S6 Ep 10 - The End of The Girls in Marketing Podcast 💔

Speaker A: So this is the end. I'm not really sure how to do this. There's so many things that I can say and so much to reflect on. But after six seasons of the Girls in Marketing Podcast, this is our final episode. The evolution has been real, from a virtual podcast with some mics and our laptops to, uh, a podcast in a makeshift set to our office. It's been incredible to now being in a set with Liverpool Podcast Studios because it's been an amazing journey, bringing new content season after season. We've had so much joyous times, and we couldn't have done it without our wonderful guests or, uh, girls and marketing team, both past and present, and most of all without you. But don't worry, Girls in Marketing aren't going anywhere. We have so much more to come and so much more that we want to do, but that means that something has to give. We can't do everything. And as much as we've loved sharing this space with you over the past five years, this time it feels right. Right. To wrap things up, we hope that you'll join us in this episode as we reflect over some of the most favorite moments and episodes of the past six seasons. And hopefully you'll stick around for what's to come for Girls in Marketing. Let's get into it. So, I'll be honest, I had a bit of a cry in the car coming over. Yeah, it was also quite a sad song that I was listening to as well. So I am definitely emotional about this episode, but feeling reminiscent and reflective. M. So obviously we've kind of made the decision to end the podcast, which is a big statement for us. Um, but also kind of been a long time coming as well. Um, I think for such a long time, we've just really enjoyed doing it, that we've kind of held onto it. And I think in reality, we've just wanted to say, listen, like, this is. This is coming to an end for us. So we want to talk a little bit about our favorite moments, things like that. Um, but I want to tell people a little bit of a story about the origins of the Girls Marketing podcast.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Um, so we originally started in 2020 with two episodes. So this was obviously back kind of five years ago now. And I very much was like, I want to, uh, start. Start a podcast. I think lots of people were starting podcasts at the time. It seemed like a good idea. Didn't seem like a lot of effort, which five years later, I would definitely disagree with. So started them from my spare bedroom in a, uh, Flat that I was living in in the center of Liverpool. Did two episodes with two girls that were volunteering with us at the time. They were writing blogs and stuff like that. And they were interested when I said, we wanna start a podcast. Did that kind uh, of just said, let's put it out there, let's see. And it did really, really well. But from recording those two episodes, I found it so difficult just to edit it, to record it, to spend the time to plan the episodes. So I kind of took a bit of a break. Even though we'd only had two episodes, I was like, regrets that I started this. It did well, but it was quite a lot of work. So then I think we came back in like 2021. Yeah, about a year later. And at the time, um, we were like, right, we're gonna bring it back. We think it's worth it. We think it's worth the time and the work. So brought it back. And we actually decided we recorded a few more kind of virtual ones, and they. That's when we brought in the guest episodes. So we interviewed people at the time virtually. And it was crazy because it was very much not something I'd ever heard of or seen before. The way that we were doing things and we were interviewing, like, industry leads and names, which was really cool. So we did that. I was again, still doing it from my spare bedroom. And then a little bit into that season, we seen really good momentum. I decided, right, we're gonna invest in, uh, a space. So we had an office. We were like, right, we're gonna set up some, some chairs, a camera. It was very low tech. Um, and actually the episodes turned out not the best, I'll be honest. And then over time, we just kind of gathered that momentum. We decided to go in seasons and 20, 22 rolls along, you obviously joined the team. And we were discussing and talking about how we bring that next season to the next level. Um, and then that's also when you joined as a co host and kind of hosted guest episodes. So we did that. Um, and that was. That was a lot of fun. And then we realized that investing in a studio space where we, you know, we rent a studio space, and that, um, sort of thing was really something that we wanted to do. Although it was kind of costly as a small business, we were like, it's worth investing that time and energy. Then we also introduced the team episodes, which are really fun. Um, so we did tons of those. We mix them into the guest episodes as well. And, um, and I think we really had A lot of. A lot of fun.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: And. And then that was kind of us for a few seasons. I think we gained quite a lot of momentum. Um, we had a lot of fun with it, and then it come around to this season. Being totally honest, this season was a bit off the cuff for us, wasn't it? We were very much, like, kind of ready to put the podcast to bed last season after the guest episodes. Logistically, I am, um, having goosebumps, as I'm saying this. Um, logistically, the guest episodes, we love them and we love meeting new people, and there was tons of episodes that we're gonna talk about soon that we really enjoy, love doing. But logistically, it was very hard to coordinate that sort of thing, being a small team in a small business. Um, so last year, we decided that we would bring back the podcast, but in a different format. So we were thinking, you know, what's something that people want? But it's not as much kind of work as, like, logistically working out with guests and stuff like that. And then we come up with this season, and we've had such an amazing reception. This is season six now. So this is totally different to any other season that we've had, but we've had a really good reception of it, and we've just kind of been going and going. And then we had a discussion a while ago, and we were like, we think this needs to come to a close now, and we kind of need to put. Put a. I don't know what the. The metaphor is, but kind of like, close this chapter of Girls in Marketing. Um, and I will preface this with never say never. We're not necessarily saying that we'd never come back, but we're saying this is. At the moment, this is the end,

