“I hope listeners walk away from each podcast reminded that they are capable of achieving their goals” 🎧
BY ALICIA PRYZSIENIAK
Looking for a new, queer podcast to tune into? Want to make the most of your commute? Seize The Day is the epitome of doing just that.
When founder of the TLT podcast channel, Sheena Lemos Emershon, posted on Facebook that she was looking for a new podcaster to join the channel, the words “literally jumped off the page” for Seize The Day host, Natalie Miller-Snell.
“I knew this was for me, but I had serious doubts because I knew nothing about podcasting. Mostly, though, I wondered who would listen – and why? What would I even talk about?
“It took a week or two to convince the ‘devil’ on my shoulder that this is what I wanted and needed to do and that’s when I approached Sheena, who said ‘Yes!’ straight away.
“That’s when I started my self-taught journey of learning how to make a podcast. Five weeks and several YouTube videos later, my first show aired on 26 July 2018, entitled The Importance Of Gratitude – and I haven’t looked back since.”
DIVA: Why Seize The Day? Where did the initial idea for the podcast come from?
NATALIE MILLER-SNELL: The name Seize the Day, was inspired by my favourite Latin expression, Carpe Diem. I’ve always wanted to help people and I’ve always loved listening to people and learning how very similar we all are – we all struggle with doubts, worries and fears. Luckily, I’m very much a “glass is half full” kind of person and I’ve had some great mentors throughout my life who have offered me invaluable guidance. As soon as I said yes to Sheena, my mind was flooded with ideas for the show, everything from The Importance Of Kindness to Finding Acceptance. I realised that sometimes we all need someone to point us in the right direction and help guide us through the myriad of information available at our fingertips in 2019. That’s what I hope to do with Seize The Day.
There are lots of LGBTQI podcasts out there, what makes Seize The Day different?
I believe my approach to Seize The Day is the essence of what makes it different. We all struggle with self confidence, we all struggle with fears – myself included. We all struggle with questions like, “Can I do this?” So I started to explore the tools anyone can use on a daily basis to move forward in life. It was important to me that the show went back to basics, and that included having real conversations with real people about real experiences. Everyone is human – even if social media would have you believe that there are many “perfect people” in the world. The interesting thing is that the total opposite is true. We succeed because we are human and fallible. Everyone suffers with self-doubt, nerves and worries. Practise and pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones helps improve that, but it never goes away. That’s why I like to keep the show fun. Smiling and laughter is good for the soul – even when facing adversity.
Many LGBTQI people struggle to overcome fear and find acceptance and confidence. How does Seize The Day address those issues sensitively?
This statement is so (alarmingly) accurate. And that’s the main driver behind why I do the show. The key to overcoming this is acknowledging that we all have the same core drivers – we are all human. We all want to be heard, respected and loved. I hope the listeners walk away from each show reminded that they are capable of achieving their goals. The struggle is real because we believe we are not worthy. LGBTQI folk understand this more than most because of the extra struggles we have to go through in our lives.
Given the “double glass ceiling” that comes with being LGBTQI women and non-binary people, how does Seize The Day work to celebrate those people in our community?
Outside of podcasting I work in a very male-dominated world, so unfortunately I am all too familiar with the lack of diversity and inclusion. It drives me even more to ensure this content is available to everyone and to ensure folk feel supported; that they know they are not alone and they can achieve anything they want to.
In terms of celebrating our wonderful LGBTQI women trailblazers, I’ve had the great fortune to have some incredible guests on my show, who speak with me candidly about how they got to where they are now and why they do it. They also offer invaluable advice to listeners. From Julia Lynch, Founder of Global Girl Project, to Jacqui Ma, Founder of Goodordering urban cycling accessories, and Radclyffe, President and Founder of Bold Stroke Books (BSB) – we are being seen. These phenomenal women, amongst others, have graciously offered their time to talk through how they got to where there are and how the listener can do the same.
What do you hope to achieve with Seize The Day?
I want people to know they are seen and they are not alone. If I am able to help lift the spirits of just one person, I have succeeded.
Who inspires you?
I feel inspired by every woman I meet – every single woman who struggles but pushes through anyway because they have to. My listeners inspire me. My guests inspire me. I also have enormous admiration for Ellen DeGeneres. I love what she does and how she firmly put being “out” into the media. Hannah Graf, Hannah Gadsby, Wanda Sykes and Elliot Page too… the list goes on!
Finally! Can you sum up Seize The Day in three words?
Uplifting, fun and motivational. [Count us in!]
Want more? Listen to Seize The Day here. Natalie’s next podcast will be available 31 October 2019 and will feature an interview with lesfic author, E. J. Noyes.
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Natalie I am so very proud to call you my niece 💜⚘💜