Featured Article

Women Podcasters Are Superhuman

by Punam V. Saxena, Ed.D.

Women podcasters are superhuman. There, I said it.

We can run households, take care of our children, build careers, churn out podcasts at the speed of light, and manage the other various “things” that are dumped upon us while leaving others in our dust. We do all this often without considering the impact on our mental and physical health. Our lives can feel like a hamster wheel by doing the same thing day after day. When my children were young, my husband and I often woke up and said to each other, “It’s time to make the doughnuts,” (The Dunkin’ Donuts slogan from yesteryear) because the routine was mundane and monotonous.

Yet we often forget that we have choices, too. Our kryptonite is our own mindset. We allow ourselves to believe that we cannot change our schedules, our fate, our passions, our ideals, our podcasts. Just as the world around us is evolving, so are we. We are learning, growing, and adapting to the new knowledge we are gathering. According to the 16th-century philosopher, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich, there is knowledge we have (thesis) and knowledge we learn (antithesis). When they both collide, a synthesis of information occurs where the new knowledge becomes integrated as part of your identity. We are learning beings who constantly learn from our experiences but rarely allow ourselves to pivot when that synthesized knowledge becomes a part of our identity and changes our beliefs, passions, and views of the world.

In 2020, I met Kathy Barron (Founder and Editor- in-Chief of Women Who Podcast magazine) at a podcasting conference in Orlando. We instantly hit it off and became fast friends. Both of us had podcasts at the time that represented our voices and passions. Kathy decided to pause her show and focus on creating this magazine, and I decided to pursue a doctorate in education. We both chose to pivot because we wanted to share and cultivate other parts of our identity. During my coursework, I was learning new knowledge (antithesis) that made me question whether my initial podcast still served my passion. Was my voice authentic to who I am becoming now? Was it really what I wanted to put into the universe? Did the message of my podcast resonate with my passion? Or was I doing it because I wanted the title of “Podcaster”?

These questions helped me create a concise vision of my views, voice, and goals. I realized that my new passion combines my love for education, which is what my first podcast (edu-ME) was about, along with the desire to give voice to Indian American (Desi) women who are adjusting to life in a new country while maintaining family traditions and culture, raising children, and building a career. The navigation of merging two separate, diametrically opposite cultures is not easy and takes time and patience, and I want my new platform to give space and validity for these experiences.

I am a second-generation Indian-American. My parents immigrated to America in the 1960s and have spent their entire adult lives adapting to their adopted home while keeping much of their Indian culture and values. As one who was born in America, I had to traverse both cultures while learning how to satisfy my bicultural identity. It was not easy as there were no mentors, at the time, in my sphere that I could lean on. We were one of the trailblazing families that were in unchartered territories. My mother’s role, as a woman in a patriarchal system, was often overlooked or deemed unimportant.

This is the norm in these systems, however, in America, women have opportunities to create an identity that is independent of their familial and societal expectations. My mother’s evolution, like most women, is iterative, moving from her Indian upbringing to the American, individualistic one. She has never wavered from her values which has given her a solid platform from which to learn, grow, and adapt. These voices are critical to share and help others find solace in their own journeys and challenges.

While I recognize that Indian immigrants and their families experience a learning curve after leaving their home countries, women who are left out or ignored in conversations develop a feeling of unworthiness and being trapped for their independent ideas and beliefs. Thus, my new podcast wants to amplify and support Desi women, share their stories, and offer encouragement to women from all walks of life while building a community where women feel motivated to dream, pivot, and execute their voices and passions.

We all evolve. We all learn. We all grow. We all change. That’s the beauty of our lives.

Thus, it is imperative that we, as women, move beyond thinking about changing, pondering if the timing is right, wondering what others will say.

It’s our time. Our voice. Our opportunity to be the change, because, with everything we are tasked with, we owe it to ourselves and our communities to be our authentic selves. We have the power to change systems, question policies, advocate for change, and raise awareness. It’s our duty to bring ideas to the forefront, support our fellow women, and share our passions to the world.

So, as you make that 547th batch of mac ‘n’ cheese and wash that 1,094th load of laundry, wondering if you can change the content of your podcast, know that you can. It will take time and some energy, but you will feel more fulfilled for projecting yourself as the expert with this newly emerged knowledge.

Pivoting makes our communities (and ourselves) stronger and richer with voices that are authentic.

So, go ahead and follow your passion. Change is how we become better individuals.

While you begin to embrace your new expertise and podcast voice, you have an army of women behind you, including Kathy, the Women Who Podcast community, and myself. We are here to support, cheer, and catapult you to the top.

Because you are a superwoman.

You can do it all. Your voice is important. Your voice is needed. And I, for one, cannot wait to hear your story!


Punam V. Saxena, Ed.D. is a keynote and TEDx speaker, author, and former podcaster who is pivoting to a new podcast to channel her inner Superwoman. Her expertise is in education, the voices of Asian Indian American women, and second-generation experiences. www.punamvsaxena.com