100. Special Episode - Get to Know Julia Beyond the Mic!

They say listeners come for the content but stay for the host...and after 99 episodes packed with podcasting tips and strategies, it’s time to flip the script! For episode 100, I’m pulling back the curtain and letting you get to know me beyond my role as The Podcast Teacher™. Join us as my friend and biz bestie, Robbin, puts me in the hot seat with some thoughtful (and juicy!) questions you won’t want to miss.

Thank you so much for helping me reach episode 100! I am grateful for you. 

This episode was produced by me, The Podcast Teacher! Contact me at Hello@ThePodcastTeacher.com.

Take the quiz to find out what you need to focus on for podcast growth: www.ThePodcastTeacher.com/quiz

Transcript

Julia Levine:
Hey. Hey. And welcome back. I can't really believe it, but this is episode 100. Oh my goodness. I am so grateful to you for listening and for supporting this podcast. I would not be here without you. Today, I am putting myself in the hot seat to allow you to see a more personal side of me that I don't usually share on the podcast.

Julia Levine:
Cause I like to keep it straightforward with the information here. And my biz bestie, Robin Kent is here today to guide the conversation and to ask all of the burning questions. Welcome to podcasting for solopreneurs, Robin.

Robbin Kent:
Hey, Julia. I am so excited to be here with you today and oh my goodness, gracious. The questions that I have for you to reveal the behind the scenes, Julia, behind the mic, I am just so excited about this. This is gonna be so much fun.

Julia Levine:
Uh-oh. I'm a little scared. Are you really? You're scared?

Robbin Kent:
I got you. I've got you. It's all gonna be so good.

Julia Levine:
Alright. Well, fire away.

Robbin Kent:
Alright. Here we go. Okay. What is one thing about your personality that comes through the podcast and one thing that doesn't?

Julia Levine:
Alright. Easing me in with, I feel like, a fairly easy one. Very good.

Robbin Kent:
Right?

Julia Levine:
Yes. I appreciate that. So I think that the really organized, really kind of strategic side of my personality really comes through in the podcast. I really make it my mission to make the information that I present here. Super tangible, super actionable, super easy to follow bite sized pieces. And so of course it takes time to organize that and put that together. And I feel like that comes across in the podcast fairly well. Yes.

Julia Levine:
And so what doesn't come across in the podcast, I think is just the more casual, more kind of silly side of my personality. Obviously this podcast is a tool for my business. So I am here as a professional. I am being a coach and being a teacher and providing information. But of course, in my personal life, I am not always serious. And so I don't know if you know this about me, Robin, but one thing is that I love puns. Like dad jokes, man. I love a good dad joke and I will like die laughing and they're kind of the stupidest jokes, you know? They're not exactly high quality comedy, but I just find them hilarious.

Robbin Kent:
I don't know if I did know that. I have to say that might be a newbie. And I've known you for, gosh, is it almost three years now? Two and a half years?

Julia Levine:
Yeah.

Robbin Kent:
So that see? Always learning all kinds of things. Should I be brave enough and say, give me your best one?

Julia Levine:
I do have a book. Let me see if I can find a good one.

Robbin Kent:
Yes. You gotta give me an example. Give us an example of this.

Julia Levine:
Okay. I could probably find a better one if I wanted to, spend some more time looking through this book here, but for the sake of time. So this is my star wars dad jokes book. And so one thing that I think I've mentioned here on the podcast before is that Jeff and I had a star wars themed wedding. So we are big star wars fans. And so that's where the star wars themed dad jokes came from. Cause I love puns and then we love star wars. So what do droids dance to?

Robbin Kent:
What do droids dance to? Like, I have seen star wars. It's been a while, but do they dance to a light beam? Oh, no.

Julia Levine:
No. The answer actually has nothing to do with Star Wars. They dance to algorithms. I don't know why that amuses me so much. I think that's hilarious.

Robbin Kent:
Oh my goodness gracious. That is okay. I have definitely officially learned something new about you. Okay. So since that is dad jokes and puns, was your dad someone that had, like, some of the best dad jokes?

Julia Levine:
No. Definitely not. Okay.

Robbin Kent:
Okay. I was just like, I gotta ask the question popped in my head. So, oh my goodness. That's hilarious. I love that. I love that. But you are you are so, like, organized and streamlined so that personality, all of your business, and that's one of the things that was really drawn me to you, and I think many of your clients is because of that. But at the same time, it's so fun to to hear even more things about your personality that we don't see on the podcast or see in your programs or something like that.

Robbin Kent:
So I love that. Okay. You ready for the next one?

Julia Levine:
I'm ready.

Robbin Kent:
Alright. What originally sparked your passion for podcasting, and how has that passion evolved over time?

