Kelly Pollock of Unsung History---SUMMARYIn this episode of Talk That Pod, Sebastian sits down with Kelly Pollock, creator and host of Unsung History, a podcast spotlighting American history through the lives of women, people of color, immigrants, laborers, religious minorities, enslaved people, and Indigenous communities. Kelly traces her path from a religious studies master's program and a long-running politics podcast to building a history show centered on the people conventional narratives leave out. Along the way, she unpacks her distinctive narrative-plus-interview format, her preparation process, how she balances production with a full-time job, and her candid take on what podcasting does (and doesn't) do for how society understands history.---IN THIS EPISODE(01:21) How a religious studies background and a 50th-anniversary interview with her parents about the Kent State shootings sparked the idea for a history podcast(03:39) Why Kelly deliberately centers marginalized stories and turns down pitches about "rich white men" and presidents(04:34) The two-part format—narrative intro followed by an expert interview—and why writing the intro is the most time-consuming part of every episode(07:16) How she decides what becomes an episode, and breaking her own rules for guests like Lucy Worsley(10:24) Her interview prep: reading each guest's book cover to cover while deliberately avoiding their other interviews to keep her questions fresh(12:02) What makes a great guest, and why historians often outshine politicians as interview subjects(15:25) The episode that reshaped her thinking: how school desegregation after Brown v. Board cost Black teachers their jobs, with a parallel in the decline of the Negro Leagues after MLB integration(18:31) Differentiating in a crowded history-podcast space by acting as a "history communicator" rather than a historian, and citing sources(20:26) Why evergreen content drove faster, more organic growth than her earlier politics podcast, Two Broads Talking Politics(23:36) Promotion that works: guesting elsewhere, big-name guests resharing episodes, and her "tell me what you like and I'll recommend an episode" social experiment(25:40) Social media strategy and why she misses old Twitter, with Bluesky now her closest analog(27:47) A realistic look at her weekly production workflow and the move from weekly to biweekly episodes for the sake of quality and mental health(31:08) The dream production tool she'd actually pay for: an "on this day in history" matcher that auto-promotes relevant past episodes(32:27) Her perspective on podcasting, misinformation, and historical access in a politically fraught moment(37:01) What she hopes listeners take away—more nuance, empathy, and curiosity to seek out further research(39:41) Kelly's three podcast recommendations and where to find her online---RESOURCES & LINKSUnsung History podcast — Kelly's show on American historyKelly's website Bluesky — @feministkelly (Kelly's most active platform)Two Broads Talking Politics — Kelly's earlier politics podcastPodcast recommendations from Kelly:Dig — a history podcast produced by four women historians (PhDs) using primary and academic sources, with full source lists in the show notesScience Friday (NPR) — expert interviews that break down science for everyday listenersFake the Nation with Negin Farsad — sharp, funny news-and-politics panel showAlso mentioned:Kent State shootings (50th anniversary, 2020)Brown v. Board of Education and its impact on Black teachersThe Negro Leagues and MLB integrationLucy Worsley / Agatha Christie episodeKevin Kruse, Princeton historian (Bluesky repost driving episode downloads)Will Becton, lead engineer on Conan O'Brien's podcast (referenced by Sebastian)---TALK THAT PODWant to be on this podcast? Fill out this form. Watch or listen to Talk That Pod on YouTube. ---FIND THAT PODDiscover the best podcasts in the world. - A podcast discovery newsletter bringing you 5 great podcasts to discover every week. Subscribe today.