The Sound Off Podcast

Jay Nachlis recently celebrated 5 years at Coleman Insights, he admitted that "not every career move I've made was the best decision, but every one of them was important for different reasons. With every single one, I made lasting friendships, learned from mistakes, and got better." Which is why he ascended to VP/Consultant & Marketing Director at Coleman Insights earlier this year. I had the...

We last spoke to Dervla Trainor back in 2019. Dervla is the founder and co-owner of the V.O. North conference, and it was getting to that point where the event was creating FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) for people in the Voice over community. Sadly, the pandemic caused a disruption to that momentum with 2020 being shifted online and 2021 postponed. However, the event is back and better than ever Sept...

This episode, versatility is the word of the day. Sam Cook is currently the host and executive producer of The Shot, a singer/songwriter competition show filmed in Toronto, but she's also spent time as a radio host, podcaster, VO artist, and on-screen with other TV networks like YTV. It should go without saying that most people don't begin their career on one of the biggest shows in television his...

Todd Cochrane is a guest you might recognize. Last time he was on the show, in October 2019, we kept things fairly light. This time, however, diving straight into the deep end on the technical side of podcasting: RSS feeds, micro payments, Podcast 2.0, and what the future might look like for podcasts. If you're a creator who cares about the computer mumbo-jumbo that goes on behind the scenes, this...

Jeff Winskell is a bit of an anomaly in radio. Most folks attend university courses specifically tailored to broadcast, which leads them into the industry naturally, but Jeff went from film student to radio show producer in just a few years. In this episode, we talk about exactly how that transition went, as well as the lengthy radio career he created for himself afterwards. Jeff's been a large-sc...

Jenn Dalen-Gordon is the operations manager for the Interior stations of British Columbia for Stingray Radio. She also oversees about 20 other Country stations under the Real Country and New Country moniker. She was raised on Country 105.1 in Calgary and attended the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. She worked at Golden West Broadcasting, before the tour of rural Alberta took her to Leduc...

I know what you are thinking; with a title like that, the episode involves Rush. It does not. But given all the discussion of Ari's upbringing in the Suburbs of Toronto, and his affinity for playing the bass, this lyric from the song Subdivisions came to my head. Ari Daniel now lives in Vancouver after working at great radio stations like Virgin Radio 94.5, Sun FM 99.9 in Kelowna, and EZ Rock 97.3...

This week's show features yet another broadcast icon who I've been a fan of for a long time. Eric Zane is one of many former radio hosts who've made the transition into podcasting, and he's done it more successfully than most. Back when I met Eric in 2019, I knew him from the Free Beer & Hot Wings radio show out of Grand Rapids, Michigan- a show he'd just begun to pivot away from to debut his...

Jamie Cawdell is the Assistant Programme Controller at Radio Essex in England. He is also the curator the CHR Prep Service which is used on radio stations around the world including Virgin Radio in Canada and Z100 in New York. Over the years, we have seen many of radio's best branch out into other facets of the business. Whether it was John Mielke in the 90's starting his Milkman Unlimited busines...

Aaron Rand has been on Montreal radio since the 70’s. I didn’t catch on to his show until the mid 80’s where he became a household name, despite working at some radio stations that weren’t known for their ratings. Right around the time AM started its decline, Aaron Rand’s show started to take off. I ran into Aaron at (what I think is North America’s best restaurant) Joe Beef while having dinner wi...

A lot of radio personalities are initially attracted to the medium because of the music. But some hosts, like Sylvia Alvarado, go far beyond a passing interest. As the midday host on KOMP 92.3 in Vegas, she's had incredible interviews with some of the biggest stars in rock music: Slash, Pat Carney from The Black Keys, Zakk Wylde, and Matt Schultz from Cage The Elephant, just to name a few. She's a...

I have launched a new podcast! With a little help from my Podcast Super Friends. In the past you have heard stories from for radio program director Jon Gay aka Jag in Detroit, and Catherine O'Brien from Branch Out Programs. Meet Johnny Peterson who is the same age as my twin boys. Johnny went to Texas Christian University and studied marketing. When it came to audio... he learned the rest on his o...

