5 Unexpected Life Lessons Learned from Podcasting, with Host Julie Berman

When Julie Berman started podcasting in February 2020, she had no idea what a podcast was or how to even open the podcast app on her phone. Almost 4 years later, Julie has interviewed more than 60 incredible, diverse women with cool jobs in industries that range from tech, to the arts, trades, and much more. In this episode, she shares the five unexpected lessons she learned from podcasting and how learning these can benefit you in your everyday life -- whether you podcast or not:

1. I’m human, and so are you. 
2. Roll with it, we can figure it out (And quickly is best).
3. Becoming an expert means making mistakes. 
4. Curiosity + action creates the foundation for change. Add in some strategy, and you are going places!
5. We are all magic. 

Also, if you're here in the Phoenix, AZ area (or know someone who is) come join me and an epic guest at the 2nd "Women with Cool Jobs" Podcast LIVE Event on January 27th, 2024, from 10:30 am -12 noon. The special guest is Lina Bearat, a transportation engineer!

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I absolutely LOVE being the host and producer of "Women with Cool Jobs", where I interview women who have unique, trailblazing, and innovative careers. It has been such a blessing to share stories of incredible, inspiring women since I started in 2020.

If you have benefitted from this work, or simply appreciate that I do it, please consider buying me a $5 coffee. ☕️

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/julieberman

Thank you so much for supporting me -- whether by sharing an episode with a friend, attending a LIVE WWCJ event in Phoenix, connecting with me on Instagram @womencooljobs or LinkedIn, sending me a note on my website (www.womenwithcooljobs.com), or by buying me a coffee! It all means so much. <3

Transcript

Julie- Host: 0:00

The idea of being curious is so important. So many of the guests on this podcast, if not all of them, started from a place of curiosity and following something that really intrigued them. That seems like so cool or so interesting. And they ask questions, they ask themselves things like, Is this possible for me? What would this be like if I did this? Or if I tried this, or if I were in this position, and you know, they often don't have a master plan, right? They often don't have a 10 year plan and have it all figured out. So they're often following just their intuition, their curiosity and what sparks them. And then they end up learning more, and they realize, Wow, I love this, like, this is cool. This lights me up, this gives me energy, let's keep going. And then at that point, when women have reached that point, then they start to often get strategic, and that strategy, that is really what propels people forward. Hey, everybody, I'm Julie, and welcome to Women with cool jobs. Each episode will feature women with unique trailblazing and innovative careers. We'll talk about how she got here, what life is like now, and actionable steps that you can take to go on a similar path, or one that's all your own. This podcast is about empowering you. It's about empowering you to dream big, and to be inspired. You'll hear from incredible women in a wide variety of fields, and hopefully some that you've never heard of before. Women who build robots and roadways, firefighters, C suite professionals surrounded by men, social media mavens, entrepreneurs, and I'm so glad we get to go on this journey together.

Unknown: 1:56

Hello, everybody, this is Julie Berman, and welcome to the last episode of women with cool jobs for 2023. So I am so excited that you are here with me to celebrate a whole other year of women with cool jobs. We've had so many incredible guests on the podcast. And I just always feel so so incredibly blessed. And lucky to be doing this, I have met some incredible women. And this past year has been no exception. So I am sharing with you for this last episode, some of the unexpected lessons that podcasting has taught me over the last few years. And I have five of them. Before I get to that I want to tell you about a few important things that I hope you will help me share. And that are ways to help support me in this podcast. So the first thing is that I do this all on my own, I pay for it out of my own pocket, I would love your support if you feel like you've benefited from it in a way or if you just feel like, oh my gosh, I want you to keep going please keep doing this. I signed up for buy me a coffee.com. And this is just simply a way where you can literally offer to buy me a coffee, and whether use that for coffee or actually use it towards my editing and other expenses. But it would be so so appreciated. And of course, if that is not an option for you, because I know funds are tight for so many of us, especially this time of year, because we just have so much going on, I would have really loved one other free way that you can support me is to share this with one other person in your life who you think it would inspire them or make them think about the possibilities of what they could do and where they could be or just that they might really have fun listening to all these incredible stories of women with coal jobs. So that would mean so much. So if you are interested in supporting me financially like by just giving you even $5 would be incredible. You can go to www dot buy me a coffee.com/julie Berman that's ju li e. B as in boy, er ma N and I would be so so grateful. Another way that you can support me is by attending my women with cool jobs live event here in the Phoenix area. The live event is taking place Saturday, January 27. From 10:30am to 12 Noon. I have an amazing guest lined up she was a previous guest on the podcast. Her name is Lena Barrett. She is a transportation engineer. And at these events, we don't just do a mini interview. We actually do some sort of like getting into the role of the person getting into her mind and learning more detail. Will's about what it's like to be in her shoes. And so we are going to do that we have some mix and mingle time because my whole goal for these live events for women with cool jobs is to get into a place where you can meet women from all different careers, all different niches, all different industries, I think it's so common, that when we go to events are in relation to our work and our careers, we end up in these silos, right? Like I used to be in marketing and PR, and I would go to prsa, I would go to PR related events, and I would just meet people who are in those fields. And like so many teachers and engineers, right, you go to these wonderful, wonderful organizations that host these events. But you also only meet people for in silos, right? We're in those same fields and industries as you this is an opportunity and amazing opportunity to meet really, really awesome women who are from completely different spaces, and careers. And you and it's like a really beautiful melting pot of so many so many cool people. And I would love for you to come. If you are in the Phoenix area, definitely feel free to to let me know that you're interested, you can send me something through my website, you can DM me on Instagram or LinkedIn, I need to get the event page up through Eventbrite. So look for that shortly. And I'm just so excited to have that coming. So again, that is Saturday, January 27,