Julia Levine:
Oh, good question. So rewinding in time, I listened to podcasts for most of my. No, I guess not most of my adult life, because they didn't exist back in my early adult life, but since they existed, I listened to them here and there. But then I had an incident where I couldn't consume any other types of content. And so I had to rely on podcasts. So let me tell you the funny story and then we'll come back to the love of podcasts and how it has evolved. But I went on my very first cruise and to make a very long story short, I got up in the middle of the night to go pee one morning, one early morning on the cruise and. The ship was rocking.

Julia Levine:
And if you've ever been on a cruise ship, you know, that the bathrooms are teeny, teeny tiny. And so I get up to go to the bathroom and the ship moves at wrong way at the wrong time. And I fell over and smacked my head against the sink in the bathroom. And I gave myself a concussion.

Robbin Kent:
Wow. Wow.

Julia Levine:
And no, there was no alcohol involved in this incident. It was just me being uncoordinated with the cruise ship rocking and rolling. And it turned out to be a really, really bad concussion. And I got home from the trip and I couldn't read anything in print. I couldn't watch TV. I couldn't use the computer. I could not do anything because of the symptoms that I was having and, you know, those different things were making the symptoms worse. Wow.

Julia Levine:
And the doctor's saying that I needed to avoid all those things in order to rest my brain and get better. So the only thing that I was allowed to do was to listen to audio. And so I listened to audio books and podcasts. And of course, a podcast is more casual. It's a, a person in your ears. You know, it's not a narrator, it's not a hired narrator. And so I just really fell in love with the medium in a way that I hadn't before I was able to really appreciate it because I had to rely on it as my sole source of, you know, getting information, getting entertainment. And it just kind of evolved from there that I loved them more and more.

Julia Levine:
I really felt a bond with the podcast hosts, even though they didn't know me. I really felt like they were my friends and wow. It was such a powerful realization that, you know, they're in my ears. We're creating this connection. And from there it just kind of snowballed.

Robbin Kent:
Wow. Okay. So I've heard this story before, but I don't know if I've heard all the details and just kinda how it affected you. So that is really, really interesting, and I just I can't even imagine not being able to read something. Like, I do prefer to listen to things just naturally, but being able to read, what a crazy event of how that happened and that caused that, but look where you are now with it. And it's just helping us, you know, really be able to create that same connection that you felt with the people as you were listening. Like, that just those were the things that were kinda coming to my head because I know you've helped me just be reminded, like, through my podcast and stuff as in truly making that connection with the audience. So that is just really, really good.

Robbin Kent:
Oh my goodness. Wow. Alright. Here we go. The next question I have for you is how did you meet Jeff? Because, I mean, I got the opportunity to meet you and Jeff in person last year, and Jeff is an extrovert. We all know you're an introvert, and he enjoys chatting and visiting where I know that you're like, let me prepare to people. So how did you two meet?

Julia Levine:
Well, I can certainly tell that story. But before I do, let me just clarify and say that Jeff is not an extrovert. He is an introvert like me.

Robbin Kent:
How is that possible? Because he definitely presents his self as an extrovert, but I have family members who I think might follow along this line. So tell me more about how this is.

Julia Levine:
Yeah. So he is an introvert in the sense that peopling wears him out. He needs a nap afterwards, just like I do. And it's not that he dislikes people, but he definitely doesn't get energized from being around people. However, he is very socially skilled. Yes. And like in his personality assessments, his personality strengths tests, his number one trait is always adaptability. And so he can.

Julia Levine:
Adapt to any situation, any group of people. And he's just really good at making conversation and really just being socially skilled in that way. Whereas I'm a little bit more socially awkward. So but he's definitely an introvert at at his core, for sure.

Robbin Kent:
Okay. Okay. Like I said, I have some family that they know how to adapt. Like you said. Like, they know how to turn it on and turn it off, but that's a great explanation of you saying, but he doesn't get his energy from that. Well, I can tell you first impressions here, I absolutely thought he was a extrovert more like me. But now with that thinking and that knowledge, still tell us how did y'all actually meet each other?

Julia Levine:
So we met on an online dating app as probably a lot of the world did, these days. The thing that kind of drew us to one another out of all the, you know, matches that are kind of in your, in your list, is he had a profile picture of a recent trip that he had taken and it was on a Disney cruise. And so it was a picture of him and captain Mickey. And then my profile picture was from that Halloween when I had dressed up as Minnie mouse. And so we were Mickey and Minnie in our, well, he wasn't Mickey, but he had a picture with Mickey in our profile pictures. And so in in addition to a whole lot of other factors that made us a match, the pictures really made us kind of give each other a second look, second glance and, things just kind of went from there.

