August 19, 2025 • 20 mins
Have you ever wondered what really happens behind the mic of your favorite independent podcasts? The truth might surprise you.
Welcome to a rare, unfiltered glimpse behind the curtain of Thym 4 Tea with Mikita. In this intimate first episode of my mini-series, I'm spilling all the tea about what podcasting looks like when there's no production team, no fancy studio, and absolutely no playbook: just me, a microphone, and a mission.
From choosing themes based on what genuinely tugs at my heart rather than chasing trends, to the vulnerable moments of sitting with headphones on, wondering "Does anyone even care what I'm saying?" – this journey has been anything but smooth. I share the technical nightmares (yes, I once forgot to hit record after a brilliant 30-minute conversation), the emotional rollercoaster of almost quitting multiple times, and the unexpected joy of having strangers yell "Is it time for tea?" across a store.
The podcast world often glamorizes the process, but the reality involves constant learning curves, battling insecurities, and figuring out how to create quality content without formal training or experience. Yet within these challenges lies the true magic: hitting publish on something you almost talked yourself out of, then hearing from someone who needed exactly those words.
Whether you're considering starting your creative endeavor or simply curious about the person behind the mic you listen to, this raw conversation offers a refreshing dose of reality paired with genuine encouragement. Remember, you don't need perfection to begin – you just need to start. And when you feel like quitting, ask yourself why. The answer might just bring you back home to yourself.
#selfdevelopment #Wellness
#thym4teawithmikita #manifest #purposefulliving #liveunapplogectically #freedom #podcast #womeninpodcast #podcastlife #empoweringwomen
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Welcome back.
I am Makita and I just want tothank you for tuning in for Time
for Tea with Makita.
This is part of our mini series, so we're not going to be
diving into anything too deeptoday.
I just want to bring you withme behind the scenes, into the
heart of what this podcastreally is, what you didn't get
to hear or see and what no onetalks about when they say, hey,
(00:43):
just start a podcast, you can doit.
This is the first episode ofthe miniseries and I'm going to
be calling my truths.
I'm going to be giving you theunpolished, unfiltered look at
what it really means to createsomething that matters when you
don't have a team, a producer ora playbook.
So, as you know, I started Timefor Tea with Makita a couple
(01:05):
years ago and it has been anamazing journey.
But we're gonna start here,because there is no secret team
behind this show.
It's just me and my husband, whoI love so much because he does
not mind calling me out when Ineed it.
He challenges me when I get inmy own head and refuse to let me
hand in trash.
(01:25):
Now I can tell you, workingwith a spouse or family
sometimes can be different anddifficult, but for me sometimes
it is.
Sometimes it's stressfulbecause I don't always like when
he calls me out.
I don't always like when hedoesn't just agree with my
bullshit, but I love the factthat he does it.
(01:48):
It would not honor me in anyway if he just let me do crazy
stuff and didn't say anything.
I remember when I wanted toquit not once.
But there's been moments whenI'm like I think I'm going to be
done, I think this is going tobe it.
And he didn't tell me not to.
He just looked at me and he waslike, okay, but why?
(02:08):
And that question, that oneword, why pulled me back into
alignment each and every time?
Because sometimes we don't needsomeone to cheer us on, we
don't need someone to always sayyes, we need someone that holds
us accountable, someone thatreminds us what it is we're
doing, to make us own up to thetruth.
(02:32):
Examine why.
Why do you want to give up?
Why are you quitting?
I mean, if it's because youreally feel like you're done,
then that's fine, but for me itwas like you're right.
Why?
And that's why this podcastmeans so much to me, because it
has been this unexpected legacy,this labor of love and
(02:56):
sometimes a complete mystery.
So let's get into it.
All right, we're going to startwith, you know, building out
the theme.
So I'm going to take you behindthe scenes and give you a
little look at what it means forme when I am starting my first
process, because in each seasonI always think of a theme when
(03:16):
am I going with this thing?
Like, what do I want to hit?
