3 Lessons Podcasting Has Taught Me About Life and Languages

You know how much I love podcasting - you hear me do it almost every week! I have been recording The Fluent Show since 2013, and it has brought me such joy and excitement being able to chat with other guests and give you all the best language learning tips.

But today, I want to tell you all about my tips for starting a podcast.

My goal is to open you up to an idea - could you start a podcast? A little one? Maybe a big one? Maybe for your business, your project, for other language learners, for your students if you teach?

There are so many different reasons to start a podcast, and I know you have so much knowledge up in your brain that the world could use.

Now to help you understand the amazing experience that being a podcast host has to offer, I thought it would be fun to put together what podcasting has taught me over the course of the last 7.5 years...and to tie it back to the bigger picture!

Want to create and launch your own podcast?

Learn my tried-and-tested podcasting system in this Podcasting 101 workshop

Here are three ways that podcasting has made me better at languages.

#1: Consistent improvements and the joy of curiosity

Goals require our commitment, and that's the same for learning a language, creating a popular podcast, or anything else that we want to achieve.

When you decide to work towards a big goal, you decide to contribute to that goal on a regular basis.

With a podcast, the initial goal is to create many episodes and keep the project going for a while. Let's say we're aiming for 10 episodes. You probably can't get it all done in a day and must work on the project consistently to produce something good.

I started my podcast 7 years ago with my laptop, a jingle created by my friend Jonathan, and a will to spend an afternoon in GarageBand. Over the years, so many things have changed. I restructured, renamed, rebranded, re-edited, and learned how to create systems that make podcasting a lot easier. None of this happened overnight. Just like no language learner can be perfect overnight.

I am still ready to talk about anything and everything and enjoy the process!

Podcast creation isn't about cranking out perfection. It's about having fun and capturing fun just by being yourself.

#2: Team work, trusting, and daring

When I first made the Fluent Show, I made it on my own. Same with my tutoring business. A whole one-woman show, and yes, that meant doing my own edits, publishing, and notes. You can hear in the first episodes that I was trying something out and finding my feet.

But I always knew that it takes a village to create something awesome.

I am not a practiced musician, so my friend Jonathan pitched in with a jingle, and my husband had a microphone he allowed me to use. Over time, I added an editor and an assistant who can help me organise the guest interviews.

One of my big dreams was also to have a co-hosted show. I listened to those and enjoyed them, and I remember first getting in touch with Lindsay and asking if she'd like to be involved with the podcast.

When you have more than one person who knows you're working on your product, you're no longer “playing”. That can be scary, because it’s you standing up and saying “this project is worth my time and your attention”.

Podcasting has taught me that a project I care about can be important enough to justify proper time and attention. It is a really good thing to dedicate yourself to a project like this.

What else does this remind you of? Learning a language!

Remember that, no matter how important someone else calls the language you are learning, your judgement is worthwhile and your goal is worth pursuing.

#3: Being myself and speaking like me

Podcasting means sharing your voice, your breath, and your physicality. It can feel vulnerable. For you as language learners, you know that feeling. Someone hearing your voice and accent, your thoughts, as you become a better speaker - that's putting yourself out there as less than perfect.

Over the years, podcasting has taught me how to become more comfortable with the sound of my voice and the way I express myself.

In conversations, I have learned invaluable skills about listening, prompting good answers, and supporting my conversation partner.

Here’s a fun fact: Extroverts are not automatically gifted communicators. There is a lot that can go wrong. I know many introverted or shy people struggle, but trust me, introverts make amazing podcasters. Extroverts have a few bad habits that need to be improved on: interrupting, speaking without thinking, thoughts that go nowhere.

Also, realize that you can edit everything you say (I've just learned the expression speaker's remorse! It's so perfect), but my podcasting philosophy is, hey, put it in well and save yourself the work. Podcasting has taught me how to become a better communicator in every possible way and it can make you a better teacher and learner as a result.

Podcasting 101

After 213 episodes, over 1.5 million downloads, 77 guests, I want to share everything I know about how to start a podcast for yourself.

Podcasting is simply perfect for people who love to communicate and learn. I am so passionate about podcasts and want to encourage others to start their own and share their voice, I have a workshop called Podcasting 101.

I believe launching a podcast is liberating, creative, and extremely good for business!. My followers discover me through the podcast 2x more than anything else.

The workshop will be perfect for you if:

• You’re in the beginning stages of starting a podcast and need a clear roadmap to get you to success.

• You’ve started a podcast, but now you need tips and trade secrets to polish it up and make it shine.

• You’re interested but also worried it would be way too much work, and you want a system that allows you to publish weekly easily.

• You’re looking for a flexible and straightforward way to plan out content, so you always know what’s coming next.

• You’re unsure of your voice (or message) and want to express yourself confidently.

• You want to expand your reach and turn listeners into customers who cannot wait to pay you and work with you.

Plus, I've prepared a fantastic workbook for you, too. So if you're pod curious and ready to become a great communicator, grow your business or project, and have so much fun, you should not miss Podcasting 101.