Sound Judgment

Are your interviews falling flat? Are the podcasts and stories you're creating on the foundation of those interviews just skimming the surface? Let's face it: Desiring candor from the human in front of you is one thing, but achieving it is another. Here's a transformative, counter-intuitive solution that will help you go to the heart of anyone's story. To read this issue of the newsletter on Substack and subcribe, visit "Interviews are the foundation of great storytelling. Are yours falling flat?"Do you want more audio newsletters like this one? Give me feedback! This is an audio introduction to Sound Judgment, the newsletter. Let me know whether you want to hear more audio newsletters! Please email me at allies@podcastallies.com or click Contact on soundjudgmentpodcast.com. Rate Sound Judgment and write a reviewIf you appreciate Sound Judgment, please give it a rating and a review.Visit Apple Podcasts, pull up the Sound Judgment show page and scroll to the bottom of the screen. Below the trailers, you'll find Ratings and Reviews. Click on a star rating. Scroll down past the highlighted review and click on "Write a Review." You'll make my day. Apply by July 12, 2024 to the Medicine in the Media fellowship at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH.  Learn more about this incredible opportunity here. Read the newsletter The Marginalian by Maria Popova. Thanks to the Marginalian for introducing me to Simone Weil's essay on attention. Your homework: Listen to the following episodes to learn directly from interviewers who have a lot to teach about creating true intimacy and connection. How to Capture an Audience with Near Death’s Nikki BoyerHow to Tell the Truth: The Art of Memoir with Dana BlackHow Anna Sale Invites Listeners InEmotional Bravery on Last Day with Stephanie Wittels WachsFinding Your Voice with Shelter in Place Host Laura Joyce Davis  Improve your storytelling Check out our popular workshops on interviewing, story editing, story structure, longform narrative, audience engagement, guesting, scriptwriting and more. Hire Elaine to speak at your conference or company. Subjects include: Effective Storytelling; Communicating for Leaders; Communicating about Change; Mastering the Art of the Interview; Success in Guesting, and much more. Discover our strategic communication services and coaching for thought leaders using storytelling tools to make the world a better place. Serving writers, podcasters, public speakers, and others in journalism & public media, climate change, health care, policy, and higher education. Visit us at www.podcastallies.com. Subscribe to Sound Judgment, the Newsletter, our twice-monthly newsletter about creative choices in audio storytelling. Connect:Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram✉️ Email Elaine at allies@podcastallies.com💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify 🗣️ Share the show by word of mouth and on your socialsHelp us find and celebrate today’s best hostsWho’s your Sound Judgment dream guest? Email me: allies@podcastallies.com. Because of you, that host may appear on Sound Judgment. Credits Sound Judgment is a production of Podcast Allies, LLC. Host: Elaine Appleton GrantPodcast Manager: Tina BassirProduction Manager: Andrew ParrellaAudio Engineer: Kevin KlineProduction Assistant: Audrey Nelson

On May 6, 2024, The 13th Step team was honored with a Pulitzer Prize nomination for audio reporting "for their gripping and extensively reported investigation of corruption and sexual abuse within the lucrative recovery industry that sought accountability despite legal pressure.”Today, we go behind the scenes, once again, with New Hampshire Public Radio Reporter Lauren Chooljian and Story Editor Alison MacAdam to learn their techniques for ensuring journalistic accuracy and fairness as they faced attempts at intimidation. And this close team learned how to create a "trauma-informed workplace" -- and how emotional support techniques helped them to keep going.  This is Part 2 of "Behind the blockbuster investigative series The 13th Step: The best defense is the truth." Listen to Part 1How to Find the Truth: Behind the Blockbuster Investigative Series The 13th StepTakeaways from today's episode include: 1. In today's journalistic and political environment, the best defense is the truth. That means using every reporting strategy you can to make sure all of your reporting is factual, precise, backed up with evidence and well organized.2.  Corroborate, corroborate, corroborate. In your story or series, explain that you corroborated your facts and how you did.3. Transparency is key. Paint thorough, fair portraits of your subjects. Human beings are complex and contradictory. This tension makes for fascinating stories and builds credibility.4. Newsroom or network leadership needs to be as committed to your journalism as you are. Depending on the circumstances, they may need to pay legal fees, tap insurance and even fund security.5. Chooljian had two huge reasons to continue reporting, even after she, her family, and her newsroom were targeted in a rash of criminal threats.  The first: Her sources had bravely stepped forward to share their stories with her. Doing so put them at risk — as she says, a risk they took without the kinds of organizational, financial and legal resources available to her. Second: Backing down would have sent a signal to others that retaliation works. That's unacceptable.###Follow Sound Judgment on your favorite podcast app or subscribe to our channel @SoundJudgmentPodon Youtube. For more takeaways from this episode on crafting an investigative series and why accountability journalism is so important, visit Current. Listen to the series deconstructed on today's show: The 13th Step. Starting your own podcast?  Be strategic with our Sound Judgment Show Bible Workbook. Want to learn more about how NHPR's Document Team greenlights projects like The 13th Step to begin with? Listen to  "How to Pitch an Audio Documentary and the Unusual Origin of a This American Life story." More about The 13th StepRead about the teamCheck out  the supporting legal documentsResources on addiction treatment, substance use disorder, sexual misconduct, and moreFollow Lauren ChooljianLinkedInTwitter/X:  @laurenchooljianFollow Alison MacAdamLinkedInThreads:  @ajmacadam  Improve your storytelling Check out our popular workshops on interviewing, story editing, story structure, longform narrative, audience engagement, guesting, scriptwriting and more. Hire Elaine to speak at your conference or company. Subjects include: Effective Storytelling; Communicating for Leaders; Communicating about Change; Mastering the Art of the Interview; Success in Guesting, and much more. Discover our strategic communication services and coaching for thought leaders using storytelling tools to make the world a better place. Serving writers, podcasters, public speakers, and others in journalism & public media, climate change, health care, policy, and higher education. Visit us at www.podcastallies.com. Subscribe to Sound Judgment, the Newsletter, our twice-monthly newsletter about creative choices in audio storytelling. Connect:Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram✉️ Email Elaine at allies@podcastallies.com💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify 🗣️ Share the show by word of mouth and on your socialsHelp us find and celebrate today’s best hostsWho’s your Sound Judgment dream guest? Email me: allies@podcastallies.com. Because of you, that host may appear on Sound Judgment. Credits Sound Judgment is a production of Podcast Allies, LLC. Host: Elaine Appleton GrantPodcast Manager: Tina BassirProduction Manager: Andrew ParrellaAudio Engineer: Kevin KlineProduction Assistant: Audrey Nelson

In 2020, New Hampshire Public Radio Lauren Chooljian received an email about Eric Spofford, the founder of New Hampshire's largest addiction treatment network. In it was an allegation that Spofford was sexually abusing female clients and employees. Chooljian set out to learn whether this could be true. Over the next three years, she would go on a journey to learn the truth, not just about this allegation, but about widespread sexual misconduct in the addiction treatment industry. The result of that journey is The 13th Step, a gripping series that  won a slew of awards, including the duPont, sometimes considered the Pulitzer of broadcasting. This is Part 1 of a two-part episode that goes behind-the-scenes of The 13th Step. Along the way, Chooljian, her family, and her news director become targets of retaliation. What started as a reporting task would also become  about another thing: Freedom of the press. And how, why, and for whom to persist with a story in the face of unnerving threats. You'll learn how to pursue a tough investigation; how to frame a complex series with many characters and themes; and how to craft  a true, deeply relevant story that serves the public good. And you'll learn what this arduous journey required of everyone involved. This episode explores sensitive subjects including addiction and sexual assault. Please listen with care. Follow Sound Judgment on your favorite podcast app, or subscribe to our channel @SoundJudgmentPodon Youtube. For more takeaways from this episode on crafting an investigative series and why accountability journalism is so important, visit Current. Listen to the series deconstructed on today's show: The 13th Step. Starting your own podcast?  Be strategic with our Sound Judgment Show Bible Workbook. Want to learn more about how NHPR's Document Team greenlights projects like The 13th Step to begin with? Listen to  "How to Pitch an Audio Documentary and the Unusual Origin of a This American Life story." More about The 13th StepRead about the teamCheck out  the supporting legal documentsResources on addiction treatment, substance use disorder, sexual misconduct, and moreFollow Lauren ChooljianLinkedInTwitter/X:  @laurenchooljianFollow Alison MacAdamLinkedInThreads:  @ajmacadam   Improve your storytelling Check out our popular workshops on interviewing, story editing, story structure, longform narrative, audience engagement, guesting, scriptwriting and more. Hire Elaine to speak at your conference or company. Subjects include: Effective Storytelling; Communicating for Leaders; Communicating about Change; Mastering the Art of the Interview; Success in Guesting, and much more. Discover our strategic communication services and coaching for thought leaders using storytelling tools to make the world a better place. Serving writers, podcasters, public speakers, and others in journalism & public media, climate change, health care, policy, and higher education. Visit us at www.podcastallies.com. Subscribe to Sound Judgment, the Newsletter, our twice-monthly newsletter about creative choices in audio storytelling. Connect:Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram✉️ Email Elaine at allies@podcastallies.com💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify 🗣️ Share the show by word of mouth and on your socialsHelp us find and celebrate today’s best hostsWho’s your Sound Judgment dream guest? Email me: allies@podcastallies.com. Because of you, that host may appear on Sound Judgment. Credits Sound Judgment is a production of Podcast Allies, LLC. Host: Elaine Appleton GrantPodcast Manager: Tina BassirProduction Manager: Andrew ParrellaAudio Engineer: Kevin KlineProduction Assistant: Audrey Nelson