Speaker B: for which we've never said before, have we? You know, we've always kind of. Like you said, we got to a point where we were running in seasons, and at the end of every season, we very much kind of knew or expected or hoped that we would be coming back with another season. And so we kind of could give that, you know, impression to our listeners. And this time it's, you know, like you say, never say never, but it's not on the agenda for the moment. It's not in our immediate future. Um, but just to echo everything you've said, it's been incredible to be a part of the Girls in Marketing podcast for the past, for me, for the past three years. But, you know, since it started, the past five years that you say, since those Very first two episodes and the growth that we've seen and the community that has built around it, the engagement, the reception has been just amazing. And, you know, there's been a number of reasons that we've pivoted in one direction or another. Um, and, you know, being part of that experience and taking those decisions and shaping it into what it's been has been so much fun. You know, my very first day at Girls in Marketing, I was actually recording some episodes. So I recorded three guest episodes in one day down in London on my first day with Girls in Marketing. Because you'd had them scheduled in, hadn't you? And then you had, um, an awards event come up actually on the same day. So it was sort of like, how are we gonna manage this? We've got three people who are attending, we've got a studio booked in London. We obviously really wanted to get those guests on. And those are some of my favorite episodes still to this day. Um, and so, yeah, that was kind of, for me, it was a baptism of fire, just straight in. And I think it was actually on the way back from London with Martha from our team at the time, and we were talking about, like, you know, how can we make it sustainable? The podcast, you know, what you mentioned about the logistics of guests and stuff, because, you know, we're not in London, so getting people to come up to Liverpool all the time, you know, obviously it was amazing when they did, and we absolutely loved it, but it wasn't. It wasn't straightforward. Um, and so that's when the team episodes were born. You know, those snack episodes of us together sitting on the sofa discussing topics and chatting rubbish. Yeah. And you know, what, like, you know, some of the things that we did, like guess the brand that we played or, you know, we. I do also think that they were very relatable episodes. Like, we discussed a lot of topics that maybe weren't, you know, your big headline marketing. Hot topics that we spoke about with guests, but they were also really relevant to people who worked in the industry, whether it was, you know, confidence, whether it was gaining promotions, creating opportunities, navigating in conversations about money, whatever it might be. Um, and, um, we also, at the time, I think, thought, you know, we're going to see huge dips in listenership for those episodes, and we're going to be really high listens when we've got big guests in, and then no one's going to care. And it just wasn't the case. Which I think is so interesting and definitely a piece of advice that I would give to anybody who is podcasting or thinking about podcasting, you know, if you can find ways to bring people in, you know, from the team and the resource that you've got and, you know, if they want to be involved, which luckily our team, you know, past and present, who've been involved in the podcast have all been incredible and so keen and passionate about it. Um, definitely look to include those people because people want to hear from, you know, those of you who are on your team and who are really like, living it. And it's been. The response to all of those episodes was amazing. Um, so I wanted to kind of chat about some of our favorite episodes over the years. Obviously I wasn't involved in the podcast in the very early years when it was virtual and then when it was in, um, the office space, the makeshift set. But I know obviously you've got some really fond memories of some of the guests from them. So I don't know whether you've got any particular guests, standout memories from some of the early seasons and, you know, some that you reflect back on and think, you know, wow, that was such an incredible, you know, podcast. I loved meeting that guest. I still think about the stuff that they shared.

