It’s a good day at the Eks Axis. And you know why? Because this is the day I announce that Eks Axis, in its present form, will cease to exist.

I’m not going away – not by a damn sight – I’m finally thinking strategically and folding in “my attempt to speak more personally” with Jon of All Trades. Everything you’ve found and enjoyed here is already available and uploaded to Jon of All Trades. Let’s talk more details.

When I started the podcast, I had initially envisioned it as an offshoot of this site, but as it took shape I realized it really needed to be its own thing and stand on its own. The podcast isn’t really about me. By design, it serves as a vehicle to tell the stories of people I find interesting. I intentionally shift the focus away from me to ensure the spotlight shines squarely on those I talk to.

If you’ve given the show a listen, you might notice some of my intros and outros can be a bit stilted. Considering I’m the most awkward self-promoter alive, I usually have no idea what the fuck I’m talking about and am trying to take care of whatever business I have as quickly as possible in order to get the focus off of me and onto my guest. I don’t talk about myself on my show, which I now realize might be limiting or weird to my audience.

By contrast, we’ve shared some intense times here on the blog. Whether it’s infertility, weight loss, depression, or anything else, I like to think I’ve succeeded in speaking more personally. I want to integrate that into my podcast, and the best way to do that is to bring the two halves of my online self together in one place.

What does this mean for you? The way I envision it, it means I’ll likely write more. Ideally, I’d like to turn Jon of All Trades into a place you’d like to visit every day, if not multiple times per day eventually. That means more blogging, higher frequency of posts, and a more conversational style. This isn’t going to happen overnight, but it’s a vision I’m working toward.

And that doesn’t mean the current format is going away either. When I write, I can’t not think of my ideas in terms of essays. I love the format. It’s the way I’ve contextualized my thoughts and opinions for the last six years, and I’m not just going to turn that off overnight.

It also means better navigation. The Sriracha List, Workout Song of the Moment, and How I Lost 40 Lbs. series are already there and in the header. I’m working on compiling all the infertility articles into one series as well, which, I’m not sure why you’d ever want to relive that nightmare, but if you do, they’ll all be there for your reference.

Additionally, the 5 most recent episodes of the podcast will always be in the slider at the top of the page, allowing you to see who’s been on the pod, and available for your listening pleasure with ease.

In short, I’m finally thinking strategically about this hobby of mine. With the help of 4Degre.es, I’ve got the engine to do it, and I can’t wait to see how things evolve from here. Eks Axis started because my self-imposed writing moratorium was over, and I just needed to get the material out. Out its come. Now it’s time to do something with it. Combining it with the podcast is the first step.

Thanks for being a part of the journey so far. Let’s take the next step.