Hi there, friends. I thought I would take a few moments to chat with you about what is happening with the Loose and Conversational podcast.

In 2020 there were a lot of new podcasts. Many people were bored, stuck at home, looking to fill time, connect with like-minded individuals and, if you are like me, a need to show off. I started the Loose and Conversational Podcast primarily to connect with people. Over 30 plus episodes, the podcast blew away expectations. Maybe we didn’t quite become one of the top podcasts in the English-speaking world, but we had a lot of great conversations, had more fun than we expected to and learned a ton.

There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about

Oscar Wilde

Eventually, winter turned to spring and then summer. As spending time in the studio started to give way to camping and yard work and drinking outside, co-host Jenn and I decided to call it a season and take a break. We planned to have a fun summer, sharpen the saw, and return with great new episodes in September. So, where are the new episodes, you may ask?

Well, life happened. As keen listeners probably know, we recorded the podcast in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Except for a brief period where we recorded from home, co-host Jenn and I had a lovely little studio, a nice stable of guests, and big plans for season two.

Halfway through summer, though, as luck would have it, an opportunity came up that I could not ignore. So, I gave a month’s notice at my old job at the beginning of August and started a new job in early September. As a result, I moved to Calgary at the beginning of October. Personally, this has been a game-changer for me. I love my new job, I love my new home, and I haven’t been this engaged in a long time.

Co-host Jenn’s last podcast episode was the narcissism episode. She was away for the last two. I used to see her several times a week, but I haven’t seen her since my going away party. She always seems too busy with friends and family when I make an occasional trip back to Edmonton.

Life in Calgary is a lot more exciting than it was in Edmonton. If anyone disagrees, I assume you live in Edmonton and don’t get to Calgary. Additionally, I live downtown, so there is always something fun to do within walking distance. So life is no longer lacking in excitement or connection. Still, I want to figure out how to get the podcast up and running again.

I need three things to get going again: a place to record, guests, and a co-host. Guests are easy enough. I want to catch up with some of our more popular guests from season one, and we had a lot of great ideas for the new season planned already.

A place to record is the first hurdle. The room needs to be soundproof enough to have acceptable sound quality while still comfortable enough to have a few drinks. I am currently trying to make the equipment more portable if we need to move around a bit.

A co-host is trickier. Jenn and I have good chemistry. Also, listeners tended to like one of us, if not both. We played our roles well, and we were not afraid to have a few drinks when needed. So do I need a co-host? No, I don’t need one. But a good co-host adds to the podcast. Some episodes were better because we had different perspectives.

You might suppose that we could remote Jenn in. However, one of our goals for season two was to record more, not less, in person. Without fail, having everyone in the same room has better quality, and the episodes perform better than remotely recorded episodes. We want the podcast to be better and grow if we can continue. Otherwise, what is the point?

That brings up my last topic. What would be in store for season two? After looking at season one, we know how to refine season two. As mentioned already, a focus on in-person guests. It just works better when we are together. Of course, the exception would be when we have fascinating experts like Jan Canty. If we can talk to an expert about something interesting, we would do that. However, they need to be comfortable with the informality of the hosts’ drinking and the gradual degradation of the conversation.

Second, everyone drinks. The “no teetotaler” rule includes possible remote guests. We had some great episodes where the guest did not drink in season one. However, they were not Loose and Conversational conversations. What defines our top two episodes is how the conversations simultaneously fall apart but become more entertaining as we all get a little drunk. This includes the guests.

The Loose and Conversational podcast would make our third and final change in the name of sustainability, not political correctness. We would reign the inappropriateness in a bit. I know some fans would object as they like it when we push the limits, but the truth is, some good guests don’t want to come on a podcast that makes listeners uncomfortable. Now, we said a bit. We aren’t going to give up our explicit tag. We do want to be inclusive, though. Sure, a joke is a joke, but we would never want someone we were having a drink with to feel uncomfortable, and it isn’t truly a reflection of who we are anyway.

If you have made it this far, I thank you. You, friend, are the reason this podcast is worth doing. If you are in the Calgary area and have ever wanted to be a part of a podcast, get in touch with me; who knows? Other than that, as people who know me could guess, I’m going to let the universe figure this one out. I will pay attention to the omens, work with positive intention and allow whatever is supposed to happen.

In the meantime, as always, stay loose, everyone.

J. David