For the last year or so, my mom and I have been dreaming up the idea of doing a podcast together. Being big podcast ourselves, we have been able to see first hand what this platform can do to not only entertain, but to fundamentally make the world a better place. I know that it sounds crazy to say about a social media platform, but podcasts have had such an important impact on my life and I couldn't imagine my life without it. And I wanted to be one of those people who could potentially do the same for others.

Now why has it taken over a year for that dream to become a reality? Of course, we crafted every excuse in the book not to. We were too busy, we didn't want to put in the work, we didn't even know where to begin, the list goes on. But we all know that wasn't the real reason. At least for me, I was terrified. I was terrified that people wouldn't want to listen, that I was capable to do things like edit the podcast or market it well, or that I just wouldn't be good enough to be successful. Most of all, I was absolutely terrified of what other people would think. I mean, I am a twenty years old college student. Why the fuck do I have any business in the podcast world?

Despite what everyone says about how you get older, you still unfortunately care about what everyone thinks, or at least somewhat. Even though you might feel more comfortable in your own skin than you once were, there still is that lingering question in the back of your mind wondering what other people are going to say. I also think that social media and the internet has added a whole new element to it where it feels nearly impossible to escape judgment. I mean you are literally putting yourself out there for everyone to see. So I definitely think that played into a lot of the reason why I was avoiding going through with the podcast. Not only am I trying something completely out of my element, but I am now opening myself up to the world in a completely different way. For those of you who have ever listened to a podcast, you know that it is a pretty intimate feeling to have someone's voice in your ears like that.

I'm not sure what exactly happened, but I soon started to notice a shift in myself. To me, doing this podcast felt like the natural next step in my life. I, myself, have looked up to so many podcasters and have gotten so much out of it. And I knew that this was the perfect opportunity for me as well as my mom to do the same. I know that we have a voice that is not out there yet, but at the same time knew so many people who could relate to us and what we're all about. So why in the world should I ever let what other people think get in the way of that? Whatever issue that they have is on them, and has nothing to do with me. And to be quite frank, those are people that I don't want listening to it anyways. Anyone who isn't going to be supportive are not people that I want to waste any more of my time on.

So on September 8th, the "Like Mother, Like Daughter" podcast was born. Each Wednesday, my mom and I share with you all our wise words of wisdom on all sorts of topics, and give you the "mother/daughter" perspective you never knew you needed. Recording it is truly one of the biggest highlights of my week (if you know you know). It makes me feel that much more connected to my mom while I'm away (if that's even possible) and reminds me just how lucky I am to have her in my life. For once, I ignored all the fears of judgment, negativity, and worry and did something that would make me happy.

And yet despite all my fears, we have gotten nothing but positive feedback. Family, friends, and even people who are practically strangers to us have reached out to express how much they look forward to listening to us. It makes me feel so grateful to know that there are people who have gotten something out of it, and it only makes me that much more excited to continue doing it. And look, I'm sure there are people out there who think it's "weird" or are judgmental about it, but like I said, that's their problem. No longer am I going to let other people's negativity get in the way of my own happiness, and neither should you. As individuals, we all have so much to give to the world around us to waste our time on people who aren't going to bring out the best of us. And while I know I will always struggle somewhat with feeling like I'm good enough, doing this podcast is a great reminder that I am. I encourage each and every one of you to find something out there that will make you feel the same way.

If you want to listen to the "Like. Mother, Like Daughter" podcast (and I hope you all do if you haven't already), click here! New episodes drop every Wednesday and we would love for you all to tune in to hear what's next for us! Also make sure to follow us on Instagram @likemotherlikedaughterpod and like us on Facebook to make sure you never miss out on all things LMLD!