March 11, 2025 • 42 mins
Media power couple Holly Palmieri and Alfred Schulz share their journeys from radio beginnings to podcasting, reflecting on career paths, family transitions, and the future of audio storytelling.
• Holly's career progression from Martha Stewart radio intern to The Today Show
• Alfred's experience in public radio, political coverage, and podcasts
• Their transition from Brooklyn to suburban Montclair after the pandemic
• The creation and concept behind Alfred's Pizza Pod Party podcast
• Industry insights on the current podcasting landscape and its evolution
• Holly's vision for personalized family podcasts that preserve voices and memories
• Discovering unique "weird New Jersey" restaurants and experiences
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey Jeanette.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Hi Rachel.
So we've had a little bit of agiggle fit because we just got
out of an interview with twoterrific people.
Yes, with.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Holly Palmieri and Alfred Schultz.
They are hilarious andwonderful and warm, and this is
such a great conversation.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
We talked about how we met them, which was at a
meetup that you didn't go to butI went to, but um anyway, which
also is to the people that youshould go to, things you know we
keep saying this, that we needto go out leave your house,
leave your house, leave yourhouse anyway.
(00:41):
So we met, I met them and, uh,we invited them on the show and
they have joined us and theytell us about their background,
which, holly, is the seniorproducer, director of the Today
Show Sirius radio program, atthe meetup about this pizza
(01:05):
podcast that he does, which hehas these celebrities on to tell
them about their relationshipto pizza, which is terrific, but
he's also had tons ofpodcasting experience.
So, they both give us a littlebit of an insider industry check
on where we are with podcasting.
If you are watching pleasesubscribe.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
So please enjoy this interview and, just like
Jeanette said, subscribe, shareall the things.
That would be great.
All right, enjoy this interviewand, just like Jeanette said,
subscribe, share all the things.
That would be great.
All right, enjoy this interview.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Welcome to Lost in Jersey.
Thank you so much for joiningus.
Thank you so much for having us.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
It's an honor Now.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
I will say I don't know.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
I'm a little offended .
There's somebody else on thiscall with us.
I don't know what this woman isdoing here.
My publicist told me it wouldjust be me, so I'm so sorry.
What is happening?
Speaker 2 (01:49):
You know what?
Drop the fire on my publicistagain, Because I don't want to
do that again.
We were like I guess we have todo them together.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
I specifically have a contract that says I do not do
podcasts with this woman.
Well, I can understand it.
(02:26):
Well, first we'll let everybodyknow that you two are a couple.
I met you both almostsimultaneously at a meetup that
I got the ball rolling, and then, yeah, we had a great meetup at
pineapple express.
Barbecue in downtown montclairis really fun and thanks so much
for having us yeah, thank you.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
It's so fun to do a show with him although like I
made him sit in the basement andI'm in the baby room we all
have our places here but it was.
It was really fun at the eventto like be there also, like as
co-workers in the same industry.
So that's how we met and, yeah,celebrated our 10th wedding
anniversary.
So we've been doing thiscongratulations.
(02:54):
And I've been at serious forlike 18 years, which is crazy,
and alfred's been radio sincehis college days, so we've
definitely like we take a littlepride in being sort of an
industry.
You know, couple, couple, ifyou will.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Yeah, sure you should .
I mean, I started to look backand notice that you both met at
Sirius and her cousin like worksthere too, has been there
forever too.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
So, yeah, it's crazy that sort of how close and tight
knit everything is.
It's a big world, but it's alsoa small world too too, and I
also worked in public radio andso like there's so many
tentacles everywhere where Iknow someone who knows somebody,
and it's just like, again,small world.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
Yeah, and I think that's why the podcast thing was
so great too, because, likethen, you realize how many
people in your own community aredoing this that you don't even
realize are in your own backyard.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Well, take us a little bit because because I
think it's also interesting,because you both have so much
experience with Sirius Radio.
I feel like I remember whenSirius was born, you know, like
I kind of remember it became athing.
So I'm assuming you guys got inkind of on the ground floor-ish
kind of part of it.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
I was there first.
He followed me for sure, as hedoes with everything.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
How did that happen?
So tell us, we want to know.
So we'll start with you.
Holly, Give us a little bitabout your background, because I
know you weren't born in NewJersey, I don't think.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
No, no, I'm from New York.
Where does the story start foryou?
I was born in the Bronx.
Let me start there.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Yes, rachel has Bronx connections.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Yes, I do was rachel has bronx connections?
Yes, I do, I do.
My mom was born in the bronxand my dad in brooklyn, and then
they were like I guess weshould move to long island.
So that's where I grew up.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
Well, that is a very true evolution, the evolution
from the bronx to new jersey.
I feel like I'm the only oneI'm like, yeah, you want to talk
about law school you are.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
I got a lot of flack for that.
It was like new jersey, are youwhat?
Speaker 4 (04:45):
stop it.
I crossed a river, my family.
They're like what?
Speaker 1 (04:49):
are you doing?
Speaker 2 (04:50):
it hurt, we go this way indeed, I am okay, yeah,
yeah, exactly right, right, okay, but so how did?
How did it happen?
Speaker 4 (04:59):
so I, uh, born in new york, lived in new york, went
to college in new york, went toum suny, new pz, upstate, new
York, and did an internship atthis company.
My cousin had just gotten a joband he was like I don't know,
you want to be in media.
This is a thing that I juststarted.
So it was 18 years ago and Idid an internship there and the
internship was for the MarthaStewart Channel, so she had like
(05:21):
a 24-7 radio station.
She had a live show, stewartchannel, so she had like a 24-7
radio station.
She had a live show.
All of her editors and sort ofpeople that were involved with
her brand had their own hour andI was an intern on that, which
then developed into a full-timejob as an engineer, so running a
soundboard.
That then became for BarbaraWalters, who had a radio show.
(05:42):
That's awesome and it wasBarbara once a week live talking
to the most incredible talentyou could ever imagine and I was
extremely just like thrown intothe fire of doing that.
Made a lot of mistakes, likeplaying the wrong what were you
doing?
Speaker 2 (05:55):
What was your job?
Speaker 4 (05:56):
I was a sound no way.
Yeah yeah, yeah, okay.
So I was an audio editor,co-producer, associate producer,
doing whatever odd jobs neededto be done for the show.
When Regis came with his CD,handed me a CD.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Oh, that's so cute.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
He was like you've got to play this clip for
Barbara.
And of course I played thewrong clip man.
And the next morning on Regisand Kelly he talked about how
the girl played the wrong clip.
I mean, I'm trying.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
The girl, the girl.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
Oh, the wrong clip.
I mean I'm trying to girl, sooh my God.
But fast forward.
It all makes sense now thatBarbara was, like a part of my
life, the first female host ofthe Today Show and years later
becoming the director of thechannel and the anchor for the
radio station.
So full circle.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
It's amazing, it's really what a wild ride you've
had there.
I mean, that's I feel likethat's really rare at a lot of
companies these days is to beable to actually begin as an
intern and then grow there andreally learn everything and
morph into what you are today.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
Yeah, I do find it to be rare.
People ask me for career adviceand how I started and I don't
take it for granted that I howlucky that is, but also I don't
know if that advice isapplicable anymore.
People don't do internshipsthat way.
Internships don't do jobs thatway anymore, no, so so a unique
path for sure.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
Yeah, totally a different landscape.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Yeah, yeah, OK so, Alfred.
So tell us a little bit aboutyour background, and then the
segue into the girl the girl.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
So, yeah, for me mine was at the time somewhat of a
typical, I think, thing if youwent into audio.
So I was a dork and you knowlike, listened to a lot of radio
growing up, studied radio incollege, ended up running my
college radio station as programdirector and wanted to, and I
think one thing that I, oneadvice I took then that I think
was applicable was also try tolearn everything.
(07:45):
So I really wanted to do likemusic.
There was a few radio stationsaround the country that was like
I would love to work therebecause of the type of music
they play.
But then I realized you know,you have to keep yourself open.
So what happened was aftercollege I ended up working at a
news station, which I also lovenews, and I don't know if I love
politics, but I always foundpolitics very interesting.
So I ended up covering.
I had a job, I was an associateor an assistant program director
(08:10):
in Portland, maine and fromthere I got to do kind of
everything Like that was kind ofmy grad school and I helped run
the like number one newsstation there, produce their
talk show, but also across thehall I was a voice jock so I did
music across the hall.
I also did television there, solike I kind of learned
everything.
And then they had layoffs andthen that's also very typical if
(08:31):
you were going into thatindustry.
At the time and this is sort ofbefore, although I did have a,
technically I did have a podcastin like there, but this is all
before like audio was kind ofconsidered cool.
So it was kind of weird thatyou would have a group of young
people working in audio becauseit wasn't that sexy of a
profession.
But I always loved it, I lovethe potential of it.
(08:52):
So from there I ended up movingto New York and got a job at
Public Radio at WNYC and I wasone of many, many people working
on the Takeaway, which was along running morning talk show
for PRI and WNYC.
And then from there there was ajob opening at Sirius for a
comedian who was doing apolitical sort of talk show and
a guy who I worked with at theTakeaway recommend he's like you
(09:13):
should look into this.
So I did and I ended up beingat Sirius for eight years and
through there also hosted a showand organized a bunch of events
but unlike Holly, like floatedaround, did so many things sort
of rose up.
I was really at one spot butkind of building a career there
where we went to the aspen ideasfestival and many years in a
(09:34):
row we did all kinds of like.
I covered the uh, rnc, dnc, alot of political events and a
lot of pop culture too, so wehad access to a lot of fun
celebrities and access to a lotof all sort of the fun things
that serious x, xm provides.
And then from there I starteddoing podcasting and I've been
doing like basically, and then,post pandemic, I've been working
from home ever since.
So Holly has this crazy commuteevery morning while I'm just in
(09:55):
my basement the whole time.
So we have we share differentlives.
But in terms of I met Holly atSirius XM she sat by the printer
and I had a lot of printing todo, so I mean, that's just what
happens.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
Oh, did you really have?
Speaker 3 (10:09):
a lot of printing to do, but also, like you know, it
was fun.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Yeah, yeah, things needed to be printed A lot of
scripts, a lot of scripts, guys,you know.
Speaker 4 (10:13):
so it's a big deal A lot of scripts.
Scripts are important.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
You know how she was off talking to celebrities.