Speaker A: Yeah, there definitely are a few. But shout out to that very first episode because I don't listen to it very often and it gains listens every single week. Still to this day, people still listen to it, which is very scary for me because the way my accent and the way I talk on that episode, no joke, I am surprised that anyone can understand me. Not only AM I probably 10 times more like Scouse than I am now, but also I think it was just. I was so nervous on that first

Speaker B: episode, speaking quite fast.

Speaker A: I'd never really done anything like that before, especially because podcasting was relatively new. Like it was something that people did, more high profile people, but indie podcasters, it was very much a new thing. And I didn't really know what to expect. I wanted to make sure the tech was working and I had a, uh, like a mini microphone I bought to, you know, to do the episodes. And it was very like a surreal experience. And I remember wrapping up the episodes and just feeling really grateful that I got through the last 45 minutes or so. But the way I pronounce girls in marketing is girls in marketing.

Speaker B: Marketing Girls in marketing.

Speaker A: Which I don't know is the scarcest thing I've ever said to my life. But over the last few years, don't get me wrong, I obviously still have an accent and listeners will know. I, I still do. We both do. And I am so grateful for that. I would never take that away. But something that I've kind of learned to do over the last few years since doing a lot more public speaking, a lot more. We do our programs that are, ah, kind of global. You've got to be a lot more clear, concise. Um, so. And also you've got to pronounce your brand name correctly because nobody's gonna be searching Girls in market.

Speaker B: Yeah. And it's also really hard. It doesn't get picked up on like auto subtitling. Yeah, she just doesn't know what girls in marketplace. That's how I would say it. Yeah, not on the podcast, but exactly.

Speaker A: Like closed captioning as well is a thing. Uh, and it's accessibility and inclusivity is so important now as well. So making sure that you are able to clearly, um, and like, pronounce your words. We absolutely love recording the podcast, but it's great to know what you think of the episodes too. Come and join our broadcast channel on Instagram to get involved in the chat. Let us know what you think of the episodes and what you want to hear. More of an episode from early days. Um, I'm trying to think. There was so, so many that I really enjoyed. Um, from when we were fully virtual. Um, I actually recorded one with Lauren, who was in our team at the time. I think it was like a guest hadn't turned. She's amazing. Anyway, so I would have recorded with her, but she is massively into like, creating your own opportunities and stuff like that. So I remember saying to her, oh, like, will you record a podcast episode with me? And I think she'd done a podcast episode recently, so she was like, oh, yeah, sure, I will. And that was a really nice one to, to record. And it's still actually quite a popular one as well now. I also recorded one with, um, Carrie Rose, who is the CEO and co founder of Rise at seven. And she was then as well. And at the time that for me was such a big mom because she was such a influential figure in the space. And the fact that, you know, her and her team had agreed for them to come for her to come on and to chat with me, I was like, oh, my gosh, like, this is so great. And it kind of made me realize the impact of something like this and what we could build was so big. So those episodes were really nice for me. Those were kind of the virtual episodes and we didn't even have video or Anything. Then it was just fully virtual and mostly voice. Then I think moving on to when, um, we had our own sort of space. I recorded with people like Fiona Bradley, who we still work a lot with. We actually seen her last week. We were in Barcelona for the International Social Summit. We seen Fiona there then. I also, I think she was the first ever person that we recorded in that studio with.

Speaker B: Yeah, I think you're right.

Speaker A: And I also think it was an absolute technical nightmare. Not gonna lie. So shout out, apologies to Fiona for that experience. Um, and then we also recorded with People. Thierry Nagutagori, we recorded with him. That was such a, uh, fab episode as well. That was the first time I'd ever met him in person. That was so nice to meet him.

