188. Work in Progress: Building a Niche Podcast that has Longevity on Top of a Full-Time Job (Kyle Leung)

What is it like to build a podcast centered around a niche but uber-important topic AND has longevity, while balancing multiple priorities in your career and personal life?

That is what Kyle Leung shares on episode 188 of The Thought Leader Club Podcast as part of the “Work in Progress” series.

In This Episode:

Topics we touch on include:

What it looks like to build the “What Kind of Asian Are You” podcast – The thought process and behind-the-scenes
How to grow a niche podcast that has longevity even with multiple personal and professional priorities going on
How to find the right guests, maintaining privacy while growing your body of work online, and other practical podcasting tips

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Any Player

How Kyle built a niche podcast that has longevity on top of a full-time job

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What it looks like to build the “What Kind of Asian Are You” podcast – The thought process and behind-the-scenes

Cheryl:

Hello everyone, and welcome back to another episode of the Thought Leader Club Podcast. Today, we’re speaking with Kyle Leung, known for his podcast What Kind of Asian Are You?

In this interview, I’m excited to dive into how Kyle thinks about the show he’s building, and how he manages all of this alongside his full-time job and other personal priorities.

This episode is part of a series called Work in Progress, where we deep dive with our guests on how they’ve built thought leadership and created an amazing body of work, all while being continuously committed to growing and learning and therefore a work in progress

Now, to get the conversation going, let’s have Kyle introduce himself first. So Kyle, could you please introduce yourself and tell us who you are?

Kyle:

First off, thank you, Cheryl, for having me on the show. I’m really honored.

To start things off, a quick intro: Hi, my name is Kyle. I’m a Hong Kong Chinese Canadian who grew up in Canada and am now living in Singapore permanently with my wife and kids.

I work a pretty normal office job, but on the side, I work on a project or podcast series called What Kind of Asian Are You?, a podcast featuring conversations about being Asian. We’ve been doing that since September 2020.

And when I refer to “we,” it’s just me, actually. But it’s easier to say “we” when you’re doing a podcast or any kind of creative project, especially when you don’t put it out that you’re doing it all on your own. That’s just something I’ve been doing. But yeah, everything is me. I do everything for the podcast.

I think that covers the bulk of who I am, what I’m about, and the reason why you wanted to talk to me in the first place.

Cheryl:

Cool beans.

Okay, so now that we’ve set the stage for this conversation, let’s dive into the topics and the kind of guests you bring onto your show.

Could you give us a bit more information on what your show is about?

Kyle:

For sure. To start, if I can say what the types of topics or who generally comes on in terms of guests.

In terms of guests, we have people from the Asian diaspora, meaning they are of Asian descent who ended up in a country where their family or themselves or everyone moved to a different country and settled down somewhere outside of Asia or their motherland. So those are the people you’ll find on the podcast.

In the podcast, we talk about their life, their stories, and their experiences, with a focus on looking for people who want to share their stories, specifically their story of reconnecting with their culture or the fact that they’re combining their culture with either being creative or commerce or just how they live as a whole.

So it’s a lot about digging into what their heritage is, how it relates to what they’re doing now, and how their thoughts and feelings are towards their heritage, combined with the fact that they live in a diaspora, and that extra cultural background or makeup that they have, and how that influences how they live.

How to grow a niche podcast that has longevity even with multiple personal and professional priorities going on

Cheryl:

I understand that the focus of your show is something you can personally relate to, but I’m curious, why start a podcast around this particular topic or this type of experience?

Kyle:

Yeah, that’s a great question, actually. I think I get that a lot because people aren’t really sure why I chose such a niche or specific topic. But I would argue that it’s not really niche or specific, it’s an experience that a lot of people from all backgrounds can relate to.

I can start by telling you why I started in the first place. I started because, during the pandemic, everyone wanted to do a passion project, and this was my passion project.

I wanted to do something creative, to be less bored, and see what I could do in terms of something creatively. I had always wanted to do something creatively, I just wasn’t sure what it was. Podcasting ended up being the easiest option to start, as it doesn’t require a lot of support and you can do it yourself.

As for why I picked this topic, it’s because I find myself feeling this kind of experience of being Asian in the diaspora, the third culture aspect of living in the West, or wherever you are, while being Asian.

It’s about trying to figure out who you are in this world with a lot of different things, which isn’t really talked about much in mainstream media, and I wanted to change that. I wanted to create something where others wouldn’t feel alone, or could find a kind of blueprint to follow based on what my guests share.

