► Tell us about you and your podcast
Sandy Johnston the host of the Tiaras Tears and Triumphs podcast, is formerly a victim of an abusive relationship; her life could have ended in 2013 when her house was at risk of being blown up when her domestic violence situation escalated rapidly. She had no choice but to flee with her children and change their identities, all in trying to stay safe from one person. Rather than continue to live life in the shadows, because of the fear, trauma, and damage to her life, Sandy has chosen to use her own experiences to speak up and speak out about the dangers, challenges, and complexities that women face in trying to break free from an abusive partner.
The Tiaras Tears and Triumphs podcast is designed to be a safe space for victims and survivors to receive support and tips to get through their challenges. And to inspire them to have hope and faith that they can rebuild a rich and rewarding life on the other side of breaking free from abusive relationships.
► Why & how did you start this podcast?
Having a podcast that speaks specifically to women impacted by abusive relationships provides a resource that is within the listener's control, which is crucial, as this allows women to access support when it is safe for them to do so.
Many women never tap into professional domestic violence support services for help and one of the most significant issues facing women who are dealing with the cycle of abuse is that they become isolated.
A woman in an abusive relationship does not have the same freedoms that we have come to expect as fundamental human rights. She cannot have any printed material like a book on the subject openly on display in her living space because it may well act as a trigger to cause a flare-up that increases the risks to her safety.
Whereas popping on the headphones and listening to an audio resource is a more private and subtle way to access information and inspiration that can help to empower a woman who might not be able to tap into other support that could help her to navigate a path safely out of that cycle of abuse.
At the time that Sandy found herself caught in an abusive relationship, she would listen to audio resources that buoyed her when she felt as though she was barely able to keep her head above water with the constant barrage of abuse.
The initial goal in doing a podcast was to help as many women find ways to safely transition out of abusive relationships and for them than have support in recovering from the trauma of their experiences, renew themselves by breaking free of a victim mentality, and rebuilding their life from a position of empowerment.
When Covid started spreading around the world the rates of domestic abuse escalated. Women were isolated in ways that they had not been previously with restrictions and lockdowns taking place all around the world. This was the catalyst to start a podcast that could reach women who were incredibly vulnerable.
Tiaras Tears and Triumphs was born with the release of its first episode in August 2020.
► How'd you find the time and funding to do this podcast?
New episodes are released weekly. It would take Sandy ten hours on average to produce an episode. Finding time to book guests, or create solo episodes can be challenging for Sandy who created this podcast as a passion project when she juggles her family, her Airbnb business, her caregiving work, her study, and her band Sandy and The Soul Mates.
Sandy had aspirations of becoming a journalist when she was growing up but then landed a job in the music industry working closely with bands in artist management, and then found her niche in publicity, allowing her the opportunity to work closely with the media. She combined her love of music and writing quite coincidentally.
She stepped away from the music industry in the early 2000s when she married and had her first child (as she found 60-hour + work weeks didn't blend well with the demands of being a Mum and being a Mum took priority over work).
Sandy did a podcast course in March of 2020 to learn what she needed to learn to get the podcast up and running. As Tiaras Tears and Triumphs is completely self-funded Sandy does all her own marketing and editing. She has allowed herself time to evolve in the podcasting world and is learning more and more about how to create a compelling podcast.
Being a reformed technophobe there have been many moments along the way where Sandy has thought about quitting and she may have done that, but for her husband who is very tech savvy and helps her troubleshoot technical issues.
Sandy has a goal to monetize her podcast so that she can initially fund the production overheads, then outsource advertising and organic marketing, and finally remunerate her for her time and energy as the creator and host.
► What do you gain from podcasting?
One of the main motivations for this podcast is to help women feel less alone in what they have gone through. Although Sandy never intended it to be a catalyst for her own healing, this has been one of the benefits of her having the opportunity to speak to many women from all around the world who have been through similar challenges in their lives.
The reward is not always in the level of success that the world measures success by.
Tiaras Tears and Triumphs recently had 30,000 downloads in a single week on Samsung Podcasts in the UK. And this caught the attention of an advertiser - adam and eve .com. Sandy wasn't sure if they were quite the right fit for the podcast as they sell sex toys (although maybe that's just what women need at that particular point in their lives).
With as many as one in three women have experienced some form of abuse in their lives, Sandy aims to continue to grow the podcast and seek out opportunities for sponsorship to help her reach more women in need of support.
They say podcasting is a lonely journey because there is so much work that is done in a relative vortex on your own, but it has allowed me to meet people that I would never have met in my life otherwise. It has enriched my life beyond measure.
► How does your podcasting process look like?
The Tiaras Tears and Triumphs podcast host platform is Podbean.
Sandy uses an M audio input box, a mic, a Logitech camera, and my laptop.
Sandy records on Zoom.
Sandy edits audio on Audacity and Audition.
Sandy edits videos on Openshot.
Sandy finds guests traditionally on Facebook.Sandy has preset guide questions for guests but rarely refers to them as the interview style if conversational.
Sandy writes intros once the main interview is edited.
Sandy writes solo episodes.
Sandy writes her own intro, outro, caution, and ads.
► How do you market your show?
79% Samsung Podcasts
13% Apple Podcasts
1% Podbean
1% Safari
.5% Spotify
.5% Google Chrome
.4% iheart Radio
.3% Google Podcasts
.1% Amazon Music Podcasts
.1% iTunes
.1% Stitcher
.1% Player FM
.1% Podcast Addict
3% Others
The only marketing channel Sandy has time for at this time is Facebook.
► What advice would you share with aspiring (new) podcasters?
Listen to the Grow the Show Podcast.
Immerse yourself in podcasting Facebook groups.
Allow yourself to make mistakes.
Be patient with the process.
Grow your show one listener at a time.