EPISODES

We last had JC Douglas on our show 9 years ago when I got the full run down of his career highlights. JC Douglas announced his retirement on Facebook in May 2026, reflecting on his 40-year tenure at Q104, his morning run at C100, and in-between time at 89.9 The Wave. Here is JC's announcement on Facebook. He discussed the success of Q104 and C100, attributing it to loyal audiences and long-tenured talent. Douglas highlighted his pivotal moments, including interviewing Paul Mc

Rhys Waters from Podstarter joins Matt Cundill to talk career and the Echo Podsummit.

This week, I’m celebrating the 500th episode of the Sound Off Podcast by turning the spotlight on why so many shows underperform—and what you can do about it. Truths & Myths in Podcasting After nearly 10 years and 500 episodes, I’ve seen the same mistakes again and again, so I break down 10 big ones: blaming a vague “discovery problem” instead of doing the work of promotion, skipping a proper trailer, tolerating shit audio and lazy editing, and relying on weak interview struc

Kattie Laur is one of the most insightful voices in the Canadian podcasting landscape today. As a producer, audience growth specialist, and creator of the Pod the North newsletter, she sits at the intersection of content creation and strategy. Her work spans both the creative and analytical sides of podcasting—helping shows not only sound great, but actually reach and grow their audiences. Known for her candid takes and deep industry knowledge, Kattie brings a unique perspect

TrueFans.fm founder Sam Sethi is forward thinking about podcasting. Sam explains how True Fans grew out of the podcasting 2.0 movement into a full creator marketplace where podcasters can host audio and video, build real fan communities, and earn through value-for-value models, including micro payments, subscriptions, and one-off episode payments. Sam Sethi walks me through how True Fans removes friction for listeners with a built-in virtual wallet, gamified SATs, and simple

I reconnect with multi-hyphenate broadcaster, singer, actor, and live selling expert Dawn Chubai. We start in Edmonton, where she talks about growing up, singing in backyard concerts, finding her way into PR straight out of high school, and then accidentally falling into broadcasting through her music. Dawn shares stories from her days at A-Channel/Citytv, including doing weather and traffic, musical performances, and the energy of those street-facing Jasper Avenue studios—pl

I reconnect with Doug Downs, whose career has criss-crossed radio, television, corporate communications, and now podcasting in a way that feels almost tailor‑made for the medium. In the 90's we worked in Edmonton and grew very familar with one another's work in traditional media. Today I learn about his trek into the world of podcasting. Doug takes me back to the time before we knew one antoher - to being a three‑year‑old kid in Scarborough, Ontario, running up and down an a

After nearly 10 years, Todd Hancock is back. As only a select few may remember, Todd's last Sound Off appearance was on our second-ever episode. At the time, he had just been let go by CFOX in Vancouver and was in the process of launching The Toddcast , his own podcast endeavor. With a great website and some excellent audio, there's no doubt he had about as strong of a start as one can possibly have... And now, a decade later, we're both still here. Build-A-Brand If you've ev

Let's go to Lagos! Tony Doe is one of the most thoughtful voices in Nigeria, and he's here to provide some excellent insights into the past, present and future of podcasting. As a former Nigerian radio broadcaster turned podcaster, Tony reflects on the lost intimacy of radio as studios chase visual appeal and social media reactions, and explains why he rejects the idea that video is the “next phase” of podcasting. He warns creators about building shows inside walled gardens l

Back in 2006, the first time I met Andrea, she was just finishing up her tenure working promotions for Power 97 in Winnipeg. Little did I know just how far she'd go. Over the following 14 years, Andrea made herself into a prominent radio figure in Winnipeg, Montreal and Toronto. She spent time on air at major stations like Curve 94.3 in Winnipeg, Virgin Radio, CTV, and iHeartRadio, all the way up until 2018 when she was laid off (as is the case for many radio employees). But

