So I’ve been podcasting for a year … and what have I learned?

Friday, January 30 marked the one year Podiversary of my first podcast, Geek Is Chic. I’d be remiss not to talk about the journey and what I’ve learned along the way. By nature, I am a very curious person. So one night, playing with iTunes, I was intrigued by this whole podcast category. I had recently gotten into LOST. Doing a quick search I hit on a gold mine. The amazing world of LOST Podcasts. I had no idea just how much this would literally change my life. I became an avid podcast listener. (Let’s not get into how many I’m subscribed to, ‘cause really, it’s a little out of control.) Going to live shows became part of my routine, and before I knew it, and against my better judgement, I joined twitter.

Now, if you know anything about me, you know that relationships are paramount in my life. I love to meet new people, and every once in a while, I even let some in. What I found completely disarming was that I began to see bona fide communities built around podcasts. Meeting people at live shows was great, and often turned into following one another on twitter. Human nature is interesting, and when we enjoy someone’s company, we tend to want more interaction with them. So, here I was, building relationships online, and taking it to that next level and sharing my im client screen names, and even my cell phone with a few of these wonderful people. I’ve talked about it before, and how amazing it’s been to connect with these new friends and get to spend time with them. But where I’m going with this, is that I realized that if done right, a podcast can not only enrich your life with its content, but with the community of people who listen to the show.

The idea of doing a podcast was very alluring. However, I didn’t just want to do a show for the sake of doing it. I wanted it to be about something I was passionate about. I wanted to genuinely share a little of piece of me, and hopefully offer some compelling content along the way. I also felt I needed to pay it comforward, and try to be a good steward of munity online. So after much thinking I decided I wanted to do a show about Tech and Web 2.0. I have always been the techie friend of the group, the one that solves all the technical problems and what not. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more comfortable in my own skin, and rock the label of “Geek” proudly. I have always thought Geek was Chic, and with the new modern tech, people are coming on board.

Thus, Geek is Chic was born. I still cannot believe it’s already been a year. I want to thank everyone who came out to the Anniversary show with special guest Liana Lehua. I also want to thank each and every one of you who have sent in amazing emails and voice mails. Time has flown by, and man, have I learned a lot! I never thought podcasting was easy, but I learned just how much goes into producing even a short show. I have overcome technical difficulties, and enjoyed those lightbulb moments when I come up with the topic for the next show. One of the highlights of the year has to be the Podcastathon. I stayed up for 24 hrs and ended up raising over $700 for the Susan G Komen foundation. I have played and tweaked my sound, and I think somewhere along the way I have found my voice and style, and an amazing group people who every day remind me that Geek is Chic. :)