Sound Judgment is about the craft of audio storytelling. Not about the marketing of podcasts. But today, we're bringing you a gift from someone I trust completely when it comes to audience growth: Jeremy Enns of Podcast Marketing Academy, and his co-host, Justin Jackson, cofounder of Transistor.fm. They've teamed up to produce Podcast Marketing Trends Explained, a limited series that extracts proven audience growth techniques from Enns' comprehensive annual survey of podcasters about their marketing methods. In this episode, you'll learn: — Whether the famed "podcast discoverability problem" actually exists— The three types of marketing channels at your disposal & what the data shows about their effectiveness— Whether or not it's worth it (and when) to pay for ads— How to pick the right marketing channel for you— Why "owned media" is the low-hanging fruit for many creators— What most podcasters get wrong about growth through collaborations, and— How to kickstart word-of-mouth growth. (P.S.: Word-of-mouth growth is my favorite kind of growth, and IMHO, the best kind!) About Jeremy EnnsAbout Justin JacksonCan't get enough of Podcast Marketing Trends Explained? Follow it now.   Improve your storytelling Check out our popular workshops on interviewing, story editing, story structure, longform narrative, audience engagement, guesting, scriptwriting and more. Hire Elaine to speak at your conference or company. Subjects include: Effective Storytelling; Communicating for Leaders; Communicating about Change; Mastering the Art of the Interview; Success in Guesting, and much more. Discover our strategic communication services and coaching for thought leaders using storytelling tools to make the world a better place. Serving writers, podcasters, public speakers, and others in journalism & public media, climate change, health care, policy, and higher education. Visit us at www.podcastallies.com. Subscribe to Sound Judgment, the Newsletter, our twice-monthly newsletter about creative choices in audio storytelling. Connect:Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram✉️ Email Elaine at allies@podcastallies.com💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify 🗣️ Share the show by word of mouth and on your socialsHelp us find and celebrate today’s best hostsWho’s your Sound Judgment dream guest? Email me: allies@podcastallies.com. Because of you, that host may appear on Sound Judgment. Credits Sound Judgment is a production of Podcast Allies, LLC. Host: Elaine Appleton GrantPodcast Manager: Tina BassirProduction Manager: Andrew ParrellaAudio Engineer: Kevin KlineProduction Assistant: Audrey Nelson

At some point, every one of us will reach a point in our professional lives where it's time to change — but the status quo, even when it's not working, is comfortable. Are you ready to say goodbye to your old life in order to find your way to a new, better one? But you don't have a map?  That's what Daily Creative host Todd Henry and his "story architect" producer Josh Gott wrestle with in the episode we deconstruct together, "The Curious Death of Todd Henry." You won't be the same after you listen to this episode — a play in seven acts. Follow Sound Judgment on your favorite podcast app, or subscribe to our channel @SoundJudgmentPodon Youtube. Listen to the full  episode deconstructed on today's show: Daily Creative: The Curious Death of Todd HenryFollow Daily CreativeJoin Us for New Sound Judgment Workshops!Improve your storytelling, interviewing, writing, producing, hosting and guesting skills! Sign up for new Sound Judgment workshops today at www.podcastallies.com/workshops. April 5, 2024: Mastering the Art of the Interview. Interviews are the foundation of all good storytelling, but we don’t get much instruction on the art and science of them. In this workshop, you'll get ten proven, transformative strategies that you can apply to your own work right away. April 11,2024: Success in Guesting: Be a Great Guest, Get a Great GuestLearn  how to curate great guests and what it takes to be a phenomenal guest yourself. Learn how NPR producers curate and book guests – and how you can set yourself up for success no matter whether you're making a show — or seeking to be a guest yourself.  Todd HenryPositioning himself as an “arms dealer for the creative revolution,” Todd Henry teaches leaders and organizations how to establish practices that lead to everyday brilliance. He is the author of seven books (The Accidental Creative, Die Empty, Louder Than Words, Herding Tigers, The Motivation Code, Daily Creative, and The Brave Habit) which have been translated into more than a dozen languages. He speaks and consults across dozens of industries on creativity, leadership, and passion for work.He began podcasting in 2005, founding The Accidental Creative. Before transforming it into Daily Creative, The Accidental Creative had been published continuously for 18 years and been downloaded 18 million times. Both podcasts help audiences become brave, focused, and brilliant. Joshua GottJoshua Gott is a messaging strategist and creative director helping companies simplify their brand message so they can tell a better story.  He's worked with organizations like P&G, Anthem, Nestle, Dropbox, Workday, Trip Advisor, ESPN and many others to make sense out of nonsense.  His approach to crafting clear messaging is encapsulated in the Story Square®, a framework he developed based on many years of finding creative ways to explain complicated ideas.  When he isn't playing pickleball or coaching girls volleyball he's telling stories with Todd Henry on the Daily Creative podcast. Connect with ToddWebsite: www.toddhenry.comInstagram and Twitter/X: toddhenryLinkedIn: toddhenry1Facebook: toddhenry.ac   Improve your storytelling Check out our popular workshops on interviewing, story editing, story structure, longform narrative, audience engagement, guesting, scriptwriting and more. Hire Elaine to speak at your conference or company. Subjects include: Effective Storytelling; Communicating for Leaders; Communicating about Change; Mastering the Art of the Interview; Success in Guesting, and much more. Discover our strategic communication services and coaching for thought leaders using storytelling tools to make the world a better place. Serving writers, podcasters, public speakers, and others in journalism & public media, climate change, health care, policy, and higher education. Visit us at www.podcastallies.com. Subscribe to Sound Judgment, the Newsletter, our twice-monthly newsletter about creative choices in audio storytelling. Connect:Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram✉️ Email Elaine at allies@podcastallies.com💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify 🗣️ Share the show by word of mouth and on your socialsHelp us find and celebrate today’s best hostsWho’s your Sound Judgment dream guest? Email me: allies@podcastallies.com. Because of you, that host may appear on Sound Judgment. Credits Sound Judgment is a production of Podcast Allies, LLC. Host: Elaine Appleton GrantPodcast Manager: Tina BassirProduction Manager: Andrew ParrellaAudio Engineer: Kevin KlineProduction Assistant: Audrey Nelson

It's a brave thing to share the outtakes from a tracking session. All the blemishes are right there. But Martine Powers and Rennie Svirnovsky from the audio team at The Washington Post have graciously done just that. They invited  Sound School's Rob Rosenthal into their studio to witness Martine at work voicing an episode of The Empty Grave of Comrade Bishop, with assistance from Rennie. Hearing how they work as tracking partners is a real gift for anyone who wants to perform better in the mic booth.Today on Sound Judgment, we’re excited to share this instructive, hilarious episode of Sound School.  If you’ve spent much time behind a mic yourself, you know that tracking an episode – that is, narrating it – takes time, coaching, practice, a good ear, humility, a good sense of humor— and a great producer.*Update! Martine Powers won the 2024 Ambie Award for Best Host  at The Podcast Academy's the fourth annual awards for excellence in audio.You will be a better narrator and a better in-studio producer after listening to this episode. Sound School is produced by Rob Rosenthal for PRX and Transom.Join Us for New Sound Judgment Workshops!Improve your storytelling, interviewing, writing, producing, hosting and guesting skills! Sign up for new Sound Judgment workshops today at www.podcastallies.com/workshops. April 5, 2024: Mastering the Art of the Interview. Interviews are the foundation of all good storytelling, but we don’t get much instruction on the art and science of them. In this workshop, you'll get ten proven, transformative strategies that you can apply to your own work right away. April 11,2024: Success in Guesting: Be a Great Guest, Get a Great GuestLearn  how to curate great guests and what it takes to be a phenomenal guest yourself. Learn how NPR producers curate and book guests – and how you can set yourself up for success no matter whether you're making a show — or seeking to be a guest yourself.  ***Sound School (formerly HowSound) is a bi-weekly podcast on audio storytelling produced by Rob Rosenthal for PRX and Transom. Listen to more episodes and follow the show at https://transom.org/topics/soundschool/The episode featured on Sound Judgment: https://transom.org/2024/tracking-partners/About Rob RosenthalRob Rosenthal is a freelance story editor, podcast producer/reporter, and a teacher. Longform, documentary podcasts are his sweet spot. He offers workshops for podcast companies and public radio stations. He hosts the Sound School Podcast, a joint project of PRX and Transom, on audio storytelling. Rob has been interviewing reporters, producers, editors and artists about the craft of audio storytelling since he began making his show in 2008 under the name How Sound. Rob says he still learns something every time he interviews someone. Improve your storytelling Check out our popular workshops on interviewing, story editing, story structure, longform narrative, audience engagement, guesting, scriptwriting and more. Hire Elaine to speak at your conference or company. Subjects include: Effective Storytelling; Communicating for Leaders; Communicating about Change; Mastering the Art of the Interview; Success in Guesting, and much more. Discover our strategic communication services and coaching for thought leaders using storytelling tools to make the world a better place. Serving writers, podcasters, public speakers, and others in journalism & public media, climate change, health care, policy, and higher education. Visit us at www.podcastallies.com. Subscribe to Sound Judgment, the Newsletter, our twice-monthly newsletter about creative choices in audio storytelling. Connect:Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram✉️ Email Elaine at allies@podcastallies.com💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify 🗣️ Share the show by word of mouth and on your socialsHelp us find and celebrate today’s best hostsWho’s your Sound Judgment dream guest? Email me: allies@podcastallies.com. Because of you, that host may appear on Sound Judgment. Credits Sound Judgment is a production of Podcast Allies, LLC. Host: Elaine Appleton GrantPodcast Manager: Tina BassirProduction Manager: Andrew ParrellaAudio Engineer: Kevin KlineProduction Assistant: Audrey Nelson

