GRIEF AND LIGHT

Women Who Podcast: Kathy Barron on Grief, Creativity, and Building Community

• Nina Rodriguez • Season 4 • Episode 99

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An honest exploration of grief, creativity, and community with the visionary behind Women Who Podcast magazine—covering storytelling, anticipatory grief, and the movement to amplify women’s voices in podcasting.

In this conversation, Nina Rodriguez sits down with Kathy Barron, founder and Editor-in-Chief of Women Who Podcast Magazine, to explore the power of women’s voices, the complexity of grief, and the courage it takes to tell honest stories.

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Video available here

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Kathy shares the origin story behind the magazine: a space born from her desire to see women not just represented in podcasting, but truly celebrated. As the conversation unfolds, Kathy opens up about her own relationship to loss, including the quiet, complicated ache of anticipatory grief as she navigates her mother’s aging, as well as moments of soul-level connection she feels with farming communities and Mexican culture.

Nina and Kathy explore how grief shapes identity, creativity, and the way we move through the world. They talk about the tension between what we hold privately and what we offer publicly, the healing potential of artistic expression, and the moments of clarity that come from living inside “the dash”—the space between birth and death.

Kathy also reflects on the evolving landscape of podcasting, from the pressures of imposter syndrome to the new possibilities—and challenges—posed by AI. She offers grounded, generous advice for aspiring women podcasters seeking connection, mentorship, and confidence in a space that hasn’t always made room for them.

This episode is a reminder that storytelling is community-building, grief is deeply personal but never solitary, and women’s voices deserve to take up space—loudly, boldly, and without apology.

Key Takeaways

  • Women Who Podcast magazine amplifies and uplifts women’s voices across the industry.
  • Community is essential for creative collaboration, support, and sustainability.
  • Grief manifests differently for everyone, shaped by personal and generational experiences.
  • Artistic expression—writing, podcasting, humor—can deepen connection and understanding.
  • Anticipatory grief involves mourning who someone once was while caring for who they are now.
  • Hard conversations about mortality, aging, and loss are uncomfortable—but necessary.
  • Sarcasm can be a tool for truth-telling and authenticity in storytelling.
  • Aspiring podcasters benefit from mentorship, collaboration, and supportive networks.
  • Critical thinking is more important than ever in a rapidly shifting tech landscape.
  • Reclaiming creativity in the age of AI matters for podcasters, writers, and artists alike.

Guest: Kathy Barron

Hosted by: Nina Rodriguez

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I've been grieving my mom because, you know, I have this image of my mom who is very active, very giving. But to see her slowly decline, you know, cognitively a little bit, physically definitely, she's not the person that I remember. So I mourn the person that she was. Because it's hard to see your parent age. You just lost your loved one. Now what?

Welcome to the Grief in Life podcast where we explore this new reality through grief-colored lenses. Openly, authentically, I'm your host, Nina Rodriguez. Let's get started. Today I'm joined by someone who has made it her mission to amplify women's voices in podcasting. Kathy Barron is the founder and editor-in-chief of Women Who Podcast magazine, a storyteller, author, and host of Women Who Sarcast podcast.

and a multi-hyphenate creative who has built a global platform where women's stories are not just heard, but honored. Her magazine has become a home for celebration, collaboration, and real connection in a space that has often overlooked women's contributions. Kathy, welcome to the Grief in Life podcast. It's great to be here, Nina. Thanks for the honor to be on your show. It's my honor. Kathy is one of the people that has become a wonderful connection.

and also Kindred Spirit in the, well, sort of grief space, but really in the podcasting space. And I'm so grateful that we got to connect this year. And for the listeners who don't know about Women Who Podcast magazine, let's give them a little bit of a background. Where did the spark come from to create Women Who Podcast magazine? Well, Women Who Podcast magazine is a quarterly digital magazine. It's pretty much worldwide. Anyone in the world basically can get it.

And it's to feature women podcasters. It's to give them the accolades that they deserve that haven't really been part of the podcast community. And it started in April, 2021. So April, 2026 will be our fifth year anniversary, which I'm excited about. It's hard to believe that it's already been five years, but it started because there really wasn't anything out there. I don't know that there's even

a podcast magazine. There was in 2020, because when I went to a conference in 2020, right before everything shut down, there was a guy handing out a podcast magazine. And I was like, oh, well, this is interesting. And he had just started it. And I was like, all right, well, I'll give him till October to kind of see where this goes. Because, you know, I just felt like I really wanted women, independent women podcasters to be represented.

And I just had hope that we would be. And unfortunately, everybody on the cover was like a celebrity like Katie Couric and all these celeb podcasters. And it was just like, all right, that's not going to work. So of course, around October of that year, that little muse that I'm sure you're aware of speaks up and says, well, you'll just need to create a magazine. And I was like, okay, great.