Like, before I hit record, Iask myself one thing Even if I
don't necessarily have ablueprint or plan, I do know and
I have an idea of the theme,like when I did the letting go,
the being intentional, and I hadepisodes focused on what that
(03:36):
looked like, people that couldspeak to that and share their
experiences.
So I always ask myself whatseason of life am I in now?
Am I in a season or a chapter?
Because for me those are twodifferent things.
Right, you know, a chapter, youcan go through pretty quickly,
(03:57):
but a season, it lasts longer.
Because I don't choose topicsbased on what's trending.
I choose them based on what'strending.
I choose them based on what'stugging at me, what's in my
heart, what's in my soul, andsometimes, when I'm flipping
through magazines or reading abook, some things just jump out
at me like, oh, I could dig intothis topic.
Oh, my gosh, this book spoke tomy soul and it reminded me of
(04:22):
this.
And I take that and I startscribbling down little notes and
jotting down ideas.
And I even get to worksometimes and I bring those
topics up and I'm like talkingto my coworkers and I bring up
these random topics and I justwant to get a feel for what
people are thinking, where theyare at and what their thoughts
(04:44):
are.
And that helps me really createan episode and answer some of
the questions.
Because, even though somethingjumped out at me when I'm having
these conversations with realpeople in my life, I realized
that, yeah, they're thinkingabout that, but this is some of
the questions that they have.
This is what has been a strugglefor them and, honestly, those
(05:06):
are some of the realest times,because I'm just like girl, I am
there with you, I have no clue,I have no answers, but you know
what?
I have a voice.
So let's get it out there,let's pose the question, and
what I find in every time I aska question, I can create and
find that answer.
It ain't going to happenovernight, but in time,
(05:37):
eventually I find what it isI've been looking for.
So I have these.
I use the note app in my phoneand I use this like little
breadcrumbs.
I put down quotes and thoughtsand I ask myself questions too.
You know I try to chase thereal.
I try to be as real andauthentic and intentional each
and every time I choose a theme.
So moving on, so in step two, ifI am looking more for guests
(06:02):
and this season I really didn'tdo a lot of guests I really
focused on doing solo podcastsand speaking my own truth and
then sprinkling in some amazingpeople that you know had a story
to tell and that could sharethat impact of what it looked
like for them as they werebecoming and stepping into
purpose.
So this is kind of the hardpart that no one talks about.
(06:25):
Finding the right guest is notjust about someone with a big
platform.
For me, it's just about doesthis person have a story that
makes people feel less alone andmore seen?
I look for people who aren'tafraid to go there, to be
vulnerable.
To be honest, sometimes thatmeans cold pitching someone and
(06:46):
praying.
They say yes, and then I'lljust a random DM.
Hey, I'm Akita.
This is my podcast.
I would love to have you as aguest.
You want to sit down and talkfirst?
How do you want to go?
Sometimes I get random and I'vebeen lately.
I've been getting a lot ofrandom email pitches just saying
, hey, I have so-and-so, theywant to be a guest, or hey, I'm
(07:07):
looking to be on a podcast.
I've never been there before,but I got a story, I'm doing
something amazing and I want toshare what that looks and feels
like and I'm like sure, sure, Ibuilt this platform for people
who have something to say, soI'm definitely not going to say
no if I can be that platform forsomeone else.
(07:30):
So very, very rarely will Iever say no to anyone who wants
to be on my show as a guest.
So if you listen to this andyou got a story, you have
something that you just want toshare with the world and it's
safe and, of course, you knowit's not about has to be
(07:51):
respectful of other people, butI'm always open to share a story
, so it has to be a conversationthat matters to the person who
needs to hear it the most.
It's about does your story haveimpact?
(08:11):
Has it impacted your life andcan you tell and share that
story in a way that is true towho you are?
Because I don't want you tomake it up, I don't want you to
just get on and just say somestuff.
It has to come from your heart,from your soul, and what you
learned about you and how youtook in that and shared it with
the world.
Um, and you don't necessarilyhave to.
(08:33):
I've had a lot of guests who'snever been on a podcast before
and I've been there first place,which has been honestly amazing
, like to be someone's steppingstone and to their purpose.
You can't get no better thanthat.
