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With the end of the year quickly approaching I am looking back on all the amazing conversations with changemakers I was privileged to feature on #impact Podcast this year. They taught me so much about making a difference. 

Only a few of the things social entrepreneurs taught our listeners about making a difference. We will keep updating and sharing this list with you.

One year ago this Podcast was not much more than an idea.

By the end of last year 2016, I had started recording the first interviews but I still had no clue how to get my Podcast up on iTunes and other Podcast directories. I am pretty sure when I went home to reunite with my family in Austria and Sweden last Christmas most of them were still rather confused and doubtful about this “Podcasting thing” and wondered if I would really go through with it.

TODAY #impact Podcast

is listed on loads of Podcast directories, including Spotify, with its 41 episodes (and counting!!) You can even find the show in the TOP 20 of the Hong Kong iTunes charts (career). I got to know the most inspiring women when I joined the TEDxTinHauWomen organising committee and I was recently invited to share my idea about the POWER of AUDIO on the TEDxHongKong stage.

#impact host Regina Larko shared her idea “Seeing with your ears – The Power of Audio” on the TEDxHongKong stage.

This year was full of highlights but also setbacks.

But as most of you know by now, I am a hopeless optimist, so I rather focus on all the GOOD that has happened.

Like that moment when I got to interview my childhood hero. 

This summer, on a home visit in Vienna, I met up with my radio role model Claudia Stöckl, who is the queen of Austrian talk radio. I have always been impressed by her interview skills when hosting Ö3 Frühstück bei mir, but also by her relentless dedication to volunteer with Vienna based organisation ZUKI – A Future for Children, to bring education to underprivileged children in India.

Growing up, Regina always wanted Claudia’s job. Claudia gets to interview interesting people for her weekly radio show Ö3 Frühstück bei mir. Here is a short recording that Regina dedicated to Claudia when she celebrated 20 years on-air. With this recording, Regina reached out to her role model, managed to connect and score an interview despite Claudia’s crazy busy schedule.

Besides Claudia, I connected with so many other inspiring people along the way and was blown away when people all over the globe contacted me to learn more about #impact Podcast.

As you see, a lot has happened in only one year and this is all still the beginning.

I am so incredibly excited to see what is ahead for #impact Podcast and I thank you all for joining me on this journey. Your encouragement means so much to me and I am grateful for all you wonderful people out there listening, getting involved and taking action to make your own impact in this world.

THANK YOU! I could not do this without you!

I am thankful for all the trust of the wonderful changemakers I get to interview for my show and this episode is dedicated to them. They teach me so much and every single interview I did, made me learn and grow.

Last but not least, I am so grateful for my wonderful family, my uber-supportive husband Peter, my friends all over the globe for cheering me on and believing in my vision.

I also want to give special thanks to Amanda Williams, who has been supporting #impact Podcast behind the scenes with putting together wonderful blog posts like this one on how we can all make more conscious decisions when we plan our next holiday. Amanda also came on as a co-host in our episode featuring the impactful work of Enrich, empowering women through financial literacy programmes. You should listen in, it’s a really good one.

2018 will be fab. I have a feeling. And the first interviews for the new year have already been recorded.

More learnings ahead hearing from these incredible changemakers!

I have some more exciting news to share with you all but I will save that for one of our first episodes of 2018. So subscribe and come back for more!

Scroll all the way up and PRESS PLAY if you want to hear about the 5 things Social Entrepreneurs taught me about making a difference.

Now sit back, scroll all the way up and press play to enjoy this episode when I share the 5 things that social entrepreneurs taught me about making a difference.

My article “5 things social entrepreneurs taught me about making a difference” was first published in TILT Magazine. Following changemakers were mentioned in the article. Listen to their stories by clicking on their names. 

• Shawn Seipler, Founder and CEO of Clean the World taught me about the importance to sell.
• Xania Wong, Founder of JOBDOH, and Jamie Chiu, Founder of The Brightly Project, taught me that it is important to be emotionally in control.
• Pol Fabrega, Co-Founder of Rooftop Republic, and Lavine Hemlani, Co-Founder of Accelerate, taught me that it is okay to just try something out without having a clear plan at first.

About the author: Regina Larko is Host and Producer of #impact Podcast. Born and raised in Vienna, Regina moved to China in 2009 and worked in international relations and conference programming. Regina launched #impact Podcast in spring 2017 to bring inspirational, motivational and impactful stories to listeners interested in social impact and sustainability initiatives. Regina is part of the Organising Committee of TEDxTinHauWomen and is a Mentor at the NextGenWomen Network in Hong Kong. Regina loves dancing with her two-year-old daughter to her favourite tunes and is working hard on showing genuine excitement when singing Wheels on the bus with her for the 100th time in a row.