Curating Content That Connects for Your Newsletter with Kate Sage

I’m obsessed with this simple idea for sharing your work without burning out. Kate Sage is using a weekly podcast digest to add value to her email newsletter, showcase her expertise, and shout out other creators.

In this episode:
0:00 Why she ditched the idea of starting a podcast and did this instead
2:33 The simple format behind her weekly podcast digest
5:49 How she stays consistent without burning out or overthinking content
12:00 Why her audience actually reads and loves these emails
17:10 How this idea evolved from something that wasn’t working
24:00 The unexpected way curating content builds trust and authority

Hang out with Kate Sage:
sageef.com

Hang out with Deanna:
deannaseymour.com
jointheplayhouse.com
instagram.com/thedeannaseymour

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:21

Hey, I'm Deanna Seymour. Welcome to another episode of Cool People Doing Cool Things, where I interview cool people doing cool things. Today I'm talking to Kate Sage, an ADHD and executive function coach who supports adults through a personalized, learning-centered approach. I asked Kate to come on and talk about her weekly podcast digest, and we're gonna dig into what it is, how it works, and her results. But as you listen, I would love for you to start thinking about what you could make inspired by something that you're already doing in your business. So she used to be a language arts teacher, I used to be an art teacher. This is a really fun episode. So listen in, get inspired, and enjoy the show. Hey Kate, how's it going? Hey, good to see you. Good morning. You too. Okay, I'm so excited to record this. For anybody listening, I recently did a nine grid for Kate and immediately was like, okay, ADHD coach, executive functioning coach. Like, I love your messaging, I loved your vibe. And so I was like, okay, we're gonna be friends. And then this is how I trick people into being my friend by inviting them on my podcast.

SPEAKER_01 1:31

I love it. And I will just say too, it's an honor after several decades to be nominated as a cool person. So thank you. It took a long time, but thank you.

SPEAKER_00 1:39

So welcome. Oh my gosh. This series is, I mean, obviously it's not the most um creative name, cool people doing cool things, but I just was like, I want to talk to cool people when I see them doing cool things. And so let's give the people a little bit of background before we jump into the cool thing that I want us to talk about today. So tell the people just a little bit about you and your work. And I know I already sort of spilled the beans on who you work with, but give us a scoop. Great, great.

SPEAKER_01 2:06

So I'm Kate Sage. I'm an executive function and ADHD coach for adults. I'm a former teacher, so I approach coaching from a learning perspective. And let's see, what else? Um, of course, I help adults with time management skills and figuring out a workflow that works for the way that they learn and process. But honestly, I feel like what I keep coming back to in conversations with clients is ways to help busy, overwhelmed adults give themselves more compassion when they're struggling and see that it's not a personal failure. There are a lot of cognitive, holistic, real-world reasons why we all have a hard time. And I think if we can just find ways to be a little more gentle with ourselves on the days when we are struggling and to build a toolkit and think about what is in our control to adapt and modify as needed so that we can get through the day and be a little nicer to ourselves. Really, that's my ultimate goal.

SPEAKER_00 3:10

I love it. And that definitely comes through in your work and on your website and hopefully in your nine grid. Um okay. So while we're working on your nine grid, I'm always like, okay, what do you where do you want people to go? And you were like, I want them to get the F off this platform. Like, I'm not trying to hang out on these nasty billionaire created platforms. Strong feelings on that, which I also love. Um, and one of the things that you do in your email newsletter is what you call a podcast digest. Correct. Okay. You are. Yep. Okay. So tell us what that is. Because honestly, that was the thing that I was like, oh my God, this is so cool. Anytime I see something, anytime I see somebody like talking about their work in a way that I haven't seen before or creating something brand new that I haven't seen before, I'm like, hold up, mind blown. Tell us about this podcast digest. Because I think most of us feel the pressure to just like start a podcast or do a thing. And you're like, hold up, here's what I'm gonna do.