Never done that, never published. I've written a couple of books and I went to art school and had some A-class in design, which is the software used for publishing. So I wasn't like totally in the dark, but I was just like, okay, well, what does this even look like? So I talked to my friend Sandy, who's a podcaster as well, of the Good Girl. Confessional, she created Women Beyond 40. And she had her own magazine and

basically is creating this empire. And so, and she's in Australia. And so I zoomed with her about the idea and she's like, yeah, you definitely need to do this because there's nothing out there. So she was on the cover of our first issue because she basically was, you know, she pushed me over the edge to start it. And that's pretty much how it got started. And it was, I, I...

You know, first episode of our podcast when we first start, it's very rough. So the first issue is rough, but it evolved, has evolved over the last four years. And it's been great because the women podcasters that I've met, like yourself, have been amazing, inspirational. They all have a story. I mean, it's just amazing, the talent and passion that the women have.

Well, we are grateful for the muse and the push from your friend and everything you have created the first version and all the iterations that have come since. And I have had the absolute honor of being in the, I think it was the July issue this year. So thank you for the wonderful space you've created. I've connected with incredible women podcasters in completely different topics that they cover conversations that aren't related to grief.

And yet we've found spaces to collaborate and one thing that you created has had other ripple effects in our lives. So we're very grateful for that. Thank you. Well, it's definitely about a community. It's more than a magazine. It's a community. And I think that's important. The most important part of all of this is building community, being able to collaborate and help and network with each other. Absolutely. And that you have built.

And I saw this meme the other day on social media that said, grieve the, and it was different things, right? So I grieve the fill in the blank. And one of the things was something akin to like the art that hasn't been produced because there's no room for XYZ type of people at the table, right? And that reminds me of this conversation in the sense that you saw this lack of space, you gave them grace, you said, well, maybe they'll cover it later. We're still waiting for it. So you decided to just pull up your own chair, if you will.

and create that space. I mean, you mentioned your friend being that push, but you also mentioned that the idea came in the form of a magazine. Why a magazine? Why not some other medium? Because I know that you have, you know, experience with other types of media, like video or publishing. Why a magazine? You know, it just happened to be that way. I think it was because there was a magazine out already and that just made sense to do a magazine. But I also feel like

being able to see, because in the magazine we have pictures of the podcaster. We actually interview them and then write an article about them. And so I think, yeah, it would be great to do a podcast for each featured podcaster. But, you know, when we feature 15 people, you know, that's a lot of work to put behind 15 episodes for each issue. So, you know, and I think magazines

are still out there. I mean, as far as media, not necessarily print. But I just felt that it was important. And we also have like resource articles, know, topic articles in the magazine as well for people who are podcasting or interested in podcasting. You know, there's definitely a lot of information in there as well as the featured podcasters. what do you look for? To be for somebody who wants to be featured?

How do you vet who gets featured or the awards? I know you have a team of people, but is there a certain criteria? I'm usually the one that vets people. They fill out the Get Featured form from the website. And I think for me, I want to be inspired. I want the podcaster to have a reason why they started a podcast. And it's also one of the questions on the Get Featured form is why do you want to be featured in the magazine?

And for me, that answer has to be heartfelt and not just because they want to get more exposure. Yes, that's great. But I think there's more to it than just getting the exposure. It's like, do you inspire? Do you share stories from others? Do you share your own stories? Are you making a difference with your podcast? To me, that's important.

I love that. And I know that you're very involved in the process and you yourself take a lot of your own time to go through these submissions and really like dig for the story and dig for that authenticity. So that definitely comes through. Thank you for that as well. And this is a grief podcast. So, my God, okay, this is the hard part. Let's get in our feelings. As far as much or as little as you want to, you know, share, obviously, but what I'll start easy here. What

What was your relationship with grief at any point in your life? When did you get to know grief?

That's good question. I would want to say when I was in middle school, one of our classmates and his dad was in a, it was winter time and they were in a car accident and Jimmy died. He was I think seventh grade, seventh or eighth grade. So he was pretty young and I lived in a small town. So he was loved by, you know, everybody. So I think that was probably the first time like in our, our high school yearbook, we

dedicated it to him. So even after all those years, we still held a place in our hearts for him. So that was probably the first time I went to his wake. And that was really difficult to do. Yeah, I could imagine that. And did you know it was grief at that time or it was just a shocking experience? Because that's pretty young age to be.

processing those types of emotions and did that shape your adulthood in any way or your relationship with grief sins?

I mean, I'm the youngest of six kids from a Catholic family, and we didn't really show our emotions. Like, we weren't really taught to show emotions. And, you know, as far as the word grief, I don't know that that was really tossed around then, because this was probably...

late 70s. So I knew I was sad. You I know that people are sad when people died. So, you know, that's how I felt. So I was sad at the wake and I was sad that he died. I don't know if anybody really talked to me about it. I don't remember that.