I'm talking to real politicians.
It's serious stuff.
We need scripts.
So you know I'm doing God'swork there.
So yeah, and I don't know howmuch more we get into that.
But like and in terms of NewJersey, my brother has lived in
Montclair for, at this point, 15, almost 20 years.
So he was here first and then,you know, pre-pandemic, we were
living at the time in Brooklyn.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
It's an amazing space to live.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
We lived there prior to that we were in Williamsburg.
We just loved Brooklyn.
It was getting real hard.
We had a kid job changes, itjust was getting tough and I
love it so much there.
But we were maybe thinkingabout suburbs and we had that
sort of thought in our mind.
Then the pandemic happened.
We're like we don't know whatwe're going to do.
One of our apartment they soldthe building.
(11:07):
We had to leave.
We were just like this iscraziness.
At some point we probably needsome stability.
And then my brother was like hisold house, which he had left
like two years prior.
He was like you know, thefamily just moved to a bigger
house.
The house is there right nowand they needed someone to buy
it and apparently there weren'tmany offers for whatever reason.
(11:28):
It's a great house.
And you know, at first we werelike no thanks, it's too much
going on.
And then it sort of got to thepoint where he's like look, it's
still out there, you guysshould take a look at it.
So here we are.
It happened real fast.
And here we are, and yeah,raising our two children in
Montclair, new Jersey.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Well, I have a question about that, Holly,
because that's crazy Now.
Have you been, had you beencoming out to New Jersey to see
family and things like that?
So you were familiar with whatyou were about to get yourself
into?
Speaker 4 (11:56):
Only ever to see his brother in this house.
This certainly wasn't on mylike, you weren't?
Speaker 2 (12:01):
hanging out in New Jersey.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Yeah, so for me it was second nature, because I'm
from the suburbs of chicago, andthat's just what you do
everyone from the suburbs movesto new jersey.
You know?
Speaker 2 (12:09):
that's just what that's that typical story you
know that story that will it's acliche at this point.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Grow up in illinois, you move to new jersey.
That's just what you do.
Speaker 4 (12:20):
Yeah, I'm still so adjusting to it, but it's.
It's hard to know if the biggeradjustment is the suburbs or
New Jersey, or both, oreverything and motherhood but we
had a lot of life changes allright at once sure.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
I think that's the way to do it is just jump in.
That's what we did.
It was like kids.
We left Brooklyn.
It was minivan happened, whichI swore I would never happen to
me.
I know Don't, it's gone.
Now it's gone.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Yeah, yeah, you know you got it, but it's a lot back
on that.
It's a lot of change, yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:54):
Yeah, so I you know I don't want to, but I can't
pinpoint the thing that it isthat you guys can obviously
totally relate and I'm sureeveryone listening can relate.
There's so much that goes intoall of those facets of your life
and suddenly you're like, waita minute.
Yesterday I was just at a barin Brooklyn.
Who am I?
How did I get?
here, you know and while thereare beautiful, wonderful things
to it that there is such anidentity change in so many ways,
(13:15):
and the only consistent thing,weirdly, has been this career
for me, even though it's changedso much, having the stability
of this one job for so longchanged so much, having the
stability of this one job for solong has been that blessing
sort of imbalance for me wherethe rest of everything else
feels crazy.
When I'm on a bus at fiveo'clock in the morning, Like
what am I doing?
Speaker 2 (13:34):
You tell people what your day is like?
Speaker 4 (13:37):
Yeah, I mean, you know, the Today Show is live at
7 am and it's a fully operatedmachine that they have, and this
is a fully operated machinethat they have.
So there are people there 24-7.
I get in 6, 630, you know.
So that means I'm leaving heresome 530-ish mostly.
I take a 530 bus, sometimes alittle earlier, and I take the
bus just because it's easy andquick and you know the train
(13:59):
gets complicated.
New Jersey Transit is a littlecomplicated and it's so messed
up.
And then I walk over to 30 Rockand I have an office there at
the Today Show set where I gobehind the scenes and interview
all the anchors and producersabout what's going on,
essentially so that when theytoss to your local news, when
you're listening to the TodayShow on Sirius XM, I'm your
local news because we're anational company.
(14:20):
Instead of hearing your localnews and whether you hear me
talking to Craig in the makeuproom or whatever random thing,
I'm doing, that day.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
Well, is it live or are you editing it like before
you get it?
Speaker 4 (14:32):
on there.
So I know it's not live,because we don't know when the
breaks are coming or how longthey are going to be.
It's a little technical of howwe operate it.
I have a great mic that I love.
It's a little yellow tech mic.
It's very simple, just kind ofan on and off situation at my
desk in the studio.
I run down from the set, openit up, edit it in real time,
build it as close as I think Ican get it to the break that's
(14:54):
about to happen.
Then I have an engineer who'sactually manning the show live,
who takes my files, puts it onair and if I'm off by a minute
can add more time with a promoor two.
So we're in constantcommunication on how to do that
and that comes every 20 minutesfrom 7 am to 11 am and then
replays for the.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
West Coast and it's great because she gets the
anchors and behind the scenepeople to talk and they're very
unguarded and sometimes I'm kindof just like I'm amazed.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
I love that I was watching clips and I'm like I
prefer this.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
You get scoops.
I feel like I didn't even knowtheir personalities until like
you were chatting them up.
Speaker 4 (15:30):
It's amazing when there's no cameras and it's just
a microphone and you've gotsomeone trapped in a hair and
makeup chair, you'd be surprisedhow much they let their guard
down and actually talk and havefun.
But they're all wonderful, likeit's not.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
You know, it's easy, they're amazing, they are fun,
but I think it's also you, Holly, because not knowing you and I
was telling Rachel and havingmet you within just a very short
period of time, your positiveenergy, I'm sure you jaded, just
like all of us, right, I meanliterally, like we're, all you
(16:02):
know, half barely hanging on, Imean, but you really do exude
this thing that you want toreciprocate, the type of
kindness, the same with you,Alfred.
I think that's kind of like youboth have this really genuine
like likability.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Likability is what you have.
Very kind, Janet, Thank you.
And it comes through in thosevideos.
It is so fun when you'rewatching the clips or listening
to the clips I watch some ofyour Instagram reels that they
are like the minute you walkinto the frame they're like
happy.
They're like relax.
They're like, yes, we're justgoing to chat with our friends,
and you feel that as theaudience member.
Speaker 4 (16:37):
So that's why it's so engaging make it great there
and um I save.
I save all my angst and angerfor when I come home without as
one does.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Yeah, I'm curious, though, about where you hung
those skills.
I mean, clearly you weretelling us your story about how,
where you started, you startedwith, like, her wall first.
I mean, that is, like, you know, the pinnacle of broadcasting
for women, right, it's right,and?
And do you carry some of thoseskills?
Do you find yourself leaning onsome things, unconsciously or
(17:09):
consciously, that you learn.
Speaker 4 (17:11):
You know they always say a good interviewer is a good
listener, but I do think I havebeen a very observant person my
whole life and just mimicry,and so I've had a very lucky
chance of working with the bestand just watching and absorbing
how they treat people, what theydo.
You know it, before her podcast, before she was the anchor, she
(17:48):
was just this woman, hoda, youknow, and she you want to talk
about a positive light.
It would be hard not to absorbgoodness in that orbit and she
taught us all how to just bringthat into your life, into your
work, and endlessly grateful forhaving crossed paths with her.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
That comes through in what you see on your instagram,
the, the closeness that the twoof you have, and they're just
the genuine friendship and like.
It almost seems like a familytype of atmosphere that you have
with her.
I remember hearing hoda on aninterview years ago I don't know
with what, but she was sayingthat she, when she was, really
had this persona that she neededto be serious or you know, in
(18:28):
her work.
But then kathy lee, she was putwith kathy lee and kathy lee
strangely had this effect on herthat she could be silly, she
could be, and I always thoughtthat was really interesting how
one person can because she nowseems so approachable and so
friendly, hoda does that.
You're like, you know, it'sthat little you know, pivot.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
What a pairing, the two of them.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:51):
And she does tell a great story of, like, her first
days on the show and they've gotthe little IFB in the ear and
she's, you know, reading theteleprompter and Kathy ripped
the thing out of her ear andthrew the cards on the ground
and this is live, and Hoda wasjust like you know, this is not
right same, and so and then shebecame hoda and it's just yeah,
what a gift that each, each, umbroadcaster sort of gives to the
(19:12):
next one to make them who theyare.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
And it's it's very cool to watch in real time, but
life is like that the people youmeet like make you who you are,
and the roads you take, youknow they shake, and I think
you're passing that on right,right, because the style that
you have, it's just such afriendly, triple unkind thing.
You're passing that on.
Somebody's going to say, well,it was Holly Well.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
I'd like to think I am making Alfred a much better
broadcaster Absolutely Apositive impact.
I feel bad for her becausewhile I've been in media.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
I study it.
That's what I studied Growingup.
I studied that stuff.
I'm a huge nerd and I will say,you know for Holly, she's so
natural, she tried and you guysdon't realize this but she tried
to fight.
Not being on the air and it was.
It would make me so nutsbecause I'm like you have
something that so many peopledon't have, a natural ability,
which is you can't train it, youdo.
(20:04):
yeah, natural ability which isyou can't train it.
Like you know, you see peoplein local newscasts.
They are reading a teleprompterand they have the same cadence
all the time and she has a verynaturalistic way, um, while also
being professional, which isreally difficult to do, and so
you know she always hears mylittle explanations or I tried
like, oh, that was so goodbecause of this, this and this,
or critiquing other people.
(20:25):
So yeah, she has to deal with mysort of ramblings about what I
think about the industry.
But yeah, she does such a greatjob.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Thanks.
Well, I want to get to theindustry part about?
Yeah, and I also want to touchon your podcast that we talked
about when at the meetup, thepizza podcast, the pizza pod
party.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Is that the pizza pod party somewhere?
You'll get it?
Yeah, but it's a pizza podparty.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Yeah, yeah, tell us, tell us how that came about.
And also, you're going to haveto obviously have to tell us the
best pizza in Montclair, or atleast.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
Well, ok, well, there's a lot there, so I am no
expert.
I always have to make that veryclear that my partner, arthur
Bovino, he's a writer, he workedat the New York Times, but he
also, like, went to culinaryschool, so he knows exactly what
he's talking about.