The six storytelling strategies you're about to learn are drawn from the patterns I've seen across more than 150 behind-the-scenes lessons — lessons learned from some of the best hosts, producers, writers and editors I've had on Sound Judgment. You can put these techniques to use right away in your studio or at your writing desk. This episode pulls together examples from compelling shows and award winners. In almost every case, the creators who use these strategies are multi-talented. They produce podcasts, they're writers and journalists, they speak on stages, they act, perform, and do live storytelling shows at places like The Moth. These days, we're all creating on multiple platforms — so take a journey with me to learn how sound vision, structure, scenes, surprise, suspense and specifics and take your storytelling to the next level. Apply the six storytelling strategies for creating unforgettable content to your own work!  Sign up for our interactive, virtual Hook Your Audience & Keep Them Coming Back workshopThursday, March 14, 2024By developing storytelling skills from structure to scene-making, suspense to specifics, you'll learn to create or improve the show, story, article or speech that expresses what you want to express, captivates the people you want to reach, and achieves quality and depth you can be proud of. You'll move from likes and follows to building trusted, engaged relationships with your audience. These practices work separately and together to ratchet up both the substance and the "wow factor" of your content, no matter the platform.Reading these show notes too late to catch this Hook Your Audience workshop? Check out our other trainings on guesting and curating guests, interviewing, and more, at www.podcastallies.com/workshops. Want to listen to this series in digestible bites? Follow Sound Judgment and check out these six short episodes: Part 1: Sound Vision Part 2: StructurePart 3: ScenesPart 4: SurprisePart 5: SuspensePart 6: SpecificsDon't miss a thing about the craft of audio storytelling: sign up for my Sound Judgment newsletter, which includes the popular hands-on segment "Try This in Your Studio," kudos to creators who are lifting up the art and business of audio storytelling, news about the show, and useful resources for content creators of all kinds. "Six S" Storytelling ResourcesShows and storytellers mentioned in this series: Bone ValleyCohosts: Gilbert King and Kelsey DeckerMarketplaceJohn Barth, Creative Media LLCThe 13th Step, an award-winning documentary series on sexual misconduct in the addiction treatment Reporter: Lauren ChooljianStory Editor: Alison MacadamNew Hampshire Public RadioDaily Creative Host: Todd HenryProducer: Joshua GottFamous & GravyCohosts: Amit Kapoor & Michael OsborneThe Rich Roll PodcastHost: Rich RollGuest: Charles DuhiggBook: Supercommunicators by Charles DuhiggCrime Show"Paging Dr. Barnes"Host & Executive Producer: Emma CourtlandKatie ColaneriSenior Podcast EditorNew Hampshire Public RadioKelly Corrigan WondersTell Me More with Kelly Corrigan"Bryan Stevenson""Samantha Power" Host: Kelly CorriganThis American Life"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Quorum"Reporter: Sarah GibsonChameleon: Wild BoysHost: Sam MullinsFull Sound Judgment episodes featuring these storytellersBone Valley: How to Make a True Crime Podcast That Makes a Difference (Gilbert King, Kelsey Decker)The Host Defines the Brand with John BarthHow to Make Serious Topics Fun with the Hosts of Famous & Gravy (Amit Kapoor, Michael Osborne)Cinematic Storytelling with Crime Show's Emma CourtlandHow to Pitch an Audio Documentary and the Unusual Origin of a This American Life Story (Katie Colaneri)The Art of True Curiosity with Kelly Corrigan of Kelly Corrigan WondersHow to Make Listeners Breathless for More with Wild Boys' Sam Mullins  Improve your storytelling Check out our popular workshops on interviewing, story editing, story structure, longform narrative, audience engagement, guesting, scriptwriting and more. Hire Elaine to speak at your conference or company. Subjects include: Effective Storytelling; Communicating for Leaders; Communicating about Change; Mastering the Art of the Interview; Success in Guesting, and much more. Discover our strategic communication services and coaching for thought leaders using storytelling tools to make the world a better place. Serving writers, podcasters, public speakers, and others in journalism & public media, climate change, health care, policy, and higher education. Visit us at www.podcastallies.com. Subscribe to Sound Judgment, the Newsletter, our twice-monthly newsletter about creative choices in audio storytelling. Connect:Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram✉️ Email Elaine at allies@podcastallies.com💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify 🗣️ Share the show by word of mouth and on your socialsHelp us find and celebrate today’s best hostsWho’s your Sound Judgment dream guest? Email me: allies@podcastallies.com. Because of you, that host may appear on Sound Judgment. Credits Sound Judgment is a production of Podcast Allies, LLC. Host: Elaine Appleton GrantPodcast Manager: Tina BassirProduction Manager: Andrew ParrellaAudio Engineer: Kevin KlineProduction Assistant: Audrey Nelson

This is the sixth and final part of our new Sound Judgment quick-hit series on storytelling strategies for hooking your audience and keeping them with you. Today: specifics. The more specific our language, the more sparkling and memorable it is. In the last 18 months of speaking with incredible storytellers for this podcast, no one has been better at this than Sam Mullins. In 2023, Sam won the the Best Podcast of the Year award at the Ambies,  The Podcast Academy's attempt to rival the Oscars. He won it for his documentary series Chameleon: Wild Boys, from Campside Media. Learn how Sam's background as a comedy writer informs his approach to writing, and especially to choosing the extraordinarily specific ways he approaches building characters and enticing audiences to enter his world. Apply the six storytelling strategies for creating unforgettable content to your own work!  Sign up for our interactive, virtual Hook Your Audience & Keep Them Coming Back workshopThursday, March 14, 2024By developing skills from story structure to scene-making, suspense to specifics, you'll learn to create or improve the show, story, article or speech that expresses what you want to express, captivates the people you want to reach, and achieves quality and depth you can be proud of. You'll move from likes and follows to building trusted, engaged relationships with your audience. These practices work separately and together to ratchet up both the substance and the "wow factor" of your content, no matter the platform.Reading these show notes too late to catch this Hook Your Audience workshop? Check out our other trainings on guesting and curating guests, interviewing, and more, at www.podcastallies.com/workshops. Did you miss the rest of the series?  Be sure to follow Sound Judgment and check out the other other five bite-sized episodes: Part 1: Sound Vision Part 2: StructurePart 3: ScenesPart 4: SurprisePart 5: SuspenseAll of these segments — each around 10 minutes or less — will come together soon for a full episode on How to Hook Your Audience and Keep Them Coming Back. You won't miss a thing if you sign up for my Sound Judgment newsletter, which includes the popular hands-on segment "Try This in Your Studio," kudos to creators who are lifting up the art and business of audio storytelling, news about the show, and useful resources for content creators of all kinds. "Six S" Storytelling ResourcesShows and storytellers mentioned in this series: Bone ValleyCohosts: Gilbert King and Kelsey DeckerMarketplaceJohn Barth, Creative Media LLCThe 13th Step, an award-winning documentary series on sexual misconduct in the addiction treatment Reporter: Lauren ChooljianStory Editor: Alison MacadamNew Hampshire Public RadioDaily Creative Host: Todd HenryProducer: Joshua GottFamous & GravyCohosts: Amit Kapoor & Michael OsborneThe Rich Roll PodcastHost: Rich RollGuest: Charles DuhiggBook: Supercommunicators by Charles DuhiggCrime Show"Paging Dr. Barnes"Host & Executive Producer: Emma CourtlandKatie ColaneriSenior Podcast EditorNew Hampshire Public RadioKelly Corrigan WondersTell Me More with Kelly Corrigan"Bryan Stevenson""Samantha Power" Host: Kelly CorriganThis American Life"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Quorum"Reporter: Sarah GibsonChameleon: Wild BoysHost: Sam MullinsFull Sound Judgment episodes featuring these storytellersBone Valley: How to Make a True Crime Podcast That Makes a Difference (Gilbert King, Kelsey Decker)The Host Defines the Brand with John BarthHow to Make Serious Topics Fun with the Hosts of Famous & Gravy (Amit Kapoor, Michael Osborne)Cinematic Storytelling with Crime Show's Emma CourtlandHow to Pitch an Audio Documentary and the Unusual Origin of a This American Life Story (Katie Colaneri)The Art of True Curiosity with Kelly Corrigan of Kelly Corrigan WondersHow to Make Listeners Breathless for More with Wild Boys' Sam Mullins  Improve your storytelling Check out our popular workshops on interviewing, story editing, story structure, longform narrative, audience engagement, guesting, scriptwriting and more. Hire Elaine to speak at your conference or company. Subjects include: Effective Storytelling; Communicating for Leaders; Communicating about Change; Mastering the Art of the Interview; Success in Guesting, and much more. Discover our strategic communication services and coaching for thought leaders using storytelling tools to make the world a better place. Serving writers, podcasters, public speakers, and others in journalism & public media, climate change, health care, policy, and higher education. Visit us at www.podcastallies.com. Subscribe to Sound Judgment, the Newsletter, our twice-monthly newsletter about creative choices in audio storytelling. Connect:Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram✉️ Email Elaine at allies@podcastallies.com💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify 🗣️ Share the show by word of mouth and on your socialsHelp us find and celebrate today’s best hostsWho’s your Sound Judgment dream guest? Email me: allies@podcastallies.com. Because of you, that host may appear on Sound Judgment. Credits Sound Judgment is a production of Podcast Allies, LLC. Host: Elaine Appleton GrantPodcast Manager: Tina BassirProduction Manager: Andrew ParrellaAudio Engineer: Kevin KlineProduction Assistant: Audrey Nelson