But as far as grief as an adult, my dad died in 2005. So as far as like someone that I knew that was family or really close, that was probably the first time that I experienced grief of that nature. And then two years later, my sister died unexpectedly. So...

And in each situation, the grief was different because my dad had lung cancer and he was in the hospital for a week. And then, you know, my sister died unexpectedly. So grief is different and you grieve differently with each situation. Well, thank you for your openness about that and sorry, obviously, for the loss of your father and your sister.

can imagine how, I'm assuming here with cancer, you have a little bit of time to say goodbye, if you will, or just have that understanding that things are going to go one way versus the sudden loss and how both of those relationships can unearth different things within. you said you didn't talk about grief, which is very common for certain religious backgrounds, certain...

family belief systems and all the things. Did that manifest in a way after losing your dad and your sister? Is that something that carried on afterwards where you kind of kept it bottled in or kept it to yourself? Or did you have the understanding that there needs to be some kind of outlet or expression of it?

Um, I didn't consciously process. Like I didn't consciously say, okay, I'm grieving and this is what I'm going to do to grieve. It wasn't like that at all. I think when we talked in that IG live, I had mentioned that I was working at Trader Joe's in Seattle at the time my dad died, stocking in bags of potatoes in the morning before we opened. Just overwhelming. I just broke down. And so.

Those were just the moments. Yes, I was sad that my dad died, but I think consciously grieving wasn't really happening. And I feel like that's also, in all fairness, relatively new. There's a lot of this public discourse that has been happening from my perspective since the pandemic, which kind of cracked a lot of these conversations open because so many people were grieving not just the loss of a person, but their loss of freedom.

careers, stability, the understanding of a perceived future. I think a lot of people are grieving that. I know I am, you know, with everything that's happening in an ever-changing world. It feels like a lot of shifts are happening, sometimes a little too fast and too disorienting. And you mentioned Seattle. I did hear in one of your other podcast conversations.

that you also lived in Oregon. I don't know if we had talked about this, but I used to live in Oregon. I lived there for 11 years. So, yeah. So let's take it back a little bit. You seem to have like this artistic side or like media lens through which you view life. So maybe touch on your background with photography, videography, and these projects that were and maybe continue to be near and dear to your heart and how they relate to the Pacific Northwest, if you will.

I'm originally from New York State and I moved to California in 87. So in the Bay Area, there's a lot of farm workers. In 88, my parents moved out to Santa Maria, which is south near San Luis Obispo. And so when I would go down to visit them on 101, I would drive down and there's all these agricultural fields and there were all these people in the fields, but I could never see their faces because they're so covered because of the sun and the weather.

And it was just very intriguing to me. you know, I learned more about them. And so I kind of wanted to do, at the time I was doing photography, black and white, and I wanted to do some kind of photo essay on the migrant farm workers. And so I was going to call it Faces in the Fields because it's, it was hard to see, you couldn't see their face. You couldn't see who they were. You just saw them in the fields.

And so nearby Half Moon Bay has a community of migrant farm workers. I got into that little community and I took some photographs. And there was this one little boy that was just so cute and just wanted his picture taken with everything. And so he was my little model for that photo essay. And then I moved to Portland just because I needed to get out of the Bay Area.

and decided to work with the migrant community. So in Hillsborough, there's a Western Farm Workers Association, which is a nonprofit. They don't get any federal funding. And they go actually go out to the camps where people live and pick blueberries. Blueberries is a huge thing in Hillsborough. And so I volunteered with them for a little bit and I would go out with them.

just to let people know that we were there for them. And it was very difficult for people to come out of their living quarters because they don't know who we are. They didn't trust us. They thought maybe we were cops or the government. But we wanted to make sure that they had food, that they had clothing. There were a couple of guys that had just walked from El Salvador that all they had was the clothes on their back.

So those moments were very humbling for me to see how hardworking these people were and that they would give you the shirt off their back if you needed it. There's a certain level of humility, perhaps unexpected to some. The assumption is, you don't have as many resources as others, so why would you give what you have away? And yet...

A lot of people tend to be so generous because there's an understanding of the need to help each other out and the sense of community and the sense of like that collective support. Yeah. It sounds like. Well, we went to another camp that was, I mean, these living quarters are very dismal. They're not great. And there are these two little girls playing in the water faucet.

And they were just laughing really hard and just having a great time. And they're just like, they're clueless. Like they don't know that they have very little. You know what I mean? It's like they were just happy with what they had. So, you I learned a lot from that experience and to see the two little girls playing in the water and just laughing.

And that community of migrants, they're very hardworking. And it just kind of made me realize that these people need a voice. Like the photos are not doing them justice.