Speaker B: I remember you recorded, I think, an episode with Rejoice as well, in that studio, which I think is a really great one, because obviously we still work with Rejoice now, and her SEO expertise is something that we still are so grateful that she shares with us in our community through the, uh, new SEO course that she's just released in our membership for our members as well. And so I think that's part of the thing I love and I have loved about this reflection exercise in kind of preparation with this episode is looking back at all of the people that have been on the podcast who, you know, we're so lucky to say, you know, for the most part, we've, you know, stayed in touch with or worked with again in some capacity. And, you know, it's such a testament to the people who have been on the podcast and what, uh, a great reception they've had and how much our, our listenership and our audience have really resonated with everything that they've said that, you know, they've. They've. They themselves have wanted to come back because they've seen the impact of being involved in our community and they've, you know, supported us by getting involved with other things. And, you know, we've. We've had the privilege of working with them, you know, again and again. Um, so that. That's a really nice one, I think. A lovely outcome of the podcast that we'll be always so, so grateful for.

Speaker A: Definitely. I think, you know, it kind of shows that building something like a podcast can really help to build relationships with people, because a lot of the time the podcast has been something that is not necessarily a first touch point that we've had with people. A lot of guests have already done things with us before, so webinars or member stuff. Creating courses and stuff like that. But it's such a nice part of any sort of relationship that we have with, um, experts in the field. So, as you say with Rejoice, we've done so many things over the years with Rejoice. After that first kind of episode, I remember, you know, she's been up quite a few times to Liverpool. Um, she was up, obviously, to record the SEO podcast.

Speaker B: She spoke on a panel, didn't she? Ah, at an event with us in Manchester as well. Which just amazing.

Speaker A: M. Yeah, I actually forgot about that. But, yeah, and there's been so many really great things that have kind of added to any experience that we've had with someone. And something that's been really important for us is that we don't just have a guest on because they're, you know, famous in our field or because they are, you know, uh, industry expert that can get us millions of views. Because the reality actually is, is that we aren't the type of podcast that just gets people on because they're a big name. You know, we. Throughout this entire five years of running the podcast, something that's been really important to me, and I know it's been important to you as well, is that we only get guests on that we think are gonna provide value for people, for the audience. So we don't want people, oh, because they've got a big name or because they're on tv. And again, we haven't seen a, uh, spike or a. What's the opposite of a spike? Dip. Dip. Yeah, A dip in. Listens. Just because we've had people, you know, and being honest, we've had people from big brands, but that's never really made a difference to, uh, our listenership or the people that tune in. Sometimes we've had a slight spike and it's been someone from a particularly big brand, or it's been a topic that people really love. M. People love Korea stuff, which is. We found.

Speaker B: It's. So I was just about to say, I do think sometimes what I was mentioning earlier about, you know, so many of the learnings that we've taken away from the podcast about, you know, pivoting and creating content and stuff that people want to listen to. I think one of the biggest learning things that we've found along the way is that sometimes the episodes that you think are going to do the best because it's a big name or it's a big brand, or you think that this topic is, you know, the most exciting and the most, you know, will bring the most interest, it's not always the case. And I think that's reflective of, you know, like we said, the team episodes. A lot of the time we did speak about career, and we spoke about, you know, kind of navigating some of the more nitty gritty stuff that we did go into detail with with our guests, but maybe it wasn't the, you know, the full focus of an episode. Um, and those are the ones that always would surprise us in how well they would do. And so it does just go to show that, you know, you don't have to have a huge name or a huge brand on your podcast to really resonate with your audiences. And, you know, someone might be looking for a podcast that is about how to progress in my marketing career. One of the episodes that we had, actually, which still does really well to this day, is with two of our members, Becca and Megan. So we got two of our members onto the podcast, and again, we discussed the topic of progressing in your marketing career. They were both kind of relatively early stage in their marketing careers. I know they're both still, you know, doing amazingly well, and I love keeping up with what they're doing. Um, but that episode did so well because it was so relatable. So many people could really resonate with what they'd experienced and the choices that they made and the decisions that they faced and, you know, the challenges that they faced in their careers. And I think we're interested in how they'd navigated it and, you know, some of the similar similarities and differences between both of them. Um, and I think that was a really, really positive one that, you know, both of them, I'm sure, would agree with me in saying that at the time, you know, they didn't necessarily work for brands that you would, you know, they weren't household names, you wouldn't be super familiar with. Um, but they were amazing and. And it made for such a great episode. So if you haven't listened to that one, definitely recommend going and checking it out. Um, but, yeah, I do really think. I mean, obviously we've had some really great highs. You know, we've hit certain, like, points in the charts off the top of my head, can't remember exactly where we hit in the charts, which I probably should have looked up.

