An exploration of letting go of perfection, stepping into authenticity, and just being our "bad" selves

I am a recovering people-pleaser and stay-at-home mother of 3 who  highly values authenticity and believes you don't have to be perfect to be worthy of love.  I love to sing and to travel, and podcasting absolutely lights me up. I feel that there is no greater honor than to shine the spotlight on every day people who are showing up for the world by showing up for themselves.

My podcast examines stories, beliefs, and everyday lived experiences of a variety of people with different gender identities, sexual orientations, ethnicities, and religious backgrounds/spiritual beliefs. I believe that everyone is worthy and loveable just the way they are, and my podcast is helping me spread that message.

My listeners are people who can't stand small-talk; humans that love open and honest discussion and vulnerable story telling. I tend to attract creative types who crave deep connection, and love doing soul-work.
 

I decided to start podcasting in September 2021 as part of my personal journey into accepting myself the way I am. I was raised in the Mormon church in a military family and as a result became ultra perfectionistic and rigid. About six years ago I left the church of my youth and have since been exploring what it actually means to be a good person and to be worthy of love; to let go of perfection and learn to love life.

I don't listen to very many podcasts myself, but I LOVE talking people about their lives and beliefs and podcasting gives me a really great excuse to cut the small talk and go deep on a regular basis.

It didn't take me long to release my first episode. I was in a business class at the time that encouraged all of us to release a podcast episode within a week and to do it messy. I followed through, and podcasting has been lighting me up ever since.
 

I release an episode once, sometimes twice, a week. It takes me several hours to produce an episode. 1-2 hours of interview and prep time and then 3-8 hours to edit the podcast audio and transcript, add intros and outros, and publish it on my website.

I am a stay at home mom and it can get really tricky to find uninterrupted time for interviewing and editing. I started getting daycare twice a week, and I try to limit my interviews and editing to those times, but it often leaks over.

Right now I probably spend about $30-$40 a month for hosting, editing programs, etc. and I fund it myself.
 

I am currently using my podcast to advertise for my "authenticity retreats," but I would be open to sponsorship if the right fit came along. I'm currently between 600-700 downloads a month, but I hope that word of mouth will help that number grow exponentially over the coming months. I have found podcasting to be extremely rewarding, regardless of the number of downloads I currently have. I have made incredible connections and real friendships with people and I am learning so much about so many things.
 

I use my pc laptop and blue yeti microphone to record on the Zencastr platform (which is where I do my interviews). I then use a combination of audacity and Descript to edit and then publish via Libsyn and my Wordpress website.

So far I have not had any trouble finding guests--the nature of my show means that any interesting person is fair game to interview. Most of my connections have been made via Instagram or a personal acquaintance.
 

Right now most of my following has found me by word of mouth and through Instagram.
 

Just start. There are so many details that can scare you off from starting, but it's true that the hardest step is the first one. I recorded an intro using a recording app on my phone and shared it to Facebook for feedback from my friends and family. That was easily the scariest hardest part, and from there I just kept taking it step by step.

My favorite resources are Descript for editing (it's a major game changer) and Youtube Videos to learn things! I also took a course on podcasting from Cathy Heller which was super helpful and encouraging.
 

My website is justbeyourbadself.com or you can find me on Instagram @justbeyourbadself.

Feel free to buy me a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/KimberDutton