 Hi and welcome to school puzzle. I'm your host Sarah and this is the show we chat with everyday entrepreneurs about everything that goes into starting a new venture. Almost 30 is one of the top rated lifestyle podcasts out there with over 12 million downloads reaching people in more than 150 countries. This podcast was co-founded and brought to life by LA based best friends Krista Williams and Lindsay Simpsick. Almost 30 initially started as a conversation about the transition between your 20s and your 30s but it's become much more than that and explores topics such as health, wellness, entrepreneurship, spirituality, self-development and more and it's truly become a community and a movement. Krista and Lindsay, welcome to the show. Thanks for having us. Love a good bio read. Yeah, you got it. You guys have done so much. It's really impressive. Can you just tell the audience a little bit about almost 30 in your own words? Yeah, so Lindsay and I started almost 30, you know, about five years ago now. We recorded on our closet floors for about a year before we launched the show but really the impetus of the show was feeling really lost and feeling like as soon as we were in our late 20s we didn't have the answers to anything we wanted the answers for in our life. We had gotten to a point where we were in the jobs that we thought we would want or the careers that we thought we would want but we still weren't happy. We still felt like we weren't ourselves. We didn't know how to navigate relationships. We didn't know how to dabble in spirituality and so, you know, when we were at Bulletproof Coffee one day we were having a really deep conversation that felt different than other conversations and I said you want to start a podcast and we started recording our really deep intimate raw conversations on our closet floors and then eventually a year later we finally launched the show and really the mission is to help support people in their spiritual evolution which can sometimes feel really lonely so we wanted to give them the community support and tools to feel like their best self. When you first started you said you started filming in your closet well you started recording in your closet which is amazing. I love like the bootstrap element of that. Did you film a bunch of episodes and then release them over a period of time or how did you plan ahead for building this into the podcast it is today? Yeah we started in Krista's closet and then in like a spare room in a house I was living in with a bunch of people and you know that was a really important time it was like an incubation time for this idea and this entity that is almost 30 and we really got to hone our communication with each other we got to like fine-tune exactly what felt good and authentic to share because there's so much we could cover but we wanted to make sure that we were being super intentional and then just like the technical side of like working that out you know we didn't know what we were doing at all. I've never hosted or started a podcast neither has she but we both have backgrounds interestingly you know in things that really have served us throughout the life of almost 30 thus far I was you know an actress in theater in production and just kind of having like a sense of you know what we would need to get started. Krista's super business savvy and and so it really worked well from the get-go but yeah it was it was after about a year of having these conversations that we were like okay you know it didn't feel ready it didn't feel like perfect. It never feels ready but sometimes you just have to put it out there and get started you know. Yes exactly and that was I think you know what a theme of ours that we we've stood by throughout where it might not be perfect and I might not feel ready but there's a feeling of this is right and intuitively we knew that putting this out there would then feed the inspiration the next thing that we would do the creativity going forward. So how did you decide on the topics you were going to be talking about because I know that you had that really deep conversation and sometimes when you have those conversations there's a lot of different things that comes into your mind that you might want to show on the podcast but how do you fine-tune it and choose like okay let's let's start with this as the first episode and let's evolve it to where it is today. Yeah I think for us we started more maybe relationships focus yeah it was a little 20s or so yes exactly you're like it was hilarious you know that kind of thing so it was more relationship focused and then we were more health and wellness and now we're really more spirituality and it was just a natural evolution of what we were going through and I think that's what's so beautiful about entrepreneurship and about people starting their own podcast or starting their own business is that it's your business it can reflect whatever stage you're at or whatever experience you're having and that's what makes it the most authentic expression of you and we've really let it expand and evolve in what we've talked about you know we've had conversations about Feng Shui we've had conversations about aliens we had conversations about um racial inequality and white privilege you know years ago so we really let our conversation really be the guide and we've meant to or we really tried to lean on more so us being the best versions of ourselves because that's what people are invested in rather than like the topic itself. Why did you guys decide to start a podcast and not do another form of media maybe like a youtube channel or a blog? I think you know there's a few reasons why but there is something so special about taking the visual out of receiving information and listening and I think it heightens you know your senses to what you're actually taking in um I think we are so visually stimulated these days on social media all the things and so I find as a listener you know when I'm listening to a podcast or even an audiobook sometimes