That's amazing.
So I love finding the guestsand connecting with them.
(08:54):
The second part is sometimesthere's a lot of insecurity.
So, listen, there are nights Isit with my mic in front of me,
headphones on, and I still thinkdoes this sound good?
Did I say too much?
Did I overshare?
Oh my gosh, do I really wantpeople to know this about me?
Well, anyone didn't care aboutwhat I'm saying and yet, every
(09:16):
single time, I think about theseinsecurities.
You know these false realitiesthat are not even my truth.
You know these false realitiesthat are not even my truth.
Um, I remind myself to stop andjust say hey, you got this.
And each and every time I feellike I've had moments when I'm
(09:39):
like what are you doing?
Are you sure this is?
You know, are you making animpact?
You know there are.
I will run into someone I'm notgoing to lie Like I run into
someone who will say hey, Ilistened to your podcast
recently and I needed that.
And I'm like, oh my gosh, likesomeone stopping me to say they
(10:01):
listened to my podcast.
Or walking in a store andsomeone hollering out hey, is it
time for tea?
Like I can't tell you what thatdoes to me, for me, and it's a
humbling experience.
It's not like my head getssuper big and I'm like yeah, no,
it's just like this deep momentof gratitude, of thankfulness,
(10:21):
of just reminding myself that,even when I feel like it's heavy
and I don't know if I'm reallyshowing up and making an impact,
that I truly am.
So if you see me and you say,hey, is it time for tea, don't
worry, I'm gonna say it's alwaystime for tea, of course.
It's never a dull moment here,all right.
And I think one thing peopledon't know about me is that I am
(10:44):
pretty quirky and a littlegoofy.
I love to laugh and have fun.
So, with that being said, thesemoments remind me that I'm not
just talking into a void.
This is a platform that givesme an opportunity to just be me.
(11:04):
Now, the last thing we get tostep four here.
Well, it's not the last, but instep four.
So we talked about finding atheme, finding a guest, some of
the insecurities that pop upwhen I'm recording or right
before I record, even after Ihit, like you know, the button
to, you know, publish.
(11:24):
You know those insecurities aresometimes just crazy.
But then we got to get to thesetup.
So step four is the setup.
We move.
So this year, honestly, we moved.
So when I'm talking about setup, I'm talking about having my
equipment in the right space tocreate the right sound.
So, so, as I said, we movedthis year.
(11:47):
I think I'd even did an episodewhere I mentioned it, talking
about moving, getting a cat, allthis stuff.
So my studio space is a lotbigger.
I had like this tiny, likesmall, like shoebox room before,
which was actually greatbecause it was cozy, it was
great for sound, it was cozy, itwas great for sound.
(12:09):
Now I have this bigger space,um, and it was a challenge and I
still think I'm still trying tofigure out my sound.
I have moved everything aroundin here like three different
times trying to make sure I'm inthe right space, cause, like I
said, my husband don't mindtelling me that my audio sounds
like crap and he'll tell me sojust creating and finding the
right sound, um, and evensometimes, especially in the
(12:32):
beginning, during differentplatforms, from using Descript
to Audacity to Hindenburg,recordings directly onto Tascam,
like I'm, I play with a lot ofdifferent things, and then also
using Riverside if I'm doinginterviews or going with Zoom.
I have done it all.
When it comes to setup, however, especially setup for recording
(12:56):
.
However, I will say, for me,zoom is not always perfect, but
it has been the best platform Ilike.
If I'm going to do a solo formyself, I like to use Riverside.
As far as sound goes, myhusband does not complain as
much.
I love to use.
I still use Descript for a lotof things.
(13:18):
I don't, you know, directlyrecord into it, but I love to
play with it.
I'm not going to say, um, I amthat good at using Descript.
It's a learning curve and Idon't know about you, but I get
frustrated learning stuff and Ijust want to know it right then.
And there I do not like theidea of having to learn what I'm
(13:43):
trying to record.
So it's not a bad platform.
Like I say, I use it.
I still use it.
I just don't do my recording init.
I do a lot of uploading and Iuse it to create my soundbites
and all of that fun stuff.
