Jesus + Juliet

I have learned a lot since I started my podcast, and I always get a lot of questions about it. So, on today’s episode, we’ll be talking about three mistakes I’ve made, or three lessons I’ve learned, when launching my podcast.

Starting a podcast isn’t easy or quick. It takes a lot of time and preparation for each episode. I have learned so much about the best way to do it through making mistakes and learning from them. One of those mistakes was not giving myself enough time. You can either launch your show without telling anyone and hope for the best, or you can come up with a strategy to promote it and build anticipation. I recommend the latter.

The second mistake I made was trying to wear too many hats. There is a lot that goes into podcasting. By trying to do everything myself, I became overwhelmed and had a hard time juggling it all. So when it comes to podcasting, keep it simple.

The third mistake I made was, niching down too much. I had picked something I loved, but it made the behind the scenes logistics trickier than necessary. I had trouble finding guests and new topics. This caused me to pivot into a broader niche that gives me the freedom to talk about all of my passions instead of just one.

I hope this episode gives you some guidance if you are wanting to start a podcasting journey of your own. If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out. I love hearing from you all.

Today I am talking about some major changes and 2 bittersweet updates. They both are heartbreaking, but necessary and propel me into something new and into my next season of life.  I was encouraged when my boss and mentor told me that she also had gone through different seasons in her life and that we aren't always meant to do what we decided to do at 20 until we are 60 or 70, sometimes we realize a bigger purpose. I truly believe that seasons of life are a thing. You can look back and see those major moments that changed the course of your life. My last one was having a baby, starting a business, beginning my job at Veritas. I wonder if they always seem to correlate with the decades in your life? Which leads my first update. I have decided to stop directing at Veritas. I will still be employed as the Dean of Fine Arts, but I won't be directing shows anymore. I feel so many ways about this decision. The top reason is because I need that time back. Directing shows takes time, but I can feel my sons wanting more of me and I want to give them that. At the same time I was feeling this need to be more present with them, I was feeling the exhaustion and burnout myself. I have been directing for 20 years. I directed two shows at the age of seventeen and have directed one or two per year since then. I could feel my creativity waning and it became more of a job than a hobby. I wanted all of the fun parts and none of the work. I feel like I can have a greater impact on more students in my department than just the few in my show. Directing is my thing, it still is, but so is bullet journaling and paper planners, sustainable fashion, learning to cook, designing my house, learning to to be a better mother, wife, Christian, leader, working on my marriage, teaching my sons to golf, being a ballet mom, conscious living...the list is endless. I used to joke with my co-workers that God gave me one gift, directing shows. I knew the importance. Moving an audience towards empathy and showing them the gift of redemption, but that isn't all I can do.  I heard this quote and it just makes everything click. “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me’.” Erma Bombeck The truth is, I'm not using everything God gave me and I have been realizing that slowly over the last couple of years. Which leads me to my second update, this podcast. What will this become? I wrestled with whether to change it or not, whether to pivot it, whether to just end it. The truth is I love doing it, but I'm technically not doing anything theatre related after this school year. So I've decided to transition it into a lifestyle podcast. It will still be a mix of guests and solo episodes about Conscious Living, Marriage, Motherhood, Leadership, Personal Faith Stories, and Personal & Business Development. All things that I feel define me. I look forward to this next season of life and the next season of the podcast and what it will bring. Thank you for sticking around so far, and I hope to see you when we dive into the coming season.

Today we sat down with Elizabeth Bernhardt, an actor, singer, writer, and photographer from Austin, Texas and the author of The Power of Pretend: An Actors Struggle to Unite Faith & Work. Today we are discussing chapter 6, Romantic Boundaries, Romances, and Showmances. In this chapter Elizabeth goes into the parts of a showmance that people don’t always want to share, including how it impacts your significant other or spouse. When you are pouring yourself into your romantic role on stage, the most important thing to do is set boundaries and approach the situation carefully. Elizabeth shares that while navigating this topic as a Christian actor, the best thing to do is to cling to Jesus.  Here's where you can find Elizabeth: Website: elizabeth-bernhardt.webnode.com Instagram: @elizabethannebernhardt Facebook: @elizabethbernhardtauthor Buy her book here from Amazon