I am able to be more present I'm not as distracted. In a way you are more present because there's less stimulus whereas if you're on youtube sometimes there's all these videos that appear on the side and it's like a lot going on. Yeah it's true and I was even blogging before you know so I tried blogging I was like doing the thing and I didn't love that I felt like it was like so one-dimensional because I can say something online and I think we can see this very acutely right now with the internet you know someone could tweet something and have an intention behind it that is not interpreted by people or vice versa and I never felt like my true authentic meaning was coming through what I was saying and when you hear me you're really hearing me you're hearing my tonality you're hearing my cadence you're hearing my enthusiasm you're hearing my emotion and so there's a real true sense of expression that is felt with the podcast that um you know we really connected to. So what did you guys do to start the podcast successfully? Just start and I know that's like kind of over said but you know that was definitely an important piece of not waiting for that perfection but I think taking it seriously you know we really were struck by this idea um and felt really lucky to have been like tapped on the shoulder by this thing almost 30 and felt a responsibility and so um we showed up for it every single day. We were really in a season of intense learning and so we really had to show up fully every single day we were both working full-time jobs we worked full-time jobs for the first two and a half years and that really afforded us the you know financial freedom to be able to just pour into this creative endeavor without putting the pressure of this needs to make me money right now. Right. And I think that's what gave it space to become what it has become but yeah I think you know it's it's nice to have a partner so we had the accountability each other and like the motivation there but we would show up to record we would have meetings we would just really treat it like the business we knew it could become. Do you have any tips on working with partners in business because I mean I have some friends that have started businesses with partners and some have worked out some have absolutely not and have ended with legal issues. Yeah I think we had to do it wrong for a while before and I say wrong because I just think we were not aware of you know the impact that our relationship had on our flow within the business just to give you background Christa and I met you know a year like literally met and then started the podcast shortly after so. Wow so this has been your whole relationship pretty much is the podcast. Exactly. Maybe that's a good thing because like it started that way and so there was no you know. Frequency of notions or anything like that totally. Exactly and it's it's just been you know the coolest thing as of late you know within the last year or so to focus on our relationship and get really just get really clear about that connection and how important that is. Totally so when you guys started the podcast it was a kind of newer concept and I consider you guys like pro podcasters a lot of people want to start podcasts today so I'd love to hear any advice you have. Yeah of course and we actually started you know podcast pro to just help people do that so we do have like courses and programs that we work with people on. Check it out everyone. Oh yes yeah it's really good but you know what I always say to people is that you know we were sort of building the car as it was moving so the idea and what we were creating was really fortified through us doing the thing and us recording and I always say for people rather than sort of focusing on your topic and kind of getting strategic with things is just start recording yourself start getting comfortable hearing yourself whether you're using the recording app on your phone or whether you are getting a Yeti mic whatever it is just start getting comfortable speaking and having your voice heard I think is really important. The point about that is just that it doesn't have to be you know we have really nice microphones now it doesn't need to be the the top of the line out the gate you know I don't want we don't want that stopping you at all. And then also too I always suggest for people to just keep their idea and their creative expression of what they want their podcast to be maybe to themselves for a little bit as they're ideating as they're ruminating it's really helpful to get advice and perspectives from people but sometimes when you're bringing a dream or idea through people who haven't achieved their dreams or who haven't gone through their fullest expression of themselves can project on you and sort of dim what you're trying to create. When you guys first started putting out the episodes it sounds like you were share you share really personal stories and how were you okay were you scared were you nervous to share these stories? Yeah it we kind of learned the hard way in terms of over sharing in the beginning and I think now we just share very vulnerably but more thoughtfully but in the beginning I mean we were getting calls and texts from family and friends being like what's the hell and it was never like that we were talking it was more I didn't even know that about you or things like that and yeah I think that was like a lesson we had to learn. How do you deal with the the growth of it though so in the beginning you only have a few people listening but then as time goes on I mean you guys have over 12 million downloads you have this in over 150 countries there's so many people that can go back to old episodes and and listen to what you've said and how do you how do you use that Sarah don't freak me out dude come on I thought I think about that all the time I'm like you know with the evolution of culture today and sort of you know a newfound awareness of certain things you know you think about when you're in high