The Monthly Magpie: January 2026 - Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! 

It’s the first Monthly Magpie of 2026! I’m opening this one up to the public and putting it on my Substack. February and beyond, though, you’ll have to be subscribed on my website to get access to the monthly wrap-ups. It’s still free, and always will be. 

Lessons Learned 2025

Restarting in the middle of winter always feels arbitrary to me. I truly prefer a spring reset. BUT, January of 2025 was when my life changed in big ways. I get to reflect on a year in a way that feels like a bookend. 

A year can absolutely be quantified as good or bad. Even with that, 2025 taught me that 365 days is a lot of time for good and bad to happen.

2025 was the year I spent six months unemployed, questioning most of my life decisions in a way that felt real for the first time. I also got married, started a great new job, and grew in my self-confidence in ways I didn’t expect to ever again. It was a reminder that I can grow, that I will keep doing so if I let myself. It doesn’t mean that hard things won’t happen, and it doesn’t mean I won’t be crying on the floor because I’m lost. It does mean I got through it once, so I can again. 

I want to give three things I learned in 2025 to pass on and remind myself of as I move into 2026. 

Be Embarrassed

To say this is hard is an understatement. Bravery, though, can have this sort of cascading effect. So I’ll tell the story: 

I have been okay with money my entire life. However, in a YOLO mindset, I let a few things spiral out of hand in the last few years. It never got quite so out of hand that it couldn’t be figured out, but I was on the edge of real-life difficulty. At one point this year, one of my friends opened up about their financial situation to a few of us. That point of bravery let me be brave, and from there, my friends helped give advice and tools that would turn into a game-changer. We now have a better financial plan, feel more in control, and like we can tackle big things. It’s not the same as landing a new job with a big pay raise - we’re largely about where we have always been - but it was by just talking about this thing that felt embarrassing and difficult that we were able to get support and learn where to look for better solutions. 

Be Inconvenienced 

2025 was a year where I feel like a lot of people went out of their way to help me. It was rough, it was hard, but I realized that it was a part of being a friend. I wouldn’t question doing what people did for me if I could manage it. So why was I questioning it from my friends? It was a point of shame, and some degree of sadness too. To put a positive spin on it, it was also a reminder that being a part of a community means being inconvenienced. Pick up your friends from the airport, help them pack up their homes, or unpack when they move. Hold them when they cry, be there with them for their big moments. We have to do the things that are hard with each other, and little by little, we’ll all be better for it.  

Be Delusional 

I’m not the most confident of people. 2025 was the first year when I said that I wanted to be delusional about myself. It came probably from a point of apathy - hundreds of job rejections will do that to a person. Digging out of it, though? That led me to a confidence I haven’t felt in a while. I am not sure where my life will go, where my identity as a writer will go, but I feel delusional enough to give it a shot. Why not? The worst someone can say is no, over, and over, and over again. 

Favorite Podcast Things of 2025

My aversion to wrap-ups is real, but I can still reflect.

My Podcast Friends! 

I’m going to spend some time talking about my feelings on podcast listening as a solo activity soon, but I wanted to shout out being a podcast friend in 2025. Without my friends in podcasting, from Tink Media folks, to my writer friends, to the podcasters who have been along for the ride. Going to Resonate, actively being more connected, and being more confident with my place in this world is making 2026 look a lot brighter and a lot more exciting. 

Audio Fiction Resurgence 

My Audio Drama Autumn was again a reminder that reviewing fiction takes way more out of me. However, this year we saw a few pieces come out that signal, in my opinion, a new wave of fiction podcasts that I’m hoping will sweep into 2026. I’m planning on listening to fiction more intentionally, and creating a backlog of reviews to have ready for autumn. I’m excited that it feels like the universe unlocked something for me, and for all of us this year. 

Aligning my Listening

When your life turns upside down, it’s a great time to figure out new habits and routines. My listening life has changed completely. I am more intentional about when I listen to what, why I’m listening, and how I’m writing about a podcast. I love what I’ve learned about myself, and sharing this has been a real treat. 

Looking forward to 2026 

Happy birthday to Magpie, happy birthday to Magpie

June is Magpie’s 5th Birthday!

 I mark it as the day that Imran from Greatpods messaged me on Twitter, and gave me the courage to keep writing. I didn’t think that anyone would care about me writing about podcasts. I still have trouble wrapping my head around the fact that people do. However, we’re going to take the confidence I gained in 2025 and leverage it for 2026. I have some ideas on how to celebrate in June, and I can’t wait to share them with everyone. 

Updated Reviews

With it being five years, I’m also going to be sprinkling in some updated reviews. I recently took a log of everything I’ve written, and realized some podcasts have changed - and changed for the better. I’m really excited to update some thoughts, highlight positive growth, and celebrate some amazing podcasts that stuck with it when things obviously had to change for one reason or another. 

EarBuds Podcast Collective has Expanded! 

I’m helping out over at EarBuds Podcast Collective to curate some newsletters. They’re based in genre, so we have Kids, True Crime, History, Sports, and Fiction coming out. I’m really excited about this, because not only is the whole EarBuds newsletter amazing, but the genre-specific ones make me think about how different podcasts can be tied together in creative ways. Go and subscribe to the ones you like, and I’ll see you over there! 

Perpetually in Consideration

If you’ve submitted to me and I haven’t written about your podcast, that doesn’t mean you’re not in the queue or being thought of. Podcasts remain perpetually in consideration, and I know I have a few coming out that were submitted a while ago. Keep an eye out! I can’t wait to share. 

Thank you! 

As always, thank you for being here. I love podcasts, I love writing, and I love being a part of this little corner of the world. Stay confident in your curiosity, and I’ll see you in 2026.