Changing the societal narrative that women over 50 are invisible by spotlighting women 50+ who are making a difference.
"Find your niche. The world is saturated with podcasts."
Today Kiran, the creator of You Are Not Invisible After 50 shares her story of making the Self-Improvement podcast.
► Tell us about you and your podcast
Hi, I'm Kiran and am based in the U.K. I am an entrepreneur, self empowerment advocate, featured poet, trainer, and award winning speaker. After retiring from my 20+ years corporate career as a project/programme manager, I set up my company, 'Roaring Ahead', that is built to empower all women from all walks of life. Being a woman of colour and a woman of a certain age, I understand the nuances of being an underrepresented woman. Therefore, through online courses and training programmes, I am dedicated to empowering all women - regardless of colour, class, creed and culture.
After building Roaring Ahead, I set up another arm of the business - You Are Not Invisible After 50. The main centrepiece of You Are Not Invisible After 50 is its titular podcast that was launched in June 2022. Showcasing a range of phenomenal women who are redefining what it means to be over 50, the podcast is encouraging women from all walks of life to shed their cloak of invisibility. The podcast has gone on to become of the top 10% most shared podcasts on Spotify – despite only being six months old!
What makes You Are Not Invisible After 50 truly unique is that it's targeting a societal narrative that is widely felt yet routinely brushed aside. From the average woman to world-famous supermodels, 'older' women across the globe have experienced what it feels like to be invisible. One such example is 90s supermodel, Paulina Porizkova. In an interview with The Times, Porizkova commented on her experience of feeling invisible at the age of 56 and highlighted the need to fight ageism as a united front. She explains that "we need a collective movement to fight ageism, but it requires a bending of the sisterhood, which just hasn't happened." This is what You Are Not Invisible After 50 is set up to do.
We have a wide range of listeners. On the last count, 93% of listeners are female, spread across 13 countries, and range from 18-60+. Surprisingly, the remainder 7% of listeners are male!
► Why & how did you start this podcast?
At the age of 58, I realised that I still wanted and needed to work but didn't wish to return to corporate life. This decision was coupled with the consequences of COVID on the job market. Therefore, I decided to become self-employed and started my business, Roaring Ahead -
a company aimed at empowering all women regardless of background. My podcast, You Are Not Invisible After 50, is another arm of the company which originated from a seed of an idea that quickly took shape and form. As a woman over a certain age, it popped into my conscious thoughts that there was not enough discussion or spotlight on women over 50 who are doing amazing things despite their 'mature' age. Therefore, I wanted to raise the profile of the women in my age bracket and above, by changing the societal narrative that women over 50 are, in fact, NOT invisible. In order to spread this message and spearhead this societal movement, I decided that podcasting was the way to do this.
I started the podcast in June 2022 and it took me approximately a month to release my very first episode.
► How'd you find the time and funding to do this podcast?
Between June and December 2022, You Are Not Invisible After 50 released its first season. We look to feature ten women per season.
Within the first season, we released an episode fortnightly and it normally takes this time (2 weeks) between recording and releasing to edit and create our social media strategy. Using Zoom to record, most interviews are up to 1 hour which are then edited down to 30-40 minutes.
Although I am self-employed and currently run my own business, I record only on Saturday to ensure there is similarity between my own and my guests' schedules.
Currently, I am self-funding my podcast. My production team is made up of my children who edit and work on the podcast for free. Nevertheless, I shall be looking for sponsorship soon.
► What do you gain from podcasting?
With season 2 beginning later this month, I shall seek a sponsorship deal in the next few months as I work through the upcoming season, as well as a planned season 3.
Podcasting personally benefits me through a number of ways. I love showcasing and networking with a range of phenomenal women from different backgrounds who have a lifetime of stories, increased enthusiasm for what they do, and excellent tips for women below and above 50. Although I publicly get to interview these women, I get to personally know them too behind the scenes which has led to true friendships. Through the podcast, I am personally excited to see the growth of my business, as well as spearheading a societal movement that is late but needed more than ever.
► How does your podcasting process look like?
My production team use Anchor for editing and distribution. I find guests through personal networking, social media or word of mouth.
Before each episode, I send each prospective guest details about the podcast's structure and have a preliminary conversation to ascertain the 'fit' before recording. Once all parties are happy to proceed, I ask for the guest's details which will be used to promote the episode on social media and we agree a time/date for podcast recording. All podcast guests are interviewed via Zoom.
► How do you market your show?
My podcast episodes can primarily be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and my website www.youarenotinvisible.com/www.roaringahead.com which I routinely promote on social media (Instagram/LinkedIn/TikTok/Facebook). Once episodes have been released, my podcast guests also promote the episode through their own social media/business websites. As I aim to attract a wide audience, I am currently finding all marketing channels to be incredibly useful in their own way as they cater to their own niche e.g. LinkedIn is incredibly useful to attract a more 'corporate/business-minded' audience and Instagram/TikTok is useful to attract a non-corporate audience.
► What advice would you share with aspiring (new) podcasters?
Throughout my podcasting journey, I have learnt a great deal. Here are my four top tips for any aspiring podcaster:
1. Find your niche. The world is saturated with podcasts. It is imperative to find a topic that would be of significant interest, yet is niche enough that it's unique and interesting.
2. Invest in some good equipment i.e microphone, speakers etc. Ensuring clarity of sound contributes to the quality of your podcast.
3. Ensure that you spend sufficient time editing. Editing is a part of the podcasting process that must not go ignored or underdone. During the editing process, ensure there is continuity of your podcast, is short enough to have the listener's attention, and is, above all, interesting!
4. Plan a social media strategy. Social media is a useful tool that supercharges any business. It is no different to podcasts. Know exactly how you are going to use your social media channels to promote your podcast to your relevant audience(s).
► Where can we learn more about you & your podcasts?
Website :
http://www.youarenotinvisibleafter50.com
LinkedIn URL: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/kiran-kumar-1873147
Facebook : www.facebook.com/Youarenotinvisibleafter50
Instagram: @youarenotinvisibleafter50
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yania50official
YouTube: Coming Soon