This is part 5 of our new Sound Judgment quick-hit series on six storytelling strategies for hooking your audience and keeping them with you. This one can mean the difference between ho-hum content and stories that your audiences will talk about. And I’m betting that you give it hardly any thought, if you think about it at all. What is it? Stick around to find out.  Part 5 features Michael Osborne and Amit Kapoor of the podcast Famous & Gravy, New Hampshire Public Radio senior podcast editor Katie Colaneri, and Sarah Gibson, a New Hampshire Public Radio reporter who produced the segment "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Quorum" for This American Life. Apply the six storytelling strategies for creating unforgettable content to your own work!  Sign up for our interactive, virtual Hook Your Audience & Keep Them Coming Back workshopThursday, March 14, 2024By developing skills from story structure to scene-making, suspense to specifics, you'll learn to create or improve the show, story, article or speech that expresses what you want to express, captivates the people you want to reach, and achieves quality and depth you can be proud of. You'll move from likes and follows to building trusted, engaged relationships with your audience. These practices work separately and together to ratchet up both the substance and the "wow factor" of your content, no matter the platform.Did you miss Part 1 on Sound Vision? Listen here. Be sure to follow Sound Judgment so you don't miss the next bite-sized episodes on: Part 3: ScenesPart 4: SurprisePart 5: SuspensePart 6: SpecificsAll of these segments — each around 10 minutes or less — will come together soon for a full episode on How to Hook Your Audience and Keep Them Coming Back. You won't miss a thing if you sign up for my Sound Judgment newsletter, which includes the popular hands-on segment "Try This in Your Studio," kudos to creators who are lifting up the art and business of audio storytelling, news about the show, and useful resources. "Six S" Storytelling ResourcesShows and storytellers mentioned in this series: Bone ValleyCohosts: Gilbert King and Kelsey DeckerMarketplaceJohn Barth, Creative Media LLCThe 13th Step, an award-winning documentary series on sexual misconduct in the addiction treatment Reporter: Lauren ChooljianStory Editor: Alison MacadamNew Hampshire Public RadioDaily Creative Host: Todd HenryProducer: Joshua GottFamous & GravyCohosts: Amit Kapoor & Michael OsborneThe Rich Roll PodcastHost: Rich RollGuest: Charles DuhiggBook: Supercommunicators by Charles DuhiggCrime Show"Paging Dr. Barnes"Host & Executive Producer: Emma CourtlandKatie ColaneriSenior Podcast EditorNew Hampshire Public RadioKelly Corrigan WondersTell Me More with Kelly Corrigan"Bryan Stevenson""Samantha Power" Host: Kelly CorriganThis American Life"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Quorum"Reporter: Sarah GibsonChameleon: Wild BoysHost: Sam MullinsFull Sound Judgment episodes featuring these storytellersBone Valley: How to Make a True Crime Podcast That Makes a Difference (Gilbert King, Kelsey Decker)The Host Defines the Brand with John BarthHow to Make Serious Topics Fun with the Hosts of Famous & Gravy (Amit Kapoor, Michael Osborne)Cinematic Storytelling with Crime Show's Emma CourtlandHow to Pitch an Audio Documentary and the Unusual Origin of a This American Life Story (Katie Colaneri)The Art of True Curiosity with Kelly Corrigan of Kelly Corrigan WondersHow to Make Listeners Breathless for More with Wild Boys' Sam Mullins     Improve your storytelling Check out our popular workshops on interviewing, story editing, story structure, longform narrative, audience engagement, guesting, scriptwriting and more. Hire Elaine to speak at your conference or company. Subjects include: Effective Storytelling; Communicating for Leaders; Communicating about Change; Mastering the Art of the Interview; Success in Guesting, and much more. Discover our strategic communication services and coaching for thought leaders using storytelling tools to make the world a better place. Serving writers, podcasters, public speakers, and others in journalism & public media, climate change, health care, policy, and higher education. Visit us at www.podcastallies.com. Subscribe to Sound Judgment, the Newsletter, our twice-monthly newsletter about creative choices in audio storytelling. Connect:Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram✉️ Email Elaine at allies@podcastallies.com💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify 🗣️ Share the show by word of mouth and on your socialsHelp us find and celebrate today’s best hostsWho’s your Sound Judgment dream guest? Email me: allies@podcastallies.com. Because of you, that host may appear on Sound Judgment. Credits Sound Judgment is a production of Podcast Allies, LLC. Host: Elaine Appleton GrantPodcast Manager: Tina BassirProduction Manager: Andrew ParrellaAudio Engineer: Kevin KlineProduction Assistant: Audrey Nelson

Our fourth S in the 6S framework for hooking your audience and keeping them with you is surprise. It's the left turn when we're expecting a righthand one that makes us listen. It's the twists and turns of an involved, high-stakes plot that we love, or the ending of the movie or the novel that we didn't predict. As New Hampshire Public Radio Senior Podcast Editor Katie Colaneri says, it's the "holy shit" moment. Part 4 features Katie Colaneri, NHPR reporter Sarah Gibson and her This American Life Story, "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Quorum," and Kelly Corrigan of the PBS show Tell Me More and the podcast Kelly Corrigan Wonders. Apply the six storytelling strategies for creating unforgettable content to your own work!  Sign up for our interactive, virtual Hook Your Audience & Keep Them Coming Back workshopThursday, March 14, 2024By developing skills from story structure to scene-making, suspense to specifics, you'll learn to create or improve the show, story, article or speech that expresses what you want to express, captivates the people you want to reach, and achieves quality and depth you can be proud of. You'll move from likes and follows to building trusted, engaged relationships with your audience. These practices work separately and together to ratchet up both the substance and the "wow factor" of your content, no matter the platform.Did you miss Part 1 on Sound Vision? Listen here. Be sure to follow Sound Judgment so you don't miss the next bite-sized episodes on: Part 3: ScenesPart 4: SurprisePart 5: SuspensePart 6: SpecificsAll of these segments — each around 10 minutes or less — will come together soon for a full episode on How to Hook Your Audience and Keep Them Coming Back. You won't miss a thing if you sign up for my Sound Judgment newsletter, which includes the popular hands-on segment "Try This in Your Studio," kudos to creators who are lifting up the art and business of audio storytelling, news about the show, and useful resources. "Six S" Storytelling ResourcesShows and storytellers mentioned in this series: Bone ValleyCohosts: Gilbert King and Kelsey DeckerMarketplaceJohn Barth, Creative Media LLCThe 13th Step, an award-winning documentary series on sexual misconduct in the addiction treatment Reporter: Lauren ChooljianStory Editor: Alison MacadamNew Hampshire Public RadioDaily Creative Host: Todd HenryProducer: Joshua GottFamous & GravyCohosts: Amit Kapoor & Michael OsborneThe Rich Roll PodcastHost: Rich RollGuest: Charles DuhiggBook: Supercommunicators by Charles DuhiggCrime Show"Paging Dr. Barnes"Host & Executive Producer: Emma CourtlandKatie ColaneriSenior Podcast EditorNew Hampshire Public RadioKelly Corrigan WondersTell Me More with Kelly Corrigan"Bryan Stevenson""Samantha Power" Host: Kelly CorriganThis American Life"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Quorum"Reporter: Sarah GibsonChameleon: Wild BoysHost: Sam MullinsFull Sound Judgment episodes featuring these storytellersBone Valley: How to Make a True Crime Podcast That Makes a Difference (Gilbert King, Kelsey Decker)The Host Defines the Brand with John BarthHow to Make Serious Topics Fun with the Hosts of Famous & Gravy (Amit Kapoor, Michael Osborne)Cinematic Storytelling with Crime Show's Emma CourtlandHow to Pitch an Audio Documentary and the Unusual Origin of a This American Life Story (Katie Colaneri)The Art of True Curiosity with Kelly Corrigan of Kelly Corrigan WondersHow to Make Listeners Breathless for More with Wild Boys' Sam Mullins    Improve your storytelling Check out our popular workshops on interviewing, story editing, story structure, longform narrative, audience engagement, guesting, scriptwriting and more. Hire Elaine to speak at your conference or company. Subjects include: Effective Storytelling; Communicating for Leaders; Communicating about Change; Mastering the Art of the Interview; Success in Guesting, and much more. Discover our strategic communication services and coaching for thought leaders using storytelling tools to make the world a better place. Serving writers, podcasters, public speakers, and others in journalism & public media, climate change, health care, policy, and higher education. Visit us at www.podcastallies.com. Subscribe to Sound Judgment, the Newsletter, our twice-monthly newsletter about creative choices in audio storytelling. Connect:Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram✉️ Email Elaine at allies@podcastallies.com💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify 🗣️ Share the show by word of mouth and on your socialsHelp us find and celebrate today’s best hostsWho’s your Sound Judgment dream guest? Email me: allies@podcastallies.com. Because of you, that host may appear on Sound Judgment. Credits Sound Judgment is a production of Podcast Allies, LLC. Host: Elaine Appleton GrantPodcast Manager: Tina BassirProduction Manager: Andrew ParrellaAudio Engineer: Kevin KlineProduction Assistant: Audrey Nelson