Holly knows actually more aboutpizza than I do.
I'm just a fan.
I'm there to keep theconversation going.
(21:20):
I just love eating pizza.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
Well, no offense, you're from.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
We know a lot about pizza, though, no, so that's.
Speaker 4 (21:26):
Yeah, but shouldn't I know about the deep dish?
It's not the same though.
Well, that's a whole.
I mean, do you?
Speaker 3 (21:29):
want to do.
Is this going to be a four-hourepisode, because I'm fine with
that.
Let's go, let's do this.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
I know.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
Let's expert.
But yeah, I was doing a showthat was kind of a pop culture
show on Sirius XM on the sideand one day my co-host and I,
Chris Hossa, we were like let'stalk about what if we could fill
an hour live with pizza?
So we did and I looked upArthur, had him come in studio.
We took phone calls just to seewhat would happen, having an
expert there, having people talkabout pizza.
And we actually had comedianLori Kilmartin, who's a great
comedian on.
She was like we're talkingabout pizza for a full hour.
I said, sure, we're just goingto experiment, see what happens.
(22:08):
And we had sort of a structure.
People called in and I realizedthere's so much you can learn
about culture and society andespecially about an individual,
based on how they ate pizzagrowing up and sort of how they
continue to eat pizza.
So we then, Arthur and I, afterI left Sirius, he and I
literally went out to get pizzaand hashed out the show.
And the show is exactly how webasically pitched it to
(22:28):
ourselves.
We had all these meetings withpeople to partner up with.
And then the pandemic happens.
We put on the shelf for threeor four years and then Ooni
Pizza Ovens wanted to get intomedia so they're like,
especially at the time, liketheir number one pizza oven
company and they wanted to getinto podcasting, so they wanted
to sponsor us.
So that's what happened and wedid 52 episodes with them.
(22:50):
Ali Velshi from NBC.
He talked about being born inAfrica, moving to Toronto and
then, through that conversationabout having Greek pizza in
Toronto, he also explained thedemographic changes and shifts
in Toronto and how it startedoff as this very typical
Canadian city and how it became.
All these influx of immigrantschanged the dynamic of the city.
He talked about eatingpineapple pizza because his
(23:11):
roommate in college kept ontaking his other pizza, so we
wanted to get a pizza that heknew his roommate didn't like.
You know, we talked to Roy WoodJr, who was on the Daily Show
and had just done thecorrespondence dinner.
He talked about certain placesnot delivering to his
historically black campus.
So like these things that wewant to have fun conversation,
want to have debates, but youlearn something that is weirdly
(23:33):
serious and interesting and Ithink it's just a different way
to get to know someone is goingthrough pizza and, unfortunately
, I think the landscape has beenyou know there are a lot of
people like me that arereviewing pizzas that don't know
what they're talking about outthere right now and I think that
that sort of and I think in asort of an uglier way like it
(23:54):
creates the kind of debate.
that's not fun and it should befun.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
It's pretty hard to just put your foot in the ground
and be like I am a pizza expert.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
I mean?
Speaker 1 (24:01):
what does that really mean, anyway?
But I do love how you're tryingto get to a heart of a story of
somebody's life and theirexperience just through pizza,
and you can learn a lot, I likeit?
Speaker 2 (24:13):
Where do you two, when you're like let's grab some
pizza, just like most often, goto oh, we have a very clear
answer for this, mr Dino's, isthe easiest for us.
It's, oh my god, my son isgonna be so happy.
You said that is gonna bepsyched.
You don't understand.
Yesterday he came in and he'slike mom, it's great yeah, yeah,
(24:36):
so there was a.
You know, he came there barstoolyeah, he's like I was in there
and I was getting pizza and wewere all talking about how he
rated it a 7.5 and he's like sothe owner came out and I was
talking to him and he's like sohe's so upset wait, he was one
of the kids that was there whilethe guy came okay, no he would.
(24:56):
They were talking about itafter the, after the fact, right
.
So he was getting the the, theinside scoop from the owner how
upset he was with that 7.5.
Right.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
I haven't really had bad pizza here.
Speaker 4 (25:11):
To Alfred's point about the judging thing.
It's ridiculous, it's insanethat anyone would put themselves
in a position to give somebodya 7.5.
Who?
Speaker 3 (25:18):
are you to give a 7.5 ?
The pizza's delicious.
I love a good debate, put youropinions out there.
But the way the power he has, Ithink he flexes those muscles
in a very dangerous way and hemakes or breaks companies and
like he has minions that he sortof go off on people and it just
.
I think it's a weaponization ofsocial media that he sort of
(25:41):
exudes and I hate that stuff andI'm not scared of opinions.
I love debate, I love all ofthat.
Like you know, I have abackground in politics, but no,
but there's something.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
It's something.
A debate is great, but thenwhen it's like a negative sort
of, I'm going to take a bite andjust drop a number on you.
Your whole business, yeah.
Speaker 4 (25:59):
Yeah, yeah.
I like to tie it back tojournalism for a minute.
Like there's reason barbarawalters existed, like there's a
reason journalism exists for,for that credibility of not just
reporting something withoutresearch and facts and things
and barstool becomes sosuccessful and that's great for
social media, but then it's notthat great, but then it becomes
(26:21):
like fact when it's in fact justinsanity made up and I love
criticism, like I love artcriticism, but like you need to,
like like holly just said, youneed to back it up, like you
need to qualify what you'resaying in an honest way well,
which which jeanette and I saylike our podcast is all about.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
You know we wanted it to be like mr ro Rogers
neighborhood.
Let's like show everybody intown, everybody we meet in this
town, for being lost in Jerseyis so incredible.
Like everybody has a greatstory.
Every single person who livesin most towns have a great story
.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
Right.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
So that we wanted to highlight the positives in that,
and I think it.
But on the flip side, socialmedia always goes crazy if it's
really negative.
And well, obviously our cultureright now is in a fascination
with the negative.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
But my sister was talking to me, she was a
journalist Also, she was aconsumer journalist for Dateline
, so that you have to like do alot of research in that area.
But she was saying, becauseshe's an avid Lost in Jersey fan
, she listens to everything andshe may be our biggest fan she
might be, and she said I lovethat you guys let people tell
(27:36):
their stories and you're notgiving your opinion.
I mean, you give your story butyou don't just, like you know,
turn it into like an opinionthing, and I think that's what
we're talking about.
It's like everybody's got anopinion in journalism now and
it's not.
Is that even journalism anymore?
Speaker 3 (27:49):
I don't even know what journalism is anymore.
Like it's crazy.
I'm terrified of what's comingup because there's the standards
are.
I mean, that's a whole otherconversation.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
But yeah, it's scary.
You know, Alfred, you industryso much.
What are you seeing in thisindustry?
Speaker 4 (28:05):
Is it contracting?
I mean, I think a big part ofwhy we had that meetup was
knowing how many of our verytalented, very deserving of
their positions friends were letgo in recent months, even,
especially at SiriusXM.
It's been a very, very roughcouple of years there.
We talk about this a lot.
Speaker 3 (28:22):
the two of us I always try to be careful about,
like how, what my opinions are,and because I talk to a lot of
people about this stuff and Ithink I'm weary of anyone who
says they know what they'retalking about.
I mean, this has been a commonthing.
I mean, think about how popularHoward Stern was and think
about how many bosses of hissaid shut up and play music.
Think about how, for a while,people were like NPR is boring,
(28:42):
we don't listen to NPR.
How, for a while, people werelike NPR is boring, we don't
listen to NPR, and then NPRbecame sort of like the place
for like entertaining audio.
Everyone's wrong.
So I think that I think, if wecome in and say here's exactly
the state of the media andhere's what needs to change, I
don't know, I can.
I can make educated guesses, Ican.
I can put on my criticism hatand put on and criticize a lot
of actors out there right now,but it's tough.
(29:05):
One thing I see is that there'sa lot of when, like podcasts
get so sexy, there's a lot ofinvestment, and then it feels
like all right now.
It's like it's becoming a realforce.
The problem is, it's a weirdindustry where it can cost a lot
of money, but it also has asmall overhead in a lot of ways
and I think for me right now Imaybe have a prejudice with this
(29:27):
, but like the tech industry, Ithink is really messing things
up a bit.
I think too many people getinvolved because they like
podcasts and then they try totake over and buy podcasts or
start podcasts that don't goaccording to what they thought
it might've been and thatcreates layoffs, that creates
like, uh, and maybe there's toomany under one one organization
(29:47):
and so then maybe something thatwould have made money if the
right marketing or the rightsort of like selling of ads
would work, because that the thebenefits of podcasts is that's
niche and like, so you cantarget a specific very nice
podcast shouldn't scareadvertisers.
It should make them reallyhappy because there are specific
people right love to consumethat entity and that should be
(30:10):
like.
And some people learn that andother people did not learn, and
so they bought a bunch ofpodcasts and then got rid of
them because they weren't seeingexactly what they wanted.
Revenue wise think.
The good news is people arelistening always, but the
problem is monetization rightnow is hard and you also.
The other factor is celebritiesis you know you'll, you'll
(30:30):
throw yeah millions, millions ofdollars at a couple celebrities
.
but then where's?
If you're, but you're all,you're hosting other podcasts,
where does that money go?
Then they get laid off becauseyou're focusing on the celebrity
.
Maybe that celebrity, that'sits fifth priority to do that
podcast.
Also, maybe that celebrity isnot great at even talking.
That's not what they're trainedto do.
It's just a weird time.
(30:52):
Some of them are, some of themare not.
So it's a very weird time.
And like to Holly's point,there's a lot of great, great
talented people and they're allgoing after the same few jobs
that go out there.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
What are they going to do?
Speaker 4 (31:07):
I mean because it's, it's not, it's flooded, you know
it's oversaturated in so many,so many ways and the expectation
for you now to have a skill setthat isn't just a really good
editor.
You also have to be a greatproducer and a video editor and
you have to know how to workwith AI and you have to know
about how to do all facets ofthings and be a real one man
show, which is a crazyexpectation.
(31:30):
I fear that that oversaturationjust left to a lot of blank
spaces.
Now People are just not goingto be able to get back in
because there won't be jobs tobe had.
Unfortunately, the downsizingis real and they're not going to
expand again anytime soon.
Yes, I think there are a lot oflisteners, there's still people
listening, but it just won't bethe way it was in its heyday.
