Today we’d like to introduce you to Sydney Weiss.
Sydney, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Seek The Joy Podcast is an idea I dreamt up in September 2017 while I was waiting for California Bar Results. It was the second time I sat for the exam (p.s. I passed! Hallelujah!) and I was sitting in my apartment reflecting on the last year. The woman I saw in the mirror staring back at me was different. She was calmer, kinder to herself, and happier. She was no longer the panicked negative self-talker she was a year ago.
Seek The Joy Podcast is your go-to podcast for heartfelt storytelling and conversations on all things self-love, joy, connection, wellness, and spirituality. Through stepping into our authenticity, we’re reconnecting to the light within and exploring our joy blueprint.
Every episode is a space for real, honest, and open conversation and an opportunity to connect, inspire, empower and grow. Over the last 11 months Seek The Joy has evolved into exactly what I dreamed it would – a discussion and a conversation about who we really are and what we came here to do. We’re showing up for ourselves in ways we never thought possible, and it’s been pretty amazing to witness.
I should probably rewind a little bit. In 2016 I had a slew of health issues – from shingles to appendicitis – and when you couple that with graduating from law school and sitting for the California bar exam, and not passing, I wasn’t in a good place. When I found out I didn’t pass the bar exam in November 2016 the negative self-talk I’ve carried with me my whole life got worse. I was in a space of shame, anger, and embarrassment, and months of not listening to my body, running myself ragged, and being down right mean to myself take its toll.
I decided it was time for a change, and over the next year I made space for myself. I took time to get to know me and I started listening and trusting my gut more. For the first time in my life I started to peel back the layers and understand and love who I am and who I wanted to be. I slowly shifted my perspective from anger to self-love, and by the time I found out I passed the bar in November 2017, I noticed an obvious difference in how I spoke to myself and others. There was more compassion and kindness, and less anger and fear. I was in a different place, mind, body and soul, and little did I know it was just the beginning.
While staring at myself in the mirror in September 2017, I remember experiencing this moment of insane inspiration. I knew I wanted to start a conversation and create a way to connect with others who had similar stories and experiences. I wanted to build a community and a space to share personal stories, explore our joy, and learn and grow through stepping into our vulnerability, courage, and reconnecting to our authentic voice. That night it clicked – why not start a podcast? I took out my journal and started sketching out my idea. The next thing I knew Seek The Joy Podcast was born.
I’m a podcast fanatic. Seriously! I listen to about 8-10 podcasts pretty religiously every week. I’m really a big talker (both a blessing and a curse) and I love to learn about people through listening to their stories. For me, sharing my story and connecting with others through podcasting felt like a no brainer. As a kid who grew up with a pretty strong lisp and who was embarrassed by my own voice, this isn’t something I thought I’d ever do! I’ve grown so much, and I’ve stepped further into owning and celebrating my voice and my journey. I can’t wait to see the podcast continue to grow, and I’m so excited to grow with it.
The name of the podcast, “Seek The Joy” was inspired by an engraved bracelet I made in 2014 after a very honest conversation with a friend. He said, very honestly, that I needed more joy in my life. My first response was (literally) “um, okay?” The truth was I didn’t have joy in my life, I didn’t even know where to begin to start seeking joy in my life. His words resonated with me and I decided I needed a permanent reminder to bring more joy into my life and really feel it. I ordered the bracelet and the rest is history.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Getting here hasn’t been a smooth road, but I’m so proud of the community Seek The Joy Podcast is inspiring and creating. I’m really proud to be able to say I’ve built this all by myself, and it’s taken me a while to really own that and say “I did this! I’m doing this!” From contacting and coordinating guests, editing the audio for every episode, and creating the social media content and marketing, I do it all.
I’m completely self-taught and I had absolutely no media or podcasting experience before this. I was so inspired and excited to get started that I just threw myself into the podcast. Some days are easier than others and learning to balance it all with everything else that I have going on has probably been the most challenging part. I’m learning to embrace and celebrate the challenges because I know it’s through discomfort and uncertainty that real growth and opportunity arises. I’m learning to strengthen my “trust muscles,” as I like to call them.