This is part 3 of our new Sound Judgment quick-hit series on six storytelling strategies for hooking your audience and keeping them with you. Today, we’re talking about scenes. They’re obviously a staple in longform narrative storytelling, like true crime and documentaries. Don’t ignore them, though, for interview shows; you just have to interview well to elicit good, sensory anecdotes from your guests. Between the lines, you’ll hear how useful they are on the page and the stage as well. As a reminder, all six strategies come from today’s best audio storytellers. But these are storytelling strategies that don’t care what media is yours, so stick around, writers, public speakers, screenwriters and video producers — and of course, podcasters.  With examples featuring Rich Roll, author Charles Duhigg, and Crime Show's Emma Courtland. Apply the six storytelling strategies for creating unforgettable content to your own work!  Sign up for our interactive, virtual Hook Your Audience & Keep Them Coming Back workshopThursday, March 14, 2024By developing skills from story structure to scene-making, suspense to specifics, you'll learn to create or improve the show, story, article or speech that expresses what you want to express, captivates the people you want to reach, and achieves quality and depth you can be proud of. You'll move from likes and follows to building trusted, engaged relationships with your audience. These practices work separately and together to ratchet up both the substance and the "wow factor" of your content, no matter the platform.Did you miss Part 1 on Sound Vision? Listen here. Be sure to follow Sound Judgment so you don't miss the next bite-sized episodes on: Part 3: ScenesPart 4: SurprisePart 5: SuspensePart 6: SpecificsAll of these segments — each around 10 minutes or less — will come together soon for a full episode on How to Hook Your Audience and Keep Them Coming Back. You won't miss a thing if you sign up for my Sound Judgment newsletter, which includes the popular hands-on segment "Try This in Your Studio," kudos to creators who are lifting up the art and business of audio storytelling, news about the show, and useful resources. "Six S" Storytelling ResourcesShows and storytellers mentioned in this series: Bone ValleyCohosts: Gilbert King and Kelsey DeckerMarketplaceJohn Barth, Creative Media LLCThe 13th Step, an award-winning documentary series on sexual misconduct in the addiction treatment Reporter: Lauren ChooljianStory Editor: Alison MacadamNew Hampshire Public RadioDaily Creative Host: Todd HenryProducer: Joshua GottFamous & GravyCohosts: Amit Kapoor & Michael OsborneThe Rich Roll PodcastHost: Rich RollGuest: Charles DuhiggBook: Supercommunicators by Charles DuhiggCrime Show"Paging Dr. Barnes"Host & Executive Producer: Emma CourtlandKatie ColaneriSenior Podcast EditorNew Hampshire Public RadioKelly Corrigan WondersTell Me More with Kelly Corrigan"Bryan Stevenson""Samantha Power" Host: Kelly CorriganThis American Life"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Quorum"Reporter: Sarah GibsonChameleon: Wild BoysHost: Sam MullinsFull Sound Judgment episodes featuring these storytellersBone Valley: How to Make a True Crime Podcast That Makes a Difference (Gilbert King, Kelsey Decker)The Host Defines the Brand with John BarthHow to Make Serious Topics Fun with the Hosts of Famous & Gravy (Amit Kapoor, Michael Osborne)Cinematic Storytelling with Crime Show's Emma CourtlandHow to Pitch an Audio Documentary and the Unusual Origin of a This American Life Story (Katie Colaneri)The Art of True Curiosity with Kelly Corrigan of Kelly Corrigan WondersHow to Make Listeners Breathless for More with Wild Boys' Sam Mullins   Improve your storytelling Check out our popular workshops on interviewing, story editing, story structure, longform narrative, audience engagement, guesting, scriptwriting and more. Hire Elaine to speak at your conference or company. Subjects include: Effective Storytelling; Communicating for Leaders; Communicating about Change; Mastering the Art of the Interview; Success in Guesting, and much more. Discover our strategic communication services and coaching for thought leaders using storytelling tools to make the world a better place. Serving writers, podcasters, public speakers, and others in journalism & public media, climate change, health care, policy, and higher education. Visit us at www.podcastallies.com. Subscribe to Sound Judgment, the Newsletter, our twice-monthly newsletter about creative choices in audio storytelling. Connect:Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram✉️ Email Elaine at allies@podcastallies.com💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify 🗣️ Share the show by word of mouth and on your socialsHelp us find and celebrate today’s best hostsWho’s your Sound Judgment dream guest? Email me: allies@podcastallies.com. Because of you, that host may appear on Sound Judgment. Credits Sound Judgment is a production of Podcast Allies, LLC. Host: Elaine Appleton GrantPodcast Manager: Tina BassirProduction Manager: Andrew ParrellaAudio Engineer: Kevin KlineProduction Assistant: Audrey Nelson

In this series you'll learn how to use sound vision, structure, scenes, surprise, suspense, and specifics to make content that audiences love and share. Each of these bonus episodes is bite-sized and features examples from today's best audio storytellers. Growing your audience depends on more than marketing: It depends on creating compelling content that hooks your audience and keeps them with you. Apply the six storytelling strategies for creating unforgettable content to your own work!  Sign up for our interactive, virtual Hook Your Audience & Keep Them Coming Back workshopThursday, March 14, 2024By developing skills from story structure to scene-making, suspense to specifics, you'll learn to create or improve the show, story, article or speech that expresses what you want to express, captivates the people you want to reach, and achieves quality and depth you can be proud of. You'll move from likes and follows to building trusted, engaged relationships with your audience. These practices work separately and together to ratchet up both the substance and the "wow factor" of your content, no matter the platform.Did you miss Part 1 on Sound Vision? Listen here. Be sure to follow Sound Judgment so you don't miss the next bite-sized episodes on: Part 3: ScenesPart 4: SurprisePart 5: SuspensePart 6: SpecificsAll of these segments — each around 10 minutes or less — will come together soon for a full episode on How to Hook Your Audience and Keep Them Coming Back. You won't miss a thing if you sign up for my Sound Judgment newsletter, which includes the popular hands-on segment "Try This in Your Studio," kudos to creators who are lifting up the art and business of audio storytelling, news about the show, and useful resources. "Six S" Storytelling ResourcesShows and storytellers mentioned in this series: Bone ValleyCohosts: Gilbert King and Kelsey DeckerMarketplaceJohn Barth, Creative Media LLCThe 13th Step, an award-winning documentary series on sexual misconduct in the addiction treatment Reporter: Lauren ChooljianStory Editor: Alison MacadamNew Hampshire Public RadioDaily Creative Host: Todd HenryProducer: Joshua GottFamous & GravyCohosts: Amit Kapoor & Michael OsborneThe Rich Roll PodcastHost: Rich RollGuest: Charles DuhiggBook: Supercommunicators by Charles DuhiggCrime Show"Paging Dr. Barnes"Host & Executive Producer: Emma CourtlandKatie ColaneriSenior Podcast EditorNew Hampshire Public RadioKelly Corrigan WondersTell Me More with Kelly Corrigan"Bryan Stevenson""Samantha Power" Host: Kelly CorriganThis American Life"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Quorum"Reporter: Sarah GibsonChameleon: Wild BoysHost: Sam MullinsFull Sound Judgment episodes featuring these storytellersBone Valley: How to Make a True Crime Podcast That Makes a Difference (Gilbert King, Kelsey Decker)The Host Defines the Brand with John BarthHow to Make Serious Topics Fun with the Hosts of Famous & Gravy (Amit Kapoor, Michael Osborne)Cinematic Storytelling with Crime Show's Emma CourtlandHow to Pitch an Audio Documentary and the Unusual Origin of a This American Life Story (Katie Colaneri)The Art of True Curiosity with Kelly Corrigan of Kelly Corrigan WondersHow to Make Listeners Breathless for More with Wild Boys' Sam Mullins   Improve your storytelling Check out our popular workshops on interviewing, story editing, story structure, longform narrative, audience engagement, guesting, scriptwriting and more. Hire Elaine to speak at your conference or company. Subjects include: Effective Storytelling; Communicating for Leaders; Communicating about Change; Mastering the Art of the Interview; Success in Guesting, and much more. Discover our strategic communication services and coaching for thought leaders using storytelling tools to make the world a better place. Serving writers, podcasters, public speakers, and others in journalism & public media, climate change, health care, policy, and higher education. Visit us at www.podcastallies.com. Subscribe to Sound Judgment, the Newsletter, our twice-monthly newsletter about creative choices in audio storytelling. Connect:Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram✉️ Email Elaine at allies@podcastallies.com💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify 🗣️ Share the show by word of mouth and on your socialsHelp us find and celebrate today’s best hostsWho’s your Sound Judgment dream guest? Email me: allies@podcastallies.com. Because of you, that host may appear on Sound Judgment. Credits Sound Judgment is a production of Podcast Allies, LLC. Host: Elaine Appleton GrantPodcast Manager: Tina BassirProduction Manager: Andrew ParrellaAudio Engineer: Kevin KlineProduction Assistant: Audrey Nelson

This is Part 1: Sound Vision. Be sure to follow the show so you don't miss the next bite-sized episodes on: Part 2: StructurePart 3: ScenesPart 4: SurprisePart 5: SuspensePart 6: SpecificsAll of these segments — each around 10 minutes or less — will come together soon for a full episode on How to Hook Your Audience and Keep Them Coming Back. Apply these six storytelling strategies for creating unforgettable content to your own work!  Sign up for our interactive, virtual Hook Your Audience & Keep Them Coming Back workshopThursday, March 14, 2024By developing skills from story structure to scene-making, suspense to specifics, you'll learn to create or improve the show, story, article or speech that expresses what you want to express, captivates the people you want to reach, and achieves quality and depth you can be proud of. You'll move from likes and follows to building trusted, engaged relationships with your audience. These practices work separately and together to ratchet up both the substance and the "wow factor" of your content, no matter the platform."Six S" Storytelling ResourcesShows and storytellers mentioned in this series: Bone ValleyCohosts: Gilbert King and Kelsey DeckerMarketplaceJohn Barth, Creative Media LLCThe 13th Step, an award-winning documentary series on sexual misconduct in the addiction treatment Reporter: Lauren ChooljianStory Editor: Alison MacadamNew Hampshire Public RadioDaily Creative Host: Todd HenryProducer: Joshua GottFamous & GravyCohosts: Amit Kapoor & Michael OsborneThe Rich Roll PodcastHost: Rich RollGuest: Charles DuhiggBook: Supercommunicators by Charles DuhiggCrime Show"Paging Dr. Barnes"Host & Executive Producer: Emma CourtlandKatie ColaneriSenior Podcast EditorNew Hampshire Public RadioKelly Corrigan WondersTell Me More with Kelly Corrigan"Bryan Stevenson""Samantha Power" Host: Kelly CorriganThis American Life"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Quorum"Reporter: Sarah GibsonChameleon: Wild BoysHost: Sam MullinsFull Sound Judgment episodes featuring these storytellersBone Valley: How to Make a True Crime Podcast That Makes a Difference (Gilbert King, Kelsey Decker)The Host Defines the Brand with John BarthHow to Make Serious Topics Fun with the Hosts of Famous & Gravy (Amit Kapoor, Michael Osborne)Cinematic Storytelling with Crime Show's Emma CourtlandHow to Pitch an Audio Documentary and the Unusual Origin of a This American Life Story (Katie Colaneri)The Art of True Curiosity with Kelly Corrigan of Kelly Corrigan WondersHow to Make Listeners Breathless for More with Wild Boys' Sam Mullins     Improve your storytelling Check out our popular workshops on interviewing, story editing, story structure, longform narrative, audience engagement, guesting, scriptwriting and more. Hire Elaine to speak at your conference or company. Subjects include: Effective Storytelling; Communicating for Leaders; Communicating about Change; Mastering the Art of the Interview; Success in Guesting, and much more. Discover our strategic communication services and coaching for thought leaders using storytelling tools to make the world a better place. Serving writers, podcasters, public speakers, and others in journalism & public media, climate change, health care, policy, and higher education. Visit us at www.podcastallies.com. Subscribe to Sound Judgment, the Newsletter, our twice-monthly newsletter about creative choices in audio storytelling. Connect:Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram✉️ Email Elaine at allies@podcastallies.com💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify 🗣️ Share the show by word of mouth and on your socialsHelp us find and celebrate today’s best hostsWho’s your Sound Judgment dream guest? Email me: allies@podcastallies.com. Because of you, that host may appear on Sound Judgment. Credits Sound Judgment is a production of Podcast Allies, LLC. Host: Elaine Appleton GrantPodcast Manager: Tina BassirProduction Manager: Andrew ParrellaAudio Engineer: Kevin KlineProduction Assistant: Audrey Nelson

