183 Emily Prokop - The Story Behind

Every single item that surrounds us has a story behind it. Have you ever wondered about the history behind bubble gum, balloons, Kit Kats, mustaches, or Betty White? If so, you’re in luck as I welcome to the podcast author and fellow podcaster, Emily Prokop. Emily is the creator and host of the hit podcast, The Story Behind, which tells the extraordinary history of seemingly ordinary objects, places, and people.

Show Notes

Every single item that surrounds us has a story behind it. Have you ever wondered about the history behind bubble gum, balloons, Kit Kats, mustaches, or Betty White? If so, you’re in luck as I welcome to the podcast author and fellow podcaster, Emily Prokop. Emily is the creator and host of the hit podcast, The Story Behind, which tells the extraordinary history of seemingly ordinary objects, places, and people. The Story Behind was nominated for The Academy of Podcasters’ Awards in 2017 and has been repurposed into a book of the same name.

In this episode, we talk about the process of podcasting. With a background in editing and journalism, Emily speaks to how she was able to transfer this skillset to become a successful podcaster. Harry and Emily share their own stories of challenges and obstacles they have faced, including building an audience one listener at a time. Emily discusses the wide variety of topics she covers on her podcast and the creative process she utilizes to come up with fresh and exciting ideas for every show. Finally, Emily chronicles the genesis of her book, The Story Behind and details the journey by which she transformed her podcast into a hit book.

00:53 – Harry welcomes Emily to the podcast
04:13 – Emily’s educational background
06:20 – The decision to start The Story Behind podcast
10:55 – What Emily and Harry like most about podcasting
13:26 – Emily’s first podcasting event
18:21 –Leveraging a journalism background to become successful at podcasting
20:35 – Emily recalls meeting and networking with other podcasters at Podcast Movement
23:29 – How the podcasting community has provided Emily with support and inspiration
25:26 – Building an audience one listener at a time
27:49 – The importance Emily places on researching and preparing for her podcasts
30:53 – Emily recalls recording her first few episodes and worrying that they were too short
35:31 – How Emily comes up with the eclectic topics that her podcast covers
39:19 – The genesis of Emily’s book, The Story Behind, based on her podcast
43:34 – Emily describes the overall experience writing a book
46:12 – What is something Emily has changed her mind about recently?
47:04 – What is the most misunderstood thing about Emily?
52:20 – Where listeners can follow Emily