Brian and Stephanie explore Brian’s journey through codependency

"Make sure that the topic is something that you find very personally engaging because for a while it is going to feel like you are just talking to yourself."

More details on Listen Notes.

Today Brian and Stephanie, the creators of A Codependent Mind share their story of making the mental health podcast.

► Tell us about you and your podcast

Brian and Stephanie are a married couple. Brian struggled for years with unhealed trauma, a result of a five year abusive childhood friendship. While he survived the abuse, the codependent behaviors that formed in response to almost daily abuse continued to cripple him socially and emotionally as he moved through adulthood. Through the lens of his personal story, we pull on the numerous threads that tangle together to trap people in codependency’s web - trauma, abuse, shame, fear, compartmentalization, lack of agency. As the web becomes unraveled, we explore the tools he used to re-weave the story in to one of a healthy and connected life.

Our listeners are people who themselves are struggling with codependency or are curious about the condition.

► Why & how did you start this podcast? 

We both listen to relationship podcasts when we take driving trips. Esther Perel's "Where Should We Begin" is a favorite. It has generated a lot of great discussions. Stephanie listens to F.I.R.E. podcasts and those have helped us get our finances in order.

Brian has done a lot of writing and we both have done a lot of reading and discussing about codependency. We felt we had something to offer on the topic. Also, we wanted to do a project together and podcasting seemed both creatively and intellectually engaging.

We started recording our podcast in June of this year (2022). We recorded three episodes before releasing in early July.

► How'd you find the time and funding to do this podcast?

We release episode about every two weeks. We do a week of preparation, record and then a few days in 'post-production'. We do the preparation work in the evenings or on the non-recording weekends and then record Saturday or Sunday morning. We spend about $35 a month of our own money.

► What do you gain from podcasting?        

The podcast experience has been extremely fun! It was fun learning about how to do it, how to host it, how to edit, etc. We both enjoy preparing for the episodes and the recording process. It has further deepened our understanding of the concepts that we explore and discuss. It has also strengthened our relationship and our commitment to each other. It has been very fulfilling getting feedback from the audience as well - to hear that us sharing our journey has helped others in their own journeys.

► How does your podcasting process look like? 

We use the free version of Audacity to record and edit. We invested in a pretty good microphone, a mic stand and headphones.
We spend about a week reading, writing and outlining to prepare.

► How do you market your show?

Apple Podcasts and Spotify seem to be the most common platforms by which people find our show.

We have had good success boosting our Instagram posts in terms of driving people to the show.

► What advice would you share with aspiring (new) podcasters?

Make sure that the topic is something that you find very personally engaging because for a while it is going to feel like you are just talking to yourself.

► Where can we learn more about you & your podcasts?

Instagram - @codependentmind
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/copdependentmind
Website - https://codependentmind.podbean.com/