The Life Shift Podcast Celebrates its 100th Episode

 On The Life Shift podcast, host Matt Gilhooly has candid conversations with people about the pivotal moments that changed their lives forever.

It's one of those indie podcasts that, when you find it, you feel like you've discovered audio gold. If you don't know, indie podcasting is hard. It's building a media business from conception to birth through maturation. It's finding listeners amid a sea of other podcasts.

On the podcast's website, it reads: "We all have our stories, but through these conversations, we discover communities. We learn that there are commonalities through the ups and downs that we all face. But most importantly, we learn that we are not alone."

The Life Shift podcast highlights life-altering moments and humanizes the struggles and triumphs through them all.

The Life Shift podcast host, Matt Gilhooly, says, "I launched The Life Shift Podcast in March 2022. It started as a project to complete for an elective course in my most recent graduate degree at The University of Florida. I have always felt compelled to share my story in hopes that others might feel a bit less alone on the journey. But since the objective was to create an interview-based podcast, I opted to start The Life Shift Podcast." 

On December 12th, The Life Shift podcast celebrates its 100th episode. 

I reached out to The life Shift creator / host / entrepreneur Matt Gilhooly with a few questions as he approached his 100th episode.

Q. What have you learned after 100 episodes?

A. I had no idea what this journey would bring to me. Selfishly, this podcast has helped to heal parts of me that I did not realize still needed healing. I’ve learned just how similar we are despite all the differences that are thrown in our faces. At the end of the day, we just want to love, be loved, and enjoy this journey we call life. Yet so many of us are thrown curveballs and knocked off our path. But this is where we learn who we are meant to be. This is where we grow.

Over 100 episodes, I have learned how important it is to REALLY listen. It allows for deeper conversation, more curiosities, and it creates a safe space for those we are speaking it. I am so thankful that I can now count active listening as a skill I have acquired on this journey.

I have also had the opportunity to connect with so many people in the podcasting space. It is amazing to me how collaborative people are in this space. People are not gate keeping (mostly) and are happy to share their processes and things to avoid.

I have also learned that there is not one way to podcast. I found early on that I was trying to do what everyone told me I SHOULD be doing. Once I learned that this is my journey, I found everything to be much more comfortable.

Q. Is podcasting harder than you thought?

A. Podcasting is not harder than I thought, but it is much more work than I thought it might be. I think we all think that we can just jump on a microphone, ask a few questions, and then post it to all the places and be done. Millions of people will listen, and you will have a successful podcast. That is clearly a fantasy, at least for me.

 I go into each conversation with my initial goal in mind (to help others feel less alone). This takes the pressure off to feel like I need to be perfect. But it takes a good deal of time to connect with guests, schedule recordings, record the episode (sometimes very deep and traumatic), edit the audio, edit the video, create assets, load to hosts, and promote. I am happy to say that I have found a process and become rather good (I think) at editing and releasing content that resonates.

 Funny enough, the hardest thing for me right now is that I am so far ahead. When episode 100 releases, I will have 115 recorded, which means I have 3.5 months of content waiting to release. This is too much for my heart because I hate making my guests wait. So much so, that I released two episodes a week every week in September and October 2023.

Q. How have your downloads grown?

 A. Oh, geez. This is a sore spot for many new podcasters. We hear so much of these studio-backed shows launching to the top of the charts, but that is far from normal for indie podcasters like me. Growth in downloads has been steady, nearing 25,000 downloads. This number tells me that the content resonates with listeners and fulfills its purpose.

Q. Have your hosting abilities grown and matured? How?

 A. Along with building active listening skills, I think I have found more confidence in my voice as I get to 100 episodes of the show. As a child, I was often bullied for my voice, so it is very cool to take that back and find fulfillment in a show that uses my voice weekly to hold safe space for my guests to share deeply personal stories.

I notice now that I do not get as nervous before recording with a total stranger. The beginning of the show started with people in my circle. I am proud to say that I have not actively sought out a guest since October, 2022. So, that says something about my abilities as a host now. Or I hope it does.

 Q. What's the primary piece of advice you'd give to indie podcasters after reaching 100 episodes?

A. There is no universal formula for successful podcasting. My advice is to carve your own path. Do not get sidetracked by the overwhelming number of recommendations/requirements out there. Finding your unique approach can make the podcasting journey the most fulfilling experience, as it has been for me with The Life Shift Podcast.

Check out The Life Shift podcast for Matt's next 100 episodes. Today. Matt has a special episode leading up to tomorrow's 100th show.

It's superb audio for the heart, the mind, and your sense of purpose.