It’s launch day! Best of Both Worlds, the podcast, is up on iTunes and available for a listen. With my co-host, Sarah Hart-Unger, I discuss work, family, and how to get more out of life. We currently have 3 episodes available; we’re recording more today and they’ll start coming out weekly after this.
The first week of a podcast’s life is critical for getting it noticed. So thank you so much for giving it a listen, subscribing, rating, reviewing, and sharing with friends! I really appreciate it. (And if you have a question for a future episode, or a topic idea, please feel free to share it in the comments! I’m always looking for recommendations of other podcasts to listen to as well. I’m currently listening to Happier, Another Mother Runner, #Amwriting, and What Should I Read Next).
In other news: Monday was a long day. Much back and forth on podcast launch, all of it done from the road. I got up at 5:50 a.m., and ran outside (G, nanny, was staying over). I got ready and left the house at 7:15 a.m., drove to the airport, and flew to Chicago. I read some of IQ84, which I am working through, and the entirety of a book I’m reviewing professionally (over the day — not all on the flight there). In Chicago, I had 2 hours to kill before I had to be at my event, so I went to the Art Institute! That was a fun little adventure. I looked at the miniature rooms (which I adore) plus some photos, artsy paperweights, and famous paintings. Then I walked to my venue, getting in a lot of people watching along the way. Everyone was trying to see the eclipse! I saw some of it, but Chicago was cloudy. It did get a little darker, like there was a storm coming, though there wasn’t. I spoke to my audience, and then went back to O’Hare. My flight was on time this time (yay!) but 
at the gate next to me a flight was canceled after everyone had boarded. I saw one young mom with a baby and a 3-year-old hauling them off, and she was trying so hard to be cheerful at 9 p.m. “We’re going to a hotel!” she said in a very strained voice. “It’s going to be such an adventure!” Oh was I grateful to be going home — I got in my bed at 1:30 a.m. — and I was grateful to be flying by myself.
In other, other news: Two of my kids built a huge fort in the basement, and they have slept in it for two nights now. I was somewhat surprised, but it looks pretty cozy. Summer fun!
Photos: podcast graphic, paperweight at the Art Institute, eclipse watching crowds in Millennium park
I get my podcast from Google play. Is it available there. Can’t wait to listen.
@Teja – we started on iTunes but will be up on Stitcher by the end of the week so non iPhone people can access it. I hope you enjoy it!
I’ll add your podcast to my rotation! I’m contemplating a work change that will have me driving more, so I’m on the hunt for new podcasts. Perfect timing!
I love the Art Institute. It is probably the thing I miss most from my days living in Chicago.
@Cloud- it really is a great museum. I try to go whenever I’m there (and there are a lot of conferences in Chicago, so I can go somewhat frequently!)
Looking forward to hearing about the work change (though driving more — boo).
Congrats on the podcast! I can’t wait to listen. I’m in the final stages of getting ready to launch one, too — about being a writer/creative with a day job, called Marginally.
The Art Institute is really fantastic! My husband and I took a quick anniversary trip to Chicago this summer, and it was so fun — also fun to do the museum without kids in tow. Apparently, it was one of Ray Bradbury’s favorite places, too. There’s a great story of him visiting and being stopped on the steps by a group of students asking for his autograph in their copies of The Martian Chronicles shortly after its publication — the first time he’d ever been asked for an autograph (he was a notorious autograph hound as a teenager growing up in LA).
@Meghan- can’t wait to listen to yours! Sounds like an awesome topic.
Thanks! We have posted the trailer to the website (linked from my comment), and it’s been fun to have these conversations.
I just binged on all three episodes of yours and can’t wait for the next one! I thought a lot about what you said about having more than 2 children. I always wanted 3, but have settled on just the 2 I have, and I realized it’s a lot because of the supplemental childcare situation, and redesigning that every 1-2 years as we move is overwhelming. I would love to hear more about split shifts – I’ve started doing more in the early mornings – and the concept of quitting time. This sounds dumb, but as a business owner and creative-on-the-side person, it’s so hard to give myself permission to do *whatever I want* at the end of the day!
Anyway, love the podcast!
@Meghan – so glad you like the podcast! And yes, the lots-of-kids thing can be overwhelming at times, but there are also economies of scale. Agreed that it’s hard to enjoy leisure time at the end of the day. I’m getting better at it, but there’s always the urge to answer one more email.
Congratulations on the podcast! Subscribed first thing this morning!
@Diana – yay! I really appreciate it.
Really enjoyed all 3 podcast episodes. And that poor Mom in the airport. I’ve been her more than once and I have the deepest sympathy.
@beth – thanks! And oh, I felt so bad for that mom. And she was trying so hard to keep it together for her kids, acting like this was just a fun extra extension of the trip to be now taking a shuttle bus to a nearby hotel and hoping to be on an early flight in the morning.
I just wanted to drop in and say that I listened to all three (!) of your podcasts yesterday during my commute and a really lovely long evening walk. The content was great – very practical, down to earth, and I loved the conversational banter that you and Sarah have. I think there’s a lot of that openness and empowering advice missing in other Mom/parenting blogs. I also had to laugh about the pumping while traveling segment. Like many, I have my fair share of stories 🙂 It’s character building, for sure!
@Sara- thank you! I am so glad you liked the podcasts. And yes, character-building. I guess that’s one way to describe it 🙂
I absolutely love podcasts and I devour them every chance I get! My favorite format is when two people (generally women) speak about specific topics, which it sounds like you chose as your format, awesome! My favorite right now is Straight and Curly (they are on a brief seasonal break, which I highly recommend for podcasters) and there are probably 60 or so episodes available to listen. They are from Australia and discuss self improvement topics. They are super fun to listen to. I also listen to Happier and What Should I Read Next, but I find it makes me a little anxious that I can’t spend as much time (haha) reading as I’d like, especially since i actually prefer audio books (can you say multi tasking?) I also listen to Side Hustle School and Happier in Hollywood (Which I’m sure you hear about on Happier all the time). I always say Podcasts are like Netflix for radio, or Radio On Demand. And it’s so awesome that they are FREE! So, I have an Android phone and cannot use iTunes (makes me so frustrated when everyone says to rate and review in iTunes but I can’t!!) so I look forward to being able to access it soon (I use Player FM which I think is linked to Google) and add it to my subscription list!
@Anna- I will check out Straight and Curly – and yes, we’ll be on other places than iTunes soon!
Congratulations on the podcast! Really enjoyed listening to the first three episodes. You have a great format and I love how organic the conversations sound between you and Sarah. Will keep tuning in for sure.
@Monica- thanks so much! They were fun conversations to have!
Really have enjoyed these first three episodes of the podcast (listened to them all in 2 days proving you can make time for what is important!). I also love that it’s 30 minutes – long enough to go deep but also short enough to listen to on a commute, an evening walk (or run) or in 2 15 minute chore doing chunks.
@Alissa- So glad you liked it. Episode #4 is going to be longer (we had a lot to say about childcare!) but the others will be in the 30-35 minute range!
I was just in chicago for work and looked at the same exhibits! I will subscribe and listen to the podcast, as I really enjoy your work so the podcast must be good as well. I work for a public accounting firm, so we have to track our time by the tenth of an hour or so. It definitely makes me aware of how much time is passing. If only I would translate the time tracking to the entirety of my life.
@Brigitta – we are thinking about doing an episode on billable hour hacks. Not that you can change the actual hours billed, BUT if you can bill a higher proportion of hours, that is a good thing.