Guests

This is year three of the pandemic. Three years of being stuck in our houses. When was the last time you went for a walk with your friends? One of the nest things that came out of the pandemic was reconnecting with the simople act of going for a walk. There's something magical and simple about wandering around with someone you love to talk to, tasting the fresh air, being immersed in nature, and checking out cool hidden spots you've never been to before.

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 than 30 workshops like TEDx Dublin. But don't drift away yet, our Canadian audience! Nails has also spent time in Canadian radio, including several years at Q107.

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.This week's guest, Adrian Harewood, has been with the CBC since 2006. Once upon a time, he was the host of a little radio show called All In A Day on CBC Radio One, but in recent years he's moved in front of the camera and into our homes. He's currently the host of CBC News Ottawa at 6, and has been a guest host on other CBC shows like As It Happens, Sounds Like Canada and The Current. He's also a full-time Professor of Journalism at Carleton University. I'm not the jealous type, but those are some lucky students.It may also interest you to know that before his time at the CBC, Adria…

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, I am happy to report that I know a little more on the topic.

In this episode, I speak to Jeff about his long and illustrious radio career, during which he found himself in quite a few "interesting" situations, as well as its rather abrupt end. We also talk about how he fell in love with Vegas, why he decided to start podcasting, how he built up his show, and the effect 2 years of COVID restrictions had on his show- A show which mainly revolved around him flying from Canada to Vegas 8 times a year. Yeah, it wasn't pretty.With that being said, now that he can head back to Sin City, the podcast is back with a vengeance.

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 broadcast industry" there, and not just "In broadcasting." And that's because Mark has seen just about every side of the industry. I can't really sum up his career any better than the About section on his personal website, so in Mark's own words:"I've been a daily newspaper columnist, a talk-radio host, a baseball play-by-play announcer, a Sunday-morning political TV host, and more. And I’ve been a proud volunteer, activist and community leader. I am a member of the Order of Ottawa and was named the United Way’s ambassador of the year."He's also been a management consultant, entrepreneur, and…

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 today. And yes, of course that includes all our loyal listeners as well.

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 aficionado and part-time radio host who's handling a station for the first time. But that's exactly the position Brady Kingsbury found himself in, and he nailed it.If nothing else, Brady's history in broadcasting is a testament to the value of playing to your strengths, while also doing everything you can to lengthen the list of things you can call "strengths." As he says in this episode, he's never been afraid to get tossed into the deep end. It just gives him a chance to show you how well he can swim.

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 that Geoff has always had a fantastic voice. So, of course, it was only natural for him to finish school and get straight into... the hotel business. Yes, Geoff was a world-travelling hotel manager for most of his adult life. He'd always had a passion for radio and voiceover, but it wasn't until he was in his 50's, and in Dubai of all places, that he was able to hit the airwaves. Nowadays, he's been a professional voiceover artist for years, with training from industry veterans in L.A., Toronto, Montreal and Dubai.

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, landing in Yorkton, Saskatchewan in 2016 and crushing it in Canadian broadcast ever since.

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 training and mindset coaching. She brings skills from over 20 years in the music industry as a singer, festival producer, journalist, in media sponsorship and as a content creator.

Ben McCully has one of the most interesting portfolios I, and probably you, have ever seen: Radio host, car salesman, pro wrestler, brewery tour manager. If that combo of careers doesn't have you hooked on this episode already, I don't know what will.

Jim Lang is a renowned broadcaster who's worked all over Canada, often covering sports. You probably know him best from either Sportsnet Fan Radio 590, or his Toronto Argos coverage on AM 640. In this episode, we work our way through his broadcast history, from his humble beginnings as a radio intern all the way to his coverage of events like the Superbowl.

BJ Shea is the morning show host at the legendary KISW in Seattle. The BJ and Migs show has anchored the station since 2005; if you aren't familiar with KISW, it's the famous underground and later grunge station that's been home to great DJ personalities such as Bob Rivers, Howard Stern, Gary Crow, Mike West, and more.

The last few weeks, I've been doing a lot of podcast housekeeping- pitching sponsors, and reviewing the stats, and thinking about what's next for the Sound Off Podcast. As it turns out, it's going to be more of the same, which is a good thing. One of the biggest questions I get asked is: "Why is my show doing better?" Here are some of the conclusions that often come up.

In this episode, we talk Amanda's journey through the industry (including receiving military training before working as a journalist in Afghanistan), as well as her thoughts on how Canadian broadcasting could evolve.

Will Nash is the afternoon drive host for Fresh 93.1 in Barrie, Ontario, as well as the midday host on Energy 95.3 in Hamilton and Toronto. He's a radio veteran who's been all over Ontario, and has dozens of celebrity interviews under his belt- but his career didn't exactly start out that way.

Imperfectly Kind is the name of Julie Adam's first book. The President of Rogers Sports & Media had a unique pandemic experience that she shared with us and led her to write this book. In this episode, Julie and I catch up after nearly 4 years between recording podcast episodes. We spoke about baseball in the last episode and it came up again this time in a couple of places. While I normally would love to ask a zillion questions about the future of radio, I wanted to stay close to the theme of h...

Charese Frugé has 20+ years in the radio business with a proven track record in multiple formats as both an on air personality and an award winning programmer. She's been successful in markets like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Las Vegas and Denver. She's been recognized as one of Radio's Most Influential Women by Radio Ink on multiple occasions and has several awards for Excellence in Management from both CBS Radio, and the Alliance for Women in Radio. She owns her own Radio and Talent Consulting business and is also a Voice Actor and Voice over talent. She is one of few female talent consultants in the business and is ready to help you bring a fresh new approach and strategy to your talent or brand.

Sam East is the afternoon host on 99.9 Virgin Radio, and host of weeknights on Virgin Radio across Canada. That means you can hear her on selected stations Winnipeg, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton. Sam has also recently launched the podcast Lessons to My Younger Self, where she chats with notables like Jully Black, The Social’s Jess Allen, sexologist Dr. Jess O’Reilly, and more.

Chris St. Clair started at the Weather Network back in 1994. However, before that he had a worked in radio; in later years as the program director at 990 Hits in Montreal. After 26 years at the Weather Network, Chris has retired.

Last summer when we had Vinny Barucco on the show, I mentioned that we would be having his co-host on in due time. Time is due. Shannon King's radio journey is different in that she didn't grow up idolizes radio personalities from the past. It was just kind of suggested to her. She cut her teeth by cutting hair and learned she was a people person.

In this episode, you will hear how the Tilbury, Ontario native got her start in radio, listened to Dave and Chuck the Freak in Windsor and later WRIF across the river. Also how she wound up falling in love with Ottawa where she worked on Country radio at Rogers and Bell. We will also discuss what lies ahead in the world of voiceover and why she is doubling down on audio.

Every year, Terry Dimonte and I get together for some Christmas cheer. This year we wound up talking a little more about podcasting as he and Ted Bird have recently launched their new show. Terry has recently moved to British Columbia with his wife Jessica and Terry recounts his first few weeks in the area battling torrential rains. As tradition has it, if there is a weather event, Terry will find it.