Every time I doubt myself or question why I’m sharing so much of myself, I come back to the countless e-mails and messages I’ve received from people all around the world. I recently got an e-mail from someone who connected to my journey and who also had shingles in her mid-20’s. Another recent e-mail came from a woman who shared that for the first time in her life she felt like she had a community she connected to and a safe space to be herself. Every message reminds me why I started, and to say that I’ve been blown away by the response to the podcast is definitely an understatement. You really never know how your bravery, courage, and joy will inspire another to stand in their truth and share their story.
Seek The Joy Podcast – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Seek The Joy Podcast is a really wonderful community of women and men who are willing to step outside of their comfort zones, show up for themselves, and share their personal stories. Every week someone hops on the microphone with me and chooses to stand tall in their vulnerability and show up just as they are. It’s really empowering to witness. We’re all searching for connection, to be seen and heard for who we really are, and I’m grateful that Seek The Joy Podcast provides a space free of judgment to do just that.
On Seek The Joy, every episode, every message, and every story that I share resonates with listeners all over the world because they’re about celebrating every aspect of our journey, not hiding our authentic selves, and not being afraid to feel our way through it all. With episodes airing every Tuesday, each episode is a space to connect, inspire, empower, and grow, and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to chat with people from all around the world who are willing to step into their vulnerability and share their stories.
What I love so much about the conversations I get to have is that they’re unlike any I’ve heard on any other podcast. This is what makes Seek The Joy Podcast different. Every conversation is honest, vulnerable, unique, uplifting, and real. Life is a journey, we are constantly evolving, and this podcast reflects that. There’s always a moment during every conversation where something is said that stops me in my tracks or where a lightbulb goes off in my head. We all have so much wisdom to share, and I’m always blown away by their insight.
I’m really proud of the authentic storytelling I’ve brought to life, especially with The Power of Storytelling series I launched in January. So many of us spend our lives running away from vulnerability and connection (me included), and hiding from who we are, what we love, and what really lights us up. I’ve learned that vulnerability and connection are two of our greatest assets, but it takes strength and courage to be vulnerable. With this series I wanted to create a space that would allow us to own our truth and our journeys by sharing our stories the way we want to share them.
Every month people from all around the world send me their stories. Stories about staying true to themselves, empowerment, self-acceptance, kindness, mental health, wellness, love, loss – the list goes on. Every story is courageous, vulnerable, honest, and relatable, and what I love so much about this series is its impact. It’s been amazing to see how a woman in Germany can relate to a story from a woman in Ohio. You never know how your bravery, courage, and joy will inspire another to stand in their truth and share their story.
I’ve really fallen in love with sharing stories and connecting with this courageous, brave, and vulnerable community we’re building together. Seek The Joy is really just getting started, and I’m so excited to continue this journey of connection, love and joy.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
For me, success is taking risks, putting myself out there, and owning my vulnerability. It’s about being unconditionally proud of myself and not fearing those emotional risks. I’d also have to say when someone says, “I’ve been listening to your podcast and it’s had such a strong impact of my life” or “I recommended your podcast to a friend.” To hear that what I’ve built and created resonates with someone, or has inspired them in some way, that to me is success.
I really think kindness, authenticity, courage and drive are all markers of success. Seek The Joy Podcast is a platform based on kindness and authenticity, and I wouldn’t be where I am today if I didn’t have the courage to start something new, and the drive to keep going even when times are tough.
This is what I know for sure. We’re here for love, joy and connection. We’re meant to fully step forward in our authenticity and allow ourselves to reconnect to the light within, to who we are. We’re here to remember that we’re never alone and that life is meant to be lived in color. To do that requires us to be our authentic selves – and to me, that’s the key to any success.
Contact Info:
- Website: seekthejoypodcast.com
- Email: info@seekthejoypodcast.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/seekthejoypodcast
- Facebook: Facebook.com/seekthejoypodcast
- Twitter: Twitter.com/seekthejoypod
- Other: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/seek-the-joy/id1287315751?mt=2
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