“I make a full-time income as a podcast host!”
“As a local TV reporter and then a radio host, I used to wake up very early to go to work. But as my kids got older, I wanted to find a flexible way to make money so I could be around when they had activities at night. I had listened to podcasts since they first became popular and thought about launching my own. My son has type 1 diabetes, and although there were podcasts on the topic, they were focused on personal stories. I wanted to hear a podcast with news. But I was so intimidated by the technology that I put it off for months. Then a friend interviewed me on his podcast, and when he told me how he did it, I realized it was a lot easier than I expected. So in 2015, I launched my podcast, Diabetes Connections (Diabetes-Connections.com).
“To get started, I purchased a microphone, downloaded Skype to record the podcast and paid for hosting through Liberated Syndication, a company that publishes the episodes to podcast apps like Apple and Stitcher. Each episode, I do a 40-minute interview with insulin companies, celebs or athletes. In the beginning, I would ask people I knew from the diabetes community to be on the show, but now guests reach out to me. I cover anything to do with type 1 diabetes, from diagnosis to new technology.
“I monetize the podcast with three to four advertisers a year, but now I also get offers for paid speaking engagements. I love the flexibility and autonomy of podcasting. I work 15–20 hours a week and make a full-time income, money that pays the bills, goes back into the business and allows our family to travel.”