Medieval History & Its Connection to Our Modern World

Fortune's Wheel Podcast is a historical narrative that seeks to expose the web of interactions between nations, kingdoms, religions, and cultures that were so prevalent during the period between the turn of the first millennium and the voyages of Columbus. Being an elementary teacher with the licensure to teach through secondary education in both English/Language Arts and History, my passion is to make seemingly complex events and changes not only understandable for my audience but also entertaining along the way. My listeners, who are almost equally represented across age groups from 18 to 60, are curious about the story of our ancestors and how our modern narratives leave out certain details and connections, thus depriving us all of crucial answers to how the world became what it is today.
 

I listen to a ton of podcasts, from interview formats like the Joe Rogan Experience and the JBP Podcast to history podcasts like The History of Rome, The British History Podcast, and Hardcore History. I also love to learn about philosophy, so I enjoy Philosophize This! and The History of Philosophy with No Gaps, too! I am a fan first, just like everyone else. And despite enjoying many podcasts that center around specific countries - like Britain, the Netherlands, Russia, Byzantium, etc. - I was looking for one podcast that could weave these events and people and relationships and changes together. To me, that's how history was meant to be told: as a story, a narrative. So, as the schools shut down in March of 2020, the idea was finally given the time to float to the top. And by June 2020, I had my first episode published. I initially wanted to zoom in on the "creation of modern North America from Columbus forward," but all my questions for what spurred Columbus to sail west kept pushing my learning back and back and back...until I realized how little of the Middle Ages I knew. I read a lot as it is - like a lot! - and history is the majority of what I read and I was stunned at how much I still had left to learn. So, I researched when I thought many of the answers to my questions about what pushed Europe to look westward began to a little battle on England's southeast coast. This little battle would push our narrative forward. My initial goals for the podcast? I started it as an accountability measure to hold myself to finding out the answers to what pushed Europe to, again, look westward. That's it. Accountability for my learning. But I've enjoyed and appreciated the hard work of those podcasters I listen to on a daily basis and wondered if I could also have a similar impact to my listeners, which is why I am always looking for ways to expand my listenership. Learning should never be experienced in a vacuum.
 

I am a father, a husband, and an educator first. My listeners know this. When those needs are met, I am a podcaster. I work hard to get episodes out every week, but over the 2020 - 2021 school year, learning "on-the-go" how to teach virtually, there were gaps, however, I feel like I'm hitting a stride here. Time is severely limited, but I have a very supportive wife and I do most of my research and reading when everyone's gone to bed. My writing is completed...well, whenever I can fit it in. As for cost, my goal for 2021 is to see that the podcast is 100% ad-free and self-sustaining, however, all books are paid for out of my own pocket, the library has been my great friend, and I'm always on the lookout for free online tools with which to use and make my show better. I do have a listener supporting the show through Anchor and a Patreon account set up.
 

I'm still learning how to attract sponsorships to the show (again, I do all this on my spare time), but besides Anchor and Patreon that process is on-going. I did not start this with the express intent to draw an income. I always saw that as a benefit I would welcome if it came, but I did begin with the hopes of making the venture self-sustaining. Anchor has been my only sponsorship so far, but I learned that ran out after a certain dollar amount. My downloads per month are in a good place, upwards of close to about 700 or so, but I am happy to say that these figures continue to increase steadily. As of this interview, in the first 41 episodes the podcast has over 7,200 downloads, and I feel grateful that I'm able to offer these listeners a chance to share in this amazing story.
 

Currently, I use Anchor to upload, publish, and distribute each episode. Anchor's been great and is very easy to use for techie dolts like me. As for recording, I use Garageband but I'm not thrilled with it, so I'm all ears for other cheap, easy, and high-quality alternatives. Interviews are not currently a part of the programming, but I do have ideas on the shelf as soon as I'm able to expand (which is I hope by early 2022). Remote interviewing is a completely separate learning curve, but I'm excited about the prospect!
 

Listeners can find the show through a number of ways, actually. Fortune's Wheel has a Facebook page, Twitter feed, and Instagram account. I am very close to launching a new website through Wix, which has taken a lot of time but I'm excited about the opportunity to give my listeners a chance to have a visual to go along with the audio. As for distribution, listeners can find the show on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Anchor, Breaker, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Cast, RadioPublic, and Spotify, not to mention YouTube. And I highly encourage listeners to reach out directly to me at the show's official email address: fortuneswheelpodcast@gmail.com. I would love to start marketing in other, broader avenues, however, that goes back to the funding challenge. In due time, in due time.
 

For people on the fence about starting a podcast, I would tell them about a quote I heard from the famous poet Robert Frost a long time ago. Frost said, "No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader." If you don't care all that much, then neither will anyone else. It has to start with what you want to learn and understand better. It can't start with money, it can't start with some idea of fame, and it can't start with half-a-heart on what you want to share with your listeners. You have to be driven by it. If you can stop thinking about it for more than, say, a week, then it's probably not a topic you are driven to create a podcast about. It has to start with you, and it has to be followed up with a serious commitment.
 

You can learn more about podcast at the following sources:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast
Facebook: https://facebook.com/FortunesWheel
Instagram: https://instagram.com/WheelPodcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzJ6XXVUP-dAnq-y1mt76gw/featured
If you follow this link to Anchor, you can find a podcasting service there to listen to all of the episodes.
You can reach me at fortuneswheelpodcast@gmail.com.
And, finally, please follow me on one of my social media accounts because a website will be coming very soon!