from 10: 6:32

30am to 12. Noon, the location is going to be determined shortly. And I am so looking forward to you being part of the interview aren't here in the Phoenix, Arizona area, if you could do me a huge favor and share it out again, on your social networks verbally. You know, just like chatting with your friends, anyone who you may know who'd been who would be in this area, it means so much. So thank you, thank you, thank you for all your support. I wouldn't do this, like I wouldn't keep doing this. If it wasn't for people getting back to me and say like how much they love it, how excited they are to listen to these incredible women and just like find out what jobs exist and hear their stories. It's been so much fun. And I I hope to be doing it for a long time. So without further ado, we are going to get into the five lessons that I learned unexpectedly through podcasting. My first one is I'm human, and so are you. And this is is obvious, right? This is pretty obvious. But this is one of those things that like, it has become really apparent over the last few years that we all make mistakes, like I've made mistakes I've made, scheduling mistakes, I've made recording mistakes. And of course, this is just referring to podcasting, I make so many other mistakes, you know, whether that's like with my children, and my family, or otherwise, and we all just start doing our best. We're all just human living our human experience. And what I found is so important is really acknowledging that for myself when I make mistakes, giving myself grace, and also acknowledging and honoring that for other people, and giving them grace when mistakes happen, because it really allows for so much less stress. Like it allows for less like fewer stories that we build up around what has happened, like whether it's the mistakes that we made, whether it's things that other people have done, and just allowing for more kindness and giving people and ourselves the benefit of the doubt, and that we had good intentions and like this has come up. You know, in cases of podcasting, this has come up with scheduling with changing timezone, because here in Arizona, we don't we don't do the whole fall back spring forward thing for the timezone changes. So it's it can be very confusing. And sometimes, like, I've had it where people have sick children or people have their car break down. I also had someone who realized they were literally getting on the plane, and going going somewhere for work while they were supposed to be recording with me. And they realized that morning, right? And so what can we do about it, we can just give ourselves and other people grace. And this is actually brought a lot more of a of a easier sort of mindset shift for me like, okay, what can I do? Like when I had the woman who had gotten on a plane? And um, she was she was supposed to be talking to me at that moment. And I just said, Okay, Let's reschedule. Thank you for letting me know when you when you realized it. And I'm so happy to have you on my show. And it it honestly, it was a it was a bummer, right? Like I was so bummed in that moment because I get you know, when I start to do my podcast, like I know going in, I always check my schedule, make sure there aren't any cancellation. And I like kind of, you know, I've done all this research before, but I kind of get like myself psyched up because I want to be really hiney energize I want to be excited, I want to be remembering the important things that I want to talk about or ask questions about they that I want to make sure that you guys can learn from this amazing woman. And so I kind of tried to get myself into this position where I'm ready for that podcast so that it's like, I have to get off that energy ramp and come back to town, and be like, Okay, we're saving this for another day. So it is super disappointing. But I have just found that I have an easier time. And I also, like I said, I don't make up as many stories I do all, I'm honest, mean to myself about things when I make a mistake. So it's something an area that I'm I'm working on still, all the time, because I can still be really negative and mean to myself, but especially, you know, with myself and other people, and especially with other people, I've gotten to the point with this podcast that like it is what it is. And I give people the benefit of the doubt. And I know we all have crazy things happening all the time. And there's just some things we can control and some things we can't. So that's the first one is I'm human, and so argue, the second one is roll with it, we can figure it out and quicker is better. So over my three, almost four years of podcasting, I have learned that it is essential when I face some sort of glitch or technical issue or noise issue that I just really have to roll with it. And I have to try new things quickly, as quickly as possible. And that even sometimes if I find a band aid solution that is perfect for right now, that is not perfect for long term that that is okay. And for, for me, for those of you who are listening, and you know me really well, you will know this about me like, I am a planner, I am someone who does tons of research. And I did that very, very well for over three decades. I'm about to be 40 Next year, I did up until the last few years, like basically up until I started this podcast. And then at the same time the pandemic happened. And it was this whole crazy thing of like me being at a very different place in the world. As we all were and then taking a program and starting this podcast that I really started to think differently because of who I was talking to because of the program I was in because of the world changing with pandemic and all those those things just kind of happened at once. But