10 Questions with ... Jay 'PodVader' Soderberg

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

I started my professional career back in Boston as an intern at WFNX, and, after college, worked as a production assistant at the Christian Science Monitor Radio show, distributed nationally by NPR. After they let the radio staff go, I returned home to Connecticut and worked at the Connecticut Radio Network writing ski reports for Ski Watch.

One of the voice over folks was doing sports updates at ESPN Radio, shared my resume, and I was off to Bristol working as the board operator for "AllNight with Todd Wright." But I refused to be just a board op. Using the production skills I learned from my time at Emerson College and Monitor Radio, I started producing imaging for the overnight show, which people made notice of. I was moved to "Mike and Mike In the Morning" as an Associate Producer.

I spent 16 years at ESPN, but 8 years into my career in Bristol, I had a life changing meeting with my supervisor. I was told we need to get into this podcasting business. I asked "What's a podcast?" "We don't know either, but you're going to find out."

From there, I put my fingerprints on over 25+ original podcasts and was part of the Fantasy Focus team that won 8 Podcast Awards. In 2014, I had a career opportunity to become the VP of Content at BlogTalkRadio. I am currently the Executive Producer at Locked On Podcasts featuring local experts covering the biggest sports stories for local teams.

1. You started producing radio, but you made the transition to the digital side early. How did that come about? What led you to the podcasting side?

That meeting back in 2005. I looked at who was doing podcasts and learned what I could from what the PodFather, Adam Curry, had written and spoken about podcasting. Also, Leo Laporte was the other person I found being cited as a podcasting expert at the time. The lightbulb that really resonated with me about podcasting was the content you wanted, how you wanted and when you wanted. It was the on demand aspect of audio content that really impacted me.

2. While ESPN was early in grasping the potential of podcasting, most radio companies were considerably more hesitant to enter the new medium. As a pioneer of the form, how would you assess the radio industry's position in podcasting today? Are they well-positioned or is there work to be done?

Radio still has a long ways to go to be a leader in the podcasting industry. Clearly iHeart has done a good job of making a big footprint, but there's so much more that can be done by literally every radio station. The advantages radio has over the independent producer are quite obvious -- they have a bigger megaphone to promote the content and they have the talent. Now, they just need to embrace the digital side of things to see the real impact they can have on a community.

3. With larger companies and bigger celebrities entering podcasting, what can smaller or unknown podcasters do to get noticed? What are the best ways to get the word out?

Consistently great content will always rise to the top and generate an engaged audience. The line between very good and great is quite thin. I often speak of the 3 E's with content. The first is the most obvious, it has to be Entertaining... without entertainment, why are people listening? The next is it must be Educational... the audience must walk away from your content feeling like they learned something they never knew before and ready to share it with others. And, finally, it must evoke an Emotional response from your audience. When you have all 3 E's, it leads to a fourth: Engagement. Now, you can have 2 of these 3 things in your content, but it's just very good -- it's not great. And very good content can be very successful, but it takes quite a bit to make sure you produce GREAT content on a consistent basis. In the end, Audience Engagement will only lead to more listeners.

4. In a similar vein, about your new gig: You're overseeing the production of a network of shows mostly geared towards fans of individual teams. That's a field that is beginning to attract other entrants, like The Athletic. What strategic advantage (besides putting you in charge) can Locked On use to stand out and be a leader in the category?

David Locke, the CEO and founder of Locked On, saw this from the beginning when he launched the network. Podcasting is about the niches. Each Locked On podcast features a local team expert on the biggest stories in sports. David was the first to realize this in the sports marketplace. We as a network must continue to present consistently great content. Oh, and we do it 5 days a week. Being "daily" is a big advantage because it allows our hosts to react to that day's news quicker than a weekly or bi-weekly show.

5. You've been in podcasting longer than most of the "experts" in the medium, so... measurement. We've been debating how to improve audience measurement and ad tracking since podcasting's been a thing. Are you optimistic that we're close to a workable measurement standard, are we already there, or is it further out than IAB 2.0 would indicate? Where do you feel we are with measurement, and do you think it's necessary to find a solution and attract brand advertising for podcasting to be a financial success as an industry?

