Listen to this episode of “Podversations” with iHeartPodcasts President, Will Pearson, and Jemma Sbeg, host of the podcast, “The Psychology of Your 20s”. Jemma is a Psychology graduate and mental health advocate from Sydney, Australia. Now, she is bringing what she has learned to you in an approachable and accessible way! Your 20s are a decade full of lessons, opportunities, challenges and growth, tune in to uncover how psychology can guide you through the ups and downs of your 20s. If you want to learn how to navigate experiences like breakups, changing careers, taking risks, friendships, and so much more be sure to tune in!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
iHeartRadio presents Conversations, a weekly discussion with the biggest names
and influencers in podcasting. I want to learn the secret
psycho rituals scrubstars Zach Braff and Donald Beson used before
Every Fake Doctor's Real Friends taping how Vice News parachutes
into war zones to rescue journalists from life threatening situations.
For why Kegan, Michael Key, and Blumhouse believe three D
(00:27):
audio is the future of storytelling. Whether you're a newbie
trying to break into the podcast game or an exec
trying to refine your playbook, Conversations is the easiest way
to keep your pulse on the industry.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Hello and welcome to another conversation as part of our
iHeart podcast Speaker series. I'm Will Pearson, President of iHeart Podcasts.
Every week we like to get together with one of
our favorite creators, podcasters, producers and talk about what's going
on with a new show, with an existing show, and
what's going on in the industry. And I'm really excited
about today's conversation. Our guest is coming all the way
(01:07):
from Sydney, Australia today, so this is a first for us.
I think maybe the longest distance Conversation. We've had super
excited about this, As I think many of you know,
we have had a huge push, a very real focus
on mental health in podcasting and really trying to bring
on podcasts that helps serve the needs and give tools
to all different audiences. As we think about the different
(01:28):
kinds of shows that we want to launch and bring
into the network, today's conversation is about a show that
actually launched and existed before coming onto the iHeart Podcast network,
and we were so impressed with the work that this
creator was doing that we knew we had to bring
it on board and find a way to help the
show continue to grow. Created by none other than Jemis Beck,
(01:48):
who is a psychology graduate mental health advocate living in Sydney, Australia.
In twenty twenty one launched this podcast called The Psychology
of Your Twenties. It's a phenomenal podcast that helps focus
on so many different topics that are relevant to those
in their twenties, everything from imposter syndrome to the myth
of the dream job, to friendship breakups, you name it.
(02:10):
If it's relevant to that audience, it will be discussed
in this podcast. But Jemma thanks and welcome and thanks
for spending some time with.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Us, no worries at all. Thanks Will for the lovely
introduction as well. I can't believe I'm the longest distance
conversation you've ever had, all the way from tropical Australia, So.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
I mean, yeah, it's hard to get a whole up further.
We haven't had an astronom, so we'll see if we can.
But it's lovely to chat with you. Super excited about
this podcast. I want to go back to the beginning
if you don't mind, Gemma, and just hear a little
bit about how you decided to start this podcast, a
little bit about your background. Do you mind jumping in
from there and just sort of telling us how this
all came about.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Yeah, absolutely, so I started it back in twenty twenty one.
I was still at university at the time, and I
was having all of these incredible conversations with my friends,
all of us in our twenties, going through a variety
of different experience and events, and as you do, you
sit down with your girlfriends and you have a bit
of a rant about someone who's broken your heart, or
(03:08):
how you're super stressed about graduate jobs, even things from
like your childhood that you're really only coming to terms with.
And what I found was there was all of this theory.
I was learning all of this literature that could really
explain exactly what we were going through, and it was
so applicable. But because it was so wrapped up in
academic jargon and not very accessible to people who weren't
(03:31):
studying psychology, it really wasn't getting applied. And that's where
kind of the idea for the show came from. I
was like, the psychology of your twenties, how come no
one's done this before? And then I was like, oh wait,
I probably need to do this, Like this is probably
what I need to do. So it had very humble beginnings.
I will say that if you go back and listen
to some of the old episodes, you can tell that
(03:51):
I'm like recording in the back of my car. I
have like my best friends on, and now I'm obviously
having you know, very well known people come on as guests.