at that time was really when I started to be able to think about, I don't have to do things perfectly. I don't have to have them planned out. I still love that. And I still really, really love to do my research and really love to have a plan. But I have had to learn to roll with things. Because when I first started podcasting, like I remember when I would have someone come on, they would have maybe an issue with their microphone or I would have an issue where they couldn't hear me like there was something going on. And I remember thinking at the beginning, I was so nervous and so anxious. And like I was thinking all these things in my head, which I didn't of course say out loud, like, oh my gosh, just seem so professional, or why can't I figure this out if it just wasn't helpful, right. And it was just adding to my stress it was adding to my anxiety and those types of things. It's not going to help you in this situation. And I still was, of course, like going through the actions, trying to figure out what it was. But I've learned over time and having things still happen, like still having things happen that I have not dealt with technical glitch wise and otherwise, that I just learned to kind of laugh it off and say like, oh my gosh, here we go. I've also learned to add in a little bit of extra time on the front end, because sometimes things happen. And I just make do with what I can do. And right. That's all, that's all the choice we have. And so I really try as hard as I can now to find a solution, I try to take action, I try to do something, because for me, this is just my personality. And so I don't want to, like put this on anyone else. But for me, and who I am, I've learned that the longer I stay in one place, and I don't do anything. And then I think of all these things, and my brain goes in circles. Like my husband calls it, you know, my circles like I just like what if this? And what if that? And what if this and then I don't get into any action and then I just get more and more stuck and I get more and more anxious. And so I've learned personally for me that it is incredibly helpful to just do it. Do it take action. It's okay, if it's messy. It's okay if it's not perfect, but at least I did it and like literally here I am. I've been doing this. I started the whole podcasting process. I started in February of 2020. And it took me from February 2020 to October of 2022 release my first few episodes because I had never podcasted before I didn't even know where the app was on my phone. I didn't have any friends who podcasted so I literally was starting from zero I did not know anything about anything, and I write, I've been doing it since then, and just like figuring it out, and it's definitely not perfect, I've definitely have things that like, I can look back on and be like, Oh, I could have done this instead of this. But I really try now to be in action. And doing action like taking quicker action is best. So that is the biggest lesson here. And there's something about practicing finding solutions, that makes it easier and less stressful over time. Meaning that we all can learn to handle hard or stressful situations better over time. So that is number two roll with it, we can figure it out and quickly is best. Number three, becoming an expert means making mistakes, we are a beginner on the way to becoming an expert, I'm gonna say that again, because this is so important. We are a beginner on the way to becoming an expert. So this goes for all of my guests, every single guest you've ever heard on this podcast, and myself included, they have started out as a beginner. Sometimes, right, like they started out at the beginning of their journey. And they really, they really had no intention of becoming an expert. They just lead with curiosity. And yet, they are now right. And so that whole process, the whole process of becoming an expert means taking action, right, which is what we talked about a little bit in the last one, it means going down a path. And it also means making mistakes along the way. Sometimes this means making teeny meaning mistakes, right? Like things that that could have just been better. But like you'll fix it next time. It's no biggie, like, you'll just get off, dust yourself off and move along. Sometimes this means making huge mistakes, right, like painful mistakes that we don't ever want to repeat. I know for me, when it came to podcasting, one of the most, I think, devastating mistakes in relation to podcasting was one time I was recording and this was towards the beginning of what probably within the first year of when I started the podcast, I was recording this episode with a woman who, you know, she actually was on TV, she was someone who was in the trades. And I felt so lucky to be able to interview her and I was so excited. And I went in I record on Zoom. And I think like my Zoom had updated, I don't even remember. But basically what happened was I pushed the record button to record the interview. And what actually happened was that I found out at the end, when I went to go send this file to my editor that I had already been automatically recording at the beginning of that podcast episode so that when I went to push that button to record, I actually stopped the entire recording. And you better believe it. I was crying like bawling. I was so upset. And after that the woman who I interviewed, she was actually pregnant. So she was about to have a baby. And so I still haven't been able to interview her again. And maybe I might in the future I would absolutely love to cuz she's a rock star and so cool. But man I was so I was so devastated. I've never done that again, and I hope you don't knock on wood. I hope to never do that again. Because that was a hard. That was a hard, hard