The first episode of the Colors of Influence podcast is now available! The journey toward launch wouldn't have been possible without the support of the House of Pod and Amped Women of Color podcast incubator.
Those of you who have been following the Colors of Influence blog and associated social media handles over the last few years know that with Colors of Influence, I merge my personal passions with my academic and professional inclinations to create my labor of love. The Colors of Influence podcast continues this story arc, by focusing on lives of purpose and intention, highlighting leaders who are working to make institutions and systems more equitable and more just. Colors of Influence intends to reach out to Black, Brown, indigenous and immigrant people of color who advance diversity, equity and inclusion through their everyday work.
Why a podcast and why now? The idea for adding a podcast to Colors of Influence offerings has been in the works for sometime now. I listen to podcasts during daily gym workouts and during road trips, so I'm familiar with the medium and appreciate its potential to educate and inform, intentionally adding a sense of immediacy and intimacy to important conversations. Stripped of my daily commute due to working from home during COVID-19 quarantine, I found myself with extra time to devote to learning how to create a podcast. I was fortunate to have been selected to be part of the 2020 Women of Color podcast incubator through Amped. Throughout six, very busy weeks, I'm grateful for the lessons shared by the House of Pod community, as I work toward the goal of extending the reach of Colors of Influence to a new audience.
Who will listen to the Colors of Influence podcast? I imagine the typical
listener as someone who is doing diversity, equity and inclusion work within an organization, or operating a business or non-profit with a direct
tie-in to the work of diversity, equity and inclusion. Their primary
motivation for listening to Colors of Influence is to enhance their
knowledge and be inspired about how other leaders of color are applying
innovative approaches to addressing myriad issues, while also staying
true to their values of service, inclusiveness and equity.
Season one of the Colors of Influence podcast will consist of at least five episodes and a short teaser. As host and producer, I plan to spend about 10 hours per week on scheduling, interviewing, editing and producing each episode. Thus far, for the first season, I have already completed three Zoom interviews in August. Editing audio is a time-consuming process: I'm learning to pace production tasks so I don't feel overwhelmed.
Give a listen to my interview with Yolanda Chase, founder of Diversity Way-Maker. Follow or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and everywhere you get your podcast.
Thanks for tuning in!