When I say that the decision to start a podcast came out of nowhere, I mean it truly came out of nowhere. I was getting a massage and I had a meditation where I saw the podcast logo as a neon sign behind two purple chairs (but I already had a couch, so I ended up rolling with that when I got started haha!). But before having this vision, I had never thought about wanting to start a podcast.
My Inspiration for the Pod
Personally, my biggest inspo for the pod is that so many people have gone through hard things in life that they don’t talk about. And I wanted to talk about what I’ve been through, while also giving others a platform to talk about what they’ve been through (if they felt comfortable doing so, of course).
Social media to me is a 50/50 split when it comes to benefits and drawbacks. One of the things that I find beneficial on social media is people being so honest and sharing the real shit. This has helped me immensely. Some days you wake up and you don’t feel your best. This is especially true for me with the grief and loss that I’ve experienced in my life (like the loss of my mom, having OCD, Walker’s birth trauma, etc.).
Social media has the ability to totally ground me. If I see a quote, or an inspirational story, or people being honest with what they’re going through, it makes me feel like I’m not the only one. It makes me feel seen.
The other side of social media is people making their life look like total and utter perfection. Like truly making it seem unreal (and we all know it isn’t real). Stuff like that always gets to me because I know it’s not what it seems, but I still wonder why I can’t feel that way more often.
My whole thing is being honest. I want to let other people know that loss is terrible. For me, the timeline was:
My mom being sick for my whole pregnancy.
Then she passed away
Walker was born 3 weeks later (via an emergency C-section and he was immediately taken to the NICU)
I had postpartum preeclampsia and was in the hospital for a week. I was close to having a seizure multiple times
Get home and I’m like, “Oh shit, I have to be a parent, and I just lost a parent.”
Focused on getting through day-to-day life
Getting back to work 2 months later (because I’m insane).
Recovering from the C-section.
My grandpa passing away 6 months after Walker’s birth.
This is the shit that no one talks about. Especially women.
Women have always been seen as vessels to have children, and no one talks about all that comes with it. “You’re supposed to have 4 kids, etc.” Since women are always seen this way, there are SO many inappropriate and forward questions. “Are you trying?” etc. Even if you experienced birth trauma, “The kid is alive.” Yes he’s alive, but that doesn’t mean that it’s all OK! This is something I’ve learned over time and worked on in therapy.
Highlighting Small Businesses
In addition to sharing the hardships of life, I also wanted to put a specific focus on small businesses. I wanted it to be a niche, and wanted it to be interesting. I wanted to chat with guests that people know. Just because they’re successful, doesn’t mean they haven’t been through very hard times (and have had to work through them).
How I Came Up with the Name, the Logo, and the Content
I wanted to play off of the name of my company: The Jess Press. I brainstormed with my friend, Lindsay of Smooch Babies - the same friend who initially came up with “The Jess Press.” We started with “Just Push Play,” then “Just Press Play,” and I said how about “Jess Press Play.” And here we are. For the logo, I specifically wanted to go with a neon look and neon sign. I wanted it to be bright and pink (I LOVE pink).
Everyone knows about my love for coffee, and I get so many questions asking me where I get it every day. So my initial thought was I would make “Let’s talk life + coffee” mugs for myself and my guests.
Looking back at my original notes, I had the following bullets:
Coffee talk
Meet the press
Keeping it real
Moms and parenthood
Small biz owners
Causes I support
Bingeworthy shows
Did you have a coffee today?
Favorite type of coffee
To complement the pink neon logo, I initially thought about using Britney Spears’ “...Baby One More Time” as the intro music. But my cousin DJ Cam suggested “Just Push Play” by Aerosmith, and we ran with that!
What I’m Hoping To Share with Listeners
I’m hoping to share hope. If you’re in the thick of it mentally, I want you to know you’re going to come through it. I want you to feel hopeful. I have had days where I feel like I’m never going to be able to get out of this mindset. How am I supposed to move forward? How am I supposed to parent?
It just passes, and you have to believe that it really will. Every day is hard, but just knowing that it’s scientifically impossible to feel a certain way forever is super helpful.
What listeners can expect is real, raw conversations. I always ask guests first if they’re comfortable getting super real. I’ve had guests get so in-depth, and I love that shit. I appreciate getting into the nitty gritty because it makes me feel so seen, which is what I want for my listeners as well.
I have gotten messages every single week that I’ve published an episode sharing that it helped someone, and that is all that matters to me. Even if it’s only one person that reaches out. I could stop the pod right now, and those messages would’ve made starting this pod so so worth it for me.
Listeners can expect to learn really interesting facts about the people behind local small businesses that they support. People call me “Jess Press” (instead of just Jess), and they know me for my invitations and calligraphy. But I’m so much more than that - in all aspects of life. Although I have to admit that I do love when people call me that, haha!
I want to let people know that at the end of the day, these business owners are also humans. Some people look at us as just a service or someone who provides something to someone else. We are people too!
All guests that I’ve had on the pod so far have been people that I’ve met because of my business. Either in person or through Instagram. The majority are Instagram friends that I later met and we became real life friends.
In addition to honesty, rawness, and compassion, you can also expect me to bring in the lighter stuff. Like where to get the best coffee and Vanderpump Rules - I want to make things relatable. And what’s more relatable than binge worthy TV?! Even my husband likes some of these “stupid” shows!
After we get into the deep stuff, I always try to keep it light and end each episode on a high note!
Have Someone That You'd LOVE to See on the Pod?
Send me a DM and let me know!!
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