This week: Jessica Schroeder is preparing to start an entirely new podcast, and she’s trying to figure out how to best find her people.

I very much appreciate this framing more than the typical “how do I grow my audience” question, not only because it’s simply more interesting and asked less often, but because it’s a question that gets to a deeper idea: one of belonging.

When we’re creating a podcast designed to “find our people,” we’re raising the idea of belonging. We’re acknowledging that deep relational ties can happen when we connect with others who share our particular struggles, proclivities, and goals in life.

In this case, Jessica is looking to connect with people who are looking to navigate a plant-based diet, both for health and sustainability reasons. And there are aspects of her interests, approach, and personality that you’ll have a hard time finding in the mainstream.

That may seem like a bad thing, but there is deep community to be found among people who perceive themselves as “weird.” And in this conversation, we talked about how that feeling of weirdness can be an assett. There’s a reason both the cities of Louisville, KY and Portland, OR wear the label as a badge of honor.

If you’re weird, and you’re secure in your weirdness, then you’re actually just onto something everyone else is missing out on. From there, the only thing you’re missing is a community in which to enjoy that status.

Check out Jessica’s website and sign up for her mailing list at Eden And Me.

Podcasting for Humans is an Area Code Audio production.

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