SPEAKER_01 4:09

So tell us about that. First of all, it must be so cool in your job to just get to talk to so many different kinds of professionals about their work and what they do. Like that, that I would just love that. Um so I'll talk about what it is and then maybe we can talk about where it came from. But once a week-ish, most Wednesdays, I always say. Um, most Wednesdays, I send out a short podcast digest. Um, if you're familiar with Blinkist, I don't know if you've ever heard of that app. It's um it's very ADHD friendly. It's a an app that gives a very brief summary of a book and bullet points of like this this book might be for you if. Basically, that's what the podcast digest is. So each week I feature someone else's podcast. I want to be clear, it's not mine, but I feature somebody else's podcast episode about ADHD, neurodiversity, um, executive functioning, mental health, um, daily strategies, really anything that's connected to my work. Um, there's always a link to that podcast episode. And then it's three sections. So there's a key point summary, basically here the main talking points of the episode. Um, this might be for you if, um, which is just a quick little shortcut for um letting letting people know what they might take away from it. And then the last part really, I think, is the most direct marketing part of it, and it's what lingers in my coaching brain. So that's really my interpretations. It might be what I personally for my own work or just for my own life found useful about that episode. It might be this reminds me of a story that came out of a recent coaching appointment with a client. Um, it might be this is an issue that I don't think we're talking about enough when it comes to ADHD or to mental health. Um, I choose a variety of creators. Um I think the the world of ADHD focused podcasts, I think is still mostly white female creators, and I really try to not feature only not demographic, but really a wide demographic, wide variety of topics. The episodes are always under an hour long, they're usually between like 25 and 40 minutes. Um, and I try to keep them uh from within the last three years. So pretty recent too. Okay. Yeah. So that comes out most Wednesdays on my mailing list.

SPEAKER_00 6:47

Awesome. Um, okay, so how long have you been doing it?

SPEAKER_01 6:53

Oh gosh, you know, that's probably something I should know off the top of my head. Um, a little, it's been a little over a year. Um edition number 67 just came out actually right before we started recording this today. And I've only missed a couple weeks. So that tells me it's been a little over a year.

SPEAKER_00 7:12

Yeah. That's awesome. See, and the reason I'm asking is just because I love it when people find something that feels sustainable for them. And like over a year is amazing. Um yeah, yeah. So congrats on that. I love that.

SPEAKER_01 7:28

Thank you, thank you. And and honestly, it's it's a way of holding myself accountable for further research because I really like podcasts and I listen to them often on my own anyway, but this gives me a reason to keep listening. And it gives me a I I I always feel like that's something I miss about teaching, is like if I can talk to people about a shared media experience, I take so much more away from it. So, you know, I don't I don't even know how many people actually end up listening to the episode that I feature, but it's a way to hold myself accountable for now. I do want to keep learning, I do want to keep hearing from a right a variety of voices. Um, this is a way to keep myself doing that, hold myself accountable to do that regularly.

SPEAKER_00 8:21

Yeah, I um love also, I'm probably maybe, I mean, you can weigh in on this, but the reason that's also sustainable for you is because it's you being able to create content off of something that you want to do anyways, yeah, is perfect. Like you're saying, it's it's kind of for you on one level. And then it's like a bonus that you get to sort of digest the material, which you want to do anyways, to grow from. And then you're just like sharing it. Um one thing that also caught my eye about it is that it's collaborative, like you're shouting out other voices and other people's work, which I think you know, we all say um what I'm like, we all say that thing I can't remember right now. What do what do people say? Like comp competition. Oh my god, I always sound like George Bush when I try to say something like this. What do they say? Collaboration over competition. Is that what they say? Yes, I like that. People say it, but I think when you get into it, some people still get nervous. Like they might say it, but then when you start to dig into it, they're like, but why would I, but what this is like another ADHD part, like, why would I shout out this podcast just talking to my same people? So I always love when I see people doing the thing because it is lots of people say it, but I don't think everybody really leans into it, you know.

SPEAKER_01 9:42

Yeah, yeah. And that's that's something that's interesting is like I don't I don't think these creators know that I'm featuring them. I mean, I have a I have a very modest, modest at this point mailing list. Modest, I will say, modest but loyal. Um talking about metrics for a second. I looked recently at the open rate for my podcast digest, and of course I send other marketing emails as well, but my weekly podcast digest has my highest open rate, and I think my average is 58% open rate. Yeah. Um, so yeah, modest following, but loyal following. But I don't most of the time, I mean, occasionally I'll post about it on Instagram and tag the podcast that I featured that week. But yeah, for the most part, I don't think that the people I'm featuring even know that they're being featured, but I hope it gets them some more followers. I mean, I intentionally choose the episodes that I'm featuring. Um, I try to feature lesser known podcasts. Um and yeah, so I hope it gets people some more followers.