Cheryl:

You know, I’m curious to ask this from a podcaster-to-podcaster point of view.

Besides looking for guests whose experiences relate to the focus of your show, are there any other characteristics or considerations you take into account as a podcast host when deciding who might be a good fit on your show, or who might not be?

Kyle:

I think a good fit for the show would be anyone who just wants to share a story that’s unique to them. What I find I want to help the most are those who are working on something, either creatively or in commerce, that connects back to their culture or that they try to push their heritage culture through, in terms of what they do.

Like, say, someone who is creating art revolving around their cultural makeup and identity, and they’re doing great things. I want to help shed light on that so people will be more aware and supportive.

That’s the type, or that’s the right fit for the podcast. I want to help people see what’s out there that they can support that’ll make them feel proud.

A bad fit would be anyone who you feel is doing what they’re doing for the wrong reasons, or whatever it may be. But that’s really hard to gauge, so you just have to go with how you feel about the person and what you think they can bring to the table in terms of a story.

I’m sure their story is worth telling, but sometimes it might not be the right time or moment. In that case, it might be where we have to put a pause on it and wait for a better moment.

But at this point, I don’t think there’s anyone who’s a really bad fit to the point where I wouldn’t want to record with them.

Cheryl:

Would you say the majority of your guests are podcasters themselves or are often talking on the Internet or doing a lot of public speaking?

Is it common for your guests to be quite well-versed in public speaking?

Kyle:

I would say they could be, but that’s not really the main thing.

What links them is that they have a story to tell and a message to deliver. Whether they’re good at public speaking or not depends on how often they’ve done it and what they’re comfortable with.

I would say a lot of my guests are people who have been on the Internet, producing content, or putting themselves out there in terms of speaking and sharing the message they want to send out.

But I also have people that are really first time sharing their stories. They’re not really in the realm of sharing themselves publicly or on the Internet, and that’s fine too.

I would say, though, that a lot of the people I talk to tend to be on the more creative side. They’re publishing their work online or trying to put something out there for people to see and hear.

So, in that sense, public speaking becomes one of the things they have to do.

Cheryl:

I asked that because I also resonate with what you just said.

Some of our guests who I’ve had on this show, especially in the past year when I started the Quit Story series, were invited not only because I have rapport with them, but also because they have a story, a Quit Story, that I really wanted to highlight.

There were several guests of the Quit Story series who honestly don’t have an online presence, so I was just curious to see, because I know some podcast hosts are very particular about whether the guest is an excellent public speaker.

I wanted to highlight to the audience that, depending on the show you’re building, you might focus more on the experiences and stories a guest can share rather than their public speaking skills. That’s something to think about for anyone in the audience who is starting or growing their own podcast.

Now, a topic I want to segue to is: how do you even find these guests?

I know there are a lot of people who have the experiences and stories relevant to What Kind of Asian Are You? podcast, but do you tend to already know these guests, or do you scour the Internet to look for them?

What is your process like for finding your guests?

Kyle:

Yeah, I think with everyone that wants to start off with podcasting, that’s always the question: who can I find to talk to? Obviously, the best way is just to talk to your friends who are willing to come on the mic and share their stories. That’s what I did.

For the first few episodes, I found people I knew who were willing to come on, friends to start with, or people related to friends who were already doing this or interested in what podcasting is about.

I think that’s the best way to move forward in terms of making that first step into podcasting.

Eventually, though, you’ll exhaust your friends who are willing to talk to you and share their lives on the Internet because it can be scary at times. So, you’ll need to reach out to people outside your bubble. In terms of the outside world, that’s kind of cold calling and say.

For me, the best results I’ve had come from joining different online groups that include people I want to talk to and connect with. Over time, you can build rapport, which might encourage them to come on the podcast and share their stories.

That’s what people need to do when looking for podcast guests. Of course, there are also other online services that can connect you with guests who are willing to come on your podcast, based on what you are speaking to.

Cheryl:

Yeah, so fun story for the audience. Even though Kyle and I are technically both living in Singapore right now. I actually discovered Kyle because one of your previous guests, Betty, is someone I know as well. I think it was maybe a year or two ago when she guested on your show, and I was like, “Oh, cool! This podcast What Kind of Asian Are You? Let me follow.”

Since then, we’ve had a few conversations online, and now here we are recording a podcast interview. That just goes to exemplify exactly what you shared just now.