So what do those talentedpeople do?
(31:50):
I listening, but it just won'tbe the way it was in its heyday.
So what do those talentedpeople do?
I think you pivot into someother fields in media a bit,
because everybody's going tohave an audio facet to it.
Podcasting isn't going away.
So brands, I think, are aninteresting angle for a lot of
people.
Personally, I think a bigfuture and an area I'm very
interested in pursuing ispersonalization of podcasts.
I think families want toarchive their audio and make it
(32:13):
really more about them.
I think it's an untapped sortof area.
Speaker 1 (32:16):
I saw that on your website and I was going to ask
you about that.
What does that encompass?
Speaker 4 (32:21):
Just sort of an idea that sparked from all these
recordings I had of my ownfamily from when I was a kid.
You know we didn't have videocameras, you certainly didn't
have this phone recordingeverything.
We had some audio of mygrandparents talking around the
kitchen table and I thought, ohmy gosh, like I want my kids to
hear that.
And I started writing narrativepodcasts where I would
interject those clips into astory.
And then I thought, well, youknow, for anybody can have that
(32:42):
for for a birthday, for acelebration, for any graduation,
any reason that you want tocommemorate a moment just using
already existing audio that youhave on your phone from all of
these videos and just sort oftelling your story.
Making podcasts for families, Ithink is an interesting angle,
but in general, justpersonalization of it because
we're out there, that's so coolLooking for content.
Speaker 3 (33:01):
Why?
Speaker 4 (33:01):
not your own life being the content.
If there was an easy way tocapture that and do it.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
I'm so sad because I saved all these dictaphone.
So these voicemail, rememberthe old school answering machine
.
My grandma from the Bronx wouldcall all the time and leave me
the longest, most amazingmessages.
So then I saved those.
(33:27):
I kept all those tapes andwould put them in a dictaphone.
And because she would leavemessages for my roommates, what
are you doing?
Okay, I hope you're dancing.
Come home, I'm watching Lenoand Letterman.
I mean it was so great, butthat they've disintegrated those
(33:48):
tapes are.
It's so horrible.
So if you can save all thatsound, that would be amazing.
Speaker 4 (33:55):
Yeah, and I just think sound is so special and
that's why it's resonating withyou so much.
Her voice is the theater of themind Now you see her sitting
there watching those shows.
Speaker 1 (34:04):
Everything.
Speaker 4 (34:05):
It's such a beautiful sense to tap into.
I think that's why Alfred and Iboth are so attracted to audio.
Got into it in the first placeand sit here recording all
things all the time because itreally matters and it really
means something, and so, yeah,it sucks.
What happened to this industrythat so many people just wanted
to monetize it when there's sucha gift to be had with it?
And so.
I hope the people who areworking in it hang on a little
(34:25):
longer to some, to the passionbehind it, because there's
there'll be room for us whostill care about it in the end,
I think there's innovation.
Speaker 2 (34:33):
There's going to be innovation and I just absolutely
love your idea and it alreadylike sparking, like thoughts,
like you know how there's somany of these series of true
crime series or whatever theyare instead of it.
You know it could be.
You know rachel's grandmother'sstory you know, it's like like
you know, 10 episodes of thestory and then somebody does the
(34:54):
sound design.
I could see that happening, butmentioned something positive
about it real quick like that Ithink is important.
Speaker 3 (34:59):
That I think is very important as someone who wants
to sort of track trends Around98, 99,.
There was literally everyarticle think piece.
I had classes where teacherswere talking about this.
Scripted television basicallywas going to be over.
There was Survivor it was theage of a reality TV and there
were these again experts thatwould say there is no reason why
(35:23):
anyone would invest in anythingscripted right now.
There's going to be a couple.
Friends was still around, butthere was no.
That is.
That era is over.
We have to figure out what thenext year of television is, and
then obviously we know the term.
Peak television happened a yearor two after that Literally the
(35:44):
exact opposite of what everyonehad said, where TV became
movies and the Sopranos, Sex andthe City and the Wire, all of
these shows that were still evenin television now for 25 years
and that was mind blowing.
No one even took the time to say.
Also, no one took the time tosay I was wrong about this, but
I'm saying that was literally sowe never know.
(36:06):
So there's going to besomething that comes up.
I mean Serial, for example.
That podcast came out to a lotof us.
We saw something like thathappening.
We could tell there was goingto be something like that for
mass appeal.
I didn't, but I thought there'dbe something like that that
would happen.
That changed everything, and soyou never know what's going to
happen.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
I think another thing that's really starting to
happen is that I think it wasprobably a decade or two ago
where you know local newspaperskind of died away and it all
became very much like bigoutlets where you know you're
getting your news, you thinkit's local, but it's not right,
and I feel like this is what'shappening, with also so many
people just doing this.
They're doing local news again.
Speaker 3 (36:46):
I worry about.
You know, like like publicradio is not going away in major
cities, like like Boston, newYork, chicago, like like public
radio is not going away in majorcities, like like Boston, new
York, chicago, those publicradio stations will be up
because people are going todonate, people are going to
support that.
I do worry about, yes, parts ofthis country where they don't
have the resources and just now,local news is just gone forever
.
I hope that they care about itmore.
But you know, some of thosestates do have other things to
worry about.
So I do worry about it.
(37:07):
But I think you're right, wecan be better and I think and
I'm seeing people do they arecaring about local and community
programming.
But it's just, it's toughbecause we're also we're a huge
country and it's like I don'tknow, it's a, it's a very weird
time.
Speaker 2 (37:21):
Yeah, yeah, no, we have to close out with something
that we ask all of our peopleand you might have already done
it Something you love about NewJersey.
What do you like, holly?
First, what do you like?
Speaker 4 (37:34):
My kids are very happy.
My daughter loves getting onthat bus and going to that
school and whatever nonsense,they do there.
She comes home and she's likeand she's grown so much just in
kindergarten it's only been whatthe hundred days.
They should just dress like anold lady a week ago.
I love the hundred daycelebration.
(37:57):
I forgot about that.
It's so cute.
Came home, she looks like youknow ridiculous and she can read
and write and I'm like who areyou and you?
know, it's just she's very happy, which makes me very happy what
restaurant you gotta do arestaurant right oh my god she
avoided the question what likethat's.
I'm not avoiding the foodquestion.
Speaker 3 (38:13):
This is another whole hour if I have to get into the
one thing I like about newjersey right now at especially
food wise is, like you know,there's this whole thing that's
been going on for a while onlinelike weird new jersey.
These two guys started awebsite called weird new jersey,
but it's more about like forfolklore and like the Jersey
devil and like sort of weirdhistory of New Jersey.
Speaker 4 (38:33):
I find that.
Speaker 3 (38:34):
I'm sure this exists in every state, but you know, we
have a car now and so we wereable to discover things.
I think there's a lot of weird,fun restaurants in New Jersey
that are like crazy, weird,seemingly unique, Like there's
Lee's Hawaiian, which is likethe weirdest tiki bar.
It's not far from like whereTarget is.
I forget the town, but it is atiki bar.
(38:56):
It's like a warehouse.
Speaker 2 (38:59):
I swear to God I thought you said tiki bar.
Speaker 3 (39:02):
Oh, I have a list of those.
If you want, I can give you aseparate list.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
With the kids, with the kids.
Jeanette, don't get my sonstarted on it.
Speaker 3 (39:09):
he has a lot of opinions about the best ones,
but no, it's a tiki bar and it'slike in a warehouse.
It's huge, they have karaoke.
It is something out of the 60sthat like did not last.
But this place is like a relic,it is nuts.
Speaker 1 (39:22):
Then there's steve sizzling.
Don't go for the food.
It's fine, but likeher.
Speaker 3 (39:27):
It's just wild.
And Steve Sizzling Steaks inKarlstadt is off the side of the
road it's like a Wisconsin.
It feels like a Wisconsinsupper club.
And it's so weird Taxidermyeverywhere.
So I love that.
I love destination restaurantsthat are totally unique.
Speaker 2 (39:44):
I love that you guys do that.
Speaker 3 (39:45):
Are you like searching for that?
I have lists, is that?
Speaker 2 (39:47):
your're.
Speaker 1 (39:48):
You're looking for the most oh my god, I feel like
you need to share some of yourlists with us, because that I
love that he told you who he wasthe minute we logged on here.
Speaker 2 (39:56):
He's a complete nerd loser, lover of the weird not
the loser part, but all right,but it sounds like a good no, I
got some problems that's likefun.
I think you might have anotherpodcast idea.
Yeah, we're gonna have you onas a segment.
Yeah, live From the.
Speaker 1 (40:14):
Tiki Bar.
Speaker 2 (40:16):
Jeanette Tiki Bar.
I'm like, wow, I'm reallydisappointed.
Speaker 1 (40:20):
Well, my husband when we first came out here to even
look at houses from Brooklyn wehad two little girls at the time
and we stopped on Route 3, asone as one does near the target,
because we're like we might aswell get toilet paper on the way
back to brooklyn, and westopped at the shannon rose okay
, which we didn't know anythingabout new jersey and we sit down
(40:41):
, they give us all the menus andbill looks at it and he's like
a murder burger.
I'm intrigued what they're like.
Speaker 3 (40:49):
It's a bacon double cheeseburger fry they take the
whole thing, and then they fryit and I'm like hon I have to
we're in New Jersey.
Speaker 1 (41:00):
My God.
Speaker 3 (41:01):
Well around the corner.
Have you been to Rutt's Hut,the Rutt's Hut, the hot dog
place.
That's wonderful Historic hotdog place.
Speaker 1 (41:08):
Yeah, it's amazing Historic.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
What's that place called?
That's in, it's not.
It's like far into Bloomfield,on Bloomfield Avenue it's a
famous Italian, old Italianplace.
When you walk in there, I justlike it.
Speaker 3 (41:21):
Man, I'm going to have to do some.
Speaker 2 (41:22):
Googling.
I'll let you know afterwardswhat it is.
Speaker 3 (41:26):
It'll come to me.
Thank, you.
Speaker 2 (41:27):
Thank you so much for joining us.
Speaker 3 (41:29):
Thank you for having us, thank you for having this
podcast.
So, rachel Jeanette, thank youso much.
This was a lot of fun and Ialways love doing stuff like
this.
Speaker 1 (41:37):
So I really appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (41:38):
We're thrilled to be here.
