We’re proud that we have a library of 25 interviews and “Pivot Point” podcast episodes. While season one is officially a wrap, we are busy cooking up season two. While we are preparing a brilliant new season of fresh content, we wanted to pause to celebrate success, and share learnings from our first podcast run. Thank you for your support, and for closing in on 1,000+ downloads!
Here is what we learned along our podcast journey:
- Everyone has a story. Since launching the podcast series, listeners have shared their own vulnerable stories showcasing positive and negative examples of allyship. Stories spark more stories.
- It is addictive. I told my editor countless times, last episode, promise, all to turn around and find another amazing interviewee to showcase. It is really fun to talk to different people and learn their story and provide a platform to share it with the world. Quite possibly my favorite thing to do in my business is podcasting.
- Let the conversation meander. The best episodes were not scripted. We adjusted the dialogue to fit the interviewee’s background and let the conversation go where it needed to go. As an interviewer, I learned to give the interviewee the space to co-create the content and share their story.
Align your podcast with your purpose
At Pivot Point, our purpose is to develop leaders, train women to build winning career game plans, while promoting gender equality. We are stronger together. We are ONE. Our podcast complements our purpose to showcase the importance of male allies to support women in their leadership journeys. Women alone will not close the leadership and pay gaps facing women leaders today. Men are often the leaders and decision makers. We need to involve men in the conversation. The series exists to share strategies and stories from male allies and women leaders that have successfully partnered together to achieve success.
The podcast worked because it was consistent with our message.
Have crisp, open-ended questions
Be mindful of your interviewee’s time, and share questions in advance. I always copied our questions into the calendar invite and asked them to think about, yet not script their answers. I reserved the first 5-10 minutes for the interviewee to get comfortable with the process, ask their questions, and guide them to be open to the conversation veering off into tangents.
Here are the questions we used as a guide:
- Tell us about your background, and how you got passionate about women’s leadership and gender equality.
- (EMPATHY) We have found that male allies often have women in their lives that have inspired them to support other women. Who have been your sources of inspiration?
- (STORY SHARING) Listening to women’s stories is powerful as a male ally. How have you learned about the women you support and their stories?
- (SPEAKING UP TOGETHER) Describe a time you spoke up with a woman (leveraged your voice when she was not there, mentored/sponsored her, etc.).
- (WORK/LIFE INTEGRATION) Help us understand your role in advocating for work-life management for women.
- If you had to prioritize one thing, what would you recommend to other male allies looking to support women?
Drum roll for our top three episodes…
#1 – David Thomas
Our first international male ally podcast interview! David Thomas shares his perspective on his sources of inspiration as well as the stories from strong women in his life personally and professionally. He cites the business case for male allyship for women leaders. As a leader of a male allyship network in Hong Kong, he realizes the power of gender equality. Hear David’s story at http://nextpivotpoint.libsyn.com/david-thomas.
#2 – Jennifer Brown
Jennifer Brown is a #diversity and #inclusion expert. She helps organizations realize their full human potential as a frequent keynote speaking and consultant. As she shares with us, leaders serious about inclusion do so by reverse mentoring, seeking teachers and sponsors different than them, and communicating intentionally their why for change. Every leader has their own diversity story. Organizations that get it, weave those stories into the fabric of their organizations. She sees the positive momentum continuing with the women’s movement and a call to action for #maleallies to do more at http://nextpivotpoint.libsyn.cm/jennifer-brown.
#3 – David and Kelly Snyder
David and Kelly are a dual-career couple managing work and life. Sometimes they find balance, sometimes they do not. They approach male allyship personally and professionally. Their story touches on the importance of empathy, emotional intelligence, and letting go of the guilt of not getting it right all of the time. Through their vulnerability, we have a window into what good looks like for male allies and women leaders. Listen at http://nextpivotpoint.libsyn.com/david-and-kelly-snyder.
Check out the podcast if you have not already by searching “Pivot Point” on your favorite podcast app. All episodes are on our website at https://www.nextpivotpoint.com/pivot-point-podcast/. And, if you want to start your own podcast, check out my podcast guru Jen Edds. You can meet her at www.brassybroad.com.