Starting a podcast is no small feat, but Damo4Show and I took on the challenge nearly a year ago and have just finished recording our 51st episode of The Beard Mail Podcast. Time has flown by!
I had wanted to start a podcast for a long time, but was never sure of what direction I wanted to go with it. So, I approached Damo4Show and the idea. Luckily, he was very keen on what I had visioned for #BEARDMAIL.
Producing a podcast can be a lot of work, but it has also been an incredibly rewarding experience. Having a good co-host has made all the difference, as we've been able to bounce ideas off each other and keep things interesting. It also helps with the accountability (more so from me ha-ha).
Consistency is key when it comes to maintaining a successful podcast, and it has certainly been a challenge for us to consistently produce new episodes. There are times when you think "argh, I can't be bothered today" or "what the hell are we going to talk about this week?". But the hard work has been worth it, and we've enjoyed every minute of it.
Not your typical bearded podcast. We try to mix up the topics as much as possible. I mean yes, we do talk about beards and offer advice on occasion, but we have covered topics about Retro, Stag Dos, Artificial Intelligence, Beard Competitions, Dreams, Scams...so many more. Plus, I will inevitably mention food at some point. I think it may have something to do with that we usually record from 5.30pm. i mean who isn't hungry then?
Outside of the podcast, we have done some pretty exciting things to try and promote our efforts.
During the Opies Beard Championships, we threw out a large number of t-shirts to the crowd. Unfortunately, the vinyl was not applied very well, so after a few washes, the shirts turned into plain grey tees (oh well...free t-shirt, nonetheless).
We introduced the BEARDMAIL Beard Care Box. A box full of beard care products featuring several UK independent beard care companies; such as Twisted Moustache, Fine Fettle, Sugar Beards and of course RUNESILK. The box is designed to be a perfect way for beard enthusiasts to discover and try out new products. This is an idea that I am very keen to continue doing, the product may not be 100% finalised yet, but so far, the concept has been well received.
We took a trip to the London Craft Beer Festival, where we had the opportunity to speak with many bearded individuals and try a wide variety of unique beers. One brewery offered a cherry chocolate porter as their closest option to a lager, which I found amusing. Damo on the other hand confirmed he hates craft beer.
During one of our filming sessions, we dressed up as post boxes and took to the streets of Oxford in the midst of the Royal Mail strikes (the two were not planned to coincide). It was a fun and unexpected twist that ended up creating some interesting content for to use for promotion.
On that day in Oxford, we had a number of strange and memorable experiences, including when a man approached us and asked if he could take a photo with us and his baby. To our surprise, he then handed us the child! It was a moment that caught us off guard and left me thinking, "Oh, this is really happening?!" In fact, I'm pretty sure I said that out loud...
If you haven't see any of the footage yet, you really should head over to our YouTube channel.
We did a load of random stuff, and it was a properly amazing day out in Oxford. Yes, we 100% plan on doing this again in several major UK cities.
Next on the calendar, Damo and I are going to adorn the post box outfits and head off to the Milton Keynes Park Run on Saturday 14th January. Ties in nicely with my Run the Month efforts to help raise money for Prostate Cancer UK. The link to food in most (nearly all) episodes isn't just a timing thing - I also need to lose some weight. So, this challenge has been an ideal excuse to get out there and run. Plus, it is for a good cause too.
We have some exciting plans in store for 2023, so make sure to follow us to stay updated on all of our antics. One of the things we are looking forward to is a trip to Germany for the World Championships (post box outfits still to be determined). We will be documenting a lot of this trip, so be sure to tune in for what is sure to be a memorable and entertaining experience. Keep an eye out for updates on our social media channels and YouTube channel.
If you have not yet listened to the podcast, it is available pretty much everywhere now; Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Podcast and Google Podcast, plus various other places. But you can check it out via the main Podcast Hub.