But I love to remember the time when it was
really just a hobby and before it kind of took off.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
I think that there's actually something really lovely about that,
and there's a charm to great podcasts because even as
the podcast has matured and sort of developed and has
become more polished in its presentation, you know, I think
a great podcast that its core still maintains that element
of I don't know, it doesn't feel too polished. You know,
(04:24):
at some level you really want it to feel like
a real conversation and like a conversation that you're able
to sit in on, even if it's between two other people.
Do you think about that as the podcast grows, Like,
I'm guessing you don't want it to be, you know,
too fine tuned or too polished.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
What are your thoughts on that?
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Well, I feel like you just peeled inside my head
and looked at my biggest insecurity right now.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
Really, Oh my goodness.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Well, I think it's one of those things. As you
put more effort into it, as you get better equipment,
as you have more opportunities, it does get better. But
sometimes I worry that it will lose its authenticity. I
don't think that's ever going to happen, because it is
really the stuff that's going on in my life, and
I think that's like the secret ingredient. But sometimes I
do worry. I'm like, oh, you know, this is what
(05:08):
I'm going through right now, But now I have all
of these listeners. What if they're not going through this
as well and they don't want to listen to it?
And then I always taught myself and I'm like, no, no,
like this is ridiculous. This is what I've been doing
for this whole time, and every time I've had that fear,
the episode has ended up being one of the best
ones that I've ever done, because I think it's tapping
into vulnerability. Right when you're most vulnerable about something, that's
(05:30):
when people can feel they most relate. So, yeah, but
it is a good question. Sometimes I do worry about that,
but so far it hasn't happened.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
You haven't lost it at all. No, and not in
that sense.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
There's actually something really interesting I think about podcasts that,
through their title or through their approach, maybe for a
specific audience, but can also feel very relatable to those
outside of that audience. You know, I mentioned at the
top here, we really try to create podcasts that are
not one size fits all. They think about different audiences.
You're probably familiar with this show Therapy for Black Girls
(06:01):
with Doctor Joyce. I love this a brilliant podcast, and
she does such a fabulous job, but you can still
relate to it if you're not necessarily a member of
the community that it's originally intended for.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
The same thing with your podcast, if you can't tell.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
I'm nowhere near my twenties, but I still find it
a very relatable and fantastic podcast. When you're creating the show,
are you thinking about the audience or are you thinking
more you know what, I'm going to talk about things
that feel relevant to me and my friends, and I
hope they just end up feeling relevant to others.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
Yeah, that's a really great question. I do think about
the audience, and I do take a lot of suggestions
as well. Like some of some of my favorite episodes
have come from suggestions from people. So like this week's
episode was perfectionism and academic anxiety. So one part of
that topic is not something that I'm dealing with any longer.
I'm not at union anymore, I'm not at college, but
(06:50):
I'm a big perfectionist. And the idea of academic anxiety
came from someone suggesting it on Instagram, and I was like, Okay, yeah,
I need to do this, because sometimes I do think
I can be too focused on the stage I'm in
my twenties right now, forgetting that there was this whole
period before this, and there will be this whole period
after this that doesn't really need to be accounted for,
but I should be thinking about. But I found it.
(07:13):
I can think about the audience, but sometimes I'm surprised
by who my audience is. I got a review the
other day and it was like, life in my forties,
not in my twenties. I'm obsessed with this podcast or
my favorite of dms from parents who were like, I
have someone in their twenty a daughter or a son
or a child in their twenties, and I don't know
what they're going through, so I've been listening to your
show to get a good grasp. That was especially the
(07:34):
response for the episode I did on The Complete Guide
to Therapy in Your twenties Right. A lot of parents
listened to that one and were like, oh, thank you,
Like I needed to know how to get my child
into this, so.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
Yeah, that's fantastic.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
We had sort of a funny moment related to another
podcast where my wife and I were talking to the
therapist for one of our kids and just doing sort
of a general catchup, and she made reference to a series.
She said, you know, if you want to peek into
the mind of a teenager, there's this great new series
that's put out by this brilliant professor at Yale, a
woman named doctor Laurie Santos. And I didn't reveal that,
(08:07):
you know, she's obviously one of our podcasters with the
Happiness Lab, and it's brilliant. But it is fun to
sort of listen and understand those kinds of things.
