Simplecast Team Spotlight: Ely

Where do you live?

I live in Portland, Oregon.

How long have you been working for Simplecast?

Since May 2022.

If you remember, what was the first podcast you listened to?

Wormwood, a fiction podcast (that started in 2007!) about a very strange little town, its strange and unexplainable happenings, and the scarred occult investigator and his exasperated computer-savvy assistant who become trapped within it.

What's the last podcast you listened to? Why were you listening to it?

Whale Song, by Ester Ellis. It’s one of the newest offerings from the Apollo Creator Showcase, and Ellis is a truly impeccable audio creative.

What’s your favorite part of your job at Simplecast?

I have a magnificent writing team, freelancers who I would go to war for, and editing their work and collaborating with them on designing content is the highlight of every day.

What's one tip you wish you could give all podcasters?

📣 YOU NEED A PRESS KIT AND WEBSITE.

Why did you start working in podcasting?

Honestly, it was an accident. In about 2016 and 2017, I got some attention on Twitter for my blurb reviews of fiction podcasts, because they were my absolute favorite and I could see they were ignored, at best, and mistreated, at worst. I ended up writing actual, published criticism in 2018 after the Bello Collective opened a call for writers.

What do you most want to see happen within the podcasting world in the next year?

What I want every year: I want to see more risks taken, more weird stuff, and more inclusivity that isn’t just lip service, but thought out and considered and warm and supportive.

What did you want to grow up to be when you were a little kid?

I wanted to be a private detective. I no longer want to be a private detective, but I still mainline murder mystery TV like I need it to live.

What do you do on your off-hours?

I nap. I nap a lot. I love naps. Everyone is always yelling at me to take a nap, so I take them at their word.