5 Reasons I Love Podcasting

It requires reflection.

When we started Hey Y’all: The Podcast several years ago, we knew we would need to be open and honest but I never imagined how much growth it would require in my own heart and soul. If you’ve been with us from the beginning then you can probably tell we’ve gotten more brave… naming our shame, calling out our sins, facing our fears but boy, has that been a growing process! At first, I over-thought every little detail of how what I would say might be taken or might offend someone but as we’ve gone along our conversations have become more free flowing which has allowed for a lot of introspection, on and off the air. Some of my favorite moments recently have been those episodes where the outcome wasn’t what I expected or when I was taught a great truth just through having a chat with my tribe. 

It requires relationships.

Speaking of my tribe… it sounds silly but knowing that we need an episode every Friday keeps a pretty regular recording schedule for the four of us which means a literal “penciled in” slot for some of the most important relationships in my life. That’s always been great with the podcast and how busy some of our seasons can be but when Meg moved to Arkansas this brought on a new function in our friendship. I love that our group text is always lit up with memes and chats and prayer requests but it’s in sitting down face-to-face, even virtually, that my spirit is restored with these women. You can’t do our type of show without having a true friendship… believe me! You’ll know if something is up because you can’t just have chats like this without the relationships to back them up. 

It allows creativity.

I love being creative in so many different facets and if you know me, you know words are a big part of that… I mean, duh, look at this blog! But getting to come up with ideas, flesh out scripts and even shop for Yummies Y’alls is just so much fun! I love that every time we sit down something different is required and I love how that triggers the thought processes in my brain. Creativity is exciting, healing, cathartic, stretching and oh, so much more. Podcasting, both communally and independently, allows me to tap into all of those wonderful sparks. 

It’s making a difference… one step at a time. 

When we started out with the idea to podcast, it was kind of as a joke based on the fact that there aren’t a ton of resources for Christian women, who have never been married and don’t have kids… unless, of course, you want just dating advice, which is great in its place but what about everything else we were having to figure out? Like doing life alone or answering awkward questions or health issues or emotional struggles? We thought it would be great to share what we’ve learned along our journeys in the hopes that maybe someone else will have an easier time because of our hard learned lessons. 

However, never in my wildest dreams did I actually think I’d see this play out. It was truthfully more of a broad concept rather than something concrete I imagined happening but we have people who tell us that Hey Y’all has made a difference so that is such an encouragement. We’ve had people let us know it has helped their loneliness when they moved to a new place with no friends. I’ve had others tell me how it has helped them push through going to the gym because they look forward to the conversations. I’ve had younger people who have mentioned the benefit of hearing an older woman’s perspective and I’ve had dear friends who have commented, “You have no clue how much I needed this today!” I don’t get how the Lord works or why He sees fit to use the four of us but I think He is in our tiny corner of the world and that’s really cool and very humbling. 

I love to talk!

This might be one of the only criticisms ever addressed on my report cards… I talked too much and I tried to help people to the point of not letting them complete tasks themselves. Little Bailey was true to form but seriously, talking is important to me not just something I enjoy doing. I connect with others through conversation. I am best able to work out my anxieties, concerns and feelings through verbal processing. Yes, being able to sit in silence with someone is an intimacy I love but I also love being able to tell stories and laugh over the silliest of things. I enjoy going to art museums with the craziest exhibits and discussing it all through giggles and pensive thoughts. I love sharing my day and hearing all about yours. 

I know talking isn’t for everyone and that’s okay. Our podcast isn’t for everyone. I’m not for everyone. But for me, my words and thoughts are part of my soul and how I connect so I enjoy sharing them with my friends, at the physical Hey Y’all table and the virtual one we’ve created for our community.