When Pod Bible began, and I suddenly found myself on the receiving end of an array of podcast recommendations to choose from, it never occurred to me to try a show related to exercise. I have never been athletic and I do not consider myself in shape. After following Jenny Falconer’s recommendation of David Tennant Does a Podcast With… it seemed only fair to give her own show, RunPod a try. I was highly skeptical as the topic did not grab me, but the very first episode drastically altered my outlook on the show.

RunPod features Jenny Falconer interviewing a variety of guests around one topic: running. The program, still less than a year old, covers long distance, high endurance races, brand new runners, favorite trainers, and so much more.

Falconer’s conversation in her first episode with Peter Andre featured a brief discussion of how he got his brother to start running, which was my first exposure to the concept of incremental running. After completing the episode, I couldn’t stop thinking about whether or not I could run using Andre’s method.

It turns out that I could. Since I began jogging in the morning a few weeks ago, I’ve found myself spending more time exploring the RunPod back catalogue in search of advice, reassurance, and camaraderie. The opening theme music is pleasant, upbeat, and reminds me of the way the sky changes during my early morning runs as the sun comes up. There is all the possibility in the world ahead for the chat Jenny’s about to embark on.

I find solace in the way her guests lament the days they don’t want to go out, or how hard it was to get started. The episode with Giovanna Fletcher helped me to worry less about what I looked like while I jogged along in mismatched athletic clothes, sweating like mad. Bella Mackie’s openness about how running helped her mental health gave me a new perspective on running not just for my physical health, but about how it was helping my mind as well.

The best part of having Jenny Falconer in your corner as a runner is how much she genuinely loves to talk about running. Her voice is friendly and positive; she’s discussing her favorite thing with her friends and people she admires. What more could you want from a podcast than to hear two people having a natter about something they both happen to love? And when they can encourage you to love it, too, all the better.

Jordan Rizzieri/The Lady J is a podcast host, writer, wrestling fan, and dog mom based in Washington, D.C. You can listen to her I Never Told You What I Do For A Living podcast, or follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

The post THE SECOND COMING – RunPod appeared first on POD BIBLE.

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Just a few short months ago, a friend was celebrating the work of Pauline Black, lead singer of The Selector, sending along song and album recommendations. So it would seem I was once again primed for a Podbible podcast recommendation, this time via Episode 11, when Robert Diament of Talk Art suggested podcast series The Last Bohemians, and in particular the fifth episode with Pauline Black.

Robert’s recommendation explores a deep, personal connection with Pauline and what listening to her episode awakened within himself – how it unearthed feelings he’d perhaps not confronted since he was much younger and was first encountering Pauline and The Selector as a fan. I was not, however, expecting to find my own feelings bubbling after listening to all six episodes of this powerful series.

The Last Bohemians shares the stories of six incredible women who are being interviewed by intelligent, thoughtful women with each episode produced by a different creative woman. The sense of community within this series was attractive to me – the collaborative nature of how each episode was brought to life encouraged me, as podcasting can often feel isolating and siloed. The concept of talking to “female firebrands and controversial outsiders”, the brain child of Kate Hutchinson and Laura Kelly, seems so simple and yet so innovative.

With 2019 rapidly coming to an end (and with it, an entire decade) it’s hard not to contemplate what the future will bring. If we are going to begin to plan for the next decade of podcasting and audio content, we must look backwards in order to see where we are growing from. The Last Bohemians has come out at the perfect time to remind us of where we have been – as women, as artists, as activists, as humans – but also continues to push the envelope and forces us to confront those areas and topics where we remain uncomfortable and unfamiliar.

As each episode is produced by a different person, they all offer a refreshing auditory sensation, creating sweeping emotions and building effortless visuals for the theater of the mind. In the episode featuring Pauline, the interviewer melts away after her opening question, focusing entirely on the impassioned words of the seasoned performer. In Amanda Feilding’s episode, we are given the gift of the soundscape of her garden, creating a soothing and ethereal mood as we travel through her experiences with psychedelic substances and the unexplored corners of the mind.

A debt of gratitude is owed to Robert for this recommendation, as it has brought me to the precipice of this year. What is next for podcasting? Hopefully, more from The Last Bohemians, and the incredible creators behind the series.

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Jordan Rizzieri/The Lady J is a podcast host, writer, wrestling fan, and dog mom based in Washington, D.C. You can listen to her I Never Told You What I Do For A Living podcast, or follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

The post THE SECOND COMING – Last Bohemians appeared first on POD BIBLE.

When Jenny Falconer appeared on Episode 2 of the Pod Bible Podcast, I was in the perfect mindset for her recommendation. After weeks of watching Good Omens and Broadchurch, I was primed to hear her suggest listeners check out David Tennant Does a Podcast. But really, her recommendation didn’t come from a love of an actor, it came from her own research for her show RunPod, a podcast for runners.

As someone who was on the cusp of releasing her own new podcast, I identified with Falconer’s discussion of what she found admirable about DT’s program. At only 14 episodes, each running at just about an hour, it’s easy to consume. It’s also easy to be drawn in by Tennant’s guests, with actors like Jennifer Garner and Sir Ian McKellan, and even former Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Of all the things to love about the podcast, though, what sticks out is the format. Each episode begins with an outtake of Tennant and his guest getting set up, checking their levels, and becoming comfortable chatting in front of a live mic. Clearly our host is prepared, regularly referencing his own research and notes, but speaks to people with a sense of camaraderie that feels unparalleled.

Often times, podcast hosts fall into habits of talking too much about themselves (a crime I am too often guilty of, myself) or sounding so detached they appear more like judge and jury than interviewer. David Tennant manages to come across as both friend and fan and biographer with his interviewees, allowing each person he speaks with to steer the conversation and delve into the subjects they have a passion to discuss. 

In my two favourite episodes, with Olivia Coleman and Michael Sheen, our host never attempts to dig a juicy story out of them, but instead goes along with them for the journey. Coleman’s self-awareness and Sheen’s passion left me with a great deal to think about, and a desire to share both episodes with everyone I know.

Listening to a gifted speaker and interviewer like Tennant has helped me to better understand the role of a podcast host, and driven me to work harder on improving my own hosting skills. Thanks to Jenny Falconer for this wonderful suggestion.

Jordan Rizzieri/The Lady J is a podcast host, writer, wrestling fan, and dog mom based in Washington, D.C. You can listen to her I Never Told You What I Do For A Living podcast, or follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

The post THE SECOND COMING – David Tennant Does A Podcast appeared first on POD BIBLE.