“Why are you working on this podcast?”
That was the question one of my interviewees posed before I hit the Zoom record button. It caught me off guard – not because I didn’t have an answer, but because I realized I hadn’t properly shared the story behind this new venture.
Being a “podcast veteran” who started her first podcast in 2015 (wait, was that 10 years ago?!), I immediately dived in for “Off The Record Podcast” – no intro and outro music and voiceover, no hard promotions. Somehow, the “rule follower” in me kept nudging about how I didn’t introduce the show formally. Perhaps it’s time to change that.
The Unexpected Return to Podcasting
I never thought I’d come back and turn on my microphone for another podcast. My journey with podcasting started a decade ago with “The Joy and Ann Show,” followed by “Pin To Top” in 2019. Each podcast show had its season, its purpose, and its audience.
I am grateful to Carla Ravanes-Higham for co-launching “Bits of Grace Podcast” with me in September 2024. Being one of the highlights of that year, the podcast allowed me to have a safe space for faith conversations. For us, if we got to bless just one person by them listening to the show, then the show was a success. It fulfilled a specific purpose in my life and in the lives of our listeners.
Then came 2025, where two seemingly unrelated situations aligned in a way I couldn’t have predicted.
The Catalyst: Conversations and Connections
In our annual childhood friends get-together back in January 2025, some of them shared stories about their challenges with taking leave from work. As former call center agents, it’s one of the recurring themes they always bring up in our annual get-together. Unfortunately, even as full-time work-from-home employees, they still experience leave concerns.
I listened to them, laughing at their animated storytelling, but also recognizing something deeper. I reminded them that they shouldn’t be limited by their current circumstances. A leave from work – whether sick, vacation, or emergency – is a right of an employee. And with the right instructions and systems at work, taking a leave should not be a problem.
This time around, the conversation stuck with me, though I didn’t know why at the time.
The next month, in our Profitable Funnels Program led by my decades-long mentor, Jomar Hilario, he taught us one of the best marketing channels we can use: podcasting. Profitable Funnels Program is a 1.5-year learning program where we slowly build our affiliate marketing skills.
My mind was like, “Uh oh. I am alright with ‘Bits of Grace’. I won’t do another podcast.”
Or should I?
Finding Clarity and Purpose
What was keeping me from creating another podcast? I already had experience, I had the equipment, and I had the skills. What was holding me back?
The one-on-one call with Jomar (as part of the Profitable Funnels Program) led to clarity, putting together the childhood friends’ work leave concerns and the podcast idea. Sometimes, we need that external perspective to see connections we’re too close to recognize.
I found a podcast topic, and I found an audience: leave concerns – and other challenges – of former call center employees.
I never applied to call center companies, so I am literally an outsider looking in. This gives me a unique perspective – curious, non-judgmental, and genuinely interested in understanding the experiences of those who worked in the industry.
The Birth of “Off The Record” Podcast
I was already interviewing three people (my childhood friends, who supported my project), yet I still didn’t have a podcast title. Then, from Jomar’s podcast title list and from the patterns I had heard from the interviews so far, the podcast title popped out: OFF THE RECORD.
The irony was perfect – former call center agents telling stories that you think you know, but you have no idea. It sounds curious, doesn’t it? That’s exactly what I wanted to capture.
Beyond what we already know about call centers or business processing outsourcing (BPO), I hope listeners learn with me about how it shaped the reality of work both in the industry and in the country. The BPO sector is our biggest workforce second only to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). Did this industry help us? How has artificial intelligence affected their work?
All these and more are what I want to unpack, coming from the people who worked in the industry.
More Than Just Stories
Every podcast episode is different. Just when you think interviewees will share the same stories, you’ll be surprised. Even I find myself with a hanging jaw on every episode. The diversity of experiences within what seems like a standardized industry is remarkable.
What I’m learning is that behind every headset, every customer service call, and every quality assurance check, there are real people with unique challenges, triumphs, and perspectives. These are the stories that often go untold – the ones that happen off the record.
And it’s not just about the challenges. It’s about resilience, adaptation, and finding one’s way in an industry that has transformed the employment landscape in the Philippines. It’s about understanding how a global industry intersects with local lives, creating ripples that extend far beyond the call center floor.
Looking Ahead
Will I continue to interview call center agents in the future? While I intend to interview 100 people from the said industry, I also look forward to interviewing other professionals (one of my friends suggested this). I know they also have stories waiting to be told.
There’s something powerful about giving voice to experiences that often go unheard. There’s something transformative about listening with genuine curiosity and respect. And there’s something connective about sharing these stories with others who might see themselves reflected in them.
So I will put on my learning hat and turn the microphone on.
This is “Off The Record Podcast” with Ann Kristine, with episodes available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Hey, if you want to be a guest on the show, let me know! Email me at chiefofideas@annkristine.com with the subject: I’d like to be an Off The Record Podcast Guest!
The Bigger Picture
In many ways, this podcast represents what I believe about storytelling and connection. It’s not just about broadcasting information; it’s about creating spaces where people can share authentically, where listeners can find themselves in others’ experiences, and where we can all learn something new about the world we share.
Every time I press that record button, I’m reminded of why I started this journey ten years ago. It wasn’t just about having a platform or building an audience. It was about creating meaningful connections through shared stories and experiences.
“Off The Record” might be my newest podcast, but it carries the heart of everything I’ve learned along the way: that when we listen to each other’s stories with openness and respect, we discover that we’re not as different as we might think. And in that discovery lies the power to understand, to grow, and to transform.
So, why am I working on this podcast? Because some stories need to be told, some voices need to be heard, and some connections need to be made – off the record.
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