Conan O’Brien helps make local entrepreneur’s dream come true

A local small business owner will be making her debut on one of North America’s top podcasts.

Lindsay MacPhee, who owns the North End wellness facility, The Floatation Centre, was selected to make a special guest appearance on an episode of Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend in May.

“It was very, very unexpected,” says MacPhee about her involvement in the popular podcast. “But any bit of joy I can take these days, I’ll lap it up.”

A hit podcast featuring the longtime late-night television talk show host, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend  has been airing weekly since it premiered in November 2018 through Earwolf, a comedy podcasting network.

Since then, it has consistently received stellar reviews and has become one of the top-ranked podcasts on iTunes —  attracting an array of guests that includes everyone from Will Ferrell, to Tom Hanks, to legendary singer-songwriter Neil Young.

“On Mondays I listen to a lot of podcasts and stuff while I clean and his is one of them,” says MacPhee, an admitted fan of the 59-year-old comedian. In late February, she happened to be listening to an episode when they announced an opportunity for fans to appear as guests on the show.

“I am a bit mildly obsessed with Conan O’Brien,” giggles MacPhee. “So (I thought) it would be a dream come true to chat with him and Sona (Movsesian) and Matt (Gourley) — who are also on the podcast as well — so I applied.”

About a week after submitting her online application, producers reached out to The Floatation Centre founder to conduct a short audition interview.

“I really didn’t think about it anymore afterwards,” recalls MacPhee. “Then weeks passed (and) I woke up to an email on April 19, the day before my birthday, asking if I would have time on the 20^th to film a podcast episode.”

As part of Conan O'Briend Needs a Friend, the host sets aside time for a segment called “Conan O’Brien Needs a Fan”, in which he and co-hosts Gourley and Movsesian interact with listeners who regularly tune in to the show. 

MacPhee’s appearance will be a part of one of those segments next month.

“People have asked me 'how did it go' and 'what did you talk about,' (but) I don’t remember much,” laughs MacPhee, admitting the 30-minute conversation went by in a flash. “I remember talking about (my) birthday and I probably brought up something about the BP oil spill and Matt Damon in a movie, and after that, I barely remember a thing.”

She acknowledges The Floatation Centre also came up in the conversation and that the wellness treatment was likely a key part of her invitation to be on the podcast.

“There were members of their team that had either floated themselves or were familiar with it,” says MacPhee. “It was still fun to discuss with a comedian about all the weird idiosyncrasies of floating.”

Founded in 2015, The Floatation Centre became the first wellness facility of its kind east of Montreal when it opened.  Capitalizing on the growing popularity of float tanks as a means for relaxation and therapy, her business has proven popular with everyone from yogis, to athletes, to chronic pain sufferers.

“Our float tanks — what they are is kind of like a well-engineered tub (with) a thousand pounds of Epsom salts dissolved in water and then you just float on top,” says MacPhee. “After a while, your brain isn’t being pinged as much as it is right now, so you can actually go into a deeper state of relaxation, which is amazing for things like seasonal affective disorder, general anxiety, stress, and also just (being) away from your phone or pain management.”

Although the exact date is to be determined, MacPhee has been told her episode will air sometime in May. In the meantime, the upbeat Halifax business owner says she is already more than satisfied with the experience and exposure she has received from recording the podcast.

“I really didn’t think that people would be as excited or making as big a deal,” says MacPhee. “The fact that people like yourself are interested in talking, not only about Conan, but also the business is awesome (because) not everyone knows about it, so there’s always room for us to grow.”