Improve your storytelling, interviewing, writing, producing, hosting and guesting skills! Sign up for new Sound Judgment workshops today at www.podcastallies.com/workshops. On this episode, Emily Silverman and host Elaine Appleton Grant discuss: — Why she thought starting a live storytelling event for physicians should be her next step as she was coming to terms with being in the wrong career while also searching for her biological parents and considering becoming a mother.— How leaving the full-time practice of medicine felt like an "identity death" to Emily — and how journalists and podcasters navigating media in 2024 are also experiencing identity death, and — How Emily found her way to a new career through her love of theater and storytelling, and how bringing the arts to medicine is serving the Nocturnists' goal of shattering the myth of the physician God and humanizing medicine. Emily and Elaine break down two episodes of The Nocturnists:"Pass/Fail," Episode 4 of the 10-part documentary series Shame in Medicine: The Lost Forest, takes listeners into the stressful world of medical students taking an exam that has the power to dictate the rest of their lives. Put yourself in the shoes of students wondering if this one test will prevent them from becoming a doctor — or if it will bar them from pursuing their passion for their specialty? Emily gives us some lessons on getting listeners to contribute personal stories — and how her team weaves them together in heart-stopping fashion. We also examine the the power of novels to help us deeply understand the harmful consequences of medicine practiced for the wrong reasons, and how art can help us empathize in a way that journalistic accounts of history do not. In "Conversations: Dolen Perkins-Valdez" Emily learns more about the 1973 case of the Relf sisters, who were forcibly sterilized at a Montgomery, Alabama health clinic. We discuss strategies for how to hold intimate, revealing interviews — and when you should break the rules. Plus: Emily shares the single most important key to producing sound-rich, highly produced longform audio stories. Emily Silverman, MD is an internal medicine physician at UCSF, writer, and creator/host of The Nocturnists, an award-winning medical storytelling organization that has uplifted the voices of 450+ healthcare workers since 2016 through its podcast and sold-out live performances.The Nocturnists' work has been presented on CBS This Morning and NPR's Morning Edition, and at Pop Up Magazine and South By Southwest (SXSW). In 2020, its "Stories from a Pandemic" documentary podcast series was acquired by the U.S. Library of Congress for historic preservation. The Nocturnists has been honored by the Webby Awards, Anthem Awards, Ambie Awards, and more.Dr. Silverman's writing has been supported by MacDowell and published in The New York Times, Virginia Quarterly Review, JAMA, CHEST, and McSweeneys. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and daughter.Follow the show on Instagram @Thenocturnistsand on Facebook and LinkedIn at The Nocturnists  Improve your storytelling Check out our popular workshops on interviewing, story editing, story structure, longform narrative, audience engagement, guesting, scriptwriting and more. Hire Elaine to speak at your conference or company. Subjects include: Effective Storytelling; Communicating for Leaders; Communicating about Change; Mastering the Art of the Interview; Success in Guesting, and much more. Discover our strategic communication services and coaching for thought leaders using storytelling tools to make the world a better place. Serving writers, podcasters, public speakers, and others in journalism & public media, climate change, health care, policy, and higher education. Visit us at www.podcastallies.com. Subscribe to Sound Judgment, the Newsletter, our twice-monthly newsletter about creative choices in audio storytelling. Connect:Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram✉️ Email Elaine at allies@podcastallies.com💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify 🗣️ Share the show by word of mouth and on your socialsHelp us find and celebrate today’s best hostsWho’s your Sound Judgment dream guest? Email me: allies@podcastallies.com. Because of you, that host may appear on Sound Judgment. Credits Sound Judgment is a production of Podcast Allies, LLC. Host: Elaine Appleton GrantPodcast Manager: Tina BassirProduction Manager: Andrew ParrellaAudio Engineer: Kevin KlineProduction Assistant: Audrey Nelson

Don’t miss today’s takeaways! Scroll down for lessons from this episode. The episodes we discussed on today’s episode are History Daily: Silent Spring Sparks the Modern Environmental Movement and American History Tellers Season 61: Salem Witch Trials.Lindsay GrahamLindsay Graham (no, not that Lindsey Graham) is a podcast creator, producer and host known for compelling narratives and in-depth exploration of pivotal moments in American and world history. His chart-topping shows American Scandal, American History Tellers and History Daily reach millions every month, using immersive sound design, a rich original score, and meticulous research to bring moving, character-driven stories that demonstrate “history is human.” His newest podcast is American Criminal, a “true crime podcast that tells the stories of the most infamous criminals in the history of the United States, revealing the men and women who cheated, lied, and murdered in their own twisted pursuit of the American dream.” Graham is the CEO and founder of Airship, a podcast publishing company. He is a podcast producer, sound designer and composer who has worked on Dirty John, Dr. Death, Bad Batch and others, reaching hundreds of millions of listeners.If you liked this episode, you’ll love Sound Judgment Season 1, Episode 8, How Top Hosts Hook Their Listeners in 60 Seconds or Less. Takeaways from my conversation with Lindsay: In several of its shows, including American History Tellers, American Scandal, History Daily and Business Wars, Wondery employs a format that’s always been controversial. They call it “immersive storytelling.” It relies on a single narrator to voice all or most of the characters in an episode. It also employs fictionalized reenactments. As Lindsay says – some people hate this. “I can’t do anything about it,” he says, “cause that’s the show.” He also says, “I can’t help those people who want it to be different than it is.” And that’s the lesson: Choose what your show IS and lean into it. YOUR people will love it. If you do your job well, some people may, in fact, hate it. That’s OK. It’s not for them.When they conduct historical research, Lindsay and his writers aren’t just cataloging facts. They’re on a treasure hunt to learn how the characters felt and how people in their lives felt about them. Those emotions make the historical world feel real, increase the stakes, and keep listeners glued to their headphones. This isn’t your father’s history class.Here’s a tip for anyone leading a team: Create editorial guidelines and share them with everyone – writers, producers, sound designers, and engineers. Guidelines are great for onboarding newcomers. They also help make sure everyone is on the same page. Originally, Lindsay made a narrative podcast out of the American History Tellers guidelines; that’s a memorable way to get this information across. Whatever you do, remember that editorial guidelines are living documents – keep them up to date. Lindsay calls himself a champion thinker, but an “apprentice do-er.” Self-doubt and perfectionism gets in his way, as they did with his long-delayed introduction of the subscription service Into History. Once he stopped overthinking and started taking one step after another, introducing this new product turned out to be easier than he thought. Taking action brings confidence, and confidence, as Lindsay says, breeds more confidence.  Visit Lindsay online:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsayagraham/Twitter/X: @lindsayagraham Improve your storytelling Check out our popular workshops on interviewing, story editing, story structure, longform narrative, audience engagement, guesting, scriptwriting and more. Hire Elaine to speak at your conference or company. Subjects include: Effective Storytelling; Communicating for Leaders; Communicating about Change; Mastering the Art of the Interview; Success in Guesting, and much more. Discover our strategic communication services and coaching for thought leaders using storytelling tools to make the world a better place. Serving writers, podcasters, public speakers, and others in journalism & public media, climate change, health care, policy, and higher education. Visit us at www.podcastallies.com. Subscribe to Sound Judgment, the Newsletter, our twice-monthly newsletter about creative choices in audio storytelling. Connect:Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram✉️ Email Elaine at allies@podcastallies.com💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify 🗣️ Share the show by word of mouth and on your socialsHelp us find and celebrate today’s best hostsWho’s your Sound Judgment dream guest? Email me: allies@podcastallies.com. Because of you, that host may appear on Sound Judgment. Credits Sound Judgment is a production of Podcast Allies, LLC. Host: Elaine Appleton GrantPodcast Manager: Tina BassirProduction Manager: Andrew ParrellaAudio Engineer: Kevin KlineProduction Assistant: Audrey Nelson

