Hey there, podcast fans!

I had the pleasure of interviewing Sarah Christie, the host of the Earth Care podcast, and let me tell you, her setup and approach to podcasting are truly inspiring. Sarah’s on a mission to make climate change an approachable conversation for everyone, and her bite-sized episodes are perfect for listeners who want to stay informed without interrupting their daily routine.

In this article, we’ll dive deep into Sarah’s gear recommendations, time-saving hacks, and the unique perspective she brings to the world of podcasting. Whether you’re a seasoned podcaster or just starting out, you won’t want to miss the valuable insights Sarah has to share.

So, get ready to take notes and discover how the Earth Care podcast is making a difference, one episode at a time!

Tell us more about your show

Earth Care is an interview based podcast where we have climate conscious conversations in a not-so-overwhelming way. The name is an extension of “self-care” because ultimately we can’t live a healthy life without a healthy planet. Host, Sarah Christie, is on a mission to make climate change an approachable conversation for everyone! All interviews are bite-sized and feature new climate experts, heroes and entrepreneurs with their take on how we can save the planet.

Why do listeners subscribe to your show?

Earth Care interviews are short form. The intention is for listeners to have time to squeeze an episode into their busy schedule without interrupting their daily routine. If a listener is running to the grocery store, they can throw on an episode, feel engaged in a climate action conversation and get back to their day.

Conversations surrounding the climate crisis, at times, can be overwhelming and alienating. It’s difficult for the average person to find intentional time in their already busy life to learn about a topic that may add to their stress. With that in mind, Earth Care interviews are kept light, casual while still delivering necessary information.

What makes your approach different from others?

My professional background is in Top 40 radio where we are trained to get to the point quickly and keep things moving. I’ve taken that same approach with Earth Care to make the best use of the listeners’ time.

Additionally, Earth Care isn’t targeted toward climate experts and professionals who are already in the environmental space. Instead, the interviews are for individuals who know about climate change, concerned about the state of our planet but may not know where to begin with climate action and engaging in related conversations — like me, before I created Earth Care!

I launched this podcast because communicating, interviewing and broadcasting is what I decided would be my main climate action. My background isn’t in environmental sciences or sustainability. Earth Care is a chance for the listener and I to learn together!

What do you hope listeners gain from listening to your show?

My hope is that anyone listening to Earth Care with feel a sense of climate hope. Additionally, they’ll understand that their voice is not only welcome in the climate space, but needed!

Earth Care interviews have ranged from climate action in your kitchen, at school, at the beach, all the way to Antarctica! We’ve met guests who are scientists, youth activists, teachers, small business owners, social media influencers and more. There truly is a path for everyone when it comes to climate action.

I hope listeners feel empowered to integrate action into whatever path they see fit!

What does your podcast legacy look like?

An introductory to climate action for every type of person. If you’re too busy for a beach clean up, let me find an episode and guest that would better suit your lifestyle.

A place where listeners can look to for climate hope and to feel energized about protecting our planet.

What’s the best piece of advice you have for other podcasters?

Ask for help! Earth Care is currently a one woman ship.

There have been times where it has felt like a second full-time job which robs all of the fun and energy out of it. It wasn’t until I spoke with other podcasting friends about their workflows that I realized how many time saving resources I wasn’t taking advantage of! Someone in the podcasting world has likely already solved a problem that might be holding you back. It’s worth taking time to research and ask for help.

The software you use

• Riverside for recording audio and video online with guests
• Final Cut Pro for editing both video and audio
• Veed.io (free account) for adding captions to videos for social media

The hardware you use

• Blue Yeti stereo microphone
• Two Lume Cube Broadcasting Kits (I used to use a ring light but I wear glasses and you can see the ring reflection in my glasses, so it was time to change it up!)
• Jabra Noise Cancelling Headphones
• MacBook Pro

What makes this all work for you?

This set up doesn’t require a ton of space which is great because I’m working in a tiny corner!

I purchased a fold out plastic table for $30 for my gear during podcast recordings. I added tape markers onto the floor and table so the space and framing would be consistent in each interview. Once they’re done, I can fold everything up and tuck it away without taking up all of the space in the room.

The Lume Cube Broadcasting Kit has been fun to experiment with, especially since I also record in a poorly lit room. I wouldn’t recommend these for distance, they do have to be quite close to see the effects. They’re also portable which is great if you’re doing any filming outdoors.

The Blue Yeti mic seemed to be the one most recommended and budget friendly when I first started looking into a mic set up. I have no complaints! I rarely have to do more than a few post audio adjustments on it because the sound quality is quite consistent.

I’m new to using Riverside this year and so far love it! It provides a handful of features that make all of the post work with podcasting a lot easier for a one-person team.

I’m especially a fan of Riverside’s ability to resize your video depending on where you’ll be sharing it with the click of a button — that has saved me A LOT of time!