Robbin Kent:
Oh my goodness gracious. Okay. I knew that y'all had, like, different similarities in your interest and what you have fun with and that Disney was part of it, but I did not know the story about the picture profiles and how those met. So, wow, I'm learning about you as well.

Julia Levine:
Yeah. Oh. We were actually a 96% personality match, which I think is, like, one of the highest that I had ever seen, and it certainly has turned out to be true.

Robbin Kent:
Yes. Yes. Oh my goodness. That does sound like a high percentage. Like, I haven't ever played around with the apps and stuff, but I have known a couple of people too, so that does sound, like, really, really high. And I can definitely see, and I hear about y'all's journey together and all the things that y'all do that y'all are a excellent match together. So I just love, love, love that, how accurate that was.

Julia Levine:
Me too.

Robbin Kent:
Alright. Good deal. Good deal. Okay. So I know that you and Jeff both enjoy traveling. I'm not sure if the audience knows this, but I had a question in my head. Because as an introvert, you being now that we know Jeff is an introvert as well, but y'all both love to travel, and you also go to podcast conferences and you go to these different things, like how do you manage people link as an introvert? I just have to ask.

Julia Levine:
Yeah. So there's two different kind of layers to my aversion to people link. And so two different ways that I kind of cope and get through it when I do have to be around people because of traveling or because I wanna enhance my knowledge at a conference, something like that. So there's the introvert piece, which is really energy related. And just that I get drained really easily. I get tired. That wears me out. And then there is the, the other piece, which is really social anxiety, general, really general anxiety about just being in new situations, being around people.

Julia Levine:
And so to be perfectly honest and vulnerable, I do take medication to help me deal with that aspect of it, which helps tremendously. And then in terms of the energy drain, I just make it a priority to sleep and have downtime. So I usually try and have a lunch break or something in the middle of the day at a conference. Or we take a midday nap on a cruise where just kind of retreat back into the hotel room bubble and just kind of have a little quiet time, maybe catch a twenty minute catnap type of thing. And then prioritizing sleep at night. I do tend to be a bit of a night owl in my non traveling times, but when I'm traveling, I'm so exhausted from all of the people ing that it I'm just so drained. And so I, I forfeit going to most nighttime events, and I call it an early night just to make sure I get plenty of sleep so that I am recharged and ready to do it all again the next day.

Robbin Kent:
There you go. Well, that sounds like a perfect plan. I mean, you know, the the cool thing is is that you really know yourself, but then you still have that love of learning and you still enjoy being around people, but you just know your limitations and you know how to manage it. So that's really cool to understand, especially me as an extrovert. It's like I gain my energy from being around people. And so it's just seeing the other side of things and how you manage that, that I really am learning again even more about you. So alright. So speaking of recharging and speaking of taking time to recharge, when work is complete and you need to recharge your mind and body, so you're at home, you're not on vacation, but you're at home, how do you recharge your mind and body? Like, where would we find you recharging and what would you be doing to recharge on a daily or weekly basis at home?

Julia Levine:
Well, I definitely do, value my recharge time. I need a lot of recharge time as an introvert, for sure. And so probably eight, nine months out of the year, you can find me recharging in the pool, which is my absolute favorite place to hang out. I think I've mentioned that a few times on the podcast already that I do some of my best thinking in the pool. I do some of my best just relaxing and chilling out. It is absolutely my favorite place to be whenever the weather cooperates, which living in Florida, thankfully is a good portion of the year. And. Whether or not I'm in the pool.

Julia Levine:
I love to read. So Robin, you know, that my first career was an elementary school library teacher. And so I really grew up with a love of books and reading. And so that's still one of my go to activities for relaxation. And so whether it's in the pool whenever possible or just hanging out on the couch, reading is one of the biggest ways that I kind of unwind and relax.

Robbin Kent:
Yes. Yes. Definitely. The pool I mean, when you message me, I can tell you're in the pool because your thinking is just going and going and all the ideas are coming together. So, man, I'm in Louisiana, so I'm down in the South with you, so I get, you know, the weather has to cooperate, but either way, you have that book with you. Since reading is one of your ways that you love to recharge, I am curious. What would you say is one of your favorite books, and what is your favorite genre of books that you like to read?

Julia Levine:
So I do have a favorite book of all time. It is the winner by David Baldacci and it is a murder mystery, kind of thriller novel, which is my favorite genre. And that particular book I have read more times than I can count because it is just such a, a masterpiece of layers within the mystery. And I won't spoil anything, but there's a lot of twists that you don't typically get in other books of the similar genre. So I read a lot of the mystery thriller, psychological thriller, police procedural, that kind of a book. That's my favorite genre. And I kind of like equally, sometimes I really enjoy when the books are very formulaic and predictable. There's something about just kind of.