Sharing a personal experience, especially a traumatic one, is a particularly popular scripted podcast form. Memoir done well often shoots to the top of the podcast charts or the bestseller list. It moves us, leaves us breathless, inspires standing ovations and prompts us into conversations and confessions of our own. Sometimes memoir creates change.But memoir produced without first grappling with why your experience matters to others can sound cheap, sensation-grabbing, and empty. As listeners, readers, and viewers, we are bombarded with confessions.There is a fine line between transformative and indulgent.Moreover, stories of heartbreak are hard to choose to listen to these days, because the world is showering us with trauma. Given the circumstances, why make memoir?The decision to make the private public isn’t easy. Nor should it be.In the first episode of Sound Judgment, Season 4, I explore this question with producer Maribel Quezada Smith, who shares her extraordinary experience with life and death in The Pulso Podcast piece, “The Latino Experience of Fertility: A Story of Pregnancy Loss.”It took Maribel two years to write and produce this remarkable story about the birth of her son — and the death of her daughter. Her story succeeds, in part, because she identified something fresh: Miscarriage and other forms of pregnancy loss are particularly common in the Latino community, Pulso’s audience. And so is the incredible societal pressure to bear children, setting up an impossible, often hidden, conflict.That her story succeeds in transforming, not indulging, is evident in the piles of grateful responses she received from listeners who shared her experience, but who had never heard their story reflected out loud. Shame and secrecy had dogged their lives. Maribel’s story brought in the light. Along the way, Maribel had to answer several questions for herself about motivation, format, theme, mood, and point of view. Which private moments should she capture on tape? How much could she bear? To whom did she owe privacy? Which scenes and reflections would create momentum — and which pieces would she have to leave out?Maribel Quezada Smith is a bilingual video and podcast producer and the founder of Diferente Creative. Her video credits include producing TV shows for Discovery Networks, Netflix, TLC and A&E, and digital content for brands like AARP, NBC GolfNow and SquadCast FM. Her podcasting credits include Sacred Scandal (iHeart), Birdies Not BS and Pulso Podcast, to name a few. In 2021, Maribel co-founded BIPOC Podcast Creators, an organization devoted to amplifying the voices and stories of people of color.Maribel’s passion is creating meaningful, standout content. Improve your storytelling Check out our popular workshops on interviewing, story editing, story structure, longform narrative, audience engagement, guesting, scriptwriting and more. Hire Elaine to speak at your conference or company. Subjects include: Effective Storytelling; Communicating for Leaders; Communicating about Change; Mastering the Art of the Interview; Success in Guesting, and much more. Discover our strategic communication services and coaching for thought leaders using storytelling tools to make the world a better place. Serving writers, podcasters, public speakers, and others in journalism & public media, climate change, health care, policy, and higher education. Visit us at www.podcastallies.com. Subscribe to Sound Judgment, the Newsletter, our twice-monthly newsletter about creative choices in audio storytelling. Connect:Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram✉️ Email Elaine at allies@podcastallies.com💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify 🗣️ Share the show by word of mouth and on your socialsHelp us find and celebrate today’s best hostsWho’s your Sound Judgment dream guest? Email me: allies@podcastallies.com. Because of you, that host may appear on Sound Judgment. Credits Sound Judgment is a production of Podcast Allies, LLC. Host: Elaine Appleton GrantPodcast Manager: Tina BassirProduction Manager: Andrew ParrellaAudio Engineer: Kevin KlineProduction Assistant: Audrey Nelson

This episode was sponsored by Signal Hill Insights. Want to know how your podcast is affecting listeners? Need to plan to share outcomes with a branded client? Visit measureyourpodcast.com for a free 4-part email series that will tell you how and why to measure the unique impact of branded podcasts. Go beyond counting downloads. Instead, obtain real responses from real listeners to demonstrate the ROI of branded podcasts. You’ll learn how research generates practical insights to optimize your production and drive renewals. Kelly Corrigan is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, the host of PBS’ long-form interview show Tell Me More, and the podcast Kelly Corrigan Wonders, which just crossed 13 million downloads. O Magazine calls her "the voice of a generation" and Huffington Post says Kelly is “our Poet Laureate of the Ordinary.”Read her books: Tell Me More: Stories About the Hardest Things I’m Learning to SayThe Middle PlaceGlitter and GlueHello World!Other books by Kelly’s guests mentioned on this episode: The Education of an Idealist by Samantha PowerJust Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan StevensonIf you liked this episode, you’ll love Sound Judgment Episode Season 1, Episode 5, “Finding Your Voice with Shelter in Place Host Laura Joyce Davis.” Takeaways from my conversation with Kelly: 1. The thing we  are asking for when we put our podcast, our book, or our speech out there is attention. And there is no more exquisite currency than attention. So how can we reveal something, or elicit something from our guest, that will make the listener feel like the time they spent with us was worth it? That’s Kelly’s guiding principle.  2. Carefully time the three questions you’re a little afraid to ask. Don’t ask your toughest ones first – and feel for the opening, like Kelly did with Samantha Power. 3. The purest motivation to start a podcast is to follow your curiosity. When it’s there, it’s evident to the listener. And it’s evident when it’s not there. 4: Kelly knows when an interview is going great when she’s saying something she hasn’t said before or when she knows that her guest is saying something they haven't said before.Visit Kelly online:www.kellycorrigan.comInstagram: @kellycorriganLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kellycorriganFacebook: kellycorriganauthorTwitter/X: @corrigankelly   Improve your storytelling Check out our popular workshops on interviewing, story editing, story structure, longform narrative, audience engagement, guesting, scriptwriting and more. Hire Elaine to speak at your conference or company. Subjects include: Effective Storytelling; Communicating for Leaders; Communicating about Change; Mastering the Art of the Interview; Success in Guesting, and much more. Discover our strategic communication services and coaching for thought leaders using storytelling tools to make the world a better place. Serving writers, podcasters, public speakers, and others in journalism & public media, climate change, health care, policy, and higher education. Visit us at www.podcastallies.com. Subscribe to Sound Judgment, the Newsletter, our twice-monthly newsletter about creative choices in audio storytelling. Connect:Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram✉️ Email Elaine at allies@podcastallies.com💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify 🗣️ Share the show by word of mouth and on your socialsHelp us find and celebrate today’s best hostsWho’s your Sound Judgment dream guest? Email me: allies@podcastallies.com. Because of you, that host may appear on Sound Judgment. Credits Sound Judgment is a production of Podcast Allies, LLC. Host: Elaine Appleton GrantPodcast Manager: Tina BassirProduction Manager: Andrew ParrellaAudio Engineer: Kevin KlineProduction Assistant: Audrey Nelson

If you liked this bonus episode introducing Podcast Perspectives with host Jeff Umbro and guest Jessica Cordova Kramer of Lemonada Media, you'll love: SJ S1/E1: Emotional Bravery on Last Day with Stephanie Wittels Wachs. Not only is she an amazing, evocative storyteller who knows how to get the best out of her team and guests, but she's cofounder and chief creative officer of Lemonada Media. We love hearing from you and getting your support! Please give Sound Judgment a five-star rating and a review. Visit our website to easily give us a 5-star rating and a review that’ll go to Apple or Spotify instantly. We’re grateful. And please share Sound Judgment with a friend. The Sound Judgment team is: Host & Producer: Elaine Appleton GrantProduction Assistant: Audrey NelsonAudio engineer/sound designer: Kevin KlinePodcast manager: Tina BassirSound Judgment is a production of Podcast Allies, LLC, a boutique production and consulting company serving chief creative officers and content directors in the media and at nonprofits, higher ed, and social impact businesses.Contact UsTo contact us with collaborations, media interviews, speaking engagements, or sponsorships, email allies@podcastallies.com. We encourage your voice memos! Click the microphone icon at soundjudgmentpodcast.com. To follow Elaine Appleton Grant and the show: Subscribe to the Sound Judgment newsletter, about creative choices in audio storytellingSound Judgment websiteElaine's LinkedInElaine's Facebook Improve your storytelling Check out our popular workshops on interviewing, story editing, story structure, longform narrative, audience engagement, guesting, scriptwriting and more. Hire Elaine to speak at your conference or company. Subjects include: Effective Storytelling; Communicating for Leaders; Communicating about Change; Mastering the Art of the Interview; Success in Guesting, and much more. Discover our strategic communication services and coaching for thought leaders using storytelling tools to make the world a better place. Serving writers, podcasters, public speakers, and others in journalism & public media, climate change, health care, policy, and higher education. Visit us at www.podcastallies.com. Subscribe to Sound Judgment, the Newsletter, our twice-monthly newsletter about creative choices in audio storytelling. Connect:Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram✉️ Email Elaine at allies@podcastallies.com💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify 🗣️ Share the show by word of mouth and on your socialsHelp us find and celebrate today’s best hostsWho’s your Sound Judgment dream guest? Email me: allies@podcastallies.com. Because of you, that host may appear on Sound Judgment. Credits Sound Judgment is a production of Podcast Allies, LLC. Host: Elaine Appleton GrantPodcast Manager: Tina BassirProduction Manager: Andrew ParrellaAudio Engineer: Kevin KlineProduction Assistant: Audrey Nelson

