The Podcast About People Helping People
"I think what's helped me the most is realizing that I can re-record things on my end."
Today Josh Morgan, the creator of The Plural of You shares his story of Personal Journals podcast.
► Tell us about you and your podcast
The Plural of You is a monthly podcast that honors the helpers in the world around us, mostly in the United States. The project is based on two arguments: that humans are social beings, and that we all benefit when we help one another. It was inspired in part by a quote from the late Fred Rogers:
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster,’ I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers—so many caring people in this world.”
As for me, I’m an applied sociologist and aspiring helper who lives in Huntsville, Alabama. I have previously lived in Alabama, New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. I have a Master’s degree and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama.
► Why & how did you start this podcast?
I started this project in November 2014 after grad school and spent roughly a year thinking about it. In grad school, I worked on several service-oriented projects. I realized during that time that we're all surrounded by networks of helpers who keep society running. If those networks break down, society breaks down. The values these people uphold are worth celebrating, and I wanted to create a platform dedicated to that.
The Plural of You's 60+ episodes have been downloaded over 35,000 times. The most popular episodes at the peak of the podcast were downloaded between 1,200–1,500 times each. I placed it on hiatus in November 2018 and revived it in November 2023. The average number of listeners for an episode today would fill a small auditorium.
► How'd you find the time and funding to do this podcast?
I produce The Plural of You in my spare time from a calm, compassionate, and curious place in my spirit. As I mentioned above, I publish one episode per month, though at times I've increased that to twice per month. My workflow at present requires about 10-12 hours per episode. I find the work for this project to be fulfilling in many ways, so I'm happy to find the time for it.
I decided long ago that podcasting would be a hobby for me. The project would take on a different mission if I were competing for grant funding or donations. That said, I don't mind putting a couple hundred dollars into hosting and such each year.
► What do you gain from podcasting?
The Plural of You has allowed me to meet so many kind and virtuous people that I would have otherwise not known about, many of whom I've become friends with. Again, I'm practical enough to understand the economics of podcasting, i.e., that only a top few can make a living from it along with other revenue streams. I'm more interested in inspiring listeners and building community than I am with selling razors or underwear.
Listen411.com: Lightning-fast, Cost-effective Podcast Transcription and Summarization - Crafted with Passion by Listen Notes.
► How does your podcasting process look like?
Each episode of The Plural of You is based on guest interviews. I'll start by selecting a socially-minded topic that I'm interested in. I research that topic, look for people in related fields, and identify 1-2 to approach. I'll then reach out to ask if they'd be interested in talking with me about their work over Zoom. (Zoom is more convenient for most folks than other services I've tried.) My success rate with approaching interviewees at the moment is 50%—a yes for every no. I will say that it took years to refine my approaches and I finally feel competent at it.
I record my audio with an Audio Technica ATR2100-USB Cardioid Dynamic microphone plugged into my laptop. It's ten years old now and I haven't found a need to replace it with anything fancier. If it ain't broke, et cetera.
After recording an interview, I go to work editing the audio. I'll drop both files (mine and my guest's) in Adobe Audition for effects and volume leveling, then I'll export them to Audacity for editing. I'll clean up the audio in Audacity, then send the files back to Audition to add music and other layers.
It's not the most elegant workflow, but I enjoy it.
► How do you market your show?
I used to agonize over social media. How do I beat the algorithms, get above the noise, and attract people to my podcast? I've since given that up. I now have a monthly newsletter that I send out via Substack. Other than linking to that sometimes on my personal social media accounts, I don't have dedicated accounts for The Plural of You on social media.
My philosophy is to be consistent and, if the content is good, it will market itself. Believe me, I know that may sound naive to some. It beats obsessing over terrible metrics and spending money I don't have just for people to pass on what I'm offering. Again, what I'm doing is a hobby, and I'm content with a smaller group of engaged listeners.
► What advice would you share with aspiring (new) podcasters?
Oh, man. Fitting everything I've learned into one text box would be a challenge. I think what's helped me the most is realizing that I can re-record things on my end. If I blow a question in an interview or if I forget to record with my USB mic and instead record with my webcam mic, I'll record it over again. It may take extra effort, but I've re-recorded entire episodes just to get the quality I was looking for.
► Where can we learn more about you & your podcasts?
You can subscribe to The Plural of You wherever you get your podcasts. Sign up for the monthly newsletter at pluralofyou.org/newsletter so you won't miss any updates.
Thank you for being kind today, and for reading about my podcast. Take care.
Listen411.com: Lightning-fast, Cost-effective Podcast Transcription and Summarization - Crafted with Passion by Listen Notes.
Lightning-fast: Transcribe a 1-hour audio file in 1 minute.
Pay-as-you-go: USD $0.06 per minute + $1 per file. No subscription required.