Last updated on April 18th, 2017

Last week I got a chance to meet Danielle, co-host of the Between Us Girls podcast. Self-described as the “raw and unfiltered show that gives a real life glimpse into the conversations shared between women,” Danielle and co-hosts, Michel, Jenn, and Sharonda, discuss wide-ranging topics including politics, feminism, guys, and of course wine. Lots and lots of wine. 

We had a great conversation about how they got started podcasting, some of the feedback they’ve received so far, and their future aspirations. Enjoy! 

Discover Pods: How did your podcast get started?

Danielle: Our podcast is the brainchild of fellow co-host Michel. We all had a Facebook inbox in which we would chat in on a daily basis. Michel thought the conversations were hilarious and the world needed to hear it! One day she suggested that we should start a podcast. I had no idea what a podcast even was or if I would be any good at it. I remember thinking to myself, I’m rather boring. No one will want to listen to me. Michel strongly disagreed and I succumbed to peer pressure. One of our friends worked in briefly worked in radio so we got some help from him and as they say in showbiz, the rest is history.

DP: Do you have any idea what your audience breakdown is by gender? If not, what would you guess are the percentages?

Danielle: I am not entirely sure what the audience breakdown is but if I had to guess I’d say it was 70/30 women to men.

DP: Why did you choose a podcast over other mediums?

Danielle: We really wanted a venue that was comfortable to have real discussions with the anonymity of radio. We wanted a create a completely relaxed environment that would allow us and guests to truly be authentic for the type of conversations we wanted to have.

DP: What’s unique about your podcast? Why do your listeners keep coming back?

Danielle: Our personalities are what is unique about our podcast. It’s all about taking a comedic approach to personal experience. There isn’t another blunt singing Michel, sarcastic giggling Danielle, fun and flirty Jenn, or firecracker Sharonda. Fans tell us all the time how they can tell we’re friends. They like our rapport and how we engage with one another like no one is listening…almost like a secret conversation. That’s sort of the point for men anyway. We want to give men insight into what women really think.

DP: How was some of the feedback been? Anything you’ve changed because of it? 

Danielle: We’ve had some really positive feedback. People seem to find the show entertaining and like the feel of being around friends and just conversing over wine. From more of a constructive standpoint, early on we were struggling to find our place and were literally talking as if there wasn’t an audience that was going to listen. We had a tendency to talk over one another and it was difficult for listeners to follow the conversation because we would reference things that was sort of inside information. One thing we have learned is to discern what works best for us and what will be better for the show. Everyone has an opinion and think we should be doing something. Sometimes that feedback can be overwhelming and you have to take a step back and ask yourself what is my purpose in doing this? What do I want this to be? It’s easy to get lost and forget your why, when everyone has an opinion of what you should and shouldn’t be doing. That is still a work in progress and far from anything we’ve mastered in this brief time.

 DP: What’s next? Where do you want to take your podcast?

Danielle: We hope to turn this podcast into a media enterprise. Books, film, television, you name it!

DP: It seems the latest trend in podcast-building-empires is taking the pod on the road with live audiences. Is that something you’d like to do eventually?

Danielle: We’ve been toying with the idea of doing a live show. Interestingly, we were extended the chance recently to record at a local festival, however the festival was cancelled. The main issue for us currently is figuring out the technical side of that. 

DP: What are your 5 favorite podcasts?

Danielle: 

  1. History Dweebs
  2. The Read
  3. Girls Girl
  4. Probably True Podcast
  5. Little Known Facts

DP: Anything else you want to add?

Danielle: Creating this podcast has been a labor of love for us. In the short period of time we’ve been doing this, we’ve learned things about ourselves, learned new skill sets, and met some pretty cool people. It’s rather amazing to take a step to do something you have no idea of what it is and actually enjoy it. It’s even more amazing when the universe places people along your path that says hey you’re doing a great job and help you along the way. This has become a great learning experience and I encourage everyone to take a leap into the unknown and learn something great about yourself. Our audience isn’t huge now but it will be because we believe in it.

DP: Where can listeners find you? 

Danielle: Between Us Girls can be found on major podcast sites such as iTunes, GooglePlay, Stitcher Radio, SoundCloud and a host of other podcast directories. More information about the show can be found on our website www.betweenusgirlspodcast.com