A Goodpods Follow Thread 🤗
Plus, congrats to the Webby Awards winners!
Hi Besties!
I freaking love a podcast platform with an emphasis on indie podcast discovery — that’s why I’ve become a big fan of Goodpods. I want to migrate more of my listening over to that platform, and I would be thrilled to connect with y’all on there. You can follow me @courtneykocak, and I will definitely follow you back. I also created a group called Podcast Besties, where we can share our drops and get to know each other's work.
Also, my friend Cam Poter is the founder of Pleasure Podcasts, and he’s hiring. I know from experience that he’s wonderful to work with. Here are the deets:
Are you interested in the business of podcasting? Do you like sex? Well, great news! Pleasure Podcasts is seeking a Head of Ad Sales. You would be responsible for discovering, qualifying, and negotiating ad deals for the world's leading sex podcast network. This role is perfect for a go-getter with sales experience who wants to be part of a growing, ground-breaking podcast network. The position will be fun, remote, commission-based without a cap, and with flexible hours. Annual salary will likely fall within $50,000 - $80,000. Email your resume to admin@pleasurepodcasts.com.
Several pals were rewarded for their outstanding work at the 2022 Webby Awards, and I want to take this opportunity to give them some Podcast Bestie love!
This show explored the evolution and distortion of Lolita in pop culture over the years to the oversexed version most of us are familiar with today. It’s a thoughtful revisiting of a classic gone wrong. Jamie Loftus is a powerhouse podcasting talent (if you haven’t read her recent Podcast Bestie Q&A, check it out!), and my friend Sophie Lichterman is a rock star EP. Also, shout-out to consulting producer Miles Gray and the rest of the iHeart team!
Crime & Justice - Scam Goddess
Laci Mosley is one of the funniest guests I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing, and her win for Scam Goddess is so well-deserved. She’s been on the scam train for a long time, and it’s so cool that she turned it into a hilarious, highly original show that is so uniquely her. And I believe this is her second Webby win in a row — kudos!
Documentary - Toxic: The Britney Spears Story
Big congrats to Barbara Gray and Tess Barker for winning the Webby Award AND the People’s Voice Award for documentary podcasts with Toxic! I know them from the LA comedy scene, and it’s been awesome to see them follow their genuine love of Britney Spears and their hunch about how effed up her conservatorship was (before anyone was talking about it) and turn it into the #FreeBritney movement that ultimately accomplished its mission. Incredible work, ladies!
Diversity & Inclusion - Tell Them, I Am
Tell Them, I Am was one of my favorite podcasts of the year. Definitely give it a listen if you haven't already. Each episode is a delightful little nugget of storytelling, and the writing is just *chef’s kiss*. Congrats to Misha Euceph, Mary Knauf, Awen Nicks, and team! I worked with engineer Valentino Rivera on a recent project, and he’s terrific.Â
How a Podcast Writer Broke Into Hollywood - Ryan Patch wrote about how producing City of Ghosts led to getting signed by CAA with some really valuable takeaways for fledging fiction podcasters. (And make sure to catch my recent Q&A with him and his co-creator Carina Green about how they made this audio drama, soup to nuts.)
Influencer Podcast Fatigue - Snaps for this thread by Jasmine Romero. Outside of splashy narrative nonfiction, it seems like *only* influencer podcasts are being picked up by podcast networks these days. A lot of native podcasting talent is being passed over in the process (with active feeds that could be used for promo) — and as Jasmine pointed out, betting on an influencer’s audience to follow them off social media is not a surefire strategy.
The Substack Podcasting 411 - Substack has leveled up its podcasting game by improving the podcast player on its iOS app. However, I’m eagerly awaiting them to allow integration with other podcast hosts that have dynamic ad insertion and programmatic ad capabilities. *taps mic* Substack, are you listening?
Audio Producer, City Cast Philly (full-time) at City Cast | Philadelphia, PA
Managing Producer, TV/Film Podcasts (full-time) at Audacy | New York City, NY or Los Angeles, CA
Associate Audio Engineer, Newsroom (full-time) at New York Times | New York City, NY
Producer, Nonfiction Originals (full-time) at At Will Media | Remote
Producer (full-time) at Stitcher Podcasts | Los Angeles, CA
Executive Producer, Greater Good Science Center (full-time) at University of California, Berkeley | Berkeley, CA
I won’t bore you with all the Hashimoto’s related content I’ve been consuming lately. Here’s the good stuff I think you’ll all enjoy:
FEED THE QUEUEÂ -Â Lauren Passell and Adela Mizrachi, two gals who are super embedded in the community and listen to A LOT of podcasts, just launched Feed the Queue, a new show for podcast discovery. The first show featured is It's Nice to Hear You by the pseudonymous Yves D. Ropper (aka Heather Li), and it is a treat.
AMBIENT MUSIC ISN’T A BACKDROP. IT’S AN INVITATION TO SUSPEND TIME - This essay by Isabelia Herrera is a poignant tribute to ambient music as a means to hold space for ourselves amidst personal tragedy. I recommend listening to the audio version.
Sex educator extraordinaire Samia Burton took us to school in our latest episode — but this wasn’t regular school; this was cool school. Samia gave tips for getting out of a sex rut, how to talk to your partner about what’s NOT working in the bedroom, why weight is a non-issue when it comes to dick riding (big girls can grind too!), the importance of scheduling sex and self-love, and a thrilling primer on squirting… so you might want to take some notes!
So… ROLL CALL! 🗣
Drop your Goodpods handles in the comments, Besties!
Follow me @courtneykocak on Twitter and Instagram. For more, check out my website courtneykocak.com.
Yesss! Follow me on Goodpods - ariellen!
I've been trying to get away from apple podcasts for awhile now and I agree, Goodpods is rad. I'm pretty terrible at listening to new shows, so I like that I get to see what everyone else is listening to. I've also enjoyed the curated lists from the Goodpods staff. Looking forward to connecting with everyone. My handle is @plasticaudio