lesson to learn. And, but I it made me better. It made me better at what I do. I'm also very careful about certain things. And yeah, and particular about certain things. So we all we all are a beginner on the way to becoming an expert and being an expert means making mistakes. That is number three. Okay, so then next one, the fourth one is curiosity and action creates the foundation for cage. If you add in some strategy, you are going places my friend so this is a really big deal to think about. I this like blew my mind because I had someone call out this strategy perk to me, someone who I now call a friend who who's been a guest, and I really like love her. And I think she's so incredible and so smart. And she's at an amazing place in her career, and she's worked really hard to get there. And she told me that she thinks that Yes, her success is in large part due to her talent. Some of it is due to luck, but 50% 50% She thinks is strategy. That is huge, huge, huge, huge. And I was really amazed to hear her say this and also so grateful to her her say this because she said that, especially as a woman in fields where women are not as prevalent, right where we just don't see as many women or women don't get as high as they would like to When it comes to being in these positions of true decision making abilities, and the ability to change cultures, the ability to affect change. So she said that 50% was strategy. I think this is incredibly important because for me, I was someone and I'll be honest here, like, who really never sought it in strategy, like, maybe for you, I don't want to be for anyone else. Maybe a lot of other people think about this. But this is not something that I really ever thought about. I always really thought about like, okay, if I'm good at what I do, if I put in a lot of effort, if I try really hard, all these things, that I will hopefully be successful, right, that I will hopefully get to where I want to go. I don't think that's the case now. And I'm saying this, and I hope that I'm wrong. But after hearing this, it really, it really, like clicked for me. And I was like, Man, I gotta be more strategic. So with this one with this is so important. So curiosity, the idea of being curious is so important. So many of the guests on this podcast, if not all of them, started from a place of triage at and following something that really intrigued them for seemed like so cool or so interesting. And they ask questions, they ask themselves things like, Is this possible for me? Why would this be like if I did this, or if I tried this, or if I were in this position, and they often don't have a master plan, right, they often don't have a 10 year plan and have it all figured out. So they're often following just their intuition or curiosity of what sparks them. And then they end up learning more, and they realize, Wow, I love this, like, this is cool, this lights me up, this gives me energy, let's keep going. And then at that point, when women have reached that point, then they start to often get strategic in that strategy. That is really what propels people forward in the most powerful and important way. And so that is why I'm sharing this with you. I think such a cool example of this is I'm thinking back like way, way back. There's an incredible smokejumper, who was on his podcast, and her name at that time was Madison, but more and like, honestly, she just got married. So I don't know her new married name. But you'll see it in the podcast is Madison boudoir. And she's amazing because she would jump out of a plane, walk toward wildland fires, and help put them out right help make safety in that area for people with her colleagues. And she's incredible because she she her father was in the career of like firefighters and had knowledge of what a smoke jumper with a smoke jumper, if you've never heard of it is basically a firefighter. At the peak of firefighting like you. You can't listen. It's so competitive. It's such a tough job, that you have to be in peak condition. It's really hard to get these jobs. They're very few of them in the United States. And she asked her dad, she she heard about this book, and it mentioned smokejumpers. And she's like, Oh, what's that? And she basically was told what it was her dad explained what it was. And she's like, Oh, I wonder if this is possible for me. Can I do this? And so she had her mindset that like she just wanted to see if it is possible. And I know the last time I chatted with her that she was now training other smokejumpers so not only did she prove it was possible, like she, I mean, she's incredible. So definitely go back and listen to to that episode. But it was so cool. Because she was curious, she took action, she added in some strategy. And now she is like, epically cool. And epically cool smokejumper, who's not teaching other people how to do this. So that's just one example. But it is so powerful, right? These things in combination. So curiosity, and action creates a foundation, add in some strategy, and zoom. Right, you're going places. The last thing that is so important, and and I this is this is one of the things that it sounds so like hokey and corny, but, but I feel so deeply that I'm sharing and we so we are all magic. In the midst of mundane tasks like for me because I'm a mom of three. I like dropping off kids everywhere. I'm picking up kids everywhere. We're taking them to a bustling activities and school. And then there's like all the chaos that's going on in politics. There's all the chaos that's going on in the world like this heartbreaking turmoil and all these things like affecting our world. And it can feel really overwhelming. But I love one of the reasons I truly, truly love doing this podcast and having these really, really