How My First Podcast Interview Changed Me
A coach I deeply respect asked me to be on her Podcast Lucy Loves and I was instantly equally excited and terrified. This was another level of ‘being seen’… and I think it’s fair to say I didn’t sleep for at least two days before.
A lot of people who know me think that I love being the centre of attention. And they would be wrong. Well kind of. Let me explain.
I consider myself an extroverted introvert. I love being around people, I love being in the middle of the dance floor, I love being at the heart of the group in the pub for afterwork drinks. I miss people terribly when I am left alone too long… I am like an energy vampire, I need your good spirits to keep up mine.
BUT. But I am still an introvert at heart. I need time to recoup and indulge in my own thoughts and feelings. If I spend too much time round others, I end up exhausted. And part of being an energy vampire is that I can accidently suck up negative people too … in true empath fashion, if you’re a downer you’ll definitely leave me down too.
The other thing to know is that I am an entertainer at heart. What started out as armour over the years has become a superpower. When I was younger, I was the queen of self-depreciating humour; I was quick with it and often (smugly typed) ‘clever’. However, the downside of this type of humour is if people can’t keep up, or you do it too much, it just makes you look like a miserable git.
This wharfed over the years into a healthy ability to apply some pretty acute zingers. I am witty and proud of it. I can pretty much make you bleed with my tongue if I want – though I reserve this for people in my inner circle, because a proper roasting from me is a sign of true endearment.
So, when I was asked to interview for my first podcast, I knew that my response to the situation would be to take the mick. There’s absolutely nothing I can do about it… I’ll crack jokes at your funeral. I can’t help it, it’s a defence mechanism; my way to stay strong and hold you up at the same time. I have about as much control over it as a 14-year-old boy let loose in Victoria’s Secrets. And this worried me to my core.
How can I be seen as professional if I just take the mick?
What if people don’t like me?
What if I am irritating?
Worse still, what if I’m boring?!
The fears were endless.
I found myself rehearsing in the shower several days in a row, trying to second guess the questions. I made notes upon notes on my coaching style, what I offer, my history, what to say and what not to say. I grilled myself not to swear. I was besides myself trying to box myself up so I could be wholly authentic whilst holding back by at least two thirds.
So round came the morning… ink on my hands, post-its all over the laptop. I rehearsed what to say, what not to say… and of course it didn’t make a single bit of difference. Why? Because I got completely caught up in the moment and was totally myself, warts and all.
I swore within minutes, I mentioned past things I was determined not to mention, and I barely referenced my coaching business or packages. Dammit.
We laughed, we were flippant, we were light-hearted.
It was excellent.
The feedback was excellent too. Complete strangers tracked my down on social media to tell me it was one of their favourites. They thanked me for making them smile and commented on my being a natural.
Was it because I enjoy being centre of attention? No, because I didn’t really enjoy that – in fact it stopped me sleeping and showering properly. But because being on that podcast made me accept that connecting with people and making them smile is my super skill. And it’s one I am bloody proud of.
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The Podcast Lucy Loves Emma Snipp can be found on Spotify here and all your usual apps.
