By the end of September, 6 years in to writing this blog, I am plan to complete my move to Substack.
Since I started writing “Our Somatic Wisdom” there in February 2023, I have been learning and loving the platform. And with the rebrand of my coaching practice, I have been developing a new web home which is very drafty but expected to be fully live toward the end of September also.
Recently I wrote a Substack on my little adventure to save this newborn squirrel. Yes, this is a gratuitous tiny baby animal photo designed to capture your attention! 😉
I typically write about ways we embody our lives, and the fascinations I have with embodiment generally.
It’s some of what I’ve written about here, but also related to the coaching niche that seems to work best for me. I would deeply love to see you there, if this kind of work is your jam.
While I am deeply grateful for the community of writers here at WordPress, I know that there are seasons for change. In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s what I wrote about in my first post here.
I’m curious about what you’re up to, and what adventures lie ahead in your writing and creative endeavors. I’ll miss you! In fact, I’ve been grieving this loss ahead of time in a way. But sometimes when we know something is over, there’s no point in pretending it isn’t over…
If we’ve been following each other for a while, it might be a good time to connect over on LinkedIn. Drop me a line to let me know you’ve followed mexi-minnesotana and that will help me know you’re not a random marketer who is trying to sell me something, okay?
I’m still opting for Substack, though my posting frequency has been a little erratic. Over the next three months, I am planning to either migrate or archive this blog.
Thanks so much to those of you who have supported my work since 2017 here on WordPress. I deeply appreciate you.
Here’s my latest post on Substack, a contemplation of what it means to be human in a world where artificial intelligence will continue to do more and more.
Hope we don’t lose touch, but just in case you want to connect “in real life” I’d love to connect with you via LinkedIn. If you send me a request and indicate you have been a reader, then hopefully we can connect there.
Be well,
Cristy
Yes, I have begun a round of Spring cleaning which always puts me in a mode of thinking and considering what is next for me. If you’re interested in a podcast on the topic of Equinox, Astrology, and ways to best work with the Aries energy coming up this week, check it out here.
I’m not a big believer in paid newsletters. Truthfully I’m actually kind of SICK of newsletters. They crowd my inbox, the detritus of my old interests. But it’s strangely hard to unsubscribe from them all. Because, you know, there just might be SOME juicy tidbit here or there. Once in a while.
Oh, who am I kidding? Anyone know of an AI service that can unsubscribe from everything that we are not opening at least 30% of the emails?
Now that I’ve been podcasting at Somatic Wisdom for 8 months, and I’ve generated ~45 episodes of content, I am truly loving the audio medium. It’s been joyful to write solo episodes, along with expanding to interviews. There were five in the first season (out of 36 episodes), and I think there will be at least 8 in the second season (~24 episodes planned).
And so far there were over 700 downloads in February alone, and 3k downloads in total for the podcast! I’m flabbergasted, given that there are 4 million total podcasts out there. Of course, only about 17% of those are regularly releasing content. That means there are ~680k different options out there for listeners, so I don’t take for granted when people choose to follow my channel.
I realize I’m still a “small player” in the podcast world, and I have no idea who listens. Still no written reviews on Apple podcast where it matters as far as scaling. But no worries. When we deliver good content over time, I believe that’s how we attract resonate listeners.
This was one reason I opted to start the Somatic Wisdom Substack page. Several of my mentors and people I follow have been opting to publish their work in multiple formats, like Tara McMullin and Jenny Blake.
Multiple Formats for Many Different People Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
For those of us who are business owners, consultants, coaches, and content creators, we need to have efficient ways to get our overall message out there. It makes abundant sense not to complicate things, and to free our time by approaching this more strategically.
I’ve deeply loved the ability to explore here on this blog since 2017. And for those of you reading, thank you for being here, and for engaging in my work. This blog taught me about what kinds of work energize me most (coaching, writing, and speaking about employee wellbeing) and now those are the things that are bringing in income for me.
Though I’m not yet raking in the big bucks, I feel grateful to have had a platform to help me navigate the huge career shift I was in from 2018-2022. Now it’s time to double-down on what’s working and cull back some areas where I no longer want to invest.
Within the next 3-6 months, my intention is to either archive this blog or to migrate the work. I haven’t decided yet.
I’ve not been successful at managing a newsletter related to my work, and I suspect Substack will make that much easier. It’s in a pilot/test phase. I like the notion that it’s a very voluntary process, and I don’t feel like I’m cajoling anyone into giving me their email address.
Your attention is precious, and I don’t want to clutter up your mailbox, unless I’m providing you 10x the value for opening that message.
Do you mind weighing in on a few questions (since you’re here) about the newsletters and subscriptions you most love and value?
I’m curious: what do you like about them? What drives you crazy? What do you wish they did more of? Less?
Wishing you well for March. I’m pledging to come back once a month here, until I make my final decision about where to migrate (if I do).
Thank you again for being here, being part of my writing community and for reading and/or commenting on my work. It’s helped me become a more thoughtful writer, and I deeply appreciate your contributions to that process.
Happy Winter Solstice to those in the northern hemisphere!
