I Started a Podcast - Have We Peeked™

After emerging from what I believe was a period of creative incubation and decompression, one of the first things I did was start my podcast. I had set everything up on the platform long before I resigned. Still, I only recently recorded and published my first episode.

In this episode, I discuss how “Have We Peeked” originated. How it all began with voice memos—just me talking into my phone, trying to figure out my life and make sense of my thoughts during long commutes to and from work. Over time, those voice memos evolved into something more significant: a podcast.

I explain the origin of the name, why it’s called “Have We Peeked,” and the unique spelling. I also share a bit about myself and how everything came together.

This Was Not Easy

I want to be very clear about something:

This was not easy.

I don’t have much experience with a lot of what I’m doing right now. When you have something in mind that you want to create, there’s a learning curve, and learning takes time. It involves a lot of backtracking, recreating, reviewing, researching, and redoing things over and over again—especially when you’re working solo.

Media Team of One

Currently, I’m a media team of one, so yes, there’s a learning curve, and yes, it can be frustrating. But it also requires consistency.

It’s not “hard” in the sense that it’s impossible. It’s hard because it’s time-consuming. The time it takes often doesn’t match the pace I have in mind—the vision of how quickly I want things to come together. When you lack experience, it can be difficult to anticipate how things will go.

Don’t Give Up

So when things don’t go according to plan—when there are hiccups or setbacks—it’s frustrating to have to backtrack. But that’s part of the process.

It requires you to step back, gather yourself, and return to the work anyway. You must keep coming back to the project, even when it’s not progressing as you imagined.

The Gap Between Vision and Execution

We’re fortunate to live in a time with so many available resources—so much information to help guide us. However, even with that, you still have to take that information, apply it, test it in real time, and adjust as you go. This means recalibrating your expectations to align with reality.

Ideally, you want things to unfold exactly as you envision them. But the gap between vision and execution—that’s where the friction lies. Much of the pressure we feel comes from ourselves. It’s human, and it’s real, especially when you’re trying to bring something from your mind into reality.

Recording My First Episode

I recorded and edited my first episode so many times. I was unbelievably nervous. And I realized something:

It is very different to record something that only you will hear
versus recording something that anyone could hear.

Voice notes feel natural to me. They’re comfortable. It’s just me—sometimes I’m driving, sometimes I’m relaxing, just speaking whatever comes to mind. It’s like a journal. There’s no pressure. If I pause, if I trail off, if I’m thinking in real time—it doesn’t matter.

Same Voice, Different Medium

Podcasting is different.

There are so many things you have to be aware of just to make it presentable—background noise, posture, and mic distance, just to name a few. It’s more structured.

And because of that, you really have to stay present while you’re speaking. You can’t just drift in and out of your thoughts the same way. Even the pauses and gaps—things that don’t matter in a voice note—stand out more in a podcast.

Still, for me, that adjustment was initially challenging.

But it’s part of the process. It’s just another layer of learning how to take something that feels private and make it something you’re ready to share.

I had to get past — not being so hard on myself

Because it’s my first episode, and it’s not going to be perfect.

But it’s done.

And done is better than perfect.

The Fear of Being Seen

Another challenge I had to confront was fear. I am naturally introverted and somewhat shy, which adds a layer of vulnerability to everything I’m doing now. I’m creating things that other people will see and hear, a role I never realistically envisioned for myself.

While I have always been drawn to creative outlets, I largely suppressed that side of me for a long time in pursuit of “stability.” I don’t regret it, though, because that experience shaped my work ethic, perspective, and vision for the life I want to lead now.

The Shift

Once I finally published the episode, I realized that all the fear, frustration, anxiety, and learning had been worth it. I’m glad I pushed through it because publishing it had an amazing impact on me.

It affected me on so many levels—internally, emotionally, behaviorally, psychologically, and creatively. It shifted something within me, and I felt an overwhelming sense of happiness and pride.

The Beauty of Intrinsic Rewards

At that point, that feeling had nothing to do with positive feedback (although it’s definitely welcomed). What truly mattered was that I took the leap and did it anyway.

I moved through the fear and anxiety and still showed up. There’s something incredibly healing about that—a reward that’s hard to describe, because it has nothing to do with external validation and everything to do with proving to yourself that you can succeed.

That realization alone makes the experience worthwhile. After publishing this episode, I felt the power of seeing myself in a new light and recognizing:

“Wow… I am capable of this.”

Listen to the First Episode

Starting this podcast wasn’t random—it came after a major shift in my life.

If you want to see what that looked like, you can read more about that here:

👉 Why I’m Leaving My Job After 21 Years—and Why I’m at Peace With It