school you're like I did stuff that I would never do now and it is a little interesting to think about four years ago what we were talking about or how different we were from from today and how much we've had growth in but I can only be forgiving to myself and others on their their growth and I can only focus on you know my my journey and my learning in real time I think that's with any endeavor if we get caught up in like what if you know that kind of thing it can kind of throw us off so I choose to just focus on how can I be the best I can be in the moment and how can I just love those parts to me that were saying totally a hundred times in the first episode what are some of the ways that as podcasters you can make a living doing this we from the beginning when we started to monetize it was about six months in or so and Krista had leveraged some relationships she had with you know brands through her blogging experience and so we started to have conversations around ad spots on the podcast because we really loved these brands we use them ourselves so most of our revenue up until this day has been podcast ad spot revenue and you know it's been such a learning learning how to cultivate those relationships maintain those relationships deliver you know a product that we are proud of to build the trust with our audience so that these campaigns are successful yeah we've also just gotten really creative and inspired along the way by our community and we've launched and created courses programs workshops live digital workshops this last year in person events live shows so you've worked with big brands like Tory birch and hum nutrition how do you connect with those brands it's interesting a lot of our partner brands have actually been listeners of the podcast oh cool that's the best way to get them honestly it's actually the best it truly is like I'd say 80% are listeners and fans and know of us so they reach out through that way so but for people finding sponsors and brands you know just really aligning with people that you actually use and I often tell you know podcasters that we work with with coaching to think about walking through your day you know you wake up on a cast for mattress with brook linen sheets and you brush your teeth with toms of main toothpaste and then you know x y and z and that can really help you to figure out which brands would be a good fit in which brands would align with you because there's actually more brands that we interact with on a daily basis as people very interesting so you talked a little bit about doing live workshops in 2020 because of the pandemic you had to shift your business model a bit uh so how have you changed things because of the pandemic yeah at the top of 2020 we were planning to go on tour again we had been on tour previously that must have been so fun it was so fun and then we were going to host our annual retreat in Malibu we were excited to do all of these in-person things and so um you know around March we we knew that and we were planning a festival of sorts like it was like a whole thing as soon as this ends honestly we couldn't have done a festival we I know I know I'm so grateful you know what you can do the festival I believe in you guys I don't know well after this year we realized that you know being able to reach even more people digitally is super powerful less lift you know like I mean less lift on our part and they're like you have to hire security for your festival we're like oh it's like things you never would have thought about and you're like oh wow okay yeah that makes sense security definitely is important yes insane but yeah we just thankfully we were able to pivot really quickly um and basically take the templates of you know our in-person workshops and events and bring that digitally to you know a zoom event so we started the new paradigm digital workshop series where we brought our favorite teachers healers and experts you know in the spaces of spirituality and health and wellness and just anything and everything really to have these online gatherings um and it was rad I mean there were people from all over the world joining for healings for connection just to learn more about themselves you know in a time when it was really heavy and really um yeah you need that connection because like taking away all socialization is it's us as human beings we're social people so it's so difficult to not have those moments and it sounds like what you guys did is create those moments yes it was digital but it's it's still connecting with people so what is your next plan for almost 30 podcast yeah um I think this year really just hit home how important community connection um and and learning and community is um especially for um our female audience and so we are working on a really special way for all of us to connect um on a platform that is safe and inclusive and just provides a space for people to be themselves to be vulnerable to have the resources that they need you know for their evolution and have a really good time like it sounds I'm really excited it's happening in a couple months so that sounds very exciting and it definitely sounds like something that is very much needed in the world today so I'm so glad that you're creating um can you guys talk a little bit about like your social presence and how you promote the podcast um on social media by the way just to get the word out there yeah social media I mean social media for us has been you know one of the greatest catalysts for our growth and for really having a two-way conversation with our community and with our listeners and with our audience and that's what we really use it you know as is as um market research as connection as an information gathering tool which is market research but we just use it for a lot of different ways not only just to promote and market the show even though that's really what it's done um it's an extension of the brand so for anyone that has a podcast you know we always talk about when we're coaching people if you