Me! (Really, you didn’t know?)
“Hi, Leah,” a very scared, vulnerable me messaged my dear friend from work, “you had suggested I do a podcast for my blog posts, and I’ve done my first one.
“Would you listen to it and let me know if it’s OK? It’s published, but I haven’t shared it on social or anything!”
Three hours later, she replied with “Absolutely!”
Twelve minutes after that — long enough for her to listen to my short podcast and then consider how she might break the bad news to me — she sent this:
“OK… Are you ready for what I have to say?!”
“Yes — which is why I asked,” I responded. “And I realize it’s rather ironic that I’m asking with THAT content.”
The podcast was last week’s blog post, “Correction = Love in God’s Math, and It’s Harder Than Algebra.” In it, I express how difficult it is for me to accept criticism, sharing a specific exchange with my husband. (Quite dramatic when you hear me acting it out!)
However, I’d never done a podcast before — and I thought maybe I’d never do one again after getting Leah’s feedback.
‘Fear Factor’ — self-esteem edition!
Eight minutes later, she started with, “Sara, I love you so much!!!”
I squinted at the text, looking for the “but…”
But it wasn’t there!
“You always seem to find a lesson from God where no one else seems to look. I absolutely loved it!” she had written, along with details specific to the podcast.
Two minutes later, while I was still digesting the blessing of her words, she sent this:
“I love your blogs, but I have to say I love your podcast more! You are an amazing narrator, and the way you brought your husband’s character alive — I can picture him. I am in the process of sharing and writing a personal note to my friends and family.”
“Wait? Aren’t you going to tell me it’s awful?”
“Nope, not at all! Sorry if that is what you were hoping to hear, bahaha! No more hiding your God-given talents behind a blog post!”
Blog podcasting — what?
I am laughing as I type this. I thought my written blog posts were my God-given talents on display! Who knew?
OK… Are YOU ready for what I have to say?!
I’m podcasting — based on my blog posts, which I’ll continue to post here weekly. I’ve named the podcast “Sara’s Shorts, pocket-sized stories for the soul.” (Shorts as in what you wear on your body — or would if you lived in Florida today! And “shorts” because when read as podcasts, my blogs are fairly short.)
A year ago, when I was in the FlourishWriters Academy, I heard from Tiffany Jo Baker, who podcasts at All the Things TV. At the time, I had started getting prompts from WordPress, where I blog, asking me if I’d like to create a podcast of my published blog post with Anchor.
What? Is that even a thing?
I could have artificial intelligence read/record it — or I could create my own audio. But, really, would anyone listen to someone reading a blog post? I couldn’t imagine!
When I had the opportunity to ask that question of Tiffany, telling her my blogs are likely only 5, maybe up to 10, minutes of reading time, she said, like Leah, “Absolutely!”
So I bought a microphone, which I stored in my desk cabinet, and considered podcasting my blogs. And there it stayed, as I explored the idea some more.
My niece Megan, a personal empowerment coach who podcasts at Pep. Talks, also encouraged me to try podcasting — and even flippantly coined the name and tagline as we chatted. (She’s clever like that.)
“Sara’s Shorts — pocket-sized stories for the soul” stayed in my mind, and when I considered what I’d like to accomplish in 2022, I included podcasting in that list.
This past weekend, I finally unpackaged the microphone and tried recording. I did a little research on how to do an intro and outro, how to add music, etc.
And then I did it. Once. After Leah’s encouragement, twice.
The plan — and you!
I have more than 500 published blog posts — plenty of content to turn into audio. Leah had suggested I do podcasts because some people who are too busy to read would love to listen to my posts. (She was talking about herself.)
After I received Leah’s exuberant approval of my first post, I thought of my former neighbor Suzy. Suzy so enjoyed receiving my annual “State of the Dagens” Christmas newsletter that she asked when she’d receive it. (They were often late and shared an unflattering but humorous review of the Dagens’ doings.)
(Suzy is now mostly blind in one eye and losing her vision in the other, so reading is out of the question. Plus my children flew the coop and my Christmas newsletter left with them.) If I offer an audio version of my blog, she might — finally — partake of my weekly musings. So adding audio will make my blog posts more accessible. Bonus!
So, my Dear Readers, maybe you’d like to become Dear Listeners (too) or know someone who won’t read but might listen. I’d love for you (or your someone) to join Suzy and Leah (and her family and friends, apparently), and listen to Sara’s Shorts.
I hope to do the current blog post each week but also go back in time — perhaps one new and one older blog post turned into a podcast each week. They’ll be available on Anchor, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts — probably other places you get your podcasts once I jump through all the hoops! — and on my blogsite.
If you don’t want to miss a thing — and why would you? — sign up to receive my email. It will include my current written blog post plus a link to the recorded podcasts.
Are you as excited as I am?
Let’s connect!
I’d love for you to share your thoughts in the comments or like this post or follow me. Or all three! You can receive my latest post via an email alert. Just enter your email address and watch for an email from Sara at All Things Work Together.
All Things Work Together 
Hi, Sara , I enjoy reading! I encourage you to do both!😊. Blessings, Aunt Claire Taylor Souders Manger 💘
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