SPEAKER_00 10:52

Yeah. Um, I think that's interesting. I would, I mean, you didn't ask for feedback, so can I just say something? Can I say an opinion? Please. Um, I think you should definitely let them know. Like email them and just be like, hey, I'm Kate. I just think your episode was really cool. And I just want to let you know that I featured it in my digest. Yeah. Just to like expand your network and let them know.

SPEAKER_01 11:13

I like that. I don't know why that feels scary for me, but that doesn't mean that it's a bad idea. I think actually the fact that I feel a little scared about it means it's probably a good idea. Yeah. I like that. Yeah, I want to keep thinking about that.

unknown 11:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:24

Um, especially if you ever want to, not that we're doing it like tit for tat, but like if you ever want to do more podcast interviews, those will be your people. Like, I mean, they should be your people if they're not.

SPEAKER_01 11:34

Yeah, I I actually I did a round of I did three podcast interviews last year. Um, it was cool. My uh a goal that I had for 2025 was to be on one pen one podcast, and I ended up being on three. Um, but I'd love to be on some more because I really, I really like it. And I think again, um, I know we haven't we haven't really dived, dove, dived into. Oh gosh, I'm a former language arts teacher. Uh we haven't jumped into I'm an art teacher today.

SPEAKER_00 12:03

I'm not helping. I'm not helping with anything. I'm like an art teacher. Well, I don't know. What are standardized tests? Who cares? Okay.

SPEAKER_01 12:12

We haven't really jumped into the marketing angle yet, but I do think like really, I think my vibe comes through in conversation. And I think it comes through in my writing. I love writing. Um, and I think the podcast digest and being on podcasts are two strong ways for me to do that.

SPEAKER_00 12:31

Absolutely. Especially because you are not supporting those social media platforms.

SPEAKER_01 12:36

No, no, no, I really don't want to. It's kind of social media is a necessary evil, but attention is currency. And I don't want to be giving my currency to those billionaire companies right now. But yeah, same.

SPEAKER_00 12:53

Um okay, so let's talk about do you think I'm trying to figure out how to frame this question, but like specifically for your audience, right? I think that the thing that you built makes sense, a lot of sense for your audience. Like we talked about how it helps you stay consistent and do the thing.

SPEAKER_02 13:15

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 13:16

But also I think, and I'm speaking, I am speaking for all ADHD people right now because I'm ADHD. But I'm like, you know, I'm like, I think the podcast digest is so smart because the reason I think you're getting those open rates and people are interested is because they're like, okay, I don't have time to be listening to like every podcast, or I don't want to accidentally go down a rabbit hole and listen to like all the podcasts of this one person when really Kate can help me figure out which one is gonna be awesome. And like you're saying, they might not be even listening to the podcast, but you're giving them kind of the value from the podcast without them having to go listen for 45 minutes. But also I love that you're also being mindful about how long the episodes are. Like the whole thing is great for you, but also very specific for your audience, which is super valuable for them.

