A Show Designed For Blacks & Asians & Those Who Love Them

Hello, I am Mo! Sibyl. I am Nigerian by birth and have lived in the US for almost a decade. I am the creator and host of The More Sibyl Podcast, a show designed for Blacks and Asians and those who love them.

Through my podcast, I have been opportune to share stories of different people from all walks of life. My raison d'être is that there’s a lot more that binds us than separates us. So through my platform, I strive to showcase that same-same but different thread that runs through us all.

My goal is to encourage people to share their stories and promote cultural curiosity among people towards creating a better world.

I grew up listening to the radio. Radio saved my life in many ways than I can count. I would stay up at night under the covers listening to shows and songs requested. Dan Foster was one of my favorite radio personalities growing up in Nigeria. I had this small black battery-powered transistor radio that broke down many times but I kept patching it up. Yeah, I learned how to take it apart and solder wires together – at a point, I nursed the idea of studying engineering. Radio gave way to podcasts. I have been listening to podcasts for more than seven years now. So it was a no-brainer to go back to my first outlet, with the help of those around me.

I started this podcast initially as a pet project to get my own story out there but it has since become a safe haven to help others set their stories free. Since launching in 2018, we now have over 130 episodes and I could not have gotten where I am today without my listeners, guests, and fans egging me on. Their relative contribution to the platform has shaped it into a treasure and resource trove for Blacks, Asians, and those who love them. By so doing, the platform embodies the spirit of Ubuntu - I am because we are.

April 5, 2018, was the official launch date but the plan was set in motion in December 2017. I remember not knowing where to start especially due to the many hurdles regarding set up and distribution.

It took me weeks because of how obsessive I used to get about perfection. What made it scarier was how once you hit the "submit" button, you can't Ctrl+Z your way out of it. So I sweated it until my mentor urged me to hit the button and let it go. I was comforted by his words that you have to start somewhere to improve on your process and it's OK to have a messy start.

Episodes are released every Thursday and it takes several hours to finalize an episode. Editing, copywriting, show notes, blogs, creating videograms and flyers take up several manhours.

I believe if you love something, you will create time for it. Because having this platform is super important to me, I have forgone a couple of other interests in my life (sorry, guitar classes). I have a full-time job as a scientist, assistant professor of pharmacy, and a Korean student but I try to make sure I show up every week to give something back to not only myself but the listeners as well.

It’s an ongoing struggle, but I love what I do. Having this dichotomy creates a balanced outlet to be enriched and fulfilled by one when the other gets tedious. Plus if you really love something, you make time for it. I also draw inspiration for my podcast from my work as a scientist. And as a scientist, I learn great interview tips to help my patients explore their health concerns and generate evidence to improve their health outcomes. I am slowly finding a way to merge these two passions but I will do the separation of the church and state thing because you never want the mistress to meet the wife. Haha.

The costs to run my podcast are mostly absorbed in software costs for automation, DAW, and design platforms. I also have an awesome virtual assistant on my payroll who does fantastic work with creating show notes, managing our customer relations, and making incredible designs for each episode. All of these costs come out of my paycheck. Indeed, the wife is funding the mistress.

We have not had a lot of experience with sponsorships because we wanted to get to a point of self-determination regarding the show. After 130 episodes, we are now looking into sponsors. So here's a plug for potential sponsors out there, if you are looking for a gathering hole for curious and intellectual people, hit us up.

Our average download rate per episode is 200-350 downloads.

Podcasting benefits me in so many ways. Personally, I have experienced tremendous growth in how I not only relate with people but my outlook of the world. I have a deeper appreciation for culture especially the different ways we do things. Professionally, my interview skills come in handy when working with patients during my research. I am able to apply effective listening skills infused with empathy and a desire to understand the process, to both my job and podcasting.

Audacity, Canva, Headliner, PodBean, Adobe Premiere, Calendly, Pinterest, Squadcast, EyesOn, SocialBee.

Snowballing (asking guests to refer other guests), following other podcasters, authors of books I enjoyed, listener recommendations, thought leaders in certain spaces, and the good ol' social media stalking.

Before we engage a guest, we make sure we conduct a good deal of research on who they are and what they are about. We then curate topics/questions based on this and send them to the guests beforehand. If the guest has been on other podcasts, we make it a point to listen to a couple of their episodes. Every guest featured on the show has an index card which helps with notetaking and generating quick hashtags during the interview.

In-person (before COVID) but now a mixture of Zoom, Squadcast, and Eyeson.

Everywhere, especially Apple Podcast, Google, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. We also maintain a healthy broadcast list on WhatsApp for our international listener base which helps to inform them of new episodes. The majority of our listeners either use Apple Podcast or other Android apps.

Instagram just because of how user-friendly it is. The Live and Reels also make for great marketing tools.

Have heroes - copy their work and their style because, through a person’s work, they share themselves with others. But don’t be shallow about it by just mimicking their style without getting a deep understanding of their processes and where they are coming from. Otherwise your work will be nothing more than a knockoff. It’s due diligence on our part to find out what makes our heroes tick.

Do it afraid. It really does get better with time.

Get involved with other podcast communities but don't be a crumb stealer. Make sure to contribute to the process and acknowledge the help received. Always remember to go back to give thanks.

Your expensive gizmo cannot make up for being a lousy host. Make sure you do your research about a guest beforehand and be respectful, even when the conversation takes a downward spiral.

Be passionate about your podcast. If you outgrow your show, it's OK to pivot but make sure you engage your listeners and update them, as needed.

A lot of Facebook podcast groups have supporting files you can download. And don't forget good ol' Google and YouTube University to brush up on techniques and skills.

Website: mosibyl.com
Email: talktomo@mosibyl.com
Patreon: patreon.com/moresibyl
Instagram: instagram.com/themoresibylpodcast
Medium: medium.com/@Mosibyl
Substack: mosibyl.substack.com
Twitter: mosibyl