The Mosaic of China Podcast Enters its Third Season

Like many of us in Shanghai, I’ve been feeling thoroughly displeased for the last few months. But I’ve decided that it’s time to come out of mourning for ‘life before COVID-Zero’ and to start living again. Or at least to enjoy whatever window of freedom we have been granted for this moment.

Luckily, I found 200 people who felt the same way, and we gathered in Shanghai to celebrate the Season 03 launch of the Mosaic of China podcast. With a fantastic slate of 30 new guests coming up over the next 30 weeks, this season is the reminder we all needed that there are still some amazing people under our noses, representing 30 unique perspectives on what it’s like to live and work in China. A true Mosaic.


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Interview with the China-Britain Business Council

These days I have a love/hate relationship with the label ‘entrepreneur’. But the life of an independent content creator and an entrepreneur is very similar. You can be fueled with pride for your mission one day, and paralysed with doubt and self-loathing the next. But with the help of positive people around you, you do have the chance to live comfortably with this creative tension, and preserve your equilibrium.


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100,000 Downloads

A big thank you to everyone who helped Mosaic of China achieve its 100,000th download at the beginning of this month.

It's still a modest project, but I'm grateful for every single person who has taken the time to engage with these stories.


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Sixty Stories

Yes, there’s a podcast about China that is both informative… and fun.

Leaving aside political and ideological differences, there’s much to be learnt from the stories of people living their lives in China. Whether you’re in the arts, business or science, every episode will provoke your curiosity and challenge your assumptions, no matter where in the world you live.

A big thank you to all 60 guests who have so far appeared on Mosaic of China, and a special thanks to everyone who joined us at the end-of-Season party in Shanghai.


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Mosaic of China Season 02 Begins

I spend most of my time either a) scuttling between coffee shops and a tiny recording studio 🦀 or b) holed up at home, editing audio in my loungewear. 🦨

So it was lovely to bring together 100 people to celebrate the upcoming launch of the new season of the Mosaic of China podcast. A huge thanks to everyone who came, you have made this project come to life. 🥂🥰


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40,000 Downloads

In the big scheme of things, 40,000 downloads is very modest. But I’m deeply grateful for each and every one of them.

Thank you to everyone here for all your support of the Mosaic of China podcast. I’m looking forward to Round 2!

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The Job of an Independent Podcaster

So what actually is the job of an independent podcaster?

It’s now halfway through 2020 and I’m approaching the 1-year anniversary of the Mosaic of China podcast. So I thought I would have a go at writing my own job description.

1) Technical Production

• Audio Equipment Set-Up

• Web Hosting & Content Aggregators Set-Up

2) Artistic Production

• Format & Content Design

• Brand & Art Design

• Sound & Music Design

• Web & Social Media Design

3) Content Production

• Series Content Production

• Guest Outreach, Research & Coordination

• Studio & Interview Production

• Editing & Post-Production

4) Audience Outreach & Marketing

• Copy Writing & Image Sourcing

• Web & Social Media Community Management

• Marketing & Audience Building

Most people think that recording interviews is the main part of my job, so it might be a surprise to see it tucked away in part 3c) of the list above. In fact, most of my time these days is spent in guest coordination, sound editing, and audience outreach.

I hope this helps to demystify the effort it takes to get a project of this kind up and running. My question for anyone else in the podcasting arena is, does this correlate with your experiences? What have I missed out?!

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A Plethora of Platforms

I recently did an audit, and have discovered the Mosaic of China podcast listed on 53 different podcasting platforms. FIFTY THREE! This *does* include two platforms in China (喜马拉雅 and 微博) but it *doesn't* include those Android apps that I can't access from my Apple phone. So I'm assuming the total number would be even higher.

My questions to both podcasting fans and professionals are:

1. What did I miss in my audit? I believe I've curated the most comprehensive list, but tell me if I'm wrong. New podcasting platforms seem to be popping up on the daily.

2. Does anyone have a sense of when we can expect some consolidation in this space? Or is this confusing podcasting multiverse forever here to stay?

