Looking for a podcast coach?
We can help. Over the past four years, we have trained dozens of audio storytellers from many ages and backgrounds, from college students to retirees, journalists to musicians and actors. We have coached students online and in person, but always with the goals of helping refine story ideas, build confidence, and develop the suite of skills to create a compelling narrative podcast.
We can focus on a particular podcasting are of interest you have, customize the curriculum from our course or workshops to your needs, or coach you specifically on one area like narration or scriptwriting.
A sample three-session coaching program
Want to learn the foundations of narrative podcasting quickly? A condensed version of our three-part workshop series is a great place to start.
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In our first session, we’d cover the key elements of writing and editing — both universal, and specific to podcasting. We’ll cover techniques and forms for getting started, creating a story from an interview, tools for getting unblocked, story diagrams, and tips on moving from first to final draft.
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In the second coaching session, we’d discus recording, narration, and finding your voice as a host. We’ll work on writing for the ear, effective preparation and reading, finding your vocal sweet spot, maximizing sound quality wherever you’re recording, and more.
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In the third coaching session, we’d study creating a great soundscape. We’ll cover DAWs, work on your audio editing ethos, highlight surprising parallels between visual and sound design, dealing with bad audio, and explore the nuances of music and emotion.
A bit about the coaches
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Laura Joyce Davis
Laura teaches podcasting in person at Stanford University, and online here at Narrative Podcasts. She has trained dozens of students of all ages and backgrounds to find their voices, on the page and in front of the microphone.
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Nate Davis
Nate Davis has taught graphic design at the college level and worked in advertising for years, before cofounding Narrative Podcasts with Laura. He brings a contagious enthusiasm and belief in everyone’s potential to their teaching.
Some of our podcast coaching graduates
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This Next Song's About
Stevie Manns. 2022 IWPA award nominee. Generally an interview show, we coached Stevie through a narrative edit of the “Reinventing and Redefining” episode, which earned the award nomination.
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As Long As We Both Shall Love
Joshua Dudley graduated from our cohort-based coaching program in 2022, and we have continued to stay in touch via Voxer. This is the latest iteration of his marriage podcast.
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Deer Humans
Eve Bishop was working on Deer Humans during our intensive training program; we workshopped her first episode and helped her edit her trailer. IWPA award winner, 2022.
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Tired in My Twenties
Melissa’s thoughtful writing and inviting voiceover had already earned a Golden Crane honorable mention for Shelter in Place episode “Hyphenated Identity,” but Tired in My Twenties shows her skills producing an indie podcast all on her own.
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Healthcare for Humans
When he enrolled in our online podcast course, Dr. Raj Sundar had already produced several dozen interview episodes, but wanted to raise his level of craft. After completing the course and private coaching session, his new trailer illustrates standout narration, scriptwriting, and editing.