So that's when I decided to go to art school in Seattle to get a degree in video production so that I could do a documentary on the migrant farm workers. That has yet to happen because going through school and then everything happening with the family and then after my sister died, I decided to move back to California to be closer to my mom. But that experience will always be part of who I am.

And I mean, even today, there's still agricultural fields driving down south and seeing the workers and everything. So, you know, I've always made it a point to notice the things that most people don't. That's just something that's been innate in who I am as a person. And when you're talking about how you notice these people who you couldn't see their faces and you became curious about why and what their story is and where they come from and their hardships.

et cetera, et cetera, to the point that it informed even a life path and a decision. That's something I definitely admire and can resonate with and I appreciate. a human being, know, like just that heart-centered curiosity is something that I value quite a bit. So I love that you saw that. Was there something that resonated within you in them as like, I believe people are sometimes mirrors of something within us?

Was there something that resonated there and seeing maybe their life, their struggle or their joy, whatever it was? I honestly think that in a previous life or something, I was Hispanic or Latino or Aztec or some sort of Mexico. I really firmly believe that because I really, it was more of a, it was a soul connection more than

empathy or sympathy, was deeper than what was happening. Can you say more about that? my gosh. How did you know that? I don't know. It's just a feeling that I get. It's like whenever, it's like I was never scared going into these encampments. I was never.

afraid, it's like looking into their eyes, it's, you know, there's that soul connection. I understand that feeling. There's some connections. You can't put your finger on it. You can't explain, but there's a feeling of home in that reflection back. That sounds like that's something that resonated with you. That's beautiful. And so unfortunately, the video portion of it, the documentary, if you will, portion of it didn't quite happen, but you continue to share people's stories.

through different media. What happened next? How did your path evolve after Seattle? So I moved back to California and then was there for like a year. And then I moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico. That's the idea that came about for my first book, which was Token of Choice. And it has to do with spirit guides. And I wanted it to be a web series, but to collaborate with other

people in the film industry, it's difficult to do that. So that's how it ended up as being a book. But I did more video stuff in Santa Fe. I did some music videos. You know, when I lived in Seattle, I worked for a small independent production house. So I did, you know, I would do some documentaries. Like there was a woman who wanted a memorial for a funeral and she's the one that first introduced me to the dash.

The poem, The Dash? Yes, I love that poem. It's so And she had the video, so she wanted that as part of her little memorial. So that to me was the projects that I loved because it was so personable. And the other stuff that that production house was doing was like training videos and ads, and that just wasn't my thing. But we did do a documentary on the Pike Place Market.

So Santa Fe was cool. I was there for four years and you know, they call New Mexico the land of entrapment. It's actually the land of enchantment, but people that live there call it the land of entrapment. there's this like- didn't know how, do you know why they call it that? Well, I think because people that go there never leave. and there was like this myth that if you didn't leave within four years of moving there, you were never going to leave.

So I was like, hell no, that is not happening to me. And I left like the four year anniversary of me moving there. Yeah. And so you were like, no, I'm not staying there. And for listeners, the dash is a poem and it's quite long, so I'm not going to read it. But in essence, or if you care to share the part that makes I mean, it's basically, you know, on your tombstone, you have the year that you're born with the dash and then the year that you're

you die or the date. And the dash is when you lived, how you lived. And so instead of focusing on the birth and the death dates, focus on the dash and actually live your life and how you lived your life. Thank you for sharing that. Life is the dash part. It really hit home. When my brother passed because of the way in which he passed, it's a type of stigmatized loss. And unfortunately, you're met with comments of people wanting to

judge an entire lifetime based on its endpoint. So when I heard that poem, it really resonated because you are not your endpoint. You are the dash. It's everything that happened in between. And so I thought that was a very powerful poem. So thank you for bringing that up. brought good memories of that. Yeah, it's true. And I don't think many of us really notice that unless it's brought up. Yeah, definitely. So you said, four years, I'm out.

I'm not going to be entrapped in the enchantment or whatever next iteration. And then I moved back to California and that was in 2012. And the other reason why I moved out of New Mexico is because my dog died that year in July. And that hit me harder than the two of my family members dying. So yeah, I think for me, being able to move around like that was really great. It was a great life experience, the people that I met.

in each location. know, Santa Fe is, was great. I met some great people there, had some good experiences. The food's amazing there. But I think each of those places were temporary. Like I knew going there that they would be temporary. Thank you for naming that pet loss grief is so real. I hear that often. And some people say I grieve my pet dog or cat or whatever pet.

was in their life more. And it reinforces that there really is no hierarchy of grief. It's just who we were in relation to this person, pet situation, or life experience, and to what degree that impacts our lives. So thank you for naming that. And is California home now? For now, yeah. My mom, she just turned 92. That's when I learned in the last year or so about anticipatory grief.

