Erin's Journals

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Just a thought… Most people that I know are interested in on-demand stuff. A podcast is essentially audio Netflix. [Jordan Harbinger]

How are you doing? Staying safe, staying sane and staying away (or home)? That’s my new mantra. Rob and I are trying our best as we enter day two of week two of our self-isolation.

It’s been far busier than I’d ever expected, but we do still carve out time to catch up with shows we’ve been promising to get to forever. Like the FX mini series FOSSE/VERDON. Eight episodes in all (which could easily have been six, in my opinion), it tells the story of one of the great showbiz couples of song and dance. The hugely talented Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams star in the series. Next up: that wackadoo Tiger King offering on Netflix.

These days, I’m hugely grateful to be able to watch Seth Meyers’ take on the events of the day in A Closer Look, which is available on YouTube. I’ve always appreciated Seth and his writers, and missing them has made that fondness grow deeper.

Trevor Noah is putting out some exceptional pieces these days, too. I am as grateful for comedy as ever, even watching HBO’s daily reruns of old Larry David Curb Your Enthusiasm episodes.

Today, I offer you a diversion of a different kind and I wonder how many people reading this have never listened to a podcast. Millions upon millions are doing just that. Why? Because although radio listening still leads for in-car listenership, there’s nothing like being able to hear who you want, what you want, when you want it.

It’s a whole new world and some of it is pretty exciting. Mind you, there are a lot of folks out there who think because they have a laptop and a computer, it makes them broadcasters – and in the most literal sense, I suppose it does – but the job for the person on the mic is never to be boring. Tell a story. Make that one listener want to spend time with them. All lessons that can be years in the learning.

If you have not, I’ll tell you that podcasts are like radio shows with no limits. Hosts can deep dive into interviews and discuss whatever they want, from the value of laundry lint to the marvelous major thoughts of the geniuses of our time. It’s that varied. The shows are put up on a digital platform where people can access them through their computers or phones and they’re there for the taking.

My personal favourite is one I’ve mentioned before: CBC’s Under the Influence with Terry O’Reilly (more on him later). I also have a few others, including author and thinker Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History Presents. But there’s everything from true crime stories to fiction to…well, you name it. It’s a whole new world that’s not so new, but with which some folks still are unfamiliar. So this next part is for you.

How does one listen to or download a podcast? Easy! I’ve got a link for you right here to lead you through, step by step, as I did for my sister yesterday over the phone. You’ll be glad you did, I promise.

Since leaving radio, the idea of doing a podcast was always percolating in the back of my mind. But this year the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) reached out to me with a suggestion: what if I was to host interesting chats with guests who could shed light on marketing, becoming and staying successful in the business (especially during these challenging times) and living in or selling a “green” home – stuff like that?

Rob (my producer) and I were intrigued. And when they suggested Terry O’Reilly, the Canadian and world-renowned marketing and advertising genius as my first guest, I leapt at the chance.

Well, today my friend, I can tell you that our very first podcast called REAL Time has arrived! You can find it at CREA’s website

I promise you’ll love it. The best ideas that have stood out in marketing? We’ve got them. The reason selling and buying a home are such a huge deal in our lives? Answered. How to “zig” when the rest of the world “zags?” Terry answers it all. And if you’re a realtor reading this, you’re invited to call and leave a voicemail to be featured on a future show.

We just recorded another yesterday with a third on tap to record Monday. (Yes, we’re busy in all of the best ways!) They’ll be released on a monthly basis, but maybe today, as you’re enjoying a cup of tea or coffee, or just some time for yourself, settle in for our first one: two friends having a fun chat and sharing some really fantastic information while we’re at it.

No one’s trying to sell you anything; this is all part of CREA’s service to its realtor members. The bonus is, I get to share it with you, too.

Will I one day do a podcast that is about my own choice and source of topics? Perhaps. If life has taught me anything (and I sure hope it has), it’s never to say “never.”

Have a lovely, gentle Saturday. Enjoy our podcast and I’ll be back with you here tomorrow. Stay safe, stay sane, stay away (just not from here)

– Erin.

Rob WhiteheadSaturday, March 28, 2020