30 Days & 30 Episodes On The "Life Shift" Podcast

 Best Indie Podcast of the Year is an award bestowed only when there is much consideration, reflection, and analysis. In July of this year, the Ear Worthy award panel announced that The Life Shift had won that award.

  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 12, 2023 The Life Shift podcast celebrated its 100th episode.Its growth in downloads has been steady, nearing 25,000 downloads. This number tells me that the content resonates with listeners and fulfills its purpose.

In November, Matt Gilhooly began a 30/30 challenge. Producing a podcast day for the entire month of November. And we thought running a marathon was difficult. This is like running 26.2 miles backward and blindfolded.

"Life has been a little challenging lately, and I felt like I wasn’t giving enough to The Life Shift podcast for all that it gives me through these connections and conversations," said Matt. "So, I knew it was time to shake something up in my process and get me feeling like I used to with the show."

NOTE TO READERS: Matt Gilhooly is one of the most passionate and dedicated podcasters in the industry. He and the Art Of Kindness podcast host Robert Peterpaul may have cornered the market on emotional generosity and collaborative spirit.

Matt continues: I was inspired by NaNoWriMo (https://nanowrimo.org/), a challenge where novel writers write daily for a month (November). I guess the concept is to build a process, push yourself, and end the month with a good amount of a novel complete. I did not want to participate in the traditional version, but last year, one of the shows I was a guest on, 'Adventures in Podcasting' by Pilar Orti, did the podcast version of the challenge."

Matt wanted to hold himself accountable, so he posted his 30/30 challenge on social media. 

There was no going back. Today is November 29th, and Matt Gilhooly is one day away from completing his 30/30 challenge. During November, Matt has discussed his wish list of podcast guests, which includes Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Nettles, Sara Haines, Brian Teta, Randy Rainbow, and Tyler Whitman.

On Day Eight, Matt explored the intricate production process behind The Life Shift podcast, sharing insights into how he manages every aspect of the podcast, from booking guests to editing audio and video, all while juggling a full-time job.

NOTE: Matt designed a new logo for every episode -- all 30 of them!

Matt observes: "My goal was to show up every day (no batching episodes) and discuss something random, either pulled from a random list of questions, something on my mind, or something suggested by a listener or friend."

Perhaps my favorite episode during the challenge was Day # 3, when Matt shared the heartfelt story about his grandmother's deep love for Josh Groban and how his music brought joy to her life. This episode highlights an extraordinary concert experience that became one of Matt's last memorable moments with his grandmother. As Matt recalled: "I surprised her with front-row tickets to see Josh Groban, which led to a magical experience that filled her with happiness."

As the challenge comes to an end, Matt reflects: "On the surface, I thought that it would be a good challenge to get back into sharpening production skills. I also thought there would be a chance for the audience to get to know me more than in the regular episodes since I try to make each weekly episode about my guest. Sure, they know that my mom and grandmother died, and those are the reasons why The Life Shift exists, but they might not get much else about my thoughts."

On Day 23, Matt used a random question generator as a lighthearted exploration that reveals a bit about his personality, including his odd aversion to board games and his even odder thoughts on potential witness protection names. (Marcus McGillicuddy?)

Matt also reflects on his recent experience as a guest on another podcast, which inspired this episode's playful approach.

You can also hear Matt on Danny Brown's 5 Random Questions podcast this week, answering the unflappable Danny Brown's random question generator.

As Matt assesses his challenge, he notes: "

I found this to be an unexpected personal growth experiment in the first three weeks. I’ve been able to share a few little family things or personal things in the story. I feel like I’ve also been able to showcase more of my personality. I’ve tried to really leave everything in these episodes, even if I said something silly or, god forbid, dumb. I hope people checking out the bonus series find it enjoyable, even when I show up and have nonsense to talk about."

When December 1 arrives and Matt can bask in the glow of nailing his challenge like a picture perfect Olympic dive, he can look back on his series with fondness.

"I’m proud of the challenge and hope it inspires others to do something that seems like a lot of work and challenging (or even scary). It’s all doable; we just have to commit and make it happen," Matt says.

As Nelson Mandela once said, “There is no passion to be found playing small, in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” 

The Life Shift Creator/Host Matt Gilhooly thought big and accomplished a "30 podcast episodes in 30 days" challenge. His passion for podcasting is evident. His ability to overcome is clear. His podcasting skill is without question, and his refusal to be limited by expectations or obstacles is unparalleled. 

Congratulations Matt. 

If you haven't listened to The Life Shift podcast yet, please do so.

Personally, I am taking on the reverse challenge. Listening to 30 The Life Shift episodes in 3 days. Want to join me?