WHAT began as an IGTV series has quickly evolved into a podcast with a global audience of 43 countries.
Honey I'm Home is a wellness podcast hosted by Thando Mthembu, a medical science graduate popularly known as Thando Au to her followers. Mthembu chose Au, the symbol for gold in the periodic table because she enjoys science.
Her podcast teaches listeners how to navigate meaningful conversations about relationships, friendships, spirituality, mental health, and holistic wellness. Navigating fear, digital weariness, and emotional bankruptcy are a few of her topics.
Mthembu said she wanted to find a way to bring up uncomfortable conversations and handle them with sensitivity.
“Many times conversations about mental health, especially in the African household, are not understood the way they need to be understood,” she said.
If an episode covers a topic that she isn’t knowledgeable about, she researches the topic in depth. “I try, as far as possible, to feature specialists that can give educated advice to my listeners. This includes counsellors and psychologists” she said.
She added: “Many times people tell me they never knew that they needed support from a professional until listening to the podcast.”
Honey I’m Home has become a go-to podcast for many, with listeners often writing in and asking for advice on specific topics.
"Many times people tell me they never knew they needed professional help until they listened to the podcast," she said. “It’s interesting to see the growth in my listeners but also in myself,” she added.
She selects the topics for each episode, and once a month, she hosts a viewer's choice in which listeners submit questions, which she answers in the episode.
At the beginning of 2022, Mthembu was joined by a co-host, Linda Dlamini.
Mthembu, who is from Johannesburg, studied in Cape Town. Many of the stories shared on the podcast are rooted in the struggles she faced in her mental health journey when she moved to the Mother City.
"At home, I was cared for, but when I moved away from home, I felt alone. I didn’t know how to navigate life on my own," she admitted.
She added: “It was so scary being in a foreign city, living alone. I went from the nest to being in the wilderness. I realised I'm not alone after speaking up.”
The name of the podcast originated from her a trips back back home after exams.
"For me, home is a location where I feel safe and secure, as well as a place where I can be among the people that fill my cup. It represents the community I've been trying to build," she explained.
She added: “ You can leave but when you return, home is where there is love for you.”
After university Mthembu, 23, completed a short course in software development and currently works in technology.
“The transition from medical science to working in tech posed its own challenges and stress. Being the poster child at home also meant having the responsibility to break generational curses,” she said.
One of the most important lessons Mthembu has learnt from her creating a podcast is to fail fast and fail forward.
"I've always been frightened of failing, and it's taken me a long time to get over that. I now know that after I've learnt a lesson through my mistakes, I can keep that knowledge in my toolbox and use it whenever I need it," she said.
“I’ve always been afraid to fail and it took me so long to recover from failure. I now know that once I’ve learnt a lesson from my failures, I can put that lesson in my toolbox and carry it with me,” she said.
Her top three tips to anyone to improve their wellness to have a morning routine, surround yourself with the right people and have a journal.
“Having a morning routine will put you in control of your emotions for the day. Make a habit out of it, because it’s habits that will build your life,” she said.
She added: “You can’t do life alone. You will do better in structures that enforce love and community.”
“Track your progress through a journal. Write a gratitude list, set your intentions, and do a to-do list. This will make you feel more in control and not allow your emotions to dictate the way your day goes.”
In the next few months, Mthembu plans to release a guided journal that is titled Carry me home.
“It’s an extension of the podcast. I want it to guide people towards their healing. It’s saying that it’s okay if you’ve lost yourself and that it’s okay for you to go back home,” she said.