Aoife recently delved into the drive and reason behind starting her own business venture. This week’s solo episode unpacks Aoife’s why behind creating the Happier at Work podcast. Since launching in August 2019, the podcast has reached over sixty thousand listeners and proudly holds a massive back catalogue of 130 captivating episodes.
From being a huge podcast fanatic to becoming one of the few celebrated female podcast hosts, Aoife shares her podcasting journey, along with a heartfelt message to you, the listener, and reveals exciting plans for the show in 2023. Further key points throughout include;
– Starting a podcast and growing a podcast audience
– Podcast statistics: Women in podcasting
– Is consistency the key to podcasting?
– Getting your podcast heard: will anyone hear my words?
– Happier at work podcast plans for 2023
– Don’t forget to celebrate the wins – big and small.
– Why podcast reviews and listener feedback are so important
– How to identify your work style
– Can you create a better working environment?
– Walking away from workplace toxicity
– Workplace challenges: what challenges are you facing?
“Fewer than 20% of all podcasts are hosted by women. So, it really really means a lot that you are listening.” – Aoife O’Brien.
THE LISTENERS SAY:
Do you have any feedback or thoughts on this discussion? If so, please connect with Aoife via the links below and let her know. Aoife would love to hear from you!
Resources:
Get Happier with Gretchen Rubin
https://gretchenrubin.com/podcast/
Digital Women Awards
https://digitalwomen.live/
Connect with Happier at Work host Aoife O’Brien:
https://www.impostersyndrome.ie
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien
https://www.twitter.com/HappierAtWorkHQ
https://www.instagram.com/happieratwork.ie
https://www.facebook.com/groups/happieratworkpodcast
Transcript
Aoife O’Brien 00:00
If you are a longtime listener to the Happier at Work podcast, you will have heard me speak previously about my signature Happier at Work program. The program has now moved beyond the pilot phase and it’s for organisations who want to maintain a really great culture that they already have. They know that their staff are really, really important. And they want to retain staff for as long as possible, and drive a sense of better engagement at work. Overall, ultimately, what the program does is create a happier working environment using research backed methods. What that means is we look at the current state of play, what needs to change, and then we measure the effectiveness of that change, during the program and also when the program finishes. The program itself is very practical. It is designed with coaching as well, in order to embed the learning into the organisation. You’re listening to the Happier at Work podcast. I’m your host Aoife O’Brien, this is the podcast for leaders who put people first, the podcast covers four broad themes, engagement and belonging, performance and productivity, leadership, equity, and the future of work. Everything to do with the Happier at Work podcast relates to employee retention. You can find out more at happieratwork.ie
Hello, and welcome to this week’s solo episode of the Happier at Work podcast. Today, I’m going to be sharing more about my why for the podcast. So in the last solo episode, I talked all about my why and why I went into business why I set up my business in the first place. And I shared some stories from my own work history that brought me on a journey, essentially a journey that I’m still on. But I wanted to also share like why did I start the podcast in the first place? And like one of the main reasons people asked me this all the time. One of the main reasons that I started was because I’m a huge podcast fan. I’m a total podcast nerd. I love listening to podcasts. And my first foray if you like into podcasts was I used to listen to Happier by Gretchen Rubin. And when I very very first started listening to podcasts, I just listened to the entire back catalogue. I just added everything she had to my list and I listened to them all. You know, at any opportunity, whether it was in a queue, whether it was a for a walk, whether it’s doing housework, commuting, all of that, I used to listen to podcasts all the time. And that’s kind of how I got started. Now someone said to me, that’s not how you listen to podcasts, you’re not supposed to go back through all of the entire back catalogue and listen to them. But I didn’t know any better. And I really enjoyed the podcasts. And I wanted to learn more. And so we went back to the through the entire thing. Now, I don’t listen to that podcast so much anymore. But I do listen to loads of other podcasts, I’m always looking for a recommendation. So if you do have a recommendation of other podcasts that you listen to, then I would absolutely love to hear it. And I am happy to share any of my recommendations as well. In fact, I’m going to put together a list of the I’m gonna say the top 10, but it’s more it’s not that the top 10 It’s that they’re that other podcasts that I listened to that I get a lot of value from as well. Always happy to make those recommendations. I tend to listen to business related podcasts, podcasts for HR, podcasts on entrepreneurship. I have tried and toyed a little bit with fiction podcasts and they’re not ones that I would tend to go back to. I also listened to some of those real life podcasts. Again, not really something for me, I’m much much prefer the business, HR, entrepreneurship type of podcasts.
