From Real Estate to Podcasting: Redefining the Motherhood Journey with Joanne Bolt

Welcome back to another episode of Redefining Motherhood! Today on the show I have Joanne Bolt, the CEO and Founder of PodcastHer and Host of The B-Word Podcast. Joanne is a former consultant and real estate agent who is now on a mission to empower women. As a wife, mom, and business owner, she has reinvented herself throughout different seasons of motherhood. We discuss the challenges Joanne faced balancing her real estate career with young children, and the tension it caused with her traveling spouse. However, they worked through it with compromise. I was fascinated to learn how she pivoted into podcasting during the pandemic, despite never listening to one herself!

From Real Estate to Podcasting

Joanne Bolt’s transition from real estate to podcasting was a bold move. She found that podcasting allowed her to merge her passion for teaching with a platform that could reach a wide audience. Joanne emphasized that podcasting is not just about sharing information, but about building community. This sense of connection is what drove her to start her own podcast.

The transition wasn’t without its challenges. Joanne had to navigate the technical aspects of podcasting while also finding her unique voice. She shared how embracing her southern accent and personal experiences helped her connect with her audience on a deeper level. This authenticity has been a key factor in her success.

Joanne’s journey highlights the potential of podcasting as a career pivot. By leveraging her skills and experiences in real estate, she was able to create a coaching program through her podcast. This innovative approach allowed her to scale her business and reach a broader audience, proving that with passion and dedication, new opportunities can arise from unexpected places.

Balancing Career and Motherhood

One of the most relatable aspects of Joanne’s story is her struggle to balance career and motherhood. With children aged 14 and 16, Joanne began podcasting three years ago when they were entering their teenage years. This timing presented unique challenges as she tried to juggle her growing family’s needs with her new career venture.

Joanne also spoke candidly about the difficulties of managing clients' schedules while working in real estate and caring for her children who were young at the time. The demands of her job often clashed with her responsibilities at home, leading to stress and frustration. However, she found ways to cope, including enlisting the support of her spouse and hiring help to manage her workload.

Our discussion underscored the importance of a strong support system. Joanne’s husband played a crucial role in helping her balance her career and family life. Their teamwork allowed her to focus on her podcast and coaching business without neglecting her family’s needs. This collaborative approach is something I believe many working mothers can relate to and learn from.

Taking Risks and Pursuing Passions

Joanne's switch from real estate to podcasting is a bold example of taking risks and following passions. Despite never having listened to a podcast before, she launched "The B-Word Podcast" during the pandemic to grow her coaching business. Her authenticity and dedication to teaching through her podcast helped her build a successful community and coaching program around it.

The Importance of Engagement

In our conversation, we also talked about the importance of engagement in podcasting. Joanne emphasized that download numbers don't always reflect engagement, and it's the consistency and value of the content that truly connect with the audience. She's now in what she calls a "butterfly season," where financial stability allows her to do in-person interviews and video recordings, adding a new dimension to her podcast. A lesson I learned here was to not focus on the downloads as much, which many new podcasters do.

Motherhood, Self-Care, and Support Networks

Motherhood, self-care, and support networks were also key themes in our discussion. Joanne and I both believe in the power of surrounding ourselves with other moms in similar life stages. These connections provide invaluable support and guidance as we navigate the challenges of parenting and personal reinvention.

As we wrapped up, Joanne encouraged listeners to follow her on Instagram @itsjoannebolt and subscribe to her podcast, "The B-Word". Her story is a powerful reminder that it's never too late to reinvent yourself and that our unique experiences and voices are what make us truly impactful.

Thank you for joining me on this journey of empowerment and inspiration. I hope Joanne's story resonates with you and encourages you to take bold steps toward your passions. Until next time, keep showing up with purpose and passion and let's Redefine Motherhood together!