RECOGNIZED AS ARIZONA'S TOP 100 PODCASTS

After over 450 episodes and more than eight years of sharing Arizona's stories, we're honored to announce that the Finding Arizona Podcast has been recognized by Feedspot as one of the Top 100 Arizona Podcasts AND featured in their Top 70 Sun Belt Podcasts list both coming in at NUMBER #19!

To our listeners, you're the real MVPs. Your support fuels our journey through the Grand Canyon State's stories. These recognitions from Feedspot are not just ours but yours as well. They affirm the vibrant community we've built together—a community eager to listen, learn, and celebrate Arizona's unique voices.

As we look ahead, we're excited to continue this journey with you, uncovering more stories, fostering deeper connections, and showcasing the essence of Arizona. Here's to the next chapter of Finding Arizona Podcast—may it be as enriching and inspiring as the last.

XoXo

Your Favorite Podcast Producer, Britt

PRODUCE A PODCAST - ITS NOT EXTRA WORK

This October, I had the honor of speaking at Phoenix Design Week 2024, hosted by AIGA Arizona. The theme, "Oasis," was all about refreshing our creative spirits despite challenges—something that hit home for me when it comes to podcasting. I got to share how I stumbled into podcast production, helping my husband with our show, Finding Arizona Podcast, and how that passion grew into currently producing three podcasts: Finding Arizona, The High Achieving Female, and A Taste of AZ!

Hosting a session at Phoenix Design Week was both exhilarating and humbling. I went from being a student of the industry to standing in front of peers as a teacher. I’ve always said that the best students become great teachers, and that’s how it felt! So many people feel podcasting is too much extra work, but the truth is, it doesn’t have to be! It can fit right into what you're already doing. Here are some of the main takeaways I shared during my talk, all of which you can start applying right now:

• Repurpose What You Already Do: You don’t need to create new content for every episode. Start with what you already have—blogs, social posts, presentations—and build from there.

• Keep It Simple: Podcast production doesn’t need to be fancy or expensive. You can start with basic equipment and upgrade as your show grows.

• Be Scrappy and Authentic: Authenticity is what connects you with your audience. Don’t worry about perfection; focus on sharing what you love.

My favorite part of speaking was connecting with the audience afterward—having them stay to ask questions and tell me how inspired they felt was such a rewarding experience. If I can impact even one person, I feel like I’ve done my job and I impacted a few!

If you’re feeling like you need some help getting started, Finding Arizona offers podcast production services that make it easy. Whether you want to start your show or take your existing one to the next level, we're here to support you! Don’t hesitate to reach out or check out what we offer here!

XoXo

Producer Britt

FINDING AZ HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2019

Last year’s gift guide was a success so we brought it back! Surprise! Everyone is doing GG this year. But here is what makes our different: 1) Local brands- but don’t worry you can still buy online if your not local to AZ and support them 2) Budget friendly- sorry no $50 candles or Designer Shoes 3) It is for everyone- seriously you can find something for everyone on this list! Enjoy and Happy Holidays and of course Merry Christmas!

Skincare-

#Selfcare is not just a LADY thing! In fact every time I do a mask at home, Jose joins too! Get your man a nice skincare routine this year for him. He doesn’t want to smell like roses, but he like the way it makes his face feel.

Or if this is breaking your budget we have suggested a Burt’s Bees Essential Travel Set to ease into a skincare routine. Nails and lips count as skin too, don’t forget it!

Finally this Aztec Clay is a miracle. Use it for DIY masks, add to your bath, sport treatments, and many more. Use it once and you’ll be hooked.

K-Duo Coffee Maker- K cups for weeks days and full pots for weekends- get the best of both worlds with a duo coffee pot. I have had my Keurig for almost 10 years and even though it’s going strong I find myself making 2-3 cups some mornings. This was on our Wedding Registry and has now made it to our Gift Guide.

KitchenAid Stand Mixer- I can’t’ believe I have gone this long without a mixer. Do you know how hard it is to cream butter and sugar by hand? Save your pennies and invest in this beautiful mixer. It is a timeless piece that will get more use than you can even think of right now- especially looking chic with the designer bowls. This was another gift that made its way from our Wedding Registry to the Gift Guide.