Speaker 4 (08:31):
I'm curious for you.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Have there been certain lessons or takeaways or themes of
episodes that for you more recently you've thought, oh, I'm
going to use that in my own life.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
I haven't thought of that before.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Great questions you've got going on here.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Actually, the beautiful thing about this job and this podcast
is that every week I get to learn something new.
A lot of it is prior knowledge that I have,
but I'd like to get different articles and different research
and really make sure that it's evidence based, because I
think there's a lot of help podcasts out there. It's
just opinions, which is still really valuable, but sometimes I
(09:04):
think we do need a bit more of that literature
to back it up. And it was on my episode
taking Risks in your twenties, And well, this was right
as I was making the decision to join iHeart and
to quit my full time job, and there was a
study to evade all these participants and they were faced
with a decision, and those who did not make that
decision experienced much more regret than those who did. So
(09:25):
it was this real motivator, being like, you are more
likely to regret a decision that you don't make than
one that you do, according to this research. And I
was like, all right, okay, I think the next day
I quit my job and I put in my four
week's notice, so and like, that might not be relatable
to everyone, but I do think that that study is
relatable to everyone. Everyone's yeah, there's risks inherent in life, right,
(09:46):
So right.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
We might not be suggesting everybody quit their day jobs
right now and started the podcast immediately, But yes, I
love the takeaway. And I was actually going to ask
you about that because obviously you did leave your job
to focus on this podcast. Now I think you were
smart enough to see this podcast to a certain level
of success, which, by the way, I don't know that
you even fully appreciate. I think I've mentioned this to
you before, how rare it is for an independent podcaster
(10:10):
to start a podcast and grow it on their own
to almost a million downloads a month. I mean, it's phenomenal.
It sort of speaks to the passion that you put
behind it and the need for it as well. Like
it truly is phenomenal. But that transition for you of
going from a day job to now focusing on this
full time, what has it been like since you've made
the decision.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
I don't think I do fully appreciate it, so I
feel awkward when people tell me I think the transition
I actually I My episode coming out this week is
on the transition, So I'm going to spoil it for
everyone listening to this a little sneak peek. But I
think it was both scary and incredibly fulfilling. I had
for a long time been a bit disillusioned in my
nine to five and I just wanted to make the
(10:49):
podcast twenty four to seven. And that sounds like a
good thing until you have limited hours in your day
and you're staying up till like twelve or one am
because you just like really want to get the epid out.
And I think it was a genuine love for the
content and it still is there. So that was like
kind of creating not a great work life balance. And
now I've actually eliminated the thing that was taking up
(11:10):
the most time, which was my job, and it's just
allowed for so much more creative freedom. It's allowed me
to really think more and dive deeper, to be able
to do more guest episodes because now my hours when
people would normally want to record a free I'm not
suggested to go out and quit your nine to five.
I put a lot in place to make sure that
I could do that, and it was a long term
(11:30):
goal that I was really like focused on and putting
in place, like certain things to make sure that this
would eventually be possible even if the podcast wasn't successful.
Speaker 4 (11:39):
So yeah, well that's a time exactly.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
So what's your take on podcasting as a medium to
accomplish what you're trying to accomplish? Like, what have you
found to be unique about podcasting as opposed to maybe
video only or as opposed to books or any other
medium that might be out there.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
I think that pog is like this weird intersection between
like music and video content. It's almost like having video content,
but you're not watching the video right, Like, it's just
that it doesn't have that visual stimulation. But I think
what that means is that you can carry it around
in your pocket, you don't have to be staring at
your screen. You can listen to it at work, you
can listen to it on a walk, you can listen
to it on the train whilst you're doing other things
(12:21):
without having to be visually engaged, but still mentally engaged.
