‘Sometimes you just need to be a little selfish’ … that’s the message behind the empowering podcast Selfish Sesh hosted by Marisa Jayne.
Featuring regular chats with inspiring women, the podcast delves into the world of self-love, confidence, mental health, sex, and relationships – honestly! Think of the best chats you’ve ever had with your friends over brunch or cocktails (or both) and that’s exactly the environment Marisa creates.
I was lucky enough to be a guest on the show recently and honestly, it was like having a great chat with your bestie, even though we had just met.
So what inspired Marisa to start the podcats? That and much more is what we discussed in a recent interview.
Congratulations on the success of Selfish Sesh – it’s such an awesome podcast! What inspired you to start it?
Firstly, thank you so much – whenever I chat to someone who listens to the show, my heart actually skips a beat! Audio media has always been such a huge part of my life and prior to falling in love with podcasts a few years ago, I was obsessed with broadcast radio. I had been sitting on the desire to start a podcast for a while, as a lot of the shows that I religiously listen to (longer-form interview shows) are hosted and produced by men or if they were female-driven, all tended to interview the same influencer in the span of a month.
I saw a gap in the market for unique conversations with diverse thought leaders that also had a sparkle of femininity, creativity, and a lot of fun thrown into the mix. As soon as this little thing called COVID happened and I had a little bit more time up my sleeve, I dived straight into the Selfish Sesh, which is now beginning to take on a life of its own!
How did you come up with the name Selfish Sesh?
My whole thing is you need to turn your weaknesses into your biggest strengths. Am I self-absorbed? Sometimes. Do I speak over people to talk about myself? Yes, often. Have I ever been called selfish? Yeap, my parents tell me that all the time.
By any means of the words, I am not an inherently bad person and I care deeply for my friends and my family, almost too much, but I am a firm believer that sometimes, you need to be a little selfish and put yourself and your needs first. It also connects so beautifully to what the podcast is about – guests talking all about their sense of self. From there, Selfish Sesh was born.
What do you hope your listeners will get from the shows?
I really want my listeners to learn to be unapologetically themselves and then also love that person completely and utterly too. I hope that Selfish Sesh can be the antidote to the self-image crisis that is only getting worse these days with the likes of Photoshop and Instagram. I wish I had something like Selfish Sesh growing up, as I suffered from such low self-esteem. I hope after all of my life lessons (the good, the bad, and the ugly), I can now bring a splash of self-confidence into everyone’s life.
If you could have any guests in the world (living or dead) who would it be and why?
Oh god, I have a LONG list of dream guests that I am manifesting to one day join the Selfish Squad, including:
- Linda Marigliano – Linda is one of my IDOLS. I really look up to Linda as a woman in media and would really love someone like her in my life to mentor me in terms of both careers and also on how to just be a sick human. #GirlCRUSH!
- Jack River – Jack River AKA Holly Rankin is one of my favourite artists who is currently using her voice for Australian musicians after the loss they have suffered from COVID-19. I am so passionate about the Australian music industry, so I think this would be such an interesting topic to dive into with Holly.
- Tom Cardy – Tom is a comedic musician who I social stalk whenever I just need a laugh – he never fails to put a smile on my face. I would love to dig deep into his creative mind and find out what really makes him tick.
What does Selfish Sesh mean to you?
Selfish Sesh was always just a little passion project on the side, and although by no means is it my full-time or even part-time gig (that was never its purpose or function), it is something I am so proud to talk about with anyone who will listen. It pushed me out of my comfort zone, forced me to learn so many new skills from producing audio to marketing a product from scratch, and most importantly, it has really strengthened my sense of self. It took a lot of guts to create a podcast and share it with the world, but there has never been a day that I have been embarrassed or regret any second of it. So for me, Selfish Sesh simply represents my confidence, grit, and determination.
Where would you like the show to be 12 months from now?
Honestly, there isn’t too much I would change! I would love for my audience to continue to grow and I have some more people join the Selfish Squad. I love that I get to meet and chat with some of the most amazing game-changers across the country and work with some awesome brands, so I really hope that my love and passion for this project continues.
Describe the quintessential Selfish Sesh listener in 3 words
Confident, inquisitive, and FUN!
Catch up on all the episodes and join in the fun: open.spotify.com/show