SPEAKER_01 14:06

Yeah, thank you. Thank you. Oh, my brain wants to go in 17 different directions right now. There's so many things I'm excited to talk about. Um, let's see, where can I start? I think for what for one thing, even if people don't work, even if people on my mailing list don't decide to work directly with me, either through joining my accountability community that I have on Discord or working one-on-one with me in coaching, the weekly podcast digest still has value. There are still resources that people can take away from that, even if they aren't working with me directly. They can still learn. Um, I think podcasts are so validating. I mean, just hearing somebody else's experience and realizing, oh, I'm not the only one who experiences this. Or like today, the the uh episode that I featured is about emotional flooding. And I think sometimes just having language for what we're experiencing is so empowering. So that's that's one thing I wanted to talk about is just giving people something they can use through my marketing, even if they aren't working with me directly. That's really important to me. Um and yes, I mean, it's very it's intentionally structured. And I think something I'm really proud of is this podcast digest is actually a reinvention of a previous idea that I ran for a while and then put on hold to rethink. So one of the things I miss most about teaching is collaborative discussions, like I said, around shared media experiences. Um, I taught high school English and I loved class discussions. I missed that so much. I mean, even I taught Macbeth, it was one of my favorite things to teach, and I taught Macbeth for years and years. And every time I taught that play, a student would make me think of something that I had never taken away from the play before. And that is just such a beautiful human experience. We all read the same thing, we all listened to the same podcast episode, but we took different things away from it. So, pretty early on in my coaching um career, I was thinking about how neurodivergent people are so naturally curious. That's not it's not a DSM criteria for diagnosis, but I really feel in my heart that that is a defining trait of neurodivergence is natural curiosity. And that is so beautiful and I love it. Um and so I think people want to learn, they want to know what other ideas are out there and how else I might approach this topic or I might add on to what I'm already doing in my routine. So I ended up okay, but yes, brain, what are you doing? Um I so I think kind of the a natural way to do that is a book club. But I know myself, I know the people I work with, and having to read a whole book on a schedule sometimes, yeah, I see you shaking your head. Like it's just it doesn't work for everybody. And there are people who think, okay, if I can't keep up with the schedule, then like I don't belong in a book club. And they miss out on that social experience. And I think right now, especially, that is something that people are really craving is social connection. And that can feel so much easier when you come to something like a book club, knowing, like, okay, we've all got something in common. We all read the same book. So I was thinking, how could I do this for people who are too busy to keep up with a book club schedule? So I ended up starting a podcast discussion club. Um, I think that was like late 2004 that I started that. No, not sorry, 2024.

unknown 18:04

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 18:05

Um but yeah, same kind of idea, under an hour long. Um and it was a virtual podcast discussion club. It was a lot of fun. We usually had like between six and eight people, which was a great size. Um, I think I did that for like eight or nine months. And it was a lot of fun, but it wasn't growing. So I just decided, okay, let me put this on pause and come back to it. So that's where the weekly podcast I just came from is I could at least give people something to listen to and think about, even if there isn't a discussion element of it. Um, but that's what made me decide to bring it back. And yeah, make really thinking about like who do I want to reach and what is the most accessible way for them to engage with this information in a way that's not like laden with shame or a lot of um expectations around their time. And that's where the podcast I just came from.

SPEAKER_00 19:03

I love it. Okay, two things popped up for me while you're talking. Number one, you were talking about when there's like a word that we can label something, I guess. I know like labels can be bad, but um when I first learned about being overstimulated, I was like, oh my gosh, because I I didn't, I don't think I really uh experienced that until after I had kids. And then it was like a lot of mom shame because it was mostly overstimulation through my kids. And I was like, oh my god, why am I getting so cranky? This is supposed to be beautiful and fun and amazing. And I'm like, please stop grabbing me, like please get off of me. Like it was crazy. And when I watched, like, you know, a TikTok or real or something, when I was like, Oh, I think I'm overstimulated. I think that's an ADHD thing. Um just that allows you to be like, oh, okay, this is totally normal for the way my brain works, for the way I am. Yes, and I can like totally let go of that. And also I just am real with my kids now. I'm like, oh, too much, like sometimes it's too much for me. And then I'm always like, but I still love you, and like we've had that conversation, so it's not like you know, I mean, I'm also gluten-free, and they just know like I'm not eating that cookie because it doesn't usually make me feel good. This is like too much, too much smuggling back up. This is mom's factory settings. Yeah, um, so there was that, and then I also wanted to point out because I know you were saying, and I love that you're saying you want it to be valuable whether they work with you or they don't work with you. But what I think is really great is that you are at the end, and of course, like I've seen your podcast digest, because when we worked together, I I got to view a few of them. Um at the end, like your voice does really come through and your expertise and the like this is why this is um important, this is what I want to point out. And I think even though you're kind of leading with like quote unquote someone else's work or someone else's podcast, it's in your realm of expertise and you're kind of putting your own spin on it, and you're also making it like actionable for the people reading it. Like you're you're turning it from like listening to a podcast to like processing the podcast. Um, I like that. I like that. Yeah, and like uh even you know, people like Brene Brown and they write these books, but she's constantly like, this person does research on play, and here's what they say, and this is this person's take on this thing. And like, so I think for anybody listening, and I know we talked about the collaboration competition, whatever, I'm messing it up again, but we all know what I'm talking about. Yeah, yeah. Um, I think it shows like extra confidence that you're like, I'm not sweating it. Like, I'm showing this this this podcast and I'm giving you my take on it and like work with me, work with them. But I I just want to give you props and say that thank you your expertise comes through, even though you're highlighting, you know, other stuff. Just like you know, you didn't write Macbeth, but you were the teacher in that class. And like, you know, you were like facilitating that discussion. So I love that.