And for my mission in particular, like I really want
to make the concepts of psychology more accessible and get
people thinking about their mental health in a different way
before it reaches a crisis point. That's like the best
medium for this. It's the best medium because it's almost
like therapy. It's talking therapy, but they're not really talking,
(12:42):
but it's like they're able to engage in this conversation
that either I'm having with someone else or that I'm
having with them, And I do try and make it
really personal so that every single person who's listening feels
like I'm not talking to this big amalgamation of people
I don't know, but I'm talking specifically to them in
those coversations that I'm having because that's how I make
(13:02):
the most impact. I think by making you feel part
of a community, but also that we're just sitting down
and having a chat. And the response I get from
that is so profound because the amount of comments and
dms I get of people being like, I can't afford
therapy right now, but I wanted to know and I
wanted to learn about these parts of myself. So thank
you for providing that to me or people who were
like I was in tears or this feels like having
(13:24):
a conversation with an older sister or with a therapist,
but it's just me and them. So I just think
that's the real power of audio. And since I was
a kid, also, like I've loved podcasts. My mom used
to play This American Life for me when I was
like three years old in the back of the Power,
So I think that that's always been the medium that
I've really related to the most. Is a bit of
a podcast stand from day Dot.
Speaker 4 (13:45):
Oh, I love hearing that. That's pretty terrific.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
Well, before I let you go, i'd love to hear
about your thoughts on the future of the show. You know,
you're obviously still just a couple of years into it,
not quite actually, and would love.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
To hear you know where you want it to go,
what you want to be doing with it, you know,
as you think down the line.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Honestly, I want to keep the main core of it
very much the same, like that authenticity, but I want
to expand the things on the outskirts, right, the things
that just add flavor to that authenticity. So bringing on
more guests, particularly those with really incredible stories. I would
love to do video content at some point, and also
just dive a bit more into like the therapy concepts
(14:21):
at some stage and maybe do a series on that
of understanding this condition or understanding this therapy method or
something like that, and just seeing what the future holds.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Yeah, I love it. It's off to a fantastic start. We
are thrilled to be partners with you and trying to
bring this to a broader audience. But for all those
watching listening, if you haven't already checked it out, The
Psychology of your Twenties, it's a fantastic podcast.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
I love what it brings into the space.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
And as Jemma mentioned before, there are so many people
looking for resources that they may not be able to
have access to. Otherwise, and also for those that do
have access to certain tools. There's always a desire for
more as we think about being able to better our
own mental health. But Gemma, thanks so much for spending
time with us today.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
You are so welcome. Well, thanks for your great questions.
I'm so excited to be with iHeart the most exciting
new chapter.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
So thank you, awesome, Thank you so much, and thanks
everybody for tuning in.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
We will see you again next week.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Conversations is a production of iHeartRadio. You can find more
from the biggest names in podcasting on the iHeartRadio app
or wherever you get your podcasts.
iHeartRadio presents Conversations, a weekly discussion with the biggest names
and influencers in podcasting. I want to learn the secret
psycho rituals scrubstars Zach Braff and Donald Beson used before
Every Fake Doctor's Real Friends taping how Vice News parachutes
into war zones to rescue journalists from life threatening situations.
For why Kegan, Michael Key, and Blumhouse believe three D
(00:27):
audio is the future of storytelling. Whether you're a newbie
trying to break into the podcast game or an exec
trying to refine your playbook, Conversations is the easiest way
to keep your pulse on the industry.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Hello and welcome to another conversation as part of our
iHeart podcast Speaker series. I'm Will Pearson, President of iHeart Podcasts.
Every week we like to get together with one of
our favorite creators, podcasters, producers and talk about what's going
on with a new show, with an existing show, and
what's going on in the industry. And I'm really excited
about today's conversation. Our guest is coming all the way
(01:07):
from Sydney, Australia today, so this is a first for us.
I think maybe the longest distance Conversation. We've had super
excited about this, As I think many of you know,
we have had a huge push, a very real focus
on mental health in podcasting and really trying to bring
on podcasts that helps serve the needs and give tools
to all different audiences. As we think about the different
(01:28):
kinds of shows that we want to launch and bring
into the network, today's conversation is about a show that
actually launched and existed before coming onto the iHeart Podcast network,
and we were so impressed with the work that this
creator was doing that we knew we had to bring
it on board and find a way to help the
show continue to grow. Created by none other than Jemis Beck,
(01:48):
who is a psychology graduate mental health advocate living in Sydney, Australia.
In twenty twenty one launched this podcast called The Psychology
of Your Twenties. It's a phenomenal podcast that helps focus
on so many different topics that are relevant to those
in their twenties, everything from imposter syndrome to the myth
of the dream job, to friendship breakups, you name it.