Speaker A: I think it was three. We hit in, like, the business, UK business charts on Spotify.

Speaker B: Yeah. Which, I mean, for us, as, like you said, a small, like, podcaster was just incredible. And again, so many stars aligned and so many things came together to make those moments Happen, you know, over the years, past and present, we've had such incredible team, such incredible team with us who have put time and dedication into not only the podcast, but into creating the content for the podcast to, you know, helping to write scripts or questions for guests and thinking about, really, okay, what do people want to hear about? And, you know, also, it's not just about getting viral clickbait content from the episodes, of course. And we would never be the type of people to create a podcast with the view to like, okay, we need to get them to say this, or we need to create this clip because it's not how we work, but because we've, like, really honed the podcast over the years, we've known how to create content for socials that does get people listening. Um, and I think it was, Was it around the time of Grace Andrews episodes when she came on the podcast to chat to us, that we saw quite a big kind of spike in listens, and we kind of worked our way up the charts and stuff, which was amazing. But, you know, and I think testament to us, we did kind of keep that momentum as well. And we kind of learned from that episode and similar episodes around that time and what was working well and that sort of thing. So we've had some amazing highs as well, like, as in that. In that sense as well. If you're looking purely at, like, the numbers and the positions in the charts.

Speaker A: Yeah. To hit the charts was insane and very, very grateful of that. And I think those sorts of things really kept us going even when times were more difficult for the podcast. You know, sometimes there are times when you think, you know, can we continue? Is it logistically possible? As you said, people like teams and guests really make those things possible. But when we do hit those, like, really high highs, it's amazing to kind, uh, of see that. And I think, you know, we've always enjoyed doing this, so it's something that it doesn't feel like a lot of effort, but it just does take a lot of time. And I wanted to just talk a little bit about the landscape of podcasting and kind of why we've decided to make this decision. Because it might come as a shock to some people or it might not. I'm not really sure how to gauge. But for us, you know, you might be surprised to hear that we've been thinking about it for a while. Um, I think we are indie podcasters. We are very much self funded, so obviously we have the business, which is girls in marketing, and then we fund kind of the podcast off the back of that. And being totally honest, it is something that as a business, a small business, it's really hard to justify the cost of how kind of. Well, we put together the podcast. So it's obviously the time that it takes us to record it, but then it's so much work behind the scenes. We have obviously the amazing studio where we record Shout Out, Liverpool podcast studios. We record here. It's amazing. And obviously we get like a full kind of edit back from them, which is so great. But then also we then do all the prep work. Um, and over the years, we've either done it in house or we've outsourced it to amazing people as well. Um, and then we also do things like clips and social media content. Because you can record a podcast, but it's like if a tree falls and nobody hears it, did it fall at all? And it's the same with a podcast. If you record a podcast, you put it up on something like Spotify or Apple Podcasts or YouTube and you don't distribute it, how are you ever going to get listeners? So for us, it wasn't just about. And it's in the name. We are obviously at the heart of what we do, focused on marketing. So we've got to be able to market our own podcast well. So we obviously invested time and effort into creating things like clips and social media content. And it's just a lot like, it is a lot of work, it is a lot of money. But we've. Because we loved it so much, we've continued to do it over the years. And I think now we've got to a point where we have so many other ideas and so many avenues and things that we want to pursue, and it feels like the right time to kind of close a chapter on the podcast and say, listen, you know, this has been such an amazing and key, integral part of what we've done for so long, but we've got other things that we want to do now and we want to focus on other avenues and that sort of thing. And, you know, we've got quite a lot of things that we do want to focus on. So we will be doing that kind of going forwards. And any podcast listeners, because I know that we have a lot of podcast listeners that don't really get involved in much else that we do. Please do, you know, get involved with what we're doing online, whether it's just following us on social media, joining our membership and, um, anything like our webinars, joining our programs.

