podcast love | nonprofit lowdown

We’ve survived our first bi-continental holiday season, thanks in large part to technology.

The logistics involved in my parents making phone contact when my father would travel to the USSR in the 70s and 80s were truly mind-boggling: set a time (via a series of letters), taking into account time zone differences, long distance rate differences, access to a phone, and absolutely horrible connections—remember the delays and echoes that plagued intercontinental calls?—then pick up the phone and start praying all would go according to plan….

Now my husband and I text at least twice daily and/or just push a button and talk via video call across continents and time zones with (mostly) glitch-free connections … for no added fees!

the darker side of tech

Then there’s the dark side of tech: I’ve spent some time the last few days nailing down some administrative tasks for “the back end” of my practice—and felt very accomplished when (after 6 hours or so) I mastered a piece of technology that’s been plaguing me for, oh, about a year.

What is it about tech that can make some of us so crazy, that makes us feel like engaging with it is a battle in which we must prevail?

Deep down, I feel that part of the issue is what we learned back in the dark ages of computer programming class with the inimitable Mr. Wesley: if your program is not working, it’s on you—the computer is just doing what you tell it to do.

(Wow, even our devices can tell us we’re inadequate? Gotta work on that self-confidence thing….)

Perhaps I’m part of a transitional generation that can still learn to use today’s technology when we really need to and we really apply ourselves—and (unlike my brother) I’m not part of the subgroup that has embraced it wholeheartedly. My kids’ generation seems to have evolved an intuition for tech that I definitely lack….

tech that i love

In my selective adoption of technology, one form I have really grown to love is podcasts—maybe because I can leave most of the tech issues to someone else?

I’m an avid consumer of podcasts: they’re a wonderful way to get information on just about everything, and they are a great companion for those times when we don’t crave quiet and want to occupy our minds but can’t do it with a book. I listen to them on my morning walks, when I’m cleaning the house, when I’m doing “mindless” work that still needs to be done, and when I’m driving longer distances.

And unlike video, for which I seem to have an abiding hatred, I find being a podcast guest is supremely easy for me and is a great way to reach new and larger audiences.

I’ve been honored to appear on a number of podcasts over the past two years, and there are more in the pipeline for 2020—some that are in the editing stage and some that are yet to be recorded.

nonprofit lowdown with rhea wong

One of the best presents I got in this barely-begun year was the news that my interview with Rhea Wong of Nonprofit Lowdown is now live—it was like getting a nod from the Universe that I’m on the right path.

Rhea is a masterful interviewer with a deep passion for the nonprofit world and an equally deep interest in holistic health—I might call her a health coach for nonprofits!

While most of her interviews focus exclusively on topics of relevance for nonprofit executives, I think our conversation can serve a wide range of individuals and organizations as it covers a lot of information about health coaching in a more general sense. Listen in, and if you’re in the nonprofit sphere, check out Rhea’s other excellent interviews!

make the connection

Podcasters provide a lot of valuable content to us—and they deserve to make a living, too! You can support them by listening in, commenting, rating, and perhaps even supporting your favorites financially.

And feel free to leave a comment below about this episode!