Essential Genealogist Podcast
My journey into podcasting has been both enjoyable and challenging! I started out by interviewing some of my Toastmasters and Genealogist friends and others in my social media networks. My aim was to have one or two episodes per month and to fulfil the requirements of my Podcast Project; an Elective in the Pathways Program at Level 4. This project prompts you to produce 60 minutes of podcasting divided into episodes – time frame of your own choosing.
Tapping into my network and beyond, I have been fortunate to find many willing interviewees and have long since passed the 60 minute mark. Authors, Writers, Genealogists, Family Historians and Memoirists have featured so far. There is something for everyone in my Podcast Series 1 and 2 here at The Essential Genealogist hosted by. Podcast.co. Podcasting has changed my life.
Episode 15: Skinful by Robyn Flemming
In my July interviews, Episode 15 features a conversation with Editor, Author and Traveller, Robyn Flemming – now living across the border from me in Albury, NSW. Robyn’s new book Skinful: a memoir of addiction is about to be published and Robyn kindly agreed to be my guest and to unpack her journey into the writing of this memoir. I hope you will take a little time to listen to her story (click the podcast player below) and be on the lookout for her book availability in August, from her newly designed website http://www.robynflemmingauthor.com
Robyn also comments on her latest ‘speaking project’ called the Talking Stick – an opportunity for locals to speak for 15 minutes about their passion, in front of a select audience. Robyn is now exploring the benefits of Toastmasters club membership to help build confidence in public speaking for the Talking Stick events. Robyn has already successfully presented her speech on Skinful, for members of the Indigo Speakers club.
Throughout my journey into Podcasting I have been learning the steps involved in preparing, producing, editing and publishing Podcasts.
- Preparation: researching the interviewee, finding the sweet spot with targetted questions. Setup a Zoom meeting and ensure that the recording includes just the audio component. I have allowed the universe to steer me towards the right people at the right time and used my social networking to enhance the process.
- Producing: practicing the art of interviewing to engage with the interviewee; and to put them at ease, and allow them to tell their story. I use my Toastmasters educational training as a meeting facilitator, to segue between segments smoothly and keep to a time frame.
- Editing: taking the organic voice recording into editing programs to filter out the fillers, gaps and extraneous sounds and to trim and normalize. I use Descript for the filtering and Audacity for the normalizing. A huge shout out to my Toastmaster wizard friend, Peter Kenyon, President of Indigo Speakers, for leading me to Descript. Find out how this free program enables you to edit audio – as easy as editing a doc – a new form of sorcery!
- Publishing: uploading the edited MP3 file to Podcast.co and adding a cover image; like the one featured for this post. My coach and mentor Sarah Cordiner, encouraged me to use Podcast.co and I have not looked back. Podcast sends my podcasts out to a number of Podcast channels, automatically. Listen to an episode from Sarah Cordiner’s podcasts here.
Podcasting may just change your life! Give Podcasting a go! Are you an author, storyteller, genealogist? Would you like to feature in The Essential Genealogist podcasts? Contact me here.
