Two Newtown friends turned their gift of the gab into a business venture with We Have GOT To Talk, a Spotify podcast featuring Elisha Lapides and Anna DelloRusso Siveter.
The pair first met eight years ago when their young daughters ended up on the same cheerleading team. They say they became friends then and later reconnected through classes at the Newtown Athletic Center.
“We seemed to have a lot in common and we hit it off right away,” Anna says. “From there, our families really connected. Our husbands became good friends, our kids are around the same ages, and it all just really worked.”
After years of great conversations and quick banter, Anna and Elisha recall realizing that a podcast seemed to be the perfect venue for sharing their stories and elevating members of the Bucks County community.
“At the beginning, we didn’t really tell anybody,” Anna says. “We bought all the equipment, did our research and then jumped in headfirst. By the time we announced it, we'd already done the legwork to get it off the ground, and we had our first episode that week.”
The name of the show grew out of a phrase Anna and Elisha have been using with each other for years — countless conversations beginning with one of them saying, “We have GOT to talk.” They tossed around a number of potential podcast names, but that one stuck, as they say it felt authentic to their dynamic and to the show’s subject matter.
The podcast is a mix of personal and community-based content.
“It’s the joining of women to talk about all of the things that go on in our lives, all the funny, humorous parts of being a wife, mother, woman and friend in today’s world, and the things that interest us,” Elisha explains.
About twice a month, the pair also chats with local guests.
“We love to highlight people in our community, especially women, who are standouts and are people who will inspire our listeners,” Elisha says. “If we find them inspirational, we know it’s likely our listeners will find them inspirational. We love to have on people from this area to promote others who are working hard and trying to do their thing in the Newtown and Bucks County area.”
Recent guests include Jim Worthington, NAC owner; Rebecca Rescate, local entrepreneur and Golden Rod House owner in Newtown Borough; and a former Dance Sweat instructor turned reality star on Members Only: Palm Beach, Rosalyn Yellin.
“There are touching episodes where we talk about things going on in our lives that can be really hard for us to discuss. Then there are some funny ones about comical things happening to us,” Anna says. “It’s a show where you can sit down with a cup of coffee, listen or watch, and feel like you’re part of a conversation with your friends.”
As the podcast nears its two-year mark, Elisha and Anna are looking to become even more connected to local businesses and expand onto more platforms, reaching more people.
Their advice for aspiring podcasters and media personalities: be consistent.
“Do your research and be prepared to start out slow and build your fanbase,” Elisha says. “At the end of the day, if you have an episode that goes viral, you want people to be able to look back and see you’ve been doing this every week, continuing to work even when it wasn’t successful.”
"We love to highlight people in our community, especially women, who are standouts that will inspire our listeners."