Michelle Marshall (left) and Linda Tooth, co-producers and hosts of the Cats, Community and Conversation podcast are grateful for the support they have received from community members and local organizations and businesses. They especially wish to thank Nutters for providing them space to record and produce.--NEWS PHOTO KENDALL KING
kking@medicinehatnews.com
The air is light as Hatters Linda Tooth and Michelle Marshall sit down to record for their weekly podcast Cats, Community and Conversations.
While the pair don’t shy away from topics serious in nature, they aim to create an atmosphere comfortable for both guests and listeners in which to approach such.
“We want it to be like if you’re listening to our podcast, it’s like you’re sitting here having coffee,” Marshall told the News.
“We do have a lot of fun,” said Tooth. “And we laugh a lot. We have a lot of guests who are on talking about different serious topics. We know that. But we do try and bring some light to it.”
Marshall, who has a professional background in marketing, and Tooth, a verbal and non-verbal communications instructor at Medicine Hat College, met earlier this year and instantly bonded over their shared love for animals and their community. As their friendship progressed, they discovered a mutual desire to bring awareness to community issues, especially those involving animals.
“We just started talking about how to help the community and started talking about podcasting, and then it just naturally evolved,” said Marshall. “And so from there, we started reaching out to a few people in the community and (invited them) to be part of this delightful conversation. And it was just so nice to be able to connect with new people in the community and to hear their stories.”
While the Cats, Community and Conversations does have a local focus, Marshall and Tooth say many of the topics discussed are relevant to other communities as well.
“We’re noticing that with the podcast we have a lot of people from outside of this area that are listening to it as well. I think that it’s just bringing to light the issues that are happening in Calgary and Lethbridge, too,” said Tooth. “So, I think we (started with) this idea of local, but we’ve also branched out, and we want to go more.”
Since the first episode aired on May 30, the pair have covered topics ranging from Medicine Hat’s overpopulation of stray cats to provincial red alerts to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. They have also conducted interviews with prominent figures in Medicine Hat – like city councillors Cassi Hider and Andy McGrogan, and the News layout editor Scott Schmidt – to learn more about each figure as a professional as well as a person.
The pair has also introduced a virtual book club, which is currently working through One Good Thing by Alexandra Potter, and occasionally release lighthearted episodes, like the most recent titled ‘Fun Facts About Cats.’
Somewhat of a hodgepodge of content, Marshall and Tooth believe in the value such content has for community members, especially following two years of social disruption, isolation and global uncertainty.
“For me, personally, I just want to get people talking,” said Tooth. “COVID has killed that. I see that in my classrooms every day. So, we need to get people talking again. (And) we’ll discuss anything. We’re not limiting ourselves to just one particular topic.”
Just shy of four months into production of Cats, Community and Conversations, Marshall and Tooth are pleased with the feedback they have received, as well as the growth of listeners locally, nationally and internationally. The pair is excited to continue with the podcast and welcome community members to follow them as they do so.
“We’d love for people to listen and join the conversation,” said Marshall. “You can find us on all major podcast platforms: Spotify, Apple, iHeart Radio, (as well as) lifewithlinda.ca.
“We also have a Facebook page that we’ve created. So you can join the conversation there.”
Cats, Community and Conversations airs weekly, uploading either Wednesday or Thursday.
