The Mic Doesn’t Lie: Why Podcasting Is the New Trust Channel
Why podcasting may be our best shot at reconnecting with truth, nuance, and the people behind the policies.
We’re in the middle of a loneliness epidemic.
And what are we being offered in response? Mark Zuckerberg wants us to make friends with AI characters. Honestly, just when you think things can’t get more dystopian, they do.
What are we missing so deeply that we’re even entertaining the idea of synthetic companionship?
The pandemic broke a lot of the ways we connect with others. And while we’ve tried to bounce back, the world feels different now. We’ve got manipulated headlines pushing us to extremes, nonstop outrage that wears us down, and a daily drip-feed of content that’s designed more to addict than to connect.
So… where do we turn to feel less lonely? To remember that we’re not the only ones trying to figure it all out?
I believe there are two powerful places:
Our communities — the physical ones. This week I had tea with James Leventhal of the Institute of Contemporary Art in downtown San Jose, and we talked about just that: how to bring people together in person. If you're an author, by the way, San Jose is calling — it's a city full of readers, and yes, the airport is gloriously easy.
Podcasts — the digital ones that still feel human.
Unlike social media or news segments, podcasts invite us into real, unfiltered conversations. They allow us to listen, to slow down, and to connect with someone’s story — not their algorithm-optimized persona.
That’s why I believe podcasts are one of the last true trust channels we have left.
Podcast hosts pour hours into creating thoughtful conversations, sharing honest reviews, interviewing real people, and curating content that matters. And listeners return that investment, not with likes or clicks, but with something far more valuable: their time and attention.
It’s a relationship built on mutual respect.
That’s what we’re missing right now — a willingness to invest in one another.
I spent the weekend thinking about this…about podcasts, politics, and how the two intersect (because yes, everything is political). And here’s the truth:
We don’t need more political podcasts.
We need more politicians investing in their constituents AND more constituents invested in understanding the people behind the policies.
That’s where real change begins. Not with louder headlines. But with deeper conversations.
As all of this hit me, I found myself in a full state of flow. I’ve been reading Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, and she’s a big believer that when an idea comes to you, you have to run with it — or it’ll move on to someone else. So I did.
I poured that creative spark into The Political Podcast Guesting Playbook — a 13-page download designed for politicians, candidates, and podcast hosts alike. But here’s the thing:
It’s not about politics.
It’s about people.
This guide walks through why we need more genuine conversations with those running for office, not policy debates, not talking points. Real stories. If you want to know where someone stands on an issue, you can visit their website. But if you want to know who they are as a human, what books they read, what made them run, what they’re afraid of, what they love…you need to hear them speak like a neighbor, not a press release.
But I didn’t stop there.
That initial download grew into something bigger — The Podcast Campaign Tour™: A Playbook for Political Podcasting.
It’s over 11,000 words and dives deep into:
how to prep for meaningful interviews,
how to brief staffers the right way,
which audiences to prioritize,
and how to use these podcast conversations as tools for connection, storytelling, and trust-building.
Because that’s what this is really about — rebuilding trust in politics, one conversation at a time.
I’m in the middle of editing the full version now and plan to publish it in June.
At the core of it all, I believe in people.
I believe in the power of conversation to create connection.
And I believe this is the kind of change our country needs. The kind that brings us closer, inspires engagement, and reminds us that we all have a role to play in shaping what comes next.
If you’re a politician or candidate running for office, I don’t just want you to read this guide and playbook — I want to interview you.
If you’re a podcast host, I want to help you confidently and effectively bring candidates onto your show. I’m building a vetted database of trusted podcasts that campaign staffers can rely on — because we need more of these conversations happening everywhere, not just on the biggest stages.
I’m not waiting for change.
I’m building it — one interview, one episode, one connection at a time.
Just like we interview authors to get to know the person behind the book, we should be interviewing politicians to get to know the person behind the policies.
We don’t interview books. We interview authors.
And we shouldn’t be interviewing issues. We should be interviewing humans.
My Simplified Life Podcast
As a mom, wife, business owner, activist…the list of titles goes on…and right now the weight of the world feels heavy. I know I’m not alone in this and I shared my thoughts and feelings around it this week.
#317 Motherhood, Mental Health & The Weight of the World
Steph just got back from a family vacation that included a cruise and she shared the most hilarious, fall off my seat story about a musical contest she was in. Get to know Steph in a whole new way with this episode!
#318 Booked & Unfiltered: Summer Kickoff Reflections
I’ve shared that I’ve joined
and am meeting the most incredible women through it. I’ve decided to interview one PERSISTER each week and started this week with Lauren Lehman Carter!#319 PERSIST. Voices: Navigating Identity and Growth in Advocacy with Lauren Lehman Carter
If there’s one thing I want you to take away from all of this, it’s that podcasting isn’t just media — it’s a movement. One built on trust, on listening, and on being brave enough to show up as a real human.
We don’t need more noise. We need more connection.
