The Download Podcast, with Jill Marshall

Jill Marshall | Novelist & Storyworld Creator
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Exploring patterns, archetypes, and stories that reveal who we are — and who we can become. Bestselling novelist and storyworld creator Jill Marshall hosts The Download, a podcast where fiction, intuition and philosophy meet. Drawing on her books and cross-media storyworlds, Jill explores the archetypes, synchronicities, and hidden currents that shape both our personal lives and our collective stories. Each episode invites you to see creativity not just as art, but as a mirror of truth, a prophetic force, and a pathway to self-development.  Join Jill each week for downloads that illuminate the hidden patterns in story — and in you. 

  1. Meaningful Results: Measuring Beyond the Metrics

    DEC 17

    Meaningful Results: Measuring Beyond the Metrics

    What if your most meaningful successes can’t be counted? In this 'milestone' 50th episode of The Download with Jill Marshall, we celebrate nearly a year of showing up, creating, healing, and sharing — not through charts or rankings, but through felt impact. Jill Marshall, author, mentor and strategist, invites you into a soulful exploration of success without the spreadsheet. She challenges the cultural obsession with downloads, followers and optics, and asks a deeper question: ✨ “If the work changed you — or reached even one person who needed it — isn’t that a meaningful result?” In this reflective, gently provocative episode, Jill shares: What it really takes for a podcast to survive to 50 episodes (very few do)Why she’s 'failed' at almost every traditional podcast metric — and why she’s totally fine with thatThe moments that mattered more than virality: creative breakthroughs, energetic healing, synchronicities, and emotional resonanceStories from communications, publishing and industry that reveal how deeply we’ve been trained to chase measurable outcomesWhy creative integrity, connection, and intention leave a deeper legacy than algorithms ever willThis is an episode for creators, thinkers, leaders, and anyone feeling burnt out on the endless chase for “more.”  It’s an invitation to redefine success — on your own terms. ⏱️ Episode Timeline 00:00 – Welcome to The Download 00:34 – Celebrating 50 episodes (and the realities of podcast survival) 01:10 – Why traditional success metrics don’t tell the real story 02:03 – The surprising truth about podcasting “success” 03:35 – What meaningful results actually look and feel like 04:25 – How we became addicted to measurement 06:51 – The power — and cost — of creative integrity 08:54 – Shifting focus from virality to resonance 11:52 – The real impact that charts can’t capture 13:44 – Closing reflections and an invitation to redefine your own success Related episodes: The Quickening: Waiting, Transformation and the Threshold of Change Cold Feet Creations: Comparing and Competing in the Creative Arts Message Us! Find out more about Jill’s best-selling fiction and storyworlds on girlpowerpublishing.com. Find The Download Podcast on YouTube, FaceBook, Instagram, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and LinkedIn

    15 min
  2. The Feeling of Healing: Past Triggers, Traumas and Old Stories

    DEC 10

    The Feeling of Healing: Past Triggers, Traumas and Old Stories

    What Healing Really Feels Like (Hint: It's Not Dramatic) What if the strongest sign of emotional and energetic healing is that you feel ... nothing? No drama, no spike of emotion, no old charge. Just calm. In this episode Jill Marshall explores the quiet, surprising truth of real transformation. She unpacks why we cling to wounds, how triggers show us where energy is still trapped, and what shifts when the emotional charge finally dissolves. Expect grounded psychology, soulful insight and a fresh look at who you become once old patterns stop running the show. If you're wondering whether you're actually healing or just coping, this episode will help you recognise the subtle signs that you're further along than you think. Tune in for a calm, clear, powerful download on what healing feels like from the inside out. Timestamps 00:00 Welcome to The Download with Jill Marshall  00:36 The unexpected feeling of healing  02:21 A personal healing milestone  04:43 Understanding triggers and the energetic charge  11:13 Wounds, archetypes and old identities  14:53 Why true healing feels subtle  17:31 Reflecting on your own healing  18:40 An invitation to explore your own feeling of healing  19:47 Closing reflections and next steps Mentioned episodes: Imprint, Wound, Archetype: three layers we carry and can heal The Shadow Knows: when downloads reveal what we've hidden “The wound releases you the moment you choose peace over the familiar pain.”  Message Us! Find out more about Jill’s best-selling fiction and storyworlds on girlpowerpublishing.com. Find The Download Podcast on YouTube, FaceBook, Instagram, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and LinkedIn

