Ossa podcaster Sarah Kermode hosts the Hiking Thru Life podcast. While providing practical tips for your next outdoor adventure, this podcast also aims to inspire and reflect as people move through the journey of life. With heartfelt interviews and meaningful advice, this podcast asks: “Where will your journey take you?”
Read more from Sarah Kermode below and Hiking Thru Life (leave a review while you’re there, too!).
Name:
Sarah Kermode
Podcast Name:
Tell us what your podcast is about in 3 sentences or less!
This podcast is about how the outdoors has in some way inspired people’s stories in the outdoors. The podcast gives the guests opportunities to share their stories, and make deep connections with listeners. We talk to a wide variety of guests ranging in age, background, and where they come from.
Current hometown:
Minneapolis, MN
Originally From:
Minneapolis, MN
What’s a quote or piece of advice that you try to live by?
“Live in the moment, for the moment is all we have.”
Your Superpower:
I am really good at making personal connections with people. That’s one of the reasons I love hosting this podcast because it gives us a spot to connect authentically.
One thing on your bucket list:
There are so many things! One thing I would love to do is to backpack all of South America!
Last text message you sent:
“Afro baby! Maybe mine will come out with this much hair!”
What was your first job?
Camp counselor
Any unusual hobbies?
I’m not sure that it’s “unusual” but I love to food prep….seriously I spend hours in the kitchen prepping food and forgetting we have no more freezer space for all of it!
Biggest Pet Peeve?
Lengthy excuses
What inspired you to start your podcast?
The outdoors is a place where I am inspired and I want to hear other people’s stories of how it has inspired them! I hope by sharing people’s journeys it will further influence people to get outdoors and live a more meaningful life.
Tell us more about your work/life outside of your podcast.
I am a pre-school teacher! In many of my episodes I integrate family life/outdoor education into the podcast so you can really see the 2 worlds coming together.
What is your show’s USP?
We let the conversation flow organically, there is no script at all. We also always reflect at the end (my husband and I ) on each guests and connect it back to our own experience in the outdoors.
What is one of the greatest challenges you have personally faced with your podcast?
I think the biggest challenge was getting started and being willing to put yourself out there. It’s really scary at first to reach out to potential guests especially when you don’t have much of a following yourself yet. Another huge challenge is making sure you have the right time zone for interviews! I’ve for sure missed interviews due to not paying attention to the time zone of my guest!
What is one thing you have accomplished with your podcast thus far that you are most proud of?
Making the one year mark on the podcast! We’ve seen growth since our first episode and although it may be slow, there is growth! Keep at it and you will see the reward! I feel proud that we made the one year mark without giving up.
What is one major milestone that you would like to accomplish through your podcast in the next year?
I would love to continue to grow the audience, and also connect more with my audience! Seeing e-mails come in from listeners is so motivating to keep going. I hope to continue this growth with listeners, and have more people reach out who are touched by a story.
What is a trend or development in the podcast industry that you foresee happening in the next few years?
Getting sponsors for podcasts is already a challenge and I see that to continue to be a challenge over the next few years. I also think the trend of video recording podcasts is on the rise and we will see that go up over the next few years too.
What is one of the best pieces of podcast-related advice you’ve ever received & why?
Be yourself and authentic! I see so many people starting out asking tons of questions, trying to figure out what’s best, and what the right answer is. While it’s good to hear people’s advice and stories, I think it’s so important to stick true to your own heart and path and remember the WHY behind your podcast.
Also, being authentic with your guests is important. It’s important to tell them why you would like them on your show. Do not send a general email to them because this won’t stand out. When I’ve done this, I got no response. The more authentic I am with a potential guest, the more often they reply and are willing to come on.
What are some of your favorite women-hosted podcasts?
She Explores, Soul Mamas, Yoga Birth Babies, Wild Ideas Worth Living
Are there any great podcast-related resources you love that you would like to share?
I think the Ossa podcast group is pretty awesome! I also love the Outdoors Online Marketing Podcast.
Is there a charity or cause you care about that you would like to share?
I always love when people support the Alzheimer’s Association as this has personally affected our family.
How do you feel you’re making a positive impact and generating change through your podcast?
I feel that by letting people share their stories we are giving them the opportunity to influence others. These are people who might not otherwise share their stories, so by reaching out to typical every day people we are able to make connections with listeners and hopefully influence more people to get outdoors. The more people that get outdoors on a regular basis means that there will be some more positivity out in the world!
Stay connected with Sarah Kermode and Hiking Thru Life:
Website // Instagram