Photography by Melia Corson
KSHE 95's Lauren Elwell
Lauren 'Lern' Elwell, a radio personality for local radio station KSHE 95, didn't set out to create a personal podcast where people from around the St. Louis area open up about their lives. She just wanted a creative outlet, one where she could decide who she talks to and about what.
"It's kind of selfish, why I started a podcast," Elwell says. "I wanted to take ordinary people and give them a platform to tell their story, along with some more well-known people too. A lot of my guests are people in my life that I think are just incredible.
Six episodes into Live & Lern, Elwell has crafted a show that, from the first drumbeat of the intro by Number 9 Blacktops, exudes her personality—friendly, talkative, and prone to laughter—and provides a glimpse into the minds and hearts of each guest. She's chatted in Stifel Theatre's basement with Halestorm's Lzzy Hale, sipped sangria at Sunset Overlook with Songs4Soldiers founder Dustin Row, and stepped into the time machine that is May's Place in the Grove with its owner Katie May.
"Live & Lern is a play on my nickname, but it's also about all these people I've talked to who are living their lives to the fullest, doing something to put a stamp on the city or other people, and they're learning and teaching others as they go," Elwell says.
New episodes are uploaded on the fifth day of each month and can be downloaded from PodcastOne or streamed on Apple Podcasts.
Recording each episode in a public place allows Elwell some change of scenery from the radio studio where she works full-time, but it also lets her support a local business and feature its ambiance—as if it's the third character in her conversation. Her dream spot to chat? The Ferris wheel at the City Museum.
Face illustration by Tyler B. Ruff; Logo and Color by Zach Paule
The podcast has gained momentum since its first episode went live in February, mostly from word of mouth. Next year, Elwell hopes to double the number of episodes from monthly to bimonthly, which she hopes will bring in more listeners. But the podcast has never been about how many people are tuning in.
"I look at this as a very personal thing that I'm just sharing," Elwell says. "If they come to it, great, but if they don't, then that's OK, too."
For Elwell, low expectations are key to capturing such authentic moments with guests. She goes into each interview with no more than a bullet list of topics and lets the conversation flow from there. The final product is less edited than a radio show. On the podcast, she's free to be long-form and long-winded. She's free to put her soul into it, and her guests follow suit.
"St. Louis has a lot of layers to it. I think the people in our city are like that, too. You start peeling layers back from people and you see where they came from and where they want to go," Elwell says. "As you keep peeling layers back, you start to appreciate the city more. The city is made up of incredible human beings, and it should be celebrated."
