A Honest Truth: Why I've Put Off Starting My Podcast ('Til Now)

Have you ever felt like you were this close to starting something big but just couldn't take the leap? In this episode of HELL YES HABITS, I'm pulling back the curtain on all the reasons I haven't started a podcast until now. From self-doubt to perfectionism (and honestly maybe procrastination), I'm sharing the honest truth about what held me back - and how I finally pushed past it to hit the freakin' record button. If you've ever felt stuck or unsure about starting something new, this episode is for you. You're not alone, and I hope my story inspires you to take your next step, no matter how messy it feels.
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Transcript

Elyse Bushard (00:06)
welcome to Hell Yes Habits. I'm Elise, a marketing professional by day and your go-to coach for building the habits that create a life you can't wait to wake up to. I'm so glad you're here. This podcast is all about ditching the just fine mindset and making room for the magic in your everyday life. And let me tell you, this isn't just a podcast. It's the start of a movement, a Hell Yes Habits movement.

It's about breaking out of autopilot, showing up for yourself in ways that matter, and creating small but powerful habits that lead to a big, bold, hell yes kind of life. Each week, we'll have real, honest conversations about juggling all the things, career, relationships, family, and those moments when you just need you time. I'll share actionable tips, lessons from my own journey,

and inspiration to help you stop settling and start thriving, baby. You in?, let's do this.

Elyse Bushard (01:16)
Hello, hello everyone. Welcome to another episode. Actually, this is gonna be my first episode that I'm gonna put in order, but I've actually recorded a couple before this. But I figured I would take you on the journey of like, what the hell Elise, why a podcast? Why is this something that you, that was on your heart that you needed to share with people? Like, I feel like it's,

been pulled out and like I've made it public now, like my family knows, some of my closest friends know, but this is actually the truth is this has actually been on my heart for a long time to start a podcast. And I'm really just gonna peel back the curtain and be vulnerable because I want to make it known about

like my process and why has it taken me so long to start a freaking podcast and then relate it back to all the things that we tend to hold back on because we're afraid to take the next step and we keep making excuses even though that this vision was put in our mind in our heart for some reason and so it's gonna keep coming up in various ways until we take action on it.

And the sad part is a lot of us will get to the end of our TBD life on this planet and we won't even take that first step. And it's the scariest step, I'm gonna be honest with you. But I've been thinking about starting a podcast for over a year now. But guess what? I haven't hit record until right now in this season of my life.

Let me just dive into why I want this to be a vulnerable episode just kind of for you to get to know me. But also, I want this to be tactical for you and maybe give you that kick in the butt that you need to take that next step to really just create a life that you love, a life that really is something that you're obsessed with. And it all starts with taking that next step.

of something that you wanna do. And for me, in this season of my life, it was starting a podcast. I I listened to a bunch of podcasts, but more than that, I know a lot of people listen to a bunch of podcasts or books or things like that for motivation, for, to escape. And there's a lot of different types of podcasts. And I knew like,

the people that I listen to podcasts for, I would literally probably buy everything that they talked about on their thing. Like think about people you listen to and I wanna build a community of trust like that. I want this to be a vulnerable place where people can come and listen to not just my story, but take tangible things out and really just...

It's like we're going through life together. It's like I'm sitting across the table from you at a coffee shop. I drink mostly tea. I do love coffee at coffee shops though. There's something about it. Just like I feel like salads at restaurants taste different than the ones you make at home. Even if you have all the same ingredients. I feel like it's just an experience. I'm a huge foodie though so side note on that. But I've been wanting to hit record for over a year now. Why?

and why haven't I? Let me just dive in. I'm gonna dive in. First things first, I wanna talk about fear. Because man, fear of failure has been a massive weight on my shoulders. I've been hung up on the thought, like what if I'm not good enough to have a podcast? You know, that feeling when you tell yourself, like what if no one listens? Or what if I pour my heart and soul

into this and it just falls flat. that fear is so paralyzing, right? It can hold us back from doing anything really, trying something new. And I think we all face like some sort of this at some point, especially when we're trying something new. And as we get older and we get so much more comfortable in our routines, like I'm about to hit 37, that is when...