So I kind of use a differentthing, a lot of different things
, and I still use Audacity aswell.
(14:04):
Like when I first started, Iwas using Cakewalk and that's
when they actually had theprogram you could load on your
desktop.
They don't have that anymore,which sucks, but they do have
GarageBand.
But anyway, set up for sound,that's what we're talking about.
Um, because I have this biggerroom, it came with a lot of
echoes and the sound qualitystarted to shift.
(14:27):
I had a lot of technicalhiccups, I think.
Even, like I did my firstrecording, I had a guest and it
was so crazy because I forgot tomake sure that my Zoom was set
up correctly and it was all onlike one and I had previously
set it up to, like, recorddifferent tracks.
It was just a disaster.
(14:48):
Um, I even had times where Ihad to stop and ask people can
we go off camera?
And that's the things peopledon't see.
Like when you're in the processof recording, what you don't
see is that Zoom has stopped,people have been kicked off of
the Zoom and we've lost eachother.
(15:08):
We have to log back on, try topick up where we left off and,
you know, get back into thatsame mindset of that
conversation to make it flow andbe the same.
So like.
It's sometimes completely crazyand I remember one time when I
had first started, I forgot toeven hit record.
(15:30):
I had talked to someone for 30minutes and looked down and
realized I had never hit recordand we had to stop and start
over.
And I'm just like, oh my gosh,but talking to other people in
podcasting has really justopened my eyes up that I'm not
the only one.
There are going to be some techdifficulties, we are going to
(15:52):
have some issues, but there'salways a way to fix it.
It is not the end of the worldand I think the most important
thing when we're talking aboutbehind the scenes is that.
You know, when I first started,I was not that assertive,
because this is your platform.
You have to own it fully.
(16:13):
You have to be able to tellpeople stop, we can't, let's
take this out.
I'm going to stop right here.
We need to do this and justlike having that flow because
you are controlling the flow,and I am one of those people
that I just want smooth sailing,I don't want to hurt people
feeling.
So there are there are a lot ofthings that I had to like get
(16:36):
over in my head to show up.
And when we're talking aboutsetting up that sound and
creating you know what you wantfrom that.
You have to make sure that youdo a test with your people and
sometimes, when you test andit's so crazy because there've
been times, especially gettingon people can't even get on.
They're like I got this recentthe link.
(16:57):
We got a long out, long back.
Well, I'm telling you,sometimes it is crazy but it's
still fun.
Even with all of that, don'tlet it scare you.
If you're thinking aboutpodcasting, just know that it's
not going to be perfect.
Some days are messy, but it'salso magic, because this space
grows on you and it grows withyou.
All right, so, moving on fromthis setup and finding your
(17:22):
sound and creating the rightsound that you want for yourself
is also the final step, themost important step, which is
step five, the reward.
And here's what no one tellsyou.
The reward isn't therecognition, it's hitting
publish on something you almosttalked yourself out of.
It's re-listening to your ownwords and hearing your strength.
(17:45):
It's knowing someone somewherejust took a deep breath.
They didn't know they neededbecause you said something they
were, they've been feeling andthinking about.
And that's the win.
That's why I keep going,because of all of you amazing
people that remind me every day,whether you see me out on the
street, whether you send me a DM, like you're saying, hey,
thanks for sharing that itmattered so.
(18:08):
So, yeah, it is just me.
There is no production team.
There is no one telling me whatto do or how to do it.
It's me trying to figure it allout on my own, all of my
mistakes, and for that it's mademe a stronger person.
My husband has been amazing tohave him, you know, do the
production and clean up my messyvocals sometimes and call me
(18:31):
out and hold me accountable andjust be there and allow me to
give myself permission to takethis next chapter anywhere I
want.
And no, I didn't go to schoolfor this.
I'm not backed by a studio andI didn't have any experience.
I'm a woman with a mic and amission and I'm just getting
(18:55):
started.
So if you're listening to thisand you're thinking of starting
something whether it's a podcast, a book, a brand, a chapter of
your life this is your sign.
Don't wait for perfect, juststart your life.
