Who Am I to Start a Podcast? A Journey Through Doubt, Fear, and the Courage to Do It Anyway

Who Am I to Start a Podcast?

A Journey Through Doubt, Fear, and the Courage to Do It Anyway

“Who the hell am I to (fill in the blank)?”

If you've ever asked yourself a version of that question - I’m glad you’re here. You’re in good company.

When I hit “record” for the first time, just weeks before my 59th birthday, I had a mic I barely knew how to use, a tech setup that made me feel like I was trying to fly a rocket ship with a set of IKEA instructions, and a voice that still occasionally shakes when I hit record.

But here’s something else I had…

A brain full of topics I was deeply passionate about
A long journey of healing after profound loss
And a fire in my heart to help others navigate the messy, painful, beautiful work of growth

The fear was almost paralyzing. The voice in my head wasn’t just whispering – it was screaming,

“You’re not a therapist. You’re not a counsellor. You’re not qualified. Who’s going to listen to you?”

That voice? Let me introduce her to you.

Her name is Imposter Syndrome. She’s loud, persistent, obnoxious… and squats rent-free in my head just waiting for me to think about trying something new.

But here's what that Voice kept forgetting…

Long before I ever plugged in my microphone for the first time, I was already sharing my story - on stages and in workshops through my work with Threads of Life, a support organization for families affected by workplace tragedy.

After losing my son in 2006, I spent years learning how to move through grief, not around it.

I took trauma-informed peer support training.
I facilitated workshops on emotional resilience, gratitude, and healing.
I sat with families navigating the deepest kinds of heartbreak - and helped guide them gently toward tools that helped me survive.

But most of all, I did the work. The hard, messy, painful work of learning how to not just heal after trauma – but how to put the shattered pieces of my life back together in a way that allowed me to step forward in life with peace, compassion, purpose, and most of all joy again.

And I still do the work. Every day.

I don’t have letters after my name. But I’ve lived this. I’m still living this.
And I’ve walked alongside others who are still living it too.

The Transformative Journeys podcast? It’s not the beginning of my story.
It’s the next step on a journey that’s been unfolding for almost 2 decades.

Flash back to January 2025. I had over 50 episode ideas, a mic, a half-built website, and a lot of fear.

So I did what any self-respecting perfectionist does! I puttered.
Piddled around. Created graphics. Drafted scripts. Told myself I was “working on my podcast”,

…and organized my desktop folders one more time for good measure.

What I was doing - was procrastinating.

Until one afternoon - sitting at my desk with all those folders staring at me from my computer screen - I muttered to myself:

“Enough, Johanna. Just do it.”

So I did. With no fancy studio. No formal training.
Just a mic gifted from someone who believed in me and a deep desire to walk the journey with others.

I started scared… and did it anyway.

Here’s a few things I’ve learned since that first episode – because there’s some science behind the fear of starting something new:

Fear isn’t always a signal to stop. It means your brain thinks you’re doing something brave – and it’s wired to try to stop you from doing things that put you in danger.
Embarking on something new literally rewires your brain. It creates new neural pathways and boosts cognitive resilience.
Creativity and learning protect your brain as you age. (Bonus points for midlife podcasters, right?)

And do you know what? Every time I hit “publish,” I get a little more courage.

Imposter Syndrome still screams from the attic – but the duct tape I metaphorically use to muffle her sticks a little longer each time.

So… why a podcast? Why not something more flashy and ‘visible’?

Well for one thing… I’m not a twenty-something looking for an easy way to become the next, gone-viral, “influencer” waiting to be invited onto Oprah. (But wouldn’t that be cool… 😮).

I wanted a depth that you just can’t project in a 20-second reel - not just dopamine.
Social media rewards polish (something I’m most assuredly not).

I wanted real. The kind of messy, vulnerable, healing conversations that just don’t translate to social media.

I chose podcasting because I believe in the power of honest stories, imperfect voices, and shared journeys.
I started it because I needed it too.

And now… 25 episodes later?

Do I cringe a little when I listen to those early episodes? Oh gawd yes.
But if I’m sharing my messy, imperfect journey with you… then that’s part of it too, so I wouldn’t change a thing.

Because that shaky, unpolished beginning?
I don’t consider them mistakes. They were the first shaky steps in this chapter of my journey.

And I’ll share another little truth. Doing this has been one of the most powerful tools in my own healing - not just from grief, but from the weight of a lifetime of self-doubt.

So if you’re sitting on a dream right now… let me leave you with this:

Don’t wait.

You don’t need to be ready.
You just need to be willing to be a little brave.
To lock Imposter Syndrome in the attic.
And maybe put some duct tape across her mouth.

What brave steps are you going to take next on your journey?

If you’d like a few tools:

🧭 Grab my free guide: The Bounce Back Blueprint - A practical toolkit to help you reclaim your peace, rewrite your inner script, and move forward - even if you’re scared.

📲 And if this blog stirred something in you… share it with someone who needs a little nudge to start.