The terms and language never stop as far as grief goes. There's always something to learn about it. Anticipating her dying, because she's 92, learning to, you know, being the president with her. She lives pretty close to me. I go visit her twice a week. We play cards and room a cube and, you know, she's still pretty sharp. So, you know, just trying to be present and spend time with her as much as I can.

Definitely, there's a gazillion types of grief and that's something most people learn when you're in it because it's like, what is this thing I'm feeling? And then the more information you find, it's like literally a list of like 40 different types of grief that I've found. Anticipatory is a big one. Some people comment that because the person is essentially dying of old age or got to live quote unquote a full life, whatever that means.

there should be like less grief and that's oftentimes not the case or that is not necessarily the case. So what I'm curious is coming up for you in the anticipatory grief. Like what is it that you're grieving besides just losing her physically or you know eventually? I think I've been grieving my mom probably since she was in her 70s because you know I have this image

of my mom who was very active, very giving. She volunteered and was helping other, I mean, she still advocates for people at the care home. So that tells me anything. But to see her slowly decline, negatively a little bit, physically definitely, because she's not the person that I remember. I mourn the person that she was, because it's hard to see your parent age.

It really is. mean, my dad was 75 when he passed. So, you know, yeah, he was still pretty young, really. But to see my mom age is also part of that grief because she's not able to do the things that she used to. She's in a wheelchair pretty much all the time now. So put that on top of anticipating her death. I mean, that's...

It can be quite overwhelming sometimes. Absolutely. And I just want to thank you for opening that part of it up, because it absolutely is that witnessing of that decline and what was and no longer is, and then whatever the future holds, that hurts. And that is very real. So thank you for naming that. And you said earlier that that's not something you talk about as a family.

have there been conversations lately just because it's more of a reality that's approaching, if you will. I'm choosing my words carefully here. That's okay. I don't, I mean, sometimes I'll bring it up in conversation as far as like the other day she was like, so are you going to go to my funeral? And I'm like, well, yeah, I'm going to go to your funeral. Cause it's back in where I grew up and it's not someplace that I

like to go to, but I'm like, of course, you know, I'm going to go to your funeral. Like, what kind of question is that? I'm probably going to have to bring your ashes out there. So yes, I'll be going to your funeral. I'll be there. But I think, you know, we kind of, I'll ask her questions about, you know, what happened. Like she has a good memory as far as like what happened when she was in high school. God forbid she should remember the conversation we had two days ago.

But hearing her stories, I mean, even just on Friday with her birthday, a couple of my friends were there and they were asking her questions and she was bringing up stuff that I had never heard before. I'm still learning about her life and it's really cool to hear those stories. So that's been fun to ask her questions. And I really don't hold back asking her things anymore because she's 92. I'm not gonna not ask her a question.

about something that happened, regardless of how sensitive it is. I mean, I'll approach it sensitively, but she swears a lot more. Like, she never swore at all growing up, and now she's freely expressing herself in that way. She's kind of cute because she's pretty religious. I think our relationship is more open, and having her closer to me has definitely helped with that. I think we both appreciate each other.

as far as being able to see each other more. Time and perspective definitely opens up certain windows and conversations that maybe were taboo or avoided or just not a thing in the past. So I like that you have that opportunity. And knowing that you're somebody that's curious about people's inner lives and people's stories, I would imagine there's that curiosity with your mother. Have you recorded her? Has she been on a podcast or have you done any type of project with her or is that to

public facing for her liking. She has been on an episode of my podcast. That was many years ago. I've recorded some of her stuff, but I don't, only because they're just so spontaneous that I just let it happen. You know, it's kind of like with taking pictures. It's like a lot of times when I experience something, I don't take a picture because it's just like, you know, I just want to be in that moment of experience.

And sure, would probably be great to have these stories, but...

For me, it's just more of a conversation. And they had their 50th wedding anniversary the same year my dad died. I was in art school at the time. So I created this documentary about their 50th wedding anniversaries. I interviewed them both separately to get each side of the story as far as how they met. And it was interesting editing the footage together, how my mom would contradict what my dad would say on how they met.

on some things. So that was kind of fun. So I have that to look back on as well. But my dad is very much of a sarcastic, he's kind of witty, jokey kind of guy. I think that's where I get most of my sarcasm from. He was serious, like he had a deadpan expression on, but you know he was joking. Like he was in radio, he was in TV as a reporter.

