SERIAL comes to SB

For two months I have been counting down the hours until the creators of Serial, Julie Snyder and Sarah Koenig were to speak at UCSB's Campbell Hall. My obsession with Serial began about a year ago- I followed the Adnan Syed episodes week by week. I even got my Dad hooked. Serial is brilliant, captivating, and innovative. Hearing these incredibly gifted women speak was a gift and an inspiration.

Three things struck me the most from their talk. 

The first was how humble and unassuming these women were. Julie had worked for This American Life for seventeen years, and Sarah for twelve, before they launched Serial. They are radio producers- they never expected to become celebrity sensations. However, as their downloads number over 175,000,000, it's safe to say that these women have blazed a trail for a new format of journalism. Seeing them present on this topic, it was clear that they had no idea what they were getting into. They  weren't chasing fame or notoriety. Rather, they just wanted to do their job, and do it well. The success came because they were open to working hard and developing their craft. They took a chance, and it paid off big time.

The second was how much went into every episode. Not only did they take the time to research, tape, and edit each 45 minute (on average) episode- they also hired a team of fact checkers, traveled across the country to go deeper into research, and type out every word to ensure they would not misspeak. Because of their experience in the journalism world, they knew that they had to be thorough. And thank goodness they were- the original season of Serial garnered at least six spin-offs, where other journalists analyzed the episodes produced by Snyder and Koenig and picked apart the little details. Can you imagine what would have happened if either woman had speculated or forgotten to back their source? It was only because of their hard work and past experience that these women were able to pull of a revolution of audible media. 

Finally, I was so impressed by their openness. For their entire journey, both women sought out advice and assistance. They never believed themselves "too good" to reach out for help. They were flexible to change and ready to adapt. Their success made it blatantly obvious that good things come to those who are prepared, open, and willing to show up. It's a valuable lesson to learn that we are not in control of our lives, but we are in control of how we respond to situations and accept challenges. 

Julie Snyder and Sarah Koenig inspire me as women, journalists, and pioneers in a new field. They were confident in their ability to try something new, and as a result they made an incredible impact on the world. If you have the chance to see them speak, I highly recommend it. Also, take a listen to Serial, available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Let Julie and Sarah's story encourage you to embrace where you are- right now- and throw yourself into excelling in that place. You never know what new ideas or experiences await you when you passionately embrace your call.