So the reason I started in the first place, and I started before I think over the pandemic, it became really trendy to have a podcast or maybe just before the pandemic when people had nothing better to do when they were doing stuff I started in August 2019. So over three years ago now, and before the pandemic, I had a microphone, I had an idea, and I had a platform that I wanted to share about the podcast, and I just got going from there. That’s really all I needed. And one thing before I go any further is to say thank you, thanks for listening, thanks for tuning in, we can work out even if you only listen to the episodes that you think might resonate with you, I really, really appreciate all of the support that I’ve got over these last three and a bit years, especially because I’m a woman podcaster. And if you look at the numbers, there’s fewer than 20% of all podcasts are hosted by women. So it really really means a lot that you are listening today. And I suppose putting into context, the podcasts and everything that I’ve achieved with it up to now, there are over 130 episodes out now it’s kind of staggering when I say it out loud. And when I think about that, it’s a huge number. It’s a huge back catalogue of, you know, tons of stuff and I’ve really poured my heart into this and making it a success. I’ve heard of so many other people who’ve started podcast but they haven’t stayed consistent with it, I think one of the key things for me is that level of consistency. You need to have the time and the energy and the commitment to do it week in week out, or every two weeks or every month, whatever it is that you’re committing to, but you need to keep it consistent that you’re doing it all the time, I’ve reached over 60,000 listens as well. And again, you know, this is something that was staggering to me, when I spoke to someone who was doing a podcast, this is maybe four or five years ago. And he had reached I think, 5000 listens. And I just thought that is mind blowing that he had so many people tuning into his podcast to listen to the words that he was saying that he was putting together, you know, it’s just to get to 60,000. I’m just, I mean, I’m pretty blown away. And again, thanks to you for listening, I want to really show my appreciation and gratitude for you for tuning in. If you’ve been listening to the podcast from the start, or if you’ve been listening to it for the last little while, I do do a mix of solo podcasts like this one today and interview based podcasts. Now admittedly, I find the interview-based podcast so much easier to do, it’s so much easier to have a conversation with someone than to have a monologue where you’re just essentially talking to yourself. And it does feel like that at times that I’m talking into the ether. And Will anyone ever hear these words that I’m speaking so it’s a strange sensation when you’re talking and it feels like you’re kind of talking to yourself, and you don’t know whether anyone will ever hear these. So I do a mix of solo and interview based podcast, I have some really fantastic guests lined up for 2023. I’m going to not completely stop the solo episodes, but I’m going to take a lesser frequency of the solo episodes. So instead of doing every second episode, as a solo episode, I’m going to be doing one in four episodes. So you’ll have three interview based podcast episodes. And then one solo episode, which potentially could be a reflection on some of the key points that were made some challenges that you can take into action today, that you can improve your happiness at work or help to create a happier working environment for other people. The other thing that I don’t really talk about as well is the awards. So I came a runner up in 2022 and in 2021, for a podcast of the year with Digital Women, and I’m so delighted for that. In 2021 I came a runner up and I was really, really surprised, really, really delighted. I’m not gonna lie, you know, coming runner up again, it kind of feels like always the bridesmaid a little bit. But I definitely gonna enter those awards again next year. And I’m really chuffed to get to that stage. Because as soon as I saw who was in the finalists, I thought there’s no chance there’s there’s no way I’m going to win this or even get to, you know, get a runner up again this year, because I saw the competition, I just thought there’s no way because they’re, they’re amazing. So it’s a real testament, I’m so so delighted to get a runner up. And I kind of sometimes forget to reflect on that. And sometimes forget to congratulate myself for getting that you know, and the lesson to you. It’s about celebrating the wins, the big wins, and the small wins, as well. And a reminder, please, please, if you’ve been listening, if you enjoy the podcast, give it a rating, give it a review, or share it with someone who you think might enjoy it or think might get a benefit from it. Now Spotify have started doing ratings. So if you’re listening on Spotify, you can go into the podcast and give it a rating there. I would love a five star review. Obviously, I think one person has given it a four star, I can’t tell who that person is. But you know, my OCD is kind of kicking in a little bit. And I’m wondering who that person is who gave me four stars instead of five stars. If you’re enjoying it, I would absolutely love a five star review on Spotify. Apple also gives you the facility to rate as well as review. So you can leave a note and talk about your favorite episode, talk about some of the key takeaways, or something that you’ve done differently as a result of listening to the podcast as well.