Speaker 1 (41:39):
My gosh, we're very grateful that you came on.
This was a blast.
This podcast is produced byRachel Martens and Jeanette of
Sharian.
Please follow us on Facebookand Instagram.
We hope you share this pod withyour friends and family and let
us know what you think.
Check out our website atlostinjerseysite and don't
(42:00):
forget to get lost.
Hey Jeanette.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Hi Rachel.
So we've had a little bit of agiggle fit because we just got
out of an interview with twoterrific people.
Yes, with.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Holly Palmieri and Alfred Schultz.
They are hilarious andwonderful and warm, and this is
such a great conversation.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
We talked about how we met them, which was at a
meetup that you didn't go to butI went to, but um anyway, which
also is to the people that youshould go to, things you know we
keep saying this, that we needto go out leave your house,
leave your house, leave yourhouse anyway.
(00:41):
So we met, I met them and, uh,we invited them on the show and
they have joined us and theytell us about their background,
which, holly, is the seniorproducer, director of the Today
Show Sirius radio program, atthe meetup about this pizza
(01:05):
podcast that he does, which hehas these celebrities on to tell
them about their relationshipto pizza, which is terrific, but
he's also had tons ofpodcasting experience.
So, they both give us a littlebit of an insider industry check
on where we are with podcasting.
If you are watching pleasesubscribe.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
So please enjoy this interview and, just like
Jeanette said, subscribe, shareall the things.
That would be great.
All right, enjoy this interviewand, just like Jeanette said,
subscribe, share all the things.
That would be great.
All right, enjoy this interview.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Welcome to Lost in Jersey.
Thank you so much for joiningus.
Thank you so much for having us.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
It's an honor Now.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
I will say I don't know.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
I'm a little offended .
There's somebody else on thiscall with us.
I don't know what this woman isdoing here.
My publicist told me it wouldjust be me, so I'm so sorry.
What is happening?
Speaker 2 (01:49):
You know what?
Drop the fire on my publicistagain, Because I don't want to
do that again.
We were like I guess we have todo them together.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
I specifically have a contract that says I do not do
podcasts with this woman.
Well, I can understand it.
(02:26):
Well, first we'll let everybodyknow that you two are a couple.
I met you both almostsimultaneously at a meetup that
I got the ball rolling, and then, yeah, we had a great meetup at
pineapple express.
Barbecue in downtown montclairis really fun and thanks so much
for having us yeah, thank you.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
It's so fun to do a show with him although like I
made him sit in the basement andI'm in the baby room we all
have our places here but it was.
It was really fun at the eventto like be there also, like as
co-workers in the same industry.
So that's how we met and, yeah,celebrated our 10th wedding
anniversary.
So we've been doing thiscongratulations.
(02:54):
And I've been at serious forlike 18 years, which is crazy,
and alfred's been radio sincehis college days, so we've
definitely like we take a littlepride in being sort of an
industry.
You know, couple, couple, ifyou will.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Yeah, sure you should .
I mean, I started to look backand notice that you both met at
Sirius and her cousin like worksthere too, has been there
forever too.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
So, yeah, it's crazy that sort of how close and tight
knit everything is.
It's a big world, but it's alsoa small world too too, and I
also worked in public radio andso like there's so many
tentacles everywhere where Iknow someone who knows somebody,
and it's just like, again,small world.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
Yeah, and I think that's why the podcast thing was
so great too, because, likethen, you realize how many
people in your own community aredoing this that you don't even
realize are in your own backyard.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Well, take us a little bit because because I
think it's also interesting,because you both have so much
experience with Sirius Radio.
I feel like I remember whenSirius was born, you know, like
I kind of remember it became athing.
So I'm assuming you guys got inkind of on the ground floor-ish
kind of part of it.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
I was there first.
He followed me for sure, as hedoes with everything.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
How did that happen?
So tell us, we want to know.
So we'll start with you.
Holly, Give us a little bitabout your background, because I
know you weren't born in NewJersey, I don't think.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
No, no, I'm from New York.
Where does the story start foryou?
I was born in the Bronx.
Let me start there.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Yes, rachel has Bronx connections.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Yes, I do was rachel has bronx connections?
Yes, I do, I do.
My mom was born in the bronxand my dad in brooklyn, and then
they were like I guess weshould move to long island.
So that's where I grew up.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
Well, that is a very true evolution, the evolution
from the bronx to new jersey.
I feel like I'm the only oneI'm like, yeah, you want to talk
about law school you are.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
I got a lot of flack for that.
It was like new jersey, are youwhat?
Speaker 4 (04:45):
stop it.
I crossed a river, my family.
They're like what?
Speaker 1 (04:49):
are you doing?
Speaker 2 (04:50):
it hurt, we go this way indeed, I am okay, yeah,
yeah, exactly right, right, okay, but so how did?
How did it happen?
Speaker 4 (04:59):
so I, uh, born in new york, lived in new york, went
to college in new york, went toum suny, new pz, upstate, new
York, and did an internship atthis company.
My cousin had just gotten a joband he was like I don't know,
you want to be in media.
This is a thing that I juststarted.
So it was 18 years ago and Idid an internship there and the
internship was for the MarthaStewart Channel, so she had like
(05:21):
a 24-7 radio station.
She had a live show, stewartchannel, so she had like a 24-7
radio station.
She had a live show.
All of her editors and sort ofpeople that were involved with
her brand had their own hour andI was an intern on that, which
then developed into a full-timejob as an engineer, so running a
soundboard.
That then became for BarbaraWalters, who had a radio show.
(05:42):
That's awesome and it wasBarbara once a week live talking
to the most incredible talentyou could ever imagine and I was
extremely just like thrown intothe fire of doing that.
Made a lot of mistakes, likeplaying the wrong what were you
doing?
Speaker 2 (05:55):
What was your job?
Speaker 4 (05:56):
I was a sound no way.
Yeah yeah, yeah, okay.
So I was an audio editor,co-producer, associate producer,
doing whatever odd jobs neededto be done for the show.
When Regis came with his CD,handed me a CD.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Oh, that's so cute.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
He was like you've got to play this clip for
Barbara.
And of course I played thewrong clip man.
And the next morning on Regisand Kelly he talked about how
the girl played the wrong clip.
I mean, I'm trying.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
The girl, the girl.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
Oh, the wrong clip.
I mean I'm trying to girl, sooh my God.
But fast forward.
It all makes sense now thatBarbara was, like a part of my
life, the first female host ofthe Today Show and years later
becoming the director of thechannel and the anchor for the
radio station.
So full circle.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
It's amazing, it's really what a wild ride you've
had there.
I mean, that's I feel likethat's really rare at a lot of
companies these days is to beable to actually begin as an
intern and then grow there andreally learn everything and
morph into what you are today.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
Yeah, I do find it to be rare.
People ask me for career adviceand how I started and I don't
take it for granted that I howlucky that is, but also I don't
know if that advice isapplicable anymore.
People don't do internshipsthat way.
Internships don't do jobs thatway anymore, no, so so a unique
path for sure.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
Yeah, totally a different landscape.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Yeah, yeah, OK so, Alfred.
So tell us a little bit aboutyour background, and then the
segue into the girl the girl.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
So, yeah, for me mine was at the time somewhat of a
typical, I think, thing if youwent into audio.
So I was a dork and you knowlike, listened to a lot of radio
growing up, studied radio incollege, ended up running my
college radio station as programdirector and wanted to, and I
think one thing that I, oneadvice I took then that I think
was applicable was also try tolearn everything.
(07:45):
So I really wanted to do likemusic.
There was a few radio stationsaround the country that was like
I would love to work therebecause of the type of music
they play.
But then I realized you know,you have to keep yourself open.
So what happened was aftercollege I ended up working at a
news station, which I also lovenews, and I don't know if I love
politics, but I always foundpolitics very interesting.
So I ended up covering.
I had a job, I was an associateor an assistant program director
(08:10):
in Portland, maine and fromthere I got to do kind of
everything Like that was kind ofmy grad school and I helped run
the like number one newsstation there, produce their
talk show, but also across thehall I was a voice jock so I did
music across the hall.
I also did television there, solike I kind of learned
everything.
And then they had layoffs andthen that's also very typical if
(08:31):
you were going into thatindustry.
At the time and this is sort ofbefore, although I did have a,
technically I did have a podcastin like there, but this is all
before like audio was kind ofconsidered cool.
So it was kind of weird thatyou would have a group of young
people working in audio becauseit wasn't that sexy of a
profession.
But I always loved it, I lovethe potential of it.
(08:52):
So from there I ended up movingto New York and got a job at
Public Radio at WNYC and I wasone of many, many people working
on the Takeaway, which was along running morning talk show
for PRI and WNYC.
And then from there there was ajob opening at Sirius for a
comedian who was doing apolitical sort of talk show and
a guy who I worked with at theTakeaway recommend he's like you
(09:13):
should look into this.
So I did and I ended up beingat Sirius for eight years and
through there also hosted a showand organized a bunch of events
but unlike Holly, like floatedaround, did so many things sort
of rose up.
I was really at one spot butkind of building a career there
where we went to the aspen ideasfestival and many years in a
(09:34):
row we did all kinds of like.
I covered the uh, rnc, dnc, alot of political events and a
lot of pop culture too, so wehad access to a lot of fun
celebrities and access to a lotof all sort of the fun things
that serious x, xm provides.
And then from there I starteddoing podcasting and I've been
doing like basically, and then,post pandemic, I've been working
from home ever since.
So Holly has this crazy commuteevery morning while I'm just in
(09:55):
my basement the whole time.
So we have we share differentlives.
But in terms of I met Holly atSirius XM she sat by the printer
and I had a lot of printing todo, so I mean, that's just what
happens.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
Oh, did you really have?
Speaker 3 (10:09):
a lot of printing to do, but also, like you know, it
was fun.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Yeah, yeah, things needed to be printed A lot of
scripts, a lot of scripts, guys,you know.
Speaker 4 (10:13):
so it's a big deal A lot of scripts.
Scripts are important.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
You know how she was off talking to celebrities.
I'm talking to real politicians.
It's serious stuff.
We need scripts.
So you know I'm doing God'swork there.
So yeah, and I don't know howmuch more we get into that.
But like and in terms of NewJersey, my brother has lived in
Montclair for, at this point, 15, almost 20 years.