Okay, so another thing I’m really nosy about is that you started your show as a passion project during the pandemic, and it’s still going on. A lot of podcasts also started around the same time as yours, but they “pod-faded,” as podcasters would say.

What would you say helped with your show’s longevity? What are your thoughts on why your show made it past the pod-fade?

Kyle:

That’s a difficult question to answer because I think there hasn’t been a time where I’ve thought, “Oh, maybe I should just stop it, because it’s not really a career. It’s not really making me a substantial side income or anything like that.”

I guess it’s just me having no pressure on my end to perform in that kind of way, where I can just do this, and if it does well, it does well. But if it doesn’t, then I can reassess, “Oh, is this enough of a thing to keep on going in terms of the results I’m getting just by doing it casually?”

Otherwise, if you have to look at it from a business metric data point. If I’m focusing on whether I’m making money or not. Then, since I’m not making money, it would make sense to just wrap it up and not do it and have other things to do instead.

But over time, it has become something that I like doing, I enjoy doing, and it has built a community for me. I’ve talked to a lot of my guests and become friends or at least online friends. I haven’t met a lot of them.

But I guess that’s the main thing. I’ve built some sort of community for myself in terms of who I like talking to or being associated with. Right now, doing this feels worthwhile. Even though I believe that if I didn’t do the podcast anymore, I’d still have those connections.

But it’s easier to connect with people who are doing the same things as you. So if I keep this podcast going, then I can still relate to other people doing something similar, and it will be a good kind of bonding.

Other than that, I don’t think I can give you a specific answer about why I’m doing this. Maybe I just enjoy doing it, and that’s the most important answer, because if you don’t enjoy doing something, you’ll just stop doing things at a halt.

Cheryl:

Yeah, I resonate with that also.

I think for me, I also started this podcast during the pandemic. Yeah, it was October 2020 when I launched my first episode.

And I think, there were definitely times when I was like, “Oh, is this podcast even, like, good?” Like, I had a lot of self-doubt along the way, personally.

But what kept me going, even during the times when downloads were low or it wasn’t, say, creating clients, right? Even during those times when it wasn’t generating an ROI, let’s just say. I still kept going because it was something I enjoyed doing.

I really think that’s why what you said really landed well with me.

That said, I’m very nosy, what are your biggest insecurities when it comes to being a podcaster? Are there any particular self-doubts that tend to come up a lot for you?

I’m just really curious, from a podcaster, again, podcaster-to-podcaster point of view, what do you struggle with as a podcaster?

Kyle:

In terms of insecurities, I would say I’m insecure about sharing more of my personal life online. I’m not that kind of person. I don’t really post that much in terms of my personal life, on my own personal accounts, anyway.

So for me to have this podcast, even though it’s about helping other people share stories, is still hard for me. Because I still have to be a part of that conversation and be on the other end, and contribute in a way where it doesn’t feel too one-sided.

At the same time, I’m still not comfortable being on camera per se, not in the traditional sense. I feel like at this point I’m okay with doing it, but it’s not my natural instinct to be like, “Oh, be in front of the camera and talk about what I need to talk about.”

I’m confident in speaking—I don’t mind that in a public setting, and I’m not that introverted in that sense. Overall, as a person, I am introverted. So I tend not to share as much.

But with a podcast, with this medium, it’s kind of required for you to put out more about yourself too, so that you can develop a brand and become more approachable and relatable. It’s not enough to just share other people’s stories; you have to share your own story as well, so that people can relate to you and keep following you for those conversations you have with other people.

And if you don’t do that, it’s kind of hard for them to build that connection. I’ve been trying more and more to highlight myself on the podcast, in terms of social media and other content, so that people can build more of a rapport with me, stay longer, or get others intrigued and follow along as well.

Cheryl:

That’s such an interesting point because I think that’s something a lot of entrepreneurs or content creators also struggle with.

On one hand, they really want to be known for a certain subject matter, skill, or expertise, but naturally, they don’t want to share much about their personal life. Maybe privacy concerns are a big consideration for them too.

For someone in the audience right now who might be at that point in their online journey where they want to build something online that’s centered more around their skill, expertise, or a specific subject matter, rather than a personal brand, but they also know that, to some extent, they have to share a little bit about themselves – what advice would you give them?

How do you find your own balance? What’s your advice there?

Kyle:

I think a good thing to do is to start off by having almost an assessment of yourself in terms of figuring out what you’re comfortable with sharing and what you’re not.