My podcast is launching and it's harder to want to try something new. I have made a commitment that every month I'm going to be trying something new. This month it is starting a podcast. Last month it was planning a trip spontaneously like a week in advance. So just like little, but it doesn't have to be like big things either. It could be like.

trying a new food that I've always wanted to do, trying a new workout, going to a workout class that I've never been to. And it doesn't have to be, but like, here's the deal. Staying in that planning mode and staying paralyzed by fear, it will never lead you to success.

Yes, we can think and plan and dream and all of those things are amazing. But what I've come to realize is that at some point we have to take action and the action, yes, it's fricking terrifying. And trust me, if we don't take that leap, we will never know what we're capable of. So the first thing is I'm...

I was scared to death. I was scared AF that I would fail and in anything and trying something new, but like taking that first step, it's the hardest thing to do, but then it actually makes everything else seem easy. when I decided I'm going to launch a pod, I actually decided with my business coach, I was like, I'm going to launch a podcast and she's like, okay, what date?

And until I planned it on my birthday, it's becoming real. It's less than a week is my birthday. And I've had all of the fear. But as soon as I hit record, I was like, this is actually easier than I thought it would be. And granted, I'm sitting alone in my bedroom. The first episode I recorded, I did in my closet, because I didn't know how sound would come out. And honestly, I'm not actually sure how the sound will come out here. But I have this like,

$15 mic from Amazon and it worked well for the first one. I didn't want to sit in my closet because it's tiny and I didn't want to sit on the floor. But here we are, okay? Pushing through the fear that that is one of the main reasons. Number one reason why I have waited this long to start a podcast. The next step we have to talk about self doubt. I know you've probably heard this in various ways, but

Can we just take a moment to acknowledge how loud that voice can be in you? I'm gonna name this voice Helga for my purposes. Helga is, she is a biatch. Let me just be honest. I was like, and this self doubt that I'm naming Helga, she's like, who am I to start a pie class? Why would anyone care about what I have to say?

I mean, seriously, Helga is ruthless. She creeps in, she, it's like that background voice in your head that if you're not aware of it, it will also paralyze you and just like fear will. Self-doubt is one of the things that it will make up.

Helga is a biatch and she will just make up anything in her head that I don't know why I went with Helga by the way. I don't know. I don't even know Helga. I've never met a Helga, but it just sounds like a name of a horrible person. Sorry if you know a Helga. I don't think it's a common name. So if you do, please message me. And I'll be like, I'm sorry for naming it after someone like your grandma or something. Anyway.

She's very ruthless and just like fear, self doubt can hold you back. I've let it creep in and hold me back way too many times. But honestly, here's the truth. Everyone out there has self doubt and everyone out there has something authentic and valuable to share. My experiences and thoughts and unique perspective and your

experiences, your thoughts and your unique perspective, they all matter, even if you think they don't. And if you're in the same boat, remember that your voice could inspire one person, maybe multiple people, but just think of one person. It might help them see something differently in their life and motivate them to take action in themselves, which then ties back.

to my purpose behind this podcast. I would love to have my voice and my experiences help you overcome something that you're struggling in your life. So what is that very thing that you have, that magic inside that you're not letting through because Helga or your self doubt, whatever you wanna name her or him or it.

just remember that what is like, if the very thing you have to say is that spark or inspiration that someone needs. And I came to the point where I knew that this, this spark, this, everyone needs what I have to say, even if it's one person. And if I can inspire that one person that maybe listens to this podcast, maybe it's my mom.

