Thoughts triggered by She Podcasts LIVE going virtual.
I am disappointed.
I am disappointed in what it takes to build a community and make it sustainable.
I am disappointed by the lack of resources that are offered and available within the podcasting industry for anyone/anything that is not 100% deemed worthy - as in "will this make me money"
I am disappointed by the people in podcasting communities and networks that benefit and love the communities and resources but don't choose to invest in them; buy the ticket, course, class, etc.
Community leaders talk to each other. There is frustration. Our own people don't choose us. But they do love what we do. It's needed and valuable but it needs to be viable.
We also know better than anyone that 💰 is tight - no shade on not being able to invest. It's simply the truth.
I'm disappointed by the feeling I get from the industry that seems to think that all of us working to uplift marginalized communities and voices have made it, especially if we've been around for a while.
The economics don't add up. Perception is not the truth.
KEEP INVESTING IN US. We'll tell you when we don't need anymore support
I'm disappointed by how challenging and exhausting it is to constantly continue to prove how valuable our spaces and networks are.
It's life sucking to have to PROVE our VALUE all. the. time.
I'm disappointed that value = NUMBERS.
More, more, more, more, big, big, big, big.
I challenge the assumption that more is inherently of great worth.
I'm disappointed that regardless of how much joy, hope and magic comes in creating a product/service/experience for us - we're still gonna piss someone off.
And it hurts because we care so much, but it gets harder and harder to keep going the longer we do it.
I'm disappointed by how fragmented the podcasting industry feels. In my almost 17 years, I feel a bigger us vs them than I've ever felt in every part of the industry, from ad tech to audio production, to education, to RSS specs to advertising to within communities themselves, it's there.
I'm disappointed that She Podcasts LIVE isn't happening IRL. For those that had the opportunity to attend in 2019 and 2020 you know what a life changing experience it was.
It was the spark of everything that other conferences were not...
I'm disappointed that the reality of what it takes to get the folks that we serve to attend a conference doesn't look to be economically or logistically viable for them.
I'm disappointed that urgent solutions to crisis situations are a compromise among imperfect choices - and as much as the choice saves it also harms.
And the harm goes directly to those that are the most vulnerable.
I am deeply grateful for the humans that have shown kindness, empathy, and support, especially to Jess. She Podcasts is her business. She did everything she could have done with the resources and knowledge that she had available to her.
I am deeply grateful to the collaborative nature of many podcasting community leaders. I'm humbled by how brilliant, passionate and wise they are. What a gift they are to the podcasting space. They are the connective tissue. The industry would not be where it is without them.
Let me say that one more time.
Community leaders, the ones that enthusiastically bring people together, inspire them, educate them, mentor them, they are why podcasting feels the way that it feels. Remove them, remove the community spaces and podcasting has lost.
Digital creation, conversations, communities, social media and businesses have fundamentally changed, and are changing at light speed. The familiar online landscape that we have known for nearly 20 years, with its gradual evolution, has ceased to exist.
There is a quickening. The undertow is pulling us under. No one is riding the current, it's moving too fast. Our job is to feel the new pull and orient ourselves to the now. What worked in the past isn't working now, what worked last month isn't working now.
Adaptability and deep roots will prove to be indispensable assets.
The world is doubling down on rapid creation, release and implementation.
How does this affect vulnerable communities and voices?
The slow, the depth, the nuance, the refinement, the human will be and is already being overlooked.
More than ever as we seek to create a world that is viable, sustainable and safe for all of us we must look through an intersectional lens, and not just race, class and gender, but also the individual's personal intersectionality of mind, body, consciousness, energy, brain, and spirit.
And it starts with us.
How can we break free from the addictive cycle of getting instant gratification through impulsive, rapid responses through digital interactions, leading to forming distorted, incomplete perceptions within ourselves?
How can we know a situation through tweets, posts and headlines?
The work of understanding is slow.
Relationships take time.
Conversations take time.
Meaning takes time.
Rebuilding takes time.
Connection takes time.
May we give each other the grace to know that what we see or feel we understand is only one facet of a complex situation. May we believe folks when they tell us exactly what they need and give them that and not what we think they need.
I am disappointed. I feel defeated, resentful and anxious.
I'm sure what I feel is only a sliver in comparison to what is experienced by Jess and the other leaders who have made the courageous choice to build and create for communities in need of various resources, dedicating a significant part of themselves and putting so much on the line.
Thank you. I see you. And I will do my best to keep on advocating for you in the places that I can.
One last thing, there are many folks that are doing the work that are not on social media.
They don't post what they do. They don't tell you about the proposals, the meetings, the initiatives, the ideas, the phone calls, the negotiations...
And many, if not most, are of marginalized genders #justsayin
I work best in intimate private spaces or one on one. My brain is not made for online digital discourse. If you have thoughts that you'd like to share with me or would like to have a conversation, let's connect. I've set aside 2 Tuesday evenings, drop by and hang. I'd love to meet you 🤎