On Saturday, I shared an Instagram Reel with some of my thoughts on the viewership from this year’s Women’s Final Four.

It was prompted by several posts I saw following the National Championship that were critical of a the “dip” in viewership this year, as compared to the 2023 and 2024 viewership numbers. Many have been quick to point to Caitlin Clark’s impact and departure from the college scene, some even going so far as to suggest the game is falling apart without her.

If you’ve been following along, then you know that The Bloom Pod has taken quite a hiatus — almost two years to be exact.

During the last season we put out (season 4), the conversations naturally gravitated toward sports and leadership — and we talked with guests about all the blooming that happens at the intersection of those two things. What began as a broad mission to talk to “every day people” doing their damndest to chase big dreams began to zero in on a space that has always been important to me: sports.

Those more sport-related conversations combined with my doctoral research and the long-overdue arrival of investment in women’s sports has brought me some clarity as to what is next for The Bloom Pod. After 49 incredible episodes, it’s time for The Bloom Pod to evolve.