Welcome to episode two of Podcast With Purpose. I am so glad you took the time to join me.
This episode is going to be a little bit more vulnerable. I wanted to share my journey and how I got here, wanting to start a podcast, and what led me to podcasts management.
I promised myself I would be vulnerable because I know for me that when I listen to other podcasts, what makes me relate to the host is just how honest and open they are. So I promised myself that I would do that. The reason I called this podcast Podcast With Purpose is because I want it to have a purpose. I want it to speak to others. I want to have people relate to it. The only way I can do that is if I am truly open.
A SERVANT’S HEART
I guess I want to start out by saying that I truly have a servant’s heart and was born to help people.
Never really sure of what that was supposed to look like, or what that meant for me and my future, but I always lit up when I made a difference for someone…even if it was just helping someone find something. Helping people is what I truly love.
One might say I am an introverted extrovert. I tend to take a while to come out of my shell, but once I do, I feel comfortable and much more open.
I am hoping that this podcast helps me become that way. Or, I hope this podcast helps me be open and honest.
WHERE I STARTED
We’ll start further back. I don’t want to tell you my whole childhood because that would definitely bore you, but I’ll start back towards college and maybe even a little bit of high school…because in high school, I thought I wanted to be a pediatrician.
I wanted to help babies and help little kids. Then I saw blood and I was like no way…that’s not happening.
I kind of went into college not having any idea. I mean, so many of my friends knew what their major was going to be. They knew what they wanted to do, or they at least had an idea. I did not.
In high school I remember having the idea of teaching being an option and thinking I could do that. I wanted to teach kids, help them, yet I had no idea what teaching looked like other than being in the classroom as a student.
But I remember having a conversation with my parents about picking a major. I know my dad was a little bit skeptical because he said, “the money is not in teaching.”
I mean, he’s right, but I also wanted to find something that made me happy.
Walking into college orientation, not knowing what major to pick, I landed at the business table. Ironically enough, I have now come full circle and started my own business.
Even though I worked for 18 years as an elementary teacher, I remember thinking that I was not using my original degree. It’s kind of funny. Not that I remember anything from my business degree, but it’s kind of ironic that I have come back full circle.
I knew about halfway through my business degree that I did not know what I wanted to do in business. I was good at my classes. It came easier to me. I loved math growing up, so I thought, well, I’ll be an accountant. I chose accounting and quickly switched to marketing. Then quickly switched that to finance. Ultimately, I ended up with just a general business degree.
After leaving college, still not knowing what to do, I did get a job with a company where I started out in a management training position, and a year later, I switched to the business finance department as sort of an accounting assistant. I was not finding joy in any of those positions.
I thought I still had this desire to become a teacher, so I went back and I got certified to teach in Texas.
WHAT MY TEACHING CAREER TAUGHT ME
I ended up teaching a total of 18 years, mostly upper elementary. I did take a couple of years off throughout those 18 years, and I struggled at times.
I’m going to be completely honest. Teachers are amazing. Those who put their heart and soul into it, and still truly love it, we need those teachers. Unfortunately, as long as I did teach, it never felt like it was my place.
I loved the kids, I loved teaching, I loved my coworkers, I loved my admin, but somewhere along the way, I just did not feel like I was in the right place. Like I said before, I had tried to quit a couple of times, but ultimately, I went back because I had no idea what else was out there.
As an introvert, I went back to my comfort zone. I went back to what I knew, and I would stay there.
But this last time, I just couldn’t. First of all, my health was going down. I was having anxiety attacks. I have severe anxiety that I have under control now, but it was leading me down to a period of depression. With the help of my doctors, it was kind of like what came first: the chicken or the egg. What was causing the depression? What was causing my anxiety? Was the anxiety causing my depression? They actually go hand in hand, but ultimately, it was my anxiety.
I found that after I left the classroom, I was so much better. I realized that when I am in an unhappy, uncomfortable position, I don’t do well.
FINDING FREELANCING
Fast forward, I found freelancing. Even though I had never felt in my comfort zone as a teacher, I was really uncomfortable with the idea of starting something different.
But I was determined. I knew I had to try in order to make myself thrive. I had to make a change.
So I put in my notice as a teacher, and I landed on a course to help me learn how to start my own business.
