All I know

Good morning, everyone! First, I want to thank my very supportive parents, the fine folks at Public, and the former headmaster of my high school who said I would never make it as a journalist for helping me achieve this:

Pretty surreal that this is my life. In the absence of regularly scheduled Thinking Is Cool episodes, I’ve taken quite a lot of time this week to reflect on the roller coaster I’ve been on lately. Just a few years ago, I was crying because I got a B- on my media law final. Just a few months ago, Josh and I were coming up with the earliest idea for Thinking Is Cool. Just a few days ago, I was not on a billboard.

TW: I’m about to sound like a One Tree Hill character. Life comes at you fast—taking the time to step back and admire how far you’ve come (even if you’ve still got a ways to go) makes your victories, big and small, all the sweeter.

In that spirit, this in-between-seasons email is going to be about reflections: what I’ve learned, what I’ve loved, and what I’d do differently after my first season of my first independent show. I shared a quick list in my last email, but thoughtful reflection is worthy of more than just a bulleted list—here’s an expansion on some of my biggest learnings from Season 1. Let’s do it to it.

Prepare to be wrong.

The episodes I was most psyched about? They did alright. The episodes I was terrified no one would listen to? They set and broke listening records constantly from launch to the very last episode. You can do as much research as you want, but the only real, reliable tool for understanding your audience is the audience itself. Listen, learn, and leave your expectations at the door.

Fake it ’til you make it.

Not to get all “manifest the life you’ve always dreamed of” on you, but manifest the life you’ve always dreamed of. Sometimes, the first step to taking a first step is imagining the possibilities (and never just what could go wrong—what could go right, too). You attract the energy you put forth into the world—do you want to attract doubt?

I’m incredibly prone to imposter syndrome, and it’s an unattractive habit I’m eager to kick. So when this show started, I began every morning by telling myself the following: You are smart. You are capable. You can do anything. You are deserving of mutual love and respect.

At first, I was worried that the crystal girls on TikTok had finally broken me past the point of rationality. But then, guess what? It worked. I began to feel more confident in my abilities to work independently, to lead a growing company, to navigate an uncertain future with precision and grace.

If you don’t trust me, trust Rihanna.

Ask for help.

Historically speaking, most people are really bad at this. And it’s not entirely our fault—we’ve been taught since, like, the 1st grade that smart people can do it on their own.

They absolutely cannot. No one can. I’m an “independent” creator, and that self-imposed label led me to believe that I had to get everything done on my own in the early days of Thinking Is Cool. I had to be every part of this business, at least in my mind—sales, ops, editorial, etc.

When you try to do everything, nothing gets done at 100%. We can’t have it all, but that’s okay. Recognizing that there are things you’re not great at (for me, writing ad copy) and asking for help is not only human, it’s smart.

I’m independent, yes, but my independence is buttressed by two whip-smart colleagues, Josh and Ali. As my indispensable operating partners, they do the things I’m not good at so I can focus on what I am good at, like typing these silly little emails and pestering Mark Cuban to agree to an interview.

So ask for help. If someone thinks less of you for doing it, then they suck and their opinion doesn’t matter.

Stop procrastinating.

This one speaks for itself. You will always need more time than you think. Schedule accordingly.

Express your gratitude.

A lot of us are extremely online (whether by choice or not). The internet’s whacky prevailing knowledge suggests that the only time to express opinions is when they’re dissenting. We’re quick with the “well, actually…” Twitter fingers and far less eager to say “holy sh*t that was so good.”

Being independent has opened me up to a lot more feedback from my audience—gone is the veneer of a buzzy startup. It’s really just us. I’ve come to appreciate the kind, supportive, encouraging messages and DMs so much more than ever before.

If it feels good to me, it feels good to other creators, too. Go tell someone (anyone, doesn’t have to be a podcaster) you appreciate their work—I promise it’ll make their day.

Stop trying to control everything.

There are circumstances outside of your control. There are things that go wrong despite your best effort. There are emergency tasks that were never on your radar. There are bad days that just seem to get worse. Recognize them, but more importantly recognize that you can’t always stop them.

Take things in stride as best you can. And when you can’t, call your best friend and go get ice cream.

So that’s what I’ve learned this season. Or at least some of it—this has been, hands down, the most transformative three months of my life. I know that I still have a lot to learn…I’m 26. So yes, I’m painfully aware of how few of life’s lessons I’ve gotten to. But it means the world to me that you keep opening these emails and learning with me.

I tend to remember only useless things (the planets of our solar system in order, taxonomic ranking, the First Amendment verbatim) so please hold me to these lessons as we head into Season 2 of Thinking Is Cool.

Which, by the way, will hit soundwaves in late August (a Virgo?? I know). In the meantime, be on the lookout for a fun kinda-episode next week (probably).

One last thing: I mentioned at the top that the only real, reliable tool for understanding your audience is the audience itself. With that, I’d really appreciate it if you filled out this audience survey.

It’s not weird or Facebooky or anything—I just want your feedback on Season 1 so I can ensure Season 2 meets and exceeds your every expectation. If you fill out the survey, you’ll be in the running to win some Thinking Is Cool swag.

Thank you so much for reading. I’ll be popping in here and there with updates before Season 2 launches, but for now...go enjoy your summer Friday.

Warmest, kindest, best regards,

Kinsey