When I hear people ask podcasters what their proudest, most satisfying achievement has been in podcasting, they never say ‘money,’ or ‘popularity,’ or ‘I get to be the boss.’ They tell stories of listeners writing in to them thanking them for saving their lives. For helping them to feel less alone. For motivating them to try something new or to get out of a bad situation. People today feel more alone than ever. In fact, Yale Professor Laurie Santos, and host of the Happiness Lab podcast, says feelings of loneliness have doubled since the 1980s and that 60 percent of college students in the U.S. say they feel very lonely most of the time. The negative health consequences of this are equal to smoking 15 cigarettes a day! People are desperate for to feel part of something, and I believe that’s why they are flocking to podcasts. This year, 32 percent of Americans say they listen to podcasts monthly, up from 26 percent in 2018, the largest year-on-year jump since Edison Research started tracking this data. 22 percent listen weekly, up from 17 percent in 2018. This is the largest jump since Edison started putting out its Podcast Consumer study in 2013. We are so hungry for connection and podcasts are bringing us together. First through our shows themselves, then online communities, then meet ups and conferences in real life. There’s a real feeling of ‘we are in this together.’ Now is the perfect time to get into podcasting. We need your voice. Your voice will change the world. *** You're invited to join the Podcasting Step by Step Facebook Group! Also, visit sarahmikutel.com for more resources on how to podcast. Ready to start your own show? Download my free guide: “8 Mistakes New Podcasters Make and How to Fix Them.” Looking for a podcast media host? Use my Libsyn affiliate code POSTCARD to get the rest of this month for free and next month free. I’m your podcast launch consultant, Sarah Mikutel. If you’d like to learn more about me, you can check out my other podcast, Postcard Academy travel podcast. This travel podcast is for the ‘experiences not things’ kind of person who believes travel goes deeper than a fantastic meal (though that is pretty great). Every week, I interview people who packed up everything to start a new adventure in another part of the world. You’ll learn how they did it and get their best insider food and culture tips. Thank you so much for listening to