Have a list of “yes” and “no” in terms of what you’re willing to share and what you’re not, rather than just asking, “Should I share everything?”

Another aspect you can consider is being faceless, just sharing your skills and expertise without revealing yourself, more of like a voiceover kind of way of sharing your ideas and what you can offer.

I think that’s also something that’s been really popular in terms of social media, faceless accounts where you’re able to share your expertise and knowledge without revealing yourself, while still providing content and value to those who want that kind of understanding or knowledge.

But if you have to show your face, then it’s really about setting boundaries on what you’re willing to do and not willing to do, and wording everything in a way that makes you feel comfortable with it.

You can share really personal or intimate things, but if you word it in a way that you feel okay with, you can still feel intimate and personal without revealing things you don’t want people to know. I think it’s just a matter of how you script and present it, and what kinds of things you’re dealing with.

There’s no real answer to this, because I don’t think there’s a one-size-fits-all solution. If you’re not comfortable with sharing things online, you’re just not comfortable.

You could try to make yourself feel more comfortable and step out of your comfort zone, but is that really turning you into someone you’re not? And being authentic as well, that’s another issue.

You just have to really assess what you’re okay with and not okay with at the end of the day.

Cheryl:

I like that point a lot because it’s like, it really comes down to how you’re saying it also, and deciding that it’s not as black and white as we think.

I think a lot of people are so caught up in thinking, “I don’t want to share, so I’m not even going to try to build my online presence or body of work.”

They get so caught up in that black-and-white thinking that they don’t realize that, actually, you could share a little bit about yourself, but really position it and be mindful of your word choice so that you don’t reveal parts that may not feel safe or that you may not feel comfortable sharing.

Actually, I’m curious to know, do your family listen to your podcasts?

Kyle:

My wife does.

Yeah, and that’s, I guess you can ask that further question first.

Cheryl:

I asked because, just yesterday, literally as we are recording this, I was having dinner with my parents-in-law, and I found out they had actually been listening to some recent episodes.

And I was like, “Oh!” I got a little bit shy and a little bit embarrassed.

I’m curious to know, when you know that your spouse is listening to your show, what is your experience when you’re aware that they’re listening?

Kyle:

I would say, not much, because I think whatever I reveal through the episodes themselves is something she would already know or wouldn’t be surprised by. I think I only share what I would probably have told her anyway.

If there’s anything she doesn’t know, she’ll be like, “Oh, okay, that’s cool,” but nothing too serious. I’m not revealing, like, any dark secrets to the public anyway.

And I try to make it more about the guests themselves, rather than myself, most of the time.

Cheryl:

Yeah, I like that! I like that what you’re sharing is in line with what you’re comfortable with. That’s a big takeaway that our audience can definitely take away from this conversation thus far.

Hmm, okay, so you know what, I want to know, Kyle, because podcasts are common now, and podcasters are quite common now. But it’s not super, super mainstream where everyone is podcasting.

I’m curious to know, in that similar vein, has there ever been a time, whether in your personal life or career, where you kind of went against the grain or did something that was more unconventional or uncommon?

Kyle:

I guess for myself, going against the grain, I feel like it depends on how you see going against the grain mean. But I guess if you were to ask me for my experience, I would say the time I went against the grain, perhaps, would be when I flew to Taiwan and taught English there for three years.

I think that’s a big against the grain moment for myself, in terms of shifting gears to doing something different entirely from what I had planned to do, something that really maybe was just an idea six to nine months before I did it. So I guess there’s that.

And I guess another go against the grain is moving back to Asia permanently after being born in Asia and then immigrating to the West. So that’s going against the grain, perhaps.

But I think it’s from person to person. It really depends on your lived experience and what you have gone through, and what you consider against the grain. But for myself, whether or not I went against the grain, it doesn’t matter just how I’m living as a person.

I don’t really think about it at all. I’m just living life as I want and please.

Cheryl:

That’s a great point. Because it reminds me of how, for me, for example, I quit graduate school twice. Once was law school, once was my PhD.

And when I shared this story, some people were like, “Oh my gosh, that’s wow!” They’re so surprised or they feel like it’s something they could not fathom for themselves.

But when I talk to some other people, they’re like, “Yeah, cool, okay,” like it’s just so normal to them.

And so I think it goes back to your point about how it depends on the person’s own personal experiences and how they view it through their own lens.