SPEAKER_01 22:10

Thank you. Thank you. Can I say a couple follow-up things about that? Yeah. Um first of all, my brain doing what it does. Um Um, I just thought like, ooh, I have a podcast episode I want to send you. And it's about parenting shame around being overstimulated by your kids. But that's where like there, there are so many episodes about niche topics and it's stuff that people need to hear. And I think too, like, I don't think my mailing list realizes this, but so often I choose an episode with a particular person in mind. Like I know, like, oh, this is if if this particular client reads this, I hope they feel validated because this relates to something we talked about in our coaching session this week. So yeah, sometimes it's secretly going out to one particular person, but it's they are not the only person. I mean, definitely we have people are making podcast episodes because this is a shared common experience. So that's one thing I wanted to say. Um and I really I appreciate the compliment about my my my voice and my vibe coming through in my writing because that's important to me. It's I'll just be honest, it is it's hard to stand out in the world of ADHD coaching because it is an oversaturated market. Um and I think when you are working with someone like a coach, a therapist, um, an instructor, like any place where you are working one-on-one closely with somebody and there's an element of vulnerability that's intended to lead towards change, finding the person who you have that fit with is so important. And I want I want who I am to come out through that mailing, through that podcast digest. And I think it does. Again, going back to teaching, like you can learn something about a person through what they take away from something they read or something they listen to. And I think again, that last section in the podcast digest of what sticks with me, like that really is that's hey, this is who I am. This is the kind of thing that I emphasize in my coaching practice. This is a little bit about me as a human who's trying to navigate the world, especially right now. Um, and not every coach is for every person. I mean, I don't, I don't think you can market yourself as being for everyone in a way that is genuine. And I think being honest about who you are and marketing in an authentic way, I mean, if you just want to think of it in terms of efficiency, like it saves time. I mean, if people know who you are and what you're about, it helps them make a more informed decision. And talking about going back to what you said about confidence, um, something I think I'm proud of that feels a little feels a little ballsy, honestly, is like I will often f feature podcasts from other ADHD coaches who are currently accepting new clients. And again, like I just I want to put resources out there. And I feel like if somebody reads that, they click on that person's website, they read through it and realize, oh, you know what? This person's specialty is actually exactly what I'm looking for. And I didn't even know that somebody focused on like there are ADHD money coaches and there are neurodivergent parent coaches. Like, neither of those is my particular specialty. But like, if that's who somebody needs and I help them get there, I feel honored to do that. And I again, it's just anything I can do to like clear the path for people to get to what they need, even if it's not from me, I'm okay with that.

SPEAKER_00 26:07

Yes. Um, and that is, I think, why I was like, okay, we're gonna be best friends because I feel like this genuine spirit of like being an awesome person.

SPEAKER_01 26:18

Um and to give another shout out, you and I were connected through Melissa Snow. And I think that's something that I really appreciate about Melissa is again, like she is all about putting the spotlight on other people and bringing other women in particular um along with her for the ride and shouting out people who deserve credit for the good things that they're doing. So I've learned a lot from Melissa, and I don't think it's a coincidence that you and I found each other through somebody who's doing exactly that.

SPEAKER_00 26:51

Yes, exactly. Um, and I just want to bring up because you know I love 80s and 90s, um, you're also kind of making like a mixtape of your favorite. Um, like, like love, like I feel like when you when you make a mixtape, right? You also, at least when I did, if I had a crush on somebody or whatever, and I was making a mixtape, you're like, what are they gonna love? So, like when you start talking about secretly sending a message to a client and hoping that they see it, that is like the secret right now.