So he was here first and then,you know, pre-pandemic, we were
living at the time in Brooklyn.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
It's an amazing space to live.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
We lived there prior to that we were in Williamsburg.
We just loved Brooklyn.
It was getting real hard.
We had a kid job changes, itjust was getting tough and I
love it so much there.
But we were maybe thinkingabout suburbs and we had that
sort of thought in our mind.
Then the pandemic happened.
We're like we don't know whatwe're going to do.
One of our apartment they soldthe building.
(11:07):
We had to leave.
We were just like this iscraziness.
At some point we probably needsome stability.
And then my brother was like hisold house, which he had left
like two years prior.
He was like you know, thefamily just moved to a bigger
house.
The house is there right nowand they needed someone to buy
it and apparently there weren'tmany offers for whatever reason.
(11:28):
It's a great house.
And you know, at first we werelike no thanks, it's too much
going on.
And then it sort of got to thepoint where he's like look, it's
still out there, you guysshould take a look at it.
So here we are.
It happened real fast.
And here we are, and yeah,raising our two children in
Montclair, new Jersey.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Well, I have a question about that, Holly,
because that's crazy Now.
Have you been, had you beencoming out to New Jersey to see
family and things like that?
So you were familiar with whatyou were about to get yourself
into?
Speaker 4 (11:56):
Only ever to see his brother in this house.
This certainly wasn't on mylike, you weren't?
Speaker 2 (12:01):
hanging out in New Jersey.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Yeah, so for me it was second nature, because I'm
from the suburbs of chicago, andthat's just what you do
everyone from the suburbs movesto new jersey.
You know?
Speaker 2 (12:09):
that's just what that's that typical story you
know that story that will it's acliche at this point.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Grow up in illinois, you move to new jersey.
That's just what you do.
Speaker 4 (12:20):
Yeah, I'm still so adjusting to it, but it's.
It's hard to know if the biggeradjustment is the suburbs or
New Jersey, or both, oreverything and motherhood but we
had a lot of life changes allright at once sure.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
I think that's the way to do it is just jump in.
That's what we did.
It was like kids.
We left Brooklyn.
It was minivan happened, whichI swore I would never happen to
me.
I know Don't, it's gone.
Now it's gone.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Yeah, yeah, you know you got it, but it's a lot back
on that.
It's a lot of change, yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:54):
Yeah, so I you know I don't want to, but I can't
pinpoint the thing that it isthat you guys can obviously
totally relate and I'm sureeveryone listening can relate.
There's so much that goes intoall of those facets of your life
and suddenly you're like, waita minute.
Yesterday I was just at a barin Brooklyn.
Who am I?
How did I get?
here, you know and while thereare beautiful, wonderful things
to it that there is such anidentity change in so many ways,
(13:15):
and the only consistent thing,weirdly, has been this career
for me, even though it's changedso much, having the stability
of this one job for so longchanged so much, having the
stability of this one job for solong has been that blessing
sort of imbalance for me wherethe rest of everything else
feels crazy.
When I'm on a bus at fiveo'clock in the morning, Like
what am I doing?
Speaker 2 (13:34):
You tell people what your day is like?
Speaker 4 (13:37):
Yeah, I mean, you know, the Today Show is live at
7 am and it's a fully operatedmachine that they have, and this
is a fully operated machinethat they have.
So there are people there 24-7.
I get in 6, 630, you know.
So that means I'm leaving heresome 530-ish mostly.
I take a 530 bus, sometimes alittle earlier, and I take the
bus just because it's easy andquick and you know the train
(13:59):
gets complicated.
New Jersey Transit is a littlecomplicated and it's so messed
up.
And then I walk over to 30 Rockand I have an office there at
the Today Show set where I gobehind the scenes and interview
all the anchors and producersabout what's going on,
essentially so that when theytoss to your local news, when
you're listening to the TodayShow on Sirius XM, I'm your
local news because we're anational company.
(14:20):
Instead of hearing your localnews and whether you hear me
talking to Craig in the makeuproom or whatever random thing,
I'm doing, that day.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
Well, is it live or are you editing it like before
you get it?
Speaker 4 (14:32):
on there.
So I know it's not live,because we don't know when the
breaks are coming or how longthey are going to be.
It's a little technical of howwe operate it.
I have a great mic that I love.
It's a little yellow tech mic.
It's very simple, just kind ofan on and off situation at my
desk in the studio.
I run down from the set, openit up, edit it in real time,
build it as close as I think Ican get it to the break that's
(14:54):
about to happen.
Then I have an engineer who'sactually manning the show live,
who takes my files, puts it onair and if I'm off by a minute
can add more time with a promoor two.
So we're in constantcommunication on how to do that
and that comes every 20 minutesfrom 7 am to 11 am and then
replays for the.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
West Coast and it's great because she gets the
anchors and behind the scenepeople to talk and they're very
unguarded and sometimes I'm kindof just like I'm amazed.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
I love that I was watching clips and I'm like I
prefer this.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
You get scoops.
I feel like I didn't even knowtheir personalities until like
you were chatting them up.
Speaker 4 (15:30):
It's amazing when there's no cameras and it's just
a microphone and you've gotsomeone trapped in a hair and
makeup chair, you'd be surprisedhow much they let their guard
down and actually talk and havefun.
But they're all wonderful, likeit's not.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
You know, it's easy, they're amazing, they are fun,
but I think it's also you, Holly, because not knowing you and I
was telling Rachel and havingmet you within just a very short
period of time, your positiveenergy, I'm sure you jaded, just
like all of us, right, I meanliterally, like we're, all you
(16:02):
know, half barely hanging on, Imean, but you really do exude
this thing that you want toreciprocate, the type of
kindness, the same with you,Alfred.
I think that's kind of like youboth have this really genuine
like likability.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Likability is what you have.
Very kind, Janet, Thank you.
And it comes through in thosevideos.
It is so fun when you'rewatching the clips or listening
to the clips I watch some ofyour Instagram reels that they
are like the minute you walkinto the frame they're like
happy.
They're like relax.
They're like, yes, we're justgoing to chat with our friends,
and you feel that as theaudience member.
Speaker 4 (16:37):
So that's why it's so engaging make it great there
and um I save.
I save all my angst and angerfor when I come home without as
one does.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Yeah, I'm curious, though, about where you hung
those skills.
I mean, clearly you weretelling us your story about how,
where you started, you startedwith, like, her wall first.
I mean, that is, like, you know, the pinnacle of broadcasting
for women, right, it's right,and?
And do you carry some of thoseskills?
Do you find yourself leaning onsome things, unconsciously or
(17:09):
consciously, that you learn.
Speaker 4 (17:11):
You know they always say a good interviewer is a good
listener, but I do think I havebeen a very observant person my
whole life and just mimicry,and so I've had a very lucky
chance of working with the bestand just watching and absorbing
how they treat people, what theydo.
You know it, before her podcast, before she was the anchor, she
(17:48):
was just this woman, hoda, youknow, and she you want to talk
about a positive light.
It would be hard not to absorbgoodness in that orbit and she
taught us all how to just bringthat into your life, into your
work, and endlessly grateful forhaving crossed paths with her.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
That comes through in what you see on your instagram,
the, the closeness that the twoof you have, and they're just
the genuine friendship and like.
It almost seems like a familytype of atmosphere that you have
with her.
I remember hearing hoda on aninterview years ago I don't know
with what, but she was sayingthat she, when she was, really
had this persona that she neededto be serious or you know, in
(18:28):
her work.
But then kathy lee, she was putwith kathy lee and kathy lee
strangely had this effect on herthat she could be silly, she
could be, and I always thoughtthat was really interesting how
one person can because she nowseems so approachable and so
friendly, hoda does that.
You're like, you know, it'sthat little you know, pivot.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
What a pairing, the two of them.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:51):
And she does tell a great story of, like, her first
days on the show and they've gotthe little IFB in the ear and
she's, you know, reading theteleprompter and Kathy ripped
the thing out of her ear andthrew the cards on the ground
and this is live, and Hoda wasjust like you know, this is not
right same, and so and then shebecame hoda and it's just yeah,
what a gift that each, each, umbroadcaster sort of gives to the
(19:12):
next one to make them who theyare.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
And it's it's very cool to watch in real time, but
life is like that the people youmeet like make you who you are,
and the roads you take, youknow they shake, and I think
you're passing that on right,right, because the style that
you have, it's just such afriendly, triple unkind thing.
You're passing that on.
Somebody's going to say, well,it was Holly Well.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
I'd like to think I am making Alfred a much better
broadcaster Absolutely Apositive impact.
I feel bad for her becausewhile I've been in media.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
I study it.
That's what I studied Growingup.
I studied that stuff.
I'm a huge nerd and I will say,you know for Holly, she's so
natural, she tried and you guysdon't realize this but she tried
to fight.
Not being on the air and it was.
It would make me so nutsbecause I'm like you have
something that so many peopledon't have, a natural ability,
which is you can't train it, youdo.
(20:04):
yeah, natural ability which isyou can't train it.
Like you know, you see peoplein local newscasts.
They are reading a teleprompterand they have the same cadence
all the time and she has a verynaturalistic way, um, while also
being professional, which isreally difficult to do, and so
you know she always hears mylittle explanations or I tried
like, oh, that was so goodbecause of this, this and this,
or critiquing other people.
(20:25):
So yeah, she has to deal with mysort of ramblings about what I
think about the industry.
But yeah, she does such a greatjob.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Thanks.
Well, I want to get to theindustry part about?
Yeah, and I also want to touchon your podcast that we talked
about when at the meetup, thepizza podcast, the pizza pod
party.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Is that the pizza pod party somewhere?
You'll get it?
Yeah, but it's a pizza podparty.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Yeah, yeah, tell us, tell us how that came about.
And also, you're going to haveto obviously have to tell us the
best pizza in Montclair, or atleast.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
Well, ok, well, there's a lot there, so I am no
expert.
I always have to make that veryclear that my partner, arthur
Bovino, he's a writer, he workedat the New York Times, but he
also, like, went to culinaryschool, so he knows exactly what
he's talking about.
Holly knows actually more aboutpizza than I do.
I'm just a fan.
I'm there to keep theconversation going.
(21:20):
I just love eating pizza.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
Well, no offense, you're from.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
We know a lot about pizza, though, no, so that's.
Speaker 4 (21:26):
Yeah, but shouldn't I know about the deep dish?
It's not the same though.
