Sharing the Messy Middle: Stories That Deserve More Than 3,000 Words
- Oct 8
- 3 min read
By Megan Dirks
My name is Megan Dirks, and I’m the creator of The Girl on the Left project. What started as a vision for a book anthology almost immediately evolved into something bigger: a companion podcast.
The concept was simple, stemming from my own negative self-talk around my own journey. I wanted to create an anthology where women came together to share their before-and-after stories. So I went out and found them. Between my existing networks and stumbling through the wild, I connected with women brave enough to put their truth out there. Their stories spanned every major pillar of life: health, career, relationships, finances, and even their impact on the greater good.
As the logistics kicked in, I started asking myself practical questions. How many women can realistically fit in one book without me burning out as a one-woman show? What page count should the book be? What’s the sweet spot for the number of contributors? And, the kicker, how long should each chapter run to balance impact with readability?
That last question didn’t sit right. The optimal word count of 2,500 to 3,500 words felt like too tight of a box for women who had lived through entire lifetimes of transformation. Asking them to squeeze some of their most raw, intimate, and messy moments into a neat little chapter felt wrong.
It became clear to me. We needed another medium outside of the book.
Podcast hosting wasn’t ever on my bingo card, but I felt like I owed these women more space to breathe. A place where their stories could be heard with a voice, a laugh, a pause, even tears. So The Girl on the Left podcast was born. Instantly, I had 22 guests lined up. Every single co-author from the first book was interviewed. Each got a 45-to-60-minute spotlight to dive deeper into their lessons, breakthroughs, and transformations.
Some women lit up on the page, while others came alive in the studio. Together we laughed, cried, and built something bigger than ourselves. In the process, we created more inspiring content that gave other women permission to drop the shame and own their stories.
On the strategic side, the podcast became our best launch tool. With 22 weeks of spotlight episodes leading up to the book release, each co-author got their own platform to share, connect, and promote. We also cut a shitton of social media reels for increased visibility. It was also important to me to give these ladies something tangible to take into the world. I encouraged them to show up fully and use this to leverage other opportunities.
Hosting the show taught me a lot, including the fact that yes, my resting bitch face is alive and well on camera. But I’ve learned I can hold space, ask better questions, and keep leveling up as a host too. After our first season wrapped, we rolled into a filler season while gearing up for Volumes 2 and 3 of the anthology. This time, we’re building smarter. We’re using more automations, smoother editing systems, and a process that grows with us.
We’re now partnering with Finally Podcast Automation Systems, created by Kathy Baldwin, to take all the behind-the-scenes stress off our plates.
Finally lets women podcasters run a profitable show without a team, tech headaches, or burnout. I’m unapologetically plugging this because it’s brilliant.
Anyway, The Girl on the Left podcast is about creating an audio sanctuary for women to talk about the messy middle behind their before-and-after stories. If you’re ready for wisdom, grit, and raw truth from women who’ve lived it, come join us.
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