This episode was sponsored by Signal Hill Insights. Want to know how your podcast is affecting listeners? Need to plan to share outcomes with a branded client? Visit measureyourpodcast.com for a free 4-part email series that will tell you how and why to measure the unique impact of branded podcasts. Go beyond counting downloads. Instead, obtain real responses from real listeners to demonstrate the ROI of branded podcasts. You’ll learn how research generates practical insights to optimize your production and drive renewals. More on today's episode:When Anne Bogel was offered the plum gig of moderating a panel discussion with four famous authors at the Bookmarks NC Festival of Books and Authors, she knew it would be fun. But she had no idea of the turn it would take when her guests — authors TJ Klune, Andrew Sean Greer, Brendan Slocumb, and Tia Williams — began one-upping each other with wild tales from book club experiences like no other. Anne Bogel's been hosting her literary matchmaking show since 2016. This show is always at the top of the charts, in great company with shows like Fresh Air, NPR’s Book of the Day, and The New York Times Book Review. There's a reason for that. Anne is purposeful about how she hosts, whether that's holding a deep conversation about a guest's reading life in-studio, or fielding unexpected stories, and a ton of laughs, on stage in front of hundreds.Anne has spent the last seven years of her life doing something uncanny: Every week on her hit show, What Should I Read Next, she excavates a guest’s reading life in fine detail. Then she recommends books that always seem to be the perfect choices for that guest, no matter who they are.It’s not just her unusual ability to pair book with reader that keeps her show at the top of the charts. It’s also the way Anne approaches hosting – as the art of practicing deep hospitality. That keeps her in listeners’ hearts, year after year. It also makes Anne in demand as a public speaker. As intimate as she is with her podcast guests, you might never guess how raucously fun she is in front of a live audience! If you dream of moving effortlessly between studio and stage, you’ll love this episode. Anne Bogel is an author, the creator of the blog Modern Mrs Darcy, and host of What Should I Read Next? podcast and Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club. Anne loves talking to readers about their favorite books, reading struggles, and of course what they should read next. Anne lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with her husband, four children, and a yellow lab named Daisy. Follow Anne on Instagram.What Should I Read Next episode discussed on today's show: Ep 351 “Book Club Favorites: LIVE from Bookmarks!”Anne Bogel's holiday gift book recommendations for your favorite hosts and producers: The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker Out on a Wire: The Storytelling Secrets of the New Masters of Radio by Jessica Abel with forward by Ira Glass I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca MakkaiScroll down for hosting takeaways from today's show. Subscribe to Sound Judgment, the Newsletter, our twice-monthly newsletter about creative choices in audio storytelling. Connect! Follow Elaine: Facebook | LinkedIn | InstagramLet's talk!✉️ Email me at allies@podcastallies.com💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify 🗣️ Share the show by word of mouth and on your socials Anne Bogel's Takeaways for Podcasters and Public Speakers1. Offer radical hospitality. We may not think of it this way, but the word “host” comes from the word “hospitality.” Anne takes that literally – she and her team practice hospitality consciously. They do everything they can to make their guests feel welcome and at ease. That hospitality starts with the way they invite guests, to how they prepare them, to the ways in which Anne calms their nerves at the start of an interview. The result of such care shows in the relationships she builds with her guests – and, as a consequence, with devoted listeners. 2. State your purpose. Anne practices hospitality in the manner that Priya Parker describes in her book The Art of Gathering. That means understanding and explaining the purpose of that gathering or interview at the very beginning. “It can feel silly at first to name your purpose,” she said. But it helps you and your guests immensely to say: "What is our purpose in being here today, in having this conversation? What do we hope you take away from this?" Don’t let these important guideposts remain unspoken. 3. Set the emotional stage. You’re not the same host in a quiet studio as you are in front of a live audience. Or at least you shouldn’t be. Before you host an episode or a live event, visualize how you want the audience to feel. As Anne says, the visual for a conversation with a single guest might be two people at a table leaning over their lattes. But the visual for a panel discussion in a room of hundreds of readers is big! As she put it, “Come on in. The water is warm! Big Momma’s shepherding! There’s room here for all of us, and we’re gonna have a ball.” They’re both positive kinds of energy, but they differ dramatically. 4. Public speaking skills are complementary, not identical. Hosting a great roundtable takes a different kind of expertise than hosting an intimate conversation. It requires deft moderation, an ability to think like an orchestra conductor and sometimes a tightrope walker – along with the diplomacy to manage several egos. Anne plans ahead to give guests equal time and to ensure a lively flow of conversation. And she also thinks about how to inspire guests to tell stories that they haven’t told before by artfully asking for specifics, like she does in this episode by inquiring about a memorable book club experience. And remember – sometimes that first story sets the tone for all the rest.  Help us find and celebrate today’s best hostsWho’s your Sound Judgment dream guest? Email me: allies@podcastallies.com. Because of you, that host may appear on Sound Judgment.For more information on Sound Judgment and Podcast Allies, our production and training company, visit us at www.podcastallies.com. Credits Sound Judgment is a production of Podcast Allies, LLC. Host: Elaine Appleton GrantPodcast Manager: Tina BassirProduction Manager: Andrew ParellaAudio Engineer: Kevin KlineProduction Assistant: Audrey Nelson   Improve your storytelling Check out our popular workshops on interviewing, story editing, story structure, longform narrative, audience engagement, guesting, scriptwriting and more. Hire Elaine to speak at your conference or company. Subjects include: Effective Storytelling; Communicating for Leaders; Communicating about Change; Mastering the Art of the Interview; Success in Guesting, and much more. Discover our strategic communication services and coaching for thought leaders using storytelling tools to make the world a better place. Serving writers, podcasters, public speakers, and others in journalism & public media, climate change, health care, policy, and higher education. Visit us at www.podcastallies.com. Subscribe to Sound Judgment, the Newsletter, our twice-monthly newsletter about creative choices in audio storytelling. Connect:Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram✉️ Email Elaine at allies@podcastallies.com💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify 🗣️ Share the show by word of mouth and on your socialsHelp us find and celebrate today’s best hostsWho’s your Sound Judgment dream guest? Email me: allies@podcastallies.com. Because of you, that host may appear on Sound Judgment. Credits Sound Judgment is a production of Podcast Allies, LLC. Host: Elaine Appleton GrantPodcast Manager: Tina BassirProduction Manager: Andrew ParrellaAudio Engineer: Kevin KlineProduction Assistant: Audrey Nelson

The episode discussed on today's Sound Judgment is Believable: The Coco Berthmann Story. Karen worked with reporter/host Sara Ganim to create Believable. This episode was sponsored by Signal Hill Insights. Want to know how your podcast is affecting listeners? Need to plan to share outcomes with a branded client? Visit measureyourpodcast.com for a free 4-part email series that will tell you how and why to measure the unique impact of branded podcasts. Go beyond counting downloads. Instead, obtain real responses from real listeners to demonstrate the ROI of branded podcasts. You’ll learn how research generates practical insights to optimize your production and drive renewals. Karen Given’s takeawaysThese are the takeaways from the end of the episode. For more takeaways from all of our guests, subscribe to the Sound Judgment newsletter and visit our blog. Karen set out to tell Coco Berthmann’s story as more than a basic scammer story. She wanted to investigate the social safety nets that allowed Coco’s deception to happen in the first place. It’s the concept of preventable harm: What makes for a much richer, more noteworthy and useful investigation is whether, in fact, the harm could have been prevented, by whom, and why it wasn’t. Especially with true crime, there’s a temptation to tell only a good yarn—the sensational one about the scammer. But those stories are like cotton candy — they might taste good at the time, but later you wonder why you bothered.  Avoid creating unintended consequences. One of the most important and interesting lessons from Believable comes from the tricky line Karen and Sara walked. They needed to investigate the validity of Coco’s story without casting doubt on the stories of every sex trafficking victim, which could have done significant harm. One way they did this — that I would certainly steal if I were you — was to establish early on what is generally known about a phenomenon or a process. We need to understand what’s typical in order to get clarity on what’s not. Storyboarding is a visual exercise. Karen’s a huge fan of sticky notes—in fact, 3M, if you’re listening, please name a line of Post-its after her. To get started, lay out your story beats on Post-its on a wall or in project management software like Trello or Asana. Trust me, you’ll be moving things around for your entire production process. Make it easy on yourself. Karen Given is a podcast story editor, producer and host. Her most recent project was Believable: the Coco Berthmann Story. A veteran of public radio, Karen started out as a technical director and worked her way up to executive producer and host. Along the way, she won the national Edward R. Murrow award twice, in 2007 and 2017. She also writes Narrative Beat, a free newsletter for journalists and podcast makers who want to tell better stories. Follow Karen Given: Subscribe to her newsletter, Narrative BeatWebsite: Karen GivenInstagram: karengivenLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/klgiven/Facebook: karenlgivenIf you liked my conversation with Karen Given, you’ll love: Sound Judgment Season 2/Episode 8: The Heist: How to Produce an Award-Winning Investigative Series with Sally HershipsSound Judgment Season 2/Episode 5: Bone Valley: How to Produce a True Crime Podcast That Makes a DifferenceWe need your support! Please give Sound Judgment a five-star rating and a review. Visit our website to easily give us a 5-star rating and a review that’ll go to Apple or Spotify instantly. We’re grateful.The Sound Judgment team is: Host & Producer: Elaine Appleton GrantProduction Assistant: Audrey NelsonAudio engineer/sound designer: Kevin KlinePodcast manager: Tina BassirSound Judgment is a production of Podcast Allies, LLC, a boutique production and consulting company making magical podcasts for NGOs and nonprofits, higher ed, and social impact organizations. Contact UsTo contact us with collaborations, media interviews, speaking engagements, or sponsorships, email allies@podcastallies.com. We encourage your voice memos! Click the microphone icon at soundjudgmentpodcast.com. To follow Elaine Appleton Grant and the show: Subscribe to the Sound Judgment newsletter, about creative choices in audio storytellingSound Judgment websiteElaine's LinkedInElaine's Facebook Improve your storytelling Check out our popular workshops on interviewing, story editing, story structure, longform narrative, audience engagement, guesting, scriptwriting and more. Hire Elaine to speak at your conference or company. Subjects include: Effective Storytelling; Communicating for Leaders; Communicating about Change; Mastering the Art of the Interview; Success in Guesting, and much more. Discover our strategic communication services and coaching for thought leaders using storytelling tools to make the world a better place. Serving writers, podcasters, public speakers, and others in journalism & public media, climate change, health care, policy, and higher education. Visit us at www.podcastallies.com. Subscribe to Sound Judgment, the Newsletter, our twice-monthly newsletter about creative choices in audio storytelling. Connect:Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram✉️ Email Elaine at allies@podcastallies.com💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify 🗣️ Share the show by word of mouth and on your socialsHelp us find and celebrate today’s best hostsWho’s your Sound Judgment dream guest? Email me: allies@podcastallies.com. Because of you, that host may appear on Sound Judgment. Credits Sound Judgment is a production of Podcast Allies, LLC. Host: Elaine Appleton GrantPodcast Manager: Tina BassirProduction Manager: Andrew ParrellaAudio Engineer: Kevin KlineProduction Assistant: Audrey Nelson