As rules were relaxed and we could meet outside or socially distanced we found we got along really well, laughing a LOT and eager to find new purpose in our lives.  We considered starting a business, perhaps along the lines of business networking but it was eventually our kids at a garden ‘focus’ group we dragged them into, that suggested we start a podcast as our conversations seemed to have us all in stitches.

 

Enter stage right, two midlife women with no podcast experience, no celebrity connections but a whole lot of ideas. 

 

We named our company Lifestyle Lounge as the name was free at Companies House but, rule number one, do a thorough google search as we eventually found out it was also the name of a swingers club in LA!  Too late for us unfortunately so that’s stuck but we realised Two Women Chatting was a far better podcast name and, as they say, does exactly what it says on the tin!

 

So began a steep learning curve of website design, multi-track recording, talent booking, graphic design, SEO understanding and so much more.  If it’s your dream to start a podcast, consider how long you think it might take you - and then double it.

 

We did a lot wrong including not listening to our gut and going with suggestions we weren’t comfortable with, we misjudged how much time it took and, how embarrassing is this and never to be repeated, forgot to press record on one particular guest!  Fortunately they were kind enough to do another date with us.

 

But as we became more comfortable and confident, booked more household names like Anthea Turner, Claire Sweeney, Angie Best, Judy Murray and, our greatest to date, Dame Judi Dench, listened to ourselves and, importantly, believed in ourselves we settled in for the long term and embraced stepping outside our comfort zone.  To be fair, I’d had plenty of experience on a mic as a voice actor but reading scripts and audiobooks is entirely different to interview skills, especially when your knees are knocking under the table interviewing a big celebrity!  Liz, with zero mic experience, was timid and somewhat stiff to begin with but has grown exponentially into an active participant who really enjoys the interviews as much as I do.  We found that our skillsets really complemented each other and we found our groove.

 

So, where are now?  We’ve just released our 50th episode nearly two years into this journey.  We put our foot down and insisted on some healthy breaks between seasons rather than producing weekly content throughout the year.  We’re really proud of staying the course as 90% of podcasts don’t get past episode 3 and out of 3-4 million podcasts globally only 720K are active/survive.

 

We’re now downloaded in 89 countries from Angola to Zimbabwe, have a monthly column in a local magazine and have lined up incredible guests for our next season, including Andrea McLean, Louise Minchin and Sally Gunnell.

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