Arielle Nissenblatt

Arielle Nissenblatt is the founder of Earbuds Collective, co-creator of Outlier PodFest, and co-host of Counter Programming. Follow her on Twitter here. Follow Earbuds Collective on Twitter here.

Kindly introduce yourself and tell us what you do!
My name is Arielle Nissenblatt and I am all about the podcast world. I started in this space 3.5 years ago when I began my newsletter, EarBuds Podcast Collective. EarBuds is a weekly email that contains a theme and 5 podcast episodes on that theme, and each week is curated by a different person. Throughout the years, EarBuds continues and it's been an amazing entry point for me into the podcast world. I've gotten to go to podcast festivals to speak on podcast newsletters (and a variety of other topics), meet people all across the industry, and to become immersed in this exciting space! While running EarBuds, I also managed a podcast studio in a co-working space, which also included helping businesses start podcasts for their brands. I am also the co-creator and MC of the thrice-yearly Outlier Podcast Festival, which has been another amazing way of meeting podcast folks. Currently, I am the marketing and business development manager at Castbox, where I help creators find audiences through our platform. I also produce and host two weekly podcasts, Feedback with EarBuds and Counter Programming with Shira & Arielle. Podcasts are my life, really and truly. 

Why did you start Counter Programming?
It started as a joke on Twitter. At the start of this pandemic, I tweeted "a podcast called Counter Programming but it's only about kitchen counters." Then, I went for a walk and it struck me that this could be a real podcast, so I called my friend Shira, who is always down for my weird ideas and she said "you're a nut, but I'm in." The idea behind Counter Programming is to give listeners some respite from the grim COVID-19 news, because it was truly dominating the news cycles from March to late May. It's a distraction-cast, wherein we acknowledge the existence of the pandemic but then give listeners a 30 minute break from it all. 

What was your original goal for Outlier PodFest, and how has it evolved?
Ever Gonzalez is the founder of the Outlier PodFest series. I spoke at the first-ever event, which took place in St. George, Utah. Funny story, actually. I like to keep on top of all things podcast -- events, networks, new shows, drama. I saw a notice for Outlier PodFest in February 2018 and reached out to Ever to see if I could get a press pass to attend... and to tell him that it looked like there were mostly white men on the speaking schedule. He responded by inviting me to speak. We've been buds ever since. I usually MC the show, facilitate panel discussions, and do some pre-show marketing and community work. The goal is to engage with a local audience and to find and showcase talent from that city or town. The goal is also diversity of thought, opinion, and background. We try to show off BIPOC, women, and non-binary creators as much as we can. We also try to encourage speakers to go for the weird, even if it fails. Outlier is a risk-taking festival. We moved it online for COVID in May and it was actually extremely successful. We'll be doing the same in September. 

If you could start another podcast, don't worry about logistics or whether or not anyone would listen, what would it be?
I don't know the name of it yet, but I have always wanted to put out a docuseries podcast on minor league baseball team names. Many of the team names are so unique: The Albuquerque Isotopes, the New Orleans Baby Cakes, the Montgomery Biscuits. I love them! I want to talk to the people in the towns and cities where these teams play about their experience going to baseball games and also to town historians about the team names and how they relate to the city's history! 

You are constantly coming up with new ideas, I'm always so impressed. And then you execute them! What's your process for brainstorming ideas, and what drives you to follow through?
Thank you! You rock. Most of my ideas come to me right as I'm about to fall asleep. Sometimes I remember them in the morning, but more than once I've lost them overnight. Because of that, I am pretty used to waking myself up before drifting off and writing down the idea on my phone. When I was in high school and even college, I didn't think I was very creative. I admired creative people -- artists, poets, writers. I also lowkey thought that creative people were only artists, poets, writers, and other "makers." I learned post-college that problem-solvers are also creatives. With that flexibility, I felt a sense of freedom and most of my projects -- EarBuds Podcast Collective, Village Podcasting, and others, have filled a need; they were solutions. 

What would you be doing if you weren't in podcasting?
I studied geography in college and am still very into maps and demographics. I would be working my butt off to try to get a job either at the census bureau or at a mapping software company. And then I'd convince my new employer to start a podcast, and to let me host it. 

Do you think podcasters should read their Apple Podcast reviews?
Only if it's part of their shtick. For an audio drama, reading reviews may distract from the overall tone of their show. But for an improv show, go for it. And make me laugh. I also think it can be an effective tool for new-ish podcasters who are in the business of giving shoutouts to newbie listeners. I instruct podcasters to keep in mind that they can change up the format or segments of their show. If you're someone who's been reading reviews episode after after and now you feel like it's not your thing anymore, you can stop. Just let your listeners know that you're changing things up and that maybe you'll do this quarterly rather than weekly. What podcasts do you listen to?

Can you shout out a podcaster? Who should we know about?
Everyone should know about Scam Goddess AKA Laci Mosely. Scam Goddess is an Earwolf show that I discovered during quarantine that makes me laugh out loud every single time. In each episode, Mosely invites a comedian friend onto the show and they go through a few segments together, making jokes along the way. The funniest part of this show is that Mosely and her guest essentially glorify scammers and con artists, while also teaching listeners how to not get duped. This is a must-listen!

Thanks, Arielle!