SPEAKER_01 27:23

When you make it, I had not even made that connection, but I fucking love it. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 27:27

Yeah. So um I just want to say and you know, I think it's also valuable. I'm just gonna point this out to you and just give you a bunch of praise. But um, like probably listening to just one person's podcast and their take on ADHD or neurodivergence or honestly anything like marketing or you know, people have these podcasts. Clearly, my podcast is not one of them where I only talk about one thing all the time and stay focused.

SPEAKER_01 27:54

But again, authenticity.

SPEAKER_00 27:56

Yeah, tuning into something like that where they do, you know, I think it's nice that you're giving people um options so that they can hear different people's um expertise, different people's takes on things, plus yours. Like it's really and I'm sure inviting people to listen and have their own because of your teaching background. And like, what are you thinking like there's questions involved? Like, people are not just passively listening if they're reading the digest too. They're hearing what you're thinking, they're you're asking questions, like, what do you think? How does this relate to blah blah blah? Like it's a whole experience where the person who originally made the podcast is involved, you're involved, and the listener is involved. And I mean, I think that's a testament to you also being an English teacher because that's like your bread and butter, what you did. But yeah, and when you were talking about that too, like as an art teacher, I loved also like showing a painting and we're gonna talk about like what does this mean? What do you think the artist meant about this? And and like you're saying, it's different every time. And as the art teacher, I would teach it multiple times a day. Well, I guess as an English high school English teacher multiple times, right? And like even class to class, I'm like, whoa, that was like completely different than the last class. And just everybody bringing their own lenses and their own experiences, and I just think it's right.

SPEAKER_01 29:10

And thanks, yeah. And with art too, it's like there are common subjects that come up over and over again in um pieces of art, you know, landscapes, flowers, humans. Um but so many different ways to do that, and opening kids' eyes or listeners' eyes or whoever you're working with to, oh, we could think about it from this angle. Or somebody who grew up this way might experience this topic this way, which is not the mainstream interpretation of this topic, but it is just as valid and it is just as needed. Um, and I do think, I think too, like, I think something I want to push against by having this podcast digest is there's no universal definition for what it feels like to be someone with ADHD, or to be someone on the spectrum, or to be a late diagnosed adult or a neurodivergent parent, or whatever it is that you are living. Like there is no one way to do that. And I want to push back against any kind of messaging that there is only one way to do this, or you don't you don't really have ADHD if you don't experience this thing. Like that kind of gatekeeping is the S and it's not helpful to anybody.

unknown 30:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:40

Oh my gosh. Okay, well, this was awesome. I mean, anybody listening, definitely find Kate and um get this podcast digest if you're interested in seeing how she does it, seeing what she's saying. But um, tell everybody where they can find you and hang out with you.

SPEAKER_01 30:56

I will. And I promise reading through the podcast digest will not take as long as listening to this episode because I was kind of long-winded. But uh, my website is SageEf. It's for executive functioning. So Sageef.com. Um, and if you go to my contact tab, there's a place to sign up for the the mailing list, which will get you the podcast digest every week.

SPEAKER_00 31:17

Yay! And you have a beautiful nine grid, which I do, yeah. Um work together on visuals by me, captions by Kate, and it's amazing too. So you check into Instagram like once a week.

SPEAKER_01 31:31

Yeah, yeah. And I'm I'm so thankful I've gotten more time back. I mean, I can focus on things like the podcast digest that mean more to me than Instagram. So thank you for getting me the gift of my time back.

SPEAKER_00 31:42

Yeah. So um probably if I do share this, I'm I'm showing up in stories a little bit more these days. So I'll tag you, but people could also probably click on your link in your bio through Instagram if that's like easier on the internet, however, you want to do stuff. But um, yep, this was so fun. Thank you so much for hanging out with me. I'm excited to continue our friends. Chat with you. Maybe I'm being weird.

SPEAKER_01 32:02

Yes, but no, I love it. It's not weird at all. I love it. I'm thinking the same thing too. So thank you.

SPEAKER_00 32:08

All right, see you soon. All right, bye.