► Tell us about you and your podcast
I am Iris Carter and I co-host with Margo Ross Sears. We have known each other for more than 10 years professionally and personally.
I have a master's degree in education with an undergraduate in English. My day-to-day work life has always been connected to helping people, whether it was providing programs and services or teaching classes at the local community college. All of my jobs have involved guiding others and providing help in some way.
I have had experiences all my life that others might label as supernatural or paranormal. I have interacted with spirits, met my guardian angels, had premonitions that came true, and have performed psychic readings with animals and people, to name a few.
Margo has a very similar background, with a degree in English, teaching high school and community college students, and working with other service-related programs. Her psychic-related experiences started when she was very young, too. She is emissary and founder of the Light & Energy Workers Association (LEWA) in 2004 which is a non-profit, national, spiritual organization comprised of non-denominational, multi-faith and interfaith clergy. (networkthelight.net) Iris is ordained and member of the LEWA advisory board.
Iris was considering starting her own podcast, and Margo was asking Iris for information and direction on starting her own podcast when it struck us, we should work together. After many late night conversations on a wide range of topics related to social issues, spiritual and metaphysical occurrences, and all the threads that run between, we knew we had plenty of fodder to share with potential listeners. We already had individuals that sought out our guidance and insights; this podcast was decidedly a way for us to share information with more people.
"Eyes of Indigo" premiered in September 2020 as a live video podcast and in October, we began transferring the weekly program to audio podcasts. Our primary focus is on socio-spiritual issues, which encompasses all things "woo-woo, the relationship of social issues, and the impact and effects each have upon the other.
Our audience is comprised of a range of listeners from those seeking an introduction to the topics as well as the more versed. We encourage questions, comments, and suggestions.
The purpose of the podcast is to enlighten, share, and inform rather than provoke or incite. We all learn from each other and the program facilitates the dialogue.
► Why & how did you start this podcast?
Margo and I both are familiar with podcasts and listen to others as time allows. I had tried reaching out to people through online gatherings and classes. Margo had attempted to use the LEWA newsletter as a forum to share related information as well. Both of us were met with resistance or apathy. In seeking out alternate methods of reaching audiences, we decided to combine efforts and start a video podcast. The premiere was set in September 2020 with a prequel released to offer our histories and backgrounds. After a few weeks, Iris realized a little editing would help the program transfer to audio podcast effectively.
Overall, our motivation was to educate people and meet our own call to help others with enlightenment.
Once we decided to proceed, we took a couple of weeks to set up a program outline and get the technology worked out so that we could remotely participate in a singular program.
► How'd you find the time and funding to do this podcast?
Our video podcast is simulcasted at 9:30 p.m. every Wednesday, live on Facebook and YouTube. Iris then takes the video file, ads a verbal introduction and credits which are normally seen on screen, and posts to her blog which then sends the audio podcast to Spotify and iTunes.
We both have day jobs, so we stay in touch during the week with texts. We often share links or ideas of topics and content. One of us will take the lead on a topic and develop an outline in our spare time. By Wednesday afternoon, the outline is shared. We meet an hour before the show in our online studio, discuss the topic and talking points, as well as any visuals we want to include in the show. We often veer into other topics which frequently generates new ideas for upcoming shows. Pre-show is a time for prep, review, and catching up on each other's week. Post-show, we spend as much as an hour reviewing what went right or wrong, reviewing the topic for the following week, and wrapping up any loose ends in preparation for upcoming shows.
We have committed our time to doing the show and realize the importance of consistency and regularity in drawing in an audience. In addition to preparing and researching topics, Iris invests additional time to generate blog posts that are conducive to uploading the audio podcasts to host and aggregation sites. Additional time is spent developing promotional materials that compliment the posts and allow Margo and I to promote through social media.
In addition to giving an average of 8 - 10 hours a week in preparing and conducting the podcasts, I personally covered financial costs in creating a backdrop, which I did economically with a PVC pipe frame and various fabrics. I also needed a new webcam and am covering the fee for a web studio. The initial investment has been minimal, but as we continue to build an audience and provide resources, having sponsor(s) will help compensate us for expending more time and resources into advertising and development.
► What do you gain from podcasting?
Sponsorships for Eyes of Indigo are welcomed, though we do not have any current supporters or revenue. But as I put thought into it now, I believe we could benefit even from in-kind sponsorship such as trading promotional posts and mentions on social media, perhaps links on a website, and other forms of creative sharing.
The benefits of podcasting have been on a personal level. Since it's not generating revenue yet, the motivation and satisfaction have to come from within. I believe, too, that if I weren't benefitting personally, my heart wouldn't be into doing a good job. I enjoy the subject matter and sharing the information with other people. The goal is to help others with finding their paths, opening minds, and creating free-thinkers. When the audience is receptive, I'm rewarding the benefits.
► How does your podcasting process look like?
We are using Be.Live (belive.tv/?referrer=ODQwODQ3). I manage the controls and pass along a link to Margo and any guest that is participating. Audience members are on Facebook and YouTube and we can view their comments. We acknowledge audience members, repeat their questions, and answer. Standard webcams and microphones have been sufficient, though I aspire for more.
Guests have been connections that Margo has cultivated over the years. If we have a topic planned and know someone that would have knowledge to share, we ask them to participate.
Through our personal discussions, I developed a long list of potential topics. I created a title and short description for many of them, and Margo and I discussed them to make a definitive list of topics we wanted to cover. We are planning ahead with topics, but also insert or change plans if something more topical or more relevant appears. We also have created podcasts based on audience input.
We try to have our scheduled laid out a few weeks in advance so we can promote and plan in a timely fashion.
► How do you market your show?
Since Margo and I are both active on Facebook, we use that as our primary source of promotion. We have created a Facebook page for Eyes of Indigo where the podcasts are promoted as events. We can then share with many groups to which we belong. Margo includes our information in her monthly LEWA e-newsletter. I created an Eyes of Indigo blog page on my own website to post the podcasts.
SquareSpace offers a connection directly to iTunes and Spotify. When I post a podcast there, it is set up to immediately post on the other sites. Through these cross-postings, we have managed to become the top of the Google results when searching for "Eyes of Indigo Podcast." I also post information on LinkedIn and have created an Eventbrite listing. I'm still exploring options for promotions and don't have a formal count or breakdown of results from various methods. I was thrilled to discover ListenNotes had us listed!
► What advice would you share with aspiring (new) podcasters?
Partnering with another person is extremely valuable, as opposed to going solo in this venture. Margo and I have very similar mindsets, but we also bring different perspectives, insights, and experiences to our podcast. We also help each other stay on topic, and stay mindful of our purpose. We want to keep things light and humorous while injecting meaningful and valid information. While we had each considered going solo, we are both so thankful that we paired up, and we know we will be far more successful with the combined effort. Each of us have our fortes and a mutual respect for the other.
Planning ahead is important. It is so easy for time to get away, especially when this isn't a primary job.
I also believe it is important to have a core purpose and build on it. Like good writing, you have to determine the purpose (instruction, information, call-to-action, entertainment) and make sure that topics are relevant to the purpose and the audience. If the presenter doesn't know what the purpose is, the audience will be lost.
Most of all, in any situation in life, it's important to do what you love and what you are comfortable with. To do anything less means certain failure.