because we all know she, as soon as I tell her what a podcast is and how to access them, she will be listening to my podcasts because she's my number one fan and I love her so much. But maybe I will spark something in her and inspire her and, or it's my friend from high school that I was scared that would listen to this podcast. Again, I'm making this up because I'm trying to relate it to people in your life who,

This self-doubt that you're creating it no one else is creating it and that's something that I had to be aware of is like No one actually is thinking that in fact when I announced that I was gonna do a podcast You should have seen the DMs roll in and people were like yeah like what is it gonna be about and and I'm here to support you and of course family did that

But like friends and people like unexpectedly got on board and so that's important. So failure, self-doubt. There's another one that I'm sure everyone can relate to when they're trying to try something new. Perfectionism. the pursuit of this idea that something needs to be perfect before it goes out into the world. In fact though,

Think about the things that you love the most. Think about the things that you love the most. So think about what you listen to, what, like, and who you follow on social media, for example. You don't follow the cookie cutter fun people. You literally follow the hot mess expresses.

who go through life and when I am most vulnerable online is when I get the most comments or when I'm going through something that someone's like, me too. Like, I can't believe that that happened or you liked that movie or you fell down like a flight, like you slipped on the ice. Like when I do that stuff, people relate to it. And so this idea that something has to be perfect before we try it is

It's ridiculous, but it hold it held me back because I thought I had to have the perfect topic, the best mic, the like this flawless fictitious plan. Like we've all been there and it's so easy to tell yourself that we need everything to be just right before we take that first step. But guess what? Those are just excuses to keep you

procrastinating. Let me repeat that because that was like mind-blowing for me. It's like I need the perfect topic, the best mic, but guess what? Those are just excuses to keep procrastinating and keep holding you back from taking that first step. It's your brain being like, this is scary. Let me come up with ideas to hold you back from taking that step because

Cause we're in fight or flight mode. Like our brain is telling us all of these things that, or like the self doubts creeping in, the perfectionism, the fear of failure. And so our brain is like, okay, we gotta pump the brakes here. We can't take this step cause this could happen and this could happen and everything needs to be perfect before you do that. But let me let you in on a little secret. There's no such thing.

as the perfect moment or the perfect thing. If we keep waiting for everything to align, we'll be waiting forever. Sometimes you just have to jump in and then just figure it out along the way. And guess what? I have been falling forward and failing forward. I recorded actually four episodes like about a month ago. And then I realized that I didn't

like press record the right way on the mic and hosting site that I was using. And they weren't like nothing. So I was literally talking and nothing. But some of them were rambling and some of them were not focused. So, but again, I was angry and then I was like, I laughed because I was like, was like, well, those weren't meant to be heard. And these are. So here we are. So here we are. We got failure, self doubt, perfectionism.

this one might sting a little. this one is really relatable. but it's the opinion of others. And I know we can all say like, I don't care what other people think. I don't, but we all do. We're all human and the worry over what other people might think it can actually be suffocating and take us from like,

just having fear and self doubt to really holding back like who we really are and taking action. It can be suffocating. And I know I felt it when I was like, I want to start a podcast when I was like, what if they judge me? What if what if people think I'm unqualified or like it's insane how much power we give.

to opinions that frankly might not even exist. And that's where the fear, like self doubt kind of creeps in. They kind of overlap here because I'm literally just making up these things. Like Billy Joe from high school is gonna listen to my podcast and judge me. Is Billy Joe part of my life right now? No. Like as a 37 year old, is

my like my place of employment right now, like, are they like going to not see this as like, as something productive or something that I that is helping me grow? No, but I had those thoughts like I was like, well, what if they don't like it? What if like, and but again, I was making this up because, like, it has nothing to do with