Now that you mentioned going to Taiwan and teaching there for three years, I want to know, what sparked that decision?

Kyle:

I think it was a desire to try something new and realizing that nothing should be stopping you from doing things you want to do, as long as you’re capable of doing it and you’re not really doing anything that harms anyone or has lasting negative repercussions.

Moving to another country and doing something different there seemed like a great opportunity, and as long as you approach it with good intentions, it’s a great experience.

If you set the expectation that it’s only going to be for a year, you can have fun during that time and regroup afterward, rather than overthinking it before and ending up not doing it, which you might later regret.

Cheryl:

Three years is a pretty substantial amount of time.

How do you think the “before” versus “after” of Kyle compares?

Do you think there was a big difference, or do you feel like there were a few certain key lessons that you took away from these three years? What changed for you?

Kyle:

I think the answer you want, or what people would think I would give, would be something like, “Oh, I had this amazing discovery of myself. I found myself,” or “It really changed my perspective on things.”

For the most part, it didn’t. I went into it maybe closer to my mid-20s, at that point, and by the time I finished, I would say that nothing of me really changed drastically.

By that time, I had already developed into who I am, so it wasn’t really a transformation per se. It was more like strengthening what I was already at that point, maybe to new heights or the fact that whatever I didn’t like beforehand, it could have changed or it couldn’t.

But I don’t think, as I evaluate myself, anything drastic has happened to the point where I could say, “Oh, this experience changed my life.”

Of course, there are things that happened during that time that allowed me to be where I am today, and I wouldn’t say they don’t matter. But at the same time, it’s just living life.

If I didn’t go through that experience, I might not have the same experiences I have now, but you never know what would have happened if you didn’t make the choices you made. It’s hard to think of it like that, what could have happened or what didn’t happen.

Thinking about everything in 2020 in hindsight is hard because everything could have been different if you took different steps.

Did I feel like I’m a better person? I guess I do. But what would have made it the same result if I had chosen a different path?

It’s just different experiences along the way that could have been different, but you could have ended up the same kind of person doing something else.

Cheryl:

Such an honest, but also very relevant, to a lot of people who are thinking of starting, let’s say, a podcast or something of their own online. I think that point is so transferable to a lot of creators and solopreneurs, because it’s a realistic possibility that the thing that you’re starting may not pan out or may not last, or it may not have as big of a transformation as you were hoping for.

That is a possibility, and is it still worth it to you to at least try? I think that’s such an important thing for people to think about.

It’s like, yeah, it may not work out, but is it worth it to you to still at least give it a try? Why or why not?

I really, actually, love your point, your honest answer to that question. So thank you, Kyle.

Because I know your podcast is not a solo monologue kind of show and it’s really highlighting the story of your guests and bringing and taking away the highlights of their stories and the takeaways there.

I’m curious to know, because you’re building this podcast, do you feel like you are also learning or growing as a person, as a podcaster?

How do you feel like starting this podcast has helped you?

Kyle:

Yeah, I think even though it’s not really a solo monologue or internal monologue kind of thing with my podcast, I do feel like you can learn more about life in general and yourself by having conversations with others, like you do in your normal life.

That said, I would say I do learn a lot from interviewing guests and having conversations with them, and also putting in the work and making this a product, something for people to consume as media content.

The fact that I’ve been doing it for so long, it would be hard for me to say I did not learn anything throughout the journey.

In terms of what I’ve learned most, I think it would be the skills revolving around creating content for people to consume online, in the podcast media platform, along with dealing with social media. I think those are like the hard technical skills, per se.

In terms of things that I’ve learned from guests and conversations, it’ll be more about how I can see the world from their perspective and learning about things I might not have learned either through schooling or through life experience, things that I probably will never experience, because that’s not my journey.

I will never be able to fully understand or learn what it’s like to be someone else for whatever experience they would have, if I’m not them. But I can still be able to listen to it, learn from it, and kind of conceptualize it in my head, seeing it from their perspective, and also from how I feel about it as well.

There’s a lot you can learn from podcasting. It’s just how much of it will be applicable to your own life at the end of the day.

But I think you can still learn a lot because it’s just conversations at the end of the day, and conversations usually yield learning points or teachable moments.

Cheryl:

I think a curiosity that people might have around doing guest interviews is that they might get nervous in the conversation, in the recording of the conversation.

And even if the guest shares really profound insights, they feel like, “I don’t know what to say next.”

