Hey folx,
We have an announcement. Unless we get sponsorship, the Introvert Sisters podcast will go on hiatus after Season 4. We love doing the podcast, but we need help. And the funds to buy the help we need aren’t available on our current budget.
The Podcast Production Process
So far, we’ve recorded about 70 episodes (not all of them are released yet) and we have 300+ regular listeners (we finally managed to get the stats from Apple and Spotify).
But anyone who’s ever done it knows that running a podcast takes work. A LOT of work.
In addition to the recording, every 30 minute episode requires hours of post production time to:
- add the intro and outro
- get a transcript and tidy it up (because #accessibility)
- create the show notes and the related blog post
- upload the audio to the podcast platform
- create social media graphics and captions
- promote the podcast on different social media platforms
- write outlines for the next episode
- respond to comments
And the longer the episode, the more time it takes. We’ve been doing everything ourselves since day one, and we are exhausted.
Activism Takes Time – Here’s What Else We’re Doing
Plus, it’s not the only thing we’re doing. Here’s a snapshot of what else is going on:
Sharon is publishing newsletter content at least twice a week, and has a related mini-podcast. She’s also freelancing part-time, working with Omnis Education part-time, serving as a moderator on Linked Inclusion, speaking at events, and preparing 2+ books (yes, there are a couple on the cards you haven’t heard about yet).
Lisa is holding down a full-time job, serving as Editor-at-Large of Linked Inclusion, speaking at events, hosting Real Talk on Racism, and running her TikTok affirmations channel. She was also co-host of another podcast, which she had to give up because of time constraints.
We are both active on LinkedIn and elsewhere, too, and we’re probably even forgetting some of the stuff we’ve done because we’re so busy.
No More Bootstrapping Without Boots
We have been bootstrapping without boots, and it has to stop. When we talk about wealth gaps and opportunity gaps for Black creators and entrepreneurs, this is what we mean.
We’re also making the point that it’s ok to ask for help. Scratch the surface of any of those with unearned privilege who pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and you’ll find financial support from a family member. Many descendants of the enslaved don’t have that to fall back on. Our privilege does not extend to generational wealth.
Basically, there’s only so far you can get without investment, and that’s what we need now. We believe that we provide value with our podcast – that’s what the feedback we’ve received says. We have been racking our brains for ways to keep going, but we’re out of ideas. And whatever happens, it can’t mean more work for us. We just haven’t got the bandwidth.
Here’s What We Need to Keep the Podcast Going
So, if you know someone who is looking to help Black creators succeed and can put some cold hard cash behind that wish, send them our way. We need to be able to buy 20 hours or so of someone’s time a month to do ALL the post production work for two episodes a month. If we can just record, we can keep going. Otherwise, we’ll have to take a break. We’d be sad to have to do that, but sometimes you have to know when to call it a day. As much as we love the podcast, we can’t work ourselves to exhaustion to keep it going.
We hope that things change so we can continue into 2023. If not, we’re committed to ending even stronger than we started – enjoy season 4!
Our Ideal Sponsor Looks Like This
P.S. Here’s what we’re looking for in a sponsor (because we won’t compromise on our anti-racism activism or our support for introverts):
- Someone whose commitment to anti-racism and equity matches our own (with evidence to back it up; no performativity, please)
- Someone who does not try to control or censor our voice or chosen topics