    20 min
  3. Dream, Dwell, Deliver: Six Months in Progress Mode

    DEC 3

    Dream, Dwell, Deliver: Six Months in Progress Mode

    December is a month of thresholds, reflection and new beginnings. In this episode, Jill Marshall announces her six-month Creative Residency and shares how she is dedicating serious, focused time to her own creative work. Drawing inspiration from Brendon Burchard’s Progress Mode podcast, Jill reflects not only on his storytelling but also on his insight that if we devoted six months entirely to our own purposeful creative work, rather than everyone else’s priorities, we could achieve real change. Jill explores the power of authentic storytelling, the difference between buzzword ‘storytelling’ and real narrative, and the transformative potential of structured creative residencies. She shares her experience hosting residencies for children’s writers, the ways residencies have nurtured major works, and how even a self-directed residency — without funding or a dedicated space — can provide focus, clarity and freedom. She also outlines her plans for the next six months: writing a psychological, women-focussed novel, recording audiobooks, adapting novels for screen, launching new projects, reshaping her podcast, and honouring her own creative ‘downloads’. Whether you are a writer, artist or simply seeking time to focus on your most important work, this episode is a call to step fully into your creativity and commit to what matters. Key Takeaways: Why December is the perfect month to start anewHow Brendon Burchard’s six-month focus insight inspired a personal residencyThe difference between buzzword ‘storytelling’ and authentic narrativeThe power and importance of residencies in fostering creativityExamples of residencies that have nurtured major worksStrategies for creating your own self-directed, structured creative spaceA roadmap for Jill’s six-month creative goals and projectsA heartfelt invitation to honour your own creative downloadsTimestamps: 00:00 - Welcome to The Download 00:26 - The Magic of December 01:16 - Announcing My Creative Residency 02:20 - Inspiration from Brendon Burchard’s Progress Mode 04:35 - The Power of True Storytelling and Six-Month Focus 09:34 - Why Creative Residencies Matter 12:13 - My Creative Goals for the Next Six Months 14:24 - Final Thoughts & Invitation Listen and subscribe to The Download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite platform to follow Jill’s Creative Residency journey and get inspired to honour your own creative downloads. Message Us! Find out more about Jill’s best-selling fiction and storyworlds on girlpowerpublishing.com. Find The Download Podcast on YouTube, FaceBook, Instagram, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and LinkedIn

    16 min
  4. Say Hello to My Little Friend: On Old Friends and Gold Friends

    NOV 26

    Say Hello to My Little Friend: On Old Friends and Gold Friends

    Season of Friends — Old Friends, Gold Friends If you want to understand the friendships that shape a lifetime, listen to this. In this finale of the Season of Friends, Jill explores the two kinds of friends: the ones who are old in age, and the ones who are old in time. Both offer something essential. Both anchor a life in different but equally powerful ways. The episode opens with the line from Robert Fisher:  “True friendship is not about being inseparable; it is about being separated and nothing changes.” A perfect lens for the season’s closing theme: not proximity, but constancy. Jill reflects on the friends who arrive later in life with humour, vitality and a refreshing take on ageing. These older-in-years friendships show us that new connections can be just as rich as lifelong ones. She then turns to the friend who has known her the longest. A relationship built across decades of shared history, deep roots and the rare ability to witness every version of who we have been. What makes this episode different is its focus on longevity. Old in years, teaching us how to live expansively at any stage.  Old in time, reminding us who we have always been. Old friends. Gold friends. Each one proof that friendship shapes our past, enriches our present and expands our future. A new season of The Download is coming soon. Message Us! Find out more about Jill’s best-selling fiction and storyworlds on girlpowerpublishing.com. Find The Download Podcast on YouTube, FaceBook, Instagram, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and LinkedIn