So, I want to know, were there ever any moments in your podcasting journey where the guest shared a really profound lesson, let’s say, or story or experience, and you were just at a loss for words and didn’t know what to say? If so, what did you end up saying at that moment?

Kyle:

Yeah, in times like those, I think you can take a couple of approaches.

The first approach I would say you could consider is to match their energy in terms of how they are as a person, in terms of how they present themselves.

If they’re more serious in manner, then you go upon him in a serious way of a response, but if they’re usually more casual, relaxed or carefree, then you go with that energy to kind of segue to the next point you want to make.

But the most important thing is to make sure you acknowledge and respect the feeling or story that they have presented to you, give it space, and actively listen.

Make sure you’re providing insight if you do have any towards what they just told you.

But if you really don’t have it, you just really have to thank them for sharing their story, express how you feel about it, and then move on to the next point you want to make or let them continue on if they have more to add.

Cheryl:

Those are really great, very practical, and very specific tips. I think I really resonate with them too. Because often I used to have this belief about myself, where I would tell myself I don’t know what to say, like, I’m not a good conversationalist. I used to really believe that about myself.

But I think to anyone who might share similar views about themselves as conversationalists, what Kyle just shared could be excellent tips that you could try.

How to find the right guests, maintaining privacy while growing your body of work online, and other practical podcasting tips

Cheryl:

Okay, so a lot of the audience, from what I understand, are also in a full-time job themselves.

And one thing that they would be really curious to know, Kyle, is how long on average does it take you to go from an idea to finding the guests to recording to editing?

How long on average does it take you to do a whole episode and get it out?

Kyle:

It really depends on how much editing or producing I need to do for the episode itself, as well as how much I procrastinate before actually focusing on it.

But to be realistic, I can get an episode done with everything I need to put it out in maybe one or two days if I really focus on it.

However, it’s hard to maintain that concentrated focus to do things for a lot of people.

So I think a good way to get our mind space is to do it at your own pace. But make sure you do it within a set period of time that you want, so that you feel like you accomplish your goal. Because if you don’t, then it’s always going to be like, “I can’t get it done in time” or XYZ. That will kind of make you feel less motivated to continue doing it at a good pace.

At the end of the day, for myself, the fastest I could do it would be if I say I have a free day and I start recording in the morning. I could get everything done by the end of the night.

But do I want to do it that way? Maybe not, but I could do that.

It’s really hard to be like, “Oh, I can do this in five hours,”. It’s hard to say. Because things happen during the day or whatever it may be.

You just have to find your own pace and your own way of doing things that’s best for you and efficient.

People can be doing it for months and still be efficient at it, just depending on the amount of time you spend. But that doesn’t negate the fact that you could be efficient at it in your own mind.

Cheryl:

Yeah, I also want to just share that I think Kyle is a prime example of someone who has multiple things going on but still has the show, still has longevity, and has made it through the test of time so far.

That just goes to show that even if things come up, even if you have multiple things going on, you can still stay consistent in the long term.

Because maybe in the short term, like in a week or in a month, you may not be consistent, so to speak. But in the long term, you’re still putting out shows. That’s something that’s really worth recognizing, especially for those of you listening who want to build something of your own, but you’re like, “Oh, I can’t do it on a weekly basis. I can’t do it on a daily or bi weekly basis.”

There’s a lot of points that Kyle shared that you can take away and integrate also.

Kyle:

To add on to that point, you were talking about people not being able to produce consistently, like weekly or daily, or whatever it may be.

The thing you could consider doing is figuring out whether your content is evergreen content, meaning content that people will click through today, next week, next month, a year from now, or 10 years from now.

If it’s that kind of content, what you can consider doing is finding a block of time in your week or month, or whatever it may be, to record everything, if you have that in mind, edit it out. And just release it within the time frame that you want.

That way, it doesn’t feel like a lot of work, rather than if you say you need to do a news podcast, where it’s really a daily thing, then that might be harder.

If it’s evergreen content, where people are looking for it at any time, in the month or year, then you can just bulk record, bulk edit, or bulk release.

Release at your own pace, or you could bulk release, up to you. But at least you have things out for people to check out.

Cheryl:

Excellent points and very specific tips.

One more question, a technical question. I believe you have seasons on your show, if I’m not wrong?

Kyle:

Yes, I do have seasons, and I will say, if your question is whether or not it’s needed, or whatever it may be, I will say it doesn’t have to be. It depends on what you want.

