Creative Portfolio of Your Podcast Sidekick
Client project work created, edited, produced, and mastered by me (Elijah). How'd I do?
Supporting the dreams of creators is a lot of fun for me. I’ve found that my strength in creating with an audio-first approach resonates with many creators beyond podcasts. By doing so this creates an emotional experience or, at times, invokes your imagination too.
I hope you are inspired by my behind the scenes elements that I’ve injected in the below projects, while previewing some of my proud project highlights.
I encourage you to support these fellow creators by clicking on the links to their content and giving them all a follow!
Rotary Digital
Sean Ryan, Co-Owner of Rotary Digital, and I have a common ground where we don’t take ourselves too seriously and music is everything.
He had a dormant audio podcast and wanted to create a YouTube channel. We’re working on two episodes per month with a goal of obtaining new clients for his business.
I provide support with the following:
video editing long-form video; creating social media clips (shorts)
YouTube and Spotify Creator (Podcast host) management
audio mixing, repurposing video as audio podcast
Create and produce intro
writing title and descriptions, chapter, and fixing up auto-generated transcripts
designing and creating channel logo, podcast cover art, and Youtube thumbnails
Provide recommendations with podcast software and equipment
Maybe you’ll see Sean and I on social media going on about our favorite music soon. For now, check out Sean’s Strange Currencies YouTube channel:
MKG Marketing
Kerry, MKG Marketing Co-Founder, runs a live show that’s repurposed for her YouTube channel and audio podcast.
Being able to support the live event’s technical, audio, and viewer engagement is helpful as the host can focus on the guest and the content. I’m able to make tweaks and adjustments in real-time (to audio, add scenes, or switch up graphics where required) while the audience will only notice if they look very closely.
With respect to the Tea Time with Marketing Leaders YouTube Channel, I pitched a creative suggestion to iterate on the intro ever so slightly — use the graphic for the intro that she already had and add in a little video sipping tea (play on “spilling the tea” or gossiping) while giving a subtle wink. There is a slight playfulness that still maintains the professional feel of MKG’s brand. Kerry’s a huge fan of Justin Timberlake so I leverage the Linkmatch AI tool audiio.com to provide a collection of similar sounds for me to choose from and then receive a proper license for to avoid copyright strikes on YouTube. The icing on the creative cake? The ding sound to compliment the wink to tie it all together.
To tie off the vibe the outro includes a bit of Kerry’s personality shining through. Super short, yet effective. Why the black background? I only want to use the music for the first bit while the host wraps up. Then, for a polished ending, the outro (the visuals start at 9 seconds and is very brief):
Want to see more? Check out the live events supported by Your Podcast Sidekick.
Marketing Director
I learned about Theresa Potratz on the Hotness Unleasher Show where people share stories of amazing humans to grow their network live.
This Marketing Director is (as of mid November 2024) seeking opportunities. After some great conversation I offered to create a promotional story-telling based video to help Theresa stand out during her job search. I recommended she adds this video to her LinkedIn featured section and as additional flare in her digital correspondence.
I invited Theresa to a 20 minute recorded conversation and I leveraged some of the interview and added in some stock footage to avoid switching between some of the jump cuts. I leveraged acoustic instrumental music from audiio.com, created a graphic, added the captions, and spliced the music to make it fit to the run-time length of the video.
Theresa has approximately 3,000 followers. Follower engagement from the video resulted in the following response on LinkedIn within a 24 hour period:
47 likes
44 comments
2 reposts (shares)
The Gym (a Small Business Membership)
After a great experience with The Gym, I submitted a positive review as a comment on one of Mike’s social posts. This founder of Marketing Muscle asked for permission to reference my comment as a testimonial for his small business community membership. I said I’d love to do one better and pitched the idea to create a video testimonial to highlight what The Gym Community is all about: Everyone is welcome (even if they’re an acquired taste).
Mike provided most of the video clips and I recorded a few of me. I edited the video, coached Mike on his communication during the recording, and found some music leveraging my audiio.com subscription.
The Hotness Unleasher Show
I approached a sales pro in the ‘demand gen’ space (who found himself in a creative funk) with an idea to add some pizzaz, polish, and creative energy and manage behind the scenes elements during his live broadcasts.