IT ALL STARTED WITH A PODCAST
What’s funny is that in my title, I’m saying it all started with a podcast because I googled, “What do teachers do when they leave the classroom.” I landed on a podcast.
Some of you may have heard it, Teacher Career Coach. She basically coaches teachers on finding something outside of the classroom, or learning to love what you do in the classroom.
I ended up finding a couple of freelancers, and it just took off from there. I just started googling and learning. One podcast led to another podcast, and it was just so amazing that I was learning so much from podcasts.
I had listened to podcasts for fun in the past, true crimes, all of the fun Bachelor type shows, but I had never really listened to any business type podcasts.
For a couple of months, I just listened on my way to work, after I got home, while I was getting ready. I remember thinking, this is what I want to do. I want to start my own business. So I put in my notice, left teaching, and for the entire summer I just worked really hard at trying to figure out what I wanted to do.
HOW I FOUND PODCAST MANAGEMENT
I started off as a virtual assistant, but I knew very quickly that I wanted to niche down into something specific. By the way… I can’t ever decide whether I want to say “neesh” or “nitch.” My last name is pronounced “nitch,” so I will say “neesh” ha!
I knew I wanted to niche down into something specific, so I took several courses. What ultimately lit me up was podcast management. And I dove into it headfirst. I took Lauren Wrighton’s Podcast Manager Program, and I have been so happy I did.
I have never been so excited to work. I’ve never been so excited to help people launch a podcast. It lights me up to know that I can help somebody do something that they just don’t have the time for.
So it’s not necessarily people who don’t know what to do with a podcast. I love walking people through that…I have clients that I am walking them step by step of the way to launch their podcasts…but it also is the back end of once they get it up and running.
Whether it’s just helping them with their show notes, editing, or the whole management of their show, something about just helping somebody be able to get their message out there through their podcast just truly makes me happy.
I remember the first time standing in my closet…I don’t know why I remember this…but I remember thinking I finally love what I do. I don’t know that I ever felt that way before.
MY MISSION
So my mission through this podcast, through my business as a podcast manager, is to truly just help people.
By doing that, I want to help you get your message out there to other people. Whether you have something to teach, just share, give tips, guide people through something that you are an expert in, I really truly feel like podcasting is a wonderful way to do that. I know for me it is so much easier to listen to a podcast than to find time to watch Instagram stories, read a PDF, or watch a webinar. We all find that time to do it, right? If you want to learn it, you’re going to find the time, but I just feel like there’s something about podcasting.
You get to know people, hear their voice, hear their personality. That just, I don’t know, it just lights me up.
So that’s what I do. I am a podcast manager helping soon-to-be podcasters launch their podcast. Helping my clients manage their show all the way from the editing, to the equipment, to sound quality, to show notes, graphics, anything that can go with a podcast.
I not only want to help people startup and help manage a podcast, but my goal with this podcast is to just be a person to build a relationship with.
I hope that my story resonates with someone. If you want to reach out, if you have a desire to share a message, to teach or to guide, I would absolutely love to walk along this podcast journey with you. So please reach out to me. I love to talk to people.
I’ll talk to you next time.
IF YOU MISSED THE LAST EPISODE:
5 Reasons Your Business Needs a Podcast
RESOURCES:
- Free Private Podcast Launch Guide – listen to 6 short episodes to find out if launching a podcast is what your business needs. I walk you through the steps of what it takes to start a podcast, from the prep to equipment to recording.
CONNECT WITH ALLISON:
MORE ABOUT PODCAST WITH PURPOSE:
How would you feel if you could put social media aside, and speak to your audience in a way that resonates with them? Podcasting can give you that and so much more!
Do you envision having a podcast as part of your business? Would you love to know the ins and outs of what it takes to have a podcast? How can it affect your business and YOU? Maybe you’ve considered a podcast, but you don’t know where to start, or how to keep up with all of the tasks.
Welcome to Podcasting With Purpose/Hello Podcaster! Your host, Allison Nitsch, is a former teacher turned podcast manager, on a mission to support entrepreneurs with launching and managing their own show/podcast.
With this podcast you will learn how having your own show can help bring more eyes on your business, find out if podcasting is for you, and give you some strategic steps to getting a show out and into the ears of those who need it.
