The pandemic has brought us a great deal of podcasts, and it’s sometimes hard to keep track of what’s out there, and what we should be listening to. But one podcast we’re absolutely thrilled to be addicted to is Julie Bowen (Modern Family, Ed, Boston Legal), and Chad Sanders (Black Magic, Grownish, HBO Max’s forthcoming Rap Sh!t, New York Times)’s Quitters, which premiered on February 14th.
We had a chance to talk to Bowen about the podcast, the concept of “shrinking to grow” and her favorite podcasts to listen to, and it was incredibly refreshing to realize there’s so much about what she had to say that speaks to us. Often, we put celebrities in a pedestal, which can have the unintended result of making them less human, when they are just like us – with fears and triumphs, joys and sorrows.
Starting with, of course, podcasts. I was already a big fan before the pandemic, but there was something incredibly soothing about filling the silence of lockdown with a voice that was making me think or teaching me something. And Bowen is a big fan, too.
“I am genuinely a fan of podcasts. I love them. There is something intimate about being able to listen in on a conversation,” she told us. “It makes sense that so many people connect with podcasts because you essentially get to listen in on real conversations and there’s so many to choose from that you can tailor your experience. Especially in the pandemic, podcasts kept people company during a time when we were so disconnected. They’re accessible, entertaining and, for the most part, free – what’s not to love?”
On her new podcast, Quitters, Bowen and Sanders explore the concept of “shrinking to grow,” and how admitting failure can be the thing we need to actually make changes. This is a concept that might get easier to understand if you listen to the podcast, but one that Julie was kind enough to clarify for us.
“It’s really about acknowledging what’s holding your back and taking the leap to let that go. Quitting has a traditionally negative connotation, but it’s not. One of the bravest things you can do is admitting what isn’t working and having the courage to move on.”
This is something Bowen really wanted to come across in the podcast, and something she hopes can help people process the idea that “admitting failure isn’t always negative.” Because, in the end “it is failures that we learn the most from and give us the most opportunity to grow.”
So, Quitters really wants to “turn failure into positive. We want to inspire people to go after their dreams and hope that people can learn from our mistakes.”
And of course, inspiration had to be our next question. Bowen very quickly pointed out at her co-host, Sanders, as the inspiration, for her and for the podcast, sharing with is that Sanders’ career “was launched with a quit – he worked in tech and couldn’t fit into that corporate culture, so he quit to become a writer,” calling that incredibly inspiring. She also added that “I have a lot of quits in my life that had seemed like failures, but Chad he helped me realize that they were all incredibly necessary to become the person I am today. Chad challenges me in the best way and at the end of the day we’re looking for the upside in everything.”
Look, if this isn’t the kind of inspiration we need right now, then I don’t know what is.
As for what Bowen’s favorite podcasts are, she had quite a list. “Conan O’brien Needs A Friend, Fresh Air, The Daily, and even newer podcasts like On Eyre (I’m a Jane Eyre nerd)– they’re part of my daily routine.” And her love for podcasts is what made her never consider one herself, at least not till she found the right partner, and the right idea.
You can check out Quitters podcast HERE.