There's a lot to this question. Brand advertising is obviously important to reach the billions of dollars we read about being projected for podcasting revenues. This industry won't get there with Live Read, Direct Response ads that are embedded in content alone. A mixture of revenue opportunities from ads, to merchandise, to listener support and more is the way a successful business would build their monetization efforts.

Measurement is a trickier subject matter. I do believe that the IAB is the right first step... but I can't say I understand the certification process enough to really comment on it effectively. If IAB measurement certification is to help the industry all count the same way, then how can one certified company have an up to 10% difference in accounting than another certified company? 10% is a big difference when dollar signs are attached to billions.

The only other thing I would add, though... brand advertisers should be able to see the success those Direct Response advertisers have had in this industry and be embracing those results. It's one thing to argue over the specific number of listeners a podcast may or may not have. It's another to realize that the advertiser on that podcast is seeing a huge return of investment either way.

6. Locked On is ad supported. Some podcast networks and platforms are trying subscription models. Spotify is a hybrid. Do you see room for all of these business models, or do you have a prediction for a winner?

The winner will be the company that blends all methods of revenue generation into their model. One is not better than the other and just because you incorporate one form of monetization doesn't mean you can't use another in conjunction. I often talk about a "river of revenue". Why would you dam a tributary to that river? Let all streams flow together and then you'll really reap the rewards.

7. Okay, you have a LOT of Locked On podcasts to listen to for your job. What are some favorites that AREN'T your work, and how do you find time, if you do, to listen to everything? (Side question: Is it proper or a sin to listen to shows at 1.5x or 2x?)

My favorite non-Locked On podcasts are:

No Agenda...featuring the PodFather, Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak. They provide a different perspective to the news that is important to understand.

Rob Has A Podcast...Rob Cesternino is a former Survivor contestant that has created a whole network of Reality TV podcasts and has a scripted podcast network too with post-show recaps. My family really enjoys watching silly reality TV shows.

Timesuck with Dan Cummins...My favorite of these "history" podcasts are the ones about how the conspiracy of "The Illuminati" came to be. Dan is a comedian who, again, presents a different perspective on the history of things that makes it enjoyable to listen to. My favorite professor at Emerson College was the late Reverend John Coffee. He taught history by telling stories. "Imagine this scene in your mini-series..." Dan has a similar delivery style to the stories he shares on his podcast.

Radiolab... I must admit, I don't listen to this show as regularly as I used to, but it is simply the best produced podcast ever. The use of sound on this show is like nothing you have ever heard, and as a former production guy, I'm often amazed at how the show was put together -- unable to deconstruct the layering that I'm hearing. It's a beautiful piece of art.

I have no problem with people listening to the right podcasts at a high speed rate. 3 of the 4 podcasts I mentioned, it's quite ok. I'll let you figure out which one that it's a sin if you listen to a quicker rate.

I listen at 1.5x speed to the appropriate podcasts and I'm always listening. At the gym. In my car. While I'm doing chores. It does get to the point that my wife asks me kindly to remove the ear buds.

8. Of what are you most proud?

I'm most proud of what I helped launch at ESPN. I was the sole producer of podcasts for quite a bit of time, producing "daily" (5x a week) shows, sometimes up to 8 podcasts in one day. It's where "PodVader" was born, as Matthew Berry and Nate Ravitz decided that I was much more than just a "Producer". It's funny, because right after I left for my career opportunity at BlogTalkRadio, ESPN launched their "30 for 30 Podcasts."" This was a show I was clamoring for from the beginning, but I never had the time to record 4 days worth of audio to edit down to one 30 minute episode.

9. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without _______________.

...my Kool Aid. I drink a half gallon to a full gallon of Kool Aid every day.

10. What's the most important lesson you've learned in your career?

Be flexible to new ideas and listen. Like Jimi Hendrix in Pulp Fiction, listen. You'll never know what you hear when you listen beyond the words.