It’s been a minute since I updated here, though there’s plenty to read in the world. I hope you’ve been finding good content that nourishes you and gives you valuable food for thought.
Writing and blogging have been loves of mine. I was thinking about how podcasting is different, and what relative advantages/disadvantages arise from this medium. In case you’ve been debating those as well in thinking what creative goals you may have for the new year, here’s my reflection. I’ve reached about two thousand downloads of the Somatic Wisdom podcast in only 36 episodes for my first 6 months. Clearly it is a way to grow an audience when you create content in specific niche.
You still “write” the episode. I find that when I have a topic, it helps me the most to have an outline and/or script to speak from. I typically draft the episode 2-4 days before it goes live (for a solo show) and then as I read it out, I edit. This works well, and using Descript software has been AMAZING for audio editing. I love it. I can edit out my filler words and sound smarter and more concise for my listeners.
I can listen back to my own wisdom. I don’t know what it is, but sometimes we learn things at a superficial the first time we read and practice. But then when we have to teach or explain them to someone else, our learning becomes much more refined and clear. So it’s fun to create and “audio record” of what I’m learning. I also can hear the “conviction” in my voice about things I’m really passionate about.
Interviews are fun! So far I did five interviews in 2022, and I’m hoping to keep offering ~2 interviews per month in 2023. While they take a little more preparation and more editing to produce, they feel like an awesome way to network and provide valuable perspectives for my audience. In blogging, we are pretty much a “solo” offering. That can be wonderful if we have a lot of subject matter expertise. But the interactivity and personal connection of podcast interviews always feels energizing. Plus, I realize how much I love promoting others’ expertise and geeking out on subjects I enjoy. Go figure.
There’s no immediate feedback. When you podcast, you “broadcast” into thin air and generally don’t receive feedback, unless someone reaches out via my website link. But most listeners are not going to do that. While I like the fact that it takes away my tendency to “live for the like” it can also be very uncertain which episodes are resonating with listeners. I do have a dashboard on Libsyn, the hosting platform, which tells me how many of each episode have been downloaded.
People tend not to leave reviews. I speak for myself when I say this. There are a lot of podcasts I listen to where I fail to leave a review. It’s not that hard, but I’m usually in the car or on a walk while listening, and that makes it more tricky. While I’m not “all about reviews” it can provide helpful feedback when someone leaves a sentence or two about why they liked the show.
There are a few technical steps. Unlike blogging, where I usually write, walk away for breakfast, then edit, and post, podcasting has quite a few more steps. Granted, you can attach the same intro/outro each time, and Descript makes audio editing very easy, it still takes time. I estimate spending about 5-7 times the length of each episode on the editing, show notes, quality control, etc. I hear some podcasts with terrible editing, but I’m a long time audio book listener. So I don’t love that kind of sloppiness, and prefer to spare my listeners.
All in all, podcasting has been a wonderful adventure, and a lovely way to have conversations with people about topics that interest me related to Somatic Wisdom and wellbeing. I will continue it in 2023, likely releasing in seasons, since that feels like a sustainable way to flex when other life activities get busy.
What about you? Are you ready to start expressing yourself in new ways in 2023? If not, why not?
Be well, Amigas/os! Wishing you a wonderful holiday break, if you are fortunate to have one, and the best in the year ahead.
I’m on the verge of completing my first 10 podcast episodes for the Somatic Wisdom podcast! There are about 8 “in the can” as they say in the movie business, and two more concepts on the way that I’ll record or re-record.
Right now I’m going for a twice-monthly “minisode” format because I always feel like I’m making progress when I take small steps but do them more regularly. I realize many people release weekly, but given my personality, I have so many ideas for episodes, and weekly feels WAY too slow.
Yep. It’s a little messy. And it works surprisingly well!
But of course, I reserve the option to cut back if needed. While consistency can be appreciated, I have often found that I respect podcasters or bloggers or people who go “on hiatus” now and then. It is a noisy world out there, and if we think people are going to be wondering where we are if we take time off, we are likely to be disappointed. Of course, if your listenership is relieved when you’re gone, then maybe you need to examine your motives… 😉
My favorite part of podcasting rather than You-Tubing is that I don’t have to get ready for the camera. Of course, not that I did a lot to get ready for it before, but I at least made sure there wasn’t anything on my teeth, and that I wore a decent shirt and brushed my hair. But with podcasting, nobody cares that I’m growing back my long hair and it’s in this icky stage of needing barrettes like my 7-year old self used… they have no idea!
And I’m sharing a photo of the makeshift podcast “studio” here because it’s currently either my dining room or my closet (lots of padding to avoid echoes and weird sound stuff). While I someday hope to “go pro” on it, right now it serves. My biggest goal is to serve my audience and any potential clients who might feel as though they know me better through the podcast.
What about you? Have you begun to explore other types of “edgy” media in your creative lives? How has that gone? Do you like it more or less than blogging?
Take care & be well,
Cristy
P.S. If you might be willing to give me some feedback on the Somatic Wisdom podcast, I would truly appreciate it. And if you would like to receive a free copy of my book (either eBook or paperback format) for doing so, I am happy to provide this as a thank you gift for your support. Mil gracias!
mexi minnesotana 