Well, that's a whole.
I mean, do you?
Speaker 3 (21:29):
want to do.
Is this going to be a four-hourepisode, because I'm fine with
that.
Let's go, let's do this.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
I know.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
Let's expert.
But yeah, I was doing a showthat was kind of a pop culture
show on Sirius XM on the sideand one day my co-host and I,
Chris Hossa, we were like let'stalk about what if we could fill
an hour live with pizza?
So we did and I looked upArthur, had him come in studio.
We took phone calls just to seewhat would happen, having an
expert there, having people talkabout pizza.
And we actually had comedianLori Kilmartin, who's a great
comedian on.
She was like we're talkingabout pizza for a full hour.
I said, sure, we're just goingto experiment, see what happens.
(22:08):
And we had sort of a structure.
People called in and I realizedthere's so much you can learn
about culture and society andespecially about an individual,
based on how they ate pizzagrowing up and sort of how they
continue to eat pizza.
So we then, Arthur and I, afterI left Sirius, he and I
literally went out to get pizzaand hashed out the show.
And the show is exactly how webasically pitched it to
(22:28):
ourselves.
We had all these meetings withpeople to partner up with.
And then the pandemic happens.
We put on the shelf for threeor four years and then Ooni
Pizza Ovens wanted to get intomedia so they're like,
especially at the time, liketheir number one pizza oven
company and they wanted to getinto podcasting, so they wanted
to sponsor us.
So that's what happened and wedid 52 episodes with them.
(22:50):
Ali Velshi from NBC.
He talked about being born inAfrica, moving to Toronto and
then, through that conversationabout having Greek pizza in
Toronto, he also explained thedemographic changes and shifts
in Toronto and how it startedoff as this very typical
Canadian city and how it became.
All these influx of immigrantschanged the dynamic of the city.
He talked about eatingpineapple pizza because his
(23:11):
roommate in college kept ontaking his other pizza, so we
wanted to get a pizza that heknew his roommate didn't like.
You know, we talked to Roy WoodJr, who was on the Daily Show
and had just done thecorrespondence dinner.
He talked about certain placesnot delivering to his
historically black campus.
So like these things that wewant to have fun conversation,
want to have debates, but youlearn something that is weirdly
(23:33):
serious and interesting and Ithink it's just a different way
to get to know someone is goingthrough pizza and, unfortunately
, I think the landscape has beenyou know there are a lot of
people like me that arereviewing pizzas that don't know
what they're talking about outthere right now and I think that
that sort of and I think in asort of an uglier way like it
(23:54):
creates the kind of debate.
that's not fun and it should befun.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
It's pretty hard to just put your foot in the ground
and be like I am a pizza expert.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
I mean?
Speaker 1 (24:01):
what does that really mean, anyway?
But I do love how you're tryingto get to a heart of a story of
somebody's life and theirexperience just through pizza,
and you can learn a lot, I likeit?
Speaker 2 (24:13):
Where do you two, when you're like let's grab some
pizza, just like most often, goto oh, we have a very clear
answer for this, mr Dino's, isthe easiest for us.
It's, oh my god, my son isgonna be so happy.
You said that is gonna bepsyched.
You don't understand.
Yesterday he came in and he'slike mom, it's great yeah, yeah,
(24:36):
so there was a.
You know, he came there barstoolyeah, he's like I was in there
and I was getting pizza and wewere all talking about how he
rated it a 7.5 and he's like sothe owner came out and I was
talking to him and he's like sohe's so upset wait, he was one
of the kids that was there whilethe guy came okay, no he would.
(24:56):
They were talking about itafter the, after the fact, right
.
So he was getting the the, theinside scoop from the owner how
upset he was with that 7.5.
Right.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
I haven't really had bad pizza here.
Speaker 4 (25:11):
To Alfred's point about the judging thing.
It's ridiculous, it's insanethat anyone would put themselves
in a position to give somebodya 7.5.
Who?
Speaker 3 (25:18):
are you to give a 7.5 ?
The pizza's delicious.
I love a good debate, put youropinions out there.
But the way the power he has, Ithink he flexes those muscles
in a very dangerous way and hemakes or breaks companies and
like he has minions that he sortof go off on people and it just
.
I think it's a weaponization ofsocial media that he sort of
(25:41):
exudes and I hate that stuff andI'm not scared of opinions.
I love debate, I love all ofthat.
Like you know, I have abackground in politics, but no,
but there's something.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
It's something.
A debate is great, but thenwhen it's like a negative sort
of, I'm going to take a bite andjust drop a number on you.
Your whole business, yeah.
Speaker 4 (25:59):
Yeah, yeah.
I like to tie it back tojournalism for a minute.
Like there's reason barbarawalters existed, like there's a
reason journalism exists for,for that credibility of not just
reporting something withoutresearch and facts and things
and barstool becomes sosuccessful and that's great for
social media, but then it's notthat great, but then it becomes
(26:21):
like fact when it's in fact justinsanity made up and I love
criticism, like I love artcriticism, but like you need to,
like like holly just said, youneed to back it up, like you
need to qualify what you'resaying in an honest way well,
which which jeanette and I saylike our podcast is all about.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
You know we wanted it to be like mr ro Rogers
neighborhood.
Let's like show everybody intown, everybody we meet in this
town, for being lost in Jerseyis so incredible.
Like everybody has a greatstory.
Every single person who livesin most towns have a great story
.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
Right.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
So that we wanted to highlight the positives in that,
and I think it.
But on the flip side, socialmedia always goes crazy if it's
really negative.
And well, obviously our cultureright now is in a fascination
with the negative.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
But my sister was talking to me, she was a
journalist Also, she was aconsumer journalist for Dateline
, so that you have to like do alot of research in that area.
But she was saying, becauseshe's an avid Lost in Jersey fan
, she listens to everything andshe may be our biggest fan she
might be, and she said I lovethat you guys let people tell
(27:36):
their stories and you're notgiving your opinion.
I mean, you give your story butyou don't just, like you know,
turn it into like an opinionthing, and I think that's what
we're talking about.
It's like everybody's got anopinion in journalism now and
it's not.
Is that even journalism anymore?
Speaker 3 (27:49):
I don't even know what journalism is anymore.
Like it's crazy.
I'm terrified of what's comingup because there's the standards
are.
I mean, that's a whole otherconversation.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
But yeah, it's scary.
You know, Alfred, you industryso much.
What are you seeing in thisindustry?
Speaker 4 (28:05):
Is it contracting?
I mean, I think a big part ofwhy we had that meetup was
knowing how many of our verytalented, very deserving of
their positions friends were letgo in recent months, even,
especially at SiriusXM.
It's been a very, very roughcouple of years there.
We talk about this a lot.
Speaker 3 (28:22):
the two of us I always try to be careful about,
like how, what my opinions are,and because I talk to a lot of
people about this stuff and Ithink I'm weary of anyone who
says they know what they'retalking about.
I mean, this has been a commonthing.
I mean, think about how popularHoward Stern was and think
about how many bosses of hissaid shut up and play music.
Think about how, for a while,people were like NPR is boring,
(28:42):
we don't listen to NPR.
How, for a while, people werelike NPR is boring, we don't
listen to NPR, and then NPRbecame sort of like the place
for like entertaining audio.
Everyone's wrong.
So I think that I think, if wecome in and say here's exactly
the state of the media andhere's what needs to change, I
don't know, I can.
I can make educated guesses, Ican.
I can put on my criticism hatand put on and criticize a lot
of actors out there right now,but it's tough.
(29:05):
One thing I see is that there'sa lot of when, like podcasts
get so sexy, there's a lot ofinvestment, and then it feels
like all right now.
It's like it's becoming a realforce.
The problem is, it's a weirdindustry where it can cost a lot
of money, but it also has asmall overhead in a lot of ways
and I think for me right now Imaybe have a prejudice with this
(29:27):
, but like the tech industry, Ithink is really messing things
up a bit.
I think too many people getinvolved because they like
podcasts and then they try totake over and buy podcasts or
start podcasts that don't goaccording to what they thought
it might've been and thatcreates layoffs, that creates
like, uh, and maybe there's toomany under one one organization
(29:47):
and so then maybe something thatwould have made money if the
right marketing or the rightsort of like selling of ads
would work, because that the thebenefits of podcasts is that's
niche and like, so you cantarget a specific very nice
podcast shouldn't scareadvertisers.
It should make them reallyhappy because there are specific
people right love to consumethat entity and that should be
(30:10):
like.
And some people learn that andother people did not learn, and
so they bought a bunch ofpodcasts and then got rid of
them because they weren't seeingexactly what they wanted.
Revenue wise think.
The good news is people arelistening always, but the
problem is monetization rightnow is hard and you also.
The other factor is celebritiesis you know you'll, you'll
(30:30):
throw yeah millions, millions ofdollars at a couple celebrities
.
but then where's?
If you're, but you're all,you're hosting other podcasts,
where does that money go?
Then they get laid off becauseyou're focusing on the celebrity
.
Maybe that celebrity, that'sits fifth priority to do that
podcast.
Also, maybe that celebrity isnot great at even talking.
That's not what they're trainedto do.
It's just a weird time.
(30:52):
Some of them are, some of themare not.
So it's a very weird time.
And like to Holly's point,there's a lot of great, great
talented people and they're allgoing after the same few jobs
that go out there.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
What are they going to do?
Speaker 4 (31:07):
I mean because it's, it's not, it's flooded, you know
it's oversaturated in so many,so many ways and the expectation
for you now to have a skill setthat isn't just a really good
editor.
You also have to be a greatproducer and a video editor and
you have to know how to workwith AI and you have to know
about how to do all facets ofthings and be a real one man
show, which is a crazyexpectation.
(31:30):
I fear that that oversaturationjust left to a lot of blank
spaces.
Now People are just not goingto be able to get back in
because there won't be jobs tobe had.
Unfortunately, the downsizingis real and they're not going to
expand again anytime soon.
Yes, I think there are a lot oflisteners, there's still people
listening, but it just won't bethe way it was in its heyday.
So what do those talentedpeople do?
(31:50):
I listening, but it just won'tbe the way it was in its heyday.
So what do those talentedpeople do?
I think you pivot into someother fields in media a bit,
because everybody's going tohave an audio facet to it.
Podcasting isn't going away.
So brands, I think, are aninteresting angle for a lot of
people.
