Journalism
Project Summary:
Historically, women have been underestimated, talked over, or not taken seriously. Women in a Man’s World is a podcast that interviews a wide array of women who work in male-dominated fields. I got to sit down and talk to them about their experiences, measures of success, their daily lives, and advice that they would give to other women who work in male-dominated fields. My three main goals for this podcast were:
- Learn how to record, edit, and promote a podcast
- Create an Instagram to help me promote my podcast
- And create interviews/scripts that would be meaningful to my audience
I interviewed a woman who works in cybersecurity, a pilot, a musician, a woman who works with engineers, a car saleswoman, a woman who works in the fitness industry, and a woman who works in tech. Within each episode, I also researched women in history who were in a similar field and was able to expand the horizons for the women who followed behind them, such as the women I was interviewing.
Along with putting out scheduled podcast episodes, I had to learn how to record and edit a podcast and how to upload it to a podcast streaming platform. I wrote out scripts for all my interviews/ introductions for each episode. I had to find the interviewees and travel to them to either take pictures or record for social media. I designed my own logo, created an Instagram page to promote the podcast, and posted regularly to boost interaction and viewers to my podcast.
This podcast was meant to inspire other women to speak up about their experiences working in male-dominated fields, have open discussions with women, and create a safe space for them. My goal for listeners and insights was to have over 50 followers on my Instagram and 50 overall listeners on each episode.
The women interviewed:
Leanne Larson is a car salesperson and the only woman on her team. Larson speaks about having a good attitude and creating mutual respect with her male counterparts. Larson has been working at her job for a year now and she feels lucky to have co-workers who want to see her succeed.
Aubry Bennion works as Public Involvement Manager. She provides expertise when interfacing with both the public and engineers. She calls herself the middle woman between the “robots” i.e.: the engineers and the public. She discusses ‘creating your spot at the table’ and making room for yourself in a male-dominated field.
Danica Stoelk is a fitness and macro coach who graduated with an exercise physiology degree. She speaks on toxic gym culture, how people often underestimate women in the fitness industry and how she’s trying to make it more inclusive.
Sasha Heywood is the lead singer of Daydreamer’s club. We talked about sexism in the music industry. Her experiences as the only woman in her band, and how women are often put against each other.
Kat Panasuk is currently in aviation school to become a pilot, she discusses the struggle with being underestimated by her peers and instructors and how she overcomes it.
Hannah Freudenberger graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science and a minor in Business Management from Westminster College. She is now working as a Senior QA Analyst, she shares how being assertive and speaking up has helped her in her career and during her studies.
Jessica Gordon is in her senior year at Utah State University. She is currently majoring in Technology Systems and a minor in Anticipatory Intelligence. She is interning at Space Dynamics laboratory where she is the only woman on her team, where her male-counter parts are much older than her. Gordon talks about the importance of faking it until you make it and having a good support system to back you up in times of need.
Women Researched:
