Indie Podcaster Profiles: Spencer Moore

 

Creator/Host of The Hairy Chin Podcast

Intro: Describe the podcast.
The Hairy Chin Podcast takes its name from one of those unglamorous realities of being a woman that we tend to quietly deal with and rarely talk about. Hosted by women’s health advocate and patient educator Spencer Moore, the show explores how women can become more informed and active participants in their healthcare.

Through expert conversations, patient stories, and advocacy-focused episodes, Spencer covers everything from breast health and endometriosis to communicating with doctors and preparing for appointments. Because being told to advocate for yourself is one thing. Knowing how to do it when you’re sitting half-naked on an exam table is another.

Q. Why did you start this podcast?
A. After being diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, I trained as a breast health educator through the Know Your Lemons Foundation. I hosted my first session with a group of friends here in Barcelona. Surprisingly, some showed up really nervous. As the session went on, I
watched that fear shift. By the end, one woman was excited to go home and share what she'd learned with her daughter. That really impacted me. Not long after, I stepped back from my career as a creative professional.

I was physically exhausted and mentally burnt out. I knew I wanted to pivot, but I wasn’t sure where. Inspired by the session, I wondered what I could do with my patient experience and curiosity about female health. My husband actually said, “You love people, and you love talking. Start a podcast!” And I thought, you know what, I should.
So I did!

Q. How did you start the podcast?
A. My creative background provided me with a lot of skills I could pull from, but the truth is, I knew nothing about podcasting. I hired a production company for the months leading up to launch.
They helped with the technical foundations like hosting, distribution, and the RSS feed, but also with clarifying the concept and the format of the show. It was a big investment, but having someone hold my hand through that process helped me gain the confidence to hit publish.

Q. What are the key themes of your podcast?
A. Women are drowning in healthcare decisions when they’re already overloaded by life. Add being actually sick and scared, and of course it’s tempting to just say, “Tell me what to do.”

The Hairy Chin helps women develop the skills to actively participate in their healthcare journey. That means understanding what’s happening in their body, communicating it, asking questions, and developing a sense of what is right for them and, most importantly, what isn't. The show
also looks at what it’s like to be the actual woman inside all that: the fear, identity shifts, shame, and exhaustion that come with navigating our health.

Q. What is your primary challenge as an independent podcaster?
A. I’m going to be really honest and say the financial side of it. I don’t think podcasters talk about this enough because nobody wants to be the one saying, “Oh yes, the finances are so hard.”

“Come, sponsor my show.” I’m not saying exactly that (wink wink), but I do believe this is the elephant in the indie podcast room. Podcasting is media work, and producing these shows can easily become a full-time, non-paying job. I accept this growth phase as a hustle and equate it
to a startup. You’re investing before making a profit, learning as you go, doing fifteen jobs at once, and probably working far more than you expected.

In the health and wellness industry specifically, I find it challenging to monetize the work without compromising what it stands for. I see a lot that I refuse to participate in. When the right opportunities come, I want them to be ones that genuinely serve the women listening, not ones
that exploit the very vulnerabilities this show exists to address.

Q. How has your podcast affected your non-podcast life?
A. When I first read this question, I laughed a little and thought, “What non-podcast life?”

The reality is that I live the things I talk about, so the line is quite blurred. I will say that the podcast has been an incredible outlet for me. I have met such inspiring people who have opened my eyes to what’s possible in patient advocacy, and I have found real community in women who have walked similar paths, making mine feel much less isolating. All of this has sharpened my own advocacy skills, because I’m here learning alongside everyone else. Seeing my own growth as a patient and advocate has really motivated me to keep showing up.

Q. Of all the facets of podcasting — writing, recording, hosting, editing, marketing, distribution — what are the most challenging for you?
A. It’s funny because I come from a branding and marketing background, so you would think marketing would be my easy button. It absolutely is not. Once an episode is finished, you enter this entire second job of getting it in front of people. Creating another stack of content to promote what you just made is a slippery slope to burnout. I don’t believe every piece of creative work needs an audience of millions to matter, but you do have to get it in front of the people who could connect with it.

Sponsors and brands want to know that you have an audience likely to engage with them, so they want downloads, followers and subscribers. But building that kind of audience takes time, energy, and resources. It’s watching a hamster on a wheel while playing chess against a computer. I’m still finding my way through it.

Q. How are you building your audience into a community?
A. I’ve purposefully held off creating a community space, although it is now in development. The online health space feels very delicate to me, and I value community and the patient voice. I believe existing in the online health sphere comes with a huge responsibility. I see women’s health communities that aren’t particularly focused or well moderated, and that isn’t a direction I want to pursue. The goal is for women to feel safe, seen, and heard, in a space that is trustworthy and responsibly managed. I’d rather take my time building that than rush into it just because it’s the expected next step for a podcast.

Q. What does the future hold for you?
A. In the near future, The Hairy Chin is launching a Substack and releasing new Season 2 episodes. Season 3 is already taking shape. It will focus entirely on chronic illness and its impact. It’s incredibly personal to me, and deeply relevant to millions of other women.

Beyond that, things are still fluid. Healthcare is changing incredibly quickly, including how AI is shifting the way we access and understand information. I want to evolve alongside that.

Collaboration has always been central to my creative process, and I’d love to incorporate it more, bringing together patients, clinicians, educators, advocates, and organizations to find ways for those worlds to collide.

Someday, I would love for The Hairy Chin to provide grants to women whose illnesses have created enormous financial burdens. Chronic illness can affect your job, your income, your relationships, your home, your mental health, and that financial stress feeds right back into your
physical health. It would be such an honor to help ease that pain point.
My north star is helping women help themselves in healthcare, so wherever that leads, The Hairy Chin is where I’m headed.

The Hairy Chin just won four 2026 Women Who Podcast Magazine awards, including Best In Show. This brilliant show exemplifies how indie podcasters make the world a better place. In this case, it teaches women practical skills to navigate complex healthcare systems in the U.S. and Europe. Moreover, The Hairy Chin is one of the best podcast titles in the industry!