Backstory

Creating a podcast is never something I imagined myself doing until the beginning of my senior year of college and I think part of my motivation came from the COVID-19 pandemic because there were so many others who had the same idea. That combined with my constant urge to put more positivity and kindness into this world, I had this thought one night when I couldn't fall asleep.

I love my friends, not just because they are always supporting and appreciating me, but because they make me into who I am. Without their consistent care and love, I wouldn't have the push to do something as big as this. I always had the interest to be a Youtuber or talk-show host or something that allowed me to engage with an audience and project uplifting thoughts and messages around the globe, but it wasn't until recently that I found a speck of confidence to actually do it.

My first step was creating a name along with what it would actually involve within each episode. For the last couple of years, I have been subscribed to quite a few Youtube channels and watched various talk shows and I am not ashamed to admit that I wanted to be the one playing the games, answering the questions, and just be given a chance to share what makes me unique. So when I had this new sense of freedom and potential to create a podcast with what I wanted to include, my brain launched into a million ideas. 

The games and questions you see now went through many drafts and alterations, but I am so happy with each of them and best of all, there will always be new ones. I love being inspired by anything around me and imagining a game around it. I announce in my first episode that these games aren't always the most original and may or may not be branched off from more well-known people/companies, but I always strive to put my own, personal spin on it... or at least give it a new name!

Creating game titles isn't as difficult as I thought because I take my love of alliteration and rhyming and just run through the unlimited possibilities. What was difficult, however, was creating a name for the podcast itself. I started by writing words that I wanted people to associate with either myself or the show and that's when I stumbled upon validating. 

This word can be defined in different ways depending on who you talk to and I think that's why it's so fascinating to me. The simplest synonym I can think of is encouraging and for me, encouragement is everything. I don't take compliments well, but if you claim I am encouraging, I will be so happy because it's one of those qualities that I strive for in all aspects of the word. Being positive and optimistic has always come to me sort of naturally, but I know that not everyone can relate to that. 

If I ever see someone upset, I think of it as a responsibility to cheer them up in any way I can because I really do become the happiest by making those around me happy. And don't get me wrong, I tend to get overwhelmed or stressed in certain situations so I know not every circumstance can be solved with a joke or uplifting speech. I am aware that I can only do my best and if that encourages anyone to smile, then it makes me want to smile. 

So, that all being said, the backstory behind this podcast is truly just to make a positive impact on the world around me, even if it's the smallest mark that cannot even be seen unless you use a microscope. I wanted to create an opportunity for myself to connect with some friends and combine both of our quirks to produce an interesting conversation to then share with whoever would like to watch!

Thank you for reading this somewhat long history of this show and I hope you receive as much joy watching The Validating Podcast as I get by creating it!