As instructional designer and lecturer for “The Art of Podcasting” course, part of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications’ online master’s program, Heidi Kirby brings a special passion for storytelling in the digital age. She encourages her students to explore the ever-evolving world of creating, executing and promoting a podcast to prepare them far beyond a classroom setting.

With an undergraduate degree, two master's degrees—one in English Literature and one in Curriculum and Instruction—and a Ph.D. in Instructional Design and Technology, Kirby has found a way to seamlessly blend her different levels of expertise with her passion for expressing ideas and herself creatively. Kirby now leads learning and development consultancy Useful Stuff, which she founded in 2022.

“I actually started my own podcast back in 2020 during the pandemic,” Kirby said. “Some people baked bread. I started a podcast.” She started the “BLOC (Building Learning and Organizational Culture) Podcast” as a marketing effort for a small startup she worked for, but it quickly evolved into a much larger platform. With over 30,000 downloads across 100 countries, Kirby uses her platform to share meaningful conversations within the learning and development industry. The hands-on experience she learned from starting and maintaining this podcast gave her a strong foundation, so when she was invited to teach a podcasting course at UF, she jumped at the opportunity.

 “The Art of Podcasting” teaches students how to develop their target audience persona, plan episodes, design logos, record interviews and everything in between. Students get the unique opportunity to have an overall understanding of what goes on behind the podcasting scenes. 

“What I found is that the students who think that it's simple find out that it's complex, and the students who think it's complex find out it's far simpler than they thought.” At the end of the semester, students have a fully developed podcast trailer, which has been proven to be helpful in securing them post-graduate opportunities. One of her former students launched a now successful podcast that has over 100 episodes on a monetized platform.

Through her course, Kirby instills confidence and teaches skills and curiosity to her students. “Nobody wants to listen to two people just talking on a podcast unless you’re a celebrity or an influencer. You have to have a plan and a topic, you can't just sit there talking,” she advised. 

As she continues making an impact on the communications industry, Kirby wants students to remember to “be clear about what it is that you're trying to accomplish.  Whether that’s a degree, a career goal or backpacking through Europe. Make sure the goal is for you -- not for someone else.” 

When it comes to pursuing advanced degrees, she said, “You have to really have an intrinsic motivation. You can't do it because you want to get promoted at work, or because your parents want you to, or because your partner really thinks you should do it to support your family.” As an educator who promotes both inclusivity and authenticity, she continues to make herself a valuable leader for students in the communications world.

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