I love discovering new authors and lately, I've been diving headlong into the world of podcasts (as you all know if you've been reading my blog lately). I was really excited when I came across Michelle Kampmeier on social media, because it's actually pretty rare for me to find a podcast host to interview! Podcasts are an awesome platform that have really exploded in popularity, providing an alternative to watching television or even listening to the radio (and I love radio!). I think podcasts are especially helpful for busy folks. For myself, I turn on a podcast and listen to it while I'm cooking, cleaning the house, or driving to the "big city" (which is an hour away, and by big city I mean Fresno, California, which is not big at all, but still). Podcast-listening (does that constitute a new verb?) also allows me to engage in something without having to use my eyes, which are so overworked that I often just need to LISTEN without straining them anymore!
Michelle is the host of a podcast called Deep Soul Care (check it out here) and she is also the prolific author of more than 40 books (I thought I was going for gold with 27, but Michelle has me beat by several miles!). I really enjoyed getting to know her through this interview, and I hope you do, too!
Thank you so much for visiting with Writing Belle! Let's get started! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and where you're from?
Thanks so much for having me! I'm excited to be here. :) I'm Michelle, a podcaster and author, and I'm from Northern Illinois but I've lived in the Phoenix area with my husband and animals for over 12 years.
Let's talk about your podcast, Deep Soul Care. How did you come up with the idea for it?
It actually started out as "Discover Yourself" because that's the journey I was on. I started working with a really amazing coach back in early 2019 and we embarked on a journey to discover who I was at the time - and how to be the most authentic version of myself all the time. That was really difficult for me as a people pleaser and perfectionist, but we did a lot of really tough digging, had a ton of uncomfortable sessions to search for the truth, and finally discovered a lot about me. Once I felt like I'd done quite a bit of that, I started my podcast to help others on their own journeys.
How does one go about starting a podcast? It has always seemed to cool to me, but it appears that it might be complicated! Is it hard to start a podcast? What was the process of creating yours like?
It probably ranges from super easy (which is the route I took) to really complicated. The complicated route was never going to stick for me, so I went with Anchor and just bought a nice mic and a pop filter. Anchor makes it SO easy (this isn't sponsored or anything LOL). They have everything you need in one place (recording, editing, distributing) and it's free. They even help you find sponsorships as you grow your audience, so I've really liked working with them. All I did was create an account and start recording! Though I did listen to a LOT of podcasts before starting mine, so I had a really good idea of what I wanted to do as far as formatting and editing went. But I'm here to help if you or anyone else is looking to start their own. :)
How do you come up with new topics for your podcast every week - what is your inspiration and how do you keep things fresh?
That's been tough lately. My inspiration is generally just what I'm going through in my own life - that's the basis of the show after all, discovering myself and working on taking care of that version of me. So keeping things fresh has felt a little difficult lately because I feel like I've covered a lot of the main topics about the subject already. However, I've gone through an entire worldview shift this year, so I feel like I've been back at square one in a sense, and working through that has been a way to keep things semi-fresh on the show. I get to reevaluate some of the things I've already gone through. Luckily for me, I set the show up so I just get to riff about whatever lessons I'm learning from my daily life, so there's usually always something to talk about. :)
What about writing? I know you mentioned that you also did some writing prior to this interview. What kind of writing do you enjoy?
I do write! I've written over 40 novels and several shorter works, plus over 30 journals. I write sweet romance (think Hallmark-style) under the pen name Eliza Boyd, steamy romance under Kyle Autumn, and nonfiction about positivity, kindness, and productivity (plus the journals) under Mickey Reed. I also have a food blog under that name as well called Fruit So Hard (all vegan/gluten-free recipes). I'm a busy bee!
Tell me about the overall philosophy/mindset of 'Deep Soul Care.'
Great question! The overall philosophy and mindset of Deep Soul Care is to truly take care of your needs in order to be your healthiest, most authentic self. We've all heard of self-care, which has unfortunately gotten popularly reduced to bubble baths and chocolate cake as a treat. Deep soul care can certainly include those things, but it goes deeper into what truly encompasses self-care to me: being honest, living your values, knowing exactly who you are and being comfortable enough to be that person no matter who you're with. It's hard. Very hard. I'm certainly not perfect at it. And this year I've found that it's going to be constant work as we evolve and grow. But the foundation for deep soul care can help you live authentically so you're happier, less stressed, and more fulfilled.
If you could give anyone a single piece of advice about discovering their authentic self, what would it be?
It's going to be uncomfortable, so lean into that, and have a good support system! This work isn't for the faint of heart, and the easily swayed will have the hardest time, but don't give up. There's always hope.
How can people listen to your podcast - where can they listen to it, and how often do you post new episodes? Also, where can they follow you on social media?
The podcast is available where most people listen to their podcasts (Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, etc.) - for a full list with links, check out Deep Soul Care on Anchor: http://anchor.fm/
Thank you so much for visiting with us today. It's been so much fun!
Thank you so much for having me! This has been wonderful. Hugs to everyone!
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About Michelle
Michelle Kampmeier is an author, blogger, and podcaster. Her show, Deep Soul Care, is dedicated to helping you discover the real you and actually be that person in the real world. But she loves fictional worlds too. Her sweet romance novels are under the pen name Eliza Boyd. She writes steamy romance novels as Kyle Autumn, and her nonfiction about positivity, kindness, and productivity can be found under Mickey Reed. And if you're in the mood for a sweet recipe, check out her food blog Fruit So Hard.
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Get fictional - it's fun! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you again soon!