Maven to Know: LINDSEY HEIN
After having her first baby in 2012, Lindsey Hein knew she wanted to be a stay-at-home mom while still working part-time. She took up some freelance and social media work before eventually choosing to give podcasting a try.
Hein, a boy mom of four and seasoned runner, lives with her family of six nestled between a lively Broad Ripple and downtown Indianapolis. In addition to podcasting, she coaches runners and writes personalized training plans.
“I just really wanted to create a show that I would want to listen to,” Hein says. “I was having a hard time finding the exact kind of recipe that I was looking for and so I created a show for runners.”
She currently hosts the podcast, I’ll Have Another with Lindsey Hein, where she talks about motivating and inspiring runners each week. If that’s not enough on her already full plate, she also founded her own podcast network (SandyBoy Productions) in 2019, which currently houses four podcasts, some of which she hosts and co-hosts.
We caught up with Hein to get an insider’s perspective on starting a podcast, how to stay disciplined while working from home, and whether or not people who hate running can actually get into the sport.
Maven superpower: Ignoring the massive messes my kids make on a daily basis.
Any advice for starting a podcast?
Know your why — why do you want to start a podcast? And have a long-term vision for it because a lot of shows are weekly shows and weeks go by really quickly. So, you really need to have your vision laid out for what the show is going to look like ahead of time.
How can people gain more followers for their podcast?
If you’re really proud of something that you’re doing, you shouldn’t be ashamed to promote it. Get out of your comfort zone and really, really push the show. Honestly, I used to send handwritten letters to running stores around the country just saying “Hey, my name’s Lindsey Hein, I host a podcast about running. I think that your staff and customer base might enjoy listening.”
How are you able to stay disciplined working from home?
It ebbs and flows, and I don’t do it perfectly at all. There are weeks where I sit at my computer and stare at the screen and think, “What the heck am I even doing?” One thing for sure is that I know I have to get these episodes out every single week and I have been very diligent about not skipping weeks. I think holding myself accountable in that sense, knowing that I have an audience that I care deeply about, that it’s relying on me to produce something, that is really one of the main things that holds me accountable.
What’s some advice for people who hate running but are trying to get into the sport?
If you hate running, you maybe haven’t done it enough. I always say that when people start running, it’s uncomfortable at first. So, you have to ease into it and give yourself enough time to get used to it. I also always like to remind people: The first mile is hard for everybody. You need to just give yourself time and work up to it, too. Go for a one-minute walk, one-minute run. Do it in intervals so you’re not trying to bite off this big chunk all at once. And stay consistent. Don’t run one time and then not run again for another week.
Who is someone you look up to?
Sally McRae. She’s someone who has been on my podcast and she actually came to Indy last year for a live show that I did. She is just an incredible athlete, an incredible mom. I look up to her for so many reasons. Her interview will go down as an all-time favorite.
Where do you find inspiration for your podcast and business?
I just really have the desire to create and write the plans for my life, which I know you can’t really do, you can’t plan everything. I see other people in this online space who work for themselves who are able to kind of be their own boss and I want that for myself. I think the freedom that comes from working for yourself is really inspiring to me.
You’ve run the Boston Marathon three times. What’s the hardest part about running a marathon?
Miles 18-26! I think the mental side of running a marathon is really hard. You really have to prepare your mind to handle how hard it’s going to be. Because no matter how hard you train, it’s still going to be challenging. So you have to get your head in the right place to know that you trust your training and that getting to the finish line is something you can do. And you have to believe that you can do it. I think mental preparation is just as important as physical preparation.
Any races or career aspirations you’re trying for?
In my heart, I have aspirations to break three hours in the marathon but I’m not ready to train for that yet because I know the discipline that will take. You have to be super disciplined and I’m not ready to do that just yet. My best time is three hours and 11 minutes.
What’s one of your favorite places to run?
We like to run at Crown Hill, which is the cemetery. It’s beautiful and it’s just a few blocks from our house. We run on the Monon a lot, but a lot of times I just run through our neighborhood in Midtown and see my neighbors and say hi as I run by.
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