It's not everyday you can say, "I just launched a podcast!" But that's exactly what local author and blogger, Sharon Halliday, can now claim.
To trace the origins of the podcast–Kris and Shaz in the Mother of all Roles–you have to go back 24 years, where the two met at Canberra Church of England Girls’ Grammar School.
A mutual love of public speaking and debating would solidify the friendship and see them representing the school in competitions. They weren’t to know that this experience would serve them well as podcasters in 2019.
The women also weren’t to know that many years after leaving school, when they were now both mothers, that they would reconnect. Kristine reached out to Sharon to feature her blog, 'Taking care of sick kids' (which incidentally became the basis of their first podcast), as she was seeking authentic, parenting advice.
It was a precursor of sorts, as not long after this, Sharon would become weekly columnist "Ask Sharon" for The Area News in Griffith. In this role, she provided a range of advice to the community in response to questions about relationships, health, wellbeing, money, happiness, and parenting. Her collection of columns would result in the book, Messages from the Heart: 39 Answers to Your Life Questions.
In the meantime, Kris was fulfilling a different kind of role with her passion and knowledge for helping women return to the workforce and regain confidence after having children. Both women often discussed the daily juggling act of balancing motherhood and careers. They also recognised the benefit in shared experience, which would be a source of comfort and peace in knowing others were facing similar issues and travelling a similar path. It was this dynamic that they harnessed to create the podcast, which focuses on giving mothers simple solutions to everyday problems.
“The goal of each episode is to provide insights, easy-to-do practices, new ways of thinking, and practical tools to help mothers navigate the biggest role of all, motherhood,” Sharon said.
“Our ethos is: ‘Two real mums talking about real issues in an attempt to make the ordinary extraordinary’, which epitomises what we are trying to achieve.” Kristine added.
While the response so far to the podcast has been overwhelmingly positive, the goal is to reach a wider audience, so that more mums can feel understood and empowered as they experience the rewarding, yet relentless journey of motherhood.
As one mum said after hearing the initial episodes: "First time listener and now a fan! This podcast is like having an informative but casual chat with friends. Kris and Shaz give voice to day in day out mum life."
Another mum labelled it as: "Entertaining, authentic and honest."
While one listener remarked, “Loved the insights. Practical advice with humour that is essential listening by anyone with kids! Keep it up!”
It appears as though the women already have a winning combination in the competitive world of podcasts, but one thing is for sure, while ever their desire to help mothers remains at the heart of everything they do, they will continue to be in demand.
The podcast is availa
ble now on iTunes and is coming soon to Spotify.
