Why I've finally decided to step down from my podcast.
Right. Big news.
After 10 years, 655 episodes, and 69 million downloads of No Filter, I'm stepping away from the microphone. The Naomi Watts interview we dropped last week was my last as host.
Here’s my announcement in full…..
As you might know, I've attempted this before. A few times, in fact. Handed my pod baby over to other extremely capable women for a week or a month while I took a breath. But this time it's different. This time it's permanent.
There are two main reasons for my decision. One is burnout but not in the way you might think. Doing the same thing, over and over, is a form of creative burnout I struggle with periodically.
I’m either obsessive about my goat-track, wanting to do/eat/listen to the same thing over and over and finding comfort in the guardrails imposed by routine.
Or suddenly feeling almost physically ill at the thought of doing/eating/listening to that thing one more time.
Mostly, because I am an adult and the co-founder of a business, I have to find ways to overcome creative burnout and dig deeper and just get on with it. People often assume running a business means you get to choose what you want to do because you’re the boss. In fact, it’s the opposite.
You must do whatever the business needs you to do, whatever your team needs, whatever is required to keep the wheels turning and the revenue coming in the door.
Does that sound soulless? I don’t mean for it to.
Hosting No Filter has been the privilege of my career.
But doing it justice requires an enormous amount of work and mental energy that’s not visible on the surface.
The other reason for my decision is maths. It’s simple, really. Co-hosting Mamamia Outloud (now Australia's 3rd biggest podcast which is a daily show), writing this newsletter, being co-founder of a company that's grown from just-me to 150+ people, plus three kids, two dogs, and one granddaughter is a lot. Something had to give, and I finally admitted I had to make some choices.
But here's the upside: Kate Langbroek is taking over.
When she filled in last summer, she casually delivered our most downloaded episode of the year with Andy Lee. Just walked in and showed everyone how it's done. She’s brilliant like that.
Kate brings everything that has made No Filter distinctive in an increasingly crowded interview space: maternal energy (without the sanctimony), sharp wit, and that rare ability to make guests forget they're being interviewed. She's also wonderfully secure - not trying to impress anyone or play to any agenda. Just wants to have fascinating conversations.
Next week, I'm doing something I usually avoid - sitting down for a long-form interview as Kate's first guest. There will be laughs. There will be tears. There will definitely be things I'll regret saying later. And of course, I turn the tables part way through and interview her right back because I can’t help it. Kate’s backstory is fascinating and her insights and honesty will surprise you.
You can still find me daily on Mamamia Outloud and right here in your inbox with Babble. And now that I have a bit of space in my diary and my head, I’m going to crack on seriously with a new audio series I’ve been working on which I can’t wait to tell you about when it’s a little further developed.
INSTA-BABBLE THIS WEEK: with bonus wind machine action