Weighted Blanket- This is the adult’s equivalent of the Tickle Me Elmo gift craze. You see these everywhere- grocery stores, furniture stores, mall kiosks. I can’t personally speak from experience but others have raved over it and highly recommended for restless leg syndrome. I wouldn’t mind Santa getting me one.

Smart home

Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip- because why have Alexa turn 1 light on when she can do the whole strip! What we love about this is programing for holidays. For example the Christmas tree and lights are all connected so at night I can say “Alexa, Santa is coming!” and all the lights come on.

FixD- Scan and reader for your car! Turn your car into a smart car- know why your check engine light is on and get maintenance reminders. Everyone can use this! I definitely would have had this for my trips back and forth to college!

Sleep Tracking Pad- Technology tracks everything why not your sleep? I have tried my watch and my phone but nothing is accurate. This pad actually goes on your bed so it monitors how and when you sleep.

Nintendo Entertainment System- Yeah you can get an Play Station or an X box but you won’t keep up with the teenagers and their skills at video games now. So instead, make gaming fun again with an old school Nintendo. We love this deal on Amazon because it also comes with the original games! It is the only gaming system I will allow in the house. Lol.

Robot Vacuum- This was the Cyber Monday I came for. I tested a iRobot model a while back and didn’t love it but after finding a different model and testing it out, I am a true believer. When you have pets and concrete floors you need to sweep everyday it seems in AZ and this saves me so much time and is a little entertainment for the animals too! This model has the mopping mechanism- wow game changer!

Umbrella- We have gotten more rain this year in Phoenix than I can remember and my rain boots are getting a ton of use but it is now time to upgrade the umbrella. We recently went to Mexico City and you can read about our trip and packing list here, but on it was an umbrella. Not a cute one like this, but still necessary. I love this one because it also serves as a great prop for photo shoots plus great price for a Kate Spade product!

5 Minute Journal- Great gift for yourself even to remember to take time in the new year for a fresh start. This is 5 minutes journal prompts and does great to promote mental health. Our mind is a muscle and we must exercise it.

 Flexible Tripod- We have had ours for a year and use it for everything and every device. You don’t have to be a famous YouTuber or Instagram model to need a tripod. This one even has been allowed at amusement parks and sporting events – take that Selfie Stick!

 Power tools- As you become an adult kitchen appliances and power tools become part of the Christmas Present norm. This power hand saw is a NEED for any homeowner and at a great price too!

Mevo- How did we go live on our Facebook for the Finding Arizona Wedding with such a stunning camera? Meet Mevo- stream full HD or Record in 4k!

Book- You can always gift a favorite book. Last year we were gifted Judd Apatow’s book Sick in the Head from our Book Club and recommend it for comedy and or book lovers everywhere.

Music- Vinyl is back! Everyone is getting record machines so make sure you add a classic to their collection! We always look to score at thrift shops but this classic deserves to be in everyone record crate: Al Green Greatest Hits.

LOCAL LOVE

#Sage Squad! You see the Sage Aubrey handbags everywhere. Who wouldn’t want a fantastic high quality bag made from a passionate and inspiring woman? I LOVE MY SAGE BAG! Now she’s adding more to her amazing collection- wallets and scarves and of course gorgeous colors like this red that’s to die for! Yes please Santa! You can order online or if your local you get a special in person delivery.

Manor- This contemporary shoe store in the heart of central phoenix is not only a great place for the latest sneakerheads but a great community supporter for events and run clubs. This place makes great holiday gifts online or instore ranging from shoes to accessories. If you don’t know what to get him- head to Manor.

Indestructible Shoes- I have been in the market for some hiking boots for years now but haven’t found any I love- These shoes are cute and practical PLUS the price point is great. You can get a pair for just about any industry or play! Best part is we have a discount code! You receive 20% OFF using the Code: BRITA67

Simple Jane- We met Simple Jane a few years back on the podcast and fell in love with all their products right off the bat. Not only do these women do great things to support the community but their product is to swear by. Their latest is the CinnaBomb CBD Lip Balm and I cannot get enough of it! Stock your stuffers and everyone you know with it!

Wow! That makes up our 2019 Gift Guide! What were honestly gifting is a new kitchen sink line but that’s another blog post to come and a girl can wish cant she? I hope Santa brings you everything you want this year and more! Merry Christmas from the Finding Arizona Podcast!