This is your sign.
Don't wait for perfect, juststart.
If you are already started butyou feel like quitting, ask
yourself why.
Your answer might just bringyou back home to yourself.
(19:16):
So I hope this episode and thisbehind the scenes look at what
it's like and what you don't seeduring the recording and
setting up of all this stuff.
I hope it's been fun for you.
I hope sometimes that you'velaughed at some of the craziness
, because sometimes it is crazy,sometimes it's frustrating, but
I wouldn't trade it foranything in the world, even
(19:39):
those times when I'm like, whatam I doing?
This has been amazing for me.
All right, you guys.
That is all the tea that I haveto spill in this mini series,
but we have two more episodes ofthe mini series coming your way
soon, so don't forget to tunein for more delicious hot tea
until next time, my friendsNamaste.
Welcome back.
I am Makita and I just want tothank you for tuning in for Time
for Tea with Makita.
This is part of our mini series, so we're not going to be
diving into anything too deeptoday.
I just want to bring you withme behind the scenes, into the
heart of what this podcastreally is, what you didn't get
to hear or see and what no onetalks about when they say, hey,
(00:43):
just start a podcast, you can doit.
This is the first episode ofthe miniseries and I'm going to
be calling my truths.
I'm going to be giving you theunpolished, unfiltered look at
what it really means to createsomething that matters when you
don't have a team, a producer ora playbook.
So, as you know, I started Timefor Tea with Makita a couple
(01:05):
years ago and it has been anamazing journey.
But we're gonna start here,because there is no secret team
behind this show.
It's just me and my husband, whoI love so much because he does
not mind calling me out when Ineed it.
He challenges me when I get inmy own head and refuse to let me
hand in trash.
(01:25):
Now I can tell you, workingwith a spouse or family
sometimes can be different anddifficult, but for me sometimes
it is.
Sometimes it's stressfulbecause I don't always like when
he calls me out.
I don't always like when hedoesn't just agree with my
bullshit, but I love the factthat he does it.
(01:48):
It would not honor me in anyway if he just let me do crazy
stuff and didn't say anything.
I remember when I wanted toquit not once.
But there's been moments whenI'm like I think I'm going to be
done, I think this is going tobe it.
And he didn't tell me not to.
He just looked at me and he waslike, okay, but why?
(02:08):
And that question, that oneword, why pulled me back into
alignment each and every time?
Because sometimes we don't needsomeone to cheer us on, we
don't need someone to always sayyes, we need someone that holds
us accountable, someone thatreminds us what it is we're
doing, to make us own up to thetruth.
(02:32):
Examine why.
Why do you want to give up?
Why are you quitting?
I mean, if it's because youreally feel like you're done,
then that's fine, but for me itwas like you're right.
Why?
And that's why this podcastmeans so much to me, because it
has been this unexpected legacy,this labor of love and
(02:56):
sometimes a complete mystery.
So let's get into it.
All right, we're going to startwith, you know, building out
the theme.
So I'm going to take you behindthe scenes and give you a
little look at what it means forme when I am starting my first
process, because in each seasonI always think of a theme when
(03:16):
am I going with this thing?
Like, what do I want to hit?
Like, before I hit record, Iask myself one thing Even if I
don't necessarily have ablueprint or plan, I do know and
I have an idea of the theme,like when I did the letting go,
the being intentional, and I hadepisodes focused on what that
(03:36):
looked like, people that couldspeak to that and share their
experiences.
So I always ask myself whatseason of life am I in now?
Am I in a season or a chapter?
Because for me those are twodifferent things.
Right, you know, a chapter, youcan go through pretty quickly,
(03:57):
but a season, it lasts longer.
Because I don't choose topicsbased on what's trending.
I choose them based on what'strending.
I choose them based on what'stugging at me, what's in my
heart, what's in my soul, andsometimes, when I'm flipping
through magazines or reading abook, some things just jump out
at me like, oh, I could dig intothis topic.
Oh, my gosh, this book spoke tomy soul and it reminded me of
(04:22):
this.
And I take that and I startscribbling down little notes and
jotting down ideas.
