Can you believe it? It has been a whole year since I embarked on this podcasting adventure! The Pursuit of Wholeness Podcast is one today June 14! It has been a wild ride and so much fun! I have had the opportunity to connect with many extraordinary guests on the podcast and have some really empowering and enlightening conversations!
And most amazing of all, I have had the chance to talk directly with many people worldwide who happened upon my podcast and took the time to listen! I am beyond grateful for you and the positive and supportive feedback I received!
This year has brought me so many lessons, and here are a few.
Follow your dreams – It’s ALWAYS worth it to follow your dreams. I dreamed of creating a podcast over 2 years ago but kept talking myself out of it. But finally, I couldn’t deny the pull any longer. It was time to put the doubt, negative thoughts, and fear aside and start. Yes, there have been bumps in the road, but it’s been overwhelmingly positive and fulfilling! 100% worth it! I would do it again in a heartbeat. Only thing I would change is starting it sooner, instead of feeling like I needed 6 months to research and plan.
Ha! And funny enough, “Following Your Dreams” is an idea that resonates with many people, because my episode: The Pursuit of Your Dreams with Honey Borrego is the most downloaded episode this year! This surprised me because this is a podcast about nutrition and wellness. But this goes to show that our dreams are powerful and meaningful. We all just want to “find our brave” enough to make them happen!
Listen: The Pursuit of Your Dreams with Honey Borrego
Be Brave: This is another important lesson I learned. Be brave. Don’t let all the what-ifs get in the way of something you want. During this year, I have learned this lesson over and over. This was true of starting the podcast and true about asking people I follow and admire to join me for a conversation. When I started, there were a few topics I wanted to discuss, and I had a guest in mind, but I thought, “Yikes, they have a pretty big following, I don’t know if they want to come on my little newbie show.” And some did say no (or didn’t reply), but a few said yes! I adore and appreciate all my guests, but two of the episodes that I was so excited to “land” were…
Listen:
Hormonal Health & Perimenopause with Dr. Tara Scott MD, FACOG
PCOS & Women’s Health with Cory Ruth, MS, R.D.N.
Get Help: One of the most significant gifts I gave myself in this process was help with editing the show! I am a big “I can figure it out myself” person, so I spent the first few episodes recording and editing the show myself. O.M.G., this almost ruined everything! It was so time-consuming, and I was so critical of every pause, stutter, and, ah. I almost threw in the towel, but then I thought, “How much would it be for someone else to edit for me?” This podcast is not yet self-sustaining, so editing it is an additional cost (beyond the time resources I was already spending writing the outlines, researching, finding guests…ect). But I found it was doable…and after a few episodes, it was worth every dang penny! I am SOOOOOOOO thankful to my editor because he does a beautiful job and saves me so much time, energy, and heartache! I think this was the first episode he edited for me!
Listen: Episode 6 – Heal Your Gut with the 5 Rs
Keep Going: New stuff is the hardest stuff. When I started this, I had big plans and goals, but I didn’t know what I didn’t know. There were (and still are) so many questions. How will I fit this new and pretty big thing into my already-packed schedule? How will I make this self-sustaining or even profitable? Will I be a good enough interviewer? What will I talk about each week?
But as is true of all things, I figured it out as I went along! And I am still learning and perfecting. The time management thing has been a challenge. My goal was to publish an episode every week, but that didn’t happen (I have 37 episodes instead of 52). And I am still working on the self-sustaining part.
But I am confident in my ability to learn, grow and evolve; if I keep putting one foot in front of the other, I will get there.
Overall I can say this podcast has been a blessing! I am so grateful to have the opportunity to share my knowledge and what I am so passionate about, and that is the transformative power of health, wellness, nutrition, self-love, personal growth, and so much more. I can’t believe I have a platform to put so much goodness into the world, and I am even more grateful that people take the time to listen and share.
So far, The Pursuit of Wholeness Podcast has over 2000 downloads and has grown to just over 50 downloads per week. And this is a great start, but I have big goals for the next year! I want to 5x the number of downloads to 250 per week and 10,000 for the year!
Do you think we can do it? I think we can do it together!
I need your help to make it happen! Subscribing and rating the show is a HUGE help. It increases the visibility so more people can find it. Also, please share the episodes with anyone you feel would enjoy and find value in my information!
And finally, let me know your thoughts about an episode or if you have suggestions for a topic! You can D.M. me on Instagram @sally.twellman or fill out this Form.
Thank you again for your support this year. I honestly couldn’t do it without you! I am excited to see what gifts the next few years bring!
Wishing you so much Health and Happiness on your own pursuit of wholeness!
XO,
Sally
