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Who is Julie?
Dr. Julie Marty-Pearson is a dynamic podcaster, speaker, and coach who helps women share their stories through podcasting. She hosts two shows: “The Story of My Pet,” which advocates for animal rescue and adoption, and “Podcast Your Story,” focused on women’s storytelling and community building. Julie also created the Women’s Podcaster Party Network, a supportive community where women podcasters, guests, and speakers connect and grow together..
I just had the most incredible conversation with Dr. Julie Marty Pearson, and I’m still processing everything she shared! This woman literally rewrote her entire life story during COVID, and honestly, her journey is going to inspire the heck out of you if you’ve been sitting on a podcast idea or thinking you’re not “ready” to share your voice with the world.
Julie spent 20 years – TWENTY YEARS – building a career in higher education. She was teaching psychology and statistics at colleges across California, doing research, handling accreditation work, the whole academic nine yards. But here’s the kicker: to move up in that world, she had to keep switching schools, which meant brutal commutes. We’re talking 2 to 5 hours from home, sometimes living away from her family during the week and only coming home on weekends. Can you even imagine?
And get this – her body started sending her signals that something had to change. You know that feeling when your soul is just screaming “this isn’t it anymore”? That was Julie in the years before COVID hit. But like so many of us, she’d worked her whole life for that career. How do you just walk away from two decades of building something?
When Life Forces a Pivot
Then 2020 happened, and everything changed for everyone. Julie had just had surgery about six months before the pandemic hit, so she was already off work. Schools shut down, job applications were impossible, and suddenly she found herself in this weird space of “well, maybe this is the universe telling me something.”
Here’s what I absolutely love about Julie’s story – she didn’t just sit there feeling sorry for herself. She had a doctorate in organizational psychology, and part of that program had taught her how to be a coach. She’d always wanted to try coaching, so she thought, “You know what? Let’s see what happens.”
She started with career coaching because it made sense – she could easily help people with that. But here’s the thing that really resonates with me: she wasn’t passionate about it at all. Like, can you imagine getting up every morning thinking “oh boy, let’s talk about resumes today!” Yeah, that was Julie, and it showed in her business. She couldn’t get any momentum because her heart just wasn’t in it.
The Podcasting Lightbulb Moment
While she was building her coaching business and taking all these classes (because that’s what we do when we’re figuring things out, right?), she took a podcasting class. And something just clicked. She loved the idea of it, but she had no clue if she’d actually enjoy doing it.
So she asked herself the most brilliant question: “What’s something I can talk about without any notes?” And the answer was pets. Animals. She’s been an animal lover her entire life, grew up with dogs, and just deeply connects with all creatures. Plus, her own pets had helped her through health issues, mental health challenges, all the regular life stuff we all go through.
Here’s where it gets really good – she didn’t overthink it. She got on Zoom with some friends, they talked about pets, she put out episodes that weren’t even edited, and people started listening. People started asking to be on the show. And three and a half years later? “The Story of My Pet” is a top 5% podcast!
The Magic of Starting Messy
Now, Julie describes herself as a Virgo with two master’s degrees and a doctorate – so starting messy was NOT in her DNA. She’s a good student, someone who likes to do things the “right way.” But podcasting pushed her completely out of that comfort zone, and that’s where the magic happened.
When Julie talks about starting messy, she’s not saying be reckless or unprepared. She’s saying start where you are. If you’re already going live somewhere or creating content on YouTube, build from there. Don’t wait until you have your ducks in a row or 50 episode ideas mapped out or the fanciest equipment money can buy.
But – and this is crucial – you still need to know your why. You can’t just start to start. You need that deeper purpose, that reason that’s going to keep you going when things get tough or when you’re talking into what feels like the void.
When Your Podcast Changes Your Life (and Maybe Saves Lives Too)
One of the most powerful stories Julie shared was about her first foster kitten. She thought she was an animal advocate, but she really didn’t know much about the reality of animal rescue and welfare. So she decided to foster, and her first little kitten unfortunately passed away in her arms after just four days.
