The last thing I ever thought I’d do in my life was start a podcast. Seriously. Just ask BobWP. For years, I’d say to him, “Bob, why do you do podcasts?” He’d just laugh. And I’d say, “There’s no way I’m doing one. It seems like a total waste of time.”
Then, in August 2023, my podcast came looking for me.
I was in an Uber on my way to the WordCamp US After Party in Washington, D.C. when the idea hit me: “Wouldn’t it be great if I could spend more time talking with people in the WordPress community—people like Mark Westguard, Robbie Adair, Bob, Topher DeRosia and everyone else I could think of.
The concept of the show in every detail came to me in an instant. What you hear is exactly what I thougt it woould be from my dauther Bree as announcer to many of the words I would utter for each episode. I even had a good feel for the corny music I would use.
The only thing missing was the eventual title of the show and the art direction. That would come later, thank you, my brillant, lifetime friend Jackie Goldstein.
There’s never enough time for real deeo conversations at WordCamps. I always feel like a pinball, bouncing from one person to the next – waving hello, hugging, saying a quick “hi,” and moving on. Rarely is there time for anything meaningful or in-depth.
In that moment, the idea just made sense. I didn’t think I’d start a podcast right away, but I knew it could be a great way to have real conversations. And oddly enough, I didn’t care if I ever got a sponsor or even if anyone listened. I just wanted to do it – for me. I wasn’t thinking about building an audience, sponsors or marketing. I just had an itch that needed scratching.
So I let the idea simmer for a couple of months – which is typical of me. I talked it over with friends. I weighed the options. Eventually, I realized: No one else is doing this in quite the way I want to. So why not?
In December 2023, I started researching tools. I knew Camtasia and Zoom, but quickly learned they weren’t the best for podcasting. That’s when I found Descript, SquadCast, and later tools like Auphonic, thanks to Rob Cairns. Camtasia ended up being a great finishing tool, but I needed the right tools to get started.
Then came the question: Who would be my first guest?
My original choice didn’t work out—it didn’t even get off the ground. So I reached out to Marcus Burnette. I said, “Let’s do a test episode.” That “test” became Episode 1. It took forever to edit, but I got better. Or at least faster.
Here’s the bottom line: Sometimes, you don’t find a good idea. Sometimes, a good idea finds you.