As a columnist, social media connector and former radio co-host with Twila Dang on myTalk 107.1, Excelsior resident Natalie Webster thrives in the communications sphere. Now she can add another role to her repertoire—podcast host for Twila & Natalie, which began in August and airs a new episode every Monday. We asked her about the new venture.
Lake Minnetonka Magazine: How did your radio show lead to the podcast?
Natalie Webster: We wanted to be able to dive deeper into topics that we found interesting. Twila and I both shared a passion for women’s issues, helping to give more women a voice. Twila came up with the idea to create a podcast network called Matriarch Digital Media. Now we do a show called Twila & Natalie on her network. It’s basically discussing the joys and pitfalls of being a grown woman. Every show we ask ourselves a question, like "Is it ok to give up?" or "Who do you dress for?" We don’t talk about them before the show. We sit down to record, and go, “What do you want to talk about today?”
Do you plan a lot in advance?
The simple answer is no. We don’t have any kind of a set. Our show is really driven by where we are … that day. What we’re most engaged in is whatever’s happening at that time—what we would talk about if we were having coffee. [If] you plan too much, you lose that.
How do you think your podcast will affect listeners?
It’s my goal that the topics we talk about make our listeners stop and think. We want them to ask themselves these same questions, because these are universal topics. Ask yourself the question and think about the different approaches that we talked about. The other thing that’s really important to me in everything I do is always trying to communicate a message of tolerance. Have a willingness for someone else to have another opinion, belief or view that’s different from yours.
Are there any topics you are scared to discuss?
I’m not afraid to talk about any topic, but I’m conscious about not sharing the personal details that belong to someone else.
How much has your background influenced your work?
Since growing up as a kid, I wanted to communicate, to tell people stories, to write. [I was a member of the Church of Scientology], and that was a huge sidetrack in my life...I got in trouble when I was in Scientology for doing what I do now; it's a very conservative organization. The further I got away, the more open I got to be. That's what pushed me in the direction of doing what I do today—because there’s so much I wasn’t allowed to talk about. I wasn’t allowed to question. I have learned that the more I share my imperfections, the easier it is for someone else to recognize their own. In the world we live in today with technology, there’s more and more of a lack of connection. I always want to bring it back to we are real people. In everything I do, I want to bring back that human connection.
