What happens when your podcast topic gets super specific? The temptation to broaden your podcast subject matter, to capture a wide range of both guests and listeners, is understandable. But often, something magical happens when you narrow down your focus to the super-specific sub-sub-topic you're most passionate about: your fellow mega nerds find you and become your most loyal following.

Susan Thompson proves this point perfectly. For the last several years, she and her cohost, Holly, have produced "The Voices of the Ancestors", a podcast dedicated to an extremely niche topic: polyphonic folk songs of Georgia (the country, not the state) and the women who sing them. Susan went from not even knowing what a podcast was to speaking with conviction on microphone preferences and the rise of video in the industry. Her show has connected her with a global community of fellow devotees, uncovered numerous opportunities to speak at events all around the world, and elevated underacknowledged voices—precisely because she chose to project her niche passion full-throated across the airwaves.

Get inspired to double down on your specialized expertise in your podcast:

• What's possible when you accept that "every day is a learning day";
• Navigating the technological trials of recording;
• Sharing the workload as a two-person podcasting team;
• The reality and considerations of continuing a podcast amidst life's busyness.

Links worth mentioning from the episode:

• Voices of the Ancestors, "Nino Kalandadze Makharadze Remembered": https://voicesoftheancestors.co.uk/voices-of-the-ancestors-all-episodes#NinoKalandadze
• Voices of the Ancestors, "Blessing the Village: Alive Easter with Amer-Imeri: https://soundcloud.com/voicesoftheancestors/blessing-the-village-alive

Engage with Susan Thompson:

• Connect with Susan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanthompsonuk/
• Listen to Voices of the Ancestors: https://voicesoftheancestors.co.uk/
• Follow the podcast on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/voicesoftheancestors
• Follow the podcast on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/georgianpolyphony
• Buy Susan and Holly a coffee (or a mint tea): https://ko-fi.com/voicesoftheancestors

Connect with Mary!

• Leave a voice note with your feedback at https://www.speakpipe.com/VisibleVoice or email visiblevoicepodcast@gmail.com
• Get the full transcript of the episode at http://www.visiblevoicepodcast.com
• Read up on more secrets with the Visible Voice Insights Newsletter https://www.organizedsound.ca/newsletter
• To learn more or work with Mary, check out https://www.organizedsound.ca
• Link up on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/marychan-organizedsound/
• Engage on Instagram @OrganizedSoundProductions https://www.instagram.com/organizedsoundproductions

Show Credits:

• Podcast audio design, engineering, and editing by Mary Chan of Organized Sound Productions
• Show notes written by Shannon Kirk of Right Words Studio
• Post-production support by Kristalee Forre of Forre You VA
• Podcast cover art by Emily Johnston of Artio Design Co.