And I even get to worksometimes and I bring those
topics up and I'm like talkingto my coworkers and I bring up
these random topics and I justwant to get a feel for what
people are thinking, where theyare at and what their thoughts
(04:44):
are.
And that helps me really createan episode and answer some of
the questions.
Because, even though somethingjumped out at me when I'm having
these conversations with realpeople in my life, I realized
that, yeah, they're thinkingabout that, but this is some of
the questions that they have.
This is what has been a strugglefor them and, honestly, those
(05:06):
are some of the realest times,because I'm just like girl, I am
there with you, I have no clue,I have no answers, but you know
what?
I have a voice.
So let's get it out there,let's pose the question, and
what I find in every time I aska question, I can create and
find that answer.
It ain't going to happenovernight, but in time,
(05:37):
eventually I find what it isI've been looking for.
So I have these.
I use the note app in my phoneand I use this like little
breadcrumbs.
I put down quotes and thoughtsand I ask myself questions too.
You know I try to chase thereal.
I try to be as real andauthentic and intentional each
and every time I choose a theme.
So moving on, so in step two, ifI am looking more for guests
(06:02):
and this season I really didn'tdo a lot of guests I really
focused on doing solo podcastsand speaking my own truth and
then sprinkling in some amazingpeople that you know had a story
to tell and that could sharethat impact of what it looked
like for them as they werebecoming and stepping into
purpose.
So this is kind of the hardpart that no one talks about.
(06:25):
Finding the right guest is notjust about someone with a big
platform.
For me, it's just about doesthis person have a story that
makes people feel less alone andmore seen?
I look for people who aren'tafraid to go there, to be
vulnerable.
To be honest, sometimes thatmeans cold pitching someone and
(06:46):
praying.
They say yes, and then I'lljust a random DM.
Hey, I'm Akita.
This is my podcast.
I would love to have you as aguest.
You want to sit down and talkfirst?
How do you want to go?
Sometimes I get random and I'vebeen lately.
I've been getting a lot ofrandom email pitches just saying
, hey, I have so-and-so, theywant to be a guest, or hey, I'm
(07:07):
looking to be on a podcast.
I've never been there before,but I got a story, I'm doing
something amazing and I want toshare what that looks and feels
like and I'm like sure, sure, Ibuilt this platform for people
who have something to say, soI'm definitely not going to say
no if I can be that platform forsomeone else.
(07:30):
So very, very rarely will Iever say no to anyone who wants
to be on my show as a guest.
So if you listen to this andyou got a story, you have
something that you just want toshare with the world and it's
safe and, of course, you knowit's not about has to be
(07:51):
respectful of other people, butI'm always open to share a story
, so it has to be a conversationthat matters to the person who
needs to hear it the most.
It's about does your story haveimpact?
(08:11):
Has it impacted your life andcan you tell and share that
story in a way that is true towho you are?
Because I don't want you tomake it up, I don't want you to
just get on and just say somestuff.
It has to come from your heart,from your soul, and what you
learned about you and how youtook in that and shared it with
the world.
Um, and you don't necessarilyhave to.
(08:33):
I've had a lot of guests who'snever been on a podcast before
and I've been there first place,which has been honestly amazing
, like to be someone's steppingstone and to their purpose.
You can't get no better thanthat.
That's amazing.
So I love finding the guestsand connecting with them.
(08:54):
The second part is sometimesthere's a lot of insecurity.
So, listen, there are nights Isit with my mic in front of me,
headphones on, and I still thinkdoes this sound good?
Did I say too much?
Did I overshare?
Oh my gosh, do I really wantpeople to know this about me?
Well, anyone didn't care aboutwhat I'm saying and yet, every
(09:16):
single time, I think about theseinsecurities.
You know these false realitiesthat are not even my truth.
You know these false realitiesthat are not even my truth.
Um, I remind myself to stop andjust say hey, you got this.
And each and every time I feellike I've had moments when I'm
(09:39):
like what are you doing?
Are you sure this is?
You know, are you making animpact?
You know there are.
