By Sara Jane Hess and David Grabowski
What’s up, podcasters? It’s SJ and David again with more podcasting news and updates! This is an excellent way to check out some shows we’ve been digging, as well as catch up on pertinent industry news. You can probably guess what the latter is going to be, especially if you clued into Apple’s latest podcast-related announcement. There’s a lot to dissect, but don’t worry, we’ve gotcha covered! 😁
And if you have no idea who we are, we are the SPI Podcasts Team: Sara Jane Hess (senior producer) and David Grabowski (producer). We are the two people at Team SPI dedicated full-time to producing Pat’s shows and, increasingly, some brand-new shows on the SPI Media network!
If you missed it, we launched our first show two months ago: Flops, a podcast about failure and how to overcome it. More on that below because, to be totally honest, we just couldn’t help ourselves.
Here’s the skinny!
4 Unflinching Podcast Recs for May 2021
Flops (SPI Media)
It might seem a little self-promotional to be touting our own show on this little rundown. And it is! But we’re so proud of Flops that we’re doing it anyway. This is the first brand-new show (of many to come) on the SPI Media network. We produced it alongside the show’s hosts, senior content manager Karen Beattie and senior writer Ray Sylvester. Oh, and David wrote the music!
Why create a show about failure? We felt that far too often, the struggles that get us to where we want to be go uncelebrated. But they’re just as much a part of the equation as anything else—and as any good NASA engineer knows, failure is a good thing. So we wanted to spotlight the failures of entrepreneurs, highlight their learnings, and pass on the wisdom to you, the listener.
Oh, and stick around until the end of each episode for an (often juicy) mini-failure story from a member of Team SPI!
P.S. — If you want to dive a little deeper into the Flops creation process, be sure to read this post by Ray.
Recommended episode: S1, E5: “The Song of Regret“
WorkLife with Adam Grant (TED)
Can we learn to love our rivals? Can we turn frustration to good purpose? American author and psychologist Adam Grant certainly thinks so, or at least his guests do. WorkLife examines the minds of some of the most unusual professionals in the world to give listeners unique lessons to take back to professional life. From leadership lessons from primates with Jane Goodall to Malcom Gladwell’s take on questioning everything, this show is chock-full of big names and big ideas.
Recommended episode: “Building an Anti-Racist Workplace“
The Accidental Creative (Todd Henry)
The Accidental Creative sits at the intersection of business and creativity—and as any entrepreneur knows, that’s a great place to be. Todd Henry, author of The Accidental Creative, Die Empty, and Louder Than Words, interviews creatives and business leaders. With actionable insights and top-notch guests, this show is a wellspring of ideas on innovation, creative thinking, and more.
Recommended episode: “ALIEN Thinking (with Cyril Bouquet)“
The Next Big Idea (Wondery)
Host Rufus Griscom offers a brand-new, groundbreaking idea every week, featuring heavyweight thought leaders like Adam Grant (see above) and Malcom Gladwell. The Next Big Idea covers a huge range of topics, so we wouldn’t label it a “business podcast” per se, but there’s a lot that’s definitely applicable. With episodes on everything from climate change (and whether we can actually taste it) and why humor is a secret weapon, to predicting a post-COVID-19 society, we recommend a healthy browse on this one.
Recommended episode: “BEGINNERS: The Joys of Being an Amateur“
Podcasting News May 2021
This month, we have a grab-bag of stories that we feel are worth paying attention to. We’re sick of talking about Apple and Spotify subscriptions, so you won’t find any of that here. (If you’re looking for a roundup of those stories, check out Nick Quah’s excellent article at Hot Pod.)
The latest in the Reply All debacle
A few months ago, we wrote about the reckoning happening at Reply All. The podcast went on an indefinite hiatus, and has been quiet since February. That all changed in the last days of April, when Reply All posted a new episode called “The Test Kitchen Revisited.” In it, hosts Emmanuel Dzotsi and Alex Goldman talk through mistakes made by the Reply All team and how they are shaping the future of the show. The episode left us with more questions than answers, but we’re eager to see what comes next when normal publishing resumes on June 10.
More podcasts make the jump to film
We find this one really exciting—another great, high-quality podcast is making the jump to film. It was recently announced that From Now, the podcast starring Richard Madden (Game of Thrones) and Brian Cox (Succession), has been picked up by Amazon Studios. It wasn’t clear if the two will reprise their roles as twin brothers in the series, but we’ll keep our fingers crossed they do.
From Now is only the latest podcast to be picked up for an adaptation in the past year. Others include Pineapple Street and Crooked Media’s espionage-fueled collaboration Wind of Change (Hulu), Slate’s Slow Burn (Epix), and The New York Times‘s Nice White Parents (HBO). This is a trend that will only grow in the next few years, so expect more.
Podcasting events are going back in-person in 2021
With infection rates declining in the US, podcasting events are moving back to in-person formats. Most notably, the world’s largest podcast conference, Podcast Movement, will take place in Nashville this August. For those who prefer not to travel, the conference is also offering virtual tickets. Here are some of the other 2021 events moving back to in-person formats:
PodFest Expo, June 10–13
PodcastCon, August 20–22
FinCon, September 22–25
That’s all for us. See you out there!
The Podcast Cheat Sheet
Our free checklist and video guide to help you start your podcast
A start-to-launch checklist will get your podcast up and running, fast.
And it includes a free, three-day video series to walk you through setup.
The Essential Free Checklist for Planning and Starting Your Podcast
The Podcast Cheat Sheet is a detailed checklist that helps you manage the setup of your podcast.
Along with the Podcast Cheat Sheet, you’ll receive a three-day email series with Pat Flynn’s video walkthrough for setting up a podcast.
What to Expect
After you request the Podcast Cheat Sheet, you’ll receive an email with a link to download the Podcast Cheat Sheet. Over the following three days, you’ll receive emails with Pat Flynn’s How to Start a Podcast video series.
Together, we’ll cover:
- Choosing a microphone and the equipment you need to get started
- Free podcast editing software and how to use it
- Recording tips and tricks, including how to record interviews remotely
- How to set up your podcast host (the tool that publishes your show)