Like many of you, my life changed dramatically somewhere around March of this year. One crucial thing as it relates to this website was that my podcast, which had gotten over 100 episodes, came to an abrupt stop.
The basic reason I have cited when people asked me was pretty simple. My previous flow for recording the podcast involved using my apartment as my recording studio. I was alone for the majority of the day. My wife went to work in Manhattan, my son went to daycare, and my daughter was at school.
Starting in March, however, everyone was at home. My wife was working from home, my children were at home all day, and I was on childcare. Could I carve out some time to record a podcast? Probably, if I didn’t want to exercise, or have a minute to myself on any day.
So I dropped it. In the meantime, it seems that there has been an explosion of swimming podcasts. Brett Hawke emerged early in quarantine with a stockpile of pods and top notch guests. Swimswam finally broke through by putting their top interview talent, Mel Stewart at the helm. A previous attempt, featuring a right wing conspiracy theorist and a guy who’s profile talked about how he was a top Canadian age group swimmer, didn’t last. Who would have known?
I’ve always felt like I should not produce anything, whether it be writing or audio, if it’s redundant to what’s already out there. So I didn’t take the decision to kick back up again lightly. If my podcast was just a low-fi version of either of these two podcasts, with lower profile guests, why even do it?
Of course, the above logistics also had to be overcome, but I’ve received direction from my current employer to resume the podcast during some of my office hours, as well as some recording space thankfully free of the world’s loudest children.
So let me outline my goal for the “return” of the Swim Brief, as well as some of my dream guests, all of whom I’ve not contact in advance of this post but nevertheless have daydreamed about podcasting with.
One frequent goal of mine is to get away as much as possible from the “chummy podcast interview style”. I don’t need to be Chris Wallace or anything, but I know that if I don’t want to listen to two people kiss each other’s butts for an hour, I’m guessing few of you do either.
Garrett McCaffrey
Garrett and I have maintained a friendship, mainly at an agonizing distance, for the past twelve years. He’s one of my go to people to talk to, both about swimming but also about life. I never would have imagined when we were burning the midnight oil (and perhaps some rockstar energy drinks) at the 2008 Olympic trials that we would be where we are today.
We’ve toyed at various moments with launching a “same two guys talking about stuff every week” type podcast, but just never done it. Maybe now is the time?
Ricki Clausen
Living in Denmark, I often felt lonely. My usual outlet for social interaction, the pool deck, was all of a sudden foreign territory for me.
Sometimes when you think no one likes you, though, it’s actually quite the opposite. You’re not giving anyone else a chance.
And so it was with Ricki Clausen, who was always friendly to me during my time there but only loosely reciprocated by me. I came to learn that he was a consummate coaches coach. Not only that, but he is also someone who has consistently been unafraid to speak his mind on important issues.
I’m currently dying to talk to him about the drama surrounding disgraced Danish Swimming head Pia Holmen still being nominated to serve at LEN. Would I prefer it was much like our last discussion, which featured champagne and ribeye steaks at my favorite Danish steakhouse? Yes, but I’ll settle for a podcast.
Steve Schaffer
This one will be short but sweet. In the few moments I am on facebook these days, and I still somehow get posts from the “Swim Coaches Idea Exchange Group”, I find myself wishing one thing:
Could we please get a filter where I can only see what was originally posted and then Steve Schaffer’s response? Pretty please?
Even when I disagree with what Steve has to say, I always find myself at least recognizing that it is thought out and intellectually honest.
Megan Oesting
I have to admit that I haven’t even listened to her on the podcast she did since taking over SwimMac, but I heard that she actually uses podcasting as an internal communication device and I think that’s brilliant so I’d like to hear more about it.
Hannah Burandt
I remain in love with Cleveland State swimming and diving. Another one where I need an excuse to talk to someone more and I always learn something when we have a chat.
She’s been working really hard to manage a swim team at a mid-major during covid. i think that’s an under-told story in terms of the challenges you face when you don’t have power 5 resources to throw at this very challenging situation.
Paul Donovan
I’ve got to get my boss on the podcast, naturally. First off, so you can here how pronounces the letter R (similar to how an American would say “or” instead of “ah-r”. Second because he has a perspective from coming up through another system that I’m endlessly curious about.
Third because as everyone who reads this knows, I am a hopeless suck up.
Trever Gray
I consistently get good feedback on all Trever Gray podcasts. Some people say its because he’s so handsome, which I say is ridiculous because it’s an audio format. But maybe we should make video podcastst together?
Nico Messer
Alltime great Swim Brief guest. Consistently brings it and always has a fresh perspective. Very fun to get coffee with and could just as easily host as be the guest.
So what do you think? What is missing out there in the swimming podcast world that you think I could actually pull off that you’d like to listen to? Use the contact page or engage with the post of this on facebook to let me know.