The Power of Podcasts

I love listening to podcasts. I listen to them on the bus, when I exercise and even when I’m just relaxing at home. I can’t get enough – the more I listen, the more I learn and feel inspired.

At the beginning of 2015, I started a new job with an amazing company that really prioritises gender diversity and gender equality. I had the opportunity to recruit for a digital technology team and take part in initiatives to encourage more females to pursue careers in technology. This got me thinking, how could I spread the word about some of the amazing women I get to meet and share their stories? Then I realised, I could start my own podcast! How hard it could it be?

Starting a podcast

Turns out, it’s not actually that difficult to launch your own podcast. Here are the steps I took:

• Pick the software to record your podcast. I use GarageBand which automatically comes with an Apple Mac laptop.
• Buy a microphone. I bought a USB microphone called Audio-Technica AT2020. You plug this into your computer and it links with GarageBand.
• You’ll need a website. I set up a basic WordPress website and I set up a web hosting account with Bluehost. This will host all your podcast episodes and feature them on your website.
• Who is your audience? I added a plug-in to the website called Blubrry Statistics which links to all your episodes and lets you know how many people have listened to each one and where they are located in the world.
• Setting up with iTunes. This is really easy and doesn’t take long at all. You can find all the instructions on Apple’s “Making a Podcast”
• Social media accounts are essential to promote your podcast. I set up a Facebook and Instagram page as well as a Twitter account where I regularly post links to the episodes and related content.

Tech Women Australia Podcast

I started the Tech Women Australia podcast so that I could to talk to talented women who work in the technology industry and provide a platform to share their stories with the world. I want everyone to be able to hear about the different career journeys, the wide variety of experiences and advice about starting a career in tech so that you can feel just as inspired as I do. Some of the women featured so far range from software engineers to UX designers to teachers and entrepreneurs. There is something there for everyone.

I am extremely passionate about empowering women to be able to achieve their dreams and to be successful. Technology is for everyone and is not gender specific.  I will continue to advocate for the promotion of gender diversity in the workplace, in particular for more females in IT. I hope that the Tech Women Australia podcast will successfully provide you with interesting information on different professional role profiles, insights into the world of technology from a female perspective and most importantly give you the inspiration and encouragement you might need to pursue your passions whether that’s a career in technology or to start your own podcast.

Website: www.techwomenaustralia.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/techwomenaustralia

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