Speaker B: Yeah, we've always, we've always got stuff going on for a huge range of different kind of people at different stages in their careers. So we would love it if this wasn't the end of, you know, our listeners getting involved with us because the podcast is gone. You know, we are and always have been so much more than just the podcast. So it'd be so nice to bring this audience along with us for, uh, everything else that we're gonna be doing.

Speaker A: It's been insane. You know, it really has been a journey, an amazing journey. Definitely emotional at the same time. I remember there's been so many times when I've been somewhere and someone said, oh, like you're from the Girls in Marketing podcast. And it's like, that's crazy to me. They have been very specific rooms of like marketers and people. I, um, don't just get noticed in the street in the Tesco. No, I, you know, sometimes I'll be somewhere maybe like a big co working building or somewhere where there's going to be people who work in marketing who potentially listen to the podcast. And that for me, when people come up and say, oh, I've listened to the, the podcast and I really love this episodes and even the episodes I've done on my own. So there's been ones where I think Kira interviewed me once. Obviously you've interviewed me as well. Um, whilst they've very much been something that we've done because it's kind of like a journey piece, I think it was always nice for, for me to just sit down and rather than obviously ask the questions, be asked the questions as well. And it was, it's been really nice to kind of see that growth and journey. And I know we were talking the other day about just the difference from then versus now and how it's just been insane and I mean you literally basically birthed a full child throughout our podcast as well.

Speaker B: Not on the podcast.

Speaker A: No, not on the podcast.

Speaker B: Not live on the podcast. I will add that don't go looking back for that episode. It's not there.

Speaker A: But you obviously were pregnant as well for quite a few episodes. And then you came back after you'd had um, your little one and then you obviously weren't pregnant then. And I think, you know, even looking back over those episodes, you must feel like emotional 100%.

Speaker B: Yeah, like sometimes I do. And I think that it's so funny because not, not only in relation to pregnancy, but just in general. I think that if I ever do go back and re watch or re listen to an episode. It does kind of take me back to the point that I was in. In my life, in girls, in marketing, you know, in everything at that stage. And I kind of. Yeah, it takes me back there whether. Yeah, like I say, whether it is relation to the episode or not, and particularly looking back at the ones where I was pregnant, and particularly when I was heavily pregnant, it's like, oh, wow. And I look and I think doing that, and I can sometimes hear myself getting quite out of breath because I've not got much room for my lungs anymore. And, yeah, no, it's been a huge part of my journey. And it's so nice, really to have that digital diary for me of seeing that. Um, yeah, it's been a huge thing for all of us. And like I say, all of the guests that we've had on have been absolutely wonderful. You know, shout out for me personally to Anu, Marcus and Veronica, who were the first three guests that I interviewed on the podcast on that very same day in London. Um, all of those guests were so amazing, and those episodes will hold a very fond place in my heart for a long time. Shout out to the team, you know, over the years, who have all in some way played such an important role in the podcast. And I cannot overstate that enough. You know, if you've ever listened to the podcast, you'll have listened to all the people in the team get involved at some point, and it's been amazing to have them do that. And then, most importantly, I think, you know, shout out to all the listeners and everyone who's showed up and. And tuned into.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: What we've got to say.

Speaker A: And I think, to be honest, the listeners is a reason that we've kept.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Going for so long. So I think that's. That's it. Before I start crying.

Speaker B: Yeah. One last time. That's, uh, the end of the Girls in Marketing podcast.