About Me

I’m an award-winning journalist and audio producer, contributing to National Public Radio, The Guardian, and US News & World Report. I’m the creator and host of two original podcasts distributed by NPR. Now I’m offering my specialized skills to help others produce and edit their podcasts with my company Smardon Productions.

But EnouGH About Me…

I’m in my element when I’m listening with my full attention to YOU.

Headphones on, microphone outstretched, eyes locked; my sole purpose in this moment is to understand the heart of the matter – your story.

These days, it is extremely rare to listen without distraction, but it is what I live for. I also love the process of piecing the story together after the interview. It’s a distillation of meaning. My purpose is to listen for what is important, and find a way to connect that personal truth with others.

I’m an experienced journalist with 15 years working in public broadcasting newsrooms, but I believe we need a new kind of story. We are undergoing massive changes in our society; it seems everything is fluid, threatening to wipe our feet out from under us. Amidst the tweet storms and the relentless onslaught of the 24-hour news cycle, when do we get to stop and think about where we’re headed? Even if we do find this moment, what map can we consult that will show us the way?

This is what I was grappling with when I left my daily reporting job and started producing Changing Our Stories, a podcast about transformation. I followed that thread to produce Next Door Strangers, a podcast in partnership with KUER public radio that looked at how we can find connection.

In a time of uncertainty, how can stories be used to focus on what’s most important and imagine the future we want to see? How can the tools of journalism be used to address our most intractable problems? These are the kinds of questions I’m working with right now.

I’m looking for projects worthy of my specialized skills in immersive storytelling. I want to tell stories that the world needs to hear in this moment.

Contact me to explore the possibilities.