(02:10):
If it's relevant to that audience, it will be discussed
in this podcast. But Jemma thanks and welcome and thanks
for spending some time with.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Us, no worries at all. Thanks Will for the lovely
introduction as well. I can't believe I'm the longest distance
conversation you've ever had, all the way from tropical Australia, So.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
I mean, yeah, it's hard to get a whole up further.
We haven't had an astronom, so we'll see if we can.
But it's lovely to chat with you. Super excited about
this podcast. I want to go back to the beginning
if you don't mind, Gemma, and just hear a little
bit about how you decided to start this podcast, a
little bit about your background. Do you mind jumping in
from there and just sort of telling us how this
all came about.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Yeah, absolutely, so I started it back in twenty twenty one.
I was still at university at the time, and I
was having all of these incredible conversations with my friends,
all of us in our twenties, going through a variety
of different experience and events, and as you do, you
sit down with your girlfriends and you have a bit
of a rant about someone who's broken your heart, or
(03:08):
how you're super stressed about graduate jobs, even things from
like your childhood that you're really only coming to terms with.
And what I found was there was all of this theory.
I was learning all of this literature that could really
explain exactly what we were going through, and it was
so applicable. But because it was so wrapped up in
academic jargon and not very accessible to people who weren't
(03:31):
studying psychology, it really wasn't getting applied. And that's where
kind of the idea for the show came from. I
was like, the psychology of your twenties, how come no
one's done this before? And then I was like, oh wait,
I probably need to do this, Like this is probably
what I need to do. So it had very humble beginnings.
I will say that if you go back and listen
to some of the old episodes, you can tell that
(03:51):
I'm like recording in the back of my car. I
have like my best friends on, and now I'm obviously
having you know, very well known people come on as guests.
But I love to remember the time when it was
really just a hobby and before it kind of took off.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
I think that there's actually something really lovely about that,
and there's a charm to great podcasts because even as
the podcast has matured and sort of developed and has
become more polished in its presentation, you know, I think
a great podcast that its core still maintains that element
of I don't know, it doesn't feel too polished. You know,
(04:24):
at some level you really want it to feel like
a real conversation and like a conversation that you're able
to sit in on, even if it's between two other people.
Do you think about that as the podcast grows, Like,
I'm guessing you don't want it to be, you know,
too fine tuned or too polished.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
What are your thoughts on that?
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Well, I feel like you just peeled inside my head
and looked at my biggest insecurity right now.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
Really, Oh my goodness.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Well, I think it's one of those things. As you
put more effort into it, as you get better equipment,
as you have more opportunities, it does get better. But
sometimes I worry that it will lose its authenticity. I
don't think that's ever going to happen, because it is
really the stuff that's going on in my life, and
I think that's like the secret ingredient. But sometimes I
do worry. I'm like, oh, you know, this is what
(05:08):
I'm going through right now, But now I have all
of these listeners. What if they're not going through this
as well and they don't want to listen to it?
And then I always taught myself and I'm like, no, no,
like this is ridiculous. This is what I've been doing
for this whole time, and every time I've had that fear,
the episode has ended up being one of the best
ones that I've ever done, because I think it's tapping
into vulnerability. Right when you're most vulnerable about something, that's
(05:30):
when people can feel they most relate. So, yeah, but
it is a good question. Sometimes I do worry about that,
but so far it hasn't happened.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
You haven't lost it at all. No, and not in
that sense.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
There's actually something really interesting I think about podcasts that,
through their title or through their approach, maybe for a
specific audience, but can also feel very relatable to those
outside of that audience. You know, I mentioned at the
top here, we really try to create podcasts that are
not one size fits all. They think about different audiences.
You're probably familiar with this show Therapy for Black Girls
(06:01):
with Doctor Joyce. I love this a brilliant podcast, and
she does such a fabulous job, but you can still
relate to it if you're not necessarily a member of
the community that it's originally intended for.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
The same thing with your podcast, if you can't tell.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
I'm nowhere near my twenties, but I still find it
a very relatable and fantastic podcast. When you're creating the show,
are you thinking about the audience or are you thinking
more you know what, I'm going to talk about things
that feel relevant to me and my friends, and I
hope they just end up feeling relevant to others.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
Yeah, that's a really great question. I do think about
the audience, and I do take a lot of suggestions
as well. Like some of some of my favorite episodes
have come from suggestions from people. So like this week's
episode was perfectionism and academic anxiety. So one part of
that topic is not something that I'm dealing with any longer.
