Delving into secrets of business

It was while out on a walk in the midst of a COVID lockdown that Jayde Heywood decided to run an idea past her good friend and experienced radio announcer, Lee “Stampsy” Stamps.

Jayde proposed a podcast which took a deep dive into the experiences of people who had been able to turn a side hustle they loved into a successful profession.

“I said ‘I’ve had this idea and it might sound a little crazy’,” Jayde recalls.

“Initially I was thinking Stampsy would host the podcast and I would work behind the scenes.”

But Stampsy, who is the co-host of K rock’s afternoon Drive Show, encouraged Jayde to step up to the microphone to help bring their Passion to Profession podcast to life.

 

“When Jayde first came to me with the idea, I thought it was brilliant and there was definitely an opportunity because there was nothing to fill that space,” Stampsy says.

“But I didn’t think I’d do justice to her vision if she wasn’t involved in the entire process as well.

“Jayde comes from a small business background and does have her own small businesses, whereas I’ve only ever worked for the man, per se.

“I do my MC work and do have my own side hustle, but I think there is benefit in coming from different perspectives and I didn’t think I could give it the right execution without her alongside me.”

The podcast launched on Monday and the duo hopes their in-depth interviews will entertain, educate and inspire.

The first series of Passion to Profession will feature 15 episodes and the first three were released this week.

They kick off with an introduction to themselves and the aims of the podcast in episode one, before chatting with Demi Kotsoris from The Millennial Crisis in episode two and in-demand fitness trainer Sharelle Grant in episode three.

Jayde and Stampsy met in 2014 through their respective jobs at the time and say they clicked right away.

This is their first foray into working together.

 

“I think this podcast works because we have six years (of friendship) behind us,” Stampsy says.

“We understand each other, we understand where each other is coming from and understand each other’s lifestyle.

“We’re very patient with other – where our strengths are but also where some of our weaknesses are as well, so we complement each other.”

“Our personalities are quite different but it works,” Jayde adds.

They agree it was a happy coincidence that the podcast launched in the lead-up to International Women’s Day.

Although their first two interviewees are women, the plan is to interview men, women and couples who are in business.

Each episode will be about 30-40 minutes and they say it is exciting and humbling to share each conversation with an audience.

 

Ironically, both hosts say they had wanted to be psychologists when they were young but life pushed them in different directions.

 

Jayde has a commerce degree and runs two businesses – Hey Jayde which specialises in event management and digital marketing and Twice the Charm, a home staging and property styling business she co-owns with her mum Terri.

Jayde and Terri are both studying interior design and have big plans for the business going forward.

“I said to mum the other day, in 10 years we will be successful interior designers doing things all over Australia,” Jayde says.

But she is also realistic that building a business off the back of something you love is not without risk and challenges – something that is fleshed out during the podcast conversations.

 

“I’ve been really interested in how no pathway is the same and there is no set method to get from A to B,” Jayde says.

“A lot of business owners have their low points where they sit there and think ‘what the hell am I doing?’.

“People see all the glamorous side of businesses on social media but they don’t see the struggle.

“I think a lot of people will be shocked to hear the decisions they had to make or positions they had to get themselves out of.”

 

Stampsy, who has worked in radio for 18 years as a producer and presenter, has been equally intrigued by how people have pivoted their business over time to suit their changing passions.

“Sometimes they have been all in for the first five to 10 years and then they lost the passion and came up with another passion to make into a profession,” she says.

 

“It’s also interesting how even those who have reached the pinnacle of where they are at currently, they are still seeking help through business mentors, through therapy, through emotional support and financial support – they are still being mentored to make them the best.”

The co-hosts hope listeners will take away something that might inspire them to pursue their own business idea or help nurture it along.

“I think there is no set audience for the podcast because you are going to take away something no matter who you are,” Jayde says.

“Some of the interviewees have told us things they have never discussed publicly before which is great.

“They have said ‘we’ve told our story, but not this side of our story’.”

The co-hosts also say there is plenty of room for personal growth and improvement as they gain more experience in the podcast medium.

“We are excited because the content is already so good – if that is the starting point for us, we are onto something,” Stampsy says.

Passion to Profession Podcast is available on all major podcast platforms, including at feeds.transistor.fm/passion-to-profession-podcast. You can also follow @passiontoprofessionpodcast on Instagram.