A PODCAST FOR YOU, THE PLANET, AND ME!
Podcasts Give People a Voice, -- Even if Some Consider Them to be “a Dime a Dozen”
A bazillion podcasts are being broadcast in the world today. Some succeed, some fail, and some land somewhere in between. I've been thinking about offering a podcast for a while now. The reason for this is not because I believe I have the “glittering gift of gab”, and that I’m perfectly cut out for podcasting. It’s also not because I feel compelled to monetize one. Rather it’s because I feel that I have a lot of enlightening content to share with my tribe about the value and necessity of living a clean, green, holistic life, and I don’t want those who are not inclined to read my blogs, to miss out on some good stuff.
Finding Encouragement to Create My Own Podcast
After recently listening to an award-winning radio producer and podcaster make the case for creating a podcast, I was surprised when she stressed the value of doing solo podcasts, which she indicated would eliminate the time-consuming task of scheduling guests. When she elaborated on the idea that anyone could record a podcast without expensive equipment and that they could do so at midnight, without any concern for an untidy house or a “lived-in” face, I was “sold.” In fact, the moment she wrapped up her podcast, I wasted no time in dreaming up a new name for my podcast and even designing a logo for it. Are you ready to hear the name that I came up with?
What’s In a Podcast Name?
The name of my podcast is I AM ECO. Now, while I realize that I could have gone in a half-dozen different directions in terms of choosing a name for my podcast, I really felt as though this name (and its accompanying tagline) underscored the philosophy that my educational mission and tools are rooted in. Are you curious to know more? If so, I invite you to listen in on my first bite-sized podcast. In just ten minutes, you’ll get a sense of how I define eco, and why it’s so important for all of us to care for it in the most conscious and loving way possible.
Here’s the link to my podcast: https://clcole8.podbean.com/e/why-i-named-my-podcast-i-am-eco/
Or catch it on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6FJhbsX8bqptOHkzfbsvQX
I Welcome Your Support as I Begin This New Speaking Endeavor
Very early on in my professional life, when I was in my early 30s, and promoting my three whole foods cookbooks, at least a couple of people who were weighing in on the direction they thought my career path should go in, told me that I had a face for T.V. versus radio. While I’m sure their remarks were intended to be flattering, if not instructive, I wasn’t sure what to make of them. I was intrigued by the idea that I could attract attention to my books through a media like T.V. that was designed to reach the masses, but I wasn’t entirely comfortable with the idea that I’d be visible to so many people. Like many people who say that public speaking is their worst fear, I was likely dealing with a lack of confidence due to a lack of experience or a fear of embarrassing myself.
Becoming a Speaker Was a Process
In time, the prospect of speaking to groups of people became a little less intimidating. I answered the call to present talks at health food stores, lifestyle expos, drug rehab clinics, festivals, and school classrooms. I also answered the call to be a guest on some national radio shows and some local cable TV shows. While I didn’t love preparing for those live speaking events as much as I loved preparing articles for food magazines and health publications that I was invited to write for, --I challenged myself to do them, all the while repeating author Susan Jeffers’s popular mantra: “Feel the fear and do it anyway.”
I Haven’t Done Any Public Speaking for a Long Time
Over the past decade or more, I haven’t done any formal public speaking, unless you count the 60+ YouTube videos I’ve filmed to date, which show me preparing healthful recipes or introducing my educational tools and online trainings.
From Speaking to Listening
If you’re wondering why such a long stretch of time has passed since I’ve spoken in public, it’s because I was guided to shift out of speaking mode and into listening mode. In listening mode, I discovered that many more books lived inside of me and that they were waiting to be born. What I realized during the course of penning my books, was that I was giving myself the voice that I didn’t feel I had as a child while growing up. And that was empowering. Something else that I realized while penning my books is that I was being asked to serve as a channel for the transmission of higher spiritual wisdom. That higher wisdom, I realized, was being passed down to me by my ancestors, as well as my spirit guides.
My Books Teach Me, Just as They Offer to Teach You
Since writing 20 books, including online learning courses fashioned from them, I have been integrating with their messages and teaching myself ways to vocalize what they stand for and teach. For me, this vocalization process is challenging, mainly because I have so many different books and courses to talk about. Getting grounded in one book or course at a time is key for me.
My Brain Today is in Recovery Mode
These days, at 68 years of age, because my brain is making a slow recovery from mold sickness (a debilitating illness that I suffered from during the course of my writer’s journey), I sometimes deal with cognition issues. The good news is that I am consuming powerful nutritional supplements to support its health.
I Relate to My Brain as a Tropical Rainforest
It occurs to me that, while a rainforest can regenerate at a fast rate without human interference, my brain can also form new neural pathways when I exercise it. Perhaps a podcast will hasten the process!
Candia Lea Cole
Send your feedback or suggestions at: ecolearningleagcies@gmail.com
