Why I Don't Have A Podcast

Plus some great podcasts to listen to on your next drive or walk

Photo by C D-X on Unsplash

I love to talk to people and I have a lot to say about book coaching — about writers asking for help, about how we nurture creative work in this world, about the importance of raising your voice as a writer, about investing in your work, about running your own business and betting on yourself, and so much more — and yet I don’t have a podcast of my own.

Why not? Let me count the ways!

1. I have to say no to SOMETHING because my days are already packed! I prefer writing as a means of connecting with an audience (as I am doing here) rather than podcasting because I can be super spontaneous and I can do it myself without anyone else’s input (including a proofreader — which I wrote about HERE.)

2. I would rather spend my time being a guest on other people’s podcasts because it’s interesting to explore the different angles, expertise, and worldviews people have. I’ve been on more than 55 podcasts and I think it’s so much fun! (In linking to this podcast page, I am realizing we haven’t put any of the latest on there! Another to-do!)

• I was just a guest on therapist Dr. Diana Hill’s Wise Effort podcast, where we talked about the intense experience we had when I was coaching her toward her publisher’s deadline on her forthcoming book, Wise Effort. It’s a inside look at what it feels like to coach and be coached — and why this work is so powerful. You can listen HERE.

3. I’ve stepped into the co-host role over at #amwriting. Earlier this year I was asked to help lead the #amwriting podcast, a podcast beloved by writers of all kinds because the founding trio of KJ, Sarina, and Jess are accomplished, and awesome, and generous.

I said yes, because how could I not? I admire these women and what they have built and here was a chance to do 1/4 of the work of having a podcast without actually having to have a podcast. It was so flattering they wanted me to be a part of what they made. I said yes.

I’ve been having some awesome conversations, including these recent ones I would like to point you towards:

• When Your Book Becomes a TV Show — I interviewed KJ about her novel being made into a Hallmark TV series and what it felt like to see her story brought to life in that way.

• The Art of Helping Writers Do Their Best Work — I interviewed AJ Harper about her book, Write a Must-Read, which is a fantastic book for nonfiction writers. It’s one of my favorites and we had a great conversation about the work of inspiring writers.

• Raising Your Voice, Claiming Your Story. I wrote about this episode HERE, but am pointing it out again because it’s just so good: a story about the way we hold ourselves back from writing what we really want to write.

I have conversations coming up with a debut novelist whose work started out in my workshop ten years ago as a memoir; a hybrid publisher; and an editor with a new book on the author's life. Follow the #amwriting Substack to get all the latest.

A Few Non-Writing Podcasts I Listen to All the Time

• Wiser by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, actor, mother, daughter, human. Hilarious and insightful conversations with awesome older women like Billie Jean Kind and Ina Garten. These podcasts make me feel hopeful about the world. It’s hard to pick a favorite episode and there’s a new season with new interviews dropping every week. Listen here

• Finding Mastery by Dr. Michael Gervais “one of the world’s top high-performance psychologists and leading experts on the relationship between the mind and human performance.” These conversations feature people you may have heard before — Brene Brown and Seth Godin — but they feel deeper and different. The one with Misty Copeland, the ballerina, is riveting. These shows inspire me to do my best work.

• Design Matters by Debbie Millman. This is “the world's first podcast about design and an inquiry into the broader world of creative culture.” Millman is one of the best interviewers anywhere. She comes in so curious and so prepared, and every conversation with an artist or creator or thinker makes me think something new about the creative process. It also makes me feel hopeful about the world.

• Get Paid Marketing by Claire Pelletreau. I cycle through business podcasts, going off on jags to learn about different topics and grow my understanding of the online business world. Claire’s podcast is my new favorite — in part because she is my business coach, but also because she is very specific about asking people how they make money and it’s refreshing to hear conversations where people are so open about it.

Podcasts by Author Accelerator Certified Book Coaches

We have a growing number of Author Accelerator Certified Coaches making excellent podcasts.

You can find a list here.

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