Hello hello, and welcome to Episode 100 of Life On the Brink!
Wow, I can’t believe I just said that! This is a huge goal met, so today’s episode is a celebration! I’m so touched by this community that is so consistent and lovely, you have made this Covid project more than I thought it could be. Today I’d like to share some of my personal reflections over the past 100 episodes, as well as answers to your questions and your own feedback about the show!
What’s in my teacup?
Over the last 31/2 years, I’ve (slowly but surely) recorded, edited and shared a hundred episodes of this podcast. In that time I’ve interviewed lots of fascinating people, developed several yummy recipes, and have discovered a wonderful community of listeners. I’ve also gotten married, moved house, learned to garden, and have have understood more and more each year the importance of slowing down and enjoying the every day. My relationships with friends and family have become even more important to me, and I believe I’ve learned to be a little kinder to myself.
In this episode, I share a lot of my personal journey with this podcast, and I highly recommend listening to the audio or *reading the transcript here*
IN YOUR WORDS I asked YOU some questions over on Instagram, and loved reading your responses! Here’s a taste:
-Where and when do you listen to LOTB/podcasts?
Most of you said you listen while driving, which is where I tend to listen to audiobooks and podcasts as well! Other podcast activities included housework, cooking, or exercising. Thank you for your input, it’s lovely to envision how this podcast is incorporated into the lives of others.
-How has LOTB served you/why do you enjoy listening?
“It’s great to listen to a podcast that encourages people to slow down and enjoy little joys!”
“Absorbing other forms of media that isn’t music or mindless TV that’s actually applicable to life.”
“‘A lovely little place’ is really what it is. Calm, joyful, and now very familiar.”
Thank you for your kind words!
-Which episode type is your favorite?
We had a tie! The two most popular categories were lifestyle/self improvement and guest interviews.
-Lastly, what Little Joy has brightened up this week?
You all had such lovely Joys, from the weather to the people around you, even looking forward to the holiday season.
Q + A: YOUR QUESTIONS!
1.How do you balance this podcast with work and other personal projects?
I think there are two elements that have really helped me in this. 1. Keeping a schedule that works for me (currently that’s usually biweekly) and 2. Finding ways to simplify the process. I’ll get more into specifics later, but I’ve found ways to make the whole process faster and less overwhelming to incorporate into my routine.
2.How long does it take you to prep for/make the podcast each week?
I’ve never actually timed it, but I’d say that depending on the content, each episode takes a minimum of about 3-4 hours of actual work (not making tea). Some episodes take longer, like ones that are inspired by books or where I interview a guest.
I do tend to plan out several episodes in advance, and sometimes I’ve even been able to truly “batch work” a month or so at a time (writing all the outlines, for example), but usually it’s an episode-by-episode process. A couple years ago I found a different way of editing the audio that also helped cut down on time.
3. What is your favorite part of making LOTB, and has it changed over the years?
My favorite part has got to be the times when I feel so inspired about a particular topic and everything just flows. This is ultimately a creative outlet, and I really do need a way of sharing the things that I love (besides talking Josh’s ear off), so sometimes my energy is great and the vibes are there and the whole thing is effortless. That’s really been the case since the beginning! Also, I love having this is a bit of a time capsule to myself, especially when I interview people in my life.
4. What are your future plans/dreams for the podcast?
I don’t really have an end goal for the podcast, I’m just content to keep on making it as long as I enjoy it and I have the time. In a dream scenario, though, I’d love to grow a large enough podcast community to be able to maybe have in-person events, maybe video elements, and lots more recipes!
5. When’s the cookbook coming out? Haha, I love this! In all seriousness, it’s really a dream of mine to publish a cookbook one day. It’ll probably be a very slow journey, developing and collecting recipes over time, but it’s something I would absolutely love to do!
This episode was a little different in structure, but I believe it’s so important to take time to celebrate moments like these! We do often get in the flow of producing and resting and planning and continuing on, but stopping to say YAY I DID THIS is just as important. Thank you for your patience as I made this special episode, and thank you again for listening!
This Week’s Little Joy: This week I made my first mulled cider of the season, and oh how glorious it was. I just simmered 100% honeycrisp cider with 2 sliced mandarins (I would also do 1 big orange), 1 apple, 4-5 cinnamon sticks and a big pinch of whole cloves. It’s incredibly simple and just so comforting to drink.
What I’m Listening To: My church recently made a Spotify playlist called “Songs for Anxiety,” and I’ve been listening to it so much this month. It’s a beautiful compilation of genres and styles and helps me breathe deeper and slower. Highly recommend!
Thank you so much for listening! Feel free to leave a comment, or head to Apple Podcasts to leave a star rating or review. If you have any suggestions for future episodes, send an email in the contact form on this site. I’d love to hear from you, and I'll be back on Thanksgiving Day with a new episode and special announcement!