👔 Inside the podcast that made The Office feel new again

Presented by Cozy Critters

⚾️ Attempt the Big Swings

Safe gets you a nice, tidy podcast that nobody remembers. Big swings are messy. They risk whiffing, they risk embarrassing silence, they risk the “what were they thinking?” comments. But they’re also where the breakthroughs live.

Even a strikeout sharpens your swing. And once in a while? You’ll connect, and it’ll soar.

🎙️ Signal Flow: Cassi Jerkins

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

Cassi Jerkins is an award-winning producer and comedian. Cassi executive produces the hit podcast, Office Ladies with Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, which won a Signal Award, iHeart Media Podcast of the Year in 2021, a Webby for Best TV/Film Podcast in 2022, and a Webby's People Voice Award for Best Comedy Podcast in 2025. Cassi also performs at the L.A. Upright Citizens Brigade theatre and was on Harold Night with Cousin Jaeger and Ghost. From 2015-2019, Cassi wrote and performed digital content for the hit children’s educational science YouTube channel, "Socratica Kids" which has over 81 million views.

Editor’s note: The following interview has been edited for flow and clarity.

For me, working on Office Ladies has been like a masterclass in breaking down episodes of television. Every host has strengths and weaknesses, and the best shows lean into the strengths. If you embrace what you’re great at, people will forgive where you fall short. That’s been a big lesson for me.

The idea for Office Ladies came from Jenna and Angela themselves. They had all these photos and memorabilia from The Office and weren’t sure what to do with them. They toyed with the idea of a book, but then sat in Angela’s garage and recorded themselves talking through some of it, starting with a Halloween episode.

That’s when it clicked: this could be a podcast. They pitched it, it took off, and by the time I came on about a year later, it was already a hit.

I wasn’t a superfan of The Office when I started. I’d seen episodes, but it aired when I was in high school and college, I didn’t watch much TV then. I did have a deep appreciation for it, though, especially as a comedy nerd.

Growing up, I loved Happy Gilmore, Tommy Boy, Night at the Roxbury. But I also noticed how few funny women there were, and how often they were stuck playing the “bitchy girlfriend” role.

The Office felt like a turning point. That was exciting. Producing Office Ladies made me go back and watch the show from start to finish, and I began to understand why it means so much to fans. It’s comforting. For many, especially during the pandemic, it was a lifeline.

Jenna and Angela are really cognizant of superfans, so they work hard to deliver detailed analysis. The biggest “critique” we see is usually that someone’s favorite joke didn’t get mentioned. That’s subjective, of course. But over time, I learned something surprising: a huge part of our audience isn’t just there for the analysis. They find Jenna and Angela’s voices comforting. They want to hear them talk about anything. At first, I thought the show had to stay focused on deep behind-the-scenes stories, but I learned that tangents can be just as valuable. Fans love them.

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💤 Bedtime Just Got Cozier

Families everywhere are cozying up with Cozy Critters! Gentle adventures, calming sounds, and lovable characters help kids drift off while learning about animals.

Winner of a Mom’s Choice Award and featured by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, it’s the podcast that makes bedtime easier for parents and magical for kids. One listen and you’ll see why it’s become a global favorite.

👉 Make tonight a Cozy Critters night

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Our production cycle is pretty involved. We brainstorm ideas a couple of months in advance. An associate producer helps with research, Jenna and Angela often do their own prep, reaching out to cast and crew. Once we record, I edit, then send it back to them. We all sit down, make revisions, sometimes re-record. Then it goes to our engineer for mixing and mastering, plus any social assets.

From recording to publishing usually takes about three weeks. It’s very different from shows that can record and release the same day, but that extra time lets us make sure each episode is what we want it to be.

Creative energy can be tough to sustain, especially now that the rewatch is complete. The roadmap is gone, but that also gives us more creative freedom. Personally, I love coming in with new ideas. I think listeners can always tell when hosts are excited, and they can tell when burnout is setting in.

Podcast burnout is real, and fans don’t always understand how much work goes into making a show. They wonder why you can’t just “talk for an hour” and release it, even if you’re on vacation. But there are so many moving parts, so many people involved. Taking breaks is necessary. It’s what keeps the show healthy almost 400 episodes in.

The podcast industry is in a weird, shifting place. I came in during the podcast boom, when celebrities were jumping in and networks were buying up smaller companies. Now, many of those baby networks, the pioneers, are being discarded. I’ve seen friends laid off overnight, great shows canceled, talent treated like they’re disposable. It’s tough. Networks are cutting back, ad revenue is shaky, and there’s a real question of sustainability.

I think it could go one of two ways. Either podcasting becomes something you do just because you love it, with no money in it. Or creators start to realize they don’t need networks. Like the music industry, they’ll say, “We don’t need a label.” With Patreon or other direct support, some shows may find stability on their own. Something has to change, because right now, a lot of amazing talent is being pushed out, and that doesn’t feel healthy for the industry.

🎧 Podcast of the Week: Love + Radio

Love + Radio is the kind of podcast that lingers with you. Each story is intimate, surprising, and often a little unsettling. Strangers revealing their secrets, characters living at the edges of society, moments that feel more like confession than interview. It’s beautifully produced and always unexpected, the kind of show that reminds you audio can be as strange and haunting as film or literature.

🥾 Further Exploration: Global Podcasting Market in 2025: Trends, Revenue, and Growth Opportunities

According to new data, global podcast revenue is projected to jump from $36.3B in 2024 to $47.8B in 2025. With video and AI shaping distribution and format, the space is expanding faster than ever. And the opportunity for creators to carve out a place is only growing.

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💡 The Quiet Spark

A weekly question to ignite fresh thinking, stir self-reflection, and fuel your creative process behind the mic.

Where in your show are you playing it safe?