Do what matters, for you, your children, your community, and the planet. There is opportunity in risk, embrace that potential!

As a former finance, audit and supply chain professional with more than 20 years international experience at a FTSE top 10 company, I gave it all up; the travel, the bonuses, the power to some extent, to do more of what mattered.

After doing an MBA in France in 2015, I realised I couldn't continue working with my only aim being financial. I needed more, and the planet was calling me to do more. I found my purpose in working with sustainable start-ups, helping them shape their businesses with sustainability and eco system balance in mind.

I like to ask the question - What's your purpose? And how does it integrate with the life you live? For some of us this question is a deep ache that we spend a lifetime trying to find, perhaps shifting direction as we learn and grow from one path to another. For many of us, our children give us a clear definition, providing for them becomes our reason for being.

For others, it's about enjoying the present moment, ever so fleeting and ever so beautiful. In this podcast, my guest and I will share tips, ideas and methods on how to build a career that integrates with who you are and the life you want to lead.

We'll explore the social foundation on which to build your transition and an ecological ceiling above which, we need not climb, so that we live, not just for ourselves, but for our collective ability to thrive.

I designed this for employees or contractors with some work experience, from 23 and Up, to support you in making changes where you are, or to find the right fit for you.
 

This podcast actually started as an invitation from Amazon DACH Women's Affinity Group. A friend of mine asked me to help her put together a mini series of podcasts on Social Impact and Leadership for her peers at Amazon, and at the end of the project, I retained the IP and decided to use with agreement a few of those episodes to produce my own show and social movement.

I now have 2 podcasts, one mainly aimed at entrepreneurs for purpose, and this one aimed at careers for purpose. I love podcasting as a medium. I have 10 podcasts that I rotate through on a weekly basis, and I also now have 2 that I develop on my own, but It's been vastly rewarding for me.

When I did the first podcast, my objective was exploration; to learn from people who started green businesses or educated on strategy, and share that learning with my Facebook Community Women in Sustainable Business. The podcast did way better than I expected, ranked in 79 separate charts, and my experience with that podcast called Where Ideas Launch gave me the confidence to take it to another level with Do What Matters.

With this podcast, having the experience I had, I was able to coble together the first 5 interviews in just over a week back in April when they were needed for the Amazon initiative. Converting those and adding more took another 2 months because I was also juggling completing my first book - also called Do What Matters, which will be available very soon on Amazon!

This podcast in many ways is a partner to my book launch, and not a stand alone thing. It's been such a rewarding experience to be able to host these conversations and experience net new knowledge being created at times!
 

The long game for this podcast is to release one every week, but in the first month, I want to give it the best chance of success, so there will be 2 per week for the first 6 weeks. After that, we will adjust to a more reasonable schedule. One Episode takes an aggregate of 6-8 hours across the team, but luckily I do have a team that helps. I handle the guest engagement, planning, interviewing, and the first edit, my VA does the second edit and transcripts, and my partner produces the episode with the music and mixing. My social media manager then manages the promotion.

It is a job I currently dedicate 1.5 days a week to, but its become an integral part to my learning and growth, and a fantastic way to meet potential future clients, or collaborators on this journey to create change!

It's not free, hosting, social media and editing are the elements I pay for, roughly costing £650-£700 a month, but that cost is leveraged across all my businesses, as I do generate income when people discover my work and choose to work with me. I don't see it as a cost, its more of an opportunity.
 

I don't currently go for sponsorship, but watch this space - something's coming very soon! but my sponsorship plan includes approaching guests and other social collaborators and their employers where our causes are in alignment. When you are in the sustainability space there's a lot more that goes into a decision about a sponsor, and a considerable amount of research and discussion before hand so that the transparency objective can be met.

As I'm just starting out, on this podcast downloads are low, but I'm over 10k on my first podcast, and I hope to grow this one even faster.
 

I like to keep the process simple for podcasting for me and for my guests, and I also like to keep some control over the production process. I keep the tools simple: Form, Scheduler app, Laptop, Yeti Mic, Zoom, Otter Ai, Libsyn, Canva for graphics and then social media engagement.

I like to standardise the process where possible; I don't ask my guests the same question, but I follow always a certain flow, get to know them, get into a controversial question, explore the answer, and leave the session on a high. I also have a process for the final production - Where I comment on the episode, air a clip, and then use transition music to support user experience.
 

Although I've not paid for full stats, from what I can tell, my heaviest listener base is on Spotify for my first podcast, but time will tell for this one. For Where ideas launch my listeners are between 23 and 34 females who I appreciate very much, but I do hope for more diversity on Do What Matters.
 

No matter how prepared you think you are for podcasting, It's something you need to grow into as you attract listeners and have the opportunity to discuss your content with them. I got my start with podcasting with the support of Anna Parker Naples a business coach, and Rosemarie Calendar a podcast launch strategist, but I took inspiration from the ones I listen to; Diary of a CEO, Learning is the New Working, a bit of optimism with Simon Sinek, as well as those I both listen to and have been a guest on, such as Embracing Only, Rhubarb and Custard, Healthy Business, Going Solo, Women in Consulting, and a few more.

You can find a podcast that covers anything you want to know, so pick up a habit of listening while driving or commuting, it can be a good use of your time!
 

To learn more about me I invite you to connect with me on LinkedIn or Instagram I'm Katherine Ann Byam there, or connect with my other podcast page as well on Instagram at Where Ideas Launch. I'm open always to a good conversation!