Julia Levine:
It's almost like it's a safe space. Like I know I'm not really gonna be surprised. I don't have to be on guard. Like it kind of calms down my nervous system, just kind of knowing what to expect throughout the book. I know some people get really annoyed at books that are formulaic and predictable like that, but especially for me, they have a time and a place when I really enjoy them. Particularly if I'm going through a really stressful period of my life and I don't need any artificial stress from a novel, then I really enjoy just that predictability, that formulaic, knowing what to expect. And then on the other hand, of course, I do love a good twist, a good, you know, something when I don't see it coming. And so really love those types of books as well.

Julia Levine:
Just, different times, different scenarios.

Robbin Kent:
Wow. Okay. I can see that. Like, you the formulate piece of it having a pattern and having, like, seeing what's about to happen, I can see that matching, you know, your personality and just enjoying that. And I like how you described in the sense that it actually relaxes your central nervous system kind of situation because I get that. There are some different things that I'll do that as well, and I'm just like, that's interesting. Like, I don't I haven't heard too many people talk about how that's relaxing, like, that inquisitiveness

Julia Levine:
Mhmm.

Robbin Kent:
I guess you can say of problem solving in that. Okay. So I have two fun questions, super simple, but very curious to know. Okay. Are you ready?

Julia Levine:
I'm ready.

Robbin Kent:
Alright. Question number one. What is your favorite color?

Julia Levine:
My favorite color is teal. It's my all time favorite color. It's part of my branding colors for the business. My house has teal all over it. It's my favorite singular color for sure. But then I absolutely love rainbows. I'm obsessed with rainbows. I think they are just so pretty.

Robbin Kent:
I'm such a color person, and I knew that teal was, like, up there at the top, but I wasn't sure if that was your main go to one. So I had to know. And the interesting thing is is that teal is not in the rainbow. So you really love the rainbow and teal, or is it teal and the rainbow?

Julia Levine:
Well, I mean, I've loved rainbow since I was a little kid. Like I would buy anything and everything rainbow. I'm probably dating myself a little here, but do you remember the Lisa Frank stuff in the nineties? Yes. And it was like all rainbow colors and unicorns and things like that. I was obsessed with Lisa Frank stuff as were most nineties kids. I think most nineties girls, at least. So I've always loved rainbows. And like, even when I would put my markers away as a kid, like I would put them back in the box in rainbow order and I may or may not still do that to this day.

Robbin Kent:
Oh my goodness. I love that. I love that. But I do remember Lisa Frank. So the stickers, the stamps, and, I mean, I'm, like, ten years older than you, but I still remember that. And so that yeah. I bet you had stickers, like, on your notebooks and

Julia Levine:
Oh, yeah.

Robbin Kent:
Pencil box. Especially you being then a school librarian, I guess, did you bring out the rainbow colors and stuff there too?

Julia Levine:
Oh, yeah. Absolutely.

Robbin Kent:
Alright. Last question that I have for you. Super simple. I promise. It is. If I brought you to Starbucks, what would you order?

Julia Levine:
We have been to Starbucks together, so you know the answer to this.

Robbin Kent:
Yes. Yes. And your people have to understand your choices.

Julia Levine:
So my go to Starbucks order is a chai latte with extra chai.

Robbin Kent:
Okay. So and I knew this, but making sure people know chai is not coffee. Right?

Julia Levine:
That is correct. It is a chai tea latte. I do not drink coffee. I'm not a coffee drinker. And my chai tea lattes are are far and few between. They're a special treat, but I do certainly get very excited when it's time to have one.

Robbin Kent:
Yes. Yes. And then what I'm always amazed is that this is your go to and mine, of course, is real coffee, but we are still business besties even though you are not a coffee drinker. I just love that. I love that.

Julia Levine:
I'm glad you accept me even though I'm not a coffee drinker.

Robbin Kent:
Yes. Yes. Absolutely. Well, I am just so glad that I had this opportunity to interview you on your podcast so that others can learn more about you and what I get to see and when I'm visiting with you, when we're talking online, and those things because it was just so much fun. So thank you for allowing me to be here to be with you.

Julia Levine:
Well, thank you Robin so much for being here today. You and I, known each other for several years and we meet pretty much on a weekly basis, to talk about business strategy and just troubleshoot and brainstorm ideas together. And so you definitely know me on a different level than a lot of my other peers or colleagues, and certainly the listener as well. And so thank you for taking the time to put me in the spotlight and ask some questions of me today. I really appreciate you taking the time to do that. And dear listener, I hope that you enjoyed this peek behind the curtain and getting to know me a little bit better in this very special hundredth episode. If you are a new listener, I invite you to check out my previous 99 episodes to learn tangible information about podcasting, to help you on your journey until next time. Happy podcasting.