I'm not at union anymore, I'm not at college, but
(06:50):
I'm a big perfectionist. And the idea of academic anxiety
came from someone suggesting it on Instagram, and I was like, Okay, yeah,
I need to do this, because sometimes I do think
I can be too focused on the stage I'm in
my twenties right now, forgetting that there was this whole
period before this, and there will be this whole period
after this that doesn't really need to be accounted for,
but I should be thinking about. But I found it.
(07:13):
I can think about the audience, but sometimes I'm surprised
by who my audience is. I got a review the
other day and it was like, life in my forties,
not in my twenties. I'm obsessed with this podcast or
my favorite of dms from parents who were like, I
have someone in their twenty a daughter or a son
or a child in their twenties, and I don't know
what they're going through, so I've been listening to your
show to get a good grasp. That was especially the
(07:34):
response for the episode I did on The Complete Guide
to Therapy in Your twenties Right. A lot of parents
listened to that one and were like, oh, thank you,
Like I needed to know how to get my child
into this, so.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
Yeah, that's fantastic.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
We had sort of a funny moment related to another
podcast where my wife and I were talking to the
therapist for one of our kids and just doing sort
of a general catchup, and she made reference to a series.
She said, you know, if you want to peek into
the mind of a teenager, there's this great new series
that's put out by this brilliant professor at Yale, a
woman named doctor Laurie Santos. And I didn't reveal that,
(08:07):
you know, she's obviously one of our podcasters with the
Happiness Lab, and it's brilliant. But it is fun to
sort of listen and understand those kinds of things.
Speaker 4 (08:31):
I'm curious for you.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Have there been certain lessons or takeaways or themes of
episodes that for you more recently you've thought, oh, I'm
going to use that in my own life.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
I haven't thought of that before.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Great questions you've got going on here.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Actually, the beautiful thing about this job and this podcast
is that every week I get to learn something new.
A lot of it is prior knowledge that I have,
but I'd like to get different articles and different research
and really make sure that it's evidence based, because I
think there's a lot of help podcasts out there. It's
just opinions, which is still really valuable, but sometimes I
(09:04):
think we do need a bit more of that literature
to back it up. And it was on my episode
taking Risks in your twenties, And well, this was right
as I was making the decision to join iHeart and
to quit my full time job, and there was a
study to evade all these participants and they were faced
with a decision, and those who did not make that
decision experienced much more regret than those who did. So
(09:25):
it was this real motivator, being like, you are more
likely to regret a decision that you don't make than
one that you do, according to this research. And I
was like, all right, okay, I think the next day
I quit my job and I put in my four
week's notice, so and like, that might not be relatable
to everyone, but I do think that that study is
relatable to everyone. Everyone's yeah, there's risks inherent in life, right,
(09:46):
So right.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
We might not be suggesting everybody quit their day jobs
right now and started the podcast immediately, But yes, I
love the takeaway. And I was actually going to ask
you about that because obviously you did leave your job
to focus on this podcast. Now I think you were
smart enough to see this podcast to a certain level
of success, which, by the way, I don't know that
you even fully appreciate. I think I've mentioned this to
you before, how rare it is for an independent podcaster
(10:10):
to start a podcast and grow it on their own
to almost a million downloads a month. I mean, it's phenomenal.
It sort of speaks to the passion that you put
behind it and the need for it as well. Like
it truly is phenomenal. But that transition for you of
going from a day job to now focusing on this
full time, what has it been like since you've made
the decision.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
I don't think I do fully appreciate it, so I
feel awkward when people tell me I think the transition
I actually I My episode coming out this week is
on the transition, So I'm going to spoil it for
everyone listening to this a little sneak peek. But I
think it was both scary and incredibly fulfilling. I had
for a long time been a bit disillusioned in my
nine to five and I just wanted to make the
(10:49):
podcast twenty four to seven. And that sounds like a
good thing until you have limited hours in your day
and you're staying up till like twelve or one am
because you just like really want to get the epid out.
