Ep 100- Grand Century Episode: A Look Back & Lessons for Podcasters

Yes! We are on our 100th episode. From May 22, 2020 to Apr 30, 2023, we have learned, shared and grown together. And in this episode, I will take you on a journey through these 3 years.

I'm also very proud of the fact that I kept the podcast going through these 3 years. There are a lot of lessons that I learned in the process. If you are a looking to start a podcast or be consistent with any passion or project of yours, you may find some of these lessons useful.

As we move into a brand new season and brand new format, I'm thankful to all of you for the support and feedback.

Notes:
1. Journey of an 11-year old podcaster- Samarth Chitta featured on The Habit Coach
2. How to take criticism- Samarth Chitta featured on The Habit Coach

Instagram: @samarthchitta
Twitter: @samarthchitta
Email: samarth.chitta@gmail.com

Transcript

Hello and welcome to the 100th episode of Kidacity. Yes, we complete a century today. Over the past 3 years, I have enjoyed researching various topics  and interviewing some amazing guests for the show. I also celebrated this milestone by speaking with the very popular and awesome Habit coach Mr. Ashdin Doctor. We will talk more about where you can check out that conversation. 

This episode will be a look back on my journey and some lessons that I have learned in the process. So, if you are an aspiring podcaster or someone looking to pursue their passion consistently, listen on.

My first episode was published on May 22, 2020...I was 8 years old and I remember recording the episode under a blanket on my mom's phone. It was a lot of fun and as you can tell, I sounded a lot different. My parents tell me that I used to speak slower then. Well, I guess its true. 

The 2nd episode was really special as I did my first interview- an interview which became the inspiration for my 3rd book. I spoke with my grandfather Maj Gen S S DAsaka about lessons that children can learn from the Army. the talk was so insightful that I'm now working on a project of speaking with atleast 50 officers and writing a book about the lessons shared by them.

I was lucky to interview the Executive Editor of amar Chita Katha Ms. Reena I Puri in my 6th episode. She was very friendly and shared a lot of unknown facts about everyone's favourite Uncle Pai, the creator of the publication. 

My most popular episode till date was my 13th episode titled Sare Jahan se Acha- which was a tribute to India on its independence day.

This was all in Season 1

Season 2 was all about Yoga and Countries. I covered 8 different concepts from Yoga and spoke with citizens of 6 countries about the life there. This segment of 1 country 10 amazing things is now the main theme of my podcast. 

Season 3 was special again as I started my story series of Izumi and Akira- the same stories that would later get published as my 2nd book- Konnichiwa Izumi- Adventures in 2040. I also started my petcare segment My dog Yuki as I had just gotten Yuki as a pup. 

Season 4 saw me busting some myths and some of these got converted into a separate podcast with Chimes Radio- India's largest audio platform for kids

By Season 5, I was intrigued by events and things which existed before I was born. for eg: Where did people shop when there were no malls, how did people travel when there was only 1 airline?

All the seasons thereafter followed a multi segment format and alternated between book reviews, inspiring interviews, Indian shlokas and more. Ep 86 was one of my other popular episodes where I spoke with my grandfather Mr. Chitta T Suryanarayana Murthy about bhgavadgita.

As I now move onto the new format and new ideas, there are a lot of lessons that I've learned over the past 3 years. 

Firstly, planning and preparation is very important. 

Secondly, Doing some consistently makes you better at it. When I started out, the whole process of researching, writing, recording and editing would take us 7-8 hours. But now, my mom and I take 2-2.5 hours. 

Thirdly, speak slowly. I tend to speak fast now but when I listen to my earlier episodes, I understand myself better. 

Fourthly, don't give up. There were many weeks where I did not feel like recording and  we took a break during my vacations. But I kept the podcast going. you will notice a gap of 1 month between a few episodes and a weekly schedule in others. Without compromising on my studies or fun, I'm very happy that I did not give up

Lastly, have fun. I'm here because I genuinely love what I'm doing. If it was boring or forced upon me, I would not have been able to continue for this long. So, find your passion and be consistent with it.

now, coming back to the conversation with The Habit coach Mr. Ashdin doctor. Here is a snippet. 

You can listen to this on any podcast platform and watch the interview on Youtube as well. 

"before I end, let me thank all of you for supporting me in this journey. I'm truly blessed and happy. See you on the 101st episode. 

until then, Goodby and Jaihind from kidacity