Celebrating 2 Years of Art is the New Wall Street

Two years ago, I hit publish on the first episode of Art is the New Wall Street. I've since released two full seasons and 21 episodes. I'm proud of what this show has become. To celebrate, I want to talk about why this podcast exists and what two years of doing it has taught me.

An Evolving Definition of Success

I entered the marketing field because I wanted a practical way to use my creative skills to make money. When I studied strategic communications at UW-Madison, I used to say I wanted to be like Peggy Olson from Mad Men. The ad world seemed sexy and cool. I started at an agency, eventually found my way into B2B SaaS doing content marketing, and built my entire identity around my career from there.

For years, I bought into hustle culture hard. I thought success looked like working hard, getting promoted, climbing the corporate ladder, landing a badass title, and living a luxurious lifestyle. I was never a finance girly, but I admired the hustlers on Wall Street. I mean they must have had something figured out, right? Money was success. Titles were success. CEOs had it figured out.

Then around 6 years ago, something shifted. Collectively, we had been through a lot. It felt like we were experiencing once-in-a-lifetime events every other Tuesday. AI was set to dramatically disrupt the marketing field. Economically, we'd been sold a future that promised things like homeownership if we just worked hard enough and got the right degree. But there were cracks in the foundation.

People were waking up. I certainly was.

I asked myself what I really wanted. And the answer was clear. I wanted a life full of art.

My definition of success started evolving. Success looked like steadiness, loving relationships, and enough to be comfortable.

Why I Created Art is the New Wall Street

So the show was born. I wanted to learn from the people who either left the so-called "practical path" to pursue their creative dreams or who never chose that path in the first place. I wanted to build a room full of artists and creative people who were designing unconventional lives, because that was the room I wanted to sit in.

And that's exactly what happened.

I've had the privilege of talking with some genuinely fascinating people. A few that come to mind:

• Katherine Pomfret left her global head of marketing role, now lives in a van, makes beautiful jewelry, and runs The Society of Alternative Entrepreneurs.

• Beca Bagdocimo left marketing to do astrology full-time and study the patterns of the universe.

• Kyle Tran Myhre is a poet and activist who shared his knowledge on what artists can do in response to ICE enforcement in Minnesota.

These conversations are why I make this show. Every single one of them has reminded me that there are more ways to build a life than the one we were handed.

What Two Years of Podcasting Has Actually Taught Me

Podcasting is a labor of love. And I mean that sincerely. You have to do guest research, pitching, briefing, recording, editing, and promoting. And that's the simplified version of what happens behind the scenes. Here's what doing all of that for two years has actually taught me:

Podcast growth is painfully slow

Sometimes it genuinely feels like shouting into the void. I've almost quit multiple times. I learned that 90% of podcasts don't make it past episode 3. I've released 21 so far. I made a deal with myself: I'll release 50 episodes no matter what, and then I can revisit the desire to quit.

A podcast is hands-down the best networking tool I've ever had

I mean this. When you have a podcast, you have something tangible to offer when you reach out to someone. People value that. You're not cold emailing asking for someone's time. You're inviting them to be part of something. And in return, you build real connections that you never could have predicted.

Networking isn't actually that scary

I used to be allergic to small talk. Forced happy hours and coffee chats were my personal hell. It all felt so performative and exhausting. I was completely wrong about networking. Networking is literally just getting to know someone. People have huge, full lives and weird interests and cool stories. It's shocking what staying truly present in a conversation can do. And so many of those conversations end with, "You should meet my friend."

Hosting makes you a better communicator

Listening back to yourself is humbling. I've caught words I lean on and overuse. I noticed I have a habit of looking away when I ask or answer a question. Rewatching yourself is uncomfortable, but it's one of the fastest ways to improve. I'm a noticeably better communicator now than when I started, and podcasting is a big reason why.

You meet people you might have never crossed paths with otherwise

I basically built the room I wanted to exist in. I wanted to be surrounded by artists and creative people designing unconventional lives so I made a show about it. Now I get to sit in that room whenever I want. That's kind of incredible when I think about it.

Other cool opportunities come with the territory

Getting featured in articles. Being invited onto other podcasts. Introductions to interesting people I wouldn't have met otherwise. A lot of doors open when you're consistent.

You have to trust yourself and protect your show

Everyone has opinions about who you should bring on or where the show should go. Some of that feedback is genuinely helpful. A lot of it isn't. Part of hosting is protecting the tone, energy, and vision of what you're creating. That's your job, and no one else's.

Podcasting builds creative endurance

No one cares for a while. And then slowly, little by little, the feedback starts trickling in. People you didn't even know were listening make a comment on an episode. Someone says something you said actually impacted them. That's what makes all the work worth it.

What's Next?

I'm going to keep on keeping on. I want to put out more solo episodes I've got a lot to say and I haven't put many solo episodes out thus far. I'll keep bringing on fascinating people too. If that's you or someone you know, reach out. I mean it.

Finally, I just want to say thank you. None of this exists without you.

To every guest who has come on this show: thank you. You trusted me with your story. You let me ask questions about the roads you took and the ones you left behind. Those conversations have meant more to me than I know how to say. You are the show.

To every listener: thank you for showing up. You didn't have to spend your time with us, and you did. Every play, every comment, every DM telling me an episode hit home matters. I've felt all of it. You're the reason I made the deal with myself to get to 50 episodes. You're the reason I keep going.

And to the people who have shared the show, recommended it to a friend, or shouted it out somewhere, you have no idea how much that ripples.

Two years in, and I'm more grateful than I was when I started. That's how I know this is the right thing.

We are just getting started. New guest episode dropping next week. 💕