Interview with Sam Baker – The Shift

Interview with Sam Baker – The Shift

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes 

We caught up with Sam Baker who has just joined Auddy with The Shift podcast, and why she felt that women sharing their experiences of perimenopause and menopause were underrepresented conversations……and that she decided to fix!

What inspired you to start podcasting?

Mainly I had become incensed by the way women vanished after 40ish. I was looking around for older women who could show me the way and I couldn’t find any. I couldn’t believe how few older women’s voices there were out there. (There were a few of course but you could name them on one hand. Fi & Jane and erm…) I had written a book about this experience (called The Shift) and I figured, I couldn’t be the only one feeling like this, so a podcast format felt like the right way to both address the problem and promote the book. I didn’t know how to make a podcast but I did know how to find people to talk to and interview them, after decades in journalism, so I decided to give it a try. A friend recommended yeti blue mics as idiot-proof, so I bought one and taught myself to use it along with GarageBand. Interviewed six women over 40 about what life was like for them. And that was it. I haven’t looked back. Interestingly the podcast took off, the book not so much!

What has been the most rewarding moment in your podcasting journey so far?

Discovering that I wasn’t alone in my desperation to hear the voices of women like me. From the moment episode one launched The Shift has flown – and the guest wasn’t even well known. Just a friend of mine who’s a writer (Tasmania Perry) who I’d asked to do me a favour and record a test episode with me. Now, several times every week I hear from a listener – either a long-time loyal follower or someone who’s just discovered me in a far flung part of the world – saying, “thank goodness I found you. Listening to The Shift has changed my life/made me feel sane/less alone etc etc.” It’s incredibly rewarding.

Also, The Shift’s role in shifting the gears in the menopause conversation globally. Back when I wrote the book and started the podcast, hardly anyone was talking about menopause. Now it’s part of the discourse.

I also love that I can talk to someone who’s 41 and someone who’s 103 and the episodes are equally popular.

What has been the game-changer moment for you?

The game-changing episode was my interview with then-Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, about eighteen months in. For the first time ever she spoke about perimenopause, HRT, her fear of having a massive hot flush in parliament and also her fear of talking about it and being belittled for it. It got picked up by all the national press and mentioned on daytime TV. It’s still my biggest first-week episode. My goal was always to get high profile women in all walks of life to talk about it, so it felt like a massive step change – for the podcast and also for the menopause conversation.

What episodes should we watch out for in the new series?

I have a very exciting launch episode for the new series. Back when I started the podcast I made a Wishlist on my phone – crazy fantasy people, you know, Hilary Clinton, Judi Dench, Michelle Obama. One of those people was legendary fashion designer Zandra Rhodes and – guess what? She’s the first guest of the new season. She’s absolutely fascinating. It was a real privilege to talk to her. She’s 83 now and it was a joy to look back over her astonishing life and career with her.

How would you describe your show in 5 words?

Eavesdropping on a friends’ chat.

Or

Warm, candid, funny, furious, illuminating

I want listeners to go away feeling seen. And I’m pretty sure they do.

What has been the biggest challenge in your podcasting journey?

If I can only have one then it has to be Money! I funded The Shift myself from the start. It made money from advertising from day one, but let’s be honest, it was peanuts. It was a year before it started to wash its own face (and that’s not in anyway covering my time, just costs.) And probably three before it turned a healthy profit.

If I can have two, then the second one has to be persuading women who have spent their lives being told to fear ageing and to keep their age to themselves to sit down and talk about ageing. I had one person (who’s known to be a ground-breaker), come on the podcast and then say they couldn’t say how old they were or their agent would go mad. Actually, more than one person! That hasn’t happened for a long time now. I don’t have trouble getting guests any more. If anything I’m beating them away with a stick.

How do you promote your podcast? 

I use all the obvious socials, although increasingly instagram is the most effective @theothersambaker. Occasionally LinkedIn, if it’s a work or money or self-actualisation conversation. (X/twitter is pointless now.)

A year ago I launched a substack newsletter (https://theshiftwithsambaker.substack.com/) which now has 12000 subscribers and is growing fast. I love this and it feels like the perfect compliment with the podcast as it allows me to take a theme raised by a guest and develop it into a wider conversation. Also both platforms are incredibly intimate.

Of these, what has been the most effective?

The most effective I’ve found though (outside of being featured on apple’s home page, which hasn’t happened since the first year sadly!) is host read swaps. I’ve done that a couple of time with Annie Macmanus for her Changes podcast and it was very effective for both of us.

If you could interview anyone in the world who would it be?

This week, Kamala Harris. No question. I think that’s self explanatory.

But beyond that, can you imagine? Simone de Beauvoir springs to mind, Indira Gandhi, Margaret Thatcher (can’t imagine her admitting to having menopause!), Bette Davis… I could go on and on

What show would you love to be a guest on?

How To Fail with Elizabeth Day

What are your favourite podcasts to listen to?

I listen to all sorts:

• I’m a true crime junkie (like most people Serial was my gateway drug).
• I love Jon Jonson.
• Witch was fascinating
• I love Wiser Than Me (although have to admit to feeling a bit pissed off that it was my idea I just don’t have Hollywood mates!)
• Comfort Eating with Grace Dent always delivers emotion and entertainment

Why did you move to Auddy?

Because I wanted a partner who really understood and valued the power of a loyal engaged audience, to be part of a team that respects and values my audience as much as I do.

Hosting your podcast with Auddy couldn’t be simpler, we are here for creators with free podcast hosting and personal expert monetisation strategies and direct connections to advertising marketplaces.