Study Melbourne Ambassador Lu Ngo shares how she started her podcast ‘The Glocals’ and the lessons she’s learnt along the way.

Words and images by Lu Ngo, Study Melbourne Student Ambassador

I’m Lu Ngo, one of the Study Melbourne Ambassadors. In 2019, I finished my master’s degree in Australia and started my journey as a podcaster. My podcast is The Glocals, which aims to share knowledge and curate empathy.

I have Melbourne to thank for this new chapter of my life and I am so excited to learn as I go!

Getting started

After almost two years in Australia, I realised how beautiful the diverse voices in Melbourne are. I really wanted to capture that by creating content.

At the time, I didn't really know how. I just knew that I got inspiration from all the conversations I had with my friends and people in my network. This idea stuck with me for a while but I didn't feel like making videos because I wanted to focus on capturing the feelings, not the looks.

Then one day the idea came to me: The Glocals (global locals) is the name and podcasting is perfect! There hasn't been a podcast about conversations between everyday people. And with podcasting, there is no need for fancy studios, lighting, outfits or makeup – which applies to both me and my guests!

Choosing who to interview

I started off inviting all my friends to join the show because the idea is to capture all the diverse voices. The first few episodes proved to me how much I want to do this.

Everyone is amazing in their own way, so I started to reach out to people in my network to see if they were keen to join.

I also asked they knew anyone who would love to share what they truly care about with the world. Getting different guests to come on every week is really challenging. But it’s absolutely an exciting part of stakeholder management for the show.

Producing the podcast

Preparation for the podcast started with me writing down what the show is about and why it matters. When I had everything laid out, I started reaching out to potential guests and explaining what it is about.

When someone agrees to be interviewed, I arrange an in-person or virtual meeting. I do the recording with a Rode mic plugged into my laptop. This mic is so special to me because my best friends gave it to me on my 24th birthday – the day I launched the show. It was their way of showing how supportive they are of the podcast.

I also prepared a survey to capture each episode through the guest's opinions, ideas and suggestions. Based on this survey, I write the show notes before releasing each episode on Anchor.

Lessons

Working on The Glocals has taught me so much. Not only about humans in general but also myself.

Through each conversation, I learn new things, understand different perspectives and get reminders about things I might have absentmindedly overlooked. I also find my creative juices flowing and get inspiration to work on new things every week beside the podcast itself.

What is the most interesting is how much my friends and people in my network compliment me on my potential as a host. It’s something I never thought much about because I simply wanted to try something different that brings value to the world. This makes me really happy and it is a good example of "you'll never know unless you try".

Podcast inspiration

Before starting the podcast, I'd been a huge fan of the ‘Get Merry’ podcast by Emma and Carla Papas and ‘On Purpose’ by Jay Shetty. I learnt so much from them about having a growth mindset and articulating what you mean. After listening to so many podcast episodes by them, I started mine because they give me the mental boost I really needed.

Get involved

Starting a podcast can seem daunting, like starting anything new. But it can also be the best thing ever if you love meaningful conversations.

I am actually planning to expand The Glocals family and build a team of like-minded people by having multiple series about different topics. It is going to be more challenging but also even more exciting. If you are inspired by this idea, why don't you join me?