The most recent live broadcast of the Hotness Unleasher Show (titled Season 3 E7: Marvelous Misfits) was a reunion special. Trevor, the host, always focuses on guests highlighting an exceptional someone in their network in a positive way.
A few of the guests took me up on a request to highlight our host in a memorable way:
Layering different elements together (voice over, sound effects, and music) I created a fun introduction that is personalized for every connection each guest celebrated. A still image, some distortion and stretch effects, along with some masking are simple ways to create interest in a 30 second intro while still adding something unique and entertaining.
A reunion special made room for a little creativity and reminding us how it all started: with the host of this live show. With the help of a masking technique I was able to bring each photo “come alive” with video and an unique way of telling highlighting each guest’s story.
Creating a balance between something easily repeatable and customized for each episode results in a banner picture with a countdown overlay. To add interest I added some sound effects, music, and a comedic voice over to ensure that the viewing audience is entertained without straying away from the intended style or brand of the live broadcast.
With a relationship in place I was able to pitch some creative ideas and build trust to continue earning creative freedom (within reason).
When I joined this live show as Live Show Producer, the show has seen 85-90% viewer retention rate over the 45 minute show run time thanks to the creative ideas, segments, and engagement that is now built into each show.
Pick your favorite episode within this YouTube Playlist of the Season 3 episodes I supported:
Let’s Start a Podcast
I started a podcast to help newer podcast creators find the tools to record and have the confidence to succeed. I recorded a few seasons of this podcast regarding equipment, interviewing, selling, monetizing, learning from podcast masters, and more.
This trailer pulls from an idea that a podcast is adventure, while adding in elements of role play, or feeling of Dungeons and Dragons.
I created the script, hired a voice actor, and produced the trailer with sound effects and music; layered together to create a playful tone to inspire podcast creators to enjoy the adventure.
Small and Simple Podcast
Will, host of the Small and Simple Podcast, wanted a polished podcast intro that captured his journey as a father. Now with 3 children, and going through his own weight-loss journey, he wanted to create the image of how hectic (and relatable) having multiple kids can be. I included stereotypical pieces of Dad-isms, sound effects of kids screaming, and added in Will with some voice acting bits. Elijah narrated the bulk of the intro.
Every week I hop on a video call with Will and meet to plan his episodes out, provide communication consultation/feedback in real time and record. I edited each episode and created social media clips.
The Art of Branding Podcast
Beatrice, a Brand Strategist, wanted an edgy and energetic feeling for her podcast. First, the trailer involved working through some background music options and landed on some hard rock. In the trailer, linked to Apple Podcasts below, incorporated her mascot (an unhinged kangaroo) with a baseball bat effect and added some vocal effects to underscore certain words.
I really enjoyed being a guest on her show highlighting podcast promotion techniques, iteration, and exploring different strategies. Truth be told I didn’t have to edit this episode (except for a bit of audio levelling and mastering) because the conversation flowed really well.
The trailer, intro, and first season was directed, produced, and edited by me. Added different concepts (adding audio clips from previous episodes to reinforce authority with solo episodes). I think this podcast is '“badass”. How about you?
Ernest Jack Podcast
Brandon, Life Coach, had been sitting on the idea of creating his podcast after several unsuccessful attempts. Ernest Jack name comes from relatives that he looked up to and admired them quite a bit. To honor them, he named them after his podcast. As well, Brandon requested for a podcast trailer that is calming, reassuring, and offers a sense of ease. Do you find the ocean and waves, in the background, soothing too?
Phoenix Forged Podcast
Sam, a trauma survivor, wanted to tap into the essence of being comfortable enough to get outside of your head and to tell your story for others waiting to hear. In this trailer, I chose theatrics; starting in a cave that’s dark and cold along side a campfire (where Sam recalls storytelling moments with her Dad), having the bird-like character coaxing the story out, while creating a sense of a conversation going on inside the mind, walking toward the light, and being greeted by others.
We planned a transition for me to get her started and then she wanted to learn editing. I edited the first 4 episodes of Sam’s podcast and then she opted to try herself.
Intro
Trailer