Personally, I think a bigfuture and an area I'm very
interested in pursuing ispersonalization of podcasts.
I think families want toarchive their audio and make it
(32:13):
really more about them.
I think it's an untapped sortof area.
Speaker 1 (32:16):
I saw that on your website and I was going to ask
you about that.
What does that encompass?
Speaker 4 (32:21):
Just sort of an idea that sparked from all these
recordings I had of my ownfamily from when I was a kid.
You know we didn't have videocameras, you certainly didn't
have this phone recordingeverything.
We had some audio of mygrandparents talking around the
kitchen table and I thought, ohmy gosh, like I want my kids to
hear that.
And I started writing narrativepodcasts where I would
interject those clips into astory.
And then I thought, well, youknow, for anybody can have that
(32:42):
for for a birthday, for acelebration, for any graduation,
any reason that you want tocommemorate a moment just using
already existing audio that youhave on your phone from all of
these videos and just sort oftelling your story.
Making podcasts for families, Ithink is an interesting angle,
but in general, justpersonalization of it because
we're out there, that's so coolLooking for content.
Speaker 3 (33:01):
Why?
Speaker 4 (33:01):
not your own life being the content.
If there was an easy way tocapture that and do it.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
I'm so sad because I saved all these dictaphone.
So these voicemail, rememberthe old school answering machine
.
My grandma from the Bronx wouldcall all the time and leave me
the longest, most amazingmessages.
So then I saved those.
(33:27):
I kept all those tapes andwould put them in a dictaphone.
And because she would leavemessages for my roommates, what
are you doing?
Okay, I hope you're dancing.
Come home, I'm watching Lenoand Letterman.
I mean it was so great, butthat they've disintegrated those
(33:48):
tapes are.
It's so horrible.
So if you can save all thatsound, that would be amazing.
Speaker 4 (33:55):
Yeah, and I just think sound is so special and
that's why it's resonating withyou so much.
Her voice is the theater of themind Now you see her sitting
there watching those shows.
Speaker 1 (34:04):
Everything.
Speaker 4 (34:05):
It's such a beautiful sense to tap into.
I think that's why Alfred and Iboth are so attracted to audio.
Got into it in the first placeand sit here recording all
things all the time because itreally matters and it really
means something, and so, yeah,it sucks.
What happened to this industrythat so many people just wanted
to monetize it when there's sucha gift to be had with it?
And so.
I hope the people who areworking in it hang on a little
(34:25):
longer to some, to the passionbehind it, because there's
there'll be room for us whostill care about it in the end,
I think there's innovation.
Speaker 2 (34:33):
There's going to be innovation and I just absolutely
love your idea and it alreadylike sparking, like thoughts,
like you know how there's somany of these series of true
crime series or whatever theyare instead of it.
You know it could be.
You know rachel's grandmother'sstory you know, it's like like
you know, 10 episodes of thestory and then somebody does the
(34:54):
sound design.
I could see that happening, butmentioned something positive
about it real quick like that Ithink is important.
Speaker 3 (34:59):
That I think is very important as someone who wants
to sort of track trends Around98, 99,.
There was literally everyarticle think piece.
I had classes where teacherswere talking about this.
Scripted television basicallywas going to be over.
There was Survivor it was theage of a reality TV and there
were these again experts thatwould say there is no reason why
(35:23):
anyone would invest in anythingscripted right now.
There's going to be a couple.
Friends was still around, butthere was no.
That is.
That era is over.
We have to figure out what thenext year of television is, and
then obviously we know the term.
Peak television happened a yearor two after that Literally the
(35:44):
exact opposite of what everyonehad said, where TV became
movies and the Sopranos, Sex andthe City and the Wire, all of
these shows that were still evenin television now for 25 years
and that was mind blowing.
No one even took the time to say.
Also, no one took the time tosay I was wrong about this, but
I'm saying that was literally sowe never know.
(36:06):
So there's going to besomething that comes up.
I mean Serial, for example.
That podcast came out to a lotof us.
We saw something like thathappening.
We could tell there was goingto be something like that for
mass appeal.
I didn't, but I thought there'dbe something like that that
would happen.
That changed everything, and soyou never know what's going to
happen.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
I think another thing that's really starting to
happen is that I think it wasprobably a decade or two ago
where you know local newspaperskind of died away and it all
became very much like bigoutlets where you know you're
getting your news, you thinkit's local, but it's not right,
and I feel like this is what'shappening, with also so many
people just doing this.
They're doing local news again.
Speaker 3 (36:46):
I worry about.
You know, like like publicradio is not going away in major
cities, like like Boston, newYork, chicago, like like public
radio is not going away in majorcities, like like Boston, new
York, chicago, those publicradio stations will be up
because people are going todonate, people are going to
support that.
I do worry about, yes, parts ofthis country where they don't
have the resources and just now,local news is just gone forever
.
I hope that they care about itmore.
But you know, some of thosestates do have other things to
worry about.
So I do worry about it.
(37:07):
But I think you're right, wecan be better and I think and
I'm seeing people do they arecaring about local and community
programming.
But it's just, it's toughbecause we're also we're a huge
country and it's like I don'tknow, it's a, it's a very weird
time.
Speaker 2 (37:21):
Yeah, yeah, no, we have to close out with something
that we ask all of our peopleand you might have already done
it Something you love about NewJersey.
What do you like, holly?
First, what do you like?
Speaker 4 (37:34):
My kids are very happy.
My daughter loves getting onthat bus and going to that
school and whatever nonsense,they do there.
She comes home and she's likeand she's grown so much just in
kindergarten it's only been whatthe hundred days.
They should just dress like anold lady a week ago.
I love the hundred daycelebration.
(37:57):
I forgot about that.
It's so cute.
Came home, she looks like youknow ridiculous and she can read
and write and I'm like who areyou and you?
know, it's just she's very happy, which makes me very happy what
restaurant you gotta do arestaurant right oh my god she
avoided the question what likethat's.
I'm not avoiding the foodquestion.
Speaker 3 (38:13):
This is another whole hour if I have to get into the
one thing I like about newjersey right now at especially
food wise is, like you know,there's this whole thing that's
been going on for a while onlinelike weird new jersey.
These two guys started awebsite called weird new jersey,
but it's more about like forfolklore and like the Jersey
devil and like sort of weirdhistory of New Jersey.
Speaker 4 (38:33):
I find that.
Speaker 3 (38:34):
I'm sure this exists in every state, but you know, we
have a car now and so we wereable to discover things.
I think there's a lot of weird,fun restaurants in New Jersey
that are like crazy, weird,seemingly unique, Like there's
Lee's Hawaiian, which is likethe weirdest tiki bar.
It's not far from like whereTarget is.
I forget the town, but it is atiki bar.
(38:56):
It's like a warehouse.
Speaker 2 (38:59):
I swear to God I thought you said tiki bar.
Speaker 3 (39:02):
Oh, I have a list of those.
If you want, I can give you aseparate list.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
With the kids, with the kids.
Jeanette, don't get my sonstarted on it.
Speaker 3 (39:09):
he has a lot of opinions about the best ones,
but no, it's a tiki bar and it'slike in a warehouse.
It's huge, they have karaoke.
It is something out of the 60sthat like did not last.
But this place is like a relic,it is nuts.
Speaker 1 (39:22):
Then there's steve sizzling.
Don't go for the food.
It's fine, but likeher.
Speaker 3 (39:27):
It's just wild.
And Steve Sizzling Steaks inKarlstadt is off the side of the
road it's like a Wisconsin.
It feels like a Wisconsinsupper club.
And it's so weird Taxidermyeverywhere.
So I love that.
I love destination restaurantsthat are totally unique.
Speaker 2 (39:44):
I love that you guys do that.
Speaker 3 (39:45):
Are you like searching for that?
I have lists, is that?
Speaker 2 (39:47):
your're.
Speaker 1 (39:48):
You're looking for the most oh my god, I feel like
you need to share some of yourlists with us, because that I
love that he told you who he wasthe minute we logged on here.
Speaker 2 (39:56):
He's a complete nerd loser, lover of the weird not
the loser part, but all right,but it sounds like a good no, I
got some problems that's likefun.
I think you might have anotherpodcast idea.
Yeah, we're gonna have you onas a segment.
Yeah, live From the.
Speaker 1 (40:14):
Tiki Bar.
Speaker 2 (40:16):
Jeanette Tiki Bar.
I'm like, wow, I'm reallydisappointed.
Speaker 1 (40:20):
Well, my husband when we first came out here to even
look at houses from Brooklyn wehad two little girls at the time
and we stopped on Route 3, asone as one does near the target,
because we're like we might aswell get toilet paper on the way
back to brooklyn, and westopped at the shannon rose okay
, which we didn't know anythingabout new jersey and we sit down
(40:41):
, they give us all the menus andbill looks at it and he's like
a murder burger.
I'm intrigued what they're like.
Speaker 3 (40:49):
It's a bacon double cheeseburger fry they take the
whole thing, and then they fryit and I'm like hon I have to
we're in New Jersey.
Speaker 1 (41:00):
My God.
Speaker 3 (41:01):
Well around the corner.
Have you been to Rutt's Hut,the Rutt's Hut, the hot dog
place.
That's wonderful Historic hotdog place.
Speaker 1 (41:08):
Yeah, it's amazing Historic.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
What's that place called?
That's in, it's not.
It's like far into Bloomfield,on Bloomfield Avenue it's a
famous Italian, old Italianplace.
When you walk in there, I justlike it.
Speaker 3 (41:21):
Man, I'm going to have to do some.
Speaker 2 (41:22):
Googling.
I'll let you know afterwardswhat it is.
Speaker 3 (41:26):
It'll come to me.
Thank, you.
Speaker 2 (41:27):
Thank you so much for joining us.
Speaker 3 (41:29):
Thank you for having us, thank you for having this
podcast.
So, rachel Jeanette, thank youso much.
This was a lot of fun and Ialways love doing stuff like
this.
Speaker 1 (41:37):
So I really appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (41:38):
We're thrilled to be here.
Speaker 1 (41:39):
My gosh, we're very grateful that you came on.
This was a blast.
This podcast is produced byRachel Martens and Jeanette of
Sharian.
Please follow us on Facebookand Instagram.
We hope you share this pod withyour friends and family and let
us know what you think.
Check out our website atlostinjerseysite and don't
(42:00):
forget to get lost.
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