He definitely had that radio voice and that demeanor sometimes. It sounds like that's where you get a lot of your skills from and your demeanor as well, because it sounds a little bit like what you have, even with the name of your podcast, Women Who Sarcast. And you said you asked her questions, and some of the answers have been surprising. Is there something that was revealing about her or her relationship with your dad or you that has

resonated or stayed with you deeply based on those conversations? I think most of the stories are about when she was growing up, when she was in high school. Like on Friday, she was talking about how she was a gym teacher. And so she got pregnant, I think it was like early 50s. The school basically was like, okay, well, you can teach for another five months. And after that, you know, you can't teach anymore because she was pregnant. So

You know, stuff like that, that you realize how it was back then for women and how it is now. Some things have changed, some haven't. And, you know, just hearing how she's lived her life and her parents died young as well. Within like two or three months of each other, she's the middle child. And her oldest sister recently passed away earlier this year at 95. So, you know, they didn't know how long they were gonna live.

as kids because their parents died. I think her mom died when she was 60. That's interesting that you say grieving. I would imagine her sister at an old age. I'm just witnessing my grandfather grieve his sister, who is also in her early 90s. She just passed away. He's actually at her funeral, I think, as we speak. I talk about grief all the time, and yet I never considered the grief of somebody in their 90s.

for their sibling and their relatives and everybody, you know, which with each person, they're just one person who's no longer a witness to their life and who's contemporary with their age, who's no longer a witness. They keep losing their life's witnesses slowly. And it just never dawned on me to think about that type of grief. So thank you for saying that. I'm curious if she talked to you about her sister or if she expressed anything about losing her sister or was it just a-

quiet kind of grief because they tend to be of a different generation. Yeah, she's from the silent generation. She's definitely pretty quiet about her emotions. I don't know. It seemed like her relationship with her older sister wasn't great. They chatted once in a while, but...

Her younger sister is like 11 years younger, so I think she's a little bit closer to her younger sister. But as I see her get older, because I asked her, I said, did you think you would live this long? And she's like, no. Because I try to understand what she's feeling at the age she's at.

She doesn't divulge much, to be honest. But I can kind of tell that she's kind of going through some things. And so that's why I'll bring it up. Like if I see that she's kind of blue or depressed, you know, I'll check in with her. How are you feeling today? You you seem a little down. So I encourage her to share her feelings because I don't know that she was ever taught that either. Yeah. And that's a big component of it because it's not comfortable to talk about feelings. Even if

you are good at it, even if some people are a little bit more prone to crying or being more externally emotional. But it's so interesting to me how each person has their process and their inner working. And that form of grief, I don't know what to call it, it's just somebody in their later stages of life. That is interesting to me because it's one that I don't think anybody has spoken of and yet I'm sure they feel something. And just even that consideration of the next step is really not

physically being here. So how are they reconciling that? So that's a fascinating topic. And I'm glad that you have those moments, even if she doesn't divulge too much, it's just that opportunity to say, Hey, I see you. How are you doing today? And you're talking about your dad now with the sarcasm and its personality and the fact that he was a journalist, said. Did that influence the name of your podcast, I would imagine, and the topics that you cover there? think, I think

Sarcasm is like part of my DNA. So I think that's why I named it Women Who Sarcast. You know, as far as my dad being in radio, it didn't even occur to me at the time that I wanted to start a podcast because that was, I was pretty young when he was in radio. So, you know, I've seen pictures and I've heard some stories, but I was pretty young still when he

was in radio and TV. But it's something that kind of care, you know, it seems like a thread that has run through both of your lives. And in your podcast, what has been a, like one of your favorite episodes or something unexpected that's unexpected conversation that's happened with a guest, you don't have to necessarily name who it was, but something that stayed with you. This is always a hard question, isn't it, Nina?

is because we have so many favorites in different aspects, but whatever wants to show up today. Yeah. I don't know. I think when a guest kind of, unveils themselves, you know, kind of shows themselves that, you know, pretty raw unexpectedly, it's always an honor to be part of that. And, you know, because I think with podcasting, especially like experts or

authors, know, they, I feel like they think they need to come across a certain way that doesn't necessarily show who they are, their true personality. So I think when they show their true personality, it's a compliment, I think, to the podcaster because you're able to make your guests comfortable enough to feel like they can do that. point of connection is so priceless. That moment of, you know what, there is nothing

I'm hiding behind. This is the truth as it is or my truth as it is. Yeah, I agree. It's very powerful. And you said that when you were recording your parents, you know, separately, that some of their stories would contradict. And that speaks to something that I've noticed in conversations. I did something similar and you do see the discrepancies. There's, it reminds me of that quote, like there's

your truth, my truth, and the truth. And tell me if this resonates. In grief, I've learned you don't correct grievers. If they say the sky is green, the sky is green, because that is what they're feeling. And it's their internal experience of whatever loss they've experienced, right?