    14 min
  5. A Ship Called Inspiration: The Quiet Companion Who Never Left

    NOV 19

    A Ship Called Inspiration: The Quiet Companion Who Never Left

    The Friend Called Inspiration: How a Life Cracks Open and Creates Again This episode's image - “A Ship Called Inspire Me” - is doing double-duty. Yes, it’s a nod to a certain Deacon Blue earworm - but it’s also a play on the modern sense of “I ship this.”  This episode explores what happens when you finally decide to ship your own relationship with Inspiration - not as a fleeting spark, but as a consistent, quiet companion that’s been trying to get your attention for years. In this deeply personal episode of The Download, Jill explores her lifelong relationship with Inspiration — from childhood to the “millennium moment” in Jan 2000 that launched her into over a decade of publishing success, to the fall-out in and from 2011 that took everything away … and the surprising creative resurgence that followed. This isn’t an episode about productivity. It’s about listening. Following. Trusting. It’s about the friend who never leaves - even when the world does. If you’ve ever felt creatively lost, cut off from opportunity, or afraid the magic has gone… this episode will remind you that Inspiration doesn’t disappear.  She simply waits for you to hear her again. 🎧 What You’ll LearnWhy creativity often erupts after heartbreak or lossHow to tune in when inspiration is whispering - or screamingWhat Jung, Leonard Cohen, Wilke, Goethe and other greats understood about inspiration as an autonomous forceThe difference between external success and true creative alignmentHow inspiration fuels life choices, not just artistic outputPractical ways to “make space” for Inspiration to return🔑 Key Moments00:03 — Meeting Inspiration as a lifelong friend like Bridget Jones 06:40 — The Millennium Moment:  the lightning bolt 10:20 — The golden decade of publishing success 16:55 — The 2011 collapse & the fall-out era 23:15 — Writing in the wilderness years 28:30 — Inspiration beyond books: moves, performances, podcasts, apps 33:00 — What Jung and the greats say about inspiration 39:45 — Nine essential lessons for living an inspired life 45:00 — Closing invitation to the listener 💬 “Inspiration isn’t fragile. She’s the friend who walks through fire with you - even if everyone else walks away.” Enjoying the Bridget alignment? Listen to Jill's episode on creative vision in 'The Bridget Jones Blueprint'.   And if you'd like to try Breathe, one of the YA novels Jill discusses in the episode, the Breathe Kindle is free on Amazon from 21 - 26 November 2025.  Message Us! Find out more about Jill’s best-selling fiction and storyworlds on girlpowerpublishing.com. Find The Download Podcast on YouTube, FaceBook, Instagram, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and LinkedIn

    20 min
  6. The Castle, the Clio, and the Queen’s Wave

    NOV 12

    The Castle, the Clio, and the Queen’s Wave

    Who Do You Think You Are? Join Jill Marshall on The Download: Season of Friends as she celebrates 25 years of adventures with her friend, Sally. From castles and ancestral mysteries to hilarious mishaps and unforgettable encounters, their friendship turns explorations of ancestry and folklore into a playground. This special birthday episode is full of laughter, discovery, and the magic of saying “yes” to every adventure. Jill recounts their numerous explorations and historical jaunts, ranging from Edinburgh to Dover and Versailles. Both driven by a love for ghost stories, history and mystery, their journeys are filled with laughter, unexpected encounters and genealogical discoveries. This special birthday tribute captures their shared adventures and the deep, soulful bond that has developed over the years, blending stories of ancestral ties, historical landmarks, and the magic of lifelong friendship. 00:00 Welcome to the Download 00:34 The Season of Friends: Celebrating Sally 01:20 Adventures in Castles and Beyond 03:22 The Orange Coat Incidents 04:37 Versailles and the Golf Cart Escapade 05:00 Who Do You Think You Are? 06:01 Belvoir Castle and Ancestral Discoveries 11:20 The Living Tapestry of Friendship 12:30 A Birthday Tribute to Sally Message Us! Find out more about Jill’s best-selling fiction and storyworlds on girlpowerpublishing.com. Find The Download Podcast on YouTube, FaceBook, Instagram, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and LinkedIn

