#impact Podcast: Social Impact | Social Entrepreneurship | Careers for Social Good · Regina Larko

Nine Years In: Asking the Oracle What's Next for #impact Podcast

·22 min

Host Regina Larko marks the #impact podcast's ninth anniversary by gathering fellow creators at Vienna's Café Francais. She uses German oracle cards to explore the show's future direction in a reflective, communal setting. The episode captures an intimate, unscripted conversation about creative purpose and podcasting's evolving role. Larko's first oracle question asks if the podcast will dramatically change a listener's life within a year, drawing a blunt "no" card covered in chocolate. She rephrases the question to whether it will make a real impact, prompting a card about new beginnings and trusting magic. This leads Larko to reveal a long-held idea for a German-language podcast exploring life, death, and meaning, inspired by her personal reflections in her forties. She mentions a specific potential sponsor, Bestattung Wien (Vienna's funeral service), heard in another popular podcast. Another creator asks the oracle if they will speak on a public stage this year, receiving a card suggesting things will "get easier." A question about launching a cooking podcast by 2026 draws the encouraging response, "It always seems impossible until someone does it." Larko distributes the physical oracle cards to her guests as keepsakes, turning the reading into a shared, tactile experience. She reflects that the cards' value lies not in their answers but in how they spark discussion and vocalize latent ideas among creators. A key insight is Larko's renewed belief in audio's unique power to convey the human side of impact through voice, emotion, and undistracted listening. She argues that the skill of deep, conversational connection is under threat in a digital age of messages and memes. The episode frames podcasting not merely as content creation but as a vessel for fostering genuine human resonance and shared stories. Larko concludes by openly inviting listeners worldwide to use her platform to share stories of impact from their own communities. The tone is deeply personal, philosophical, and conversational, blending playful spontaneity with serious introspection. Its style is meta-reflective, focusing on the podcast's own journey and the creative process itself rather than interviewing an external guest. This episode will deeply appeal to loyal #impact listeners interested in the show's origin story and its host's personal evolution. It resonates with creators and podcasters contemplating their own purpose and the meaning of their work. Listeners seeking a traditional interview with actionable social impact lessons might find this introspective format too niche or abstract. Those uncomfortable with unconventional tools like oracle cards or highly personal narrative might prefer the podcast's standard episode structure.

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