Podcast Spotlight: Humans, Now and Then

Host Rebecca Scott is concerned with the future of the human experience and is curious about how we will connect and communicate between each other and across communities as we evolve. Rebecca follows her curiosity and interviews a different guest each episode, including business leaders, psychologists and more, to explore humanity through different lenses. Launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, Humans, Now and Then maintains an optimistic tone and calls on listeners to make the world and our future better. 

For being recorded virtually while social distancing, the podcast’s audio is incredibly clear as interviewees provide insights on improving yourself and your teams. Episodes come out every few days, and listeners can find resource links from each episode on humansnowandthen.com. Rebecca is a wonderful active listener and sums up the interview’s takeaway at the end of the show, leaving you to self-reflect. If you are ready to ask yourself introspective questions, jump in! 

We were fortunate to talk with Scott about the podcast, how they differentiate from other podcasts, and their future plans in podcasting. See below for our full Q&A.

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DISCOVER PODS: How’d you get into podcasting?

SCOTT: It’s interesting how that came together for me. I’d done a lot of work in innovation and really thought deeply about what the future holds, not just in a business sense but also as a parent of four.  Last year, I started digging deeper into the practice of foresight and connecting with other futurists, but I wasn’t quite sure where I wanted to go with it all.

Honestly, I was never really a podcast listener. I was more of an eBook listener. But one day, I’m driving my daughter to her gymnastics practice, and a powerful moment of inspiration hit. It hit me hard too, like a ton of bricks. “You should do a podcast that explores how our rapidly changing world impacts people, now and in the future.” That moment brought me to tears. That was it for me. It was something that had purpose and meaning to me. I’d have an opportunity to learn from others, and could bring listeners along that ride with me.

It took me a few months of learning how to podcast, then I launched in April of this year.

DISCOVER PODS: In your own words, why should listeners tune in to Humans, Now and Then?

SCOTT: Almost all of us at one point or another has thought about what the future may hold.  However, many of us may not feel that we are a part of shaping that future.  I’d like to change that.  My goal is to inspire listeners to help create the future that they envision.

I like to think of Humans, Now and Then as an exploration of current times and potential futures with guests from many different backgrounds. I see myself as a guide for listeners, helping them explore various topics beyond the typical talking points about the future. 

I’m excited about Season 2 beginning in July, when I’ll shake things up a bit. I’ll publish an interview episode each Tuesday, but on each Thursday, I’ll publish an episode that explores a futuristic topic through time, from past, present and future perspectives.  I can’t wait to share these episodes with my listeners.

DISCOVER PODS: What kind of feedback have you heard from your listeners?

SCOTT: The feedback has been extremely positive so far.  Listeners like the conversational style and the honest, almost raw interview approach.  I am comfortable discussing deep topics and won’t shy away from exploring meaningful dialogue, which listeners really enjoy. They have also noted that the guests bring various but interesting perspectives, and we always have fun with the conversation (which is the primary feedback I get from my guests).  And, of course, the listeners have a lot of fun exploring the future with us.

DISCOVER PODS: Describe your recording set up? What equipment are you using?

SCOTT: I use a Blue Yeti mic in my small home studio, and I interview guests remotely using Zencastr or Zoom. I edit using a combination of GarageBand, Audacity and RX 7.

DISCOVER PODS: What’s the biggest challenge you face as an indie podcaster?

SCOTT: Time. In addition to the podcast, I have a day job and I’m building my own consulting company.  On top of that, I’m a mom of four. It takes me anywhere from several hours to a couple days to produce an episode, and I’m currently releasing two to three times a week. So, as you can imagine, it isn’t easy to find the time to do this. It does mean working early in the morning, on weekends and sometimes late in the evening. But, this podcast is a mission for me. I hope to make it successful enough to gain sponsors so that I can hire others to help me. This is important enough for me to keep working toward that goal.

DISCOVER PODS: Where do you want to take your podcast?

SCOTT: I’d like to get as many people as possible to join the conversation about the future. My goal is to increase my listener base far and wide to make that happen. 

I want to get to the point where I see conversations happening about the future that sparked from my show, and have them lead to meaningful actions that shape a better future.  That is definitely the dream.

DISCOVER PODS: What other podcasts are you listening to now?

SCOTT: Dr. D’s Social Network, Suburban Folk, Drop-in CEO, The Story Powers Podcast, Code Switch, Disrupt Yourself, a few others time and again.

DISCOVER PODS: Anything else you’d like to add?

SCOTT: Thank you for the spotlight opportunity!  And for everyone reading this: go on, go help shape the future.