It's really hard to fact check, if you will, or like, where is the fine line between correcting somebody in their story or just honoring their truth as it shows up? Where do you draw that line? I mean, as far as my parents, they, I think everybody has their own perspective. Like, two people can be in the same room experiencing the same thing, but come away from it with a different...

perspective. I mean, obviously that happened with my parents because my mom didn't quite agree with what my dad had said. You know, as far as podcasting, if I know for sure that what the person is saying is not true, then I'll try to ask another question to maybe vet out what they had said. If I don't know what they, if they're saying is true or not, then you know, that's their truth and I just kind of let it slide. However,

I will add if I'm pretty adamant about something being true or not true, then I will state that. But I think most of the time with the podcast guests, I'm asking them to tell their story. So their story is their truth. Yes. It's something that I had to contend with initially because I'm like, wait, at what point do I stop in versus just

hold the space, right, for the conversation to unfold as they needed to. And you talk about boundaries in other podcasts. What did those look like energetically as a podcaster within the magazine and with yourself? Boundaries are hard. I mean, I've probably learned more about boundaries in the last four or five years than I've ever wanted to. But I needed to. And boundaries are difficult because

Not only do you have to set the boundary, but you also have to follow through. And sometimes a follow through is difficult to maintain. As far as boundaries with the podcast, unless someone is treating me disrespectful, then I pretty much let anything go. Luckily, I haven't really had that experience with a guest. As far as personally, I'm kind of a pushover because I...

I give the person the benefit of the doubt because I wholeheartedly think that everyone is a good person and that they're kind and respectful and I expect to be treated how I treat others. I think sometimes my sarcasm comes across as being mean or disrespectful or negative and

I think people need to get a grip on themselves when that comes across because everybody dishes out sarcasm differently. it's, you know, it's a sense of it's, I don't think personally that it's a defense mechanism. I think it's more of calling somebody out on their shit in a way that's not direct. So some people can construe that as being mean, but

I don't do sarcasm to hurt anybody. It's more of bringing light onto what is going on with them basically, you know, because I have a bullshit detector that's pretty good. And so that's kind of how I approach it. was going to say sarcasm. It eliminates the BS. It gets to the point. But it can be confronting for some people, especially people who don't understand or are a little bit more sensitive.

What is something that podcasting has taught you about life?

It's taught me...

to be curious and to be curious about other people and what their life is like and what they're doing and

and just being generally interested in the world in general, really.

and podcasting is a fantastic medium through which we can be curious. What is podcast? I'm going to turn that question right back at you, Nina. I was like, don't ask me. What comes to mind right now is something that a guest told me once, and that was that we have more common in life's values than we do in life's peaks. And I think that is so true. And I have found that, especially because of the type of topic that I cover, at the end of the day, that really authentic piece of our humanity.

I have found it more alive in lives lows in the lessons that the lows of our lives have taught us than in the peaks. That's not to say the peaks don't have value, but I just feel that essence of life a bit more tangible in the hardships sometimes. Yeah, I agree. Good answer. And what is a piece of advice for women podcasters and women who are

thinking of becoming podcasters that you would give them based on what you know. So if you want to start a podcast, know, just do it. I'm sure you've heard that many times and it does sound easier than it actually is. But we need more women podcasters out there. So, you know, take a chance, you know, reach out to other women podcasters.

because I'm sure you know somebody that's out there podcasting that you can ask for advice or mentorship or to kind of, you know, get you started. For women that are podcasting already, you know, I say kudos for even starting one and continuing it long-term because it is hard work. And to stick with it is it takes a lot of bravery and courage.

a lot of stories that are being told and that need to be told, whether it's theirs or somebody else's. Why would you say to somebody with imposter syndrome or letting imposter syndrome get in the way, maybe, of sharing a powerful story? Nobody's an expert and everybody is an expert, if that makes any sense. You you don't need to have a degree in something to talk about it.

You don't need to be an expert in something to talk about it. A lot of podcasting is about life experiences. Curiosity is huge, because if you have a topic that you're curious about, but you haven't experienced or don't necessarily have a lot of knowledge on, then bring somebody on that does. I do agree that women's voices need more seats at the table. And if they don't have a seat, I've heard you say. Just bring your own chair.

pull up a chair, bring your unfoldable chair and just pull up. Because it is really, really important that our voices are included in the conversations, in the public discourse from our perspective. I do think that's very important. Your opinion on audio only versus video podcasting? Oh, Nina, you're doing me dirty here. I'm old school.

So I'm definitely more for audio. However, like I said, I did watch your podcast with medium Karen and it was kind of cool to see the faces and the expressions. I have the face for radio, for audio. So that's why I probably, why I tend to go towards audio more. But I think it's just, you know, I think it depends on the person podcasting and whatever is convenient and more comfortable for them.

And as far as video, I think a lot of women think they have to get decked out to be on video. It's not the case at all. You just need to be yourself because people, think, deep down, they don't care. They just want to hear what we have to say. Although nowadays, it's really not that difficult. Editing, you can do audio and video editing at the same time. It's a lot easier now than it was maybe even six or seven years ago.

