I’ve been on the road lately and can only listen to my “Jammin’🎧” playlist so many times. So on my most recent drive, I decided to be proactive and listen to an episode of Start Here. For those who don’t know, it’s VCET’s podcast sharing the stories of entrepreneurs around Vermont.
To tell you the truth, I listened because I wanted to find ways to improve. It’s a healthy practice that I don’t do enough. But I ended up getting hooked on the content itself. I was learning new things and laughing at stories that guests were sharing. I was really invested. So much so, that I listened to multiple episodes because the first one was so good. I tuned in to Neil Shah’s episode and realized how much of an influencer he was on Reddit. Then wanted to listen to Bill Calfee’s because I knew I initially missed details on his sailing adventures. I listened to a couple more after that and five hours flew by.
I say all of this because I learned a bigger lesson on this drive. Listen without thinking of your response.
When listening to Start Here, I was hearing things that I didn’t catch in the interview. I get that I was interviewing and needed to be prepared, but what about when I’m meeting with a founder? Or in a mentor moment? It’s easy to be in your head and try to craft a response that is perfect, but you’ll miss the point.
Short lesson today, but a good reminder to listen, intentionally.
Start Here has been around for 10 years. We’re 119 episodes in, with a record-breaking year of releases in 2026. Don’t mind me as I become the podcast’s biggest fan. No, not because I’m on it, but because these founders actually have really cool things to say and stories that change perspectives.
Andddd I do have one critique for myself: I say “wow” too much.
Whether you’re tuning into Start Here or having a coffee chat, happy listening!
-Nicole
