Veronica Belmont is an established video host and podcaster. Her current shows include Vaginal Fantasy Book Club and Sword & Laser, where she covers romance and science fiction literature. In the past, she played active roles in the technology and gaming scenes with shows like Tekzilla and Game On!. In this interview, Veronica shares her essentials and her pro tips for making great podcasts.
What’s in your everyday carry?
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View Veronica Belmont’s Full EDC and Commentary
Juggling multiple shows and projects must have you wearing many hats. How would you describe what you do on a typical day on the job?
As a podcaster, TV host, and writer, my day-to-day is completely different. Sometimes I’m traveling for shoots, and other times I’m home most of the day writing emails or working on pre-production for various projects. As long as I have my laptop, I’m in pretty good shape.
From where do you draw inspiration?
I always feel the most inspired when I’m on-location for a shoot, or traveling. Being surrounded by creative people working together to make something amazing is pretty powerful. It’s like cogs in a machine; they all have to work together perfectly, and it’s really a thing of beauty to see.
If I don’t unplug and get away a little bit every day, then my brain kind of shuts down. I like to take my dog to the park or to the beach so we can unwind a little.
After a long day of work, how do your essentials help you unwind?
I live in San Francisco, so I’ve got it really good when it comes to food and coffee. My Zojirushi travel mug is perfect for keeping my coffee scaldingly hot all day. Seriously, that thing is kind of dangerous.
I mentioned my dog, but didn’t show the just incredible amount of poop bags I have on my person at any given moment. You never want to be stuck without one, so every purse and jacket pocket has a bunch. She comes with me everywhere I can take her. We go on lots of hikes and walks, and take agility training lessons (because she’s a badass).
I work out a lot, and I feel like I have a different bag for every activity. Hiking bag, gym bag, tennis bag, yoga / pilates bag… they’re all very specific to that task. I even have a dog park bag.
Why do you EDC?
I like never needing to think about it. I know everything is already there, and ready to go. New items come and go, but the essentials are always there.
Is there any product you’ve seen that you want to add to your essentials?
I’d like one of those strappy boards that hold all your charging cables together. I’m not sure how much extra weight that would add to my bag, but it would be an interesting experiment. I really need to add more snacks to my bag as well (non-perishable) since I’m always hungry when I’m on the road.
What’s the newest and most exciting project keeping you busy these days?
We’re hosting a Patreon for one of my podcasts, Sword & Laser! One of our milestones is to travel all over the world to attend science fiction and fantasy conventions, so we can interview authors for the show! That Apogee MiC would certainly come in handy for that. You can check that out at patreon.com/swordandlaser.
I’ve noticed podcasts and online media in general have been really taking off recently. What tips would you give for someone looking to get into the game?
People think you need to have a ton of money or gear to start a podcast, but that’s just not true. A laptop, a portable mic and a decent pair of headphones is all you really need to get started, and that setup allows you to be really flexible as well. Get interviews off the street, or go to an event and get cool soundbytes from attendees! There are so many possibilities out there.
Check out more of Veronica’s work at her website and keep up with her on Twitter and Instagram.
Photos courtesy of Veronica Belmont.