    13 min
  7. Encore: In Memory of Jane - and the Musical Miracle that Reconnected Us

    NOV 5

    Encore: In Memory of Jane - and the Musical Miracle that Reconnected Us

    A Miraculous Reunion and the Essence of Friendship Hours before her dear friend Jane’s passing, Jill experienced a miracle that reunited them. In this encore episode, she reflects on love, timing, and the creative threads that bind friendship across time and memory.  In this episode of The Download, host Jill Marshall commemorates her dear friend from childhood and adolescence, Jane, who tragically passed away two years ago. Jill shares the miraculous story of reconnecting with Jane just hours before her untimely death. Jill's heartfelt narrative delves into teenage memories, lifelong friendships, and the intertwining of past and present. The episode also explores the origins of creative ideas and the deeper themes behind them, using Jill's young adult book 'Fan Mail' as an example - which is hugely founded on Jill and Jane's friendship as teenagers. The encore episode highlights the power of love and timing, the significance of deep connections, and how art can resonate profoundly with its audience and especially its creator. 00:00 Introduction and Tribute to Jane 00:43 Welcome to The Download Podcast 01:22 The Origin of Stories and Ideas 02:51 The Miracle Meeting with Jane 03:15 Fan Mail: The Story Behind the Story 06:13 Reconnecting with Jane 08:06 Jane's Tragic Accident 09:12 The True Meaning of Fan Mail 10:10 A Final Miracle and Tribute 11:39 Conclusion and Reflections If you'd like to read Fanmail (YA fiction, fun for all!) it's available free on Amazon Kindle from 5th to 10th November 2025, to commemorate Jane's larger than life spirit and presence. Fanmail eBook : Marshall, Jill: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store Fanmail is also available in paperback from Amazon and your local bookstore, and as an Audible Audiobook, narrated by the brilliant Leo Haig.  Message Us! Find out more about Jill’s best-selling fiction and storyworlds on girlpowerpublishing.com. Find The Download Podcast on YouTube, FaceBook, Instagram, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and LinkedIn

    13 min
  8. Trendship. Friendship. Fellowship - A Season of Friends

    OCT 30

    Trendship. Friendship. Fellowship - A Season of Friends

    A reflection on the friendships that grow, the ones that ground, and the fellowships that make us whole.  Join host Jill Marshall in this heartfelt episode of The Download Podcast as she explores the intricate dynamics of friendships in her 'season of friends'. From fleeting 'trendships' rooted in shared passions to lifelong bonds that transcend external changes, Jill delves into the reasons, seasons, and lifetimes of friendships. Using literary examples and personal anecdotes, she reflects on how each type of friendship plays a vital role in personal growth and grounding. Whether you're navigating new connections or cherishing old ones, this episode invites you to appreciate the magic of friendships in all their forms.   00:00 Welcome to the podcast 00:38 Exploring the Concept of 'Trendship' 02:51 Friendship in Literature and Life 04:54 The Dynamics of Seasonal Trendships 06:56 The Essence of Lifelong Friendships 09:32 Trendship and Friendship Through Life Stages 13:03 A Love Letter to Friends 14:14 Closing Thoughts and Gratitude    You can find The Two Miss Parsons on Amazon and Audible and for order in your local bookstore.    For more about Jill’s books, mentorship and collaborations, go to girlpowerpublishing.com Message Us! Find out more about Jill’s best-selling fiction and storyworlds on girlpowerpublishing.com. Find The Download Podcast on YouTube, FaceBook, Instagram, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and LinkedIn

    15 min
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Exploring patterns, archetypes, and stories that reveal who we are — and who we can become. Bestselling novelist and storyworld creator Jill Marshall hosts The Download, a podcast where fiction, intuition and philosophy meet. Drawing on her books and cross-media storyworlds, Jill explores the archetypes, synchronicities, and hidden currents that shape both our personal lives and our collective stories. Each episode invites you to see creativity not just as art, but as a mirror of truth, a prophetic force, and a pathway to self-development.  Join Jill each week for downloads that illuminate the hidden patterns in story — and in you. 

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