She’s a published author and gemologist, and now Paige Parker adds “podcaster” to her list of accomplishments with her series, Pass the Power with Paige Parker, launched earlier this month.
Born of Parker’s curiosity about successful people, the series features accomplished thought leaders and personalities representing a wide range of industries and disciplines, who discuss their back stories and share words of wisdom.
The guests who have made an appearance so far on the 14-episode first season are ambassador-at-large Prof Tommy Koh, Pangdemonium artistic director Tracie Pang, Singapore Exchange CEO Loh Boon Chye, and restaurateur and hotelier Loh Lik Peng. In the upcoming episodes, expect to hear from banker Tan Su Shan, pastry chef Janice Wong, chef and food writer Violet Oon, and more. Plus, a second season is in the works already.
A voracious listener of podcasts herself, Parker’s favourites include The Michelle Obama Podcast (“I her exploration and sharing on relationships,”) On Purpose with Jay Shetty (“The former monk is just brilliant,”) WorkLife with Adam Grant (“I loved his book Think Again, and sometimes I feel like he tells us what we already know, but it helps to hone in on what’s most important,”) and The Business of Fashion Podcast (“[for] learning about news in fashion, such as Kering investing in Vestiaire.”)
We chat with Paige Parker on how her podcasting journey began.
Why did you name your podcast Pass the Power, and why is it that an important message?
The name Pass the Power with Paige Parker implies my desire to pass on knowledge, insights, lessons, and wisdom from today’s thought leaders to benefit listeners. Pass the Power with Paige Parker dares to educate, entertain, and inspire.
How do you define success, and what is it about successful people that fascinates you?
Success stems from the confidence we hold in ourselves and our beliefs, and committing to amplify that, so we may become the best version of ourselves, in order to do good, whether personally or professionally.
How long have you had the idea to launch a podcast, and why did you launch it at this point in time?
This has been brewing for more than a year, and the pandemic and resulting Circuit Breaker, with far more time at home, gave me pause to shape and develop the idea. I wanted to offer an in-depth podcast series, dedicated to young professionals, with conversations of hope, led by the leading minds of our time. I think we are in a moment when these conversations are needed.
What kind of preparation did you have to do to get the podcast off the ground?
I listened to many podcasts and thought long and hard on how to shape mine. I pitched the idea to Althea Lim, who heads Gushcloud International, and she agreed the podcast was worthy and needed. Her company is partnering with me to produce the podcast, which is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.
Listeners want content, specific to their interests, on demand, when convenient. They are reading less, while absorbing more news and information online and via social media. Podcasts will play a big part in the future of content, especially since we are all time-starved, and podcasts allow us to multitask while listening.
A great perk, too, is with my podcast, I may discuss topics and causes I support; inevitably, we will spend some time focusing on local business, the arts, gender equality, work life balance, the guest’s guidance for those aspiring in their field, and even parenting. I invited all of the guests via email, researched, and planned the content of each episode. The production side is handled by Gushcloud International.
My 13-year-old, Bee, has not been involved yet, but she listens and asks questions on the content. I recorded an episode with Hilton, my 17-year-old, along with my husband, Jim, to wrap Season One.
What’s something you experienced during that process that you hadn’t foreseen?
I guess we all know there’s a long road to build a successful podcast, but I think it’s tougher than I imagined. The initial hoopla that came with the podcast launch, which featured Prof Tommy Koh, was short lived, so now I am working very hard to drive people to the newest episode each Monday. I have great people on the podcast, offering insights and stories that are touching and profound, and thus, I want to do everything in my power to share this with as many as possible.
What’s the most interesting lesson you’ve learned from your guests so far?
Every guest has reinforced the notion that failure isn’t bad, since often we learn more from our mistakes than when things are going well with success upon us, and few of our thought leaders had tiger moms in their formative years! Most have genuine optimism in millennials, and gender equality is top-of-mind for all. I suppose I knew all of this, but it is reaffirming, and sometimes that is all we need to know we’re OK, and everything is going to be OK.
What have you learned through interviewing them that you’ve applied to your own life?
I have brought the episodes home to the dining room table for discussions with my family. I think the discussions on gender equality, volunteering and philanthropy, work-life balance, and even the importance of the arts in education have inspired me to aim to be a better me.
Also, since my daughter Hilton is applying to universities, I have found the conversations on higher education, and even what these leaders are looking for in employees, to be useful talking points with her.
Pass the Power with Paige Parker is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts, with new episodes launching every Monday.