Mia Freedman is stepping away from her podcast No Filter.
The Mamamia co-founder made the announcement on both her podcast and her Substack: ‘Mia Freedman’s Babble’. Freedman wrote that “after 10 years, 655 episodes, and 69 million downloads of No Filter, I’m stepping away from the microphone”.
The mother-of-three went on to reveal this isn’t the first time she has attempted to hand over podcast hosting duties to “other extremely capable women” while she took “a month-long break”.
She added: “But this time it’s different. This time it’s permanent.”
Freedman went on to detail the reasons behind her decision, writing: “One is burnout but not in the way you might think. Doing the same thing, over and over, is a form of creative burnout I struggle with periodically.”
She continued: “I’m either obsessive about my goat-track, wanting to do/eat/listen to the same thing over and over and finding comfort in the guardrails imposed by routine. Or suddenly feeling almost physically ill at the thought of doing/eating/listening to that thing one more time. Mostly, because I am an adult and the co-founder of a business, I have to find ways to overcome creative burnout and dig deeper and just get on with it.”
The 53-year-old revealed that while “people often assume running a business means you get to choose what you want to do because you’re the boss. In fact, it’s the opposite.”
“You must do whatever the business needs you to do, whatever your team needs, whatever is required to keep the wheels turning and the revenue coming in the door,” she said.
The other reason for her departure was … maths.
She explained: “It’s simple, really. Co-hosting Mamamia Outloud (now Australia’s 3rd biggest podcast which is a daily show), writing this newsletter, being co-founder of a company that’s grown from just-me to 150+ people, plus three kids, two dogs, and one granddaughter is a lot. Something had to give, and I finally admitted I had to make some choices.”
Kate Langbroek and Mia Freedman.
Freedman has already locked in her replacement, with radio veteran Kate Langbroek set to take over. Langbroek filled-in for Freedman last summer and, according to the now former host, “brings everything that has made No Filter distinctive in an increasingly crowded interview space: maternal energy (without the sanctimony), sharp wit, and that rare ability to make guests forget they’re being interviewed. She’s also wonderfully secure – not trying to impress anyone or play to any agenda. Just wants to have fascinating conversations.”
In a full circle moment, Freedman revealed that she would be Langbroek’s first guest, sitting down with her on the podcast next week.
Picture: Mia Freedman