intimate conversations with people and holding space for people and learning about what they do and like learning about who they are and seeing people is that it's so clear to means that we are all magic, we are all magic, meaning that we all bring our own unique thoughts, our own unique talents, our own visions of what's possible to the world. If you think about so many things that we use now, like the fact that we can use this strange little rectangle in our hands, and we can communicate with someone all the way across the world and send pictures and see what their kids look like. Like, that is amazing. And someone thought of that, like, that was someone's vision that never existed before, the fact that we are driving roads, and that we can do so all over the country all over the world, like some of the foods that we're able to make. I mean, like, even, I mean, this is ridiculous example. But like, my kids are obsessed with Lucky Charms, they get that grandma and Papa's house. And they love their Lucky Charms. So like how to think of that, right? So like, we were all magical, we are all magic. And I think if we can take a moment, especially in this season, of like focusing on one individual at a time, it is, it is something that's so important, and that I love how each of us has these innate gifts, these innate talents like this has become clear during this podcast. But it also helped people through spark types, which there's 10 archetypes that spark you, and I'm certified in this, if you haven't heard about me doing that before, but I help people also find Career Clarity. And I've helped do some really fun team building workshops with these archetypes. And it's so interesting to that, like when I'm talking to people having these conversations for podcasting or for working with people with sparks. It's so amazing how people just talk about, like, what they've done in their experiences, how they've, you know, I've had people in the tech industry talk about, like, oh, how they just do this, this and this, and they work with, you know, like customs and things all over the world. And they make it sound so easy and so intuitive. And it literally blows my mind feels like I have no idea what you're talking about. But tell me more, because this is awesome. And like, these are huge skill sets that people have that they don't even realize that they have, or the ability for some of my guests. Like, you know, I had one guest who I just think was so rad because she she creates the slides that you slide down at the water parks and she creates the how you feel when you walk in, like, what are the colors? What do you see? Which paths do you take when you go into these water parks? And what are the pools like like, how big are the waves, they she creates all of this, what incredible skill set is that and like she just I don't know, she just couldn't do it. It's just so miraculous and awesome to me. And so the point of this is, we all have these things that come and eat to us that come naturally to us. Also things that interests us, like what interests me isn't going to interest you is not going to interest my children is not going to interest you know, some of my friend. And that is so cool. And I, I love this idea. And that's what I wanted to end on this idea that we are all magic, we all bring so much to the world, whether we, whether we realize that or not, it is true. And so I hope that you if you're listening to this, just look around you. And when you're having a conversation with someone just take like a quick moment doesn't even have to be like a minute it can be like 1020 seconds to just like acknowledge how cool you are, like whatever you're discussing and how cool that other individual is, and how we all bring so much into the world. And how magical that all is taking that time to really honor that in yourself and honor that others is so special. And so I appreciate if you do that. So Happy, Happy Holidays to you to your loved ones. I hope you are doing something that is meaningful to you during this season. I hope if you are missing someone that you are comforted by friends and family or by something that that speaks to your heart, and I am so excited to see you in 2024 I already have so many really, really epic women lined up with cool jobs. I'm super excited. And of course do not forget if you were able to help me whether that's by sharing out an episode with someone you think will think this is cool, whether that's by going on to buy me a coffee.com/julie Berman, I so appreciate that as well. And also by coming to the women with cool jobs live event on Saturday, January 27 from 10:30am to 12 Noon. I would love to see you there. And definitely bring a friend if you are here in the valley. If you do not live here in the valley, but you are able to share it out on social on LinkedIn on Instagram or by word of mouth by just telling a friend I I would so appreciate it. It means so much. And I'm so happy to be here with you at the end of 2023. Happy, happy holidays. And here is to a magical beginning of 2024. I will see you then.

Julie- Host: 30:17

Hey, everybody, thank you so much for listening to women with cool jobs. I'll be releasing a new episode every two weeks. So make sure you hit that subscribe button. And if you love the show, please give me a five star rating. Also, it would mean so much if you share this episode with someone you think would love it or would find it inspirational. And lastly, do you have ideas for future shows? Or do you know any Rockstar women with cool jobs? I would love to hear from you. You can email me at Julie at women with cool jobs.com Or you can find me on Instagram at women who will jobs again that women will jobs. Thank you so much for listening and have an incredible day