Podcasts help shed light and unearth forgotten cold cases; Podcasts make us laugh; Podcasts help inform our political opinions; Podcasts keep us endlessly entertained … and now, podcasts bring the family closer together! Meet Nobody Told Me! the podcast started by a mother-daughter team.

The multi-generational podcast delves into subjects people should know about, but likely don’t. These include life advice, suggestions, and stories from around the world including how to get over worrying, mistakes to avoid when starting a small business, or even how Elizabeth Smart survived her kidnapping. The different generations often lead to unique perspectives on a given topic.

We were lucky enough to exchange emails with Laura and Jan, hosts of Nobody Told Me!, to discuss the podcast, their working dynamic, and where they want to take it from here. See below for our full Q&A.

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Discover Pods: How’d you get into podcasting?

Jan: I became interested in podcasting because I was a radio talk show host, news anchor and reporter in San Francisco for more than 20 years. When podcasting became popular, it seemed like a natural transition for me to be able to do the kinds of interviews I love on the topics that matter to me and our listeners.

Laura: Not only is my mom a veteran broadcaster, but my dad, Ronn Owens, is, too. He’s a legendary talk show host in San Francisco, so I’ve grown up hearing my parents talk about interviews around the dinner table. I’ve been public about the fact that I’ve battled depression and motivational podcasts helped change my attitude and made me excited about possibilities for the future. They gave me tools to cope with various issues and I’d like to help others do the same though Nobody Told Me!

DP: In your own words, why should listeners tune in to Nobody Told Me?

Jan and Laura: We think listeners should tune in to Nobody Told Me! if they want a podcast that doesn’t waste their time.  We’re thirsty for advice, suggestions and life stories that benefit all of us. Nobody Told Me! is aimed at enlightening, informing and entertaining listeners with guests who are remarkable and relatable. They have experience and expertise in many areas of life.

DP: I’m sure a mother/daughter podcast has a pretty interesting origin story. Why did you two decide to podcast and how was it starting out?  

Jan and Laura: We decided it would be fun to do the podcast because we often found ourselves in the car together listening to podcasts and commenting on how each of our age groups sees life a bit differently. We face different challenges and have different goals. There are things baby boomers want their millennial children to know and things those millennial children would like their parents to know. We’ve grown up in different times, yet there is a lot we can learn from one another. And, there’s a lot we’d each like to ask our guests based on our differing stages of life.  

We decided on the name, Nobody Told Me!, because we’ve all had things we had to learn on our own that we wish someone else had told us about or warned us about.  We spent a couple of years planning and executing the idea so that we had 50 episodes completed once we began posting on Apple Podcasts. It’s been a fun and easy process because we respect each other and share similar interests in terms of topics and guests. 

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

Jan and Laura: Definitely the biggest challenge we face is getting people to become aware of Nobody Told Me! and subscribe. We’ve been lucky to grow by word of mouth through reviews and online connections. It was also tough to figure out how to attract advertisers, but thankfully, they are now approaching us.

DP: Where do you want to take your podcast?

Jan and Laura: We’d like to see the podcast grow in audience numbers and influence. We want to be a great resource for listeners who want to expand their knowledge about how to deal with the good and bad in life.  We want them to turn to us to hear how someone else has coped with a broken heart, started a business, improved their memory, won an Olympic gold medal or accomplished any number of other things. We want our listeners to feel like they’re a part of the conversation.  

DP: What other podcasts are you listening to now?

Jan and Laura: We’re listening to Happier with Gretchen RubinDirty John, The Tony Robbins Podcast, The Ted Radio Hour, Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations, to name just a few!

DP: Anything else you’d like to add?

Jan and Laura:On anther note, we’re very excited to be named by Apple Podcasts as one of the Top 25 Most Downloaded New Podcasts of the Year for 2018!