Your Tour Guide

Episode Description

Welcome to Beyond the Path — a cinematic, immersive podcast that transports you into the life-shaping moments of remarkable women around the world. In this special prologue episode, host Njoki Munene shares the heartfelt origin story of the podcast: from a spark ignited at an Executive Connect event, to recording in a hot car with nothing but passion, purpose, and a mic.

What You’ll Hear In This Episode:

• The aha moment that birthed the podcast.
• Why global music (including Polish R&B!) inspired the jingle.
• How sound design and storytelling blend to create audio experiences, not just interviews.
• The legacy-driven vision behind Beyond the Path.
• A thank-you to the co-founder (her mother) and mentor who shaped this journey.

This isn’t just another podcast. It’s a global storytelling experience, designed to take you from the classrooms and cities our guests grew up in to the pivotal detours that made them who they are.

Whether you’re commuting, walking, or winding down, press play and discover why every path has its magic — especially the unexpected turns.

Script/Transcription

(0:31 – 0:39)

The jingle of this podcast. Oh my goodness. I love, love, love the jingle of this podcast.

(0:39 – 0:58)

And I’m going to explain about it in a few, but I just wanted to mention that I love, love, love the jingle of this podcast. Gosh. Okay. 

I’m in my car. It is so hot, but I’ve tried to record this episode so many times. I just can’t find the space to do it at.

(0:58 – 8:13)

And so for today, my car has provided the best room to make this as clear as possible. I do not want to put this recording down until I’m done. Now, if someone told me two years ago that I’d be sitting in my car, holding a microphone about to launch a global storytelling experience, I would have laughed nervously. 

I would have laughed nervously, but then I would have felt it. The spark. Because deep down, I’ve always known that stories move us, they shape us, and they carry us. 

And being as curious as I am, a lover of stories, I want to say almost from birth, I knew that my destiny evolved around storytelling. I want to say that I have the superpower of sitting with someone I have never met, getting them comfortable enough to tell me their life story in all of seven minutes. And why do I share that today? Because that has been one of my biggest drives in getting this podcast up and running. 

So today, I want to tell you about how this podcast started. And the journey began one quiet, actually one very noisy, actually one eventful December afternoon. And I was at an executive event, Executive Connect event gathering, end of year party actually. 

I was sitting next to my mentor, Dr. Catherine, when a guest from the panel shared her story. It was raw, it was vivid, it was cinematic in the way she told it. I turned to my mentor and I whispered to her, this is it. 

This is what I want my podcast to be about. I didn’t just want to listen. I wanted to bring stories to life. 

And that whisper turned into a roar. See, in my house every Sunday, we have a tradition. We play music from around the world. 

And I’m not just talking about your typical jazz tunes. No, no, no, no, no. I’m talking about boss Nova from Brazil, Bollywood classics from India, Chinese pop, and my all time favorite Polish R&B. 

You might be wondering why this is so important, because it has formed the foundation for an important aspect of this podcast, and its cultural immersion. When we tell stories about women’s career paths, we don’t want you to just listen to them willy nilly. No, no, no. 

We want you to be immersed in the experience, immersed in the story. Today, you might be listening to stories from Tokyo. And we want you to be able to be immersed in the sounds of Tokyo, in the struggles, in the happiness that women go through in those moments. 

Now, each episode will be narrated by me, your tour guide, and we weave in real voices of our guests. We pair that with soundscapes that take you to the classrooms they grew up in, the cities they left behind, and the quiet moments they almost gave up. And most importantly, the breakthroughs that changed everything. 

You might be wondering, wait, is this a podcast or a documentary? And I actually want to tell you that it’s a bit of both. It’s an experience. And yes, it’s audio first. 

That means you don’t have to watch a screen to listen. You can take us on your commute, your walk in the morning or in the evening, your sundowner, wherever that may be. Just you, your earbuds, and the journey. 

We’ll be releasing new episodes every two weeks or so, and each episode will be between 15 and 20 minutes long. Just enough to take you somewhere, leave you changed, and bring you back. And for those who are asking, how do you choose your guest? The answer is simple. 

We choose women whose stories have rhythm. You’re wondering who that woman is? That woman is you. That woman is your sister, your auntie, your daughter, your grandmother. 

You don’t have to be famous to be fantastic. You just have to be real. And of course, the most important part to me, at least, besides the story, is the jingle. 

Had to put it out there, guys. It is a tribute to the Sunday tradition. And I just want to mention that I even added giggles and voices of my own children, just because I wanted it to be a bit personal. 

After all, this is a legacy podcast, and we don’t just want you to tell your story. We want your next generation to be able to hear that story, whoever that may be. None of this would honestly be possible without belief.

 

And I want to thank my co-founder, my mother, for not only believing in this vision, but for creating it alongside me. She is the hands behind the craft, and the heart behind the guest experience, and the fire behind our momentum. I also especially wanted to thank my mentor, Dr. Catherine, but I have the privilege of calling her Catherine. 

Your mentorship, your faith in my voice, and your ability to see potential before it’s polished, that’s why we are here. That’s why I am where I am today. And I just want to say a big, big, big thank you. 

Now, I want to thank you, the traveler, for being in this journey. Because honestly, without you, we wouldn’t be here today. And I don’t know if this would be successful without you. 

So, welcome to this journey, dear traveler. And I cannot wait for you to hear the incredible stories that we have in this season and every other season. Until then, see you soon. 

Podcast Outro:

If you loved this episode, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss what’s coming next. Share it with someone who needs a little inspiration today, and drop us a comment. We would love to hear your thoughts. Follow us on Beyond the Path podcast for all the behind the scenes fun and updates. Until next time, keep chasing your dreams and rewriting your path. See you soon. 

Credits

Produced by: Outside Akai

Co-Founder, Tour Guide & Chief Story Alchemist: Njoki Munene

Co-Founder, Creative Director & Sonic Sculptor: Carole Munene

Story crafted with love and sound by our incredible production team