Every time we have a radio veteran on the podcast, the conversation shifts to the future of radio at least once. But it's always about the future with Marty Forbes. He always has had an eye towards it. It's no secret that the broadcast industry is struggling to keep up with the times. But few guests have quite the depth of insight into radio's slow demise that Marty Forbes brings. A lifelong Progr...

Arielle Nissenblatt's podcast journey started with a newsletter and a call to Dan Franks and Jared Easley, the co-founders of Podcast Movement. Since then she has grown the Ear Buds Collective Newsletter, joined the team at Squadcast as Community Manager, and is now creating social media content at Sounds Profitable and co-hosting the flagship show with Bryan Barletta. In this episode, you will he...

One of the better legacies the pandemic was people rediscovered the value and simplicity of taking a walk. There's something magical and simple about wandering around with someone you love to talk to and immersing yourself amongst the fresh air and conversation.  This week Buzz Knight returns to the Sound Off Podcast. In February 2019, Matt Cundill and Buzz Knight talked about his previo...

The show has been very Canada-centric for the last few weeks, so it felt like there was no better time to bring on a broadcast legend from another part of the world. This week's guest, Nails Mahoney, has been hosting top-rated radio shows in Ireland and the UK for decades. He's also worked as a TV presenter in Ireland, and performed onstage as a stand-up comedian and keynote/guest speaker at more...

It's not unusual for me to bring old friends onto the show. In fact, a good chunk of our episodes have come about because of existing connections I've had in the broadcast industry. What is unusual, though, is for me to bring on a friend from all the way back in elementary school- one who's also had an incredible broadcast career, and who until recording this episode, I hadn't spoken to since 1984...

In the 6 years since we started a podcast, there has been a total of one (1) request for a transcription of an episode. That was the Natasha Gargiulo episode back in 2018, and the person asking was hearing impaired. Natasha has a very large Canadian following, and I would have been more than happy to help out one of her followers. Sadly, at the time, I was largely clueless on how to do this. Today...

There's a lot of potential to make money, or lose it, in Las Vegas. In fact, that's pretty much the whole point of the city. Most people head down there to try their hand at the slots, play a few rounds of blackjack, take in some spectacular shows, or bet it all on a high-stakes poker match. But you don't see many people betting on the city itself. Jeff Walker is an exception to that rule. A forme...

If you've ever taken a look at the other shows we offer on the Soundoff Podcast Network, this week's guest should sound quite familiar. Mark Sutcliffe is the host of the Digging Deep podcast, one of our largest shows, where he uses the knowledge gained from his lengthy and prolific career in the broadcast industry to give some seriously gripping interviews. There's a reason I said "In the broadcas...

We're finally at the big 300, an episode years in the making. As it's tradition for podcasters to do something special for milestones like this, I thought it would be the perfect time to look back on how exactly we got here: Where we started, the mistakes we've had to correct, the ways the show has evolved since 2016, and most importantly, the people who helped us get here, and continue to help to...

Before starting this episode, I want you to imagine the program director of a radio station. You're probably picturing someone around my age, or maybe a bit older, depending on the station. A mature man or woman, with over a decade of experience in broadcasting, who can use that experience to run things smoothly and professionally. What you're probably not picturing is a 26-year-old Pro Tools afic...

You know Geoff Allan's voice. No, really, you do. If you've ever heard an ad for Burger King, Bud Light, or Hardee's, you've probably heard Geoff's dulcet tones announcing the return of the biggest burger you've ever seen. I've certainly heard Geoff enough to recognize that baritone anywhere- although I suppose I have an advantage. He is my second cousin, after all. As his cousin, I can tell you t...

It's not often that we hear a British accent on the radio in Canada. Especially outside of Toronto, or maybe Vancouver, most of our talent is home-grown. Chris Ash is a notable exception to that rule. Chris was born and raised in the UK, attending Staffordshire University and beginning his broadcasting career in Kettering, close to London. After only a few years, he made the journey to Canada, lan...

Jeni Wren Stottrup is a creative. That comes with a lot of things ranging from being exquisitely detailed to sometimes scattered; thriving off a full inbox with tasks perpetually nearing completion. Jeni is the coach behind The Podcasters Forum and host of Gritty Birds on podcast and YouTube. She helps podcasters find their voice as a coach, through content marketing, speaker training, tech traini...