Why I Almost Quit the Podcast
And what I learned when I took a break
On this week’s episode of The Next Right Thing we considered the question: Is it time to Quit or Take a Break? How to Know the Difference. Now I’ll host an episode-adjacent conversation here at The Soul Minimalist. If you’re wondering if it’s time for you to quit or take a break, maybe my own process can help you, too.
Back in May, as I was finishing up the official launch of How to Walk into a Room, I was also quietly holding a question close to my heart: Is my time in the podcast room nearing its end?
I wasn’t ready to answer the question yet but I carried it with me, looking for arrows to my next right thing. (By the way, if you are also carrying a question that doesn’t have a clear or easy answer, perhaps my Arrows Workshop will bring some next steps.)
Ending is never easy, especially when it’s going relatively well, is loved by others, and is making cool things possible.
For example, back in January as a direct result of my own podcast, I was invited to be a guest on Emma Chamberlain’s podcast, Anything Goes. Because most of my substack readers are not GenZ, I don’t assume you know who Emma Chamberlain is so I will share this quote from RollingStone:
“[In the past six years], Emma Chamberlain has gone from a floundering high school sophomore to a person with one of the fastest-growing channels on YouTube to a red-carpet icon and podcast sensation and ostensible voice of her generation.”
Our vibes are different you could just say. I don’t know for sure how I got on their radar except for the fact that I have a podcast about decision making and that’s what they wanted me to talk about. In the email I received from someone at Spotify, they said they wanted to bring me on to talk with Emma about decision-making and life choices.
When I told my kids it went something like this:
Me: “Hey, is Emma Chamberlain that YouTuber you all watched during the pandemic?”
Ava: “Yes I listen to her podcast all the time. I love her.”
Me: “So they invited me to be on her podcast but it means I would have to go to LA next month and I’m not sure . . .”
Actual footage of my kids:
After seeing their response I knew I had to go even though my publicist had 1. never heard of Emma Chamberlain. 2. didn’t think traveling to LA would be worth it because 3. the average age of her podcast listener is 14 years old and 4. they don’t tend to buy books written by 40-somethings.
Reader, she was not wrong.
But also, if you have a teenager or a young twenty-something, I bet you your oat milk latte they know who Emma Chamberlain is and nothing gave me more credibility among them than appearing on her podcast.
So I said yes. And not only did I go, I brought the twins with me because of course I did. We had a big time in Los Angeles seeing all the sights, eating all the food, and being ridiculous behind the scenes at Spotify studios. Emma was a complete delight and we had a big good time.
Here we are at one of the places I’ve wanted to visit for a decade:
And so when I tell you that in my wildest imagination I would never have imagined some of the rooms I’ve been invited into because of my work hosting The Next Right Thing I am saying something that is true.
What is also true is this: the big-name invites are fun and important but the most meaningful invitation comes listeners like you who invite me along in your car and your kitchen, on your workout or cooldown, when you’re anxious or chaotic or sad.
The podcast opens doors for my voice to be in rooms I’ll never see with my eyes but I’m able to be present in with my voice. Which is why it may be hard to imagine why I wondered if it might be time to stop.
While things were a bit cloudy at the end of the spring, I can share (upon reflection) some of questions I asked myself when I was carrying the question: Is it time to quit the podcast or do I just need a break?
Note to my free subscribers who are only seeing a partial post: I’m so glad you’re here! I keep sending these teaser posts so that you can see what we’re talking about here and make an informed decision should you one day decide to join as a paid subscriber.
The paywall is here not because I’m trying to keep anyone out but because I want to write for a very long time and that requires getting paid for my work. I also want to be able to share things with you without the whole internet being able to listen in.
I try to repeat myself often but people still sometimes email fussing at me for charging for my work so I’ll say this again here: if you want to be here but can’t afford the $5/month fee, we offer scholarships to everyone who asks. Check out this page to learn more.