have a channel that you're working on through Instagram or through Twitter whatever preferred platform that you're on to really double down and use that as a promotion channel for your podcast you can also create a separate channel which is what Lindsay and I did for almost 30 podcasts on Instagram which now kind of lives and breathes on its own without Lindsay and I but I think it's you know instrumental so we'll promote shows we'll promote content related to the show we'll promote funny memes we'll promote connection among community and it really should just be like that extension of the brand so what's one piece of advice that you'd give to everyday entrepreneurs like yourself I would say that as much as I've invested in my own personal work whether that's therapy or whether that's intentional rest or whether that's being honest in my relationships and having good friends around me and nourishing my body and nourishing my health whatever that work may be for people I've seen it pay dividends in our business so if I'm heavily meditated I'm able to make much more rational decisions I'm able to be much more thoughtful I'm able to be better to our team or if I'm well rested I'm able to show it better in our business or if I've taken a full break for a day I'm able to show it better in our business or if Lindsay and I are having really hard honest conversations about our relationship we're able to really show up in the podcast better so as much as I've invested in myself we've seen it in almost 30 and everything that I do so I always just want to you know note to entrepreneurs that you can really make this an extension of you and to really do the work on yourself through the whole process because your business brand whatever is really an extension of you that's beautiful and I completely agree with you on that I think if you're not in a good place yourself then it's really hard to make your business be in a good place I mean you've seen that over and over again with many businesses that there's issues with the leadership and it kind of is just a domino effect where the whole business becomes unraveled so investing in yourself investing in your health whether that's physical mental so important what is one thing that you'd say you learned along the way that you wish you could go back and tell those girls sitting in the closet recording that first podcast I think for me personally I've talked about this on the podcast but just trusting myself um you know along the way trusting that you know my gifts what I'm interested in what lights me up is really really valuable to what we're doing I think when you start a business it can hold up a mirror to some of your biggest insecurities and shadows and so while I was working on those I also wish I would have just honored and illuminated more of the things that are really great about me where do you guys get your inspiration from for for just the topics of the episodes and and on that note are there any people like idols that you have that continuously inspire you to create um I think just a lot of our own curiosity inspires what we talk about on the show a lot of our own growth like in real time um Krista and I share solo episodes and often that is something that we've either just processed or maybe going through um but yeah it's interesting like I definitely recommend having people that you know you look up to and who inspire you but I think so much of our content creation of our next moves and what we aspire to be like kind of comes from within us and um I try not to idolize people because I know they're humans too you guys have had so many huge people on your show how do you get them on the show yeah we got a lot of nose got a lot of nose up first we got get nose for two years and just keep trying and then eventually maybe they'll say yeah um we had that a lot you know we had as example Marie Forleo on last year and she said no to us you know two years prior and you just kind of keep trying and we really have found that it is a fit when it's meant to be a fit even though that's easier to say on on this side of people actually saying yes yeah um but I do think that it is finding creative ways to truly connect with people whether it's through DM or email by being just really personable and truthful and being like a human not like just giving like a page long page yeah not like mass emailing a template what is your proudest almost 30 moment going out on tour and you know the tour itself I was proud of but I think the reception that we received was just so heartwarming and we were having one-on-one conversations with people from the community that just confirmed for me that we were truly on our path and that what we were doing was actually helping people and I just loved that I was like wow this is actually the this is actually what it's about it's been so wonderful speaking with you guys today is there anything else that you'd like our viewers and our listeners to know before we wrap up this interview yeah just want them to know about podcast bro so Lindsay and I from recording on our closet floors to now you know we never felt like there was a resource that was comprehensive and real and authentic and we wanted to create one for people that want to get their voices heard through a podcast so podcast pro helps people to launch to grow or to monetize their dream podcast so you can go to podcast pro or you go to yourpodcastpro.com it's been wonderful having you guys on the show thank you for everyone that joined us and thanks to everyone who tuned in today if you want to learn more about almost 30 podcasts you can visit almost30.com and be sure to follow them on instagram at almost 30 podcasts it's Krista and Lindsay Simpsick that is all for this edition of school hustle keep up with our other episodes on youtube apple podcast google podcast or wherever you stream and download podcast and if you like what you heard today please leave a review share with your friends and subscribe to our show we'll see you next time bye