Definitely. I've only been podcasting for two and a half years and in that time the technology has like 10x and what used to take me literally 20 hours now takes me maybe four, which is a long time, but you know, it's a lot less than 20. So AI, your opinion on AI, the evolution of podcasting, where do you see this going and what's your take on what's happening right now? You know, the only concern about AI is how it's affecting the environment and the people.

because it's huge. It takes so much water and electricity and communities are being devastated in the Midwest. And actually the last issue of the magazine, I talk about AI and its impact on earth and humans. So, you know, although it's great to do your show notes or great to do certain things for your podcast, I'd be really intentional.

and careful of how much AI you're actually using. I mean, it doesn't really affect me. I'm in California. I don't have any data centers around me, but those people that live around data centers, they don't have much water pressure. Their electricity has gone through the roof as far as what they're paying. There's a lot of communities that are fighting back on companies that want to bring in data centers because they don't want it in their community.

With AI, we really need to be careful because it can take other people's jobs in a way that we will not come back from. There is a huge impact that we know of and the impact that we have yet to know of. And I don't think it's going to go away anytime. If anything, I think it's going to keep growing, but it also is up to us on using it responsibly or as responsibly as possible, even as simple as not.

having a full-blown conversation with your favorite AI tool that will not be named. Just, you know, don't avoid doing those things. Maybe have some awareness about the potential consequences. I mean, it's bad enough that we're having like brain rot from computers and devices. AI is just another form of brain rot because you're not using your brain to write certain things or do certain things. So.

And that's a whole other conversation that, yeah, absolutely. But I did read recently that because we are outsourcing our creativity to AI and our thinking skills and even our manual skills, instead of writing, we're having things just generate prompts. so it's important to reclaim that time to sit there and think and create from yourself, where you're the creator.

And then do things manually, whether that be arts and crafts or physically writing or, you know, doing these things. is really important to reclaim our agency and our creativity from these conveniences that eventually are not so convenient in the long run or can potentially not be so convenient. thank you. I do want to give you some time to share where people can learn about the magazine. If they wanted to join your community, how can they do that? And what's the best way to reach you?

So Women Who Podcasts magazine is at womenwhopodcastsmag.com. We're on Instagram at Women Who Podcasts magazine. And everything's on the website as far as getting featured. We do have a podcast promo swap on the website, which is free. You can purchase the magazine for $5.99 and issue $20 yearly membership. Yeah, so reach out either from the website or Instagram.

And of course, those will be in the show notes for today. Is there something that I didn't cover that maybe you want to include in the conversation?

Critical thinking needs to come back with all technology and everything, know, the smartphones, everything kind of, it's kind of dumbing us down. And, you know, I think we need to put a gabosh on that pretty quickly. As far as podcasting, you know, the magazine, and I'm here to help in any way we can to get people started or to...

rekindle what you started. We're always there to help whenever needed. And Cathy has a fabulous community, so I highly recommend check the show notes linked to the magazine and the community and all of her offerings. They are very powerful and they're very helpful and the community is very attuned to each other's needs and each other's desire to collaborate and everybody's super helpful. So highly, highly recommend. What is next for Women Who Podcast magazine?

or at least in 2026, let's Definitely celebrating our fifth year anniversary in April. And we'll probably have the awards again next year. I really, you know, this has been a mission of mine, a vision of mine for the last two or three years is I really want to get a scholarship mentorship program going. And I'm really hoping that

2026 is when it's going to happen. Perfect. And if somebody wanted to support maybe the scholarship, is that in place or is that something that's still in the works? Still in the works, still working it through. Yeah. Okay. Well, stay tuned. Good things and big things on the horizon. Cathy, thank you so, much. It's an absolute honor. Thank you for all you do. Truly. You are opening up spaces for people who are working.

independently and sometimes have a lot of questions as to why we're doing what we're doing. And it's connections like, you know, being connected to you and your work that make us feel seen, heard, and validated in ways that we don't really see otherwise. It really is meaningful. It fuels the work. It fuels the passion. And I thank you so much. And final question, what would Kathy today say to Kathy?

Let's say, I'll switch it up a little bit today. So the version of Kathy that was driving through Oregon, seeing the faceless people. What would your version today say to that version? I think I would tell her to continue to be herself and not to change for anybody else and that everything will work out.

Perfectly stated. Thank you so much, Kathy. Thank you for being here and thank you for being you. Well, thanks, Nina. It was such an honor and it was a great conversation. I loved it. That's it for today's episode. Be sure to subscribe to the Grief and Light podcast. I'd also love to connect with you and hear your thoughts and your stories. Feel free to share them with me via my Instagram page at griefandlight, or you can also visit griefandlight.com for more information and updates. Thank you so much for being here.

for being you and always remember you are not alone.


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Nina Rodriguez

Host
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Kathy Barron

Guest