I will run into someone I'm notgoing to lie Like I run into
someone who will say hey, Ilistened to your podcast
recently and I needed that.
And I'm like, oh my gosh, likesomeone stopping me to say they
(10:01):
listened to my podcast.
Or walking in a store andsomeone hollering out hey, is it
time for tea?
Like I can't tell you what thatdoes to me, for me, and it's a
humbling experience.
It's not like my head getssuper big and I'm like yeah, no,
it's just like this deep momentof gratitude, of thankfulness,
(10:21):
of just reminding myself that,even when I feel like it's heavy
and I don't know if I'm reallyshowing up and making an impact,
that I truly am.
So if you see me and you say,hey, is it time for tea, don't
worry, I'm gonna say it's alwaystime for tea, of course.
It's never a dull moment here,all right.
And I think one thing peopledon't know about me is that I am
(10:44):
pretty quirky and a littlegoofy.
I love to laugh and have fun.
So, with that being said, thesemoments remind me that I'm not
just talking into a void.
This is a platform that givesme an opportunity to just be me.
(11:04):
Now, the last thing we get tostep four here.
Well, it's not the last, but instep four.
So we talked about finding atheme, finding a guest, some of
the insecurities that pop upwhen I'm recording or right
before I record, even after Ihit, like you know, the button
to, you know, publish.
(11:24):
You know those insecurities aresometimes just crazy.
But then we got to get to thesetup.
So step four is the setup.
We move.
So this year, honestly, we moved.
So when I'm talking about setup, I'm talking about having my
equipment in the right space tocreate the right sound.
So, so, as I said, we movedthis year.
(11:47):
I think I'd even did an episodewhere I mentioned it, talking
about moving, getting a cat, allthis stuff.
So my studio space is a lotbigger.
I had like this tiny, likesmall, like shoebox room before,
which was actually greatbecause it was cozy, it was
great for sound, it was cozy, itwas great for sound.
(12:09):
Now I have this bigger space,um, and it was a challenge and I
still think I'm still trying tofigure out my sound.
I have moved everything aroundin here like three different
times trying to make sure I'm inthe right space, cause, like I
said, my husband don't mindtelling me that my audio sounds
like crap and he'll tell me sojust creating and finding the
right sound, um, and evensometimes, especially in the
(12:32):
beginning, during differentplatforms, from using Descript
to Audacity to Hindenburg,recordings directly onto Tascam,
like I'm, I play with a lot ofdifferent things, and then also
using Riverside if I'm doinginterviews or going with Zoom.
I have done it all.
When it comes to setup, however, especially setup for recording
(12:56):
.
However, I will say, for me,zoom is not always perfect, but
it has been the best platform Ilike.
If I'm going to do a solo formyself, I like to use Riverside.
As far as sound goes, myhusband does not complain as
much.
I love to use.
I still use Descript for a lotof things.
(13:18):
I don't, you know, directlyrecord into it, but I love to
play with it.
I'm not going to say, um, I amthat good at using Descript.
It's a learning curve and Idon't know about you, but I get
frustrated learning stuff and Ijust want to know it right then.
And there I do not like theidea of having to learn what I'm
(13:43):
trying to record.
So it's not a bad platform.
Like I say, I use it.
I still use it.
I just don't do my recording init.
I do a lot of uploading and Iuse it to create my soundbites
and all of that fun stuff.
So I kind of use a differentthing, a lot of different things
, and I still use Audacity aswell.
(14:04):
Like when I first started, Iwas using Cakewalk and that's
when they actually had theprogram you could load on your
desktop.
They don't have that anymore,which sucks, but they do have
GarageBand.
But anyway, set up for sound,that's what we're talking about.
Um, because I have this biggerroom, it came with a lot of
echoes and the sound qualitystarted to shift.
(14:27):
I had a lot of technicalhiccups, I think.
Even, like I did my firstrecording, I had a guest and it
was so crazy because I forgot tomake sure that my Zoom was set
up correctly and it was all onlike one and I had previously
set it up to, like, recorddifferent tracks.
It was just a disaster.
(14:48):
Um, I even had times where Ihad to stop and ask people can
we go off camera?