Like it's insane how much power I was giving to people's opinions that might not even exist. And if we're honest with ourselves, we're all pretty self-involved. And most people are too busy with their own lives to scrutinize every little single decision that you or I make. So my big question was, and what kind of like,

pushed me is like, why not be unapologetically me? Like authenticity is such a powerful tool because there is no one like me and there is no one like you. And when you're true to yourself, it shines through and people can feel that. They feel that in the way like your energy is like,

they'll gravitate towards you more and you might even attract people in your life like the community and support that you didn't expect because you are just you and and you will also detract people from being your friend who weren't meant to be your friend or who aren't meant to be in your life or your circle and that's okay

It's okay, because you're not going to be for everyone. I know that this podcast is not going to be for everyone. It might not even be for my best friend to listen to it or my roommate or someone that I'm very close to. But I'm not creating it for everyone. I'm creating it for a specific type of person. And you have to remember that when you're being you like.

Forget about what everyone else says and it's something that I have to train myself to do every day This isn't something that you just decide So those were the main reasons why and I'm sure that a lot of you listening to this

can relate to one or all of those feelings when you're either trying something new or you've just had those feelings day in day out because we all experience them. And in fact, we all have things in our lives that we know when we're not being authentically ourselves and showing up and speaking our mind. So here I am.

finally taking my shot and starting this podcast. But why? Because I believe that we all need to embrace any vision that comes on our hearts. And it's time to stop waiting, stop worrying, and just simply start. And for me, in this season of life, it was starting this podcast because I feel like it's something that

People need to hear my voice, but I want to create this community that is raw and real and this movement of hell yes habits. This movement of creating habits that light us the eff up. So if you're sitting on something big, whether it's starting a podcast, by the way I could help you because I made probably all the mistakes possible, writing a book.

or pursuing any dream that's put on your heart. It wasn't just placed on your heart to place it on your heart. Let's just promise each other as I'm doing this right now and you're listening to this, maybe it's you mom or anyone else listening to this, let's promise each other to take action together.

Don't let fear hold you back. Hit record, send that email, make that call or text because let's be honest, millennials, like texting better than calling. But whatever it is, just go for it because as my friend, Kasia Getmary says, if you haven't listened to her podcast,

It's called Empower Her Podcast. It's amazing. I will be dropping podcasts that I love and supporting the people that I love, because I'm still gonna be listening to their podcasts because it's like, I'm not in competition with anyone. I'm literally just doing this to help a prior version of me going through it. You get to hear it starting this movement and...

So whatever that is, as my friend Kasia, I got off on a tangent there. As my friend Kasia Gepnery says, like, let's not wait until the TBD days, number of days we have left in our lives. I lost a friend to suicide and she wasn't even 30 yet.

And it was very hard. But it helped me realize that we don't know when something's gonna happen to us. And I didn't mean for that to get dark, but let's just promise each other to take action of whatever's on your heart. Whatever thing was placed in your head and your heart.

that you wanna go for, that you wanna try something new, that you're like, you're like, because I used to say, I'll do that someday. Well, someday is today. And so don't let fear hold you back and self doubt and perfectionism, because that doesn't exist anywhere, especially when you're trying something new, you gotta fail forward and remember what it was like.

You didn't start walking, you crawled before you walked. Heck, you sat and fell and crawl and fell like as you were a baby. So why is it different when we're adults that we think just because we're wiser, which we are because of our experiences though, and because we failed. So don't let fear hold you back and let's do this together.

I'm here with you. Hell yes, Habits will be here consistently showing up for you with tactical things that you can take. But thank you so much for tuning in. I hope you feel motivated to take a next step in your journey, whatever that looks like for you. It doesn't have to be starting a podcast, but I wanted this to be a vulnerable episode for me and really just tell you why I'm starting it. What?

what was holding me back and remember that you're more than enough, your voice matters and keep, keep creating hell yes habits for hell yes life. And I love hearing from you guys, so please comment. I'm gonna put my Instagram handle in the thing, tag me.

It's at Elise Bechard. Tag me in the stories if something in this resonated with you, if it made you feel fire to start something new. Tell me what that is. I would love to hear. And yeah, until next time. Let's create hell yes habits for a hell yes life.