And I think it was a genuine love for the
content and it still is there. So that was like
kind of creating not a great work life balance. And
now I've actually eliminated the thing that was taking up
(11:10):
the most time, which was my job, and it's just
allowed for so much more creative freedom. It's allowed me
to really think more and dive deeper, to be able
to do more guest episodes because now my hours when
people would normally want to record a free I'm not
suggested to go out and quit your nine to five.
I put a lot in place to make sure that
I could do that, and it was a long term
(11:30):
goal that I was really like focused on and putting
in place, like certain things to make sure that this
would eventually be possible even if the podcast wasn't successful.
Speaker 4 (11:39):
So yeah, well that's a time exactly.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
So what's your take on podcasting as a medium to
accomplish what you're trying to accomplish? Like, what have you
found to be unique about podcasting as opposed to maybe
video only or as opposed to books or any other
medium that might be out there.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
I think that pog is like this weird intersection between
like music and video content. It's almost like having video content,
but you're not watching the video right, Like, it's just
that it doesn't have that visual stimulation. But I think
what that means is that you can carry it around
in your pocket, you don't have to be staring at
your screen. You can listen to it at work, you
can listen to it on a walk, you can listen
to it on the train whilst you're doing other things
(12:21):
without having to be visually engaged, but still mentally engaged.
And for my mission in particular, like I really want
to make the concepts of psychology more accessible and get
people thinking about their mental health in a different way
before it reaches a crisis point. That's like the best
medium for this. It's the best medium because it's almost
like therapy. It's talking therapy, but they're not really talking,
(12:42):
but it's like they're able to engage in this conversation
that either I'm having with someone else or that I'm
having with them, And I do try and make it
really personal so that every single person who's listening feels
like I'm not talking to this big amalgamation of people
I don't know, but I'm talking specifically to them in
those coversations that I'm having because that's how I make
(13:02):
the most impact. I think by making you feel part
of a community, but also that we're just sitting down
and having a chat. And the response I get from
that is so profound because the amount of comments and
dms I get of people being like, I can't afford
therapy right now, but I wanted to know and I
wanted to learn about these parts of myself. So thank
you for providing that to me or people who were
like I was in tears or this feels like having
(13:24):
a conversation with an older sister or with a therapist,
but it's just me and them. So I just think
that's the real power of audio. And since I was
a kid, also, like I've loved podcasts. My mom used
to play This American Life for me when I was
like three years old in the back of the Power,
So I think that that's always been the medium that
I've really related to the most. Is a bit of
a podcast stand from day Dot.
Speaker 4 (13:45):
Oh, I love hearing that. That's pretty terrific.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
Well, before I let you go, i'd love to hear
about your thoughts on the future of the show. You know,
you're obviously still just a couple of years into it,
not quite actually, and would love.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
To hear you know where you want it to go,
what you want to be doing with it, you know,
as you think down the line.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Honestly, I want to keep the main core of it
very much the same, like that authenticity, but I want
to expand the things on the outskirts, right, the things
that just add flavor to that authenticity. So bringing on
more guests, particularly those with really incredible stories. I would
love to do video content at some point, and also
just dive a bit more into like the therapy concepts
(14:21):
at some stage and maybe do a series on that
of understanding this condition or understanding this therapy method or
something like that, and just seeing what the future holds.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Yeah, I love it. It's off to a fantastic start. We
are thrilled to be partners with you and trying to
bring this to a broader audience. But for all those
watching listening, if you haven't already checked it out, The
Psychology of your Twenties, it's a fantastic podcast.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
I love what it brings into the space.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
And as Jemma mentioned before, there are so many people
looking for resources that they may not be able to
have access to. Otherwise, and also for those that do
have access to certain tools. There's always a desire for
more as we think about being able to better our
own mental health. But Gemma, thanks so much for spending
time with us today.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
You are so welcome. Well, thanks for your great questions.
I'm so excited to be with iHeart the most exciting
new chapter.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
So thank you, awesome, Thank you so much, and thanks
everybody for tuning in.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
We will see you again next week.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Conversations is a production of iHeartRadio. You can find more
from the biggest names in podcasting on the iHeartRadio app
or wherever you get your podcasts.
Host
Conal Byrne
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