We’re back with our guest episodes, and for this one, Pilar talks to Jennifer Navarrete, founder of NaPodPoMo and seasoned podcaster. Jennifer shares how she uses the blockchain to share her audio, how she experimented with Podcast 2.0 during the 2023 NaPodPoMo and how she’s built community around the 30-day challenge.
Jennifer started podcasting in the early days:
“I heard about podcasting in the summer of 2005. I did a deep dive trying to find as much information as I could. I jammed those earbuds in and listened to the few podcasts that were out there and started learning what it was to be a podcaster, and I launched a podcast with my sister called the Morning Brewcast. It was just the two of us drinking coffee, talking about coffee. And the real power of that was when we started getting emails from folks from Brazil and Malaysia saying, “You really understand coffee”. And I was like, we’re just two crazy gals from Texas just talking. We like to drink coffee and we like to talk. We just hit record, and that was the show.”
A couple of years later, she set up National Podcast Post Month – NaPodPoMo.
“In 2007, I heard about NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month and I thought, cool, writing down 50,000 words in the month of November. I’m not a writer, so I’m not interested, but cool – go, you writers! Then I heard about NaBoPloMo, National Blog Post month, and I’m like, oh, blogging. Okay, 30 blog posts in 30 days, I get that. Then I saw that the vloggers, video bloggers, as they were known back then, were doing NaVloPoMo, National Vlog Post Month. And I was like, “Okay, I get it. November is the month that you do a challenge. Let me go join the podcasting one.”
But there wasn’t one, and I could not believe it. I’m like, you are kidding me. Even the vloggers are doing this and there’s not one for podcasting. So a few days before November 1 in 2007, I thought, well, I’m going to make it. I don’t know if anybody’s going to join me. I don’t know what it’s going to be like. But I just threw it out there to the world and, and said, “I’m going to do NaPodPoMo – National Podcast Post Month”, and let’s see what happens.
At the end of that first year, 50 podcasters joined. Back then, I think we were on Ning, or maybe we were on Meetup, and we’ve changed groups so many times, and it was a lot of fun – so much fun that I did it again and did it again, and it still continues to be fun. And the thing I like about NaPodPoMo, whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned pro, is that it’s an opportunity to experiment in a safe community space and stretch your skills and stretch your curiosity in a really beautiful way where, even if you’re a pro, you can stumble along and nobody is going to judge you.”
07.00 MINS
In 2021, Jennifer started exploring blockchain-based social media. She experimented with posting content on the blockchain to make use of the different engagement and reward systems there. She found that blockchain platforms offered tangible rewards for content engagement – something very different to posting in traditional platforms.
She uses the blockchain as an additional platform rather than a replacement, and she advises newcomers to explore it with a community or guide for better understanding and support.
One of the best things about the blockchain is the potential for reciprocal value, where both creators and those engaging with content can benefit. This contrasts with traditional platforms where only creators receive tangible rewards.
20.20 MINS
Jennifer has also been experimenting with Podcasting 2.0, something that initially made her nervous, even if she’s been podcasting for a while! Podcasting 2.0, as conceptualized by Adam Curry (co-inventor of podcasting) and Dave Jones, is a response to the increasing control of podcast content by large platforms like Spotify and Apple that are creating ‘walled gardens’ that limit the freedom originally envisioned in podcasting. Adam Curry’s initiative aims to restore control to podcasters and listeners while enriching the feature set of podcasting.
Podcasting 2.0 revolves around enhancing RSS (Really Simple Syndication), the technology foundation of podcasting. Even though RSS has remained largely unchanged, it’s still a reliable method for content delivery. Podcasting 2.0 seeks to add new features to this robust but simple system.
A key aspect of Podcasting 2.0 is the ‘value for value’ model, which transforms listeners into producers. This model, which has been used by Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak for over 16 years, allows listeners to contribute to a podcast in various ways – time, talent, or financial support. This contribution not only supports the podcast financially but also deepens listener engagement and gives them a stake in the content.
Podcasting 2.0 also incorporates features like ‘boostograms,’ which allow listeners to send messages and donations (in satoshis, a form of cryptocurrency) in real-time during live podcasts. This feature integrates blockchain technology into podcasting, linking it to the value for value model.
Jennifer’s personal experiment with Podcasting 2.0 involved integrating these new features into her NaPodPoMo podcast. She describes her initial trepidation and learning curve – but that was made easier through the support she received from the podcasting community, particularly from Todd Cochrane of Blueberry, who helped her integrate these new features.
It’s important for content creators to own their distribution channels, like RSS feeds, to ensure freedom and avoid the risk of being de-platformed. This concept of direct control over content distribution resonates with broader trends in digital content creation, like in the independent publishing community and music industries.
Experimenting with Podcasting 2.0 was the focus of Jennifer’s NaPodPoMo podcast this year. She had to learn a new workflow, involving multiple steps and services – a departure from her usual comfortable podcasting routine.
Initially, Jennifer scripted her shows due to being overwhelmed with the new process, but this approach sounded mechanical and unnatural. Gradually, she became more comfortable, reaching a turning point with an episode called “Winging It,” where she spoke without a script. Her initial plan was to get comfortable with the new system early in NaPodPoMo and then invite others to join in the experience, including live listening and interaction via boostograms and streaming stats – but this is not how it worked out in the end.
Regarding the technical aspects, Jennifer used Audio Hijack to simultaneously stream and record her live sessions. This allowed her to broadcast live while recording her episodes for later use. On the last day of NaPodPoMo, she conducted a marathon session, going live and recording ten episodes back-to-back. These episodes were later edited and released. Jennifer also went live on Twitter Spaces during this marathon, providing live commentary between episodes.
44.50 MINS
Finally, Pilar wanted to know how Jennifer managed to juggle experimenting throughout NaPodPoMo, while running the challenge! This has been made easy by the introduction of a daily support system last year, led by Alessandra White, host of the Creative Work Hour. This system provided a space for creators to state their goals and work on them in a supportive community. Additionally, Alessandra and her team, along with Jennifer, organised a three-hour introduction held before the start of NaPodPoMo. It featured live Q&A sessions, panels, and insights from experienced podcasters.
Jennifer also mentioned the idea of creating local chapters for NaPodPoMo, similar to the global chapters of NaNoWriMo. This idea, which surfaced in 2019 but was stalled due to the pandemic, was revived through her collaboration with the Creative Work Hour team. The goal is to provide a framework for new chapters to establish their own unique communities while sharing core resources and experiences.
Jennifer’s wants to keep NaPodPoMo as an audio playground for podcasters, where both new and experienced creators can come together, experiment, and share their work in a safe and supportive environment.
To connect with Jennifer and find out more about here, visit https://linktr.ee/brewingmedia/.