I’d absolutely love to hear from you as well, if you have done something differently. If you’re thinking about work differently, if you’re doing things differently at work, I would absolutely love to hear from you. I love getting those messages. So beyond looking at the numbers and the awards, it’s the impact that I can have on individuals at work that really lights me up. It really gives me that sense of purpose with the podcast. And you know, as I already mentioned, I had a microphone I had a platform and I had an idea of what I wanted to talk about, I had a network of people that I wanted to connect with, that I could reach out to and ask them their ideas and ask them to share what it means to be happier at work. And and the reason for doing this is to help people at the end of the day, isn’t it so like whether that is learning something about yourself at work and how to make your situation better. So can you create a happier working environment but still stay where you are by changing one thing by changing an attitude by building a better relationship with your boss, with your co workers, whatever that might be, or can you help others to be happier at work by creating a better working environment by being a better boss, by understanding yourself better, and how you show up at work and the impact that you have? Or maybe it’s an inspiration to leave what is an unhappy working environment, a toxic work environments, very similar to what I have done. So when I’ve been in those toxic situations in the past, I’ve left you know, not everyone does that. But maybe this will be an inspiration, I was so privileged to be able to do that, I realized that, that I had the money to be able to leave those toxic situations I found myself in but really, there’s there’s three options to stay and be happier. There is helping other people to be happier at work as well, by creating that happier working environment. Or you can leave that environment, you can also take this as the opportunity to directly reach out to me, I do reply to any messages that I get by the way, do feel free to reach out to me and let me know what your situation is. Is there something that you want to hear more about whether it’s from a particular person in an interview, whether it’s from me, you know, looking at a specific topic in the solo episodes, I would absolutely love to know what you want to know more about, are there particular challenges that you’re having at work? Is it managing in the hybrid situation is trying to navigate through this new working environment that we find ourselves in, do reach out, let me know what you want to hear more of because if you’re listening to this podcast today, it means that you’re you care that you want to create that environment, but I want to know what challenges you have and how I can help you to address those. So do get involved in the conversation head over to happieratwork.ie, you will find all of my social channels there, all of my links are there. And I’d absolutely love to hear from you. As I mentioned, I will be reducing the number of the solo episodes that I’m doing so this is the last time that you’ll hear from me on a solo episode for around a month, I will be taking a break over Christmas as well a couple of weeks. And so you’re likely to hear from me again by the end of January. That gives you plenty of time to get in touch do reach out and do let me know what you want to hear more about and I look forward to connecting with you again in 2023.
That was another episode of the Happier at Work podcast. I am so glad you tuned in today. If you enjoy today’s podcast, I would love to get your thoughts – head on over to social media to get involved in the conversation. If you enjoyed the podcast, I would love if you could rate, review it or share it with a friend. If you want to know more about what I do or how I could help your business, head on over to happieratwork.ie