And that's the things peopledon't see.
Like when you're in the processof recording, what you don't
see is that Zoom has stopped,people have been kicked off of
the Zoom and we've lost eachother.
(15:08):
We have to log back on, try topick up where we left off and,
you know, get back into thatsame mindset of that
conversation to make it flow andbe the same.
So like.
It's sometimes completely crazyand I remember one time when I
had first started, I forgot toeven hit record.
(15:30):
I had talked to someone for 30minutes and looked down and
realized I had never hit recordand we had to stop and start
over.
And I'm just like, oh my gosh,but talking to other people in
podcasting has really justopened my eyes up that I'm not
the only one.
There are going to be some techdifficulties, we are going to
(15:52):
have some issues, but there'salways a way to fix it.
It is not the end of the worldand I think the most important
thing when we're talking aboutbehind the scenes is that.
You know, when I first started,I was not that assertive,
because this is your platform.
You have to own it fully.
(16:13):
You have to be able to tellpeople stop, we can't, let's
take this out.
I'm going to stop right here.
We need to do this and justlike having that flow because
you are controlling the flow,and I am one of those people
that I just want smooth sailing,I don't want to hurt people
feeling.
So there are there are a lot ofthings that I had to like get
(16:36):
over in my head to show up.
And when we're talking aboutsetting up that sound and
creating you know what you wantfrom that.
You have to make sure that youdo a test with your people and
sometimes, when you test andit's so crazy because there've
been times, especially gettingon people can't even get on.
They're like I got this recentthe link.
(16:57):
We got a long out, long back.
Well, I'm telling you,sometimes it is crazy but it's
still fun.
Even with all of that, don'tlet it scare you.
If you're thinking aboutpodcasting, just know that it's
not going to be perfect.
Some days are messy, but it'salso magic, because this space
grows on you and it grows withyou.
All right, so, moving on fromthis setup and finding your
(17:22):
sound and creating the rightsound that you want for yourself
is also the final step, themost important step, which is
step five, the reward.
And here's what no one tellsyou.
The reward isn't therecognition, it's hitting
publish on something you almosttalked yourself out of.
It's re-listening to your ownwords and hearing your strength.
(17:45):
It's knowing someone somewherejust took a deep breath.
They didn't know they neededbecause you said something they
were, they've been feeling andthinking about.
And that's the win.
That's why I keep going,because of all of you amazing
people that remind me every day,whether you see me out on the
street, whether you send me a DM, like you're saying, hey,
thanks for sharing that itmattered so.
(18:08):
So, yeah, it is just me.
There is no production team.
There is no one telling me whatto do or how to do it.
It's me trying to figure it allout on my own, all of my
mistakes, and for that it's mademe a stronger person.
My husband has been amazing tohave him, you know, do the
production and clean up my messyvocals sometimes and call me
(18:31):
out and hold me accountable andjust be there and allow me to
give myself permission to takethis next chapter anywhere I
want.
And no, I didn't go to schoolfor this.
I'm not backed by a studio andI didn't have any experience.
I'm a woman with a mic and amission and I'm just getting
(18:55):
started.
So if you're listening to thisand you're thinking of starting
something whether it's a podcast, a book, a brand, a chapter of
your life this is your sign.
Don't wait for perfect, juststart your life.
This is your sign.
Don't wait for perfect, juststart.
If you are already started butyou feel like quitting, ask
yourself why.
Your answer might just bringyou back home to yourself.
(19:16):
So I hope this episode and thisbehind the scenes look at what
it's like and what you don't seeduring the recording and
setting up of all this stuff.
I hope it's been fun for you.
I hope sometimes that you'velaughed at some of the craziness
, because sometimes it is crazy,sometimes it's frustrating, but
I wouldn't trade it foranything in the world, even
(19:39):
those times when I'm like, whatam I doing?
This has been amazing for me.
All right, you guys.
That is all the tea that I haveto spill in this mini series,
but we have two more episodes ofthe mini series coming your way
soon, so don't forget to tunein for more delicious hot tea
until next time, my friendsNamaste.
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