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Just Shut Up And Listen

In my decade as a headhunter and year as a podcaster, I estimate that I have had meetings with around 10,000 people. And if I had to hone down my 3 top tips for getting the most out of interviews, they would be simple:

1. Just shut up and let your guest speak;

2. Mirror the energy of your guest, don’t allow it to be the other way around; and

3. Listen deeply.

If you could condense your interview technique into just 3 top tips, what would they be?

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Curiosity Killed The Sinophobe

There is an in-built problem with making English-language content about life in China.

On the one hand, it is hard to reach those outside China, who may prefer not to seek out stories about a country they view entirely with suspicion.

And on the other hand, it is hard to reach those inside China, who may see themselves as “China Experts” who are beyond learning from the experiences of others.

I have tried to break through this dichotomy by creating a podcast focused on two things: human stories and fanciful trivia. Blending the novel, the engaging, the informative and the entertaining, my hope is to appeal to anyone around the world who is both curious and open-minded.

This is one of the topics that I discuss with fellow podcaster Joshua Ogden-Davis in the special end-of-season episode of Mosaic of China. I don’t like being on the other side of the interview table, so please enjoy listening to me squirm!

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The First Thirty Tiles

One podcast season. Thirty human stories. 一个播客节目。三十个人类故事。

Revealing China through the lens of journalism, fashion, technology, food, theatre, diplomacy, marketing, hospitality, art, invention, beauty, history, touring, luxury, music, diversity, playwriting, sport, entertainment, language, jewelry, comedy, business, wellbeing, broadcasting, addiction, dance, entrepreneurship, film, and... fish. 🐟

Each episode is around 25-minutes long, designed to be entertaining and informative without overstaying it’s welcome.

I want to say a big thank you to all 30 guests in the first season of Mosaic of China, to all the individuals and organisations who have supported the project, and of course to you for listening. It has been a pleasure to share these stories with you.

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Halfway Through Season 1

With 15 episodes released, we have now reached the halfway point of Season 1 of Mosaic of China. It’s a podcast series of short interviews with interesting people, designed to be entertaining no matter how much you know (or don’t know!) about China.

Let me know your thoughts if you have the chance to listen. And big thanks to everyone who has helped with the project so far, including Milo de Prieto Desmond for editing support, Denny Newell for graphic design support, and Alston Gong for China technical support.

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Career & Coffee

The two simplest pieces of advice I can give to anyone who feels stuck in their career today is:

1. Find a good career advisor you can trust. Not just someone who tells you what you want to hear. Not just someone who tells you about jobs in the market. But someone who truly listens.

2. Listen to the Career & Coffee Podcast. 16 episodes released over 8 weeks, specifically targeting people who are feeling stuck.

I don’t think I gave much practical advice in my episode, but I’m sure the other 15 will be amazing. Thank you for the fun interview, Ann Calman and Amelia Novakovic.

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I Added One More Podcast To The Giant Podcast Bin

I’m excited to be launching the new Mosaic of China podcast.

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Secrets of a Podcast Junkie

Here are my secrets to getting the most out of podcasts:

1. Subscribe to podcasts liberally, including those that you’re not sure about. Turn off the automatic download setting, and only download the individual episodes that pique your interest. If you’re not convinced after listening to a few choice episodes, unsubscribe.

2. Simply listen to all podcast shows in chronological order as they are published, if you like variety. But by sorting them into channels, you can listen according to mood, avoiding jarring jumps between the intellectual and the inane.

3. I always start with the news and other time-sensitive podcasts; everything else can wait. Since that’s usually morbidly depressing, it requires an immediate antidote of comedy and pop culture. With my mood reset, I can first venture into light chat, before flexing my empathy muscles with some storytelling, then finally ending with the most cerebral and thought-provoking content. At this point, I’m ready to go back to the news and begin the cycle again.

4. There aren’t enough minutes in the day to listen to all this content. So let the podcasts build up, and binge-listen on your next train journey, long-distance run, or vacation. Don’t feel bad about deleting the ones you never get around to. And for the truly obsessed, you can save time by listening at 1.5 or 2 times the speed.

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