If you’ve ever wondered what actually goes into making a podcast sound polished and professional, this episode delivers a candid look at both the craft and the business of editing. Bryan Entzminger’s path into podcasting began in 2014—but not before two years of hesitation. Like many creators, he wrestled with perfectionism before finally hitting publish. Inspired by John Lee Dumas and the tight, repeatable format of Entrepreneurs on Fire, Bryan leaned on his music backgroun

I reconnect with Buzz Knight to explore the evolution of Buzz’s podcasting journey and his growing audio network. Buzz traces the roots of his “Takin a Walk” podcast from its original in-person, outdoor concept—where he literally walked and talked with guests—through the practical challenges of weather and audio quality, to its current virtual format with a strong focus on music-centered storytelling. Leveraging his radio experience both on air and in programming, Buzz expla

Kristi Lee has quietly become one of the most trusted voices in true crime – and in this episode of the Sound Off Podcast, we dig into how and why. As the host of Canadian True Crime, Kristi has eclipsed **75 million downloads** over more than **200 episodes**, including milestone instalment **“Robert Picton – The Final Chapter”** for episode 200. Born in New Zealand, raised and educated in Australia, and now based in Toronto, Kristi’s path to podcasting wasn’t linear. A fam

When I first heard about “Julian on the Radio”, I knew the résumé: big markets, big stations, big moments. What I didn’t fully appreciate was just how much of that career was built on curiosity, risk, and a stubborn love for people. Julian takes me back to his start at Z104 in Washington, DC—the intern who never left the building, ran street stunts, answered phones, and was simply there the day the board op didn’t show up. From there, we trace his journey through Chicago’s B9

Brittany Grunig , whose journey through Canadian country radio perfectly illustrates why one should bel bullish on radio’s future. Brittany shares how growing up in small-town Nova Scotia, studying marketing at Holland College, and stumbling into a radio internship led to gigs at Ocean 100 , K-Rock , and CFCY , before a chance interview booking helped her leap to New Country 94 in Ottawa . We talk about her rapid evolution from on-air host to Music Director and eventually Re

Brion O'Brion is the radio in Lansing, Michigan on Power 96.5. A true veteran in urban and hip hop radio, Brion shared his radio story—from growing up in Virginia and spending time overseas, to discovering his love for radio with the legendary “Rap Attack” show on WRAP. We talked about the mentors who shaped his path, the competitive radio scenes in Orlando and St. Louis, and how setbacks taught him resilience and the importance of adaptability. Brion opened up about the chan

I am joined by my longtime friend and media personality Nat Lauzon. Nat does weekends on 92.5 The Beat in Montreal and shares her experience launching her new podcast called Feedbag. In an honest and lighthearted conversation, (Lighthearted because we talk about farts) Nat opens up about facing big life changes, including navigating midlife, finding creative freedom, and her recent health challenges with stage zero breast cancer. Nat is successful because she prepares for, an

Traci DeForge is the founder of Produce Your Podcast and co‑founder of the Podcast Professionals Association —and unpacks her journey from radio prodigy to podcast entrepreneur. Traci shares how rapid consolidation in radio, a burnout moment in 2004, and a leap into business strategy led her to launch a broadcast‑quality podcast in 2016 that grew into a full‑service production agency. She said so before the recording started but she is audio first. Audio remains powerful (th

Kendall Breitman is the community manager at Riverside.fm, and shares her journey from political journalism at Bloomberg and NBC to spearheading community management at Riverside, revealing how her passion for people and storytelling fuels her work. We got into the hurdles podcasters face—from choosing recording platforms to tackling complex workflows. Kendall highlights Riverside’s innovative approach, introducing tools like the CO Creator AI, which streamlines everything fr

For ten years now, I have saved the Christmas morning episode for my good friend Terry Dimonte. The 10th anniversary of gathering around the mic to talk about life, radio, and the small pleasures that keep us sane. Terry and I wandered through the evolution of podcasting—how it’s gone from niche experiment to a wonderully busy and democratic landscape where sound quality and human connection still cut through the noise. We talked about YouTube being the go-to discovery engine