Podcasts and the Pandemic: How Three Students Created a Safe Space to Share

Source © Janak Ashok Teckwani

Among the many media trends that have ridden the waves of the pandemic, podcasts and audio storytelling has significantly risen in its user consumption, with an estimated 100 million monthly listeners in 2020, according to Forbes.

While cooped up within the four walls of our homes, most of us have turned into content junkies in effort to stay connected with society. But unlike other forms of broadcast media, podcasts offer a far more intimate and vulnerable outlook to everyday discussions, free of rigid scripts and pre-planned segments. Listeners can tune in whenever they please, be it while they’re cooking, cleaning, driving or even taking a hot bath. And best of all, it’s entirely on-demand.

This was the case when three psychology students came together and set up #TimetoTalk, a podcast series that revolved around having relaxed and genuine conversations based on a multitude of topics. Operating #TimeToTalk are passionate individuals, Janak Ashok Teckwani, Nicole Lee Yuk Cheng and Goh Ian Shen, along with their platform provider Suraaj Ravi.

Host and founder, Janak, talks about the makings of #TimeToTalk and their podcast journey. He described how the idea behind the podcast was conceived and slowly expanded as time went on.

“Mostly, we started the podcast as a means of letting loose and having an outlet during a very difficult and uncertain time,” said Janak. “It was also a nice distraction for all of us who needed it during the lockdown and we managed to learn a lot and be capable even when we were all operating it remotely. This was done entirely without a budget.”

He added that they initially planned not to record their sessions as they wished to avoid creating social desirability with their audience as psychology students. However, with the lessons and insights gained along the way, a compilation video of various approved clips was posted on YouTube shortly after.

The audience feedback was nothing short of fantastic, with favourable responses to their ‘chill and laid back’ style of conducting their sessions. This spurred the team to keep going further, and brand the podcast as a series following the positive response rate. “The fact that some notable guests actually joined and contributed to the podcast has only made this all the sweeter,” said Janak.

But the journey was not without challenges. Starting out as a very small-scale and personal passion project, they had to fight off preconceived notions formed by others who didn’t believe a group of undergraduate students could make it work. And as time went on, they faced further judgement over the laid-back and casual tone of their sessions, doubting their ability to book big-name guests.

“We had no marketing or any incentive for the guests to come on except as a platform to share their experiences. We were so lucky to get international guests to come on and share experiences,” he confided.

And the perseverance and tenacity certainly paid off.

#TimeToTalk had an audience of notable speakers, ranging from Tanvi Shah, the first female Indian Grammy award winner for the hit-single from Slumdog Millionaire; to Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy, Netflix director for the hit movie “99 SONGS”; other Malaysian artists and rappers as well as beauty pageant celebrities like Neha Verma, the third runner-up for Miss Universe Malaysia 2020. What’s more, #TimeToTalk and the team’s efforts have received print coverage as well, publishing in both The Star and The Sun newspapers.

Source © Pexels

The future for #TimeToTalk is skewed in optimism as well, with plans to continue podcast sessions and reach out to other untapped young talents with many accolades and achievements under their belt. The team also wishes to network and build stronger connections with the guests whom they’ve already spoken to under the #TimeToTalk banner.

Janak even has some advice for rookie podcasters or someone looking to join the industry.

“You've probably heard this everywhere else so don't just take it from me... but if you have something you'd like to express, or just talk about, and you're certain that a podcast is the most suitable platform for expressing your message - then go for it,” he said.

“It's so important not to let negative judgments from other people get to you and mess around in your head. Yes, sometimes things like the planning, rejection, and criticisms can get overwhelming but if you're headstrong and determined to get the session done, then no one can tell you otherwise”.

Lastly, he also emphasised the importance of reaching out and asking for help when needed, not just by growing together as a team, but also being open to feedback and taking time out for yourself.