Okay. I can’t express how exciting this is and how cool it would be to be recognized in this way.

The PedsDocTalk Podcast has been nominated for the Listener's Choice Award at this year's 5th Annual Signal Awards in the Family & Child-Raising category!!!

Nominees in each category are voted on by the Signal Award Panelists BUT they have a separate award for each category awarding a Listener’s Choice Award which is essentially like The People’s Choice Award of Podcasts–fan voted!

And I need your help to win. The Listener's Choice Award is decided by listeners like you. Last year more than 385,000 votes were cast, so every vote really does count.

How to vote (takes less than 4 minutes):

Voting is now open until Thursday, October 15th at 11:59 PST!!!

I am not going to lie and say that having some external validation in the form of this award wouldn't feel really nice. Winning isn't why I do this work because if it was I would have stopped the year I started 😅. But I'm also not going to pretend it wouldn't mean a whole lot.

I started this podcast in 2020 while on maternity leave after a traumatic birth. I know, wild timing. But talking was healing for me. I wanted a place to have the conversations I felt parents deserved to hear, and somehow, that little idea blossomed into what this show is today.

I have poured so much time, energy, and heart into this show, and I will continue to do so whether we win or not. But how incredibly cool would it be to have that work recognized?

This is also the only show nominated in our category that doesn't shy away from the bigger conversations that affect children. We talk about parenting and child development, but we also talk about public health, politics, healthcare, education, gun violence, vaccines, inequities, and the things happening in our communities because all of it impacts our children and the world they are growing up in.

My goal has always been to approach those conversations with inclusivity, compassion, facts, and a willingness to talk about the hard stuff without losing our humanity.

And this recognition wouldn't just be for me. It would recognize the incredible guests who trust me with their expertise and stories, and my amazing PedsDocTalk team who works behind the scenes to make this show happen week after week.

And yes, on a personal level, being recognized as an Indian-American woman and pediatrician who started talking into a microphone during one of the hardest periods of her life would mean more than I can probably put into words.

If the podcast has ever helped you get through a 2 a.m. fever or a toddler meltdown in the cereal aisle, this is a simple way to say thanks. And if you know another parent who listens, please send this their way. This is one group project where nobody gets stuck doing all the work.

Thank you for listening and for sharing the show with the people in your life.

-Dr. Mona

Voting ends on October 15th and only takes under four minutes. If you're reading this between naps and the next snack request, then this is an ideal moment to vote.

THANK YOU!!!
THANK YOU!!!
THANK YOU!!!

Let’s do this!! Vote. Mobilize. Share!