I’ve spent a lot of time putting my words out into the world through The Eighth Gate. What I didn’t expect was how much that would push me into trying things I probably wouldn’t have considered a year ago.

Earlier this year, I entered my first slam poetry competition and won first place, btw. So naturally, when a podcast competition came across my radar, I decided to enter that too.

It’s called Top Host, and the winner gets $25,000, a six-episode podcast produced by iHeartRadio, and a guest appearance on Ryan Seacrest’s show.

Which is hilarious because I’m actually terrified.

Writing is one thing. I can sit behind a screen, rearrange my thoughts, delete an entire paragraph, and pretend I knew what I was doing the whole time. Talking into a microphone and having to think on my feet? Whole different ballgame.

But I entered anyway, so I guess we’re doing this. Lol.

I’m officially competing for a chance to host a podcast, and I could really use your support.

The first voting cutoff is October 15, 2026, at 7 PM Pacific (9 PM Dallas time), and apparently you can vote once every day, which means I’m asking for more than one favor here.

If you’ve ever connected with something I’ve written, shared one of my articles, or quietly followed along with The Eighth Gate, I’d appreciate you taking a minute to vote.

Vote for me here

Thank you for being part of what I’ve been building. I have a lot more I want to do with this voice, even if the thought of actually using it in front of a microphone scares the shit out of me.

A Little Favor From My Readers was originally published in The Eighth Gate on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.