🎉 A family, a microphone, and a podcast that stuck

Presented by Alitu

⛏️ Creative Work is Manual Labor

We like to imagine creativity as a lightning bolt. Sudden, electric, divine. But in podcasting (and in life), it’s more like digging a trench by hand with a spoon.

Great ideas are only the starting pistol. What follows is unglamorous: script drafts, audio clean-up, metadata, that one word you re-record six times because it needs to be just right. It’s work, not magic.

That’s not a flaw in your process; that’s the craft. The best episodes don’t arrive fully formed. They’re shaped in the edit. They’re found in the fifteenth version of a sentence. They’re buried inside the tape, waiting for you to notice.

So if the work feels hard, good. You’re doing it right. This isn’t inspiration, it’s labor. And labor builds things that last.

🎙️ Signal Flow: Jodi Murphy

Industry game changers and valiant minds share their wisdom, adversities, and paths to innovation.

Jodi Murphy is the executive producer and co-creator of Dorktales Storytime, the award-winning podcast that brings imaginative, one-of-a-kind stories to young listeners. With a background in media, marketing, and nonprofit leadership, she leads production, strategy, and educational content in support of a creative team that shares her vision for thoughtful, empowering storytelling. She also serves on the boards of Kids Listen and Read Your World, championing high-quality children’s audio and diverse books in schools and libraries.

It all started with my son Jonathan—an autistic SAG-AFTRA voice actor—and our shared love for storytelling. During the pandemic, with auditions drying up and the world shutting down, we saw an opportunity to build something joyful together. My daughter Molly joined us as a writer, and with the help of a few friends, we launched in 2020.

The concept grew from old scripts Jonathan used to perform live. We took those beginnings and expanded them into two kinds of stories: twisted fairy tales with social-emotional lessons, and profiles of hidden heroes from history, people who made a difference but were left out of the textbooks.

And then the magic happened. Kids started asking about the characters, the map, the lore. That’s when we knew they were really listening.

Our metric for success has always been engagement. We’re mission-driven. We wanted to create the kind of show we wished had existed when my kids were young: silly, inclusive, imaginative, and full of heart.

Monetization came later. We’ve done licensing deals, branded content, and even adapted an episode around a children’s book on Simon Tam, whose Supreme Court case set a major First Amendment precedent. That kind of collaboration, where the story and the message align, is where we shine.

We’ve had some great wins—over a million and a half downloads, features on Apple Podcasts, a glowing review from Common Sense Media—but the biggest one: a community that talks back. When kids send messages asking about a character’s backstory or make up songs based on our episodes, that’s success. That’s impact.

I also believe in the power of partnerships. One of the best moves we made early on was joining Kids Listen. That community helped us grow, stay connected, and learn.

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Most recently, I launched a collaborative project with seven other shows: a Summer Listening Challenge inspired by library reading programs. Kids track episodes, earn certificates, and get huzzah messages from their favorite hosts. It’s screen-free, fun, and built to keep ears engaged during slower summer months.

A hard truth about podcasting? You won’t go viral overnight. Even with high-quality work, it takes time to build an audience. Especially in the kids’ space. You need to show up, connect, and invite people in, again and again. A big break for us was being featured by Apple and reviewed by trusted organizations. But it’s the small, steady efforts that build something lasting.

An unexpected joy: I get to work with my kids. We text about character arcs and storylines and laugh ourselves silly. Our sound engineer feels like family. Our illustrator brings the world of Once Upon a Time to life with every episode's artwork. Yes, we invest in visuals because we know how much it helps bring kids deeper into the world. When Apple started supporting chapter art, it felt like we were ahead of the curve.

People sometimes underestimate how much care goes into kids’ podcasting. There’s a responsibility there. Kids are listening closely. They’re internalizing. So we’re intentional—with words, with themes, with representation. We want every kid to feel seen, safe, and included.

For anyone new to this space, I’d say: build with love. Don’t chase trends, chase connection. And give your audience something that invites their imagination to come out and play.

🎧 Podcast of the Week: Everything is Alive

What if a can of soda had a secret? Or a lamppost had opinions? Everything Is Alive is a beautifully bizarre and surprisingly touching interview show where inanimate objects get a voice and a personality. It’s funny, philosophical, and unlike anything else in podcasting.

🥾 Further Exploration: How Podcast Storytelling Is Evolving

A thoughtful piece from Nieman Storyboard explores how creators are rethinking structure, from cliffhangers and series arcs to standalone vignettes, and adapting for YouTube while preserving narrative depth.

ICYMI:

🥼 Inside a podcast Mayo Clinic trusts with its name

🙌 She started a podcast with $5K and a mission

🎙️ Creative Advice from an Award-Winning Podcast Showrunner