Finding Your Voice With Zola From SheCess

Words by Zola Prendeville (she/her) 

Finding out what you want to say and how you want to say it is what I’m figuring out as a 21-year-old and as a solo podcast-host of SheCess. 

This year one of my New Year's resolutions was to find my voice. In the past I found it easy to agree with others' opinions because they were stronger or held more reason. However, part of finding my voice was figuring out what I wanted to say. And what a great place to do it… on a podcast! 

I started SheCess at the beginning of 2021. The thought of creating a podcast terrified me in so many ways. It was not the thought of interviewing strangers that scared me, it was the cringing feeling I got when thinking of sitting in front of a microphone by myself. What could I say? Would I get cancelled? And more importantly, what did I want to say? 

One of the biggest learning moments for me was allowing my opinion to evolve. By that I mean I can be adamant that my perception of a certain topic is right for me and aligns with my views at one point in time, but as I grow and evolve so does my opinion. It’s about allowing your opinion to change as the current version of yourself changes. 

A big part of finding my voice has been to stop being so judgemental! A dose of tall poppy syndrome as well as being hypercritical of myself has definitely stood in the way of expressing my voice and my personality on my podcast. So far, I have only released interview-style podcasts. I’ve recorded solo episodes but never released them because of the cringey feeling I got listening back to it. However, this year I have set myself the challenge of releasing SheCess solo sessions. Which I am so excited and terrified for you to listen to! 

I’m writing this not at the other end of the journey but rather in the thick of it. As a second season of SheCess is on the horizon, it feels like a great opportunity to redefine my tone and my approach to hosting. 

So, after all that, I think you should join me on my journey of finding my voice, exploring the feminine experience and having more fun on my podcast. 

See you on the next episode of SheCess, 

Xx

Zola