For myself, I just have seasons to make it easier to categorize how many episodes I’m hoping to get out within a certain time frame, and then I could take a break or whatever it may be.

But if you want to keep it where it’s like, no seasons, and you’re just releasing episodes, that’s fine as well. Unless you also have a theme around each season, which I have tried in the past, like officially calling out, “Oh, this is the season of X, Y, and Z.”

But for myself, it’s just easier for me to find guests and kind of connect all of them together.

But yes, seasons are good, but it doesn’t “kill” a podcast if you don’t have it, per se.

Cheryl:

Hmm, cool beans!

Okay, Kyle, as we start to near the end of our conversation, I want to give you a very fun and cheeky question.

For listeners of Kyle’s podcast, you would already know this question. But Kyle, I know that you start your episodes with the question, “What kind of Asian are you?”

Just for fun, I would love to know, Kyle, what kind of Asian are you?

Kyle:

I think that’s a great question, of course.

And actually, I don’t think people will actually know because I never really have that question asked to me, per se. I usually do the asking. I never really made it a point to say, “Oh, what kind of Asian is the host?” I guess this is the first time officially giving an answer.

But of course, I must preface this by saying that based on what I’ve done with the podcast and having asked this to a lot of people, for people who are like, “I’m not sure how to answer that,” I feel like you already have the answer. It doesn’t matter what it is.

If you feel like this is what you’re feeling, then just say it. It can always change, revolving depending on your life experience, and it’s not that important at the end of the day. It’s just a fun little question to get the conversation going.

Now, to answer your question: What kind of Asian am I? I’m an Asian who’s still trying to figure it out in this world where everything is happening all at once. It could be easy, it could be hard, it could be difficult, but you just gotta take it day by day.

And I’m an Asian who’s really trying to figure out a lot of the answers to life, the things I care about, and focusing on the things I’m passionate about. What I’m passionate about is the Asian diaspora, third culture identity, Asian migration history, and how everything connects, and what it means to be who you are, and how to be a better person overall.

That overall encompasses what kind of Asian I am.

But I try to move away from being the type of Asian based on my ethnicity, or whatever it may be, or where I’m from. I see value in it too, because I always start off by saying, I’m a Hong Kong Chinese Canadian. But that’s not the most important thing.

The most important thing is what you do, what you like. And when I mean “What you do,” it’s not really based on what your job is. I think that’s outdated. Instead of asking people, “Well, what do you do?” and always referring to work, it should be more like, “What do you like doing outside of work?” or “What do you like doing for fun?”

Cheryl:

That was fantastic. I wish I had asked this question at the very beginning.

Who knows? Maybe I’ll end the editing and put it at the front.

Maybe, we’ll find out. We’ll see what happens.

Kyle, thank you so much for coming on to the podcast.

Final, final question is: Where can people find you, and how can they support your work?

Kyle:

Yeah, in terms of where you can find me, you can find me on all major streaming platforms where you listen to podcasts, it’s “What Kind of Asian Are You?” podcast.

We have over 90 episodes already, and we’re almost at 100. We’ll get there, it’s just a matter of time. It’s coming, I promise you.

We’re just going to keep doing what we love, talking to people from the Asian diasporas to share their stories and experiences, and hopefully that will inspire and motivate you to do what you want to do yourself.

In terms of where else to find us, you can find us on Instagram @WhatKindOfAsianPod, that’s where I mostly post on a lot of things, in terms of episodes, updates, how we’re doing, and any kind of notable things that you could should go support that’s Asian specific, I like to do that as well. And just more of my kind of personal life, I guess I put there occasionally.

In terms of how to support, just listen to the podcast, share with those that you think could benefit from knowing about us or hearing our stories on the podcast, and help us get to the higher numbers on Instagram.

While the following isn’t everything, it’s still important to a certain extent, because there’s the classic idea of the “power of 1,000 fans.” We’re getting close to 1,000 followers, and I really want to get to there, and who knows, maybe more, bigger guests we want us to talk to, will appear if we have more followers. Who knows?

But definitely follow, subscribe to all that fun stuff if you want to support Asian diaspora stories, Asian representation in the podcast space.

Thank you so much for this opportunity to share my story here.

Cheryl:

So good. All right, all the links will be in the show notes below.

And to everyone listening in, thank you so, so, so much for listening.

And Kyle, thank you once again for being on the show, and I’ll see you all in the next one.

Bye everyone!

Kyle:

Bye!