Julie’s not typically an overly emotional person, but she was a complete mess. Eventually, she got on her microphone and just talked through the entire experience. For her, it was healing – a way to get it out and release it. But she also thought about her listeners who might have had a bad first fostering experience and never wanted to try again.
Here’s the beautiful part: the day she finally took the kitten’s carrier back to the shelter, they had just gotten a litter of six two-week-old kittens with no mom. Shelters legally can’t keep kittens that young – they would have been euthanized if they couldn’t find a foster. Julie took them all home.
Bottle-feeding six kittens is basically a full-time job, by the way. By the time you feed the sixth one, the first one is hungry again! She had them for six and a half weeks, and when she took them back to be adopted, she couldn’t leave without one of them. That little calico behind her in her videos? That’s Pumpkin, and she brings joy and laughter to their home every single day.
Community Changes Everything
Julie’s story really drives home something I’m passionate about – we cannot do this podcasting thing alone. It’s too isolating, too much like shouting into the void. We need each other.
That’s why Julie created the Women’s Podcaster Party Network over a year ago. She wanted a space specifically for women because, let’s be honest, we talk about things differently than men do, we vibe differently, and sometimes we need to say things we might not feel comfortable saying in a big mixed group.
Her community isn’t just about networking (though that’s important). She brings in featured speakers every month, creates opportunities for women to learn from each other’s mistakes and successes, and provides that crucial support system that keeps us going when the going gets tough.
Busting the Myths That Keep Us Stuck
Julie is a total mythbuster, and I am here for it! Let’s talk about some of the biggest lies we tell ourselves about podcasting:
Myth #1: It has to cost a lot and you need expensive equipment. Nope! Julie uses a Samsung Q2U that costs about $60 on Amazon, and so do many of her podcaster friends. You don’t need to drop thousands of dollars to get started.
Myth #2: You have to be a professional speaker or have tons of experience to be a podcast guest. Absolutely not! Julie’s first guest appearances were about movies she loved and her doctoral program journey. Just start, and that becomes your practice.
Myth #3: You need perfect sound quality and heavy editing. Hello, have you seen how popular YouTube and live streaming are? Interruptions happen, sound isn’t always perfect, and that’s okay. It’s about the content and the connection.
Myth #4: Someone else is already doing what you want to do. Yes, there are millions of podcasts, but only a fraction are actually active. Look at when the last episode was published – you might be surprised. Plus, YOUR unique perspective and story matter. There’s room for everyone.
Your Story Matters More Than You Know
Here’s what really gets me about Julie’s message: everyone has a story to tell, and there is someone who desperately needs to hear YOUR story. Not someone else’s version, not a professional speaker’s take – yours.
Julie’s had people reach out from Pakistan, from India, from all over the world, saying her podcast helped them. She had no idea these people existed, but somewhere out there, someone needed exactly what she was sharing.
That’s the power of podcasting – you hit publish, and your voice travels around the world instantly. Someone going through exactly what you went through, someone who needs to hear that they’re not alone, someone who needs your specific perspective on life – they’re out there waiting.
The Long Game Mindset
If there’s one thing I want you to take away from Julie’s story, it’s this: podcasting is a long game. You might not see immediate reactions or results. The ripple effects might not show up for weeks, months, or even years.
Julie knows people who’ve been podcasting for years and are just now seeing the real impact on their business. But that doesn’t mean those early episodes weren’t valuable – they were building something, creating connections, helping people they didn’t even know about.
So if you’re sitting on a podcast idea, if you’ve been thinking about being a guest on other shows, if you’re waiting for the “perfect” moment – this is your sign. Julie’s energy and wisdom will convince you that there’s no time like the present to start messy, start authentic, and start sharing that story that someone out there desperately needs to hear.
Because honestly? The world needs your voice. Not someday when you’re “ready” – right now, exactly as you are.
Ready to start messy? I thought so.
Reach out to Julie:
Join her networking parties here and find out more about what she has to offer.
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