Becoming happier in a year of devastation and anxiety
I was rather proud of how well I held up in 2020 despite everything thrown my way. The loss of my job was a silver lining. Family illnesses taught me the importance of the present. Staying home allowed me to grow my business.
Yet, we entered into autumn and changed our clocks. More darkness, cooler weather, and the imminent “how do we celebrate the holidays this year?” settled into my anxiety-prone brain.
I about lost it.
Something needed to change because I was right on track for burnout and an anxiety attack. …
Solopreneur | Podcast Manager | Cat Mom
Bio
Hi there! I’m Kristi Jacobsen — a solopreneur, podcast manager, traveler, Canadian, equestrian, and cat mom. I’m also currently a Senior Customer Service Manager, but I’ll be breaking free from the customer service life in March 2021 to become a content creator and podcast consultant.
I’m a 34-year old Los Angeles resident with a passion for travel and a desire to become a digital nomad (when it’s safe, of course). My family and I moved to the United States in 1994 and I grew up in New Jersey. …
It’s about time podcasts had a social network
First, we had last.fm to track and share our music listening habits, favorite albums and artists, and connect with fellow audiophiles.
Then came Goodreads, a social cataloging website for book lovers and a popular place to receive recommendations and join book clubs.
Yet platforms to catalog and share podcasts remained elusive. Sure you could share podcasts and episodes on social media, but it’s not the same as seeing all your friend’s favorite podcasts in one place.
Until now.
Enter Goodpods, a podcast player and social space launched mid-pandemic.
Though the app is in its infancy, it holds promise. There isn’t anything like it on the market, and the popularity of similar apps and sites for other content mediums can only lead to growth. …
Don’t waste the podcast host’s time or energy
As fast as the podcast industry grew, so did podcast pitching. There are now companies dedicated to pitching guests to podcasts, and PR companies are finding podcasts are a great way to promote their clients and their projects.
There are podcasts for all topics and niches, and many people find guesting on podcasts helps them obtain clients, get more sales, and raise their brand awareness. It’s a lucrative (and free!) opportunity that sometimes comes with the mentality of throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping it sticks.
In this case, the “spaghetti” is pitches, and the wall is, well, every podcast out there. Guest often pitch to any podcast they come across, regardless of topic, niche, or even target audience. As a business owner, I can understand (maybe?). You want to get your name out there and try to get on as many podcasts as you can. At the same time, however, a good business owner or professional would know their target audience and seek out podcasts that reach them. …
The devil is in the details
New podcasters are often surprised at the number of steps and the details involved in launching a podcast and releasing episodes. While many think you can hit “record”, upload the audio, and then publish, it’s far more complex.
There are many steps to consider when launching a podcast, from guest management to editing, creating show notes, uploading, and promotion. There are so many steps to my clients’ podcasts (and steps can differ from podcast to podcast) that I use a project and task management tool to make sure I complete each step.
Asana is my favorite tool for managing podcasts, but you can use other project management tools similarly. …
When a pandemic “to-do” list takes its toll
For those of us lucky enough to shift from the office to work-from-home, the pandemic and lockdowns allowed us to take on new hobbies, side hustles, and personal or professional development.
We filled our days with language lessons, online courses, content writing, and devouring books. As the lockdowns ebbed and flowed, we stuck to our personal growth plans, determined to come out of 2020 and the pandemic entirely new people.
Some of us needed to step up our side hustles to make up for lost wages or, like me, prepare for eventual unemployment as jobs shift to other locations or get cut entirely. According to this CNBC article, there was an increase of two million freelancers since 2019. Some rely on the extra income to pay bills, others are saving it for the future, or with layoffs, freelancing may be the sole source of income for some. …
Books that changed my perspective and year
Every year, I set an ambitious reading challenge goal, one I never reach. At the beginning of 2020, I made a more modest goal of 20 books, hoping I would read half of it.
I anticipated a busy year of travel for work and pleasure, building my business, and spending time on other hobbies. Then, Los Angeles went into lockdown, and I found myself with more time on my hands than I ever imagined.
I quickly tackled books on my shelf, joined a book club, and found myself following #bookstagram. …
Why I’m planning to become a minimalist
You never think you have too much stuff until you move. With everything tucked neatly away in closets, on bookshelves, and in cupboards, it never seems like you have too many unnecessary items.
I lived in my Los Angeles apartment for over three years. It was spacious, but I only had a certain amount of space for myself with a roommate.
When I suddenly needed to move and put everything into storage within two weeks, I thought, “no problem! I don’t need much space!” …
How I plan to get through an unusual Christmas
Christmas was always a time for my family to gather. We either visited extended family in Canada or family came to us.
As the years went on, cousins married and spent time with spouses’ families. The extended family grew, but gatherings shrunk.
Yet, despite the shift in holiday plans, our immediate family always spent the holiday together.
A Pandemic Christmas
We knew from the onset that this Christmas would look vastly different than others. My sister, brother-in-law, and grandmother live in Canada. …
Mieko Kawakami’s novel ‘Breasts and Eggs’ prompted a near existential crisis
When I joined a book club earlier this summer, as the pandemic picked up steam, I expected to read new-to-me authors, learn about other cultures, and spend my time on something that would enhance my writing skills and my world view.
What I didn’t expect was for the books to leave a lasting impact on my perceptions of the world.
October’s book club read for Caitriona Balfe’s book club was Mieko Kawakami’s Breasts and Eggs. Most books, whether for the book club or my choosing, I read, appreciate, learn from, and move on.
Yet, Breasts and Eggs was different.
Kawakami had me pause, think about my life and desires, and nearly have an existential crisis. After each chapter, I spent time trying to reconcile my thoughts about life, death, aging, reproduction, and motherhood with those presented in the book. …