XoXo

Britt

411 ON RSVPS

I discovered a new podcast from the Betches Media Group called Betches Brides. This could not have aired at a more perfect time. Nine episodes have been released but the one that stands out to me the most is episode 7: “Who TF Gets A Plus One.” This got us thinking about our own invite list and how much shenanigans goes into the guest list after we thought it was finalized. I related to some of the stories in the episode and with 4 days till our RSVP’s are due and only receiving 1/3 of them we decided this was our next blog topic.

Our beautiful invitations were designed and printed by Design Squeeze and you can read all about our amazing experience and how we settled on the final draft here. We are also in production on a video sharing with our friends and family who we were not able to invite or cannot attend that we will be sharing the ceremony live. But we also wanted to address that we are choosing a very intimate number to celebrate with and this even to this day is hard to get that message out.

When we designed our RSVP’s we had a strategy. There were 2 simple things we did: Address it directly to whom we invited and leave 2 lines to be filled out on the RSVP’s for no additional entries. After hearing about a story on the Betches Bride’s podcast that someone added an additional plus one to their lines I was appalled- then it happened to us. I called up my amazing wedding planner to figure out how to go about the situation and she even offered to handle it herself that is how much of a super woman she is!

Another topic brought up in the episode was guests not sending RSVP’s back or simply just texting a photo of their response. BOTH of these have happened to us as well. As a virgo I appreciate organization. In fact we have at least 2 spreadsheets for out guest list / invites and when I have to remember if someone texted me or just told me they were coming it slips to one of the last things on my mind.

Finally as the episode is appropriately titled I genuinely do ask: Who TF gets a plus one? In what world did people learn they can add lines or put “Dont know who Im bringing but count me as 2” ? We are less than a month a way (appropriately when invites are due) and as mentioned we have received 1/3 of them. Do people just think because they got an invite and have the info we are expecting them? Planning a wedding is a business clearly and when you don’t know who to expect how do you plan to feed and seat everyone?

We don’t have a B list or room for adjusting one “declined” RSVP to open up and mail out another invitation. We are not looking to fill a football squad here. Jose and I are sharing a very intimate moment with some of our closest friends and family. We know not everyone can make it and we hope everyone else knows we can’t invite the whole world. When families start counting chairs and calculating percentages and asking for the fifth time if we invited aunt so and so this is when Jose and I rely on each other to not go crazy.

In conclusion if you have not sent us your RSVP and you have received one please do so now! If you have encountered any RSVP crazy stories please share! I know I am not the only one!

Thank you for reading and I truly hope no one was offended in sharing this.

XoXo

Britt

FINDING AZ ONLINE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

There is no other way to say it: I love the holidays! My love language is gifts so I like to shop for them, give them and receive them. I love the houses that light up the neighborhoods and visions of a “White Christmas” in the Southwest. It can create a stressful time for hearts and wallets, so we wanted to create a Finding Arizona Online Gift Guide and if you order today, like we did you have plenty of time to wrap it and address it from “Santa.”

Although this isn’t a local gift buying guide (blog post to follow) we linked our Amazon Page where you can not only shop our current favorite products, but also our gift guide. Not just for the other Jose and Britts in your lives; but the moms, dads and kids too!

SHOP HERE

1. Know before you go

Sometimes we just go in to a store or on a site expecting things to find us, but the key to a perfect gift is planning it out. This year I made a bullet journal mapping out who were are seeing for the holidays and who we cant forget to celebrate with. Throughout the year I have saved and bought ahead presents or wrote down ideas to gift so when it is game time, I am ready.

2. Set a budget

Our gift guide this year doesn’t feature a product over $100! It is important not only to be conscious of your wallet, but also understand the best presents don’t always have to cost the most. Shop smart, use coupons, don’t put anything on a credit card and bulk your gifts. For example, we’re getting families and couples presents instead of each individual person.

Jose and I share hats all the time (hint hint).

3. Want vs Need

During the month of November I participated in “No Spend November.” It was a personal challenge where I only purchased things I needed i.e. groceries, gas, bills. We are using this same mindset when making christmas gift purchases and creating our holiday gift guide. Do you need a rose quartz face roller? Yes! Do you need 20 cardboard scenes for a backdrop for you insta famous pet? Of Course! When considering your recipients, do they need it?

Do you need a waterproof speaker? (duh)!

Not sure where to start this holday? Check out our Gift Guide on Amazon and gain some inspiration through our Pinterest page.

Happy Holidays

XoXo

Britt